Over the years, we’ve had many opportunities to enjoy afternoon tea at The Ballantyne Hotel. Located in the South Charlotte area, tea at the Ballantyne is something you should experience, whether you’re a local or just visiting the Queen City….

a Charlotte based lifestyle blog
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...
Over the years, we’ve had many opportunities to enjoy afternoon tea at The Ballantyne Hotel. Located in the South Charlotte area, tea at the Ballantyne is something you should experience, whether you’re a local or just visiting the Queen City….
If you’re looking for a debut novel that will keep your attention from beginning to end, See How They Fall by Rachel Paris is a novel worth checking out. For fans of both Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, the novel is…
The fact that I made it through four books this month was a feat in and of itself. The last two books I just zipped through, as I always seem to do with the Finlay Donovan series. They are just…
After an exhausting start to our weekend, working in healthcare is not for the faint of heart… I decided to go ahead and send out my first On the List since making the switch over to Substack for Flodesk. I’ve…
This is the first book I’ve read by author Elise Hooper, and I can safely say it will not be my last. Set in present-day San Francisco with flashbacks to pre-WWI to post-WWII, this book will have you intrigued from…
I’m officially one week into my second term of nursing school and up to my eyeballs in chemistry terms. I’m reading a novel by a New Zealand author whenever I have a spare moment, with more author Q&As coming your…
... and merci, beaucoup for joining me in this space as I share about beauty/skincare, food, style, and travel inspired by my love of art and all things French.
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