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."  

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

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

monday morning feng shui

yawn...it's once again monday.  it's funny how that happens again and again.  hopefully you've all had time to unwind, relax, reflect, and recharge over the weekend.  

as my daughter, alex, and i strolled around town yesterday in search of art supplies for her new etsy business venture, i thought about ripples.  or, the effect energy has on everything when you change something in your home or you do something new like we did today.  leaving our little city and heading to the bigger city of ann arbor, experiencing new sites, sounds and places had to create change in her of some sort.  i wondered what sort of "ripple effect" this mini road trip had on her.  

much like a ripple in water when a stone is thrown in, ripples happen in time and space, or more particularly with energy or chi.  when the stone is thrown in, the energy is shifted and the water moves accordingly; this happens every single time you change something in yourself, be it a thought or a new activity.  it also happens every time you shift something in your environment.  yes, switching out that new coffee pot last week created a ripple and change, those new shoes you bought and placed in your closet created a ripple, the new paint color on your walls created a ripple.  and, on and on and on.  it becomes very crystal clear that these ripples have a huge effect on you.  not only you, but everyone in your immediate space.  this new ripple effect is then radiated outward much like the energy of the sun to the bigger circles (think your neighbors, then your city, and so on).   everything affects everything as the effect and there are concentric circles or ripples as the cause.  what sort of ripples will you make today?  happy monday and happy chi.  xx, dana

monday morning feng shui

greetings and welcome back to my monday morning feng shui posts.   my intent is to infuse uplifting joy, energy or chi as we call it in feng shui into the work week.

this week i bring you energetic yet grounded inspiration, and once again offer you the online domino  article released last week.  it  showcases  me and briefly touches on some quick spring feng shui tips.  

the full article, can be read at domino.

for extra sunny inspiration, click here for last year's yellow infused post.  happy monday and happy chi my friends, dana

domino magazine feature

domino magazine

just chiming in from our spring break this week.  it's always nice to be asked to talk about what you do.  when my friend, and fellow colleague, kristy from design chic offered to interview me for her online domino magazine feature, i jumped at the opportunity.  the article focused on feng shui for spring and offers some quick tips for instant changes for the spring.  you can read more at design chic  or view the full online article at domino.  xx, dana

photography:  me; and shot of me with my cat that wandered onto the scene-julie lefler photography

monday morning feng shui

as i opened my email today, this image appeared from this blog that i love to read but it's the great photography and visuals that keep me coming back for more.  this image of tuscany struck me deeply today, not only is it a great image but the colors are so vivid...and the landscape and beauty literally stopped me in my tracks.  i stopped thinking, took it in and paused.  those are the moments i like to capture on this blog, striking visuals intermixed with some 'thinking' type of posts like my monday morning feng shui.  

when i started this blog, the intention was to write a weekly monday morning feng shui post; however, this didn't quite work out and the frequent writing felt forced and not authentic.  i've decided that these posts will happen less frequently, opting for a monthly feng shui post that will hopefully be chock-full of insight, wisdom and helpful links.  so, stayed tuned and in the mean time visit the links below for more.  happy monday and happy ch'i, dana

the year of the sheep from my alma mater

basic feng shui

monday morning feng shui: 2015 the year of the sheep

pinterest

i find that my writing time needs to unencumbered, especially if i'm working on a feng shui post.  this entails lots of creative space and free thinking to allow the messages to just come in with great inspiration.  you may have noticed less feng shui posts; this is all part of this change that will continue in hope that these posts bring great meaning to you.  last week, a great message and source of inspiration came through via another feng shui expert which prompted me to think and create this post. 

if you've followed along on my blog, you've read my other posts on feng shui which give a basic understanding, in a very abbreviated form, of what it is.  i meld my aesthetic interior design sometimes with feng shui and other times, i do not.  it all depends on client wishes.  sometimes, a client simply desires a feng shui consultation and no interior design; and that is fine too.  it's all about tailoring what i do to make it work for the client.  

back to feng shui.  this is a wood yin year with the sheep or ram or goat as some call the animal.  the key thing is that it is a yin year.  if you've heard of the yin and yang terms or viewed the iconic black and white yin and yang symbol of balance, then you are most likely experienced in what the terms mean.  briefly, yin represents the feminine form of things, feminine energy, quiet, calm, introspective; it is less outward than yang.  you may feel this energy already, it's less active than the fire energy of 2014.  you may also find that you are taking more time to contemplate plans and goals; and that sometimes you need to stop, pause and possibly rest before moving forward with big plans.  this is all  natural and part of the year of the sheep.  savor this time to nurture you, clear mind and life clutter, practice simple kindness, and fill your life with all things true to you.

danacaseydesign

in terms of yin in interior design, you'll find it represented in neutrals, dark colors, soft textures, muted paint tones, and more peaceful designs.  think dark, calm and receptive rooms or environments.   until we meet again, i wish you great balance and a year filled with much peace.  xx, dana

happy new year

vogue

zsa zsa bellagio

happy new year to all.  it's been a lovely 2014, but it's time to ring in some new energy.  in terms of feng shui, 2015 is all about the yin wood sheep energy...more about this on monday.  xx, dana

monday morning feng shui

all photos:  domaine magazine

it's all in the details.  in this home of interior designer betsy morgan many textures, materials and pops of color are used to infuse the space with just the right amount of fire and wood energy.  this combined with fabulous lighting via natural light and great windows and the use of plants and greenery, make this space well balanced.  in a very abbreviated feng shui sense, this home exudes  a calm and welcoming presence.  happy monday and happy chi, dana

monday morning feng shui

as i watched the meryl and charlie (olympic pair ice skating gold medalists) skate on the rockefeller ice skating rink in nyc this morning, good feelings, joy and happy smiles ensued.  if you didn't get a chance to see it, click here to view it...you won't be disappointed!  their grace, beauty, synchronous and magnetic energy inspired my post today.  

feng shui is all about energy, some people are more sensitive to it than others but i believe we all can feel or sense it.  using this keen sense in your home and design needs helps you to create a space that is all you...or your family.  think of it like a tea bag filled with your own personal blend of herbs and infused just to the right point to suit your tastes.  

this is glamorous

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these flowers are my energy fix for the day (and i think they embody meryl and charlie's superb ice skating).      i'd love fresh flowers everyday...not always in the budget though...but on this particularly dreary day they are really needed.  check my instagram later to see what i do in my own home with flowers to bring this graceful, magnetic energy to reality in my life today.  xx, dana

monday morning feng shui: getting ready for fall

last week was full of action and change.   i received communication from an associate producer to appear on a big network reality tv show to help improve customer relations using feng shui.   how exciting and exhilarating it was to entertain the idea of being able to bring feng shui to the masses!   it turned out to be the wrong choice for me and my core client base.  it did however, give me the opportunity to reflect and further refine my goals, values, and my vision for the future.

added to this great change; fall has arrived, bringing with it yin temperatures, shorter days, and a general feeling of moving slower.  gone is the fiery summer energy.  

i like to advise clients to use yang energy to counter-balance the slower yin energy during this time of the year.  here are some yang things to infuse into your fall plans:

• nourish yourself with hot food and drink 
• turn up the lights
• light candles
• light a fire 
• watch a good movie in the comfort of your home and cuddle up with a soft blanket
• decorate your home with accessories such as candles, pillows, and throws in yang colors and textures (think of muted to bright colors using lots of red to orange-red tones)
•  hit the trails!  walk, hike or keep active doing your favorite form of exercise
• remember to connect with you again.  the summer tends to speed things up and fall is a great time to reflect

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fall is the perfect time to take inventory, both internally and in your space.  and,  feng shui is the perfect tool to further refine your intentions to move you toward the life of your dreams.   ♥dana    

p.s. this recipe (found at dust jacket attic), for salted caramel apple cinnamon rolls sound so good and brings the heat and warmth needed to balance the plummeting temperatures.  

monday morning feng shui: water

the best travel destinations

it's been an odd summer in michigan.  hot temperatures in june, rain in june, and now rain in july.  there is an abundance of water.  this can happen in your life too and be reflected in your home.  

in feng shui, water is represented by water of course but also in art featuring water, in dark colors like black, navy blue, burgundy and shades of ebony to chocolate brown.  too much, or too little of it can throw you and your life out of balance.  

to balance out an abundance of water; think of using pottery, terra cotta pots filled with green plants outside and inside your home.  use yellows and gold tones, and tan to the light brown spectrum.  flowers are great too for balancing this out.  

also, don't forget to take a look around your home, both inside and out for water pools, leaks or drippy faucets.  have a wonderful monday and beginning to the work week.  xoxo, dana

monday morning feng shui: getting ready for summer

as we approach the summer solstice, the days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising; and we find ourselves with the task of balancing this wave of hot, new, exciting yang energy.  it is the energy of the sun; intoxicating, energizing and fast-moving.  

with this energy comes bursts of activity, days of wild abandon, a desire to keep going, to take full advantage of the beauty and magnificence of the summer days.  how do we keep ourselves balanced during these flirty, summer months?  

use yin energy to counter-balance the whirl-wind of excitement and yang energy.   here are some yin things to infuse into your summer plans:

• nourish yourself with cold or iced food and drink 
• hit the pool or beach
• lie in a hammock and read a good book or magazine
• relinquish "physical" sports for a game of cards, backgammon or chess
• stroll leisurely through markets or while shopping
• watch a good movie in the comfort of your home with cool, summer breezes coming through open windows
• decorate your home with accessories such as candles, flowers, pillows and throws in yin colors and textures (think of muted, soft, warm and inviting colors; nothing too bright or vivid)

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how awesome would it be to have an actual hammock, like the photo above, in your home!  or a gorgeous chaise, like this one to lounge upon?

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infused waters are a great way to rehydrate and bring in that yin energy too!  this one is strawberry, watermelon with mint...wouldn't this be great paired with some cucumber sandwiches?  the caption under the photo will link directly to the recipe and more infused water combos as well.  

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that's about it for a monday morning (now afternoon) post.  i hope you have a really beautiful start to the week.  xoxo, dana

p.s.  here's another "yin recipe"...the best ever guacamole:  waiting on martha

monday morning feng shui (on tuesday today): the power of plants

go green, we hear this everywhere.  from recycling at home, to hybrid cars, to eating organic...we get messages everywhere to make conscious choices in how we live.  

my version of going green involves adding plants to your home.  not only are they good for air quality, plants add so much life and vibrancy to a room or space.  in terms of feng shui, plants are considered an immediate cure or remedy to uplifting the energy of a space.  in simple layman terms, plants can bring immediate change to your space.  have you ever noticed the change in your mood, energy, or the air when you enter a greenhouse?  if you cannot recall, visit one soon and take the time to make mental notes about how you feel in this space.  

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for more beautiful images and green information, visit my friends over at the design chic blog today to view their post on plants.  they offer ideas for those of us, myself included, who have trouble keeping plants alive.  in my own space, i use cut stems in vases for instant green energy in places where the light isn't so good for growing plants.  my daughter's room is one of those spaces.  

whatever your skill level with plants, you will never go wrong with adding a plant or more to your space...great things can come from this small but powerful change.  happy monday and happy ch'i, dana

monday morning feng shui: live well

i've been a bit busy lately but i am also changing things up on this blog.  i started out with feng shui posts every monday, wisdom on wednesday, fashion on friday, infused with inspirational posts whenever they happen.  i am finding that writing and being creative comes when it comes; and so i will post when this happens.  a natural way of blogging and writing...unless you tell me otherwise.  

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feng shui for your home is all about the energy you carry within yourself.  your personal energy will be reflected in your home environment or any space you inhabit.  today, i invite you to live well.  this is a very broad statement but if you examine it more closely, it's pretty simple.  live well.  take time to    create a mental inventory of what this means to you.  living well will mean different things to each person.  if necessary, write down your thoughts and also create visuals of what living well means to you.  a vision board is great for this.  maybe living well means having great health to you, or it may mean you have deep, interpersonal relationships or that you are able to travel to far-away places.  whatever you discover, embrace it, run with it and it will most definitely carry over into your home.  wishing you a very happy monday, dana

monday morning feng shui: i'd love to hear from you

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good morning!  just coming off a staycation with the fam (so nice to have a full week + together), and back to blogging somewhat regularly.  as a new blogger, this is a continually evolving process.  i am learning new things, growing, and finding my way in the blogosphere.  what would you like to hear, see, or have more of on this blog?  your input is greatly appreciated.  xoxo, dana 

monday morning feng shui: spring gardens

as spring has arrived, we emerge to tend to our outer sanctuaries.  this time reminds us of the importance of maintaining those green spaces outside our home.  removing dead, decayed plantings, cleaning up walkways and making repairs keeps your home "outer" feng shui in balance. 

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 happy monday and happy ch'i (a fancy word for energy), dana

 

monday morning feng shui: good kitchen design

some of you may know that the kitchen is the heart and hub of my home.  there is usually always a pan on the stove or a grill pan with something in it!  it seems that both my kids are in a growth spurt... or they have a hollow leg.  i spent so much time in the kitchen this weekend and figured this would be a good area to examine in terms of feng shui. 

 

my kitchen is u-shaped and my stove lines up to the back of the wall at what would be the inner bottom of a u...make sense?  to the left of my stove is the side of the u and it houses my sink and has an extended counter for counter seating.  i love this side...the kids can sit there to eat and can do art or play games while i cook.  it's good feng shui ju-ju for kids!  the only thing i would change, if i could, or if i had the budget (not planning on a major project for this condo); i would move my stove to where the sink is and move the sink to where the stove is.  sounds simple, right!?  this would put the stove/oven into the "power" position in feng shui theory.  i could then cook right in front my kids, company or friends. 

i love good kitchen designs, and white kitchens.  this design by eric piasecki, has the brightness of the white paint offset with just a few splashes of bright orange offset by rich textures shown in the pendants, the wood dining table and neutral fabrics on the seating.  the one thing i'd "feng shui", move the stove top to the island in place of the sink. 

nathan egan's white cabinets, subway tile backsplash, and marble counters gives this space a clean and airy feel that is perfectly balanced by those rattan barstools (love em'!) and the french country feel of the topiaries. 

there's a trend here...another white/creamy white space.  those windows, the lighting coming through, just gorgeous.  not to mention the stunning farm-house sink and those blooms.  do you see the stove peering out in the right-hand corner?  perfect placement for a stove. 

happy monday and happy ch'i, dana

 

 

monday morning feng shui: it all starts in the home

good morning to you all.  for the feng shui tips today, it's gonna be all about getting your feng shui straight starting with your home.  this is where it all begins.  if you think in terms of concentric circles with your life, the center would be your home, then perhaps your neighborhood, then your city, state...etc, etc.  imagine the energy flowing out from that center (your home) and into those other circles and the world; you then begin to see how important that center energy is.  taking care of yourself, your families (if you have them) and your home is paramount to optimizing what you'd like to do in the world.  imagine this scenario:  you have a high-powered, demanding career but the place where you rest and find peace (your home) at the end of the day is full of chaos.  your home is a mess, there are papers scattered around, the dog hasn't been to the vet because you are too busy, your closets are jammed full of stuff and not organized, basic maintenance needs have been neglected, that home project started 2 years ago is still not done...the list could go on and on.  these things affect you and can start to erode the quality of your life. 

 

 

here are some helpful tips: 

 

go back to the center of the concentric circle, to your center (you are included) care for yourself first. 

 

begin to focus on your home.  tackle one thing at a time to avoid possibly getting overwhelmed.

 

keep your focus clear.  if necessary, start a vision board or get professional help with this process.

 

give it time.  change can be quick or slow.  make change at a pace that feels right for you. 

 

love yourself.  be kind and gentle and give yourself plenty of room for breaks, time to rejuvenate and time to reflect. 

 

 

 

in time, repeated processes become habit.  so, keep on moving forward and soon enough it will become an everyday part of your life and you will see results!  ♥dana  

photo credit: laura resen