These Moms Know to Party – Or At Least Throw One

Most people wouldn’t exactly call motherhood a party.

But this trio of moms is making it one.

What started out as three friends with a shared passion for planning children’s birthday parties has evolved into Pinwheel Lane, a party-planning business with an emphasis on decorations with flair. They have a Facebook fan page, an Etsy shop – and endless creativity.

Among the items, which range from $5 for cake toppers to $67 for a complete party package, are cupcake toppers, personalized banners and favor tags. All items are handcrafted and personalized for the buyer’s needs, whether to celebrate a child’s birthday, baby shower or 50th wedding anniversary.

Tami Jurgensen said the concept for Pinwheel Lane was borne of love.

“Love of crafting, love of throwing parties, love of children – and love of some much-needed girl time,” said the Maple Valley mother of a 2-year-old girl.

Besides, said Ashley Grisham of Edgewood, “We love planning our own kids’ parties and coming up with fun themes, so we figured we’d put our obsession to good use.”

Melody Ferguson was bitten with the party bug while planning her youngest son’s first birthday at her Bonney Lake home last summer. The party was a hit – and some blogs showcased the Red Wagon themed bash.

“It was like a dream come true for me,” she said.

And while he was too little to remember it, the unique theme “really showcased Blake as the star of his day,” she said. “He is a mid-summer birthday and everything felt so bright and cheery – just like him.”

Grisham is proudest of the penguin party she threw for her daughter’s first birthday this year, featuring glittery snowflakes, blue-Jell-O “ice cubes” and splashes of pink everywhere.

“I really wanted to throw a pink-lemonade party, but her birthday is in January, so it didn’t really work out,” said Grisham, who also has a 3 year-old son. “Now I’m trying to convince all my friends with summer girls to throw one.”

Ferguson said that with children’s parties, the opportunities are endless – crazy themes and wacky color combinations; or modern, sleek and simple decorations.

“I love to see children get excited over how a party feels like it was created just for them using their favorite things and colors,” she said. “They feel so special on their special day.”

And parents get caught up in the magic, too, Jurgensen said.

“We may be grown-ups, but we still have that little-kid sparkle inside of us,” she said. “There is nothing better than watching children have fun at a birthday party – the anticipation, the excitement – and the cake!”

But with such excitement can come pressure for busy parents trying to plan the perfect birthday party for their child or baby shower for a friend while managing the demands of everyday life.

“We are here to take some of that stress off,” Jurgensen said. “We cut, glue, tie and assemble all your decorations – and you get cute, customized party flair on your doorstep.”

Besides, Ferguson maintains, “All three of us are perfectionists, and we are very concerned with how our products are going to make a party special.”

And being no strangers to party planning, the trio contends that their prices are reasonable and of better quality than those sold at big-box party stores or online.

In addition to the themes featured in their Etsy shop – zebras, wagons, turtles and little pink birds are among the current offerings – the women of Pinwheel Lane are more than willing to take on a customized theme. The more challenging, the more intriguing, they figure.

“If someone has an idea or set of colors, we will try to figure out a way to make it happen,” Ferguson said.

Jurgensen said her personal favorite is the zebra party pack – it can be customized with glitter and flowers for girls, or done in the more traditional black-and-white print for boys.

“Plus, it’s a little out of the box,” she said, “and I like out-of-the-box party themes.”

Ferguson said that down the road, the three, all of whom have full-time jobs, hope to open a venue to host birthday parties, baby showers and the like. But for now, they have plenty of surfboard and ladybugs to create for summer – and, in her case, finding a unique twist on a “Scooby Doo” theme to celebrate her older son turning five.

And most importantly, she said with a laugh, “We’re are just hoping to not drive our husbands crazy with our constant talk of different shades of pink and types of ribbon.”