Happy Saturday! I know it’s been a little while since I share an On the List with you all. Life has been more than a little hectic lately, but I hope to start getting back into the swing of things. I…

a Charlotte based lifestyle blog
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I first started The Avid Pen, a Charlotte based art and lifestyle blog, as a place to celebrate the artistic world. As someone who has always had a love of color, I enjoy seeing the art in everything from beauty and skincare to fashion, food or in the places I travel to. I longed to tell a story both through words and through photographs. I’ve always enjoyed making every moment special, even the most ordinary of moments, and believe that there is beauty in the everyday. Learn More...
Happy Saturday! I know it’s been a little while since I share an On the List with you all. Life has been more than a little hectic lately, but I hope to start getting back into the swing of things. I…
Food ·
Planning a girl’s night in doesn’t have to be difficult, especially when you know exactly what you want to serve your guests. Keeping things simple with fine ingredients and various flavors that will tantalize the taste buds is always a…
“Devon’s debut, Bend Toward the Sun, is a gorgeous love story full of lyrical writing and raw emotion. I fell in love with these two broken characters who begin to heal one another. Definitely, an author to watch!” – Jennifer…
Style ·
The summertime is the season of stripes for me, and in my opinion, there’s no such thing as too many striped dresses or too much navy. One thing I’ve been doing lately is styling some of last year’s outfits in…
Elisabeth Hays is one of the newest artists to arrive at the Shain Gallery in Charlotte’s Myers Park neighborhood. Her beautiful mixed media butterflies with their golden antennas and brilliant colors immediately catch your eye. Every butterfly exudes the personality…
I dream of the day when we’ll have enough lilacs to create a lilac ‘hat’ for my Grecian lady bust/vase. She makes the most beautiful statement piece in any setup, and would look gorgeous on a mantel along with her…
Join Christa's mailing list for new post notifications, weekend notes, giveaways and more!
I’m Christa. I created The Avid Pen in 2015 as a place to share about beauty/skincare, food, style, and travel inspired by my love of art and all things French. Thank you for joining me!
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