The Blog
The Best Places in Atlanta to See Fireworks on July 4th
I remember as a child going to see the July 4th fireworks with our blankets and eating hot dogs and salt water taffy. I’m from New England, Connecticut to be exact, and I always associate salt water taffy with July 4th. I don’t think I’ve ever missed a fireworks celebration. There’s something about the colors and lights that’s just mesmerizing.
There’s always something to do in Atlanta on July 4th and I’ve compiled a list of a few things in the metropolitan area. If you don’t feel like barbecuing and want to get out of your backyard, here’s what you can do.
How to Make a Music Space in Your Home – In Honor of Black Music Month
Let’s talk about music — the universal language, the soul of a house party, and the reason your auntie still has a two-step ready at all times. June is Black Music Month, a time to celebrate the profound impact of Black artists, genres, and rhythms that have shaped the soundtrack of our lives. From gospel to jazz, soul to hip-hop, R&B to reggae, Black music has always been about joy, resistance, expression, and connection.
25 Things That Are Giving Me Life in the Outdoors Right Now
If you’ve been here for a while, you know that when I say something is “giving me life,” I don’t mean it’s just nice. I mean it’s making my eyeballs dance, my designer heart race, and my inner HGTV host scream “YASSS.” These are the things that would transform my outdoor space from “meh” to “magazine-worthy.” And if you’re not obsessing over your outdoor areas as much as your interiors, sweetie… you’re missing half the fun.
Ain’t Too Proud to Dumpster Dive – The Great Chair Makeover
You know that saying, “One man’s trash is another woman’s throne”? Well, it should be—because that’s exactly what I found curbside one fine morning: a sad, rickety chair, dumped among the rejects of furniture past. Most people saw junk. I saw potential (and a spray paint opportunity too good to pass up).
The Ferris Street Project and Why Home Staging is Important
What Is Home Staging and Why It Works (a.k.a. Why Your Aunt Karen’s Doilies Need to Go). Let’s start with the basics: Home staging is the art (yes, art) of preparing your home to appeal to the widest pool of potential buyers. Think of it like dressing your house up for its big debut. You wouldn’t show up to a job interview in your pajama pants, right? (Well, not unless you really didn’t want the job.) Same goes for your home.
The Best Antique Fairs and Markets in the U.S. – Part 2
Here is the promised Part 2 of the best Antique Fairs and Markets in the U.S. and here is the Part 1 if you missed it. I love a good antique, thrift, vintage or flea market and by any other name it’s still a treasure trove of goodies for all.The history behind everything is what gets me. It reminds me of being a child and following my parents around to thrift on the weekends. I also love a good yard sale too and have thrown many yard sales myself.
The Best Antique Fairs and Markets in the U.S. – Part 1
If you’re like me and you love thrifting and vintage shopping, raise your hand? I have two hands up because I love it that much. There’s something about seeing a piece of furniture, a collectible, or what might be considered “junk” from another era. It makes my heart go pitter-patter. Since Spring has sprung, with the weather warming up, it’s time to head out to some of the outdoor/indoor markets around the country. Seriously, several of these have been on my bucket list for the longest and some I hadn’t even heard of but I now want to go.
The Best 27 Mother’s Day Gifts
Let’s talk about Mother’s Day, shall we? That one glorious Sunday when the women who raised us, fed us, wiped our tears, signed our permission slips, and somehow didn’t leave us at a rest stop even once (honestly, a miracle) get the recognition they actually deserve. And by “recognition,” I do not mean a last-minute card from the grocery store and some panic flowers that are already half-wilted.
44 Things That Are Giving Me Life Right Now – Pastels and Pops of Color
If you’re new here (welcome, darling), this is part of my monthly Things That Give Me Life series—a love letter to the aesthetic obsessions currently keeping me afloat in this chaotic world. Think of it as a highlight reel of what’s breathing new energy into my design brain, making me gasp dramatically like I’ve just seen a perfectly styled bar cart.
Pinterest Trend 2025 – Primary Play (Pops of Color) Part 2
Welcome back to Part 2 of our colorful descent into madness—or as Pinterest politely calls it, Primary Play. In Pops of Color Part 1, we dipped our toes into the trend by giving your home a bold, unapologetic facelift via exterior color, painted doors, stairways, surprise color inside and furniture that no longer whispers but sings in full-on Crayola chorus.
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Leslie Karen is a blog dedicated to women who are forever curious, passionate and don’t believe in limits. I love DIY’ing and trying to figure out how to do things, traveling, designing interiors, finding good restaurants, fashion and reading. Basically just about anything creative and artistic.
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