Ping pong is hot. Even Feng Shui By Fishgirl is into it. What do you think of this ping pong table as functional art piece? Would it make me a better player? Would the extra bounce be good feng shui? Happy New Year!
Monthly Archives: December 2011
MOST EXPENSIVE PING PONG TABLE= Art or Not?
Filed under Feng Shui, Fun, Uncategorized
BON APETIT IN DINING ROOMS WITH POSITIVE FENG SHUI
Dining rooms bring family & friends together for community meals and conversation. Apartment Therapy has a selection of 10 dining rooms that all have a very good balance of feng shui elements—
*Great use of art on the walls for uplifting ch’i energy
*Mix of yin & yang (curvy and angular) shapes
*Proper use of 5 feng shui elements (wood, earth, fire, metal, water)
I’m not sure I love the lamps reaching from floor over the tables but for the most part, all of these rooms inspire auspicious feng shui–see more at the link below.
Food, Friends & Family: Dining Rooms To Live In Best of 2011 | Apartment Therapy DC.
Photos courtesy of ApartmentTherapy.com
Filed under Design, Family & Health, Feng Shui, Feng Shui Home, Interior Design
FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS TO HAPPINESS IN 2012–a step-by-step guide by Robert Moss
Some of my art work was chosen by dream guru Robert Moss to illustrate this article he wrote about following your bliss. In this post, Robert gives us a step-by-step (easy and short!) exercise to discern what makes you happy and how to set those plans in motion to follow your heart in 2012. Click the link below to jump to the Dreamgates Blog on Beliefnet.
Do what you love, and let the world support you – Dream Gates.
Filed under ART, Career, Creativity & Future Projects, Dreaming, Feng Shui, Fun, Getting Organized, Self Help
ARTFUL RUGS CAN MAKE A ROOM HAPPY
Photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy
Living artfully is great for your feng shui. Why not start from the floor up? Don’t be afraid of unique shapes, color-color-color, or even pictorial rugs that can be hung on the wall (like my “Opera House” rug that was created from one of my paintings of Stonington, Maine shown below).
Opera House Rug (Katy Allgeyer Collection)--Handcrafted Tibetan Rug made in Nepal
And how about the rug below from Company C instead of a simple Welcome Mat? Color adds ch’i (energy) and makes us cheerful by lifting our spirits.
Company C handcrafted rug.
FUN FAIRY TALE HOME IS GOOD FENG SHUI!
My friend Maureen posted this on her facebook page and it instantly piqued my interest. This sustainable “hobbit house” was built in only 4 months by a novice builder at a cost of only $4,700 USD (not including the land). Read the full article and see a lot more of the interior, floorplan, etc at the link here:
Man Builds Fairy Tale Home for His Family – For Only £3,000 | Gaia Health.
APPLE RING HQ HAS GOOD FENG SHUI
Have you seen the new Apple headquarters design yet? Click here for more info and images:
Images Of New Apple HQ Unveiled – News – Trusted Reviews.
Why does this building have good feng shui? The gigantic circular shape is yin based and balances the 150 s.f. square shaped plot of land it sits on. The parking will all be underground. The landscaping–both outside the walls and the interior courtyard–brings oxygen creating greenery to the brains inside this think tank and to the surrounding environs. I see earth element, wood element, water element (glass is used freely throughout), and metal element. If the interior has splashes of red that will bring in the fire element, too, for a balance of all five. This headquarters reflects the stature of the company it houses and also creates a respectful workplace for its employees. That’s all auspicious in feng shui terms.
GIVING THE GIFT OF TIME
I’m reposting this because even though Colby is now a Big Girl (she’ll be 12 next spring) and I am 7 years in to my relationship, the spirit of this post is still relevant and uplifting. Enjoy!
“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!
CRAFTY GENIUS: Erica Wilson dies at 83; needlework instructor built embroidery empire – latimes.com
Last week we lost one of the most creative persons who was a genius in her own right (many say her husband Vladimir Kagan, furniture designer and renaissance man is also a genius). Erica Wilson and her husband Vladi have had long creative careers but also a very long and very successful relationship. Their marriage was the kind you shook your head in wonder at because you could see even after all their time together they were still very affectionate, loving, and in love with each other and true partners in every sense of the word. A feng shui inspiration if ever there was one. Read more about Erica’s fascinating history here:
Obituary: Erica Wilson dies at 83; needlework instructor built embroidery empire – latimes.com.
Filed under ART, Celebrities, Creativity & Future Projects, Design, Feng Shui
KEY LARGO’S MRS. MAC’S KITCHEN–4 thumbs up!
Funky funky but chic--license plates from all over create "wallpaper" art.
If you’re traveling to Key Largo, you’ll want to eat at Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen. I found the decor to be as charming as the home cooking was delicious. The ceiling was also decorated–with money! Now THAT’S auspicious feng shui for a restaurant! We loved the food so much we had breakfast and dinner there on the same day.
Currency from all over the world stuffed into the ceiling trellis brings lucky feng shui to the restaurant owners.
Of course, with hearty food like French toast with bananas and real maple syrup, and hash browns made with cheese, you’ll not need to eat lunch. Sorry I didn’t get a picture of the food—-it disappeared too fast! 🙂
License plates are even used to create unusual lampshades at Mrs. Mac's Kitchen.
Filed under Feng Shui, Fun, Interior Design, Travel
REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES
Read and see video about the Glamour photo shoot of “plus size” model Lizzie Miller which is creating a lot of buzz lately. In my post Bellies, Butts, & Beauty last year I touched on this issue as it applies to both women AND men. Whatever your size, having self esteem and confidence is what makes you attractive to others.
Feng Shui By Fishgirl 