WORKING -- Donna Metzger

-- Young Chang

SHE IS

The life of your party.

WELCOME TO HER WORLD

Move over Disneyland. “Where’s the Party?” -- a party supply store in

Costa Mesa where Donna Metzger makes invitations -- may be the happiest

place on Earth.

Metzger feels the constant, upbeat cheer. Helping young couples

announce their weddings, older couples celebrate anniversaries and proud

parents boast the end of their ninth month, she has caught her clients’

contagious joy.

And the parties never start without her.

PARTY PRO

Metzger’s tools are 50 different fonts, some computer know-how and

countless shades of color, the labels of which -- canyon rose, gold rush

and lima bean, to name a few -- outdo even J. Crew’s well-known hunters

and charcoals.

Putting them together, she creates thoughtful invitations that set the

tone for the party. The invitation can be a factor in how many decide to

come, Metzger said, as well as their mood once they arrive.

Working with customers, Metzger has become well-acquainted with the

stories behind their celebrations.

“You get to hear how couples met. ... you get to know a lot about the

[people] because you’re trying to pull out the feel,” she said.

Metzger helps party planners write the messages, too. Depending on the

occasion, she plays with different themes and attitudes, choosing fun

lingo and colors for birthdays and more elegant styles for weddings.

THE LAST HURRAH

Metzger has encountered nearly every possible party occasion, she

said. Wedding anniversaries are always sweet and bridal showers, in all

their zany glory, are always funny.

“They always come up with some funny ideas of what they’re doing,

where they’re going for their last hurrah,” Metzger said.

Once in a while, very rarely, she’ll come across a customer who needs

announcements for something sad, like a memorial service.

Either way, Metzger said she feels privileged to be a part of people’s

emotions. She usually gets to be a part of big, happy events, and it

beats being home all day, which is why Metzger didn’t enjoy retirement.

“It’s just better than sitting home and worrying about what hurts,”

she said.