Monthly Archives: September 2009

MERLOTTE’S GETS THE FENG SHUI BY FISHGIRL TREATMENT

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Feng Shui By Fishgirl is a fan of the hit HBO series “True Blood“. It’s killing me (no pun intended) that I have to wait for months and months to see another episode. But maybe the show was a little too rich for my blood (pun intended this time).

The locals of Bon Temps spend half their time at Merlotte’s so I thought it would be fun to analyze the feng shui of this watering hole. Here’s what I will tell Sam when I see him and he better have an ice cold Abita brew and a red envelope ready for me after my consultation.

1) The residual negative vibes Qi (energy) from Maryanne’s brawling revelers needs to be cleared out: get a smudger and do a space clearing at least once a week and definitely after the bigger parties. Reclaim your space, Sam Merlotte!

2) Your office is in the Love & Relationship area of the bagua yet your love life is a mess: clear out the cases of beer and other clutter. Make sure your desk is in the Command position. Add touches of red–but not blood red, okay?

3) The kitchen appears to be located in the Wealth and Fame areas of your bar from what I can tell. And you are getting kind of a reputation but not really for the food. Better work on that etouffe’ recipe and get a goldfish tank for the Mouth of Chi.

4) Balancing the elements is crucial to good feng shui. Too much wood, Sam. Too much wood. Add some metal, earth, fire and water to the mix and add a “Swamp-tini” to your drink menu. The martini is just for fun not for feng shui.

5) Blockages of any kind are bad feng shui. Put in a dog door already, Sam. Duh!

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Filed under Celebrities, Creativity & Future Projects, Fun

HOME OFFICE:Create a Work Space at Home

Working at home has its perks (I’m not just talking java brewed the way you like it, anytime you want it). When you work at home, the only jam you have to face is the one you put on your toast and not the one you find on the road. A big meeting is attended in your favorite sweats sitting at a conference call instead of a conference table. And your big lunch meeting for the day can be walking your dog while wearing those very same sweats!

Whether your job consists of spending all — or only part — of your time working from home, it’s beneficial to your business to make your home office environment as feng shui friendly as possible.Your home is supposed to be your retreat and respite from the fast paced working world. So, if your work area shares space with your home sanctuary, it is crucial to separate the two in order to relax when your work day is done.

This home office is tucked into a kitchen nook. The plants are good feng shui, but it also needs a mirror since the worker's back is to the room.

This home office is tucked into a kitchen nook. The plants are good feng shui, but it also needs a mirror since the worker's back is to the room.

Not all of us have the luxury of being able to devote an entire room for our home office. But if you do, you’re able to simply close the door once your work day is done. However, even if you can only give a small corner of a dining room to it, keeping the work space well organized will help you make the transition from high powered business person to tranquil dinner party hostess much easier. You may want to consider investing in a self contained office set up…converting a small closet for example, or purchasing a media desk that is disguised as an armoire when not in use.

Be sure not to skimp on your equipment. Allow yourself a comfortable chair and maybe a headset phone. Consider situating your home office within the Wealth and Abundance area of a particular room or of your entire home whenever possible. Locate the Wealth power position by standing in the entry door (mouth of chi) facing toward the interior of your space. It’s in the upper left-hand corner. Got it? Get busy!

If you’ve got a great pic of a space you transformed into a home office, send it to Feng Shui By Fishgirl and we’ll post it here.

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Filed under Feng Shui, Feng Shui Office, Getting Organized, Wealth & Finances

HEADBOARDS THAT ARE NOT HARD

Photo from apartmenttherapy.com.

Photo from apartmenttherapy.com.

Here’s an example of what to do if you don’t have a headboard for your bed frame. Bring fabric all the way up behind to the ceiling. You don’t have to be as formal and tailored as this one in the photo. You could drape it over a bar at the top. Or, you could bring it over the bed from the ceiling like a canopy. This is much better feng shui than simply having your bed pushed up against the wall without anything but blank wall over it. It’s also soft, so you don’t have to worry about it falling on you. See more of this house at Apartment Therapy, an excellent design resource online.

Here’s another example of using fabric to create the anchoring effect of a headboard. If you have a canopy frame bed like this one below, bring fabric around only the upper end and sides for a good feng shui solution. the matching sideboards and lamps are also good feng shui.

Pic of Katie & Eddie's/apartmenttherapy.com

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Filed under Design, Feng Shui Home

SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM

Macaroni & Cheese Loaf

Macaroni & Cheese Loaf


Yucky or Yummy? I just couldn’t believe that a bologna like substance could be infused with mac and cheese so I had to post this. Only in America…I’m not even sure this can be classified as food. And Feng Shui By Fishgirl is certain it isn’t helpful to your feng shui at all. 🙂

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Filed under Fun, Health & Fitness, Polls, Uncategorized

TEA HOUSE WITH A TWIST

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A friend sent me this photo. Not sure where he got it. These are apparently private tea houses built in the sky somewhere in China.
I’d love to see the inside, wouldn’t you? If anyone knows where these are located (and where the photo is from), please share.

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Filed under Architecture, Design, Fun

WILL FERRELL VIDEO THUMBS UP!

Check out the new Will Ferrell video about “the real victims of insurance reform” if you haven’t seen it already.

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Filed under Celebrities, Fun, Health & Fitness, politics

PAPER CHASE

With all the thank you notes I send out (part of good feng shui practice), I am constantly on the lookout for uniquely wonderful stationary and notecards.

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Filed under Creativity & Future Projects, Design, Feng Shui, Fun

FINDING GREEN LOVE

The Honeymooners   (c) Katy Allgeyer

The Honeymooners (c) Katy Allgeyer

Are you tired of dating people who haven’t a clue what tofu is? Does the idea of dating someone who doesn’t recycle make you cringe? Having important social issues in common can be like finding a needle in a haystack. EcoDater is an eco-friendly online green dating and social networking community for single men and women who engage in a natural, holistic lifestyle. Their tagline is “love, naturally”.

Members include environmentalists, vegans and vegetarians, organic farmers, outdoor enthusiasts, eco travelers, holistic doctors, herbalists and many other practitioners of green living. The EcoDater website is so niche specific, it takes all the guesswork out of where to go to meet like-minded individuals.

I spoke with Ryel Kestano, EcoDater’s founder and owner. She told me, ”EcoDater is a niche dating and networking site aimed specifically at people who identify themselves as eco-friendly. It is a much smaller community than that of Match.com or eHarmony but all EcoDater members already have something important in common – a principled desire to live closer to nature. This shared philosophy makes it a lot easier for our members to contact each other in confidence, since finding an eco-friendly partner is among the most important goals of our members. EcoDater offers two levels of membership – a basic free membership and an enhanced premium membership. A portion of all revenues is donated to green charitable organizations.”

The acclaimed EcoDater blog is updated regularly by EcoDater editors and offers readers a comprehensive array of interesting and relevant posts. You can go read the article Feng Shui By Fishgirl contributed about Using Feng Shui To Create Sustainable Love. In that article, I talk about how to enhance your bedroom as well as what outdoor green activities will create memories and sustainable bonds for love to grow, naturally. Do check out EcoDater–it’s not like the one-size-fits-all services you may have already tried.

Do you have any online dating success stories to share? Please comment!

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Filed under Feng Shui, Fun, Love & Relationship

SUGAR COATED KITCHENS

These yummy photos of pastel kitchens off of the Beautiful Things To Share blog today really caught my attention. The pink appliances might be a bit too much (even for me) but the accessories and painted pastel walls work very well. It’s a bit tricky to use color with confidence and that’s probably why most people stick with tried and true whites and neutrals. But color can really enhance feng shui when applied properly. Don’t be afraid to go for it!

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Filed under Creativity & Future Projects, Design, Feng Shui, Feng Shui Home, Fun, Interior Design

RAINBOW DOG: Hot or Not?

Photo: Time Magazine

Photo: Time Magazine

Hmmmm….methinks dying your dog’s fur like this is NOT auspicious feng shui. What do you think? Dogs may be smarter than we even realize. Check out Time’s article The Secrets Inside Your Dog’s Mind. Somehow, I doubt that our dogs want to secretly look like a clown, a rainbow, or Adam Ant.

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Filed under Creativity & Future Projects, Fashion, Fun