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Do you remember Lily from last week’s post? She was our “Success Story” (...in progress) and right in the midst of a basement “situation”. She was nursing her new baby and letting go of papers (at the same time--WONDER WOMAN!) Her motivation is to clear this space to become a lively playroom for her 2 older boys--and eventually, the baby. She sent this picture of the scene…  I’ll be addressing some of Lily’s questions (and others) on tonight’s monthly Q & A call. Lily needs support...
AND, Anne has just moved with two toddlers and hubby to Illinois. She has questions for the call tonight, too: Anne’s Questions...
Maybe you have a basement, office, closet, garage, attic, or kitchen “situation”. And, maybe you have some of the same (or similar) questions as Lily and Anne. Even though our situations are all unique it’s often true that there are similarities in the challenges. It helps to have the SUPPORT of others! If you have any additional questions to add, please hit REPLY to this email and send them along--I will get to as many as possible in 45 minutes. I’m excited!!! This is a compelling mix of using your HOME as a TOOL for TRANSFORMATION--decluttering, design and feng shui. I hope you can join us tonight! I’ll be on the line at 8pm CST (9pm ET). Call-in: 712-775-7085 Code: 626584# Lots of Love, XO 
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We were back in Iowa this weekend (YAY!), Paige (daughter), Chris, and baby Jude bought a new house and the closing was last week--WOOHOO!!!!!  They wanted the whole shebang--colors for the interior, kitchen advice (YIKES--it’s just gotta go), exterior colors, the start of a landscaping plan, furniture arrangement and ideas for adding art and mirrors to enhance the space. We assessed everything: flooring, walls, lighting, storage and the yard. We made THE NEW HOUSE LIST: Now:
This is a rough list--and each “item” could have many, many steps. But, if you tend to get scattered and overwhelmed, a list like this can TOTALLY help your brain calm down and free up energy to get to things one at a time. Well, and as you know if you’ve ever moved, it’s exciting to think about the new place and, oh, yeah, there’s the OLD PLACE to consider as well. And you might be thinking, “What’s the big deal? Pack it all up and move!” There is one step BEFORE packing that will SUBSTANTIALLY assist you in the moving process… Let go of as much as possible BEFORE you pack it up. Declutter NOW to streamline your packing and unpacking--it’s vital to a painless-as-possible :) move. Paige and I went through the pantry, her clothes, the baby’s clothes, and a storage closet in a few hours. 8 BAGS for donation, expired food to the garbage can, and too-small baby clothes in a tub ready to move. Here’s their EDITING LIST for the coming weeks:  (This list created in Notes--iPhone application--sexy, non? Click on the little circle and you’re rewarded with a checkmark :) Consider one item on the list at a time, bring the garbage and donation bags with you as you begin, and GO! Handling this list in 30-60 minute increments will assure that it’s done in time for the packing and moving in a few weeks’ time. Can you feel how this reduces the stress? Gives your brain something to do so that it doesn’t freak out? Do not underestimate the value of creating a list! I have talked to many of you in the last several weeks who are in this same kind of transition--moving, getting ready to move--I hope this gives you some ideas to create an effortless transition. If you want support, contact me, my team and I can work with you to create a plan and/or give you hands-on help so that you will be happily skipping from Point A to Point B in no time! Lots of Love, XOXO  SUCCESS STORY: I talked with Lily, in Chicago this week, who was nursing her baby and purging papers at the same time--ahhhh, Lily!!!!!!, You Rock! She said, “I want MORE THAN ANYTHING for this basement to be a playroom for this little one and his 2 big brothers--there’s so much potential here. But it’s clogged up with papers from college, books, mementos and photos--it’s just GOT TO HAPPEN!” (BTW, we made a plan, books first, rough sort the rest) Then papers, mementos and photos--the last (and often most difficult) category. She said just that bit of advice helped--can’t wait to check back with her to see how it’s going…
If you’re following along, I was with my cutie grandson, Jude, for part of last week, what an adorable little chunk of goodness he is--crawling, standing up, waving, clapping, and I’m pretty sure he said, “Nana!”--so delightful to watch him blossom.  And this week, back to reality… Maybe some of you know that I have a morning routine that includes a nice long walk in the big city park near our apartment and several trips up and down the sledding hill for bonus points. I either walk or rollerblade just about every morning--I love it and it’s really really good for me, in more ways than one. Last week, though, I was in full grandma-mode and even though I was not lacking for action (racing Jude to the dog water dish, saving the floor lamp from crashing into the fireplace, and strollering him to the playground) I was not going on my “usual” morning walks. So, on Monday morning I woke up, put my walking gear on and then sat down on the sofa--remember, the beautiful soft, cozy/comfy one? “Hmmmmm”, I thought, “I’ll check my email, maybe I won’t walk this morning, maybe I’ll just sit--after all, I was quite busy last week…” A few moments later, I had the second wave of thoughts which came from a deeper, truer place…”Remember how you feel when you walk or skate consistently? Remember how you feel when you don’t? Remember how inspired and connected you feel when you’re out in nature? What do you REALLY want?” And then I set out for the walk. It would’ve been SO EASY to just stay home and listen to that first (really smart-sounding) voice in my head! And as I walked down the path, I thought, this is EXACTLY what happens with some of my clients. They have REASONS for not letting go, for keeping things, for staying stuck.  But the reasons come from the BRAIN. And the brain is very useful to us! It calculates our budgets, gets us from point A to point B, keeps track of time and is sensible and protective. It wants to keep us safe, and from rocking the boat or getting into trouble. But, does that mean that all the information we receive from the brain is the last and final word? After having worked with clients for many years and continuing to experience my own personal growth, I can say that typically we have a broader sense of what is right and true for ourselves and our lives. And sometimes it takes some time to drop down into that bigger, heart-centered place of knowing.  When I ask clients what they dream of for their lives, they often answer with something like this:
You get the idea…the requests are for freedom, expansion, abundance, connection… BIG, GORGEOUS, DELICIOUSLY WONDERFUL LIVES. Then, once we dig in and start the actual editing and letting go process… Sometimes clients dish up REASONS (along with resistance) like this:
And yes, some things will be kept--the things you NEED and the things you LOVE. The things that light up your heart and make you smile. If you let the REASONS win, your traction will be toast and your forward progress will stall. I guarantee it. When you get to work on decluttering and organizing your space...watch for your sneaky brain to attempt to stop or slow your forward momentum. Your home is a POWERFUL TOOL for transformation--a beautiful way to take extremely good care of yourself and those you love. Contact me if you are in need of some support. I am booking clients into September and would LOVE the opportunity to help you get started with your transformation--because what if it was all just GONE in a month or two? What if you had your life back? Wouldn’t you love that? Lots of Love, XOXO Jane SUCCESS STORY: “Now, I keep up with the mail; the multiple bags and boxes of it are gone and I’m FREE! It was like a cancer growing right in my house. I will never let that happen again--I so appreciate Jane’s guidance and kindness in consistently showing up to assist me in releasing all of that chaos. PS: I got a raise!” ~Anonymous, Madison, WI Photo Credit: 123rf I’m in Iowa VERY BUSY taking selfies with my grandson Jude (10 mos.)--he’s a natural, don’t you think? We are spending the week together--yes, I took my vitamins!  A Big Hello (!) to the ladies from the Velvet Button Event last Wednesday. It was wonderful to meet you all and I’m very happy you’ve joined us here. What a sweet little boutique--the owners, Karen & Rhonda, are so welcoming and obviously have the best customers! Today I have a “Dining Room” to share with you… This dining room belongs to my clients, Roseann and Bridget:  They called last fall because they had just moved into a new home and wanted assistance in creating an uplifting space that would support their relationship, health and the flow of abundance into their lives--Yep, they wanted it ALL! This home had been remodeled and added onto in some very “interesting” ways. We spent most of a year working on the entire house--top to bottom. We started with the entryway and moved right into...the DINING ROOM--which is the room we’re taking a peek at today. Before:  After:  This soft geometric wallpaper--yellow, gray, cream was THE CURE for this room. It was as if we wrapped the room (and it’s inhabitants) in a big cozy quilt. The overhead fan was replaced with two BIG-sized clear lights, two soft comfy chairs were added near the window for reading, relaxing and conversation. Two bookcases (light-feeling with no back panel) were added to create a library-Bridget is an author and both women love to read. The shelves feel balanced with books and objects meaningful to the couple. The dark red rug made it’s way to the basement TV room and the new grey wool rug holds the space and mirrors the smoky color on the ceiling. The cornices are gone, the shutters remain, and a piano balances the room on the other end.  Besides the warm inviting feeling, this room addresses the couple’s requests. We intentionally included items (chairs, lights, bookshelves, objects) IN PAIRS to support relationship. The cozy feeling supports a place to rest and relax and let the stress of the day melt away. Bridget and Roseann LOVE to entertain and this room has space for friends, food and fun. (Their housewarming party last month was full of love and laughter all through the house and overflowing out to the backyard :) What an incredible project and lovely clients (!) more from their home to come in the future... Thank you for reading--I hope you’re having a wonderful week. Lots of Love, XOXO  |
Jane Antonovich
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