An Oscar Nerd's Dream

Me and Luz Pena, winner of the MTVu contest on the red carpet.

I feel like I am going to be showing you Oscar footage for weeks, kids.  There were so many incredible events to share with you, so we are going to kick it off with the MTVu Correspondent Contest.  College students around the country created broadcast submissions to win a spot on the red carpet, backstage in the pressroom, and at the Governor's Ball.  I was fortunate enough to befriend the winner before she and her partner won the entire contest.  Behind the Red Carpet on Mingle Media TV was there to catch all of the action. Congratulations, Luz and Phil!



The excitement continued as I interviewed one of the judges of the contest, Brooke Anderson, host of HLN's Showbiz Tonight.



And finally, my Oscar nerd dream come true:  I interview the accountants from PriceWaterhouseCoopers about how they count the ballots.  I don't think we have ever seen accountants so excited on camera before.  It is my favorite piece that we shot during Oscars Week. (You will also learn some great balloting secrets.)



If you missed my appearance on the Lori and Julia Show from 107.1 FM from Minneapolis, you can listen here:  Monday, February 28th, Hour 1  These gals are my favorite radio duo and I dished a lot about the red carpet foibles, fun, and fashion.

And as always, I leave you with a few more photos from Oscar Sunday:

 Me and my hairstylist, Ozlem Dalgic, post-hair, pre-makeup. (and a glimpse of my pal, Maria, in the mirror.)

 Next up, my makeup artist, Carolina Groppa, gets me all dolled up. The pink bow is holding back my bangs-nice look.  

The man behind all of the awesome footage we shot, JD Piche

My favorite annual post-Oscars date with fellow Oscar nerd, Matt Crabtree. 

Who Are You Wearing?

I received so many questions about my outfit and my overall look, so here is the entire rundown.  I joked that it took a village to put me together, but I wasn't kidding.  I am so grateful to the team that assisted me, not only for their time and patience, but for really helping me shine on Oscar Sunday.

Stylist:  Roni Binshtock:  You know I talk about her all of the time, but her talents are immense and she was with me every step of the way.  She even made a last minute decision to bring me a stunning gray Sans Souci wrap that I wore through most of my red carpet interviews. (It was cold!)

Hair: Ozlem Dalgic:  She has done my hair now for two Academy Award shows and the DGA Awards.  No one does it better.

Makeup:  Carolina Groppa:  This gal has held me together for the last month and I don't know what I would do without her.  (Thanks, Bonnie Gillespie!)  My makeup and lashes held for a marathon 14 hours and that is impressive in my book.

Dress #2 outside of the after-Oscar party at the Polo Lounge.

Dress:  Chagoury Couture:  Gilbert Chagoury and Marco D'Angelo loaned me the most beautiful gown with such delicate beadwork on the flower.  It fit me like a glove, I felt like a million bucks, and it had two front pockets that added to the comfort of the gown.  After the show, I was able to change into a short dress with draping and incredible trimming on the sleeve and strap.  Thank you, gentlemen!

Even in a goofy iPhone shot, that Charles Winston ring is divine.

  My beautiful Charles Winston bracelet to accessorize my gown.

And don't forget my Charles Winston earrings!

Jewelry:  Charles Winston: I worked with Charles Winston on air back in my ShopNBC days.  I emailed him asking to borrow jewelry.  He immediately said "yes' and he and his partner, Sandy McMillan, made sure I had everything I needed and more.  The cocktail ring alone drew so many compliments, I knew I made the right choice in contacting Charles.

A HUGE THANK YOU to the entire team because I could not have done it without you.  Your contributions to my big night were immeasurable.

Just a few more photos that show the incredible beadwork on my Chagoury Couture gown.....