COVID 19 and Cotton and Quill

I first want to say that I hope this blog post finds you and your family healthy and well. Secondly, I want to thank each of you for supporting so many small, local businesses. Because of your support, many of us are not only surviving but thriving during this chaotic time. That to say, however, we at Cotton and Quill are trying to navigate this new normal.

As you are probably aware, shipping times are taking much longer than normal. That, along with mill shortages and limited staff, are making it difficult to fulfill everything in the timely manner we were use to pre-COVID 19. Please be patient with us as I can assure you we are working as hard as we can in these conditions to bring you the Cotton and Quill service you are use to.

As a reminder, our office hours are Monday-Friday from 9a.m.-5p.m. CDT. If you would like to place an order or for all other inquiries, please email mfolmar@cottonquill.com.

Thank you so much for your understanding, and praying for the safety and health of you and your loved ones!

-Mary Catherine

NOTE: If you would like to order our masks please send us a message and we can get them going for you! We have limited quantities and are shipping first come, first serve as we have new stock available. They are $20/ea, Double-Sided with a Pocket in the Top to add an Optional Filter, 100% Cotton Sateen Fabric, Adjustable Tie Straps, Machine-Washable - STAY SAFE EVERYONE!!

Pop-Up Shop with Mary and Wilma

I’m a glass half-full kinda gal and usually can look at the bright side of things but ya’ll, I have to be honest, THIS RAIN IS KILLING ME!!!!

If you are feeling a little bit of the rainy winter blues like me, I have the cure for you! Run (or swim) on over to the Mary and Wilma Pop-Up Shop going on today Friday, February 21st from 10-2 at the Upstairs Collection in Homewood, Ala!

Yours truly will be there with custom-made kaftans in all of my bright colors, along with some amazing accessories that are sure to take away any mid-winter blues!

And you defintely won’t want to miss Hazel House Collective’s vintage and antique rugs or one-of-a-kind art from AK Hardeman, and of course all of the fun finds from Mary and Wilma!

Rain or shine we hope to see you today, friends! Here’s to (a chance of sunshine) and happy shopping!

Low-Key Valentine's Tablescape

February 14, a day of romance, flowers, candy and all things pink and red and shaped like hearts! To be honest, I’ve never been much of a fan of Valentine’s Day BUT I love pretty things, and can never say “no” to a pretty tablescape! So…. here ya go folks….a low-key but beautiful Valentine’s Day tablescape!

You don’t have to be a an incredible cook, baker or stylist to create a beautiful space. For this tablescape, I started with my screen porch as the location. I have a great set of peacock chairs and table and my husband and I love sitting out there as it overlooks the pool and woods and is so peaceful. Naturally it was the first place that came to mind when planning my low-key Valentine’s. And how ”low-key” is a back porch??

After deciding on location and set-up, I threw a a simple throw on the the table and topped it with our Pineapple pattern from the Veranda collection. To shop this pattern, click here!

Do you see those brass chargers? Swoon…I love a good charger, and brass is so classic! (See our “how-to” video on polishing brass for a quick and easy tutorial.)

For the dinner plate I used the Duke of Gloucester pattern, and guess what ya’ll….those plates are TIN. Yes ma’am, I said “tin.” They are stunning AND non-breakable, win-win. And, yes, we carry them along with two other patterns! See link to purchase.

I also added our custom-made cloth napkins in the “Cuckoo” pattern from our Terrace collection. Add a monogram, and they are stunning, and honestly make one of the best bridal or hostess gifts! Contact us if you are interested in ordering.

You can’t have a tablescape without flowers! And nothing says “low-key” like some carnations and tulips. Add a posy finger vase and a floral frog to your entertaining stash, and you’ll have easy-peasy arrangements in a snap. For the carnation arrangement, I just grabbed a pretty candy dish I had at home, put my floral frog in the bottom, added water and voila! Quick tutorial located here!

And of course, the food and drink! My hubby and I will add steak to our Valentine’s dinner but here I just made a very quick but very, very delicious Raspberry Brie, Red Velvet Cheesecake truffles, and Cotton Candy Champagne Cocktails. Oh my, so decadent but so easy! Click Recipe Links above to get details on all the goodness…

And there you have it, Loves! A super simple, very elegant, fun and no fuss Valentine’s Day tablescape. See the video below to watch me put it all together! Hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day filled with all things mushy-gushy and beautiful! Cheers!

p.s.-Oh, I can’t forget to mention this little cutie, Butters…our cuddliest Valentine ever! xoxoxo

Red Velvet Cheesecake Truffles

In our family red velvet cake is traditionally reserved for Christmas dinner (and also my Birthday cake). But when I stumbled across this Red Velvet Cheescake Truffle recipe while looking for Valentine’s tablescape ideas, I thought, “Yes!” I need a little more red velvet in my life….or at least more than once a year! And, anyway, isn’t it the most perfect Valentine hue?

Ingredients:

-1 box red velvet cake mix, plus ingredients needed for mix

-2 8oz. blocks of cream cheese, softened

-1/2 cup powdered sugar

-2 Tbsp. heavy cream

-1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Prepare red velvet cake mix according to package directions. Divide batter among liners, and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely then break 4 cupcakes into small crumbs. Save the other cupcakes to eat at midnight. Just kidding! But really the extra cupcakes aren’t needed for the rest of the recipe so you really can eat them at midnight. Or right away. No judgment here.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add heavy cream and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop cream cheese mixture into balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer to chill, 1 hour.

Roll the balls in red velvet crumbs until fully coated, then return to prepare baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Original Recipe from Delish.com**

Not only are they scrumptious but serve them on a pretty dish and they make any tablescape pop! They are the perfect little bite for any party or shower, and I personally will no longer be waiting till Christmas to get my once a year red velvet fix. These will be on the “sweets” rotation from here on! Happy Valentine’s Day, friends!

Check out the quick video tutorial below!

The Most DIVINE Raspberry Brie

Don’t you just love Brie? So easy and quick, yet looks and tastes like you spent hours! And this recipe might be one of my favorites.

I changed the recipe a bit from the original but the ingredients are listed below with my little tweaks beside them….

Ingredients:

-1 large sheet of puff pastry dough or 1 tube of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (I used two puff pastry sheets in order to make the cut out hearts on top but you could probably get away with just one)

-1 round or wedge of Brie cheese (do not remove rind)

-2 tablespoons raspberry jam or other sweet jam ( I may have used a little more)

-1 tablespoon brown sugar (I used Swerve brown)

-1/4 cup of maple syrup (I didnt use the entire 1/4 cup, just a heavy drizzle)

-small heart-shaped cookie cutter

-fresh raspberries for garnish

-a pretty dish to serve it in! (Make sure it’s oven safe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the top off the Brie. I started with chilled Brie and sliced a very thin piece off of the top. This may help the crust stay with the cheese when served. The rind is edible so you can skip this step if you want to.

Grab a pretty serving dish (make sure it’s oven safe!) and evenly lay your puff pastry sheet in the bottom. Place the Brie on top of the pastry.

Spread jam on the top of the Brie and then fold dough over the top. Cut off any excess dough. This is where you could probably get away with using just one sheet of pastry dough if you rolled out the excess to cut your hearts.

Roll out your excess dough or grab your 2nd puff pastry roll and lay out flat to cut hearts. Make sure the dough you are using has come straight from the fridge….it will be so much easier to cut! Using your heart-shapes cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as you want to top your Brie with. Lay the hearts on top of the Brie in any fashion you’d like.

Sprinkle with brown sugar and drizzle with the maple syrup.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Pastry should be golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes and top with fresh raspberries before serving.

Ya’ll, this dish was amazing. You could serve with crackers or apple slices if you’d like but honestly it was so darn good by itself! Bubbling melted cheese and raspberry jam….oh my! In fact, I gotta go….I have some leftovers in the fridge and they are calling my name!

See the quick video tutorial below! Happy Valentine’s!!!

Cotton Candy Champagne Cocktail

So perfect for any special occasion, this Cotton Candy Champagne Cocktail is as tasty as it is beautiful. I used fresh raspberries, prosecco, and pink cotton candy for our Valentine’s themed tablescape but of course, you could change it up any way you like!

Items Needed:

-champagne flutes

-fresh raspberries, washed and dried

-your favorite champagne or prosecco

-pink cotton candy

Check out my super quick and easy tutorial below!

Mums the Word....

I think carnations are often overlooked in the world of decorating. They are inexpensive and easy to find which I’m afraid has been their crux. But really they are a beautiful flower and so elegant when arranged tightly together. So grab a handeful at your nearest Publix (or Walmart) and lets start arranging!

Supplies Needed:

-one or two bunches of carnations

-a vase/vessel for your flowers

-floral frog

-water!

For this flower arrangement, I simply chose a candy dish from my house and added the floral frog to the bottom. If you don’t have a floral frog, I highly suggest getting one. They make arranging SO much easier! Add water to the bottom of your vessel and start arranging. Easy-Peasy! Check out my quick tutorial below.

Brass Polishing Tutorial

I love a good brass anything! So when I saw these brass chargers at a local antique store, I snagged them! They were in great shape but tarnished. A little bit of tarnish usually doesn’t bother me but I knew I wanted to use them in my Valentine’s tablescape and needed a more polished look.

Materials Needed:

-Brasso Metal Polish

-clean, dry cloth for polishing

-clean, dry cloth for buffing

-elbow grease!

Check out my quick tutorial to see how it’s done!