2011 Oscars, Day 1

The first day of Oscars Week has officially arrived!  After a 3AM return home from Chicago, I spent the morning trying to cover the dark circles under my eyes to bring you my first video of the week.  It is a quick look into my morning ride to the Renaissance Hotel to pick up my press credentials.  I was giddy putting that piece of plastic around my neck and my picture came out okay. I can definitely live with that photo for the next week.  Before I left, I snapped a few photos for you:  in front of my old stomping ground, The Kodak Theatre, the view of LA from the top of Hollywood and Highland, and a bird's eye view of the bleacher seats on Hollywood Boulevard.  The red carpet doesn't go down until Wednesday, so stayed tuned for further insight later in the week.

Tomorrow, I will bring you highlights from my first event of the week.  The event is promising a one of a kind Black Swan handbag that yet to be determined celeb will promote on the red carpet and the most expensive baby cake ever created and dedicated to Natalie Portman's baby boy.  Only in Hollywood, kids....

Photos from Chicago Auto Show 2011

Here are the final photos from a jam-packed 10 days, with a 36-hour jaunt to LA, in Chicago.  We had tons of great guests on Toyota Live, we gave away a 2011 Prius, we announced the official name of the Prius Family (Prii), and I even had time to host the Entune live broadcast on the West Coast.  Now, I begin an exciting and hectic week surrounding the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.  Never mind that I got home at 3AM, I am ready to hit the red carpet!

Hanging with Chicago Bears player, Anthony Adams....

The set for Entune and a part of my 36-hour whirlwind tour back to LA.

"This is Toyota Live!"

Up on the jumbo LED wall at the Chicago Auto Show!

And the winner is.....Prii!  When you see two hybrid vehicles, you say, "I just saw two Prii."

There's two of me!

Hanging with Katelin, our amazing NASCAR race girl and Toyota Live M&M snack provider.

Chicago to LA and back........

Life couldn't be any more hectic right now.  I am in the midst of hosting Toyota Live at the Chicago Auto Show all while having to fly back to LA for 36 hours to host Live Connect for Toyota and their new Entune launch.  To add to the excitement, I had a bit of Oscar dress drama since Inside Edition scooped up two of my planned outfits for their hosts.  Remember I talked about that red carpet hierarchy?  Oh yeah, it exists and I experienced it. Everything was ironed out though and I appreciate all of the dresses that have been loaned to me for Oscar events.  So, I am off to set for the Live Connect show and then back to the airport to finish my gig in Chicago, but of course, home in time for Oscars Week on Monday. Phew!

Many thanks to Web Series Network for the feature on Mingle Media Network and our red carpet coverage.  I like the photo they chose because I look like a bad ass and it is from our last awards show outing, Emmys Week!

Article below:

JD Piche & Kristyn Burtt of Mingle Media TV To Cover 83rd Annual Academy Awards Red Carpet Ceremony February 27th

Mingle Media TV Network celebrated their 1st year anniversary on February 8th 2011 and over the past 12 months has covered industry events from the Daytime Emmy's (where one of their LIVE web show hosts won her 3rd National Emmy) to numerous film festivals, award shows, celebrity fundraisers, web series launches and gifting suites.

This year MMTVN was granted credentials for the Oscars and has started covering the event from the nominee announcement on January 25th. The MMTVN crew consist of Kristyn Burtt, well-known for her show 'The Web Files' and producer/videographer JD Piche.

Here's their first event video with Kristyn doing her standup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw0qJdTOxGs

Here's Kristyn and JD behind the scene's at the Nomination's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTzrH7PIXE8

Kristyn's blog - the Red Carpet Closet was even featured on the Oscar's Facebook Page for her awesome coverage of the Nominee Luncheon!! http://redcarpetcloset.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-would-like-to-thank-a...

Kristyn and JD are being treated like celebrities and are also getting outfitted by designers for the Big Day! Kristyn is being outfitted by Chagoury Couture where A-listers go for red carpet dresses (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HQP7K2mVXs) and JD is getting fitted for a Tuxedo by a locally owned formal wear outfitter: Elite Tuxedo in Westwood.

Next week, Kristyn and JD will be covering events during the week such as the preview of the Governor's Ball, The Food and Beverage Preview, Gifting Suites, Director's Award Show, Makeup Symposium and MTVu Oscar Correspondent competition all leading up to the big day on Sunday the 27th of February.

Look for updates on coverage on the Mingle Media TV site www.minglemediatv.com and Kristyn's blog RedCarpetCloset.TV.

Flying By......

My posts may be a bit light this week because next week I will be posting up a storm--OSCAR WEEK!  I am headed back to LA today after finishing up my shows for another Connect Live internet broadcast with Toyota.....and then back to Chicago for the final weekend of shows......and then back to LA for Oscar coverage.  Whoa, that's a lot of frequent flyer miles.  In the meantime, here's a few candid photos from Chicago and a treat for my musical theatre geeks:  Idina Menzel and her recent inspiring concert at Lincoln Center with the NY Philharmonic and Marvin Hamlisch.

I love to change the wallpaper of my friends' iPhones when they leave them unattended.  Moral of the story?  Use a passcode:

While Israel Idonije of the Chicago Bears greeted our guests at the Toyota Live stage, I must have felt the need to steal the spotlight.  Maybe I didn't get enough attention as a child?

Finally, Idina Menzel singing one of my favorite songs from Rent.  Her banter with Marvin before the song is worth the price of admission alone.  Enjoy!

Opening Weekend at the Chicago Auto Show

I have no idea what is going on in this photo, but I love unusual action shots.  This definitely qualifies.

 I know what you are thinking, "Wait, there's no red carpet post about the Grammys!".  Yep, you are correct.  I watch the Grammys from a distance:  I love Barbra Streisand and oh, her prom dress from 1988, I caught a glimpse or two of Eminem's performance, and when they announced Album of the Year, I thought, "Who is that?".  My obsession with the red carpet circles around movies, glamour, and Hollywood.  I am not sure I can wrap my brain around Lady Gaga and her egg.  I need my couture, unless that was a couture egg?

This weekend, I was running around on stage at the Chicago Auto show for our annual visit.  The weekend was packed with guests who are sponsored by or in partnership with Toyota, so it was fun working with radio personalities, soccer players, and snakes.  Here are a few highlights from the weekend:

Hanging with country music radio personality, Ramblin' Ray from US 99.5.  He's a big fan of the Tundra and always a lively guest.

Partners for Clean Air brought a superhero, "Breathe Easy Man"!  I haven't stood next to a man in tights since my dancing days.....












The Shedd Aquarium has also been a repeat visitor to the Toyota Live stage, but this year, they brought animals!  The photos aren't great, but he's holding a snake.  The snake was really cute and I learned that snakes utilize their sense of smell via their tongues.  His tongue was going crazy that day.  I sure hope I smelled good because donning a baseball cap in that outfit sure didn't make it look like I know how to dress.

In the photo below, I am peering at a painted turtle.  He kept swimming with his little legs in the air.  I really wanted to take him home, but I was afraid my kitty would eat the turtle for lunch.

The ladies with the Chicago Fire players, Kwame Watson-Siriboe and Sean Johnson:

One final action shot with the Chicago Fire:

A Picture is Worth....

......a thousand words, especially when you kiss AT&T goodbye.  I am happy to be back on Verizon with my beloved iPhone.  That means the end of my cranky tweets to AT&T and I finally have a phone that works as a phone.  What a novel idea!  Have a great weekend, everyone.  I will happily be tweeting, texting, and talking on my iPhone 4.

I Would Like To Thank The Academy.....

......Okay, I never, ever thought I would utter those words in my lifetime.  I am not an actress, nor do I ever aspire to be one.  However, today, I can say, "I'd like to thank the Academy".  Why?  Well, they kindly pushed my article out on their Twitter and Facebook pages.  So, my Oscar Nominees Luncheon article on Starpulse was seen by hundreds of thousands of people.  I am so honored and flattered it was such an amazing day for me and truly a privilege to be in that room with the entertainment journalists and film artists I admire.  So, I would like to thank the Academy for all of the support and encouragement, particularly the PR and Marketing team at AMPAS.  You have been amazing to me and my crew this awards season and I look forward to covering the 83rd Annual Academy Awards in 18 days.  Like Hall and Oates said, "You make my dreams come true...."

And a big "Thank You" to all of you for your comments and feedback on Twitter, Facebook, Starpulse, and here at Red Carpet Closet.  I am a big Oscar dork and I am happy to see that I am not the only one out there who thinks Red Carpet is an Olympic sport.