celebraTORI: Unleashing Your Inner Party Planner to Entertain Friends and Family
3.5/5
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About this ebook
Tori Spelling planned her very first party (her own roller skate–themed birthday with a hot-pink- and-turquoise color scheme) at the age of eight, and she’s been hosting friends and family in her home ever since. She knows as well as anyone that “style” and “elegance” don’t often play well with “budget.” Well, with celebraTORI, she rolls up her sleeves and turns that notion on its head—expertly showing how creativity, passion, and smart planning are the secret ingredients for throwing a truly unforgettable bash on any “real world” budget. All it takes is a little elbow grease and a lot of imagination to transport your guests to another world as soon as they walk through the door.
In this delightfully entertaining, must-have party companion, Tori shares all the tips and tricks she’s learned from her most successful soirees (and a few train wrecks). It’s like having your own personal party planner for a fraction of the cost!
celebraTORI is not just instructional, it’s inspirational. Hosting an event is not about ticking to-dos off a list; it’s about turning an organic idea into a fun day you and your guests won’t forget—so much so that you just can’t wait to do it again . . . with a different theme, of course. Tori covers all the basics, from discovering new reasons to celebrate and choosing a concept, to decorating, creating flower arrangements, making refreshments, and building the corner-stone of any great party: the dessert table! The best part is that all of her suggestions, including her mouthwatering recipes, are 100 percent do-it-yourself.
Filled with lots and lots of great advice, handy blueprints, and hilarious anecdotes, celebraTORI will be the most important guest at your next party. It’s the perfect foundation for taking life’s special occasions up a notch . . . or five.
***
They say the devil’s in the details, but for me the details are heaven. Maybe an avid planner and host like me should say that in the course of the party I’m on a cloud of joy, but that would be a lie. Planning and preparing are my favorite parts of the process. Truth be told, when it comes to the actual parties, I’m a nervous wreck. But there is a moment of joy. Mine comes when I see the party come together. The guests are flowing through the space, tasting food, trying out any activities, having conversations with friends and strangers. And when I see someone take a bite of dessert, or try out a photo booth costume, or smile as they pick up a favor, well, that makes it all worth it.
Creating a party. It’s my favorite thing to do, and I’m inviting you, as my guest, to join me in the festivities. I know we’re going to have fun. Come—discover your inner party planner!
Love, Tori
Tori Spelling
Tori Spelling starred in and executive produced the Oxygen hit reality television series Tori & Dean: Inn Love and Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. She recently hosted TLC’s Craft Wars and appeared in the ABC Family original musical The Mistle-Tones. The creator of the online lifestyle magazine ediTORIal at her website torispelling.com, she is also a #1 New York Times bestselling author of three memoirs; a party planning book, celebraTORI; and a children’s book, Presenting…Tallulah. She and her husband, actor Dean McDermott, live in Los Angeles with their four young children, Liam, Stella, Hattie, and Finn.
Read more from Tori Spelling
uncharted terriTORI Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Spelling It Like It Is Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Pizzazzerie: Entertain in Style Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
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Book preview
celebraTORI - Tori Spelling
They say the devil’s in the details, but for me the details are heaven. Maybe an avid planner and host like me should say that in the course of the party I’m on a cloud of joy, but that would be a lie. Planning and preparing are my favorite parts of the process. Truth be told, when it comes to the actual parties, I’m a nervous wreck. But there is a moment of joy. Mine comes when I see the party come together. The guests are flowing through the space, tasting food, trying out any activities, having conversations with friends and strangers. And when I see someone take a bite of dessert, or try out a photo booth costume, or smile as they pick up a favor, well, that makes it all worth it.
Creating a party. It’s my favorite thing to do, and I’m inviting you, as my guest, to join me in the festivities. I know we’re going to have fun. Come—discover your inner party planner!
Love, Tori
I love the puzzle of throwing special, chic parties with down-to-earth budgets, and lucky you, I’m psyched to share my secrets.
Tori Spelling planned her very first party (her own roller skate–themed birthday with a hot-pink-and-turquoise color scheme) at the age of eight, and she’s been hosting friends and family in her home ever since. She knows as well as anyone that style
and elegance
don’t often play well with budget.
Well, with celebraTORI, she rolls up her sleeves and turns that notion on its head—expertly showing how creativity, passion, and smart planning are the secret ingredients for throwing a truly unforgettable bash on any real world
budget. All it takes is a little elbow grease and a lot of imagination to transport your guests to another world as soon as they walk through the door.
In this delightfully entertaining, must-have party companion, Tori shares all the tips and tricks she’s learned from her most successful soirees (and a few train wrecks). It’s like having your own personal party planner for a fraction of the cost!
celebraTORI is not just instructional, it’s inspirational. Hosting an event is not about ticking to-dos off a list; it’s about turning an organic idea into a fun day you and your guests won’t forget—so much so that you just can’t wait to do it again… with a different theme, of course. Tori covers all the basics, from discovering new reasons to celebrate and choosing a concept, to decorating, creating flower arrangements, making refreshments, and building the cornerstone of any great party: the dessert table! The best part is that all of her suggestions, including her mouthwatering recipes, are 100 percent do-it-yourself.
Filled with lots and lots of great advice, handy blueprints, and hilarious anecdotes, celebraTORI will be the most important guest at your next party. It’s the perfect foundation for taking life’s special occasions up a notch… or five.
TORI SPELLING is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of sTORI telling, Mommywood, and uncharted terriTORI, and the star and executive producer of Oxygen’s hit reality series, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood and Tori & Dean: sTORIbook Weddings, with her husband, Dean McDermott. Together they have three children—Liam, Stella, and Hattie—and live in Los Angeles. Tori offers ideas and inspiration for elevating everyday life at her ediTORIal online community, ToriSpelling.com.
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
SimonandSchuster.com
• THE SOURCE FOR READING GROUPS •
JACKET DESIGN BY MICHAEL NAGIN
JACKET PHOTOGRAPH BY SARA REMINGTON
AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH BY DEAN McDERMOTT
COPYRIGHT © 2012 SIMON & SCHUSTER
celebraTORI
also by TORI SPELLING
sTORI telling
Mommywood
uncharted terriTORI
Presenting … Tallulah
Gallery Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
Copyright © 2012 by Tori Spelling
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Gallery Books hardcover edition April 2012
GALLERY BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Designed by Jaime Putorti
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is available.
ISBN 978-1-4516-2790-9
ISBN 978-1-4516-2863-0 (ebook)
To my mom,
the master party planner.
I learned everything I know from watching you throw
the most amazing parties
with so much love. Thank you for the gift of knowing
it’s all in the details.
I hope my parties make you proud!
I love you,
Tori xoxo
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
contents
INTRODUCTION
A Party Planner Is Born
Style and Budget Make Friends
part one:
ESSENTIALS
What’s Your Excuse?
The Guest List
The Perfect Prescription
Set the Date and Time
The Most Special Place of All
A New Word for Me: Budget
part two:
GETTING STARTED
Your Mood Board
Color Me Festive
You’re Invited
What to Include
Setting the Tone
part three:
DÉCOR
Setting the Party Zone
Sign It Up
What’s on the Surface Matters
The Magic Glow
Favors
part four:
FLOWERS
The Flower Market
Style
Containers
part five:
FOOD AND DRINK
Drink Basics
Food Basics
part six:
THE DESSERT TABLE
part seven:
FINISHING TOUCHES
Music
Entertainment
Pulling It Off
The Big Day
Aftermath
part eight:
THE PARTIES
cowboys and lace party
The Inspiration
Invitations
Food
Drinks
Dessert Table
Décor
Activity
Favors
The Party
a do-it-yourself spa brunch
The Inspiration
Invitations
Food
Drinks
Dessert Table
Décor
Activity
Favors
The Party
game night
The Inspiration
Invitations
Food
Drinks
Dessert Table
Décor
Activity
Favors
The Party
cocktails in caftans
The Inspiration
Invitations
Food
Drinks
Dessert Table
Décor
Activity
Favors
The Party
Afterword
Acknowledgments
Credits
About the Author
introduction
a party planner is born
I come from a family that did everything over the top. We had the grandest house and the biggest parties. Whenever most people had one of something, we had five—from cars to bathrooms to dogs. I remember going to my parents’ famous parties as a child. There was a Christmas party every year, where thousands of dollars must have been spent on the caviar alone. For one huge New Year’s Eve bash my parents rented out the parking lot of the popular Beverly Hills restaurant Chasen’s and tented it. The tent was elegantly swagged and, as I remember it, the entire lot was carpeted. I have no idea where people parked—I was young and blissfully free of such concerns—but there must have been a valet. There was a private patio at Chasen’s that was often used for parties, but even as a kid I was aware that booking the whole parking lot on New Year’s Eve was a big deal.
What made my mother’s parties amazing (because, let’s face it, my father was a little too busy making TV shows) were the grand florals, the gleaming silver trays, the exquisite food presentation, and elegant details like a piano player or a soloist. But spectacular as those parties were, party planning has evolved. The parties were extravagant, yes—the massive refilling bowls of caviar, a whole roast pig with an apple stuffed in its mouth—but they were simple in concept nonetheless.
My mother’s parties have changed with the times, and these days she continues to set a high bar, embellishing her customary extravagance with amazing little touches that inspire me in my comparatively humble, do-it-yourself way. Take the spectacular candy table, which filled an entire room at her Christmas party. It had an electric train running full circle around it, through a village of colorful candy jars and confections artistically placed at different heights. My mother’s candy table was a catered masterpiece, and I can’t exactly replicate the splendor of that creation. When I do a candy table, I do it myself, with store-bought candy and inexpensive canisters, but given the price difference I have to say it gives hers a run for the money.
CHILDHOOD PARTIES—EARLY INSPIRATION
Growing up, my birthday parties were always as over-the-top as the parties my parents threw for themselves and their friends. The celebrations that were thrown for me when I was little were the talk of the town. Usually in the backyard of our house in Beverly Hills, there were puppet shows and poodle shows, fair rides like bumper cars and twirling swings. We had McDonald’s Happy Meals (a concession to my taste) and ice cream from Baskin-Robbins in all thirty-one flavors.
My eighth birthday party is the first one I really remember helping to plan. It was a roller-skating party, held in West Hollywood at a famous old rink called Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace. I designed my own outfit for the occasion: hot pink spandex pants and a turquoise tube top. Over the tube top I tied a pink-and-white top that said Tori
on the back in rhinestone script. Linda Ronstadt, who had a similar look on her album, Living in the USA, would have been proud of me. The party was decorated with hot pink and turquoise balloons, streamers, and paper products. The cake, which was of course from Hansen’s, the cake-makers of Hollywood, was custom-molded in the shape of a roller skate that looked just like mine, white with pink wheels. A caricature artist was there, drawing pictures of each guest engaged in his or her favorite activity. He rendered me, side view, sporting a gigantic roller skate. That party, which took place more than thirty years ago, was an unforgettable milestone for me: The first time I hosted a color-coordinated theme party. My very own color scheme at age eight. I was on my way to bigger and better things. In my not-too-distant future: a Michael Jackson party in fifth grade, with a Michael Jackson impersonator that my mother still insists was the King of Pop himself; a country club party in sixth grade; in seventh grade an all-girls spa party at the legendary Aida Grey beauty salon, where we got our makeup done and our hair blown out. Afterward we went to The Bistro Garden in Beverly Hills, which was Nancy Reagan’s favorite restaurant before it was bought by Wolfgang Puck and made into Spago. As we sat on the patio and lunched, we were treated to a teen fashion show from Energy, which was my favorite boutique at the time.