Stella's 4th Birthday Tea Party!
This past weekend we celebrated Stella's 4th birthday, and I was in full party planning mode to give Stella the Tea Party of her dreams.
Stella had strict orders... She wanted her tea party to be all hot pink and purple with pops of yellow. For her dress, I found this amazing (and very well priced) party dress on Etsy.com that you can order in any color tulle. It's was the perfect blend of fairy couture and princess poof! 
We held the party for 20 kids in our yard. I'm a sucker for balloons, ever since I was a kid myself!
To utilize the space in our yard, we set up little lounge areas. All the pieces you see are from our store InvenTORI, even the pillows! SOOO chic!
Peonies are my favorite flower ever! They are whimsical while still being modern and chic. 
Another fabulous little lounge for the parents to sit and watch the kids. Again, all of the antique pieces are ones that I have collected over the years, and are now available at InvenTORI.
Hansen's Cakes has been doing the birthday cakes for my family since I was one year old, and they never cease to amaze me. It's a family tradition and I've passed it on to my kids. They LOVE their Hansen's marble cake with buttercream filling! Yum! I helped Stella design the look of her cake by showing her various pics online on Pinterest. I think she came up with a brilliant design!
Ok, I'm officially obsessed with this antique farm table that seats 20! If you watched our show T&D: Home Sweet Hollywood last season (when the Hattie pregnancy was under wraps) you saw us fly to Texas to a HUGE antique fair. That's where I found this table! I fell in love with it and Dean, the practical one, thought it was amazing but an impulse buy, not a must-have. I had grand visions of outdoor dinner parties with this table as the star. So, it ultimately came home with us. I haven't achieved my dream dinner party yet, but Stella's tea marked its debut. 
What's a party without a dessert table and cake pops? Edible glitter was a big hit!
Another look at our set table. Simple farm meets antique china. The two radically different looks offset each other beautifully!
I did lush peonies lining the middle of the table in simple colored glass bottles found online. Then I added in piles of opulent plastic pearls (in Stella's colors of course!) that we found in the fashion district downtown.
A better look at rustic mixed with traditional.
I love myself some homemade hanging paper tissue balls! Here, we set up an adult beverage station/bar with pieces from my vintage collection. That antique flower cart was lined and then served as a perfect home for sodas and waters on ice.
The tea pots were filled with lemonade. Pink, of course!
Simple wood skewers of fruit acted as magic fairy fruit wands and took on a whole new look when placed on silver serving trays found at a yard sale and lovingly polished.
Mismatched teacups and saucers look fantastic and not so formal. Check your local GoodWill for them and make your own eclectic collection! We paired the china with adorable modern lace looking paper plates, and then instead of placemats we spray painted white paper doilies in our party colors, like this one in pink.
Using cake domes I created different heights on the table, which gives dimension.
Shout out to my culinary hubby, The Gourmet Dad himself, Dean who made all of the tea sandwiches. Stella especially liked the crown-shaped ones made with a crown cookie cutter.
Stella holding court with her princesses!
I can't believe my baby girl is 4 years old. So proud!
And, let's talk proud... Liam insisted he wear a suit and bowtie for Stella's party. He takes fashion and his role as big brother very seriously! Love him in this summer seersucker and silk bowtie made especially for him by my friend Chris of Boutaugh.
And here's Miss Hattie chilling in the shade on a vintage quilt in a canary yellow floral summer frock.
My beautiful daughter and goddaughter jumping it out!
Stella and friends having story time with The Princesses
Stella's chic cousin Simone, aka The Guncles' daughter, sitting casually in a sequin skirt, eating a cake pop. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!
OMG! These raspberry glazed orange zest scones were a big hit!
When I asked Stella what was the main thing she wanted at her party she replied, "CRAFTING!"
This makes a Craftista mom so happy! A chip off the old block. She loves to craft! Here she is making foam crowns with embellishments from Oriental Trading Company.
Here's the birthday girl with her giftbag! 
It was an amazing day for my girl! And, how much fun did she have? I think this after-party pic says it all!
I'd love to give a big shout out to my girlfriends Jess Tohir and Jenn Gosnell for helping me set up an amazing party. Love my ladies!
What's the most memorable bday party that you've thrown for your kiddies?
Love,
T
Related Stories:
Happy Birthday, Stella!
Stella's Hello Kitty Dessert Table
Fourth of July Party Drinks!
Dean's Father's Day Giveaway
41 comments
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Oh my gosh, I don't know how I missed this before!
What an absolutely adorable party!!
Entertaining and theme decorating are a couple of my FAVORITE things to do!
What beautiful memories you are making for your children! -
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I would love it if you would have included some receipes too. What do I do if I don't get the Oxygen channel. You have some great ideas. Thanks
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OMG u are soooo right . . . the table is to die for!!! Love the chandelier on the small table as well.
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TOO FUNNY...we did the EXACT same thing for my daughter Gia's 4th birthday last year. We had a craft table and the girls all made hats (thankfully her bday is around Easter so getting a bunch of pretty "sunday hats" was easy and I just cut a bunch of fake flowers so the kids could glue them onto the hats. We also made photo frames and I had a little tea party set up at her little table with a cute lacey back drop and I took pictures of each kid with my daughter at that table and then sent the photos to the child with their thank you card so they could then put it in the frame they made. A friend's mom used to paint china and had a bunch of beautiful tea cups, saucers and pots and mailed them to us here in AZ from Nebraska so we had a beautiful mis-matched china for all the kids. We made tea sandwiches cut out with cookie cutter shapes of flowers and butterflys and petit fours (out of cream cheese with marachino cherry juice to turn it pink) and also had the fruit kabobs. Served pink lemonade in the tea pot and had cupcakes from our favorite cupcakery (The Coffee Shop in Gilbert AZ which has been on the show Cupcake Wars (a fav of my daughter and I)...and of course played some cute games like Musical Chairs to classical music and Pin the Cup on the Saucer which my artist cousin made a custom drawn set for. I had plastic tea cups and pots hanging over the table on fishing wire from our chandelier so it looked like they were just floating in the air and I had a brown curled ribbon coming out of the pot so it looked like tea pouring. The table settings were so much fun to create. We used lace doilys and faux crystal bowls. We had little flower pots that I hand painted with each girls name then filled them with pastel M&Ms and put a fake flower in but also a pack of real flower seeds included so they could take the pots home and plant them. These served as the seating place markers. All in all I don't know who had more fun, me planning all the cute things to do or her enjoying the party ;-) What a great theme for 4 year olds...they all looked so darn cute in their dresses and hats and drinking "tea" with their pinky's up!LOL
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I am a suker for furniture and all the colors, crafting and her dress were a perfect! The bar was also such a sweet idea :)
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i ABSOULTELY love this idea! it is so beautiful and elegant. i am def. gonna try to do this for my daughter Kaylies 6th birthday in August! :-D
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How fun! she looks adorable and I know that everything was prepared for her with SO MUCH LOVE! My daughter is very lucky to have a mom that can do all those things her self.. me. I make her cakes, deserts, cake pops, cupcakes, etc, etc. So we start preparing months ahead, some birthdays we just had it at places like skating rinks, so that I didn't have to clean. I think her biggest was her 5, she had a barbie party and she wanted everything pink and purple, we had it at home and it was great and so much fun. Thanks for sharing Tori
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The party looked like a lot of fun and all the decorations looked amazing! Tori, you definantly have a knack for design and crafting! Love everything you do and enjoy you and your family. Can't wait for another season of Tori and Dean Home Sweet Hollywood! Happy Birthday to Stella!
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Tori, you did a great job! A tea party is every little girl's dream and it looked like so much fun! Happy 4th Birthday, Stella!
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What a great, fun party for Stella! I love the mix of the old and new: farm table & fine china. And of COURSE balloons make a party!! Looks like the kids really had a fun time: the most important part.
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Oh, I got so sidetracked...Stella looked absolutely beautiful at her birthday and I have to say, Liam looked awfully dapper himself. He really went all out!
Congrats on the new baby. I am just a teensy bit green because I want one more but my sweet husband called the girl twins the first time around and he is convinced we would have two more and claims his heart couldn't take four beautiful daughters to worry about and clothe! But I am so happy for you guys, it seemed like you wanted one more!
Hugs,
~Linds
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My twin girls just had their 4th birthday party. They are just a couple of months older than Stella. They wanted a honey bee themed party so we went all out. ALL the treat were made with honey. It was so fun!! Little sugar cookie cups with honey yogurt drizzled with honey and bee candies on top were a favorite. I made the girls black and yellow striped petti skirts. Then I bought black shirts I added yellow ruffles to the sleeves and appliqued a bee on the front. They looked so cute!! The kids played musical bee hive (made of poster board), pin the bee on the hive, a find the flowers game and we had a nature scavenger hunt. It was a pretty good party! They are already planning next year's!
~Linds
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I LOVE the table and the view!! The best party I have thrown for my kids was for my oldest dauhter it was at the beach with her cousins and grandparents! We then went to funland a mini amusment park it was a BLAST! She still talls about it!
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Hi Tori
I have to say, I thought I threw a good party, well you out-do me any day. Every little detail was amazing. I loved everything!!! My most memorable party I had for one of my girls was a Tinkerbelle fairy party. How fun parties are to put together. You can tell how much love you put into yours.
deezie
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OMG!!!!! Stella looks so beautiful in that amazing "princess dress poof!!!" I don't know where to begin! You are Just totally Fantastic at what you do!! It was so Gorgeous!! Before I get side tracked, Liam looked so suave' in his little suit & bow tie!! Hattie Cat was so adorable in her yellow & shocking pink dress!!....I am so blown away with this whole party!! I love everything! The traditional Hansens cake was a wonderful choice! I do remember the trip to Texas for the Huge Antique Fair, that wasn't so great the first day! I LOVE the Farm table! I'm so glad you got a chance to use it and for such a memorable occassion!! The table setting looked beautiful! I especially loved that teacup! Your dessert table was gorgeous as well, it always is!! Gotta love those Cake pops!!Well, Stella sure looked like she had fun with her cousin Simone! They sure grow up fast! Stella loves her crafting just like her momma!! .... Tori, All I can say is, You sure know how to throw a party!!... I think you are one heck of a DESIGNER!!! You should be on HGTV!!!! Like someone else we all know!! You certainly can handle it!!..... I just don't want you to ever stop Tori and Dean Home Sweet Hollywood!!! Love ya girl!! Xo :))
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OMG...Stella's Party was absolutely beautiful! Her dress was so pretty! Liam and Hattie looked amazing as well. I have got to find a bowtie like that for my son, Bryce Aiden! I just celebrated his 2nd b-day this past weekend as well. He loves Calliou so we did a Caillou theme and celebrated it at Funland, which is a mini park/theme park close by. Everyone absolutely loved it! It'll be fun to look back on on the pics with our kids as they grow.
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Stella's party looked AMAZING! I absolutly love her little dress and how much she loves to craft. I've pinned it in case I ever have a little girl. So far I've only hosted 1 birthday party for my son, but I'm already planning his next one (and it isn't until December). Here are some pics from his first BD http://thnxpinterest.com/2011/12/18/thnx-pinterest-1st-bd-party/
I think you'll like the HB Banner - I feel like it's something you would make yourself.
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I LOVE this party! Tori you are the QUEEN of party planning! I love stella she is so adorable and I think its so cute how much shes just like you! Also that table is amazing and I think its great that you bought it ! I would love a long table that seated 20 for things like this! Also hattie is SO beautiful i love that picture of her! I can't wait to know if you are having a boy or girl next! Thanks for sharing! Happy birthday to beautiful Stella! P.S. Liam is so The man for rockin the bowtie!
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i see that our daughter's , worlds apart, likes the same things, My Little Pony's! We are thinking of getting her the train for Christmas, but wished that in Australia we had the range like U.S.A, Hannah Rose (my daughter) loves Spike, but we dont have it here :(
Anyways, love the photos, u throw parties like a Queen of Celebration, Cant wait to see Craft Wars, dont know when it is coming to Austraila.
Happy 4th Birthday Stella! xx
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That is such a fun party theme!!
I loooove peonies, too. My grandma had them in her yard, so I always think of her when I see them. :)
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what a great and beautiful way to celebrate her 4th b-day! Simone is growing up so fast! Bout time she had a sibling....... :) I love that she wanted to do crafts! I wish more kids these days were more focused on the fun of the party and not on the loot they get! I LOVE that table! Such a great buy! I can imagine you dressing it up for a great dinner party with friends/family or even using it as a head table for a wedding! ;) rock on!
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