Monthly Feature at the Queen

Hey all you vintage lovin’ peeps!  I’m Sarah from {Home-ology} modern vintage and I'm super stoked to be guest posting at The Queen’s blog where I’ll be featuring some great antiques and vintage items from their ever-changing inventory. 

Each & every month I’ll highlight a particular piece from one of the three Queen of Hearts locations and either demonstrate what it is, what it can be, what is was used for, or what its history is.  The Queen has so many talented dealers and such an eclectic variety; it’s the perfect way to showcase the always interesting mix of goods being offered.  And hopefully you’ll find a little inspiration along the way ;)

Can any of you tell from this picture just what it is I’m highlighting in the post?  Can you recognize the industrial cart mixed in with the plethora of other stuff?  Does anyone recognize what this industrial cart was used for?  Honestly, it could have been for so many purposes that it wouldn’t be fair to make only one guess, so I won’t.  But me being the lover of all things with wheels and all things made of metal, it's no surprise that this item was the first to catch my eye & the first I chose to feature.  Forgive my passion for rust & crust.  I promise lots of pretty posts in the future – do not be disheartened!

This awesome feature piece was found at the Buford Queen of Hearts location in the HILDA booth on Battery Street.  Lots of industrial goodness in there, let me tell you.

I know, I know.  It's not pretty, and I realize that many of you would simply pass this by not giving it another thought.  It's dirty, it's full of other stuff, it's easy to miss, & it doesn't seem to have a lot of potential going for it.  But that's why I'm here, people - to show you what it can be & to look beyond the ordinary to see the potential.  {Hang with me here...}

I see a great utilitarian piece that will make quite a statement once revived & made fit for today’s needs. 

First, let’s look at the pluses & minuses.  The pluses:  it has wheels {easily moveable}, it has a shelf & a removable basket {great transportable storage}, and the size is a good one for lots of spaces {not too big, not too small}.  Now the minuses:  it's going to take some elbow grease to make it pretty.  That’s its only minus.  From what I can see, the pluses far outweigh...  ;)  A good cleaning, a light sanding, a few coats of paint, and a new top will transform this piece from an outdated relic into something truly awesome & functional.

It’s not as bad as it looks, trust me!  And look what it has the potential to be: 

Perhaps a bar similar to this one from Hudson Goods {their price $695 + s&h}.  Can you see the similarity?  With a piece of wood cut at your local hardware store, or a scrap of natural stone from your local cabinetry shop, your bar can be easily obtained at a much more reasonable price than the $695 from Hudson Goods.  

Hudson Goods

Or, how about a laundry cart?  The removable basket takes your dirty laundry to the wash & your clean laundry to its designated spot.  And if you choose to add a top, it's a great place for folding & sorting.  Industrial laundry carts don't come along often, and this one is a perfect size.  The closest match I was able to find were these from Restoration Hardware.  Not nearly as interesting, nor as functional, RH's version comes at a price of $229 {plus s&h} for the comparable size.

Restoration Hardware

So what do you think of our ugly duckling now?  Can you see the potential I see?  This practical piece can be used & reused in so many ways.  And for the price, the cart is a great deal.  With just a little effort on your part, this relic can be transformed into the statement piece of any room.

I have to admit, I was ecstatic to find this cart at such an affordable price and found it very hard not to take it home with me.  But that wouldn't be at all fair, now would it...  Alas, I left it for one of you dear readers to have for your very own.  Dealer HILDA also has a larger version available, should you be interested, along with quite a few other interesting items of great potential.  Just know, if it’s still there the next time I’m in, I just may have to make it my own!

Thanks, Queen, for having me over.  I hope all of you enjoyed this, the first in the series of found items at the Queen, as much as I enjoyed researching it.  I’ll be back next month with another fabulously interesting item you won’t be able to live without.  Hope to see you then!

xo,

Sarah

This is a guest post from Sarah Krouse at {Home-ology) modern vintage.  As well as being a dealer in our Alpharetta location, Sarah blogs over at homeologymodernvintage.com.  If you enjoyed reading her post and would love to see more, we encourage you to stop by her blog.  There you'll see many of her vintage finds in their raw stage, get a story of where they came from, and see transformations of the pieces she revives & repurposes prior to their display at the Queen.

Pretty Pillows

Looking for just the right finishing touch to complete your new room decor?  Or do you want to give just a fresh touch to your tired sofa or bedding?  How about some new pillows?  You can give your room a nice updated or seasonal look with new throw pillows.  As you peruse each of the Queen of Hearts locations, you will find great pillows around every corner.  Here is just a small sampling of the pretty pillows found in the Alpharetta Queen of Hearts store.

Give a pillow a new home... and watch your room come alive.

A great blog we love!

We love this blog, Young House Love, for all those DIY projects. This post features one of our dealers, Julie Holloway, and her beautiful house. We even get a mention in the article and I am sure you will get a lot of great ideas!

Source: younghouselove.com via Denise on Pinterest

http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/07/house-crashing-breezy-bright/

Queen of Hearts Marietta

The Queen of Hearts Marietta location will be closing on July 15.  There are great sales going on store wide right now.  Head over this weekend and check it out.  Stay tuned for the new location that will be opening in the near future.

Stay cool this weekend,
The Queen

Great Garden Decor

Here are some inspiring photos of great garden decor.  These gardens all have used wonderful vintage and antique finds to add charm and personality.  Old chipped up wooden doors, even old iron bed headboards make great additions to these gardens.  The sculptures are made of vintage glass vases, bowls and plates and add a bit of bling to the garden.  The Queen has many of these wonderful treasures in each of our  three locations.  Come have a ball searching our aisles for some treasures to add to your garden.

Source: gardenjunk.org via Denise on Pinterest

Source: pinterestwomen.org via Denise on Pinterest

Source: hayseedhomemakin.com via Denise on Pinterest

Source: bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com.au via Denise on Pinterest

These last three treasures were found at the Queen of Hearts Alpharetta location.  Come by and check them out for yourself.
Happy Treasure Hunting!
The Queen

Great Gifts for Dads at The Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts has an abundance of great gift ideas for your dad.  Whether your dad is a fisherman, vintage book collector, military buff or poker player you will be able to find something unique for your father at The Queen.  Here is a small sampling of some of the treasures that can be found in anyone of our three locations in Alpharetta, Buford, or Marietta.

Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful dads out there,
The Queen

Delicious Zucchini Recipes

As promised here are the recipes for the zucchini loaf and bars that were served at the last Late Night at the Queen in Alpharetta.

Lemon-Zucchini Loaf with Lemon Glaze

LEMON-ZUCCHINI LOAF WITH LEMON GLAZE by NancyCreative

Makes one 9×5″ loaf

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.

In large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well, then add canola oil and sugar, and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed in mixture.

Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t overmix.

Pour batter into prepared 9×5″ loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (if your oven tends to run hot, check the loaf after 40 minutes). Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. While loaf is cooling, you can make the glaze…

LEMON GLAZE

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon glaze over cooled loaf. Let glaze set, then serve.

Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8 oz) pkg reduced fat cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey, and vanilla.  Don’t worry about clumps of the brown sugar, those will dissolve as it sits while you prepare the remaining ingredients.  Then fold in the carrot, zucchini, and walnuts
2. In another bowl combine add the flour, baking powder, ginger, and baking soda.  Whisk to blend together.
3. Add to flour mixture to the wet mixture. Stir just until combined. Spread batter into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
5. Once the cake is cooled prepare the frosting.   In a medium mixing bowl, beat the fosting ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.  Spread or pipe the frosting over the cooled bars.  Makes 36 bars.

Bon Appetit,

The Queen