Love Me Some Turquoise

Sometimes, I just need to play!

Olioboard is a great tool for designers to use for clients and for themselves when coming up with initial ideas for a space.  Or if you are thinking of re-doing a space, give Olioboard a whirl.  You can even buy the products on-site, and it calculates a budget to boot!

They also have tons of contests (I have no idea what you win), but when I saw one for a TURQUOISE LIVING ROOM, oh, I just had to....

This is what happened:

I'd live here, would you?   To each her own!

If you are so inclined, and you are reading this in November, consider voting HERE... you know, just for fun!
xo, K

The Home Office + Guest Bedroom Combo

I'm a huge fan of the guest room/home office combo!  Why have an entire room used only on the occasions that people are coming to stay with you?  While I think it's great to have guest rooms, as it symbolically "invites" in the good, it's also important to keep the chi circulating there, and what better way than to actually USE it?  The trick to pulling off the office/guest room is to get creative and to be honest with yourself with the needs for the room.  (i.e. Is it more important to function as an office or a bedroom?  Who will be visiting?  Can you surrender your office for the days that your guests are there?) 

Here are some examples below that may give you some ideas for yours:

Modern flair!  Source

Sofa beds...in purple.  Yes!  Source

Lofty  Source

Playful, fun, and functional.
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This is for those who need an office more than a guest room but want that option.  Clever, isn't it?
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IMPORTANT NOTE:  None of these rooms would be appropriate for a bedroom that someone used all the time, as it's not conducive to have an office IN your room unless you have no other choice, and even then, there would have to be some cures set in place.  These examples are ONLY for the guest room and office combo!  Also, it's important to establish the "command" position when working at a desk as well as when sleeping.  (The "command" position simply means you have a view of the doorway of the room.)  This could be taken care of with some strategically-placed mirrors.  

Thanks!  

--K

"Feng Shui Cure" for Ebola

Wow.  Ebola.

Let me tell you how to cure that one:

Source 

...or get rid of it altogether.

It's called sensationalism, people.   You've got better things to do.

Is Feng Shui for Christians?

The short answer is YES!

YES times a billion and times infinity!

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So...why is this even a topic?

The fact is, I moved back to the South (aka The Bible Belt) after years of being out west, and since my return, I have heard little whispers amongst some folks that feng shui may go against their religion.  Therefore, I am writing here today as a way to clarify and bust through that myth once and for all.

FENG SHUI IS NOT A RELIGION.  Nor will it mess with yours.  In fact, it is my job to work with whatever religion and/or spiritual practice you prescribe to!

Isn't that awesome?!

It's true.

But hold tight.  What that means is that feng shui is also for Muslims, atheists, Jews, Pantheists, Buddhists, Hindis, Baha'is, Taoists, yogis and yoginis, Wiccans, Sikhs, Hare Krishnas, Pagans, and any other religious or spiritual practice under the sun.

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Because feng shui is just that:  spiritual.  It's not a religion.  It's an ART and a SCIENCE with spiritual undertones.

And even if you don't even consider yourself spiritual, feng shui will work for you!

I pride myself on working within the context of my client's lifestyle.  In fact, that is the point of feng shui.  My suggestions must work for YOU, the unique being that you are.   I've worked with clients who practice religions with names that I cannot even spell or pronounce (or remember for that matter), and you know what?...

It's ALL good.

But just in case you are Christian, and you still have doubts, keep reading, so I can once and for all, erase any thoughts that feng shui is not for you.

WHY FENG SHUI IS FOR CHRISTIANS TOO:
First of all, you are probably already practicing feng shui.  The truth is, if you clean your home regularly, make it nice for guests, take care of your furniture and belongings, declutter often, have some sort of organizational system, and change up the pillows or artwork now and then, you are practicing a basic form of feng shui.  You do not have to put up dragons or crystals to be "doing feng shui."

I sometimes tell clients to get their house "ship-shape."
 Surely, Noah did to some extent?

Feng shui is about HONORING YOUR SPACE, or, in more religious terms, making your space holy, sometimes in very simple ways.  Sadly, in today's disposable and fast-paced society, most folks don't even know what honoring one's space even means.  Which is where I come in.  :)

Furthermore, I will be bold here, and announce, in all my unscholarliness, that it may be that Jesus "did" feng shui. 

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And so did Mary, and Moses, Abraham, Lazarus, and other Biblical persons.

Here's the bottom line:  These spiritual figures more than likely had some sort of order to their belongings, but did they call it "feng shui"?  Probably not!  But that is because they didn't speak Chinese.  (...that I know of.)

"Feng shui" translates to "wind, water" in Chinese, which has to do with the "flow" in a space.  In feng shui, a home must be inviting.  There are countless stories in the Bible that involve inviting people into one's home, are there not?

Also, feng shui may just be IN 
the Bible...(again, it's just not called that).  Think about it:  Solomon was given implicit instructions for building his temple.  Again, art meets science in the form of deliberate architecture.  Was it called feng shui?  No, because the temple was not in China, but the idea of building with intention is 100% aligned with feng shui-like concepts.

And consider this:  A priest, when blessing a space, is practicing a basic feng shui ritual.

Even Luke knew a little feng shui:
Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ Luke 10:5 
In feng shui, this is known as as setting an intention, a.k.a saying a prayer.

So please, if anyone tries to tell you that feng shui is "against your religion," ask them first -- in a nice way -- what they know about feng shui.  I guarantee you that they know very little and that they have made some false, uneducated assumptions!

In the end, people only come to feng shui when they are ready.  It is powerful work, and yes, I believe  that it is "holy" work.

My theory with feng shui?  Don't knock it until you try it.  No matter what your religious beliefs may be!

AND I ALSO PRACTICE FENG SHUI!
(Source) 

Healthy and Easy Fall Vegetable Soup (Vegan & Protein-packed)

Yum.  I made up this recipe the other day using what was in my kitchen, and it turned out!

So here is goes, without amounts. because I just threw it in the pot!

In large pot, heat COCONUT OIL on medium heat.  Add a generous amount of TURMERIC and CUMIN and a clove or two of CHOPPED GARLIC and stir until a bit heated.  Then toss in chopped CELERY and  CARROTS and sauté for a bit.

Boil some water on the side.  Add a vegan BOUILLON CUBE and a good amount of REAL SALT.

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Peel a SWEET POTATO and chop it up into bite-sized pieces.

In main pot, add the BOILING WATER (with dissolved bouillon cube), then put in the sweet potato, some already-cooked CHICK PEAS (I made mine the day before according to the package -- makes an awesome snack with olive oil and salt -- but canned is good too), a can of STEWED TOMATOES, and some QUINOA.

Add some VEGGIE BROTH if you have it, for another layer of taste.   I also put in a BAY LEAF and some BLACK PEPPER.

Cook for at least 20 minutes more, so that the vegetables are at the consistency that you like them and the quinoa cooks.

YUM!

The result should be a nice soup with a bit of sweetness from the carrots and sweet potatoes in a lovely golden hue, thanks to the turmeric.

Enjoy!  Satisfying and healthy!

A Feng Shui Wedding

I love love.

I really do.

Therefore, the Playing Cupid part of my job is just-so-fun.

For those of you unfamiliar on the workings of a feng shui consultation, when a client comes to me, I don’t start by rearranging furniture.

I start by asking them their objectives, a.k.a. what they want to improve or manifest in their lives.  

In this case, this particular young woman – the brilliant Heather Goldberg of Spork Foods – was tired of dating Mr. Wrong after Mr. Wrong, and was finally ready for ever-lasting love.

She wanted the fairy tale ending.

I’d say she got it.  This photo was taken three days ago.

FACT:  Two years ago, she called me for a feng shui cure for romance.  

OTHER FACT:  She met her groom THAT WEEK!

Once upon a time very swiftly became happily ever after thanks to some ridiculously simple feng shui cures.

Yes, yes, yes. 

I’ll share the cures with you, but only if you read to the bottom of the blog, okay?

Here goes:

1.     She already had these paintings, which are a pair (ahem, a pair is good for Romance), and are the colors significant to the Romance gua. (pinks, reds, and whites).  

And look!  There’s a diamond ring on them!   While these paintings may not be the typical images for “love and marriage,” (neurons?) I didn’t see anything harmful in its message, so I suggested she give them a whirl.

2.     How perfect!  She already had this box with the word “LOVE” etched on the top.  Precious.  I told her to write down the qualities she wished for in a man on little pieces of paper and place them in there.

3.     Now she had created a little love vignette to attract her future groom!   On the nightstand they went, which also happened to fall into the Romance section of her bedroom according to the bagua map, and VOILA!

….THAT SAME WEEK, she met the man you see standing by her side at the altar. 

The wedding was beautiful, the bride stunning and beaming, the groom handsome and grinning, the dancing divine, and the food (vegan!) fabulous, the guests glowing.

Now….here is an interesting side fact, and why I wanted you to keep reading.  While mingling with friends and family at the wedding, I discovered that the fair bride had shared this particular cure to some of her single friends some while back, in hopes that it would work for them too.  You know, the part about making a list and putting it in a “love box.”   Talking to two “participants,” one young lady had had success and found her current and lasting boyfriend, where the other had not.

WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?  Why do some cures work for some people and not for others??!?!

To begin, Heather was READY.  I mean, ready.  The quality of the tone in her voice when she called me, plus the fact that she went into action immediately setting the cures, helped a lot.  She was razor-sharp decisive.  She wanted to get married.  Period.

Also, the rest of her home was “feng-shui-ready.”  Just because the Romance section is decorated with hearts and lovebirds does not mean that the rest of the home is clear of “romantic blocks.”  For example, take a look at your Self-Knowledge section.   Without a strong sense of self, how can you know what you want in a partner?   Or what about clutter?  Clutter can be the death of everything, no matter where you find it.

The point is, romance, or lack of, can show up in hidden places throughout the home, so please don’t think that adding some pieces of paper to a box is all you have to do! 

Of course, in this woman’s case, it worked and her wish came true almost instantaneously, but that was because she was 85% there already…and it showed in her home.

While there may be some layers to go through, and there may be some resistance in implementing certain cures, and a little more effort than placing traits into a Love box, feng shui always yields results in some form or another.

So the question remains:  Do you really want the fairy tale ending?  Or not?

Congratulations, Heather and Josh Bell!!!  Love y'all...

Good.  Because I expect more wedding invitations in the mail, please.  J

My Little Blogging Break(through)

My darling readers!

I am taking an unexpected break from blogging for a while --

The truth is, as much as I love to write, this Year of the Horse has already taken off for me --- has it for you too? --  like crazy fast that I can barely keep up!  I gotta make sure I have my balance so I can take 'er full speed ahead!  One of the things I'm letting go of is the pressure to blog, and I tell you what, it was a strange relief to make that decision.  Took some pressure off myself, really.

If you happen across this message, perhaps it is a sign that you too can cut back or let go of something that you hadn't considered?  

I'd LOVE to see you over email however!  If you'd like my every-so-often emails in your Inbox, please contact me at katierogers777@gmail.com.  And Like Katie Rogers Feng Shui on Facebook.  I will be piping up in these places from time to time....

...but for now -- it's focus time!

...and no worries, I'll be back.  Trust me, I have blog ideas galore, just waiting in the thresholds.

Cheers, and I hope to hear from you elsewhere!

All in good chi,
Katie

P.S.  Please:  Use the search engine right there to your right with the little magnifying glass:  I have so much material on here.  Words like "money" "romance" "books" "space clearing" -- you name it, should yield results!  Thanks!