Style Finds
Bonjour, mon ami!
It’s Lovely to Meet You
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…
A Garden Haven in Eastover
On the most recent Winghaven Gardeners Tour, we were invited into the gardens of four Charlotte-area homes. Both the Eastover and Myers Park areas, which continue to be my favorite features, have homes with hidden and sometimes…
Such Good People with Author Amy Blumenfeld
If you want to read a book that will tug at your heartstrings while simultaneously igniting your passion for justice, Such Good People, which releases today, is a book you need to add to your summer reading…
Everything I Read This Month | June 2025
Despite the fact that I’m nearing the end of my second term (of my first year of nursing school) I had quite a few opportunities to stay up late and get some reading in after I’d finished my studies for the day. Keeping to my reading commitments as best I can has been a priority, and after all, sometimes you just need a break!
This month I stuck mostly to my favorite genres (crime/murder mystery), and there are so many amazing books that have been released recently, including the first book, Such Good People, that releases on July 8th. Stay tuned for the Q&A with author Amy Blumenfeld that will be going live on the official publication date. Such Good People, along with Welcome to Murder Week, were my favorite books of the month, so keep scrolling to read my reviews and get my official ratings.
On the List
It’s been a busy week around here, but I’m so excited to have a chance to put together some of my favorite finds, recipes, and articles that I’ve come across this week. The weather has been absolutely sweltering here in the Carolina’s so I’m definitely going to spend this weekend indoors studying, catching up on The Buccaneers, and getting some ‘just for fun’ reading in wherever I can. I like to think that during June, I found a balance between working, school, and finding time for more reading than I did in May. There were so many good books that I had the chance to read, and I look forward to sharing about everything I’ve read this month in a post coming next week to the blog and my Substack.
The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club with Author Gloria Chao
Fans of the Finlay Donovan series are going to want to check out The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club, the first of the ‘Hu Done It Mysteries’. Centering around Kathryn Hu, this hu-done-it, it’s a book you’ll want to…
“Owning your story is the bravest thing you’ll ever do.” – Brené Brown
