Fridays with Fin :: Shark Birthday Party!

Our little "Shark Fin" turned TWO last week! We had such a fun birthday celebration for him. I knew I wanted a shark themed party, basically, since last halloween, when he went as a shark...

Beware, I'm using "Fridays with Fin" to talk about our little guy's recent birthday party... but, mostly to shamelessly promote the shark-party printables added to my shop!!

I didn't want the party to be a scary-bad boy-blood red-shark-theme, but rather, cute-fun-lovable- "sharkie"-theme! So, I went with pool and orange for the colors and a non-intimidating shark motif. I sent the invites, with a printable envelope label "warning" the guests to open at their own risk! 

Once the invites were out, the other details came along easily! I had SO much fun finding cute pieces to match the color pallet and shark theme. Check out these favors... mini orange pails {adorn with personalized stickers} held a clear bag with a pool colored lollipop, shark squirt-toy and shark bubbles {wrapped in a printable label!}.

Guests were welcomed with custom printable signs and balloons...

Along with printable signs on the outside, I had a "happy birthday" banner hanging from our mantle and a banner saying "FIN" tied to Finley's high chair.

Our dining room table was used as my "display table" for bright orange flowers, an orange-filled vase, gumballs, lollipops, suckers, shark cookies and shark-fin cupcakes! The table wasn't complete until I used orange polka-dot gift wrap, cut down as place mats, with a cute printable tag at each setting.

I stole was inspired by Martha Stewart's Shark Cupcakes for the dessert. I used orange foam sheets and cut them into shark fins, popped them on top of pool-frosted-cupcakes, and finished them off with printable cupcake wraps! I did see that you can buy fondant fins, so if you want your fins to be edible, there IS a way!

Just in case your guests ever question whether they are eating "pasta salad" or "potato salad", you've gotta have personalized food label tent cards to help clarify! Yes, this is where my family and friends always poke fun at me, but its not about what the label says, really, is it!? Its about what it does, visually! ;)

I added some extra flair to the water bottles as well, with personalized water bottle wraps. Such a simple way to tie the colors and theme into another piece of the party!

And once I spotted these adorable mandarin izze pops and orange striped paper straws, I knew it was a detail I couldn't say no to! Who cares that not one person like the taste of them, right?! ;) Oh, and that shark cookie that so perfectly matches the party colors... made by my mama! :)

Okay, so I labeled anything I could get my hands on... down to the napkins, pails and vases. Again, necessary? No. Darling? Yes.

Here's some random final details from the party!

 All in all, I think the party was a success! The true test? A HAPPY Shark!

And happy parents!

Want to throw a shark party on your own? Check out the printable invitations and printables decorations in my etsy shop!