beauty in all things

 where to start?  

as life ebbs and flows, and time seems to control the narrative, that constant vex must be conquered.  

it is but an illusion,  nature and God are highly organized, fluid, calm and operate in a spiral pattern, not static, linear lines. 

in this spiral called life, i begin again now, as i am.  "time" has lapsed according to the worldly principles,  and the gaps in my chronological life path demonstrate breaks while my true path remains whole, dynamic, energetic, and vivacious.  

the choice is clear, follow the innate spiral flow representing life.

for now, this leads me to beauty.  all beauty.  whether it be interior design, a melodic song, the light dancing on my wall in the morning, a new makeup shade or formulation, the cut of a dress.  in all things will this blog chart. 

i was led to this post on instagram where two birds fluttered into this home to get a front row seat of a quality sensory experience.  they innately follow a high frequency vibration, or literal beauty without a physical form.  

following all that leads my heart to bliss, beauty, and clarity,

🤍dana 

p.s. my logo needs to be updated, and links are broken here.  it is what it is for now....and, that's just fine with me.  

 

i am back

 where to start...

life happens, choices are made and before you know it, a lot of time has passed.  in the linear sense, as truly living follows a wavy or spiral pattern, mimicking nature.    

there were outside forces, you know the whole world sort of shutting down that changed us all.  this shifted my perspective too, in perhaps more ways than i'd invited.  

liam was growing up quickly and i felt an intense need to savor this time, to protect it, to honor it, to be less busy, less huried.  to be present, fully.

my best friend, my mom, had some health issues arise during this time as well.  it rocked my world.  she was the foundation, my stabilizer ... and i'd always envisioned her as immortal.  she has since eased out of this physical realm and into an unknown realm. 

 

 

although it's been almost 8 months, time feels different.  more appreciated, savored, my senses more acutely aware, colors more vivid, every sound a vibratory symphony.  

for months, i'd lived in a hazy, dream-like state.  i suppose this is God's way of easing this transitory loss.  only now has this eased into a child-like celebratory daily elation with life.  with all the things that light my heart afire.  there is so much beauty in everyday moments, and in my innate passions.

she loved art, fashion, beauty, order and harmony, gardening and growing english roses; and her beloved crown jewel-family.  

her essence lives on in me and this blog, incorporating all that she gave me infused with my own discoveries, interests, and passions.  

all heightened in appreciation for all that is, an energetic love for life.   in a wavy way.  

i hope you will enjoy this new journey with me- 

🤍 

  

new website is launched

if you read this blog regularly then you know a new website was in the works for my design and feng shui business.  it is with great enthusiasm that i announce the website is completed!  it features my designs of course, but goes into greater detail into design and feng shui services, and provides information on my new e-design service.  there is an e-design form that can be easily completed to get you started on a design package.  this is great for long-distance, out-of-state or even out-of-country clients wishing to hire me.   a new blog is also included as a direct link on the website, so please visit often to see helpful articles on feng shui and design.

click here for the latest post

as always, i'm grateful for all of you who've read this blog and hope you'll follow me to the new site, www.danacaseydesign.com.  xx, dana

life is but a journey, in the words of lao tzu, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  

fashion friday crush | CHANEL

view the CHANEL fall/winter 2016 collection.  it's no secret i'm in love with the CHANEL line, and everything the label represents.  independence, like coco herself; a love of beauty, elegance using exquisite materials and decorative embellishments that under most circumstances would be over-the-top.  but, with CHANEL materials are high-quality and used with impeccable precision in a way that makes garments elegantly simplistic.   xx, dana

p.s. CHANEL has a way of making me come out of hiding.  i'm not blogging anymore as you may have noticed, my energies are focused on speaking about feng shui + design, designing, and creating. stay tuned for my new website to be revealed soon.  

wednesday wisdom

photo taken about a month ago

lao tzu and the peaceful ways of the tao te ching give great insight and wisdom about life.  both are  also part of feng shui, interwoven into the tapestry and essence of feng shui and design.  for example, change is just the universal life force, energy, or chi we call it that lao tzu talks of in the above quote.  this energy flow is understood in feng shui and interior design as the physical manifestation of balance, color, symmetry, proportion, etc. represented by furniture, lighting, paint, fabrics and texture, plants, art and so on.   all these things add energy and change to a design that is often intended but sometimes the changes are greater than just that; sometimes an unknown flow emerges.  that is the beauty of energy, of life and what lao tzu so brilliantly captured in words.  happy wednesday.  xx, dana

food | red lentil soup with east indian spices

danacaseydesign

 the ingredients.  those small seeds are mustard seeds that get fried in butter at the end of the recipe and then go on top of the soup.  they're really tasty and add crunch in contrast to the soft lentils.

danacaseydesign

 ze zuppa.  my photography needs improvement here, maybe a new camera is in order!  the lentils are mild, so adding all the spices and the cilantro really makes the soup interesting.  i thought about making a dip with this too.  you could thicken it up by cooking it longer, layer a greek yogurt or sour cream on top, top it with the cumin and mustard seeds and cilantro and serve it with warm crusty bread.

danacaseydesign

i love to use color in food to help balance out my energy.  reds, to orange and anything in between, brings in the fire element and can be used to help if you are cold, feeling sluggish, need inspiration,  or if you are generally apathetic and in need of an energy boost.  this soup is one of my favorites for fall, it has lots of onion, garlic and turmeric; all of which are great for warding off viruses, pesky bacteria and they are known to boost the immune system.  xx, dana

recipe:  red lentil soup with east indian spices
(adapted from feeding the whole family by cynthia lair)

4 teaspoons ghee or butter
1 onion, chopped
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup dried red lentils
4 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon each cumin and mustard seeds
1 tablespoon ghee or butter
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

heat butter or ghee in a large pot.  sauté onions and garlic in ghee until brown.  add spices and stir for 2-3 minutes.  add tomatoes and cook until they break down.  wash and drain lentils.  add lentils and water to pot.  let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring often.  stir in salt.  heat 1 tablespoon ghee or butter in small skillet and fry seeds until they pop.  stir fried seeds and cilantro into finished soup.  

wednesday wisdom

danacaseydesign

this is a personal friend of mine.  he couldn't have captured my heart-felt wish that we all embrace children with these so called "disabilities".  and, that we not only embrace them, we retool ourselves and our thinking to shift from thoughts of pity or belief that something is wrong with them, to complete and utter acceptance.  and, that we embrace their unique gifts and their ability to enlighten and uplift all of humanity.  xx, dana

happy sunday + recipe

danacaseydesign

danacaseydesign

bread making is a big tradition in our family.  we started making it when alex was little and every fall she always asks to make fresh bread.  yesterday we did, using a classic white bread recipe that she loves and paired it with a cream of cauliflower bisque.  this is a no-fuss recipe, yes you do some kneading but that's all part of process; and it creates an energetic connection between you and the bread.  we also changed up the recipe just a bit by using olive oil instead of butter, leaving out the sugar, and forming the loaf without rolling out the dough.  notice that dent in the top of the loaf...my finger dented in the dough before it went in the oven!  wishing you a lazy sunday full of joy and good energy.  xx, dana

recipe:  classic white bread

food | broccoli and arugula soup

danacaseydesign

yesterday was the perfect indian summer day.  with a broccoli bunch and some arugula on-hand, i made this simple (less than 8 ingredients) puree/soup.  it's a recipe from goop that is so good for a broccoli soup without any dairy or cheese.  although i love a hearty cream of broccoli soup in the winter, but don't love all the calories, or fat.  this soup has all the flavor, mega vitamin punch; but without all the heaviness of a true cream of broccoli soup.  xx, dana

broccoli & arugula soup:  goop

wednesday wisdom

now that summer is coming to an end, it's time to look inside, to reflect, and to prepare yourself for the coming fall and winter.  a simple way to do this is take an area of your home, clear the energy, use feng shui principles to balance this space, and make it your personalized corner of your world.  

for me, that means taking time each day to write a few thoughts out in the morning at my desk, and thinking about where i would like this blog and business venture to go over the next year.  i like to let the flow of thoughts be free without too much mental interference.   allowing the process happen much like flowing water; ideas can come quickly or not and that's ok.  this brings about clarity and change.    xx, dana

wednesday wisdom

b u, b free.  happy wednesday and happy ch'i.  xx, dana

the healing power of food & how it relates to feng shui

if you follow along on this blog/journey with me, you know i like food.  growing up with an italian grandmama who always had a warm bowl of garlic and sautéed spinach ready for me or a hot bowl of pasta with marinara; infused in me how love could actually fuse in food.  her energy was literally in the food!  i could feel it; and the comfort, warmth and good energy of food and it's beneficial effects cannot be underestimated.  

my mother did the same.  i'll never forget the warm baked banana bread she'd serve up after school with a big ol' dollop of butter on top.   the smell of the moist bread as she brought it to us, the visual of the melting butter on top, and the taste healed all the days' worries.

there's no doubt in my mind that food heals, not only the body, but your whole being.  there is a mind-body connection when seeing good food, infused with good energy or chi right before you. 

danacaseydesign

while food has always been a part of this blog, i'm beginning to go much deeper into my experience with it.  over the last several months, i've become more connected to it, to the earth, to the way food is grown, how it is prepared, and how i eat.   i'm all about pro-health and wanting to put food with the highest vibrational energy into my body and my children's bodies as well.  

some foods have higher vibrational energy than others.  freshly picked organic fruits, vegetables and nuts have the highest energy while genetically modified, processed, and frozen foods have lower vibrational energy.

to lift the vibrational energy of food, or to infuse it with intention; close you eyes when preparing or eating food and give it a blessing or an affirmation.  as long as your energy is clear and peace-filled you can erase any negative energy this way and raise the vibrational energy.  

i'm not sure how all this fuses with my feng shui and design practice (although there is more to be said about feng shui and food...i'll save this for another post), but i'd like to meld it all together; to help all my clients all the while helping our beautiful, bountiful mother earth.  happy thursday.  xx, dana

happy sunday + recipe

bon appétit

food should be a sensory experience and a moment of peace to take in sight, sound, taste and texture.  these have always captured my heart, from the beautiful zucchini blossoms, to the wonderful aroma released when frying, to the delightful taste; they sweep you away into food bliss.  xx, dana

recipe:  ricotta stuffed zucchini blossoms

happy sunday + recipe

julias album

as you know gmo foods are becoming more and more prevalent in the us, unfortunately.  as such, i'm spending more time shopping for food at our local co-op and farmers markets to keep my family healthy.  and, i'm using little or no wheat in our baked goods.  this peach cake uses wheat-free flour (yay!) and yogurt to keep it moist, and peaches that are in season right now too.  i'm hoping to find some good ones at market today.  xx, dana

recipe:  wheat-free peach cake

happy sunday + recipe

delicious magazine

made with just three ingredients, these lemon and lavender possets are simple and look delicious and light enough for a summer treat.  xx, dana

recipe:  lemon & lavender possets

wednesday wisdom

anything less is unacceptable.  xx, dana

a peek inside an LA home

celebrity photographer john russo wanted a light, airy, clean, and mostly white home.  between the awesome mid-century architecture, open floor plan, and carefully curated furnishings and art; i'd say the vision was fully achieved.  xx, dana

interior design:  erinn valencich

photography:  john russo via domaine magazine

wednesday wisdom

a world-class italian architect that understands how designing and good design bring about positive and profound impacts to individuals and society.  xx, dana

monday morning feng shui

i spent much of this weekend watching the evolved and highly enlightened dr. wayne dyer on youtube via his e-newsletter.  dr. dyer is a source of inspiration and a beacon of light with his writings, videos and international tours and teachings.  he walks in grace and has become a great spiritual teacher of our time.

for those of you new to my site, my spiritual journey started over 16 years ago (and one can say it truly starts at birth), a true quest for religious knowledge that culminated into spiritual knowledge.  it began with the study of catholicism, moved through all sorts of religions, including judiasm, paganism and ended with the tao.  the tao was the one single place that combined all of these great religions into a formidable book that allows one to just be love, to radiate the true essence of life itself without any religious dogma, rules, or specific set of laws.  this resonated deeply within my soul, calling up years of yearning for something of this sort.  the tao is the water, ch'i, or energy that flows within you, within life, it fills up all those spaces where love is gone, hope is lost, hurts are burning, where repair is needed.  it was and is the band-aid that healed and continues to heal my soul.

the tao the ching is the book of the tao.  an ancient text over 2,500 years old, it's one of the oldest books of this sort.   in the simplest explanation, the tao provides wisdom of the deepest sort; it teaches us to be human, to be beings concerned for all, to not get caught up in the material world, to not let ego reign in as it does to heavily in our culture.  nature is a great teacher, if we take the time to observe it and the tao te ching has many references to the natural world with compelling insight.  ultimately, it teaches one to go within and find your god-like self, to really feel love for yourself and all.  there's no black and white in the tao, only gentle lessons that open your heart freeing you to be love, the tao, the light, to be god, the god essence that is in you.  it teaches one that there is no separateness from you and god, you are the good, god-like  energy that can transmute any negativity into a positivity.

the tao is also the foundation for feng shui.  feng shui uses those basic lessons from the tao and further allows refining of your life through the physical world.  by manipulating, changing, or moving furnishings, adding plants, color, art, water or other things (called remedies in feng shui); and using feng shui principles, you are able to connect the wisdom of the tao with your new conscious intent, and then manifest those changes in your home or office.  the effects can be remarkable and quite powerful.  there is so much more to know about both the tao and feng shui, it truly is a wonderful, wonder-filled journey.  it brings me great joy to use feng shui to help others.  happy monday and happy ch'i, dana

happy sunday + recipe

bon appétit

always a winner in this household, a classic french toast is the epitome of both ease and belly-filling capability.   making it gluten-free brings it to a whole new healthy level.  xx, dana

recipe:  classic french toast