Hello! Today I'm popping in to share with you this whale themed birthday party for my mother-in-law. To be honest with you, I wasn't sure if a whale theme would 'sink or swim' with our family, but everyone loved it, especially the grand kids! (Note: This post contains affiliate links to help you locate products.) The table was lined with blue striped wrapping paper, blue tulle and blue vases filled with white flowers. For some reason, I'm really into tulle lately. (...you know that netting stuff that tutus are made of? It's perfect for parties and bow making.) Better add that craft item to my favorite things list: ribbon, washi tape, chalkboard, tulle... Name rocks are from this post. And of course, I used every whale pun I could come up with! Yes, this post is 'drowning' with whale puns...some are better than others. This cute little chalkboard easel is from Michaels. A friend gifted me these precious Whale Wooden Ornaments- click here. They looked adorable hanging from the glass vases placed down the center of the table. I actually found the turquoise glass vases at a garage sale, but these vintage vases online are extra fabulous! This was a family dinner, so of course the menu had to coordinate with the theme. (You know me so well.) -Fish-n-Chips including sweet potatoes 'chips'. -Cedar planked salmon Have you ever grilled salmon on cedar planks? If not, YOU are missing out! Oh wow! The salad was appropriately named Seaweed. Naturally, most of the grandkids stayed far away from it. But, the veggie tray got some attention. Look! You can spot, (not a sea cucumber), but an orca whale surfacing right in the middle of the vegetables! Oh yah! The vegetables were appropriately named as well. And the showstopper? The fabulous watermelon fruit whale! My sister-in-law (who has never attended one of my parties, because she lives so far away) was in town from Virginia, and offered to help me prepare food. Oh, was she in for a surprise when I gave her this job. Needless to say, nothing phases her and she totally rocked this watermelon whale 'right out of the sea'! We served fruit out of it for a week, because it was so cute. ...and don't forget about refreshments. Sea Water...I mean fresh water, was the drink of choice. You been waiting to see the dessert table, right? Here you go! I hung my handmade paper Happy Birthday banner with a wood planked whale to set the stage. I found the whale at Home Goods, but I love this online Wooden Whale Wall Hanging, too! Of course I had to paint the whale to match the party colors...everyone does this, right? Treats included: Whale blubber- blue jello with gummies Blowholes- dried apples Bottlenoses- blue drinks in a bottle Chocolate Plankton- M&M's Whale food- Goldfish crackers (Finding Dory version) Whale bubbles- large white gumballs Sweet Whales- sugar cookie cut outs and a whale cake! My sister-in-law and I crafted up this sweet and tasty thing. It's a triple layer white cake with blackberry filling and buttercream frosting. The whale on top is make out of fondant and lots of blue dye. (...be sure to wear plastic gloves if you attempt this.) I almost don't want to show you this picture... (The forks were labeled, harpoons...in a clever way, not a mean way.) Save the whales! Those cute little glass jars with metal whale tags were found at Michaels. We used the whale and banner wall as a photo shoot backdrop...(just carefully pull the table out.) And there you have it. Happy Birthday, Nana! Click here to print your own whale signs. Want to see more of Nana's Birthdays? Check them out. Hiking Party Balloon Party Sunshine Party Beachy Starfish Party Puppy Party