Happy Year of the Dragon!

Monday, January 23, 2012, is the beginning of the Year of the Dragon.  It is one of my favorite holidays.  I remember the long banquet tables at Louie's on Grant Avenue in San Francisco's Chinatown.  This year I will celebrate with my family at Dim Sum. 

Instead of resolutions, my tradition is to think about what I want to create in the new year.  I think about the "energy" of the year and this year is a great time to create.

Everything is always changing.  Now is the time to de-clutter and make the way clear to receive because the dragon helps dreams come true.  Therefore, be clear what you wish for because you could very well get it.

That reminds me of the time I wished for an office with a window in the new complex we were moving in.  I got my wish BUT the window looked into the office of another designer.  I kept practicing fine-tuning my wishing and, eventually, ended up in an office with a window. I could take a moment and look out at the sky and remember the same energy that makes Earth revolve around the Sun is guiding me to discover who I am and my purpose in life.

In 2003, I envisioned my grandchildren - being present for their births, playing with them and watching them grow.  Long story short, I moved to Richmond in 2004, now have two beautiful grandchildren and life is good.  As it so happens, I can also see the out-of-doors from my desk.

Take time to go within and connect with your inner guidance.  Surround yourself with nature and supportive people.  Let the dragon guide you.  It is time for magic!

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Are You Eclectic or Wabi-sabi?

Eclectic is a word that is often used to describe a style of design, which is somewhat ironic because it is characterized by the fact that is it is not one particular style.                 

What does eclectic mean?  The simple version is this:  a combination of many styles or influences.  In other words, it is okay to mix contemporary with rustic, country French with transitional.  The possibilities are endless.  Therefore, I ask my clients, "What does eclectic mean to YOU?"

When I sit down and talk to my clients about their style, what I hear are the stories about why this piece was mixed with that piece - whether it was handed down from relatives, collected in ones travels or bought "just because" - I hear about things they love and/or cannot part with for sentimental reasons.  It made me think about "Wabi-sabi."

If an object can bring about a sense of spiritual longing within us, then the object may be wabi-sabi.   The essence of wabi-sabi is the realization of three principles:  nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect. 

The principle that I like best is that even the quirks and anomalies arising from the process of construction, as well as use, add uniqueness to the object.  The patina and wear of an object add to its beauty.   This may be a difficult concept for many on one level but it reminds me of the bentwood chair I salvaged from an Ybor City cigar factory and paired with a French writing desk or the unique mirror that was not my style but I loved anyway.  I placed it in a "neutral zone" so it does not fight with anything and I get to enjoy it every day on my way out the door.

Nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect.  In other words, there is perfection in imperfection.   Maybe it is for those very reasons we hold onto certain "things" whether they go together aesthetically or not.  Whatever your style(s), I hope you love it as much as I do mine.

Peace & Cookies

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence."*  

             The louder, the busier and the more frenetic life is, the more I long for silence, or at least stillness.  Moments of stillness - like sleep - rejuvenate me.  Clears the cobwebs in my mind.  For some reason, December started out with lots of cobwebs.  It started with Christmas music and commercials everywhere - sucking the joy out of the season, that is, until I walked into The Alchemist at Stoney Point.  Actually, it was meant to be a short cut on my way to find the See's Candy Store but I lingered and listened to the music.  It was Cadence Spalding - an angelic voice if there ever was one.  She turned Christmas Carols into an etheric experience.   I stopped.  I listened and, suddenly, I was at peace.  I reveled in the moment and, then, I continued on my quest. 

                To my disappointment, the candy shop was not at its usual location.  I turned and began to retrace my steps when a symphony of music and lights burst forth from the Christmas tree in the center of the plaza.  I stood in awe like a child awash in pure joy.  Afterward, I returned to The Alchemist, where I bought Spalding's "Holiday High" CD.  I knew it was time to do a meditation with music. 

                From that night on, the season was magical.  At Bizarre Bazaar, I discovered Lavender Fields, a local farm that produces local raw honey and lavender - two of my favorite things - and their recipe for lavender cookies.  I made batch after batch.  I also discovered a recipe for Blue Cheese & Walnut cookies that intrigued me so much I had to try it even though I do not care for Blue Cheese.  Here are both of these recipes as a belated Christmas gift from me to you with this thought:

                "You are a child of the Universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here and whether of no it is clear to you, no doubt the Universe is unfolding exactly as it should."*

Lavender Cookies

Blend the following together:  1 cup unsalted butter, softened + 1 cup sugar + 1 egg

Add in:  1 cup self-rising flour + 1 tablespoon culinary lavender buds

Drop dough onto parchment lined cookie sheet

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Cool cookies on a wire rack.  Makes 48 cookies.

Bleu Cheese and Walnut Cookies

Blend the following together:  1/4 pound unsalted butter + 5 oz. Bleu Cheese, crumbed

Add in:  1 1/2 cups all purpose flour + 2 teaspoons kosher salt + 1 teaspoon black pepper

Also, add:  1 tablespoon of water and combine all ingredients

Drop the dough onto a floured board; press it into a ball and roll into a 12" log

Brush the log with egg wash (1 egg with 1 tablespoon water)

Spread 1/2 cup chopped walnuts in a rectangle on the cutting board

Roll the log in the walnuts, pressing gently, until the log in evenly covered with nuts.

Cut the long in 3/8ths inch pieces and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 22 minutes - rotate the pan once during baking.

Cook and serve at room temperature.  Makes 36 cookies.

*Excerpts from Desiderata