Budding Inspiration: Spring at the Queen! Guest Post from Appalachian Vintiques

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The earth laughs in flowers.” After a very long, hard winter in the mountains of North Carolina, I am embracing spring with lots of laughter and looking to flowers for inspiration in decorating my home. With our recent Spring Fling, we saw many unique ways to incorporate pops of pastels, floral prints, colors inspired by nature and ways to bring sunshine and laughter into your home. And don't forget the Pantone color of the year, Radiant orchid, is a bright burst of Spring color for your home, and goes great with floral prints.

The Spring brings opportunities for entertaining - look for creative ways to display flowers. Take these ideas from the Queen, using vases, mason jars, teacups, or vintage bud vases for traditional and non-traditional floral displays. 

Vintage bottles would be perfect for displaying, with or without flowers. The fact that these bottles tell their own unique story make them a unique conversation starter. The two pictures below are bottles from our booth in Buford at Appalachian Vintiques. 

Love old Mason Jars? You can find a great selection of Ball Mason jars that are clear or you can opt for the older blue jars that are quite valuable. 

Spring entertaining (especailly in the South) isn't complete without an afternoon glass of tea. Our dealers have a large variety of tea sets to fit just about any taste or style. This floral display would be perfect for décor but can pull double duty because you can actually use the tea sets later in the afternoon!

The great thing about Spring is that there is a flower for every personality and style. Be sure to stop in at the Queen of Hearts and find the perfect piece to display your flowers, or  your Spring floral accents!

This blog was written by dealer Jennifer Turner, of Appalachian Vintiques (LIVJC) on Court St in Buford - like her on Facebook to see all of her fabulous finds!

Lightning Bugs, a Bright Idea: Guest Post from Appalachian Vintiques

Here in Western North Carolina, we call this place “God’s Country.” Small, southern towns with charm, sweet tea, front porch sittin’ and best of all, lightning bugs. As a kid, my grandparents would sit on the porch sipping sweet tea while my brother and I ran carefree through the grass near the ‘crik’ using our old mason jars to catch thousands of lightning bugs. Inevitably, we would run as fast as we could to show the grown-ups our special finds, poking holes in the tops of the lids and providing just enough grass for these amazing creatures to survive.  

What is interesting about lightning bugs is that they are the most efficient light producers in the entire world. Additionally, they have the ability to create a soft glow in even the darkest of country nights, which for me was always a comfort. In a similar way, the way we choose to light our homes can provide that same type of comfort. There is nothing more welcoming then walking into a home where the homeowner has paid special attention to lighting. I often think sometimes that lighting comes as an afterthought, which is unfortunate because the right lighting can add such pizzazz to any space.

With the advent of Pinterest and social media, there is no shortage of ideas for ways to incorporate lighting into any space. You can repurpose everyday items into focal points that become great conversation starters, or you can reintroduce beautiful pieces from the past. At the Queen of Hearts in Buford, there is an abundance of great options to fit any taste. 

We found this unique, upcycled lamp and added it to our booth space at Appalachian Vintiques in Buford. This piece is a great mixture of old metal and old car parts and would make a great addition in any rustic space or man cave. This is sure to be a conversation starter for anyone that sees it!

We absolutely fell in love with this beautiful antique hanging light fixture found at the Queen in Buford by dealer GATE. 

Dealer SMM at the Queen in Buford has several stunning options to offer homeowners and decorators alike. This dealer provides customers with a mixture of upcycled, repurposed, vintage, and antique lights – a taste for all lighting pallets.

Looking for a certain style – Parisian maybe? Check out dealer PARIS at the Queen in Buford for this fantastic fixture for a home office or living space.

Wanting to take a unique piece and upcyle it into something more useful? Check out this old chicken feeder we had lying around the house. I love the texture and color, but we don’t plan on having any chickens anytime soon! We drilled some holes into the sides and now we have a conversation starter that emits fantastic lighting.

Lighting should never be an afterthought when we are designing spaces that we love. Not only should we take into consideration energy output, but also placing pieces in our spaces that emit the right light and provide texture, color, and unique qualities will create spaces that we love and cherish for many years to come!  

Jennifer Turner is a dealer at the Buford Queen of Hearts and her booth is Appalachian Vintiques, dealer code LIVJC or VINTQ, located on Court St. Follow the link to like her on Facebook and see all her amazing finds!