I Hope You Dance: Sea Glass for Your Little Ballerina

I created this sea glass art today by refinishing a wood frame in Peach Sachet (M200-1), matched in Benjamin Moore satin finish, and then constructing the ballerina with sea glass from my personal collection of glass from Oxford, Maryland and Delaware beaches. This frame is meant to hang on the wall of your favorite little ballerina's space. $40. Inbox me to purchase. Can deliver if you are in or close to Bel Air, MD.

Pink French 75 Cocktail

Ingredients

1 oz. gin or vodka (I use Belvedere vodka)

1 oz. Elderflower liqueur

1 oz. lemon juice

2 oz. sparkling rosé

Instructions

Pour vodka, Elderflower and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker and combine.

Pour into a chilled cocktail or wine glass and top with sparkling rosé.

Add a mermaid twist by garnishing with a gummy shark or two!

Ingredients

 

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Ingredients

For Bread

1 egg

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup sour cream

2 mashed ripe bananas

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

For Cream Cheese Mixture

1 egg

1/2 sugar

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 tbsp. all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spray loaf pan with cooking spray or grease and flour pan.

In a large bowl, add egg, brown sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, vanilla and whisk to combine.

Add mashed bananas and mix together.

Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir with spoon until combined.

Spread half of the banana batter in loaf pan with a spatula.

In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese ingredients and spread mixture on top of the banana batter in loaf pan.

Top cream cheese mixture with remaining banana batter.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool and serve.

Homemade Berger Cookies

Homemade Berger cookies. Nothing further need be said.

Ingredients

For  Cookies

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup milk

For Icing

2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels

1 1/2 tsp. light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 2/3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1/8 tsp. sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

In large mixing bowl, beat together butter, salt, vanilla and baking powder.

Beat in sugar. Then beat in egg.

Add flour alternately with the milk.

Using a tablespoon cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, drop the dough onto the cookies sheets.

The flattened dough should be 1 1/2" in diameter. You can flatten the dough with the bottom of a greased drinking glass. Leave about 2" between each cookie.

Bake the cookies 10-11 minutes. Do not let the tops get brown. The cookies should have a cake-like consistency when baked.

Remove cookies from oven and cool right on the sheets.

To prepare the icing, place chocolate morsels, corn syrup, vanilla and heavy cream in a microwave-safe container or a saucepan.

Heat until very hot; the cream should begin to bubble.

Remove from heat and stir until smooth.

Beat in confectioners sugar and salt.

Let cool until room temperature.

When cooled, dip each cookie in the icing.

Set cookies back on cookie sheets.

Spread more icing evenly on top of the cookies.

Let set until firm.

Cookies can be stored in airtight containers or frozen for longer storage.

Makes 1 dozen cookies.

Flatten the dough with the greased bottom of a drinking glass

Ready to melt the chocolate morsel mixture for icing

Homemade Berger Cookies

Buttermilk Rose Calming Bath

I will be the first to admit that a couple of months of quarantine life has put my mermaid tail in a bunch. So, with the stay-at-home order about to come to an end here in Maryland, I decided to reward and pamper myself with a detox bath. 

This buttermilk rose bath is fin-tastic for detoxing and calming. Legend has it that Cleopatra regularly bathed in buttermilk to keep her skin silky smooth. And if it's good enough for the last pharaoh of Egypt, it's good enough for this mermaid.

Ingredients

2 cups buttermilk

1 cup epsom salt

A splash of bubble bath

4 drops of lavendar essential oil

4 drops of wild chamomile essential oil

Petals from 3-4 roses, pick your favorite colors

1 bottle of sparking rosé

Instructions

Run a hot bath and incorporate first five ingredients under running water.

When tub is filled, scatter the rose petals.

Hop in the tub and luxuriate while sipping your rosé!

Easy peasy!

Mermaid Love Potion

Welcome back to the Seamaiden Posh blog, merfriends! With the downtime quarantine life has afforded, I decided it was time to revive my little blog after several years of hiatus and start sharing recipes and other fun things to do.

First up, I created this charming little Mermaid Love Potion for date night in last Saturday. Here's what you need to serve this concoction to the salty pirate in your life.

Ingredients

For the Blackberry Syrup

1/3 cup blackberries plus 8 blackberries for garnish

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

For the Love Potion Cocktail

1 bottle of sparkling rosé

Instructions

In a small saucepan or shallow skillet, bring the 1/3 cup blackberries, water and sugar to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the blackberries and let the syrup cool completely.

Add 2 tbsp. of syrup to the bottom of each glass. Pour sparkling rosé over the syrup and garnish each glass with 2 blackberries.

Makes 4 cocktails.

Boil and simmer blackberries, water and sugar

Your ingredients

Crochet Slippers

These sweet little #crochet slippers are size 9-12 months. Now available for purchase, with the rest of the Seamaiden Posh collection, at Merle Norman Day Spa in Bel Air.

Nautical Newborn Crochet Hat

Anchors aweigh! A nautical navy and white newborn ‪crochet‬ hat with an anchor. Custom-designed and freshly hooked for a client's grandson-to-be! ‪‎freshlyhooked

Mermaid Sand Pail & Shovel Set - Nautical Party Decor - Coastal...

Mermaid Sand Pail & Shovel Set - Nautical Party Decor - Coastal... (clipped to polyvore.com)

1st Annual Mermaidfest at Pizzazz!

There's never been a better time to be a mermaid in Maryland, seamaidens! At long last, we can come out of our landlocked shells and flaunt our fins in Havre de Grace.

Swim on up the Chesapeake on August 1 and celebrate your inner siren with fin-tastic food, fun and giveaways at the 1ST ANNUAL MERMAIDFEST AT PIZZAZZ! EVERYONE WHO ARRIVES IN THEIR MERMAID FINEST WILL RECEIVE A SPECIAL TREASURE FROM THE ONE AND ONLY PINKY PIZZAZZ! Mermen, pirates, sailors and fishermen are welcome join the fun, too! We guarantee it will be one SHELL of a party!

Pizzazz! is located at 320 St. John Street in Havre de Grace, MD. The mer-mazing festivities begin at noon. For more information, follow Pizzazz! on Facebook. Click here!

Freshly Hooked: Crochet Sandals for Baby

Have this ‪‎adorable‬ pair of ‪‎crochet‬ sandals ready for purchase. Fits up to 6 months. $20. Email catherinesbaubles@gmail.com to buy.

Freshly Hooked: Fisherman Sweater

Have a ‪little‬ arriving in fall or winter? This ‪crochet‬ ‪Fisherman Sweater‬ design is too cute for a baby boy or girl! Email catherinesbaubles@gmail.com to have one made. Sizes 0-6 months and 6-12 months.

Freshly Hooked: Crochet Sandals for Baby

Freshly hooked! Made these little crochet sandals for baby over the Easter weekend. This pair is available to purchase. Size is 6-12 months. 4.25" long and 2.5 inches wide. $20. Email catherinesbaubles@gmail.com to purchase or to order custom colors/sizes.

Crochet Cloche Hat for Spring!

 This ‪crochet‬ ‪‎cloche‬ hat made by yours truly is available to purchase! This design is a toddler/child size with an 18" circumference. Colors are mint green, white & pink with a sheer pink ribbon accent. Only 1 available. Email catherinesbaubles@gmail.com to purchase. $30. Contact me to custom order in other sizes and/or colors.

Heirloom Crochet Set

This is such a sweet and unforgettable heirloom crochet set for a special baby girl in your life! Can be made in 0-3 months or 6-12 months sizes. Email catherinesbaubles@gmail.com to order!

Pretty in Purple Crochet Set for Baby

Getting these ‪crochet‬ pretties all wrapped up and ready for delivery to a client. Then on to the next baby set! ‪Need this pretty in purple (or pink or blue or whatever color you choose) for the little fashionista in your life? Email me to place an order! catherinesbaubles@gmail.com

Simple Pleasures: Cameo Necklace and Earrings

Today's Simple Pleasure. A bit of romance brought back from our trip to Gettysburg earlier this month. The Seamaster's taste in jewelry is spot on, I must say. What Simple Pleasure are you enjoying today?

Crochet Sweater, Hat & Booties for Your Little Pink Diva!

Completed this ‪crochet‬ ‪baby‬ sweater, hat & booties for a client! This set can be made to fit a newborn, 3-6 mos, or 9-12 mos. Email catherinesbaubles@gmail.com for orders and inquiries.

Posh Cream Puffs

This is the Seamaster's new fave. Fluffy, sweet and totally posh cream puffs!

Ingredients
Puffs
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs

Filling
1 cup prepared vanilla pudding
1/4 cup whipping cream

Glaze
4 oz. dark chocolate
1 tbsp. butter

Directions
In a saucepan, heat butter and water until almost boiling. Remove from heat.
Add flour. Return to heat. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens, leaves sides of pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat.
Add eggs one at a time. Beat constantly until eggs are fully incorporated.
Drop mixture by rounded tablespoon onto greased baking sheet, forming 12 puffs.
Bake immediately at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR DURING BAKING.
Let cool on rack.
Whip cream and fold into vanilla pudding.
Cut a lid off each puff and fill with cream mixture.
Melt chocolate and butter in a microwavable dish.
Drizzle chocolate over puffs and let cool.

Wedding Headpiece Transformed!

The Seamaiden is truly in love with the bracelet created by Faye Daniel Designs with the crystals and pearls from my wedding headpiece. Thanks to Randie McConnell, founder and lead designer of FDD, I can carry a beautiful memory from my wedding day with me everyday! Randie can do the same for your wedding accessories and heirloom jewelry. Call and set up your consultation today! 410-879-9925.