Photo Cheryl Gerber for New York Times
So far 15 of the Make It Right NOLA houses –1/10th of the planned number–are completed in New Orleans. According to the NYT these houses are becoming known as “The Brad Pitt Houses” and are a new tourist attraction there. I think they’re chi-ful but some are concerned that the architects invited to work on the project have not thought to incorporate references to familiar New Orleans themes. What do you think?
Just finished watching the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame show on HBO and was intrigued to see Annie Lennox wearing a t-shirt that said “HIV POSITIVE”. Turns out the singer has created a charity foundation to raise awareness of AIDS and does not have the virus herself. Check out her website. Donating to good causes is good feng shui.
BTW, if you saw the Rock & Roll show, what did you think? I thought it was brilliant how they took what could have been a boring show of old dinosaurs and brought in surprise artists to sing with other bands (like Ray Davie of the Kinks singing with Metallica!). Rock on!
I love the use of color in this pic (I can’t remember the original source for the photo…if you know it, please comment). Keeping most of the room white but painting the trim and window pane trim yellow (or blue, or green, or red, or orange, etc!) really gives the room a good vibe. Match your pillows and accessories to the trim for more fun and feng shui.
A glimpse of Martha Stewart's office courtesy Lisa Kerezi New York Magazine.
Today, flirting in the office is flirting with danger of a sexual harassment lawsuit. So when your politically correct feng shui consultant titles her post “Office Romance” you can rest assured that the topic will be business and bagua locations, not bimbos and boytoys. (BTW, New York Magazine gives a wonderful glimpse of offices of the rich and powerful if you click here).
The area of the bagua (feng shui location map) known as the “Love & Relationship” sector can be found in the upper right hand portion of your room as you face its interior. I’ll bet for most of you, “Love & Relationship” conjures up only one image: Mr or Ms Right. What does “Love & Relationship” have to do with business? Hmmmmm….not much if you are working totally in a vacuum without any human contact and selling a product to nobody but yourself. But if your workday involves interaction with colleagues, supervisors, vendors, customers, and suppliers, chances are that you are participating in several “Relationships” throughout your day.
For daily operations to go smoothly, you need to have good relationships with your teammates. How can feng shui promote good relationships? Locate your “Love & Relationship” area. What’s there? If you have a lonely little chair, and on-its-way-to-dead plant or any imagery connotating sad unhappy solo people then you best pay attention. Note to Gordon Gecko types: it’s best to keep your copy of the classic business strategy book The Art of War by Sun-Tzu in another location (ie: a drawer on the right hand side of your desk is appropriate).
What DOES belong in your office’s “Love & Relationship” area:
*Colors in the family of Red, Pink/Peach, or White. (Application: if your “Love & Relationship” area has a window, perhaps this is the color of drapes you would use)
*Art symbolic of happy couples/pairings such as a tasteful photo of you and your spouse. (If you have pics of animals, then you would want a pair NOT Bambi alone!)
*Groupings of two chairs, not one.
*Fresh lovely flowers in colors mentioned or a healthy plant.
Make the changes and fall in love with your office or job all over again!
This article originally written for Working World
“Cupcake Car” from Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog…just in time to save the world from war, hunger, and poverty……
Rampant materialism is all around. It can only mean one thing:
’tis the commercialized holiday season where the loudest silver bell
ringing is the “ka-ching” of the merchant’s cash register. Lest
anyone think I am a Bah Humbug kind of gal, let me explain that
I am 100% behind the idea of giving. And apparently, so is my
little friend Colby whom I visited a couple of years ago over the Thanksgiving holiday in Downer’s Grove, Illinois.
There was a Christmas parade there culminating in
Colby’s first meeting with Santa Claus. The line to sit on Santa’s lap
was a long one and it was very chilly winter weather. Naturally,
Colby had her list of requests ready to whisper into jolly St. Nick’s
ear. What charmed me most was that Colby also had other people in mind. She asked me what I wanted from Santa and she promised to ask him for me. When I told her to ask Santa to bring me a handsome rich boyfriend for me, Colby giggled and said, “Are you sure?” since her own sights were set on receiving a Barbie Princess Playhouse and she couldn’t quite imagine a boyfriend being more fun than that!
On the way home, she asked her mother if we could make a present for Santa Claus,too. Not just the usual cookies and milk for Santa
and some carrots for the reindeer, either. Colby wanted to make
a very elaborate piece of art for him. Although this little girl
was excited about what she might be receiving from Santa this year, she was equally–or even more!– excited about giving to others. And it is when we give to others that we actually give back to ourselves. What goes around really does come around in unexpected ways.
I have found throughout the years that the one thing that people most appreciate getting as a gift is your time. Time is a luxury in our hectic world. The gift of time can manifest itself in various ways (here are a few ideas):
* Sending holiday greeting cards? Take the time to write
a little personal note in there. Even one sentence pertaining to
the unique relationship you have with the person you
are sending the card to will make such a difference.
This serves to strengthen your relationships both professional and personal.
*Take the time to make some phone calls. Reach out to people
you have not talked to in years. It need not be a long one–you can
even set your timer to match your budget. With cheap cell phone
plans and discount phone cards or Skype online phones readily available, it’s easier than ever to stay connected (do I sound like Catherine Zeta Jones for Cingular Wireless, or what?!). One of the feng shui methods for creating opportunities is called “The Water Method” and it involves making phone calls to just about every contact you
have ever had without expectation of anything in return. The idea
is to reconnect. That simple act can bring abundance into your
life in unexpected ways.
* Make time to play with a child–your own or someone else’s
if you don’t have any. Children’s energy and joy is contagious
and a real mood booster if you’re feeling stressed this season.
You might even consider bringing your child to visit an elderly
family member at a nursing home and brighten someone
else’s day by visiting some of the other residents. By the way,
many hospitals, hospices, and senior homes have programs
by which people can bring their pets (usually dogs or cats)
in to visit with patients. Check with your local facility to see if
this might be a way for you to give your time.
* Volunteering your time to serve food to the less fortunate
is one sure way to get out of your own head if you have holiday
depression. Check with the Salvation Army, your church or temple,
or your community action center to find out where the volunteer
soup kitchen is in your town. Giving this gift of yourself is sure
to make you feel great.
*Make your own “gift certificates” of your time. For example, you
can give someone you love a night off with their spouse by handing
them a gift certificate that says you will baby-sit their kids for an entire evening. Another good one is to think of some senior citizen you know who is in the predicament of not being able to drive anymore– the gift certificate you give to her might be to offer to drive her to the mall or grocery store. Get creative!
As we wind down the old year and ring in the new one, this is the perfect time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going. Don’t forget to take some time for yourself to clean up and clear out any unfinished business so you can go into the new year with a clean slate. Set aside some time to take care of yourself and to set some intentions for what you would like to manifest in your life next year. By the way, Santa did bring me that boyfriend— good work, Colby!
I must confess: last week I went to IKEA. It was a big deal this year when they opened in Charlotte, NC and I hadn’t been to one in about 5 years so my curiosity got the better of me. I was impressed that you can now get an entire euro style kitchen (including appliances) and even have them install it for you for a fraction of what it would cost elsewhere. Their drawers have gliders and auto close features…there are many styles to choose from. And they seem to be better quality than the past. In any case, I was able to find a dry erase two sided easel to help with my roadside signage next summer in Maine at the gallery and the farmers market for cheaper than I could make it myself.
For those anti-IKEA people, I refer you to TINI store in Los Angeles.The acronym stands for “This is Not IKEA”. They have marvelous visuals on their website and an eclectic mix of furniture and accessories.
Photograph courtesy of TINI Los Angeles.
Bethlehem, PA used to be the hub of America’s steel industry. By the 1980’s, the industry had moved offshore leaving thousands of people without work and numerous mega-sized industrial buildings empty.
A once thriving city turned into a ghost town….NOT good feng shui for anyone living there. But Bethlehem has come back, bigtime. The Sands casino & hotel has come in from Vegas and has rehabbed some of the old empty buildings, creating jobs for local workers and turning the old mills into a must see destination spot. When the project is completed, there will be retail, condos, lofts, theatres, and entertainment complex. Taking abandoned buildings and converting them into exciting public venues is great for the environment (repurposing instead of tearing down) and is also a way to revitalize the chi energy downtown in cities nationwide.
I find old historic structures to be so beautiful, don’t you? These in Bethlehem are massively huge. BTW, the Sands casino is state-of-the-art with computer animated dealers at the black jack tables and all kinds of cool. I’m not a gambler, but I love checking out new building projects!
From Dr. Judith Rich this is an article that I couldn’t have said this better myself: Read & Enjoy! BTW, “the one” = YOU!!!
