"Under the Sea" Birthday Party!

This party's been splashing about in my archives for more than half a year. It celebrates the day my twin granddaughters became young ladies at the age of three. The majority of the ideas, the planning, and the work are the successes of their talented mommy, my oldest daughter, Mary Jo. But, like all of our celebratory events, tasks were shared with daddy, grandparents, and aunts and uncles. I love this aspect of our family. We work together, allowing the children to experience extended family support while witnessing how creative cooperation results in outcomes that reach far beyond the ordinary!

And, the extraordinary began as guests arrived! Twin mermaids coyly greeted them, beckoning beneath a bubbling balloon arch to a bounty of bouncing beyond!

Greeting guests with giggles galore....
the prettiest pair of merry little mermaids!

"Hello, friendly octopus!"
But exotic sea creatures weren't confined to outdoor decor.....

Floating mystically above the buffet table, home crafted jellyfish created an ethereal atmosphere....

Clustered beneath them, "crabby croissants" eyeballed the crowd....

But I think the kids had their own eyes on a spread of desserts that spilled "beach candy" and "sand" onto an inviting tray. Individual pail sets, also pictured at top, were my contribution. Snorkeling on over to my favorite crafty food blogger's site, Hungry Happenings, I took inspiration from Beth's clever starfish design. I substituted sugar cookies for her recipe, pressing them, thinly iced, into finely ground graham cracker crumbs to duplicate her whimsical results. Sand pail sets were filled with crumbled spice cake and presented to the kids for dessert. They "shoveled it in" using scoops as utensils with varying, but adorable! - degrees of messy success!

Little ladies munched their lunch at an outdoor table laden with pretty party favors. They found dainty starfish wands, beautifully embellished tiaras....

and golden chests of treasure holding sparkling strings of pearls and more!

I had a second job, too. A crafty take-home project! We filled plastic jars with tinted, glittery water and floated toy fish and creatures of the sea amidst a tangle of foliage and a sprinkling of shells.

I've been told that even today, months later, affectionate shakes of these sample slices of the sea still hold gentle swirls of fascination!

Who but resourceful mommy would find a rental bounce house topped by a trio of dolphins? This towering attraction not only set the theme, but provided "oceans" of lively fun for guests who ranged in age from one year to six.

Our lovely hostess also thoughtfully provided a peaceful place to shovel for shells when bouncing wore you out!....

....because even energetic older brothers needed an occasional break from the liveliness that marked the third year anniversary of the doubling of the twin population in this happy family!





















Party Notes!
So, where did we get all this cool stuff? We're happy to share! None of these sources are sponsored.

Balloon arch custom made and installed by a local party supply and rental company that also provided the bounce house.

Mermaid costumes from Chasing Fireflies online children's clothing retailer.

Plastic pail sets and treasure chests from Oriental Trading Company. Mary Jo spray painted the chests, which are sold in black.

She also crafted jellyfish from party lanterns and streamers, assembled tiaras with lace ribbon accents, and made starfish wands from materials purchased at Michael's.

Aquarium jars (6" plastic, 32 ounce) from Just Artifacts online party supply retailer. Plastic sea creatures from Hobby Lobby.

Visit Hungry Happenings for a bounty of clever food crafting ideas for every special occasion. It's a real treasure trove for grandmas who like to "swim upstream" against the usual world of ordinary!

And, finally, visit Mary Jo's blog, Mrs. Party Planner, for many more profiles of creative, high energy family party fun!