When Monique Teasley saw how much others were charging for event planning and party decorating, she knew she could do it for less and enjoy it at the same time.
And so “Colorful & Sweet Creations” was born, with the help of her childhood friend, Dionna Mott, and the encouragement of her fiance, Antonio Black.
“The idea of starting a business never crossed my mind,” said Teasley, 33, a six-year Arnold resident who grew up on Pittsburgh’s west side. “But when I met him, I had the feeling that I would be able to do it.”
What started as a partnership a year ago is becoming a family business.
“I took a leap of faith and went ahead,” Teasley said. “Business took off very quickly, faster than I expected.”
Mott, 32, of Pittsburgh, and Teasley are so close they call themselves sisters. Mott, a certified nursing assistant, didn’t hesitate to get involved when Teasley pitched her the idea.
“We started small and it ended up becoming something bigger than we expected,” Mott said. “It’s something we both enjoy. It’s something we like to do in terms of entertainment and events and things, especially for kids.”
Colorful & Sweet Creations offers decorations such as balloon arches, garlands and columns; popcorn, cotton candy and snow cone machines; and bounce houses. Packages range in price from $400 to $800, with add-ons available.
They also offer treats such as pretzels and chocolate covered strawberries, homemade chocolates and chocolates, caramel apples and candies and cake pops. Black said the pretzels have been so popular that people just ask for them.
In their first year, Teasley said they’ve done about 25 events, including baby and bridal showers, children’s parties and birthdays. They’ve been all over the Pittsburgh area, from the North Hills to the South Hills to Beaver County.
“It was good,” he said of his freshman year. “It was a little stressful at first. It’s gone better than I expected.”
Their first event was an outdoor 50th birthday party in Penn Hills. And they learned something the first time: some balloons handle the heat better than others.
“I lost a lot of balloons because it was so hot,” he said. “They just started popping up. They came on like crazy.”
Teasley and Black plan to marry in April. They have three children together, and Teasley is a total mom to six children, ages 1 to 14, with 3-year-old twins between them. Black also has a 3-year-old daughter.
Black, 32, said he wanted his girlfriend to go into business before they got married. He helps set up the bounce houses, and the kids help knock them down by jumping on them to get the air out.
“I’m like, ‘Just try it. Go for it,'” he said. “It’s a great business.”
Teasley said she gets most of her business from her Facebook page and website at colorfulsweetcreationsllc.com. Post to social media groups every day to get your business seen.
Teasley has been working in home health care for six years and still does, but she hopes Colorful & Sweet will grow to where it can be her only job.
Now running the business out of their home, Teasley said they would like to have an event space.
“It feels good. Sometimes I’m in disbelief. I honestly love it. I’m my own boss. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon,” he said. “My main thing is that anything is possible. I didn’t think I could do it, but I’m doing it. It starts with believing in yourself.”
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Brian can be reached at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@triblive.com or via Twitter .
