I love February solely for Valentines Day alone. While some may bitterly see it as a manufactured holiday for Hallmark and FTD to make money off of (I get it – the last thing I want my husband to come through the door with are some overpriced, ubiquitous red roses) and we certainly won’t be adding to the clichés by going out for a romantic dinner that night (the night before or the night after – yes) but I love this day of love, cupids and romance and I ardently celebrate all of my loved ones on this day! I look for anyway I can herald the message of the day. A sandwich might be cut into a heart for lunch and a meatloaf might be shaped into a heart for dinner. I start buying supplies for homemade Valentine cards in January and my seven year old and I get to work, elbow deep in glitter, paper hearts and glue while my “Love is In The Air” playlist helps hone our focus. By the first week of February, far-away relatives have all received their love packages in the mail. Around this time, newspaper reporters often ask me what my top Feng Shui tips are for their V-Day stories.
I realized today that my top tips are very much like my unique views for this day that celebrates love. While other Feng Shui practioners may suggest red roses in your relationship corner and adding the color pink in the bedroom, I can’t bear to simplify relationships down to such banal and categorical sweeps like a rudimentary Cosmo article. On top of that, many of my clients don’t want to add the color pink in their spaces and I don’t blame them!
Feng Shui books from the 90’s tell women to add (yin) feminine touches into your bedroom to attract love. Here, I go against the grain and advise the opposite. Loading up your boudoir with frills, lace and floral patterns creates an imbalance of fem energy. What if it’s completely against your favored aesthetic? You won’t feel sexy at all. You’ll feel out-of-sorts. What if your partner’s masculine energy feels completely out of place in a space that’s too girly? What if both partners like a clean, modern, masculine vibe? So, back to my tips. And it comes down to this: Valentines Day is a wonderful opportunity to tap into creative and considerate details that are unique to that particular relationship. It’s not about buying more stuff and taking the typical, well-treaded path of what’s “expected”. This year, try to think outside the Whitman sampler box with small and thoughtful details. Your loved ones will appreciate it.
