This post originally appeared as "Oscar Night, Our Way" on our old blog Born to be a Bride.
It was a star-studded night at Casa Gerson, and the pup and kitty arrived in style. Josh and I were jammie-bound after a filling lunch and long walk around the city in overcast skies that threatened precipitation. The Oscars are a big deal in this house, and last night’s celebration did not disappoint. We stocked up on cheese and prosecco, I baked gluten-free chocolate chip brownies, and the stage was soon set for a night of entertainment and snuggles.
Before we get into the deets, a moment of silence for Lupita in her custom, ice-blue Prada. That dress was just perfect for the fairy tale she is currently living out. And the acceptance speech she gave had every dreamer watching silently squealing, Yes! … Thank you, Lupita, for being the picture of grace and style, and a true movie star, the likes of which we haven’t seen in years — maybe even decades.
Now, back to our little Oscar party for two.
Each of us has a little (okay, huge) competitive streak. But this year, rather than shouting out our votes in the moment and then showboating deliriously at each category-by-category “win,” we decided to be more streamlined about the process. We each cast our submissions in advance, secretly, and sealed them before the A-listers hit the carpet. We voted in nine categories including Best Picture, the Leads, and Cinematography, to name a few.
In true Gerson style, we knew we wanted to eat at our coffee table in front of the TV to get the best vantage point for the night’s fashion and festivities. But I fancied things up to add dimension and fun. We shoved aside a stack of fashion-focused coffee table books and employed a framed photo of us from the first-ever black tie event we attended as a couple (this seemed like a fun alternative to actually dressing up for our little party). I added a vintage crystal candlestick with a glittery candle and fashioned placemats out of torn magazine pages featuring two of our favorite A-listers.
These are so simple to do and look awesome — especially if your table is marble. All you have to do is place them down and affix to the table with a tiny sliver of clear tape on two edges. They stay put throughout the evening and offer easy clean-up with a quick lift, crumple, and toss.
I love to paint my nails in front of the TV, so I did just that as we watched our favorite celebs head down the carpet. Then, we noshed on wasabi-seasoned rice crackers and asiago cheese before toasting the night with prosecco. Using frozen gluten-free crusts, I made organic garlic and mozzarella pizzas on which we sprinkled some Parmesan and fresh pepper. For dessert — it was those GF chocolate chip brownies on which we’d been grazing much of the night. (Thank you, Trader Joes, for turning me into a “baker” — my husband is obsessed).
As the winners were announced, we rejoiced at our victories and drowned our moments of defeat in bubbly. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that I won our little competition, albeit by a slim margin.
This little party would have been a total crowd-pleaser — from the gourmet gluten-free goodies to the crisp prosecco and candlelit glow — if we’d decided to invite guests. But sometimes, what you really need is a night in with your spouse, just the two of you — and half of Hollywood.