Tori Spelling - celebraTORI Unleashing Your Inner Party Planner to Entertain Friends and Family

I love the puzzle of throwing special, chic parties with down-to-earth budgets, and lucky you, Im psyched to share my secrets.

Tori Spelling planned her very first party (her own roller skatethemed birthday with a hot-pink-and-turquoise color scheme) at the age of eight, and shes been hosting friends and family in her home ever since. She knows as well as anyone that style and elegance dont often play well with budget. Well, with celebraTORI , she rolls up her sleeves and turns that notion on its headexpertly 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 shes learned from her most successful soirees (and a few train wrecks). Its like having your own personal party planner for a fraction of the cost!

celebraTORI is not just instructional, its inspirational. Hosting an event is not about ticking to-dos off a list; its about turning an organic idea into a fun day you and your guests wont forgetso much so that you just cant 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. Its the perfect foundation for taking lifes 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 Oxygens hit reality series, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood and Tori & Dean: sTORIbook Weddings , with her husband, Dean McDermott. Together they have three childrenLiam, Stella, and Hattieand live in Los Angeles. Tori offers ideas and inspiration for elevating everyday life at her ediTORIal online community, ToriSpelling.com.

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JACKET DESIGN BY MICHAEL NAGIN

JACKET PHOTOGRAPH BY SARA REMINGTON

AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH BY DEAN McDERMOTT

COPYRIGHT 2012 SIMON & SCHUSTER

celebra TORI

also by TORI SPELLING

sTORI telling

Mommywood

uncharted terriTORI

Presenting Tallulah

Gallery Books

A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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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

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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

its all in the details.

I hope my parties make you proud!

I love you,

Tori xoxo

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contents

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 fivefrom 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 Years Eve bash my parents rented out the parking lot of the popular Beverly Hills restaurant Chasens and tented it. The tent was elegantly swagged and, as I remember it, the entire lot was carpeted. I have no idea where people parkedI was young and blissfully free of such concernsbut there must have been a valet. There was a private patio at Chasens that was often used for parties, but even as a kid I was aware that booking the whole parking lot on New Years Eve was a big deal.

What made my mothers parties amazing (because, lets 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, yesthe massive refilling bowls of caviar, a whole roast pig with an apple stuffed in its mouthbut they were simple in concept nonetheless.

My mothers 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 mothers candy table was a catered masterpiece, and I cant 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.