Monthly Archives: January 2010

January 22, 2010 · 1:36 am

PING PONG IS HOT…But is it good feng shui?

Table tennis a.k.a. ping-pong is to this decade what yoga was to the last. Feng Shui By Fishgirl predicts the popularity of ping-pong will soar now that celebrities such as Susan Sarandon are actively promoting the game by investing in private ping-pong club “Spin”. I’m hooked. And I play every day. Sometimes twice a day. I think it IS good feng shui because exercise is healthy and that’s good for your chi. The flying ping-pong balls definitely stir up the chi, too. And you can watch models are playing ping-pong to benefit the Haiti earthquake survivors. How cool is that?

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January 22, 2010 · 12:01 am

THICK AS A BRICK

Photo from Apartment Therapy

I’m loving this brick wall bedroom that I found on Apartment Therapy. Not only is it eye candy, it’s really got good feng shui going on. How so? Note the arc of brick over the bed head. This acts as a continuation of the headboard feel and really adds a nice touch to anchor the bed in what otherwise might be too-high-to-be-cozy ceilings. It’s a stroke of luck that the brick wall just happened to have this arch in it (probably from a covered in arched window that is no longer there).

The matching equal sidetables with lamps gives feng shui balance (and improves Love & Relationship ch’i). The curve of the bench at foot of the bed echoes the arc over the bed, brings nice yin energy to the yang bricks and bed shape. The 5 elements are well represented here: earth(bricks), metal (bed), wood (tables and bench), water (crystal chandelier)…the only one missing is fire. But I’ll bet there’s a fireplace out of view somewhere in the room and that would solve it. If not, a red candle, pillow cushion, or a vase of fiery red roses would symbolize fire energy and also be a feng shui solution. It could be a problem to have a chandelier over the bed…but since it’s a crystal one, it feels like the energy would be diffused and that would counteract any feeling of having it pressing down on you while resting in bed.

I lived in a very old brick loft building with exposed brick walls for awhile in LA. The problem was the bricks crumbled and left brickdust around the edge of the walls. Even with the bricks painted white, it still didn’t stop the brickdust. For those with allergies, it could be a problem. Some type of sealant needs to be applied to raw bricks. But be careful to have good ventilation when you apply the sealant to avoid flashbacks…Thick As A Brick, anyone? Any ideas or comments are always appreciated.

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January 21, 2010 · 2:46 pm

ROBERTO CAVALLI’S LUXE LAIR

Have you ever seen a purple panne couch look more divine than designer Roberto Cavalli’s ? Well, maybe in Belle Watling’s house… I am enchanted by the birch paneling, the eclectic mix of hypermoderne with gilt framed medieval art. It’s luxe to the max and it works. The feng shui colors here indicate Wealth and a perfect mix of elements.


The house is built into a sandstone hillside, BTW. So earth, metal, wood, fire, and water are all represented in the elements used by the architect. See more of JJ Martin’s article at the NY Times(” Super Tuscan “).

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January 21, 2010 · 2:28 pm

DELICIOUS VALENTINES GIFT IDEA

My favorite M & M’s candy is offering personalized printing on their candy! OMG I am in chocolate heaven…I can get photos of my sweetie, my doggies, and any saying I want printed in any colors I choose. Now THAT’S sweet. And, it’s fantastic feng shui because you’re clearly stating your Love Intentions for Valentine’s Day 2010. BTW, you can do it for weddings, Mother’s Day, baby showers, birthdays…

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January 21, 2010 · 12:53 pm

PASSWORD FENG SHUI

The 32 most popular passwords. Is yours on here?

Listen up, people: it’s time to protect the feng shui of your computer. If you haven’t heard, hackers are creating havoc worldwide. This list represents the top 35 most popular passwords (see the NYT article here) and if you’re using one of these as your PW, it means you aren’t really protected. I’d love to know how many of my readers have fallen into the unsafe password trap. Please comment.

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Filed under Feng Shui, Feng Shui Home, Feng Shui Office, Getting Organized, Self Help

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January 20, 2010 · 8:51 pm

SHABBY CHIC LOVIN’

Pic from Hidden in France

This picture that I found at one of my favorite blogs Hidden in France today made me smile. If shabby chic is your style, you can easily recreate this look. Get a baggy slipcover for your sofa and cover some pillows with assorted floral and toile fabric patterns that you can find online. Scour the fleamarkets and junktique shops for old paintings of floral arrangements like they used here. I happen to have one –just one–that I found up in Petaluma years ago with a bff. This romantic country look works beautifully in the Love & Relationship area. The colors white, pink, red activate that area as do blooms of roses and peonies. Soft curvy furniture also works. And to keep it from being too sweet, you’ve got the metal contemporary floor lamp. I would also splurge on a better coffee table. What would you do?

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January 20, 2010 · 5:40 pm

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN

Photo courtesy LA Times (Bruce Howatt)

I’ve often dreamed of a bridge like the one in this pic
. Ropes across a wide span with the wind whipping it to and fro. The trick to crossing a bridge like that–in waking reality or in dream time–is to overcome your fear and just do it, one step at a time.

Pretty soon you’re on the other side, the bridge is behind you connecting you to your past footsteps. Feng shui is like that. While you take inventory of your space you can reminisce over each object you have inside your home and decide which stuff to keep and which no longer serves who you are today. If you don’t love it, shove it. Make room for some new stuff that reflects who you are now as well as who you want to be. Let your home space serve as a bridge by keeping some of your beloved collections yet always reserving some empty space for some things you will want to bring back from future travels.

For some of us, letting go of stuff is scary. We think we may need that thing someday. Or we’re secretly afraid that we’ll never be able to accumulate more stuff again. Even worse, we identify ourselves with stuff that has nothing really to do with who we are. George Carlin did a great riff on stuff.

Anyway, you don’t have to get rid of all your stuff. But I guarantee if you look at all your stuff, you will find some of it no longer fits you or your lifestyle. It could be causing blocks in your feng shui. It could be blocking you from crossing that bridge to see what is on the other side. Do you feel that way sometimes?

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January 18, 2010 · 7:54 pm

MONEY MATTERS

Long before Madonna was the Material Girl, feng shui experts knew that accumulating wealth is one way to measure our success in the world. Creating a welcoming space that honors the money you already have is just one of the feng shui secret tools for attracting more money to you.

Imagine that you are already wealthy and you deserve the best. Your wallet and/or your handbag should reflect that image. If your money is living in a ratty old wallet with ripped seams and tattered edges, update it. Spend some of your hard earned cash on a new wallet. Invest in a new purse. Treat yourself (and your dollars) to the best you can afford. It doesn’t have to be expensive or even fancy. The idea is to give your money a fresh and well maintained space to hang out in. Even those beautifully printed paper wallets that you can find in Chinese gift shops serve the purpose (as long as you replace it each time it begins to show wear & tear). Check out this blog that has some cool alternative wallets that are fresh and fun and made from recycled audio cassettes.

Once you’ve got he new carrying case for your money, the next step is keeping it clutter-free. Try to keep the money from being lost in a jumble of other stuff. Make sure your billfold doesn’t have receipts poking out of every crevasse. Tidy up your credit cards (do you really need to carry so many?). Look at the bottom of your handbag at least once a week and remove all the stale gum, candy wrappers, grocery lists, empty mint tins, and spare change that has accumulated there.

Money guru Suze Orman espouses feng shui concepts. One of Orman’s suggestions is that all bills in your wallet should be organized facing the same direction and in order of ones to twenties and so on. Being able to quickly count how much money you have with you makes you more conscious of your personal wealth. Once you become more aware of how to respect and handle money, you open the door for more wealth to come in.

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January 18, 2010 · 6:23 pm

STEP ONE: DETERMINING YOUR STYLE

Traditional or contemporary, eclectic or minimalist, neutral or vibrant, your style preference does not affect your feng shui. What does? Your choice of colors, placement, shapes, lighting, and elements do influence your feng shui. Also, keeping your things organized and clutterfree. Setting your intentions for clarity of purpose and life direction also improve your feng shui opportunities.

If you’re planning to redo your interior design, Feng Shui By Fishgirl recommends looking at design blogs and magazines and clipping or printing out the looks you are drawn to in order to determine what style you identify with. Keep a folder filled with your favorite tear sheets. Do this for a few weeks or months before you begin your search for the perfect fabrics, furniture, and paint colors.

The photo here is a cool reno job in a Miami Beach condo. See more pics at Design Sponge, a great resource for inspiration. This photo shows once again a terrific balance of yin (feminine, rounded shapes) and yang (squared masculine shapes). The red accents in the draperies and the art work and dining chairs add fire energy to the feng shui.

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January 18, 2010 · 6:18 pm

GOODBYE, GOOD TREE

Photo courtesy of Maine Today.

This tree, a.k.a. “Herbie”, was cut down today in Maine. Over 110 feet tall and 230 years old, Herbie succumbed to Dutch Elm disease and it was decided the tree was a hazard and could no longer be maintained. The tree’s guardian is 101 years old. Read the full story here.

See also my posts about live oaks and Christmas trees

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