It Must Be A Sign!

WHEN FRIENDS TARA Mundy Collinson and Michelle Honuaer first reconnected years after high school, they didn’t initially realize that it would lead to big things...but the signs were there. Once they put their heads together, a business was born. And over the past five years, Yippee! Yard Cards have been making celebrations bigger, brighter and more memorable, literally one oversized custom lawn sign at a time.

Tara and Michelle’s friendship began at Manasquan High School. They both graduated in 1991, and for a while thereafter, life took them in different directions. Tara went to Brookdale Community College as an art major and spent several years working in local toy stores. Michelle’s passion for retail and sharp eye for design took her from an early job at Celebrations, to a career in high-end jewelry wholesaling, which found her traveling up and down the East Coast.

For several years, the high school classmates followed their respective muses along different paths. Tara married and settled in Manasquan, where she and her husband could raise their two children. Michelle also got married and returned to Spring Lake Heights to raise her family.

Then, when their sons were both around eight years old, the old classmates crossed paths through local sports. “We’d see each other at games and events,” says Tara. “We just picked up where we left off all those years ago.”

SIGN OF THE TIMES

In July 2020, the two friends transformed their bond into a creative business partnership. It began during the pandemic, when Tara traveled to Massachusetts for her brother-in-law’s 50th birthday. As she arrived at the party, a large yard sign crafted by her sister-in-law caught her eye. “I fell in love with it immediately,” says Tara. “I took pictures, sent them to Michelle and called her as soon as I got home. I couldn’t stop thinking about starting something similar.”

With a modest investment, the duo purchased a starter set and began brainstorming brand names. Eventually, they hit on one they both loved. Yippee! Yard Cards was born. “We kept throwing out names,” Tara says with a laugh. “This was the only one that made us both smile. It just felt happy. Now we’ve shortened it to simply Yippee!”

Even amid the challenges of the Covid lockdowns, Yippee! steadily built a local clientele, relying solely on social media and word of mouth. “It was tough at first, but we stuck with it,” says Michelle.

Today, business is booming. With thousands of colorful corrugated plastic letters in stock, Tara and Michelle create bold, personalized yard displays for every kind of milestone; including birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, baby announcements, gender reveals, proms, welcome homes and even cancer treatment completions. Together, they turn ordinary moments into extraordinary memories.

WORDS WITH FRIENDS

Their process blends creativity with precision. Each layout is carefully pre-planned in Tara’s basement. They go through backup letters, multiple design elements, and endless rolls of double-sided tape to ensure a flawless finish at every site. “We’re perfectionists,” says Michelle. “We want everything to be just right.”

The signs are staked using heavy-duty custom-made metal rods built to withstand the elements. “They’re not just colorful,” says Tara. “The letters are durable, reusable and environmentally friendly.”

The letters range in size from 23 to 30 inches. A display typically stands for at least for 24 hours, often set up on a Thursday or Friday and picked up on Monday, giving every recipient plenty of time to enjoy their sign.

Yippee! operates seasonally from April through December. Once winter arrives, frozen ground, snow and high winds make installations difficult—and sometimes unsafe. “Unless it’s a repeat customer and the weather is in our favor, we take a break from January through March.”

“Happy Birthday” remains their most popular message, followed closely by graduation signs, making late spring and early summer their busiest season. Each display is unique, one-of-a-kind, never duplicated and thoughtfully crafted. “One family has ordered a birthday sign for their daughter six years in a row,” says Tara. “Every year, we create a new design to top the last.”

One of their oddest requests quickly became a favorite: A sign in Belmar which read “Follow The Call To The Disco Ball” directed partygoers to a secret celebration. Another favorite was a heartfelt proposal from a grandfather to his granddaughter, based on a family’s inside joke. Yippee! Has a knack for capturing the humor and love that make each family’s moment uniquely special.

Yippee! is already a well-loved fixture across coastal towns like Spring Lake Heights, Point Pleasant, Manasquan and Brielle, and the brand is still steadily growing. Despite early challenges, Tara and Michelle remain committed to their craft. Their venture is a testament to the power of friendship, the strength of community and the joy of celebrating life’s special moments.

“Seeing the joy these signs bring makes it all worth it,” says Michelle. “We’ve helped families celebrate everything from births to recovery milestones. It’s more than decoration. It’s a moment of happiness we get to be a part of”.

From the art of personalization to the joy of reconnecting, Tara and Michelle have turned their shared creativity into something vibrant and lasting- one sign and one celebration at a time.

To learn more about Yippee! Yard Cards, or to place an order for your next special occasion, visit yippeeyardcards.com or follow them on Instagram and Facebook @yippee.yardcards.

BY MOLLY MECHLER