Rose Cottage

  We're a week into February and our focus on Resetting Your Space as a Living Altar. This is the third year I've been invited to co-host with my creative Sistar Katy, and we've both decided to focus on our studios.   Craft supplies & Altar I'm also enrolled in an 8 week course on using Creativity to foster Resilience, with my friend Cindy Jacobs . We are using Soul Collage and Mixed media to craft cards, and exploring insights in our journals. Cindy i s also offering a monthly circle to make cards around our Word of the Year - email Cindy to register for these! Yesterday I moved a small set of shelves next to my couch, where I do most craftey bits!  Angel of Time One of the first SC 'Neter' (archetype) cards is this helpful Time Angel! I've been working with her since ~ 1995, when my friend Anita and I invoked her aid on the way to a Reiki circle (and arrived 'on time' - though we should have been late!)  Whilst resetting our spaces, it can also...

  A helpful tip for any home care journey is to 'carry a clipboard' and tour your space regularly!  Clipboard & note pad In 'One Thing At a Time,' Cindy Glovinsky writes, 'face your possessions with a clipboard in your hands, and there's no way they're going to run over you. A clipboard puts you squarely in charge of the Things in your life.' (P 15)  Cindy suggests using a legal pad - but I have a sweet vintage half-size board, that my mom made many notes on (often on pads she made her self from 'scratch paper,' stapled together!) It's perfect for the 4x6" sticky note pads which were in my Christmas stocking! Our family loves this size note pad - and i love  the practice of checking off what's done! You can also use digital systems - and remember to check them periodically!  From the bookshelf In 'Finding Yourself at Home,' Emily also suggests using a clipboard or notebook, as you tour your home with fresh eyes!  Choose ...

  ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ  ᎢᏤ  ᎠᏕᏘᏱᏍᎬᎢ   U-li-he-lis-di  i-tse  a-de-ti-yi-s-gv-i (happy New Year!) We've crossed the Threshold into 2025, and near the end of the month, will greet the Asian Year of the Snake (January 29). This is a great time to create 'physical  and metaphorical space for fresh Chi / energy and fortune' by clearing out old, stressed and stagnant energy from the year past.  I'm participating in the January Ultimate Blog Challenge  - always inspiring!  Buddha's Playhouse In Karen Kingston's book " Clear your Clutter with Feng Shui ," she suggests asking yourself these questions as you're clearing: Does (an object) lift my energy when I look at or think about it? Do I absolutely LOVE it? Is it generally useful? When the answer to any of these is, 'No,' it's time to move it out of our space! In her 18 day guide to making way for the new year, my friend Gwynne Warner writes, "It's absolutely fine to delegate this, it just needs...

 I know my Birthday Twin Gwynne would approve of this pre birthday tidy! (She takes our whole birth-month off for personal renewal!) Birthday flowers from Teresa  When you're working on dethugging, clearing clutter, reorganizing and tidying a space, do you go through an ugly duckling stage, where it looks worse rather than better?!  That's SO often happened to me! (And was my SOP as a kid - so disheartening!) A practice I've found helpful - especially  times I know I'm not likely to get back to the area for several days  (or weeks!)  - I factor in 20-30 minutes for a general regoup and tidy at the end!  This includes taking what I can out of the space (empty trash, and recycling,  take donations to the car...)  Redistributing things to their home, asking myself: - do I need/ want it? - Does it have a home? - Where would I look for it? And then - Consolidate things 'in process' to one wall or area, retaining the outtakes organization - V...

  I'm looking forward to this year's February invitation to  Reset the space of your Living Altar,  which I'll co-facilitate with a friend from our  Intentional Creativity  community. This is timely, as I've been in my new house 9 month, so it will be good to revisit my use of this lovely space! It will be my second year in this role as a host. Vinny robot A decade ago, our Intentional Creativity mavon  Shiloh  issued this invitation:   " I would love for you to finish your painting if you haven’t, and then to clean your studio. Reset your altars. Make new room for the sprouts to come up through the ashes. You need space and time to see what’s coming up and what wants to be shared and prepared for...." Red Thread The Reset group description reads,  "think of this, what if your whole home was a sacred space? Throughout February, (we) will lead a month of consciously clearing spaces in your home, and you're invited!"  As we are appro...

 Over the years, my cleaning style has ebbed and flowed; my daughter tells me I could write a book on  feng shui , (she wonders why I don't just do what I know, lol!)  Last fall after numerous discussions and planning, my daughter, son-in law and I began sorting, clearing and downsizing for my big move into a smaller space!! She helped inside, while he did much of the heavy lifting and dispersal- storage,  donations, recycling and trash! Zander helping sort When I'm working solo, I am a fan of utilizing a  Body Double  -  listening to podcasts or YouTube, or calling a friend (and using Bluetoothor pitting them on speaker!). Melissa Maker's  Cleaning videos , and tips from Rachel Hoffman of  UFYH  were already favorites.  I joined a fortuitous Clutter Clearing submit, and found more: Cass - Clutterbug , Dana - A Slob Comes Clean ,  plus my friend Kira Rodenbush - What's Up with your Stuff ? And Feng Shui Maven Amanda Gibb...