Oscar Time!

When I moved to Los Angeles from a little town in Nebraska eight years ago, I never dreamed I'd one day get to mingle with the stars on Hollywood's biggest night. (Answer their phones or babysit their kids? Perhaps. Mingle? Not so much.)

So when I found out I'd be reporting live at official Oscar parties for Betty, I was overcome with a wash of emotions: Excitement, joy and ... deep-seated panic.

What questions should I ask? What if I confuse director Danny Boyle with director David Fincher? What if I accidently make out with Brad Pitt because I just can't help myself and then octa-mom's doppelganger, Angelina Jolie, kicks me down the red carpet with her Manolos?

And most worrisome of all - what will I wear?

Lucky for me, the Betty team has worked their wonderful magic to make sure our magical night at the Oscars goes off without a hitch!

What Should I Wear?

Every girl knows the first priority upon receiving an Oscar invitation is finding the perfect dress. This is a slight challenge for a number of reasons:

1. I'm "height challenged" (5'4"), which makes it hard for me to wear floor-length gowns without them wearing me. So I've got to find a dress that's elegant enough for the black-tie occasion, but that doesn't swallow me whole.

My stylist friend Michael (whom I shamelessly begged for help the moment I heard the good news) insists that for a girl of my short stature, cocktail length is perfectly acceptable as long as the dress is special and spectacular enough for the occasion.

(He also pointed out that my legs rock while my petite chest, um, doesn't rock so much, so we're trying to emphasize my strong points!)

Any fashionistas in the house care to weigh in on the dress length?

2. I have to stick to bright, solid colors since I'll be reporting live (did I mention that already?) in front of the camera. The camera hates black and white and patterns. Hates them. So I'm searching for a frock that's purple, pink, red or aqua. I want to keep my camera happy.

3. Oddly enough, I don't have a "Couture Oscar Gown" line item in my budget this year. But as stylist Michael says, an Oscar gown can be in anyone's budget - you simply have to know where to look. He assures me that if we pawed our way through the racks of Hollywood's consignment shops, we'd eventually find something magnificent.

I'm going to visit several stores to see what I might be able to borrow, beg or buy second hand.

And I'm planning a trip to Decades, a vintage couture shop on Melrose Avenue, which is the place to shop for a breathtaking vintage Oscar dress.

How Do I Even Get There?

I've always wondered - how exactly do the nominees, the publicists and the press all get to the red carpet? The short answer is that the big stars hire limos, who alert publicists when they're arriving, who in turn alert the press line.

But what about the rest of us? Traffic in Los Angeles is a nightmare on the night of the Academy Awards. And damn, I also forgot to add "Oscar limo" to my budget this year.

Perhaps I should hire my neighbor's 16-year-old son to wear a suit and drive me there? Or maybe I'll go green for the Oscars and take the bus. Wouldn't that be fun to watch - me in a black tie dress kickin' it on the bus, sippin' a Slurpee? I'll keep you posted on my critical transpo decisions.

Who's Who?

The Betty crack research staff is helping me compile a set of illustrated flash-cards so I can keep all the nominees and other fabulous folks straight.

Which is good, because I'm having Devil Wears Prada nightmares about not recognizing someone uber famous, like Meryl Streep. Or uber used-to-be-crazy-but-now-we-love-him-again, like Mickey Rourke. Or Robert Downey Jr. Or...seriously, we don't have enough bandwidth to finish this list.

What Should I Ask?

This is where you come in! We've all heard the "What are you wearing?" and "How does it feel to win?" questions a million times. Instead, I'd love to ask your questions at the Oscar after-parties. So, Betty Readers, what are you dying to know? Leave me your burning questions in the comments section below and I'll do my Betty best to get you answers!

P.S. - Tune in later this week for updates on my dress, hair, make-up and, oh yes, my list of questions for the stars.