Emie Otis of Beauty Mark Designs in her 2007 Junk to Funk Submission

Check out the Goddess in the above photo. I happened to very lucky yesterday. I spent the entire afternoon filming another PinknGreen vlog episode at Emie Otis’s Design Studio where she introduced me to her eco-chic clothing line and her latest and greatest piece (shown above) which will be shown at the Junk To Funk Recycled Fashion Show in Portland on November 17th at the Wonder Ballroom. Yes, yes, I know, the show will be aired soon…I promise…(I’m working on last minute editing stuff…I’m so excited!)

Trust me, you will LOVE this one. I got to play dress up in some of the most inspiring and creative clothing I think I’ve ever worn. Emie’s other design collections include clothing that is salvaged and then re-designed to create beautiful and totally unique pieces. And yes of course I left her studio with an amazing outfit. You’ll see a lot of me in different outfits (and wearing Emie’s pink wig) in the video. Not to be missed!

The outfit (in the above image) is made out of Fred Meyer’s plastic grocery bags. The glitter is made out of broken CD’s. That gorgeous train is made out of recycled video tape. And the strap is made out of a recycled tire. Can you believe the creativity in this piece? Emie is fabulous and her stuff, total Bling Green! You have to check out her website, seriously.

So more about our day together. Within five minutes of my arrival Emie graciously offered me (and my videographer Abby Spyker) Mimosas and showed me her fabulous studio. What can I say–it is a girl’s dream space. With wigs and fashion inspiration plastered on the walls, and a fabulous poster of Emie as a 17 year old model, an area for her sewing machine, mannequins dressed in some of Emie’s newest designs–totally dreamy. Splashes of bright colors especially pink really keep the space bright and beautiful.

Thank-you Emie for opening up your space and sharing your designs with the rest of us. By the way, I’m coming in again soon for that custom dress we talked about!

Pegoda.jpg

So it’s one of the most magical days in Portland today. A perfect fall day, where your body just melts into the sun . I happen to be very lucky. I’m lying in my hammock right now in my back yard (pictured above) rocking myself gently as my body soaks up the sun’s gentle love. Hmmm…Can it get better than this?

In Feng Shui terms, this section of my backyard is located in my love/relationship area of the Bagua Map. (More on the Bagua coming soon)….It’s all about Mother Earth energy here, where loving oneself, friends and our beloved is cultivated and nurtured. Yes, you could say I’m nurturing myself right now as I rock back and forth with a big smile on my face.

When I first moved into my home (about 7 months ago), this section was missing–it was outside of a wall and used as a parking space. Yes, that was my first priority–I broke down the wall and extended the space (by building a fence) to include my love area inside my backyard and had my dear friend Miguel build me a Pergola with a bamboo roof and the floor is sand–yes, I wanted to feel the softness on my feet and between my toes. Miguel reused all the stone that you see–just dug around my yard and worked his magic with what was there. Very green indeed. I’m so grateful to him. If you live in Portland and want someone who does amazing landscaping work, contact Miguel at miguelanh@comcast.net

So anyway, I hung out here all summer long with friends, lounging about and hosted some fun gatherings. I hadn’t used the space is some time since it started to get chilly in the last three weeks. In Feng Shui, when space isn’t used, we call it a “dead zone”. Not good since we want the energy to extend to all of our living spaces (even outside), to keep it alive and in good health.

However, when the weather gets cold and we can’t always be outside, it’s important to visit the area even once in awhile to keep it active. In my situation, I continue to visit the area even when it is too cold outside to hang out and I keep it clean. I make sure to keep two pillows on the outdoor furniture which represents two people. The hammock is also big enough for two and the entire area is large enough for many of my friends to hang out. The important thing is that my intention was set here when I built it (love, friendship and community) and it continues as I keep it active. I can see this area from my back door and every time I look outside, I am reminded of my intention. That really lifts my Spirits.

Today, however, I was so inspired to sit out here and just “be” in my hammock. Well, it’s an amazing day. What a gift! I was also inspired to write about the importance of keeping dead zones alive even in times of dormancy. A tree although it loses it’s leaves in the winter is still very much alive and it’s intention is set–it will blossom again in the Spring.

Keep areas alive with your intention and place things in those areas that have special meaning for you. I can honestly tell you that the transformative power in that is magic and very real.

Questions. Thoughts. Would love to hear from you.

(After photo) Rupa Jack’s Executive Office: She’s the VP of Morgan Stanley, Portland.

The day I walked into Rupa Jack’s office (she’s my financial adviser), there were two things I noticed: (1) She innocently gave me the executive seat at the round table and (2) her desk was facing away from the door. Read on.

After we discussed my financial portfolio (and this woman is powerful!), I casually asked her how she felt while working in the space? She shared that she often felt startled when her assistant and others would come through the office door while she was seated at her desk. I thought to myself, “This is making her anxious.”

I really got her attention when I pointed out how she had given me the executive seat at the round table when it was more beneficial for her to be in the command seat (facing the door and the client–in this case, me). This gives the client the feeling of a supportive authority (Rupa) and we ALL want someone who is managing our money to be a high authority on the subject.

All of these considerations went through my head before I even thought about Rupa’s best Feng Shui directions. And even after I did calculate her numbers, they did not correlate with what I felt would be the most supportive desk position in the room.

All I can say is that I gave her all my suggestions, based on information she provided to me about herself, her work and her lifestyle. I came back another day and together we moved everything in the space (with a little help from some colleagues) and added some plants and artwork. You can see the before and after images on my gallery page.

She reported back to me later that her entire experience working in her office had improved significantly. You can read what she said about the experience here.

A tiny space yes, but after we feng shuied it–yummy and abundant!

The first time I went over my friend Jen’s house, she complained about how small she felt her home was and that she needed more space. I gently explained to her that it’s not about the size, it’s about what you do with the space and how it makes you feel. Sound familiar? At that moment the only solution in her eyes would involve moving to another home or at least a major remodel. Not so said I. And I’ll prove it to you.

So we both got movin’! I supported her with my feng shui design recommendations and guidance and she got her ass in gear and did ALL the work herself–within one month…and all creatively I might add: on a budget.

The result: total transformation! Rooms that were once considered dead zones (empty areas with no life energy) turned into lounge spots of love and light.

After photo of the bedroom: Dark, yes but also sensual.

Her love area (their bedroom) before, was disconnected from the rest of the home. She then painted it herself, bought a beautiful new dresser she found at Denali Home Furnishings for $100 bucks (an amazing price), brought in some art from her storage unit and voila—it is now re-connected with the rest of the home and she always wants to go in there. I bet you can guess how that will affect their love life.

Jen now totally gets it. In the space (first photo) we placed artwork and accessories with intention–the items reflect her (and her husband Josh’s) inner self. They now spend time in the lounge fireplace area of the living room (above photo) all cozied in feelin’ all mushy and lovey. And especially by the fireplace, could you ask for anything more romantic?….And well yes, they are a very romantic couple anyway.

It all happened so fast….I went over there on Tuesday afternoon for afternoon tea in front of the fireplace and asked her how she now felt about her home. She replied, “very grounded…it doesn’t even feel like the same space…and…we’re not going anywhere…”

Music to my ears.

Kristin Spurkland and I dancing samba for filming of Planet Pink n’ Green video blog series, coming soon!

Ok, it’s still comin’ and comin’ strong!—I have filmed 4 episodes of my video blog designer series,-Uncovering Eco-Chic in Portland and Beyond with many more fabulous eco-chic boutiques and artists on the way! It’s been so much fun and totally inspiring. Stay tuned, it will be posted right here in early November 2007.

I’m busy working with my editor and motion graphic visionary Brian Smith of Rendered Hero who is finishing the motion graphics which in part include a dance samba sequence…he is doing a fabulous!! job and I highly recommend him. His energy is high and mighty. Here’s a sample of his work on this project:

Yes, those two silhouettes are Kristin and I (if you already hadn’t guessed) and a beautiful Portland skyline.

Lewis Childs and his band Xevi Nova wrote and sang an original piece for me entitled, “Roda Maraviha”, a Brazilian Bossa Nova piece that just melts into your heart. Hmmm….Thank-you Lewis!

So on the day of the filming for the samba dance sequence, there we were (Kristin and I) in front of the magic white sheet, (see first photo), dancing Samba and loving it! The energy we shared was lovely and amazing….Thank-you Kristin for your presence and gratitude to Todd Jackson (Kirstin’s beloved) for letting us use his yoga studio, Portland Yoga Arts and (more importantly) for the bottle of Tres Generaciones silver tequila. No we didn’t drink the bottle, just a few shots to get us relaxed….that really helped to calm our nerves. Check out our Samba teacher Donna Oefinger.