it feels like Christmas ...

I have always admired those Christmas trees that are designed each year in the colours and trends of the season.  I have friends and family whose trees are gorgeously decorated, uniform, symetrical and I absolutely love the way they become a piece of art in the room.  While I so enjoy those trees, ours is decorated “eclectically” with pieces of our history together as a family.  Many of our decorations have been handmade by our children or are gifts that we have received from special friends and family.  Every time I open the box of decorations we smile, reminisce and remember those people who have been a huge part of our lives when we pick up those gifted ornaments.  I love our tree - I always have and I always will.  It is not a designer tree, nor is it a trendy tree, but it is a tree of our lives together and each year we add more memories to it.  To me, it is the collection of those memories that makes it feel like Christmas.  What one thing stands out as special for you?

the path

I read somewhere that in order to find what it is that you are meant to do, you need to think back to your childhood and determine which experiences stood out in your mind as the best.  In addition to baking with my grandmother, I remember wall-papering and re-wallpapering every room in our house with my mom.  I’m sure I complained about that at some point (and no … I’m not telling you I should have gotten into the wallpapering business) but what I remember most is the joy I felt after it was all completed.  I remember being amazed at how we could completely transform the feel of a room just by adding a bit of paint and paper.  I loved sitting in my room for hours after it was just finished and my dark purple walls with 1970’s funky wallpaper seemed to open me up to a thousand new possibilities.  I believe that feng shui and interior design is what I have always been meant to do.  What are you meant to do?

mirror, mirror, on which wall

Mirrors have been called the “aspirin” of feng shui, as they can be used in various ways to solve many different energy problems within your environment.  Although there are several types of mirrors used in feng shui, today I’m writing about the everyday flat functional mirrors that we all have in our homes.  Here are a few basic tips for placement of these mirrors: 

1) always consider what you are reflecting - these mirrors double the energy of what they reflect;
2) ensure that anyone using the mirror can see at least six inches above their heads; 
3) try to leave mirrors out of the bedroom if at all possible or cover them at night for a more restful sleep; 
4) no matter where you place them, always keep them sparkling clean. 

Of course, this is just the beginning when it comes to mirror placement in feng shui, but this will get you started.  The next time you pass a mirror in your home, look to see what else it is reflecting.  Is it something you love or is it your garbage can?

begin the day

On our tenth anniversary, my husband surprised me with a trip to Mexico.  I love authentic Mexican cooking (I'm all about the food) and so Mexico was somewhere that I had always wanted to visit.  When we travel, we always try to bring a bit of the culture home with us.  On this trip, we brought home some Mexican vanilla, colourful handmade pottery and a picture of a palm tree that we absolutely love.  A few years later when I had decided to redesign our master suite, I used that picture as the inspiration.  Since I believe that everyone should wake up to something beautiful, I purchased a live palm tree for our room, similar to the one in the picture and it's the first thing I see when I open my eyes.  Not only does it look great, it works wonderfully with our picture and it reminds me of that trip.  In addition though, it is a lovely way to begin my day and it tells my subconscious mind exactly what I want it to … pure blissful happiness.  Tomorrow morning, pay attention to what it is that you first see when you open your eyes.  Is it laundry ... or a palm tree?

the front door

In feng shui, your front door represents the way that you interact with the world.  In addition, it is what draws attention (and energy) to your home.  Take a step back from your home and objectively look at your front door.  Do you notice it from the street or do you pass by without interest?  Is it exciting, vibrant and “full of energy"?  Is it a calm and relaxing contrast to your dynamic home?  What else do you notice now that you are once again looking as if for the first time?  Do you notice the garden hose before you notice the door, for example?  Are there items that you wish to move?  If you wish to make changes in your life, begin with your door.  If you would like help, call a feng shui consultant!

three forms

I spoke recently at a meeting where I was asked to provide some background on feng shui.  Many were surprised to learn that there are actually three main schools of feng shui.  Since they are so different, readers can easily become confused by the seemingly contradictory information.  For a bit more clarity, here are the schools of thought:

* the Form School – the most ancient of the schools which focuses on the shape of our surroundings and animal symbolism;

*  the Compass School – this style uses compass direction and complex calculations related to time of birth and astrological readings;

* BTB (Black Hat Buddist Feng Shui) – this form mixes some Chinese traditions with many other cultures, Western Psychology, customs, symbols, elements and focuses on the power of intention. 

The best advice that I have ever received was to research the various styles and choose the one that resonated with me.  After much reading, I chose to practice the contemporary BTB Feng Shui.  BTB utilizes the knowledge that each area of your environment, whether that be your home, your land, your business or your work cubicle, represents 9 different areas of your life.  Areas that are balanced, have good energy flow and are designed well can result in things going well in that particular area of your life;  if you wish to enhance an area of your life or make changes in your circumstances, you can look to make adjustments to the corresponding area of your environment.  I like BTB’s eclectic and contemporary approach but you may choose differently.  Most importantly though, all forms are equally effective and a wonderful way to create your space and design your life.

yin yang

All parts of our environment can be classified as yin or yang and it is one more aspect that a feng shui consultant will consider when walking through your home or office.  The dark part of this symbol represents “yin” and the light part “yang”;  it aptly displays that we require both extremes in order to achieve balance and harmony.  Yin is dark, cozy, instrospective, slow and calm;  yang is light and bright, exciting and vibrant and we can assess not only our environment, but ourselves in this manner.  What is most fun (to me anyway) is that once we are aware of our own energy pattern (more yin or more yang), we can adjust our environment accordingly so that we can bring about more balance within ourselves.  If you happen to be very energetic, enthusiastic, outgoing and may have a hard time relaxing (yang), having a more yin environment will assist you in your ability to relax - darker subdued colours, candlelight, soft music etc.  If you are sensitive, quiet, introspective, maybe even depressed (yin), a more yang space will assist you in achieving balance (much like someone bringing you brightly coloured flowers will "cheer you up").  In order to achieve a more yang space, introduce objects of brighter colours, open up the curtains to bring in more light, add some mirrors, etc.

Are you more yin or yang?  Is your space assisting you to achieve balance? 

celebrate the day

I was recently invited to a dinner party hosted by a very special friend of mine.  She served wine, champagne and the most amazing meal offered course-by-course and served by her.  We had beautiful silky napkins, china dinnerware, classical music and candlelight.  We ate slowly and enjoyed the conversation.  I admit that while I was there, I thought to myself that I need to seriously step up my game when it comes to dinner parties, but since then I’ve been thinking about the every-day meals that I serve.  Like most young families, we rush around heading from work and school to sports and homework, the tv is on and we’re trying to cram down some food that I’ve quickly prepared before we’re off to the next event.  I have decided to challenge myself to celebrate the day whenever possible.  I am going to use those beautiful dishes even on a weeknight (not that the current saucepan on the centre of the table isn’t a fabulous showpiece), turn off the tv, slow down and enjoy the conversation with those that I love.  I’m worth it and so is my family.

animals in the home

Recently I was asked if having a cat in your home was “good” or “bad” feng shui.  As a general rule, animals bring positive energy into homes.  Before purchasing a pet though, consider how that particular animal makes you feel.  If, for example, you purchase fish to increase the energy in your home (fish also symbolize good fortune, wealth and prosperity) but loathe cleaning the tank, you will enter that room with a feeling of irritation and frustration - not at all what you want.  Choose a pet that lifts you up and brings you joy and that is good feng shui.

one unique item

A few months ago I was completing a feng shui consultation for a really interesting couple.  Their home was filled with wonderful items, each carefully chosen, and they had a very distinct style of designing their home.  Near the end of the consultation, I walked into another room to find an odd object, suspended by a string which was very different than the rest of their home and I had to ask, “What IS that?!”  Both clients laughed and said that they had received this object as a gift (it turned out to be a clay mosquito) and were told that every home should have one “unique” item in it, but they had no idea where to put it.  My recommendation for this couple was to place it in the creativity area of their home which would be a reminder to have fun, be creative and step outside their comfort zone every once in a while.

Since that day, I have often thought about that mosquito and have seen a number of interior designers recently endorsing this same philosophy (designer Jeffrey Alan Marks placed a canoe on a ceiling in one home) and I realized that I too, have a “unique” item in my home.  I received a gift from my aunt, a piece of pottery that neither she, nor I, nor any of our guests have been able to figure out what it is and I love it.  Every time I use it – it’s multi-purpose if you have no clue what it is, after all – I am challenged once again to figure out what it is really meant for.  If nothing else, it’s a definite conversation piece!  What is unique about your home?

Note:  permission was granted from my clients to share their mosquito story with you.

Energy

Animals have the innate ability to sense energy.  They can sense storms approaching and seek safety well in advance of the first visible sign of the weather change.  Over time, humans have become less in tune to that gift, but we still do possess it.  We can enter into a home and immediately feel comfortable, inspired, relaxed or otherwise.  Feng shui is the study of that energy and consultants focus on using the knowledge and predictable patterns of energy to create harmony and balance in your space. 

Ideally, you want the energy in your home to move slowly through every room, hallway and corner, much like a meandering stream… not a rushing river, nor a stagnant pond.  Using that same analogy then, having clutter in your space has similar effects as a beaver dam to a river.  It’s presence stagnates energy in your space;  it results in limiting your possibilities for new and wonderful opportunities and it is the first thing a feng shui consultant will consider during a consultation.   Now, is my home completely clutter free all the time?  Of course not - but, when I begin to feel overwhelmed and things are not going as I want them to, I take another objective look at my space and start to declutter and reorganize, even if it's just one kitchen drawer or a hall closet.  Author Karen Kingston wrote:  “Being clear of clutter is one of the greatest aids I know to manifesting the life you want, and it is absolutely essential if you truly want to know joy and happiness in your life.  When you experience joy, it is a feeling of great energy flowing through your body and this cannot happen if your channels are clogged.” 

One more thing:  one of the residual effects of keeping clutter is a feeling of being completely overwhelmed.  Begin clutter clearing as I do, with one drawer or one closet, and move on from there.  If you are still struggling with this task, consider hiring a professional organizer!  The benefits will be well worth the money spent.  If you live in the Lakeland Area of Alberta, contact professional organizer, Kathleen Boland http://www.kathleenboland.com/ or check out her blog An Organized Life which is on my blogroll.  You will be amazed with the long-lasting results!

making room

I am continually telling friends, family and strangers that they need to follow their dreams and “do what they love”.  For me, doing what I love means designing homes, my own and yours, using feng shui principles.  In addition though, I love to cook.  My grandmother and I used to bake together when I was young and she gave me my first cookbook when I was in school.  The recipes were easy, they were fabulous and seemed to be endless options to choose from within the same book.  Twenty plus years later, I had collected almost two hundred cookbooks by that same author.  I purchased a beautiful bookshelf and displayed them all, in the creativity area of my home.  I was so proud of my collection and I am to this day, but I started noticing that these were not the books that I was going to, for recipes anymore.  I found that I wanted to expand my cooking repertoire and challenge myself beyond those easy, fabulous recipes contained in my collection.  I wanted to try eating “clean” (see Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean books if you’re interested, at http://www.eatcleandiet.com/) and I wanted to challenge myself to reproduce authentic meals from various different cultures and expose my children to the same.  So, I decided to create that in my life.

I went back to my beautiful bookshelf and removed my collection, leaving behind a few favourites, including the first one I received.  I have stopped collecting those same books now, though I admit I still find it difficult to pass by a new one without purchasing it.  I still love cookbooks and I read them as if they were novels (I’m much more like my grandmother than I ever had realized).  I have begun choosing books that challenge me and allow me to think outside the box and I am once again finding endless options that are exciting to me, just as I did years ago.  The moral of this story about my cookbook obsession is this:  by holding onto the past, we often have difficulty moving to the place where we want to be.  Think about what it is that you keep and why.  If it still serves you, keep it and cherish it.  Put it in a place of honour and leave it there.  If ever there comes a day where it no longer represents where you want to be, find a new and wonderful home for it and make room in your life for something new.

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”  “What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh.  “What do you say, Piglet?”  “I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet.  Pooh nodded thoughtfully,  “It’s the same thing,” he said. 

A.A. Milne

surround yourself with items you love

Most of us believe that our surroundings should make us feel good.  So why is it that we continue to hold onto items that make us feel otherwise?  I challenge you to walk through your home as though you were seeing it for the first time.  Look objectively at each room and determine if everything in your space lifts you up or drags you down.  Consider the paint colours, the picture frames, the items on your countertop and ask yourself these questions:  Do you love it?  Do you use it?  Does it represent something you wish to have in your life, right now? 

that's feng shui

Recently I was visited by someone whom had never been to my home before;  she knew very little about me, only that I was a feng shui consultant.  Within a short time, she admitted that she was very surprised to see that the décor of my home was not “feng shui”.  In her experience, a home designed by a feng shui consultant would have Buddhas, waiving red cats, Chinese symbols and three legged toads … everywhere.  While we can certainly see those items becoming popular in the design world, if they do not represent your personal style, you do not need to use them. 

In actuality, our home is carefully designed so that my family and I have a comfortable space that can assist us in reaching our goals.  It is reflective of our own personal style and I have used my knowledge of feng shui in order to pull it all together.  I do admit that I have a gong in my dining room that I absolutely love, but every corner is not filled with I-Ching coins, bamboo flutes and firecrackers.  When you enter it, it feels welcoming and comfortable and to me, that’s feng shui. 

do what you love

I wish I could tell you a wonderful story about how I first became interested in feng shui.  The truth is, I’ve been interested in the topic for at least twenty years and I have no idea what first piqued my interest.  In the beginning, I started picking up books and articles on feng shui and slowly began to build my knowledge on the topic.  My friends, family and colleagues started asking me random questions, requesting paint colour recommendations for their homes and advice for redecorating.  Eventually, I was asked how much I would charge to present my knowledge to a group of friends at a fun evening.  What?!?!?  I was so surprised (yet secretly thrilled) that someone would even consider paying me for what I thought was just a fun way to spend my time and decorate my own home.  I immediately told my husband who looked at me with a puzzled look on his face and said, “Well … why aren’t you charging for it?”

I decided that maybe he was right, but I was not willing to charge people for consultations without formal training.  I researched a number of schools and eventually enrolled in a certification course with Leigh and Paul Kubin through the Feng Shui Training Centre in Texas.  Despite all of the knowledge that I already had, I was amazed at how much more there was to learn and I realized that despite the hundreds and hundreds of hours that I was spending on this course in my spare time, I was energized and excited by what I was learning.  This seemingly simple revelation, begs the question, “Why doesn’t everyone do what they love?”