
Book Review: celebraTORI by Tori Spelling
Hi there! Amy from Amy Nichols Special Events here. I’m so excited to be reviewing Tori Spelling’s new book: celebraTORI!
I must admit I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up a copy of “celebraTORI: Unleashing Your Inner Party Planner to Entertain Family and Friends”. When I hear the name Tori Spelling, my mind still immediately jumps to Donna Martin as opposed to “entertaining goddess”, so I was pleasantly surprised to find her book well organized and full of some great entertaining tips!
The Introduction
In the beginning of the book, Tori talks about her exposure to grand parties from a young age, thanks to her famous parents. It is not surprising that she ended up loving the art of the affair, though she admits her style is more cozy and family/friend-focused now instead of the lavish bashes favored by her parents.
While she acknowledges she’s a control freak and décor is now her “obsession” – the parties she started throwing in her early years of independence had the expected bumps and starts, along with some failed kitchen experiments. But those experiences of course led to lessons and learning what works and what doesn’t.
Overview
celebraTORI begins with sections and chapters dedicated on how to get started, and advice on décor, food, desserts, and details. Then, Tori walks through four parties (a cowboys & lace party, a do-it-yourself spa party, game night, and cocktails in caftans).
In reading the first few chapters, I found them to be full of substantial advice to first-time entertainers or those who need a little confidence and some general tips when it comes to entertaining. Tori dispenses advice that I could see myself giving – such as scouring garage sales for stylish and unique tabletop pieces (but being careful when mixing genres and styles).
She encourages readers to consider throwing a party at home (a much more affordable option than a restaurant), and I agree completely with her recommendation that color is the single easiest and most inexpensive way to develop a concept. She also offers some good tips for how to avoid taking themes (or “concepts” as she calls them) too far. In the food/drinks chapter, Tori has some festive suggestions for a DIY champagne/vodka bar.
Real Parties
In the real parties chapters, Tori shares four different concepts that she came up with (along with a few caveats on mistakes she made). My favorite party (and I think the most unique of the four) is the cowboy & lace party. There are some really adorable touches from the food to the belt-making bar. While she admits this book is geared towards adult parties, the cowboy & lace party could easily be geared towards kids too.
Her game night party has some cute touches too – frozen Boggle ice cubes in beverages and other fun game-inspired desserts! Here’s a peek:
It’s a Wrap
For the seasoned event planner, the party planning tips in celebraTORI will likely be a {beautifully packaged} refresher on things you already know. But for a first time entertainer or a gal who is just finding her party planning legs, CelebraTORI has great tips, easy instructions, and beautiful pictures along with solid advice.
You can find CelebraTORI at your local book store or online at Amazon.com! Here are a few more sneak peeks at what’s inside {images courtesy of Simon and Schuster}:
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Great review! I totally agree!!! I loved reading her stories in the beginning and the book can be very helpful to newbie party planners. I’ve loved looking and reading through my copy. Her TV show is my guilty pleasure, ha!
I admit the book does look fabulous. However after watching her show, when does she throw her own party? She hires party planners who do everything for birthday parties. I feel this book is written by a ghost writer. Sure she might have had some party flops, but the cover photo is just a copy of the recent trend of dessert bars, not something she would ever put together herself.
Maybe it’s staged or maybe not. Either way, everybody can take something useful from it. Great book to add to your party planning arsenal. Nice eye candy and great ideas and advice. Two thumbs up!!!
I’m so excited to be getting this book!!! I’ve seen her throw/prepare for lots of parties and she really puts a lot of work into them.
Thank you guys for the comments! I am loving being a guest contributor to HWTM. I was a bit skeptical too but I found some fun tips/ideas from the book.
I was a bit skeptical also when I saw this book; however I saw Tori on the TODAY SHOW and I decided to check it out…I was pleasantly surprised and Tori offered many tips for a newbie like me!!
Loved it!