New! DIY Feng Shui Kits

It began as an idea, as all good things do.  It really stumped me that there was no one-stop shop for the feng shui cures that I was giving my clients.  So I thought:  I should make a kit.  So I did!

It's had many evolutions and here it is (on the shelves in a recent test run in a local store) -- in today's version:

A kit full of fun goodies that will have you giddy and ready to implement feng shui easily and effortlessly in your life!

Here's what the label on the back of the box says:

Feng shui specialist Katie Rogers brings the ancient Chinese art and science of feng shui straight to your home with this fun, eco-friendly, Do-It-Yourself Feng Shui Kit [DIY FSK]. 

Feng shui has the power to improve your life in all areas, including health, love, money, creativity, and career.  The simple yet effective “cures” included in this kit are:

·       The DIY FSK User Guide by Katie Rogers

·       White Sage Smudge Stick to cleanse negativity

·       Round-faceted Crystal for balance & harmony

·       Wish-Come-True Box by Bluedogz Design

·       Good Energy Spray to revitalize your home & office

·       Good Intention Candle

·       Red Ribbon Cures for prosperity

·       Bonus Feng Shui Tips*

And here are some photos of what's inside.  Ensured to bring smiles and good fortune!

white sage smudge stick

crystal in red velvet pouch

candle inside cute little box

smells great!

And my favorite!  A Mini Ribbon Box designed by Nadine Lerner of Bluedogz Design that I've dubbed as the Wish-Come-True Box.  (P.S. There's a surprise inside!)

And yes, it has appeared in InStyle Magazine.

wishes come true with this box!

And of course, there are instructions on how to put these and the other cures to use!

I'm really excited for these kits.  I've set the intention that they find great homes and bring great energy to whomever receives them.

I'm selling them for $34.99 which is a DEAL!  If you order more than 4, you will get 10% off total price.

Order from me directly.  Email katierogersfengshui@gmail.com with your name, quantity, shipping addresses, etc.  I am going the old-fashioned way so you'll have to send me a check when I get the total to you.  Supply is limited, so hurry!

Happy Holidays!  I hope I can make yours brighter!

festive red door (from pinchomez.com)

Roll Tide!

My parents both attended the University of Alabama.  In fact, they met there on a blind date.  Therefore, I was raised as an Alabama fan.

There is a certain percentage of the world that knows what that means -- "to be raised as an Alabama fan."  Most of them live in the state of Alabama, but not all of them.

It means:  although I attended a different university, Roll Tide Roll is in my blood.

My grandfather used to take people by the busloads (literally) to the games to tailgate, including we children on occasion.  Our pantry held some very special Coca-Cola bottles that were never to be touched because Bear Bryant's picture appeared on them.  Pompoms of red and white were part of our toy collection.   And it was really fun to see my father on TV when he had his stint as President of the Mobile chapter of the Alabama Alumni Association.  And I despised the colors orange and blue.

However, I admit it.  I forgot all about football while living out west.  I'm a chameleon of culture this way, and because of this trait, it's also the reason why I've become a re-born Alabama fan after having moved back to my home state.

To celebrate this re-sparked passion for my parents' alma mater, and because I had a wild hair the weekend of November 5th, I strapped a boxed 4 x 4 foot canvas to the top of my car and drove over to Tuscaloosa to carry out my vision.

I wanted to paint.  I wanted to paint big.  I wanted to paint Big Al.  And I wanted to do it in the middle of the action.  So I found a corner near the stadium, set up my oversized easel, squeezed some reds and silvers and whites onto my palette, and I went to work.

almost done

It was such a blast!  Alabama fans of all ages approached me to comment on the painting.  The cop who was tending to this particular corner happened to have a camera, and he was very accommodating to my artistic endeavor, to my relief.

good cop

Oh, and in case you missed it, that LSU/Alabama game on November 5th was dubbed "the game of the century."  Of course, the ending was not so happy, but this is why the "re-match" on January 9th is going to be one heck of a game!

As for the painting, I had several offers that day, but the painting has yet to find a home.  (It may have had something to do with folks not wanting to carry a huge canvas INTO the game.)

Christmas gift, anyone?

Garden of Eden & How to Paint on Unstretched Canvas

Adam & Eve.  The classic.  The second painting in the series of "Miracle Paintings" of scenes from the Bible.

I wanted the Tree of Knowledge to be front and center.  And I wanted color.  And pretty things like flowers and animals and a stream.  And of course, a very innocent Adam and Eve.

Here it is on the easel.  I think the colors are more true to life in this shot.  I have yet to get professional photographs of these...obviously.

I thought I'd share my process on how to paint on unstretched canvas, as when I started, I found there was little information on how-to.

First, I buy a roll of unstretched high-quality canvas.  Because I want the scrolls/paintings to be durable, I buy canvas that is already primed.  The problem there is that the primed side is a white primer, and I like the look of the natural canvas.

I had Lowe's cut me a piece of heavy particle board to the size of the paintings.  Then I lay the board on the floor and place the roll of canvas over it, and I cut it (carefully) to size.  I then take these sturdy pieces of wood that you see in the picture and some clamps that I found at the hardware store, and I stretch the canvas taut onto the particle board.  This step is important because no one wants to paint on a buckled canvas!

After the canvas is stretched, I slather a generous coat of clear Gesso onto the unprimed side.  This keeps the integrity of the natural look while still preparing it for painting.  I let it dry, then I move it onto this easel built especially for this project.  (Thanks, Dr. Foss!)

And I'm set to paint!

When I'm done, I take the canvas to my favorite alteration ladies at ABC Sewing in Homewood.  They sew the top and the bottom so that I can slip a rod into it for hanging.  I then tie some nifty gold-tasseled rope on it, and walah, I have a "scroll" ready to hang in the Children's Sanctuary!

Creation - the Miracle Paintings series

Last year I was commissioned by St. Paul's Church in Mobile to do thirty paintings for their children's sanctuary.  Every couple of months, I sit with the pastor there, and he tells me which scenes from the Bible I am to paint next.  Each canvas is about 3 x 4 feet big, and they aren't stretched so that they can hang scroll-like around the room.

This gig has been such a blessing.

I call the series the Miracle Paintings for several reasons, but mostly because I realized that the Bible, in its essence, is a collection of amazing, bizarre, and completely miraculous stories that happened a long, long time ago.  I'm a big believer and lover of miracles, having experienced quite a few of my own, and this seemed more tangible than "the Word of God" or anything of that nature.

I was never that great of a Sunday School student so some of the stories are brand new to me.  I have to say -- getting to know the Bible in this context has been enlightening and fun.  I mean, these are some great stories!  I, for one, believe in God (or Great Spirit or the Universe or whatever you want to call "It"), and I like God a lot, so I'm happy to be taking these stories to heart and then hopefully doing them some justice with paint and canvas.

In the spirit of the upcoming Christmas season, I've decided to post and chat about each painting that I have done.  The pastor's (awesome) vision was to do them chronologically according to the Bible, so...  I hope to have a nativity scene for Christmas Day, but I haven't been assigned that one yet.  Ha!

Here is Creation.

I think the story goes without saying, but if you want to read it again, here's a good link to the passage in Genesis.

I am in absolute love with color, so when God spoke, "Let there be light," not only did I imagine the brightest beautiful light, but all the colors that come with it.  And He created it all in seven days, and there are seven colors in the rainbow, so I rolled with that.  Sky, water, man, woman, earth, creatures, light.  It's the ultimate miracle -- that all of this exists at all.  Bask in that thought for a few seconds.  Big one, right?

Better Sleep and More Sex? Yes, Please!

Topic of the day:  Bedrooms!

Bedrooms should be for two things:  sleep and sex.  (Okay, and perhaps getting dressed.  Or, better yet, undressed.)

Ideally, this important room should feel calm and comfortable (i.e. sleep-inducing) with just enough spark to keep the romance alive.  Because you are literally spending a third of your life in this room (do the math:  there are 24 hours in a day, and 8 of them are spent sleeping), this room impacts your life greatly.  Without establishing healthy sleep, your whole life is affected!  Better sleep equals better quality of life.  

In fact, back in 2005 when I was living in Sun Valley, Idaho, I was lucky enough to hear the Dalai Lama speak live.  When an audience member asked him the keys to a happy life, he responded with,  “sleep” first, and “water” second! 

Please don’t underestimate the advice of the Dalai Lama.   You gotta love a man who keeps it simple.

So let’s start with sleep:

• 1.     Bed position.  Your bed should be against a wall, preferably one without windows, and have a view of the door to your room.  However, the foot of the bed should not be directly lined up with the door.  That’s an oldie but a biggie feng shui no-no. 

This photo shows what NOT to do with the bed in front of the window and (you can't see it but...) the foot of the bed pointing directly towards the door.  

a feng shui DON'T

Better to move the bed to the right wall!  

Much better bed placement!  (We'll talk about the desk another blog...)

• 2.     Type of bed.  Bedding should be clean (let’s hope) and be of soft or deep colors.  Loud designs and intense color schemes are too yang (aka “active”) for a good night’s sleep.  Headboards represent support and can help you feel more grounded.
• 3.     Patterns and colors. Same goes for the entire room – patterns need to be on the calmer end of things.  Artwork should soothe, not over-stimulate.  Ideal colors for bedrooms are blues and greens and purples and neutrals and deep, dark colors in you're into that.  Whites work too for certain people.  This bedroom showcases lovely color choices, while the sumptuous textures keep it inviting and not too sterile.

• \

  Design by Jane K. Hirsch
  
  

• 4.     Soften the edges.  If the corner of your armoire is pointing to your bed, you may be under the line of fire of a “shar.”  Shar is negative energy – like an arrow – that can affect your sleep.  Drape some fabric over that corner, or better yet, move the guilty piece of furniture. 
• 5.     TV is a big no-no.  Televisions are active and carry a lot of EMFs which can definitely affect sleep.  Think of all those channels and all those people and lights and colors and sounds and storylines and DRAMA.  Who wants all of that in the bedroom?  Even when the television is turned off, it has a powerful effect!  Get that TV out, and find yourself sleeping more soundly (and having more of a sex life to boot). 
• 6.     Nothing under the bed please.  If you have a lot of clutter under your bed, or even a little clutter, you are taking all of that into your system when you should be recharging.  Get rid of it, or find a new home for it.  If storage really is that tight, please only put items that don’t have emotional charge or highly yang energy (like sports equipment).  Very neatly folded sweaters are okay, but it’s still ideal to leave it clear!
• 7.     Window treatments.  You want to keep the energy contained in the room, and you want to feel at peace and safe.  Think: privacy.   Also, even a little bit of light can disturb sleep so consider this when choosing your next set of drapes.
• 8.  No computers or work in the bedroom.  If you must bring your work home, please leave it out of the bedroom.  That includes reading documents in bed before you fall asleep, or typing away on late-night emails on your laptop.  

8.   Okay, now that the sleep part is taken care of (first priority, please!), let’s talk about sex.  

• 1.     Pairs.  Since it takes two (traditionally anyway), you will want some things in pairs.  If you are single, and you look around your room and you see a lot of “singles,” then you are sending your subconscious a message that being single is fine with you.  Start pairing things up, and your subconscious will take the cue and do some work to attract a mate!  If you’re attached, same thing – items in pairs will strengthen the bond.  Two matching nightstands with matching lamps are not only design-friendly, but they also represent equality and harmony in the relationship -- like, you’ve met your match. 

  

  Pair of pillows, pair of plants, pair of lights, pair of nightstands  - yes!
• 2.     Photographs.  Okay, so I know you love your kids and your parents.  But it’s really not sexy to have them watching you do the deed.  So minimize the quantity of photographs you have, and please don’t have them facing the bed directly.  The bedroom is for you and your sweetie, so keep the kids – and grandparents – in their proper place, like, in the living room or den or dining room or anywhere else! 
• 3.     Artwork.  Art holds a lot of energy.  If you have a scene of a poor woman in a dark field with a dark sky with ravens flying over, do you think that this will inspire sex?  No, me either.  In fact, I don’t think that painting will inspire much of anything except depression, so you may want to just get rid of it.  (I don’t care how “artsy” it is or how much it cost-- it can go to a museum and not your house.)  Images in the bedroom should be beautiful and serene, and yes, sensuality helps too  -- a lot.
• 4.     Type of bed.  Sorry, I know how popular king-sized beds are, but if you look at how it’s built, it’s two twins put together, therefore representing a divide in the relationship.  Trade it in for a queen or full, or call me for a cure, if you really are more attached to your bed than your mate. 
• 5.  Colors.  I know I said stick with the soft neutrals before, BUT, it doesn't hurt to throw in a pop of red or a splash of yellow or orange here and there to represent the daring and unexpected and excited, right?  Just don't overdo it!  

• 

  sensual material and colors.  add a headboard and it's a feng shui DO!  from honestaesthetics.tumblr.com 

• 5.     What is your idea of romance?  Candles?  Flowers?  Fluffy pillows?  What colors say romance to you?  What materials?  Even a little bit of your Personal Romance Symbolism placed in your bedroom will send a very, very positive message.  Some flowers here, a little leather there – you get the idea.

I thought I'd throw in a cute quote:

It is not economical to go to bed early to save the candles if the result is twins.  

~Chinese Proverb

Ah, the good ol' days before electricity.  


And in the end, if you want to throw most of this information out the window and go for something like this...

talk about sensual!  (from missindiedesigns.blogspot.com)

...you'll have my feng shui blessings, because let's face it, this just feels good.  

Good night!

Clearing the Energy in your Home

An extremely important aspect to feng shui is clearing the space.  Energy can linger in a home or office, and some of it may not be wanted!

There are several ways to go about this (see books by Denise Lynn and Karen Kingston), but, as usual in feng shui, a little goes a long way.

1.  Clean.   Yep, put on the yellow gloves and give the house a good scrubbing.  Cleaning the home is akin to cleaning the spirit, and who doesn't need that?!  Hiring a housekeeper works too but have them get into the corners!

2.  Clear the clutter.  I feel like I say this in every feng shui post I write, but, truthfully, I cannot say it enough.  If you have items that you do not love or use in your home (you know -- that vase your aunt gave you for your 26th birthday; the coat you got on sale that you've never worn; the armoire that has been in the family way too long), then it needs a new home!  Keeping so-so objects in your environment tells the Universe that you want a so-so life.  When you get rid of the so-so, you make room for the amazing.

3.  Open the door and windows.  There's nothing like fresh air (especially delicious fall fresh air) to get the energy moving in a home.

Jack Wild/Getty images

4.  Ritualize it.  Turn on your favorite beautiful, upbeat, or inspiring music.  Dance like you mean it.  Say prayers out loud.  Ask the angels to come in and help clear the space.  Tell the house you love it.  Ask the old energy to move on or transmute or purify or get the heck out.  And invite the good stuff in!

painting by Marius Michel-George

5.  Smudge.  As you are "ritualizing it," I suggest some tools.  White sage is one of my favorites.  It gets the job done.  Simply light it and woft the smoke around (aka smudging), setting intentions as you go.  (You may want to carry a tray to catch the ash.)  Sage is and was used in Native American rituals and is considered quite sacred.

from Incense Warehouse

Be sure to "thank" the sage when you are done.  If the sage smell isn't your favorite, you can also use frankincense or camphor.  Even spritzers with essential oils of your choice will work (lemon is good), and if you are super sensitive to smell, sprinkling salt water around is another option.  However, some places need more powerful solutions than these last suggestions.

If you're moving into a new place, or you and your ex have just had a fight, or you've just been in a funk, clearing your space is a must!  It's the quickest way to improvement, and it works.  It helps to do it from time to time anyway, but especially in those transition or tricky times.

Happy clearing!

Homewood's Change of Scenery

Anyone who lives in Birmingham can agree with me here:  the weather has been STELLAR!  To celebrate yet another sunny, perfect–temperature day, I called up a friend to meet me for an early dinner at my favorite local Mexican place: Pinches Tacos. 

If you haven’t been to Pinches Tacos in Homewood, quite frankly, you’re out of the loop.   If you like easy, casual dining and consistent, fresh fare (not to mention great vegetarian choices), then you like Pinches. The atmosphere manages to walk that nearly-impossible line of being simultaneously kid-friendly yet cool.  There is even a mural inside the building by the “You are Beautiful” artists.  Oh, and did I mention the outdoor seating?  There’s a nifty little patio made for this amazing fall weather.  And it's super-easy on the wallet.  I like Pinches so much, I go just about once a week.  This is not at all in character, but I do it.  I highly recommend the ”regular” veggie burrito.  It never fails.  I’m addicted.  I get it every time.  Again, not in character.

Therefore, you can imagine how strange a feeling it was to be driving down Oxmoor Road yesterday and then almost miss the turn!  How many times have I taken that turn?  I’m serious.  I had to do a triple take!  My brain shot off neurons that shouted something along the lines of:  “Is this it?  Wait?  No.  There’s Pinches.  That’s it.  That’s the patio.  But what?  Where are the…?  WHAT?  Wait a minute…”

What my brain was looking for without realizing it was a dense row – a canopy, if you will – of large, gorgeous shade trees that lined 19th Street S at the corner of Oxmoor. 

You know the saying, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”  Well, these trees, across the street from Pinches, were G-O-N-E.  Yesterday was Tuesday.  I had just been there on Friday night!  I KNOW they were there.  Right?  Was I imagining this?  I mean, unless I’m crazy, those trees were big! 

What stands there now is a long green temporary fence.  Behind that fence is an impressively large construction site.  

Here’s a picture:

I discovered that seven large trees were taken from the site on Monday.   Seven!!!   To get an idea of this, imagine if your back yard had seven trees that had been growing there since, oh, 1960.  That’s over 50 years ago.  And then you woke up one morning, and they were gone.  The only difference here is that the trees pretty much lined the street.  One would think this made them city property.  But…I guess not.  Arlington Properties, who is building an apartment complex at the site, owns the land, and therefore owned the trees.  Therefore, it was their right to cut them down -- affecting all of Homewood with it. 

Supposedly, the trees were removed because the roots were quite large.  I understand this.  Roots on large trees can cause problems.  This is why it is so important for the “right tree” to be planted in the “right place” in a city environment.  Yet I still find this cause to be “curious.”  I intend to research the reason for these trees’ removals.  After all, when you remove a gorgeous tree that has been living for at least forty years, you are taking away forty years of beauty, shade, and oxygen, as well as homes for birds and other fair creatures.  Multiply this times seven, and it’s impact is hardly recoverable, at least not in an adult's lifetime.  In the least, the citizens of Birmingham need a thorough explanation of why these trees were killed, and what Arlington Properties is going to do to make it up to us.  

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NEWFLASH: After writing this piece, I decided to glance on Google Maps to see what the canopy looked like before the bulldozers came in.  I hope you are as shocked as I am.  I'm wondering if I am way off with the "seven" count.  What do you think?

Pinches is the round-like protrusion on the white-ish building on the right.  The trees lining the street were the ones cut down on Monday.  THINK:  anywhere you see green on this photo would appear as red dirt (aka construction site) by a helicopter-cam today.  

Now check this out -- I panned out to see a bigger view of SoHo.  Wow.  Seems like this no-green is a trend in the business district.  Not good. 

That expanse of trees in the lower right hand corner is now GONE.