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Hello Beautiful! Feeling like getting FANCY for your weekly shopping trip? Campbell (grandbaby #5) rocking her favorite look, in case you need ideas--  *We have been having A BLAST in our FaceBook “Conquer Your Clutter” group (feel free to join, we’re going until the end of May)--members are working on projects, I’ve been LIVE every Friday to share updates, tips and inspiration AND, for fun… ...I offered members of the group a short 30 min. Virtual Feng Shui session to work on a design or organization issue that has them blocked. What a HUGE response--I’ve been blown away by the results of these 30 minute sessions over the last couple of weeks! We have--
These short sessions are POWERFUL and FUN! While we can’t do EVERYTHING in such a short time, as you can see, I can give you specifics to get you started with some “CHIFUL” ideas to get your space (and YOU) feeling good in no time! Let’s face it, being at home should feel good right now and I can help with that :) Cost for a 30 min Virtual Session with me-- $75* (I’m only opening 10 spots, for now) If this lights you up or feels like a big “YES”, or you have questions about it, just send me an email and I will respond as soon as I can! Lots of Love, XOXO  *Offer good through 5/29/2020
CLIENT LOVE (rec’d by text): “Good morning. I’m watching CBS This Morning Show and Gayle King needs you. 😆 I can hardly look at the background behind her in her NY apartment where she has a group of pictures, looking very much in need of your touch. I hope you are well--so grateful to be sitting in my beautiful kitchen, the whole space feels SO SUPPORTIVE ❤️--Thank You!”
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Hello Beautiful! How’s it going? I’ve been thinking about you all! Is your world still feeling Topsy-Turvy?  Campbell (grandbaby #5) -- in her "new perspective" mode As I scroll through Social Media, it seems as if those of us with more time on our hands these days are still putting cleaning, decluttering, organizing near the top of our to-do list. I’ve been cooking more--not my favorite thing, but, all of a sudden, it seems interesting--so you never know! So, here are some fun ways to get started! 12 Tips to Clear Out Clutter-- Challenge-based Tasks: 1. Take the 10-10-10 Challenge--10 items to throw away, 10 items to donate, 10 items to return to their “home”. That’s it--repeat as necessary :) 2. Take a Large Trash Bag--fill it as fast as you can with items to donate. 3. Sort Through a Pile of Junk Mail or Paper--has it piled up on the kitchen counter, coffee table, dining table? Go through one pile at a time--touch each piece of paper ONCE--recycle, shred, take action, file or scan/file digitally.  4. Set a Physical Boundary for Toys--I’m not a huge fan of making your kids declutter their stuff unless you’ve set a good example and can teach them how, so don’t start with this challenge. But when the time is right, take a look at the toys in your home and create a physical boundary for them (a shelf, closet, bins, etc.) and then help your child curate their toys to fit. Time-Based Tasks: 5. 15 Minute Family Challenge--If you’re all getting tired of being inside, see if you can talk them into this fun game--Take 15 minutes as a family and see if you can find 100 things to remove from your home. Give them instructions to scatter, declutter only things that belong to them, and see if your total numbers 100 things by the end.  6. 20 Minute Linen Closet Clean out--Set a timer, and clear out all the old towels and linens in your linen closet, you’ve been meaning to, anyway--now’s your chance! 7. Declutter One Room in 45 minutes--Take a look around your home and see if there’s a lived-in room that you can declutter entirely in 45 minutes. Maybe your living room, dining room, family room? Challenge your assumptions about what needs to stay in that room. Remove as much as you can--and then take a break and enjoy the peace and calm of a clutter-free room. Maybe take on another room tomorrow? Area-Based Tasks: 8. Clean Out Your Car--So often our cars fill up with unnecessary things: Old CDs, sunglasses, toys, receipts, coins, empty water bottles, trash. Grab two bags, one for trash and one for items to relocate--ready, go! 9. Clear Out Clothes You Don’t Wear--Open your closet and drawers, notice how you wear less than half of what you have? Now’s the time--get rid of the items that don’t fit, clothes that are old, out of style, need repair or that you just don’t CHOOSE!!!! Studies have shown that we (women) spend at least 1 year of our lives standing in front of the closet asking that age-old question, “What should I wear?” Curate your closet so that everything is possible! 10. Sort Through Your Pantry--Seems like now is a pretty good time to take a good look at your kitchen essentials--Remove anything old, expired, or unlikely to get used. Note which essentials need replenishing.  11. Food Storage Containers--Get the kids involved, match lids to containers, and then have a good look at what you NEED and what can be donated. Consider containers that stack easily and ditch the rest. If you haven’t heard, glass is better :) 12. Clear Your Desktop--A clutter-free desktop is such a beautiful place to get your work done--whether it’s career-based or home-based work. So find some time and finally clear yours--process piles of papers and remove unneeded supplies to create a space that supports your work. You never know what new opportunities you may be paving the way for…  I hope that something in the above list will light a spark for you--send me an email and let me know -- I would love to cheer you on! Lots of Love, XOXO  Hello Beautiful! How’s it going? Still settling into your home routine? I’m missing our grandbabies SO MUCH (well, their parents, too :) --I’m hoping you and your families are safe and well. Here’s Lucille (grandbaby #6) this week--thank goodness for FaceTime!  She just turned 1, such a cutie!!! I wanted to finish up my monthly Feng Shui “Too Much” series… If you want some catch-up reading--the first four in the series are here: Too much Earth Too much Fire Too much Wood Too much Metal So many people ask me about one of the most basic Feng Shui Tools--the balance of the elements--it’s SUCH an important key in creating a beautiful feeling space-- There are 5 Elements in Feng Shui:
When they are all in balance, it feels wonderful, the vibes are GOOD and you never want to leave the space. You can instantly feel when the elements are in harmony or when one or more of them have gotten out of balance. Today let’s focus on the element of Water: The WATER Element is represented by:
Examples of Too Much Water in a space: 
The above rooms may have won design awards, but from a Feng Shui perspective, they are out of balance and if you were to live in these spaces you might feel:
Examples of the Element of Water BALANCED in this client’s family room and bedroom...  This Family Room has a beautiful blue sofa and some touches of blue in the gorgeous art but it is balanced with color, shape and texture of the other pieces in the room.  This Master Bedroom has a beautiful shade of teal blue on the walls and in the mural but it also includes the balance of other elements through the bedding, lamps, additional colors, and wood furniture. When the Element of WATER is balanced you feel--
So, check your own home, how do the rooms feel? In general, can you identify water elements in your space? Notice the element of water--does it feel like you have too much, too little, or does it feel juuuuuuuust right? There are always “corrections” that can be made in a space to balance the elements--when I work with clients to harmonize, balance and upgrade a space, I am always aware of these foundational principles and use very specific design “remedies” in the form of paint color, fabric choices, furniture, space planning, flooring, and art to correct or cure the energy of a space that has gotten out of balance. And, if you would like to have a conversation about working together, just send us an email and I will be in touch right away--we work virtually, so no reason to wait! Lots of Love (and Virtual Hugs and Kisses), XOXO  PS: If you missed last week’s Virtual DreamBank Event--you can catch the replay HERE
PHOTO CREDIT: Jake Boyd Photography Hello Beautiful! I wanted to welcome our new subscribers from the Virtual DreamBank event this week--so happy to have you join our Feng Shui Family! If you are at all inclined to clear your clutter while you are #saferathome, I know you will get some great tips and motivation from the recording of this week’s event...Enjoy!  Things are, well, different now, but I see you there, doing your best to make it work… After a few weeks of figuring out the kids/work/groceries/stayhome/sanitizing thing--how are you feeling? If you’re working from home AND managing homeschooling, well, 545,329 gold stars for you.  So, is working from the dining table or lounge-working from the sofa going to be sustainable for you? I’m feeling that once the quarantine has lifted, more and more employers will continue to offer a work-from-home option--less overhead, more flexibility--we will all have proven that virtual work is not only possible, but in lots of cases more efficient and productive. So, IF you’re getting serious about a home office that really supports your WORK, let’s talk about a few options and how Feng Shui can help. Carve out some Space--It’s important to dedicate some space just for work--moving things on and off the dining table, coffee table and/or spreading out all over the family room is not going to be feasible for the long term. If you already have a whole room for your office then GREAT! If your office has to share with the guest room or another space in your home, it is totally possible to still make it work. Even a nook of the family room can be a viable option if you can claim it. Get Rid of Clutter--Well, you knew I was going to say that--I HAVE to! Clutter keeps us from focusing, thinking clearly, it drags down your energy and actually WASTES time! Stuffed file cabinets and piles of papers everywhere mentally pull you in many directions causing your productivity and efficiency go waaaay down. The Small Business Administration says that CEOs waste over an hour each day searching for lost information both digital and physical. So, right there, 5-6 hours A WEEK that you could have back to be creative, focus and get your damn work done! Place your Desk--Do whatever it takes to keep your desk from facing a wall. Even facing out the window is better than facing the wall. The best position for your desk, however, is pulling it OUT into the room so that you are in a commanding position like this: If your desk has to face the wall, please put something beautiful, bright and compelling on the wall or, put a large mirror above the desk so that you feel like you’re “going somewhere”--  Consider Your Chair--Sitting for long periods of time is HARD on your body. Consider a sit/stand desk AND pay very close attention to your chair. We have recommended the Swopper chair for many clients after hearing that it was “Chiropractor Recommended”--so good for your core and back (And a BIG upgrade to the exercise ball chairs!).  There are MANY good options for chairs, so do your research or get some guidance before you invest in your desk char--your body will thank you! Make it Beautiful--A beautiful office space says: “Someone valuable works here.” A clear desk whispers: “Something significant can be created here…” Whether it’s flowers, lighting, art, or a gorgeous color on the wall--add something that will lift your chi everytime you see it. If you want support to create an office space for yourself, please CLICK HERE and I will get back to you as soon as I can--we can TOTALLY do this virtually. We are working closely (I mean virtually) with Century House in Madison to make our client’s home office dreams come true--just let us know. Lots of Love (and Virtual Hugs and Kisses), XOXO  PHOTO CREDIT: Nancy Noet |
Jane Antonovich
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