For those of you who haven't been to the website lately, we FINALLY turned on the new site. And as you'll see, we went from the "start-up energy" bamboo/wood look, to a fiery, fame and reputation orange and red color scheme. Feel free to take a look around and send me an e-mail of your opinions of the new site's look, navigation, etc. There are some bugs we are still working out, but hopefully you'll like the new design and features included in this site.

And a special "Happy Mother's Day" to all the mothers out there! If you'd like to create a spot in your home that supports a consistent energy of a good foundation in life, then add some symbol of that in the family gua (left side - mid way back in the house or room). It could be a photo of you and your mother inside a wooden frame, or it could be a picture of the person who gave you the most strength and foundational support in life to date (in other words, it does not have to be a blood relative.) If you don't like the picture cure, then choose anything made of wood, or that is symbolic of feeling safe, taken care of, and nurtured...even if that is simply a place to sit down and have some graham crackers and milk. :) The better the foundation, the better the life we can build upon it.

QUESTION: I have one of those "fake" living rooms that was designed to look at and not use. It really bugs me that I have so much square footage not being used in my house, but I'm totally stuck as to how to make it useful and integrate it into the house! Can you help?

ANSWER: Thanks for asking such an important question! As I say, what's going on in your house is going on in your life, and I don't want to see anything that is "stuck" as you say, or "bugging you."

When I see the perfect "fake living room," it usually portrays a good front or a false facade by the owners, and usually at the expense of their own quality of life! By that I mean they have the perfect space for that once-a-year baby shower, and in the meantime, other rooms in the home that are pulling double duty so that this room can exist: like the ironing board, hobby space, and "home office" in the bedroom. In order to make your room useful, figure out what uses your house needs to hold for you and then see if you can re-arrange the uses within the home to be more energetically consistent. For example, perhaps you can separate your kid's homework and instrument practice space. Or else, you can get the bill-paying desk out of your bedroom as they are surely incongruent uses within one room.

When you said you felt stuck by all this I believe you are feeling the energy of that room within you. The fact that it is not used at all tells me that it is a very still room. Take a look at this room and see if it could be enhanced using any of the nine traditional cures: light, sound, weight, moving objects, electrically powered objects, color, living objects, symbols, and other. From my experience, I usually find that living and moving objects can make the most impact in this type of room. Feel free to add fresh, thriving living plants, flowers, or a bowl of fresh fruit in this room to perk up the chi of the space. Try a fresh bowl of water with a fish in it and see how things "wake up" in that room. I find that adding one constantly moving object can totally change the energy of a typical stagnant or stuck room. My favorites include a small fan hitting a chime, a water feature, a clock with a sweeping second hand, a grandfather's or a coo-coo clock. Kinetic sculptures and mobiles can make a space feel more lively and fun. A ceiling fan slowly spinning gives the space life. If you have "still life" art on the walls, change it out for art that has movement within it. If you have any instruments like an organ, piano, etc. put those loud items in this space to give it the sound vibration.

In a nutshell, if you have any functions in the home that are incongruent (take a good look at everyone's bedrooms!) - you may have just found the space for that function to occur more harmoniously within the home. If you have the luxury of having all your rooms in the house have congruent functions AND you still have this and perhaps other rooms in the house that "feel dead, or sleepy," then the moving object I believe is the way to go!

2. If you have a clothes dryer duct in your home, clean out the vent in the wall. We don't want any out-of-control fire element!

Since we changed out site's look and feel from wood to fire element, we're having a "fiery stuff" sale. And since this month's Q and A was all about moving objects, we've put some of them on sale too!

Here's the link: http://www.fengshuipalace.com/prods/specials.php

I am radiant.
I am empowered.
I am vibrant.

May 12-16, Karen is available for private consultations in the Los Angeles, CA area. The cost of the consultation is $200.00 per hour and the average consultation takes about 2 hours. To schedule your appointment, please call the toll free number (877) 952-2482.

May 13, From 6:45 to 9:30 PM, Karen will be giving her "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" Feng Shui Introduction Workshop at the Learning Annex. For additional information and to register, please call the Learning Annex at (310) 478-6677. Participants are required to bring a floor plan sketch of their home or space they wish to feng shui.

May 15, From 6:45 to 9:30 PM, Karen will be giving a "Real Estate Feng Shui" Workshop at the Learning Annex. This workshop will be geared towards specific feng shui information regarding buying, selling, remodeling, and building homes. It is suitable for realtors, contractors, architects, and homeowners. For additional information and to register, please call the Learning Annex at (310) 478-6677.

June 19, From 6:45 to 9:30, Karen will be giving a "Feng Shui for Love" Workshop at the Learning Annex. For additional information and to register, please call the Learning Annex at (310) 478-6677.

June 21, From 1 to 4 PM, Karen will be giving a "Real Estate Feng Shui" Workshop at the Learning Annex. This workshop will be geared towards specific feng shui information regarding buying, selling, remodeling, and building homes. It is suitable for Realtors, contractors, architects, and homeowners. For additional information and to register, please call the Learning Annex at (310) 478-6677.

July 14, From 6:45 to 9:30 PM, Karen will be giving a "Real Estate Feng Shui" Workshop at the Learning Annex. This workshop will be geared towards specific feng shui information regarding buying, selling, remodeling, and building homes. It is suitable for Realtors, contractors, architects, and homeowners. For additional information and to register, please call the Learning Annex at (310) 478-6677. (This workshop is taking the place of the originally scheduled July 19th workshop that has been cancelled.)

July 24, From 6:45 to 9:30, Karen will be giving a "Feng Shui for Fame and Prosperity" Workshop at the Learning Annex. For additional information and to register, please call the Learning Annex at (310) 478-6677.

August 16, From 1 to 4 PM, Karen will be giving a "Real Estate Feng Shui" Workshop at the Learning Annex. This workshop will be geared towards specific feng shui information regarding buying, selling, remodeling, and building homes. It is suitable for Realtors, contractors, architects, and homeowners. For additional information and to register, please call the Learning Annex at (310) 478-6677.

August 23, From 1 to 4 PM, Karen will be giving a "Feng Shui and Health" Workshop at the Learning Annex. For additional information and to register, please call the Learning Annex at (310) 478-6677.

September 25-28, Karen will be speaking, signing books and selling feng shui cures at her booth at the Yoga Expo 2003 that's being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For additional information and to make reservations, visit www.yogaexpo.com.

May 17 , From 9:00 to 11:00 AM, Karen will be giving her "Real Estate Feng Shui" Workshop at the Lake Mission Viejo Conference Center Playa del Norte, for Lake Mission Viejo members and their guests. This workshop will be geared towards specific feng shui information regarding buying, selling, remodeling, and building homes. It is suitable for realtors, contractors, architects, and homeowners. The cost to register is $51.00. If you would like to attend, give us a call at (877)952-2482 and we'll find a member to host you, or simply register online using this link: https://www23.secure-website.net/~fengshu/registeraworkshop.php

May 17, From 1:00 to 5:00 PM, Karen will be giving her "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" Feng Shui Introduction Workshop at the Lake Mission Viejo Conference Center Playa del Norte for Lake Mission Viejo members and their guests. Participants are required to bring a floor plan sketch of their home or space they wish to feng shui. The cost of this workshop is $71.00. If you would like to attend, give us a call at (877)952-2482 and we'll find a member to host you, or simply register online using this link: https://www23.secure-website.net/~fengshu/registeraworkshop.php

May 19 - 23, Karen is available for private consultations in the Orange County area. The cost of the consultation is $200.00 per hour and the average consultation takes about 2 hours. To schedule your appointment, please call the toll free number (877) 952-2482.

May 25, From 12:30 - 5:30PM, Karen will be giving a "Level 2 Feng Shui" workshop at the Crystal Cave, 891 Baker Street in Costa Mesa, CA. To register, please call the Crystal Cave at (714) 754-1151 mailto: karen@fengshuipalace.com. Topics include mudras and mantras, landscape cures, dowsing, personal and exterior chi adjustments, advanced five-element use, health investigation techniques and cures, and much more!

July 17, From 6:30 to 9:30 PM, Karen will be giving her "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" Feng Shui Introduction Workshop at the Lake Mission Viejo Conference Center Playa del Norte for Lake Mission Viejo members and their guests. Participants are required to bring a floor plan sketch of their home or space they wish to feng shui. The cost of this workshop is $71.00. If you would like to attend, give us a call at (877)952-2482 and we'll find a member to host you, or simply register online using this link: https://www23.secure-website.net/~fengshu/registeraworkshop.php

August 21, From 6:30 - 9:30PM, Karen will be giving a "Level 2 Feng Shui" workshop at the Lake Mission Viejo Conference Center Playa del Norte for Lake Mission Viejo members and their guests. Topics include mudras and mantras, landscape cures, dowsing, personal and exterior chi adjustments, advanced five-element use, health investigation techniques and cures, and much more! If you would like to attend, give us a call at (877) 952-2482 and we'll find a member to host you, or simply register online using this link: https://www23.secure-website.net/~fengshu/registeraworkshop.php

June 6, At 11:30 AM, Karen will be speaking to the Women's Council of Realtors - Coachella Valley Chapter at the Desert Falls Country Club in Palm Desert, CA (1111 Desert Falls Parkway, 760-340-5646) Please contact the group if you are interested in attending this meeting.

June 6, At 7:00 PM, Karen will be speaking and signing books at Border's Bookstore River Front in Rancho Mirage.

June 7, Karen will be available for consultations in the San Bernardino and Riverside County, CA area. The cost of the consultation is $200.00 per hour and the average consultation takes about 2 hours. To schedule your appointment, please call the toll free number (877) 952-2482.

June 24, From 6:45 - 9:30 PM, Karen will be giving a "Real Estate Feng Shui" Workshop at the Learning Annex. This workshop will be geared towards specific feng shui information regarding buying, selling, remodeling, and building homes. It is suitable for Realtors, contractors, architects, and homeowners. For additional information and to register, please call the Learning Annex at (415) 788-5500.

May 4, From 1-5 PM, Karen will be giving a "Hands On Feng Shui" Workshop at the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harborside, 1133 West Hastings Street. Registration is $80.00 US. The link to register is: https://www23.secure-website.net/~fengshu/registeraworkshop.php . Participants are required to bring a floor plan sketch of the home or space they wish to feng shui. For directions and for hotel reservations, the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harborside's number is (604) 689-9211.

June 11, From 6:30 - 9:30PM, Karen will be offering a Level Two, Feng Shui Workshop at 4405 Guadalupe (central Austin next to Austin Aqua Sports) Registration is $75.00. The link to register is: https://www23.secure-website.net/~fengshu/registeraworkshop.php

June 12-14, Karen will be speaking to resort guests on various topics at the Lake Austin Resort and Spa. For additional information and to make reservations at the resort, visit www.lakeaustin.com .

November 11 - 15, Karen will be a featured keynote speaker at the National Association of Interpreters Conference. If anyone is interested in a private consultation while I am in town, feel free to call me at (877) 952-2482 to set up a time.

November, 2003 If there is enough interest, Karen will provide a feng shui workshop in Reno. E-mail us at management@fengshuipalace.com if you are interested in attending.

With great intentions of helping,