Mind

The Lighting in Here is Just Fine...You just need to rewire your...BRAIN!

The Lighting in Here is Just Fine...You just need to rewire your...BRAIN!

So, I was running late for a doctors appointment this afternoon, and after a quick jog up to the receptionist's desk, asked to use their rest room. As I was washing my hands, I glanced in the mirror: This was not the same me who had left the house this morning, with fresh make-up and softly brushed hair! NO! I looked all of my (blank number of) years; My hair suddenly looking both dry and stringy! What gives, I asked myself? 

 

If It's Broke, You Still Don't Have To Fix It (Phew!)

If It's Broke, You Still Don't Have To Fix It (Phew!)

I have a pretty small, two-bedroom apartment. Recently, during the typical January de-clutter and purge session,  (and doing a little January Cure from our beloved Apartment Therapy) I was walking through my little space, trying to figure out what to "Fix." And I realized, whoa, first of all, what an attitude! I actually love my "little" apartment. I find it charming and comforting and perfectly suited to my needs. 

Little-Bitty Big Thought: Don't Eat Cold Toast!

Little-Bitty Big Thought: Don't Eat Cold Toast!

Have you ever been in such a rush to savor a sensation, quell your hunger, anger or boredom, that you hurry yourself even the most simple processes in life? I was making toast the other day (yes, it was avocado toast), and, after smearing some delicious ripe avocado over the Ezekiel bread, and cracking a little bit pink Trader's Joe's Himalayan sea salt over both slices, I bit down into one of them....And found the bread to be... cold! Like, really cold. (I keep the Ezekiel bread in the frieezer to keep it nice and fresh) So, what did I do? I was not, I must add, in a rush, as it was a weekend morning too. I think. I continued eating the quite cold toast. Yes! I did...

How To Reboot in 2018! (Minus the Drama!)

How To Reboot in 2018! (Minus the Drama!)

I waited to post in the New Year until now, because, primarily, there is just so much great stuff out there currently, and secondly, I wanted to candidly share with you how my year was going so far (I am writing this on Monday, January 8th.) Quite simply, I had a strange sort of holiday, and as such, did not want that feeling lingering into 2018.I also took yet another good look around my two—bedroom bungalow apartment...

How To Not to Lose It When Shopping this Holiday...

How To Not to Lose It When Shopping this Holiday...

I was SO excited. It was Cyber Monday, and I had literally just finished about 90% of my holiday shopping. I seriously;y felt it was some sort of personal world's record me- I had NEVER been able to accomplish a feat like this! And I was trying to stay on a bit of a budget, believe me, so I was extra-excited. I was prepared to have a relaxing first few weeks of the holiday season.. Then goes what? I started getting...stressed, that I wasn't so...stressed! Sadly, this was true. 

Taking Chances...At Home & In Life

Taking Chances...At Home & In Life

Taking a leap is hard, and they come in so many different shapes and forms: Quitting a job you loathe, taking the plunge with someone you adore...Some chances hold great depth and meaning, others are things to be passed up, or not. The way we fill our space can sometimes help jumpstart us when we are starting to make real transitions in life...

How To Stay Sane this Thanksgiving

How To Stay Sane this Thanksgiving

This weekend, there will be no tidying of the pantry or decluttering of the spice rack, in preparation for Thanksgiving. Nom we have other beloved home sites for that type of advice...No, this weekend, we are going to really think about what kind of Thanksgiving Holiday we TRULY want to have, and what to do if we are stuck in a situation we wish we, well, weren't...

Weekend Project: What Have You Been "Shelving" Lately?

Weekend Project: What Have You Been "Shelving"  Lately?

Look around your space right now, or in your mind's eye, if you at work or out and about. What strikes you the most, what feels the most "undone?" I can almost guarantee you have at least ONE thing that has not been hung up yet: That small mirror purchased at the tag sale or flea market, or a framed piece of art you love, but never got around to hanging...

You Sensitive Little Flower, You...

You Sensitive Little Flower, You...

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? An ambivert? Shy? Quiet? The retiring type, who is a secret powerhouse of sex and witty wisdom inside? I feel ya. I, too, am an introvert, truly, at heart. And it ain't easy, I know, especially living in Los Angeles, when it's very important tope able to articulate who you are and what you do at the drop of a hat.  

Sh*tty Days...these too shall pass

Sh*tty Days...these too shall pass

Okay, yes, it IS a Monday. And I hate to complain, but it is unseasonably warm here in my un-airconditioned space in Santa Monica. And a pile of insurmountable "challenges" are demanding my attention-many of which have stayed unresolved for years. Oh, and I'm still single...And I need more money! And...!!! This is the loop that many Buddhists so correctly called the "Monkey Mind..." 

Living Inside Your Space...Inside & Out

Living Inside Your Space...Inside & Out

Is it crazy to think that the outside is often a reflection of what's going on within us? We often worry that we have to set things in place before we embark upon some great creative or work or even home project. I find this personally to be true, and then tend to sort of chastise myself about it. It's interesting, this reverse sort of perfectionism, because it can keep one from finishing, or even beginning. 

Tuesday Tip...Prepare for the Fall in Your Heart

Tuesday Tip...Prepare for the Fall in Your Heart

Fall is in the air! And it feels great here in Los Angeles! Here are a few things I like to prepare around my apartment. Switch out tablecloths. Clean out the pantry. Maybe hit the closet, and start switching around from summer-to-fall clothing. But fall is also a great, general time for renewal, I think. A second-chance New Years sort of feeling. And with your home comes the people you have in it. Who is gonna stop by for drinks? Is your bar stocked?  Cheese at the ready? Then kids in school, new projects, Thanksgiving, work pressures building, holiday shopping...Ughh...Just. Take a breath, please. 

Welcome to House & Mind!

Welcome to House & Mind!

This is my first post on this site, and I am so excited to share my thoughts and we can start changing our lives by starting with BOTH our inner and outer "houses." Whether you live in a Bel-Air Mansion, East Village studio, cabin the woods of South Carolina, or condo in Lincoln, Nebraska-we all have blocks in the way we create or don't create the space we live in. This goes beyond the objects that bring joy or not-it boils down to your own way of creating the life you want to live (or a different one than the one you are leading right now!)