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One-of-a-kind gifts

Jessica Crawford
Cotton & Co.

(12/2020) The Holiday season is in full swing at this point. Christmastime is my most favorite time of year. You walk into shops, and it smells like warm spices and cinnamon. Cheerful, holiday music is playing in the background. And everything glitters and sparkles.

Christmas will inevitably look and feel a bit different this year. But you’ll still be picking out gifts for those on your gift giving list. This is your friendly public service announcement, to shop small and local this holiday season, even more so than ever before. The Big Guys will make it out of this economic mess just fine. It’s the little ones that need your business, encouragement and support the most, to make it out of this right end up.

So, what can you do for Small Business that doesn’t cost you a thing? Engage with your favorite local businesses online and on their social media pages. When you like, share or comment on a business page’s post, the algorithms pick that up, and they spread it to more people’s feeds. Which then enhances their presence on social media, increasing their reach to new customers. Positive word of mouth is basically the biggest asset to small business. If you love a business, tell you friends and family! We, as consumers, love recommendations from the people around us. Spreading the word to friends and family, contributes greatly to helping the little guys earn the business of new customers.

When you shop at my boutique, Cotton & Co in Keymar, you’re supporting about fifty small, nearly all woman-owned, local businesses in your community. When you shop local and small, you’re keeping your hard earned money in your community. You’re helping moms and dads afford ballet and karate classes. Or contributing towards making their family’s holiday just as special as yours. They aren’t kidding when they say, when you make a purchase from a small business, someone actually does a happy dance. We do! And we appreciate it more than you can possibly imagine or we can convey. Shopping small and local is invaluable to your local economy.

With the world the way it is right now, many small businesses are offering services now that they weren’t before. Many have added online shopping or curbside pick-ups. If you still aren’t comfortable or aren’t able to shop in person, small business owners tend to be very accommodating and understanding of this, and are willing to work with you to earn your business. And many also offer shipping services now. If you are an avid online shopper, consider supporting sellers on sites like Etsy. Etsy is a wonderful online shopping forum that supports thousands and thousands of small businesses.

When you shop small businesses, you’re more likely to run into one-of-a-kind or unique items. These pieces might be handmade by a local artisan. They might be vintage or antique. They might be funky or funny. Small businesses tend to have more unique or interesting items, than shopping from large corporations.

Since my shop is composed of many, many businesses, we offer a wide variety of styles and items. If you’re following along with us on social media, you’ll see that we’ve been compiling lots of gift guides, for everyone on your list this season. We’ve got locally made beard and men’s care products. An abundance of vintage Christmas. Handmade children’s clothing and stuffed animals. Hundreds and hundreds of stocking stuffers for everyone. Handmade artisan jewelry, women’s clothing, vintage and antique items ranging from primitive to mid century and everything in between.

The holidays are such a warm and happy time. And while this year will feel different, and we may not see all of our loved ones, we can still make it feel just as special and magical as always. In the spirit of the holidays and cookie baking season, I’d like to share a recipe of my grandmother’s that I have adapted over the years, of her Scotch Shortbread. It’s very simple and easy to make, stores well in an airtight tin or container, makes a perfect addition to any gift, and is rich and delicious.

Rosemary Sea Salt Shortbread

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb Unsalted Butter (recommended to use the good stuff, not store brand)
• 4 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 C Granulated Sugar
• 2 Sprigs Rosemary Roughly Chopped
• 1 Tbsp Sea Salt

Cooking Instructions: Preheat oven to 325. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, chopped butter and rosemary. With hands (this part is key!), combine ingredients until fully incorporated and crumbly, don’t overwork dough. Press evenly into 9X13 baking pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle top lightly with sea salt. Cool for 10 mins. With sharp knife, cut into 32 even, finger length bars. For decorative touch, prick each square three times with a fork. Let fully cool before removing shortbread from pan, store in an airtight container.

Favorite recipe variation: Replace rosemary with 2 Tbsp of dried lavender buds and zest of one lemon. Sprinkle top with sugar rather than sea salt, once cooked. Happy Holidays everyone. I wish you all a happy, healthy holiday and new year.