Oscar Party: At Home Glam on Windy City Live

Everyone loves a party, and the Oscars are certainly an excuse to throw one!

I am on Windy City Live today talking about how to throw an At Home Glam Oscar Party, and can show you some simple tricks to elevate your party to the next level.

Attire

If you don’t have anything to wear, my favorite stores to find a last minute item are boutiques. I recently had the opportunity to meet one of the owners of Juniper Boutique in Northbrook, Jennifer Stamper; she produced Oprah for 16 years and worked alongside Tim Gunn, Rachel Zoe and Tom Ford so she knows her stuff. Juniper Boutique outfitted Val for the segment in a gorgeous maxi dress, and you can purchase it online here!

One thing I love about boutique shopping is that you create a relationship with the stylists in the store, and they come to recognize your style and recommend items that complement your body.

Bling

The jewels I showed on the Windy City Live segment are from Cy Fredrics Jewelers, a North Shore mainstay since the 1950s. They have locations in Glenview and Highland Park, and offer a wide variety of unique jewelry styles- from antique to modern and everything in between. Pile on your favorite bling to get into the Oscar spirit! If you don’t have mega jewels, costume jewelry is fun to play with as well. I actually wear my grandmother’s necklaces as bracelets, looped multiple times around my wrist.

Cocktails

A signature cocktail makes a party more festive, but they can be costly and time-consuming to make yourself. My FAVORITE new find this year is Vitani, premium pre-mixed martinis that deliver the same quality and flavor as you would find from a professional bartender. I made sure to personally sample each flavor (Cosmo, Dirty Martini, Citrus-Ginger, Cucumber and Elderpear), and each one was delicious- not too sweet, not overpowering, these were well-balanced and tasted fresh from the
shaker.

You can find them at Mariano’s, Whole Foods, and other select grocers in the Chicagoland area. Enter your zip code here to locate them!

Food

As a hostess, I try not to actually cook much. I prefer to assemble instead. Why not order something elegant and serve it in martini glasses? On Windy City Live, we showcased oysters on the half shell and lobster mac n’ cheese from Lucky Fish in Highwood. They serve the most fresh seafood, and at surprisingly affordable prices. By ordering an entree and splitting it into appetizer-size portions, you get a bigger bang for your buck.

Who doesn’t love popcorn? A great way to surprise your guests is to give each guest their own mini popcorn bucket and let them snack during the show. Highland Pop pops their products fresh daily. We showcased the Slim Kim- at only 27.5 calories per serving, popped in heart healthy coconut oil, non gmo, low sodium and low carb.

Swag

What would an Oscar party be without swag bags? This year’s Oscar attendees are rumored to be receiving swag worth upwards of $220,000. I am sure your budget won’t cover that, but you can offer your guests something to put a big grin on their face as they head out the door. Chocolate Twist, a company that prides themselves on making tasty, approachable and fun food, was created in 2009 and is based in Riverside.

Some of the twisted flavors they produce include Rosemary Cheezit White Chocolate Candy Bars, Root Beer Float Candy Bars, Gigantic Saigon Cinnamon Peanut Butter Cups and Soy Balsamic Caramel Sauce. Find them all over the city, including Goddess & The Grocer, Goddess & The Baker, Standard Market and online at Food 52. All of the guests at Windy City Live went home with a bag of their Epic Sea Salt Caramels, and of course I snagged a few for myself. DIVINE!

Thank you to Windy City Live for having me on the show- it was an absolute blast! The hosts were incredibly kind, personable, and straight up hilarious. Ryan and Val have a rapport that you can tell is truly genuine, and I was honored to be a part of WCL for the morning!