For over 25 years, entrepreneur Grace Kirkwood has been inspired to bring decorating with balloons and flowers together. Since they lend themselves to each other so naturally, she's introduced many new and creative designs to the world of decorating.

Before opening her present business, It'z YOUR Party!, Grace attended the Dean-Traut Floral Design School in New York City. After managing and operating numerous flower shops in various locations, she turned to the balloon industry to discover another avenue of creativity.

Since It'z YOUR Party! began in 1982, Grace progressed from a singing telegram company to
a party decorating and event planning service. She has attended and instructed at IBAC conventions and seminars in Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston and Chicago. In 1991, she earned her Certified Balloon Artist title. She attended Qualatex's Business Marketing Seminar in 1992 and their Leadership Training and Presentation Conference in 1993. She has served as an appointed member of the Qualatex Balloon Network Advisory Board from 1993 to 1996, and attended the Pioneer Balloon Company's Presenter's Conference in Dallas, Texas in February, 1994 and their QBN Merchandising Conference in April, 1996 in Wichita, Kansas. Grace also founded and acted as president of the PenJerDel Regional Chapter of the Qualatex Balloon Network in 1996 through 1998. She has been instructing floral design and balloon decor since 1978, and successfully hosted and produced the four day Eastern States Balloon Symposium in 1997 and 1998 with Balloon Supply of America. Grace is a four time winner of Qualatex Balloon Awards. She also consults entrepreneurs in skills and business management. She has been published in "images" magazine, Party and Paper Retailer and Balloons and Parties Today.
 

Presently, a resident of Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska and Everett, Washington, Grace currently is using her knowledge of business and promotional skills as a marketing consultant as well as a web designer. Along with her husband, Doug Platt, they have been net savvy since 1993, not only with web site design, but keyboard and typing innovating software since 1989.

Grace was active with the Prince of Wales Chamber of Commerce from 2001 through 2004 as a director and president. In 2003 she produced the Art and Jazz Festival, plus a Wearable Art Show for the Island. Presently, she is co-authoring a book called "Keeping the Stories Alive", a series of interviews with elders and photographs to be published soon. Grace also produced and distributes a CD for Tourism for Prince of Wales Island. And she still finds time to delight parties with her numerous singing telegram characters and balloon decorating.

Her hobbies are organic gardening (Master Gardener Certification in 2002), oil and watercolor painting, photography, hiking, kayaking. beach combing, jewelry design, sewing and quilting, beading, reflexology, feng shui, jazz piano and web design. Her Alaskan photographs have been published in the Alaskan Southeaster Magazine , The MilePost, Tongass Historical Museum in Ketchikan, Alaska, and she was the editor of Prince of Wales Island Guide in 2003. She has also written articles for the Alaskan Southeaster Magazine and other travel and tourism annuals. She maintains the web site of www.princeofwalesonline.com