Inspiration + Colour + Placement = Balance
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Summer Fruit
It's the end of the Cannes film festival and beginning of a long weekend with summer temperatures. Mornings are spent at the beach and evenings with friends sharing recipes, stories and life. Suddenly fruit is everywhere, on towels, t-shirts and in interior decor. Feng Shui practitioners see fruit as symbolising growth, abundance and productivity. Think of the myths around apples as a gift of choice, poison or love. Other countries use fruit to show a new season has started or as part of a religious festival. Peaches in Japan often represent immortality and fertility and there is the famous Peach Boy
Oranges & Lemons
A previous French town that we had lived in was revisited and a wonderful new store has opened with every colour possible in ceramics. Dishes, jugs, bowls, cups and more and then I saw the fruit! It was a joyful explosion of colour and perfect for summer, which is just around the corner. Feng Shui practice sees fruit as a symbol of growth and abundance. If the fruit is made of a ceramic or stone, it represents the Earth element, grounding and providing a strong foundation. I will go back and buy some in bold greens and lemons. As P.J O'Rouke
Blinds or Curtains, That is the Question!
Sometimes I have to post a practical, straightforward post and this is one of them. Curtains versus blinds. I am on record stating that I prefer blinds any time. They attract less dust, look chic and you can manage the level of light and privacy. We have managed with old curtains the last couple of years due to window styles and once again, we can't have blinds due to metal window frames. So, we are replacing some old curtains in the lounge with ones of better quality. Once you have decided on which way to go, consider what the fabric needs
Reflections
Having spent the last two weeks visiting friends and family, it feels as if segments of life have been revisited including ghosts of the past, present and future. It has been wonderful and exhausting at the same time. Aside from family, it is a relief that friends are as accepting as always and we swapped the good, the bad and the ugly moments of the past years. All of us have changed and grown older, hopefully, some of us are wiser.
Feng Shui Conversations – Ceramics
Thoreau stated, "I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees". Spring is in the air and the feel of the beach between my toes and soft waves against the shore is comforting and a reminder of how being grounded offers a sense of security and connection. Others call it being 'earthed'. Some prefer the country side and soil, others are urban hikers, some need to pound concrete and others bathe in forests. The Earth element is central to Feng Shui as a blend of yin and yang, stabilising your space and living areas. It belongs
Next Steps
It is a time of reflection as several friends and I are moving in to a new decade. It is strange as we approach a different age group with doors closing just because of a number. Other doors are still open but it is thought provoking to ask where has time gone and has anything been achieved? Not in a depressing way, but a time to ask, what next? Not a mid-life crisis but more of a checkpoint and a chance to look back and say, what a road has been traveled. Then we turn with curiosity and move forward. As
Feng Shui Conversation – Glass
Glass, a melange of raw materials that form one of our most precious materials. Think of lenses, mirrors, windows, test tubes and electronics, never mind bottles, glasses and ornaments. In Feng Shui it represents the Water element which is all about the flow of wealth, growth, emotions and the need to balance all of these. Crystal balls are a key cure for stopping Chi energy in its tracks so that it stays in a room to add positive energy. They are hung above windows to catch the light and to avoid the 'corridor' effect of energy going right out of the
Let’s Do Lunch
Julia Childs said,"people who love to eat are the best people". Absolutely! A lovely long lunch was had with two French friends. Life stories and views were exchanged, the hours moved in to late afternoon and the next meal was booked. By the time it was finished, the anticipated menu was already being discussed. We had spoken with old friends the same day who we will see in May. Past meals were remembered and historical events revisited where the good, the bad and the ugly was shared and our younger lives hovered in the background. It is that one too many
