by llenore | Mar 20, 2024 | Beauty, Blog, Business, Color, Creativity, Energy, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Feng Shui, Good Life, Home, Interior Design, Intuition, Living Room, My Story, Nature, Reflect You, Self Care, White, Yellow
Have you ever made a poor choice in decorating your home? If you did, was it your choice or someone else’s opinion you followed?
Design Mistakes
Blue, single-cushion, extra-long sofa
It was 1970. The sheer draperies recently were installed in my living room when a ‘friend’ said, “What were you thinking when you chose that color?” I thought the color was fine. Afterall, it was basically white!
The interior designer from the big chain store told me they were a great choice based on the other furnishings. My friend proceeded to tell me they were “too grey” with the other yellow-based colors I had in the room.
I was so embarrassed! I’d spent a huge amount of money on those draperies and knew my husband would be furious if he ever found out “they were wrong for the room!”
That wasn’t my first design mistake. It was one in a series. Buying a 95” sofa was one of the worst since it didn’t fit anyplace. My then husband, who was 6’5” tall, insisted on it in order to stretch out on it.
Design Classes
My friend’s comment was the last straw. I looked for a class to teach me about interior design. I found one through the parks & recreation department being held in a church and taught by a teacher from the prestigious Parsons School of Design. What a learning experience!
I became fascinated with the many guidelines of design. Many were totally impractical since I had a 2-year-old daughter and was going to have another child later that year. I made a new life-long friend who helped me put things into perspective.
She said, “If you want your home to be a showplace, you might want to follow the rules. If you want to have a comfortable home where you can raise a family and not worry about the mishaps that happen with children, use your common sense.”
She was a wise woman who shared lots of sage advice on numerous topics throughout our 40-year friendship. Sometimes the most valuable lessons learned are not from “teachers,” but from friendships.
Design Business
Within a year I had started an interior design business with several neighborhood ladies. We all were taking interior design classes at the local college. Our company was called, It’s About Design.
Each one of us had specific qualities we brought to the company. I was great at teaching classes that brought us clients. My focus was on the PRACTICAL SIDE of design. If you had children, pets, and/or didn’t like to clean house, I was your gal!
Now I do know the difference between yellow-based and grey-based whites. I’ve trained my eye. I also know, life is too short to focus on material things. It’s family, friendships, experiences, and the beauty of nature that means the world to me.
But if you have design questions, I love to share the pros and cons, the practical, and what truly matters in life. I’m glad to share my stories, experiences, wisdom, and sage advice. Just ask me!
by llenore | Feb 28, 2024 | Bedroom/Beds, Bedroom/Beds, Blog, Energy, Energy, Energy, Feng Shui, Feng Shui Schools, Good Life, Health, Home, Interior Design, Self Care, SelfCare
Back in 1999, during a course with the esteemed Karen Kingston, a guru in all things space clearing and energy work, a tale was spun that stuck with me for years. It was a story about a bed, of all things.
Picture this: a client, uneasy in her own bed with her new flame, invites Karen into her home. And where does Karen sense the energy? Yep, you guessed it – the bed. Turns out, that bed had seen more action than a Hollywood blockbuster, with a slew of men leaving their energetic mark, while the lady of the house remained the sole woman. Talk about a story that gives you goosebumps! It’s like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but with a twist – it’s not about the porridge being just right, it’s about how YOU feel in that bed.
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – or should I say, the bed? Have you ever stopped to ponder who’s been cozying up in your bed before you? It’s enough to make you think twice about your next hotel stay, right? I mean, what if that bed could talk? The stories it could tell!
Speaking of stories, let me share mine. Back in ’63, I unwittingly stumbled upon the ability to feel the energy of a bed. Trust me, it’s not as glamorous as it sounds. It all started with a teenage tantrum and some regrettable words exchanged with my father. Little did I know, those words would be the last he’d hear before a heart attack claimed him. The guilt weighed heavy on me, but what weighed even heavier was the realization that I had been sleeping in that very bed for years, soaking in the residual fear and pain of his final moments. It was like living a nightmare in my sleep.
Fast forward to adulthood, and I found myself using that same sensitivity to help others. Take one client who, post-breakup, was desperate for an energy overhaul. Armed with nothing but a broom and some serious determination, she set out to banish the old vibes from her bed. And wouldn’t you know it, a few months later, she’s walking down the aisle with her high school sweetheart, blissfully married for a decade and counting.
So, dear reader, I pose this question to you – who’s been leaving their mark on YOUR bed? Could it be time for an energy shift? It’s worth considering, don’t you think? After all, a good night’s sleep might just be the sweep of a broom away.
by llenore | Feb 26, 2024 | Beauty, Business, Dreams, Energy, Energy, Feng Shui, Feng Shui Schools, Good Life, Health, Linda Lenore, Mind-Body-Environment, Self Care, SelfCare, Spiritual, Symbolism, Visions - visioning - Vision Boards
February 26, 2002 will always be a MAGICAL DAY for me!
Diploma Certification as Feng Shui Master
It was the day I earned my Feng Shui Master’s degree/certification. Many things contributed to the “magic!”
The journey has been unexpected, long, interesting, terrifying, blissful, disconcerting, challenging, mystical, weird, expansive, and so much more – especially LIFE-CHANGING! Someday I’ll have written a book about it all, but for now I’ll share part of this particular day plus a few events that led up to it.
As I write this, I see it is going to be longer than what I want one post to be. Hence, this will be Part One.
I’d been taking courses on various topics including Feng Shui with Prof. Dr. Jes T.Y. Lim for several years. Because of his extensive and diverse education, these trainings encompassed so much more than Feng Shui. Since he has diplomas and degrees in psychology, medicine, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), hypnotherapy, and business administration, we’d learn all of these modalities and how to interconnect them.
Leading up to the 3-week course –
Culturally, as a student, it is disrespectful to arrive late to a class, and late could be as little as a couple of minutes. I was planning to attend this course when my “life-saving” best friend announced she was getting married. (I’ll share the “life-saving” story for another time also.) When the Twin Towers were attacked in September 2001, she was in Tahiti. That was a wake-up call for her to marry the love-of-her-life NOW! It was scheduled for February 9, which happened to be the first day of the Canary Island course.
It may sound strange, but back then many of us didn’t have, or use, email like we do now. It was still a very new technology and everyone was working out the bugs with it. I emailed the organizer to tell her I wouldn’t be attending after all – and why.
Arial View of Hotel – I believe it is Dreams Jardin Tropical
A couple days later I received a personal phone call from Dr. Lim from his home in Australia with this voice message: “Linda, you go to best friend’s wedding. Then you catch the first flight next morning out of San Francisco. When you arrive in Tenerife, you go straight to hotel, drop off bags, and come to class!”
WHAT?!!! That is totally unheard of!!! Many times I had seen a person kicked out of course, or even kicked out of the Feng Shui School, for being as late as an hour because it is such an insult or dishonoring to the Master when one is late. To be given permission to be almost 2 days late – actually to be given a directive to attend even though I was going to be 2 days late – I was in tears with gratitude!
I did exactly that.
I was stopped and searched in San Francisco because I was carrying eight 18″ hollow copper rods as part of the “tools” I needed for the training. Remember, this was about 4 months after 911 and security was exceptionally high.
I knew it might be challenging to get through security, even though I had contacted airport security telling them I was going to be traveling with the copper rods. I allowed plenty of time – at least I thought I had. I had allowed 4 hours and it took every bit of the four hours and then some – to the point where I did almost miss the flight!
Maybe this day stands out as magical to me because of the prelude. Yet when I tell you some of the rest of the story these following days, you just might see a Divine Directive was at play!
by llenore | Feb 6, 2024 | Balance, Blog, Chinese New Year, Energy, Feng Shui, Good Life, Linda Lenore, Number 9, Number 9, Optimistic, Self Care, Spiritual, Symbolism
Lunar New Year for 2024 brings additional energies according to several Feng Shui schools. Most people don’t know anything about this, yet it is a powerful tool – one to consciously consider and utilize in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead. It’s a 20-year cycle and it’s just starting!
Hello Period 9
The “period” systems mainly comes into play determining energies for construction dates of buildings. Most people don’t have control over unless they build a new home.
Yet these energies are prevalent in all areas of our life. I’m not predicting the future, I’m sharing qualities and energies experienced in past Period 8 and Period 9 timeframes.
Period 8 – based on the number 8 – is associated with balance, ambition, giving back, and prosperity energies. Some of its challenging energies are materialistic, authoritative, and feeling entitled. We have seen extensive examples of ambition, materialistic focus, entitlement, and authoritarian influences worldwide, especially since 2020.
Period 9 – based on the number 9 – is about endings of cycles. It’s an energy of transformation, guiding, and empowering leadership. It’s humanitarian at its heart and awakening inner wisdom. It’s being tolerant, not judgmental. The potential downsides energetically are resentful, sacrificing, and suffering without reason.
In past Period 9s the energies were started for major changes that happened in American history. Two cycles ago, the first Bible was published in America giving guidance for transformation. The New England states changed leadership many times during that same Period 9 cycle – many times resulting in resentful and sacrificing energies. The last Period 9 saw empowering leadership that started efforts to abolish slavery (humanitarian). They were concluded in Period 1 (the next Period), which becomes an example of an ending cycle guiding to a new transformation cycle.
This is not a history lesson, nor am I going to get into political issues. I’m sharing some of the major energies brought to the forefront historically during Period 9.
The main point is: there is a shift of energy on the horizon unlike anything we’ve experienced. My reasoning is because each “period” is 20-years long. That means a person would have to live 180 years to have participated in this energy. I don’t know anyone that has lived that long. (The oldest documented human lived to be 122 years old.)
So, hold on! We’re going to see an energy we haven’t seen in the world. The most powerful number is the number 9. According to numerology, 9 is the number of wisdom and leadership.
Spiritually speaking – let’s pray we see this!
by llenore | Jan 30, 2024 | Blog, Feng Shui, Good Life, Health, Linda Lenore, Mind-Body Connection, Mind-Body-Environment, Mindfulness, Optimistic, SelfCare, Symbolism
Sometimes life goes “sideways” even with the best of plans, using all the knowledge I’ve gleaned through my Feng Shui trainings, and implementing correct protocols from numerous modalities.
I’m Calling it a Blessing
The question is: How does one navigate these times? (Hint: I call them BLESSINGS!)
Having a PERFECT FENG SHUI HOME does not stop bad things from happening. (BTW – there is no “perfect” Feng Shui home!) The point is to use your home – knowing through Feng Shui the interaction and interconnection your home has with your health and life – to figure out what the growth, lesson, and opportunity are in the situation.
What are the hidden treasures in the detour your life has taken. Rarely are the “treasures” known or understood until some point in the future. When you can look back.
I’ve had a virtual “Treasure Map of Learning Opportunities” the last 6 months. I’ll share a couple brief ones to give you an idea. It would take numerous blogs to share them all!
First example:
We took our first vacation in years during the summer. We went to a quaint little town I’d heard about and seen in photos. We walked around trying to find a restaurant that would accommodate my allergies. They promised they’d look after me. Two hours later I was having a horrible allergy attack that lasted several days. We ended our trip early. I needed to recover at home.
Blessing a Home for the Lunar New Year
When we arrived home, we found a toilet had been running the whole time and overflowed. We arrived back just before the water was about to flood the carpet.
From Feng Shui, the area where this happened in the home and the symbolic relation to where my allergic reaction occurred in my body were identical!
Thus, I call my misfortunate allergy attack a BLESSING because it prevented us from having thousands of dollars of damage to our home.
Tomorrow I’ll share another example.
by llenore | Jan 12, 2024 | Ba-Gua, Beauty, Blog, Chinese New Year, Clutter, Color, Feng Shui, Good Life, Interior Design, Linda Lenore, Reflect You
To have a clean slate to work with when setting your goals, we need to get rid of last year’s energy. Clutter is a good example of things from the past holding us back. That’s why the first step is to declutter, thus creating an organized environment in which to set our intentions. It raises the vitality.
Next we are going to locate an area we deal the “wealth area” of our homes.
The Ba-Gua
Step 2: Create a Westernized Wealth Corner (45 minutes)
Guided by the ancient wisdom of the Ba-Gua map, our journey gracefully leads us to the wealth corner of your home, a pivotal point associated with the beckoning of financial prosperity in Feng Shui.
In this segment, we introduce a touch of Western luxury by embracing the opulent gleam of gold accents. Gold, synonymous with opulence and abundance in Western design, is now strategically incorporated as a potent symbol for prosperity. Elevate this space with the warm glow of carefully chosen gold-framed mirrors, metallic decor, or a chic vase adorned with fresh flowers.
A couple other colors associated with wealth are green and purple. If gold isn’t your style, find items in either or both of these colors. It could be you include a green houseplant or an orchid with a purple flower. Then you’d have both green and purple. A Lucky Bamboo is also a possibility, especially if you find yourself challenged keeping plants alive. Lucky Bamboo can live in areas of low light and do not like direct light, so it’s perfect for those interior bathrooms.
These additions not only enhance the visual aesthetics of your wealth corner but also act as beacons attracting positive financial energy. In a mere 45 minutes, you have transformed this area into a stylish haven radiating prosperity and elegance – a tangible reflection of your aspirations for the Chinese New Year.
#WealthCornerGlamour #LuxuryWithPurpose
Next Stop: Red and Gold Accents in Modern Style
Red Envelopes, Ingots, Firecrackers, & Peach Blossoms for Health, Wealth, Love, Joy, & Good Luck!
Step 3: Red and Gold Accents in Modern Style (20 minutes)
As our journey unfolds, we shift our focus to infusing the vibrant hues of red and gold into your decor, but with a contemporary and modern twist.
Instead of traditional lanterns, you might consider sleek red and gold throw pillows, table runners, or candles. Red is considered the most auspicious color, that is why it is used in as many ways as possible throughout the Lunar New Year, whether it’s in clothing, decor for the home, or the symbolic Red Envelopes given this time of year.
These accents seamlessly integrate with the existing framework of contemporary Western design, infusing your living space with an aura of auspicious energy. The fusion of tradition and modern style achieved in this segment results in a unique, stylish, and meaningful ambiance. In just 20 minutes, you have not only created a visual harmony that resonates with the spirit of the Chinese New Year, but you have also successfully blended elements that complement your Western design sensibilities.
This intentional blending ensures that your home becomes a testament to the seamless integration of diverse cultures, adding depth and character to your living space.
#ModernAuspiciousness #StylishHarmony
Next Stop: Furniture Arrangement for Harmony
