Party Like a Celebrity!

Wanna have a party fit for a celeb? From invites and decorations to food and activities, here’s how to host a summer soiree your guests won’t soon forget. Ready, party monster?

You’re Invited!
No, you do not need to be all over-the-top by going door-to-door passing out invites from the back of a circus elephant, like those girls on MTV’s “My Super Sweet Sixteen.” Some simple but glam options include sending out a themed email invitation (Evite.com has Hollywood-style invites), or make your own VIP passes by laminating your invitations and stringing them on lanyards.

What to Wear?
On the invite, tell guests the dress code is glitzy! That doesn’t mean girls need to go out and buy designer gowns -- just have fun with it. Hit up the consignment shop for secondhand sparkly sequined dresses, and raid your mom’s stash for some fun costume jewelry. (Rhinestones, anyone?) Boys in tuxedo T-shirts? Yep, that counts. Anything goes!

Making an Entrance
Of course, you’ll need a red carpet runner for guests to make their grand entrance to your party. We’ve seen 15-foot runners for as cheap as $6 at discount party stores and online sites. And it doesn’t actually have to be a carpet. Use a roll of red plastic or art paper -- whatever you can find. Be sure to assign someone to be the photographer (your little brother will do), and have guests strike a pose as they arrive.

Celebration Decorations
Forget the balloons and streamers -- have star-studded decor inside the party location. Hang star-shaped cutouts from the ceiling with string or fishing line. Just cut stars from gold or silver construction paper (glitter adds a nice touch), or use poster board and wrap them in aluminum foil to make them bling-y!

Foo-foo Food
No need to hire a celebrity chef. Serve small hors d’oeuvres (check the supermarket’s frozen section) that can be passed around on trays so there’s no messy food table. Even an assortment of crackers, cheese and olives can be elegant. Make “sushi” by wrapping Fruit Roll-Ups around log-shaped snack cakes (like Twinkies or HoHos) and slicing them into rounds. Yum!

Fabulous Fun!
Of course, don’t forget the music. Dancing is a great way to get any good party started! To make your bash truly memorable, have an awards ceremony. Give out honors for Best Choreography in Freestyle Dance, and Best Vintage Dress With a Contemporary Twist. Be sure there’s a category for every guest so no one walks away empty-handed. The envelope, please ...

Swag Bags

All celebrity parties give good swag. Put together small gift bags loaded with an assortment of inexpensive items, such as lip gloss and guitar picks. Present these to your guests as they leave your party and get in their limos. (Just kidding.)


Photo: @iStockphoto.com/NejroN

Get an Awesome Soundtrack to Your Summer

Every girl needs some good music to go along with her summer -- songs to jam on your earphones when you’re lounging by the pool, skating or biking, and heading out on those looooooong family road trips. Here are our picks for your summer soundtrack:

“All Day,” Cody Simpson
This is the perfect laid-back, mid-tempo tune for days when you’re hanging out without a care in the world. The fact that the voice behind the lyrics is cute Aussie Cody Simpson makes the track even better!

“Not Your Birthday,” All Star Weekend
This super-fun jam -- sung by four hotties who are signed to the same label as the Jonas Brothers -- encourages everyone to turn a bad day around by partying just for the heck of it. It’s impossible to not have a blast when this song is playing!

“Wait and See,” Camryn
If you’re plotting a major comeback for next school year, get amped with this high-energy track. Newcomer Camryn is proving that nothing can stop her success: Two of her songs are in the flick Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, and she recently toured with Cody Simpson and Greyson Chance!

“Boyfriend,” Big Time Rush
What’s better than a summer crush? Four of ’em! The cuties of Big Time Rush happily sing about how they want to be your BF with this upbeat tune. Snoop Dogg’s rapping provides the perfect break from the catchy chorus.

“I Am,” Ya Boy Ro
Roshon Fegan of “Shake It Up” is encouraging everyone to be true to themselves. This upbeat tune makes you want to sing it loud and sing it proud!

“Loser Like Me,” “Glee” Cast
Actually, everyone’s a winner here! The cast of the popular musical series belts out an original tune. When you need a personal pick-me-up, listen to this feisty track.

“Firework,” Katy Perry
You’ve probably already had this one on your playlist for a while now, but it wasn’t released until the end of last summer, so make it this season’s anthem: “Ignite the light and let it shine. Just own the night like the Fourth of July!”

“Before It Explodes,” Charice
Add a power ballad like this one to your playlist for those days when you just need to belt out an intense tune. Favorite “Glee” guest star Charice unleashes her strong vocals on these lyrics.

“Jealous,” Jasmine V
If you’ve ever been frustrated by feelings of jealousy around your crush or boyfriend, you’ll totally relate to this catchy song.

“We Could Be Anything,” Nolan Sotillo
This breezy, romantic tune is from the guy who played Lucas Arnaz in Disney’s Prom. The lyrics may perfectly express how you feel about that best guy friend you’d like to become something more. Nolan is currently filming the new Disney Channel series “Madison High.” (Check out our sneak peek below!)

Just a Little Luck? Neh, Greyson Chance!

Greyson Chance was just a regular 13-year-old kid performing his rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” at a school talent show. But after Ellen DeGeneres spotted the performance on YouTube, she signed Greyson to her new record label.

Now, the talented teen is cutting an album and has thousands of screaming teens waiting in lines to watch him do his thing. (He kicks off a U.S. tour with Australian teen pop singer Cody Simpson this month.) We chatted with Greyson about his fans, dream duets and Twitter!

Girl World Daily: You’re really active on Twitter. Are you obsessed?
Greyson Chance: I love Twitter because it’s such a great tool I can use to connect with my fan base and see how they like the new single [“Waiting Outside the Lines”] or if they’ve seen the video. I love using it.

GWD: Do you follow any celebrities on Twitter?
GC: Well, I follow Lady Gaga a lot! I follow Gaga, Ellen [DeGeneres], Chris Colfer [of “Glee” fame] -- lots of people.

GWD: You’re touring with Cody Simpson. How did you meet him?
GC: I got invited to his birthday party in Santa Monica, Calif. I went, and it was a great party. I got to meet Cody, and we said we should do something together -- and it turned into a tour!

GWD: What’s your must-have item to pack when you’re going out on the road?
GC: My iPod

GWD: What do you miss most about home when you’re touring?
GC: Being on the road can be very lonely, so sometimes I miss my friends and my family. But I love what I’m doing, so it’s not that hard.

GWD: What’s the best concert you’ve ever attended?
GC: I went to Lady Gaga’s concert, and I don’t think anyone can beat that! It was incredible.

GWD: What’s one song on the radio right now that you can’t get out of your head?
GC: I really love “Rocketeer” by Far East Movement [featuring Ryan Tedder]. It’s a great track.

GWD: If you could duet with anyone, who would it be?
GC: I’m a really big fan of Hayley Williams [lead singer of Paramore]. And I love Christina Aguilera. I’d love to do something with her.

GWD: What kind of impression have your fans left on you?
GC: Well, they scream a lot, which I love. Sometimes they wait outside my tour bus, but I love it because they’re sweet gestures to spend 30 minutes waiting just to get a photo of me. It’s great. I love the fans.

GWD: Where would you like to see yourself five years from now?
GC: Onstage at the Grammys, performing a new single -- and, hopefully, I’ve had some platinum records.

Photo Credit: Aaron Pinkston

Debby Ryan: Parting is Such Suite Sorrow

Debby Ryan, 17, prepares to bid adieu to her castmates of “The Suite Life on Deck” as the series premieres its Disney Channel original movie The Suite Life Movie in March -- before the popular show sails off into the sunset forever this summer. The talented Texan dishes on the making of the TV flick and closing the chapter on her star-making role.

Girl World Daily: What was it like filming The Suite Life Movie?
Debby Ryan: We filmed in Vancouver, and it was my third time there, so it was really fun to be back. The boys [co-stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse] and I had some quality time, along with my old friends from [the TV movie] 16 Wishes. We would all hang out at the hotel and have pizza parties.

GWD: Are there any standout memories from filming?
D.R.: The Canadian Thanksgiving happened while we were there. We had a Thanksgiving meal, and I made pumpkin pie.

GWD: How was it different filming the movie as opposed to the series?
D.R.: We were on a real boat. It was weird filming and looking over into the water and thinking that someone could fall in and be gone forever! We were in a hotel for the internal parts of the boat, but it was cool to actually bring it to the water.

GWD: What can you dish about the storyline?
D.R.: Bailey and Cody have a little misunderstanding -- he doesn’t get to spend the last spring break on the boat with her. Bailey wants to patch things up, but she’s also finding her boundaries of self-respect as a girl and as his girlfriend. The boys get into a little bit of trouble, and there’s some action, adventure, suspense and romance!

GWD: Was it bittersweet to film that movie as the series comes to an end?
D.R.: The boys have been these characters for six or seven years, so seeing them grow as people -- and I’ve grown -- it’s pretty much like the end of high school, like your senior year when you go out with a big bang. I feel like this is definitely our big bang.

GWD: If we looked in your purse right now, what would we find?
D.R.: You would find a C.S. Lewis novel, a couple of old Polaroids, my keys (even though I don’t drive), way too much ChapStick, pepper spray for safety, bobby pins, a protein bar. … My friends always say I could be dropped in the middle of the desert and survive. I’m so set!

Debby Ryan: Getty Images

Top 12 Must-see Movies in 2011

What flix are lighting up the big screen in the new year? We’ve rounded up the best new films coming to a theater near you.

Movies to See With Your BFF
If you want to see a sappy love story, invite your best friend -- never a boy (unless you’re trying to repel him). Alice in Wonderland’s Mia Wasikowska is starring in two upcoming romances: Restless, a film about a terminally ill girl’s crush on a quirky boy who likes to hang out at funerals, and the classic Jane Eyre, which is based on Charlotte Bronte’s novel.

If you’re looking for more of a bonding chick-flick experience, go see Cracks. It follows the friendships (and the conflicts) between a free-thinking teacher and the students at an elite British boarding school for girls.

Movies to See With a Crush
Dudes like action! Adventure! Thrills! Superheroes! The Green Hornet and Sinbad: The Fifth Voyage are two of the most highly anticipated action-adventure films of the year. Get in line early -- it will give you two a chance to chat before the lights go dim.

Movies to See With Your Fam
If your siblings are tots, you’ll love watching these two animated films: Gnomeo and Juliet, a twist on the Shakespeare tale, and Rango, a flick about a chameleon (played by Johnny Depp) with an identity crisis.

Are your sibs more middle-school? Suggest a family movie night to go see Mars Needs Moms! It’s about a 9-year-old whose mom is nabbed by Martians. Or you can check out Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules, which is based on the second book in the popular series.

Movies to See With the Crew
Up-and-coming English actor Alex Pettyfer stars in I Am Number Four, a sci-fi film that revolves around a group of Earth-bound teen extraterrestrials who are being hunted by another alien species. Beastly, a 21st-century take on Beauty and the Beast, is also coming out.

Vanessa Hudgens stars opposite Pettyfer in Beastly, but make no mistake: This is no Disney spin. Hudgens also goes girl-toting-machine-guns in the wicked Sucker Punch. We must say we’re impressed with the no-fluff roles Hudgens has landed lately. That should give you and your friends some good convo when you go for lattes after the film.

Mia Wasikowska Photo: Getty Images