Spending the Night With Oscar

Anyone who knows me well knows my die hard obsession with Hollywood award shows. I LOVE them. And anyone who knows this about me would also most likely know that the Oscars is the most important one - kind of the big finale at the end. The Oscars is the fanciest, the biggest and the most elaborate of them all.

For as long as I can remember, I've spent Oscar night infront of the TV, watching, admiring and closely following the stars as they walk the red carpet and are interviewed by entertainment show hosts, such as Mary Hart, Ryan Seacrest and Ben Mulrooney, to name a few. I don't know why I get so caught up in all of the glitz - Warren just laughs at me - but I'm not gonna lie to ya, I love the glamour. I love the gowns. I love the couple sightings. I love seeing who took who and who's wearing what, who's presenting and who's gonna win. I love the speeches. I love the emotion and the anticipation. There's something special and thrilling about Oscar night and I've always loved it. Actually, all the Bartel girls always have.

This year, Mel had me over and we had our own little Oscars night. It was great! She had made some fun snacks and we munched and gabbed together for the whole evening infront of the TV. It was really fun. My mom even called us halfway through to see who's dress we liked the best, who we thought would win, etc. Hee hee.

And so, the highlights. I thought Ellen did a fantastic job hosting. She's a hoot. I get such a kick out of her. I was thrilled that Jennifer Hudson won - talk about a comeback. First she's booted off American Idol and now she's won an Oscar! That's magic. Oooh... and I loved it when Jaden Smith and Abigail Breslin presented. So cute. It was kind of refreshing to have two little kids up there. I love watching guys like Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg - they're sensational - legends of our time. Man, have they accomplished lots in their careers, artistically. It's inspirational to me. Okay, so let's talk dresses. I thought Helen Mirren looked beautiful - she looks so glamorous for her age. Penelope Cruz - very feminine and romantic with a modern funk, Maggie Gyllenhaal - very old Hollywood, and of course, the always favorite Reese Witherspoon. Are we loving the hair, ladies? She's just doing her thing. The nasties? I was bummed at Gwyneth's choice - can we say Mother Earth meets the fish lady? Eewww! What was she thinking? And what about Meryl Streep? I love her, but c'mon...what was that, a trench coat? That was shocking, considering her latest movie was 'The Devil Wears Prada'. You'd think she'd step it up a notch.

All in all, a great success. Another beautiful and wonderful evening full of style, class and surprises. And it all happend at the Oscars.*