Home office glamour: ideas for interesting & intentional DIY artwork

When you work from home, it can be extremely difficult to stay focused, to stay inspired and to stay on track. Knowing how important our surroundings are to our success, I am always very intentional with what I surround myself with. Especially when it comes to the art.

The thing about artwork is that it will always have an impact on your mood, on your emotional state. It can positively or negatively affect you, depending on what you decide to put in your sight. They say that the art that you are instinctually drawn to will speak to what you need in your life at the time. So, if you listen to that and put up artwork that you really like, it can enhance your overall emotional well being.

Most people have art on their walls for years. They take in the same artwork every single day. Artwork can be expensive so I totally get wanting to keep the art you have always had. However, in your work space, I want to encourage you to change up your artwork to match or equal your current mood. Or you want to hang artwork to inspire you for where you want to go and what you want to manifest.

The artwork has to speak to where you are wanting to go. For me, the below artwork spoke to my future. A photo of girls getting ready together to me symbolized support in my work, the cheetah art print for me represents a fierce side of myself and who doesn’t have Chanel on their vision board, am I right?

FENG SHUI TIP: Gold is the color of success, so when it comes to your home office I like to encourage you to decorate with gold. I personally love to hang gold frames for the art in my work area. It pulls in wealth. Just like to gold crystals Pyrite & Citrine pull in wealth, the metal will do the same thing energetically. If you want to learn more about how to Feng Shui with crystals, read this book.

Lately I have been inspired by art walls at home because I know the impact art has on your Feng Shui and I am really loving some of these. Right now is the perfect time to create artwork at home. It makes for good Feng Shui because when you put effort and intention into your art, there is magic behind it! You created it. You made something to be proud of, which encourages more feelings of pride in yourself. This is how Feng Shui works, its exactly like the law of attraction! Your home becomes your real life vision board.

Because I’m sure you don’t want to spend a ton of time or money creating DIY art, I wanted to share 2 ideas for interesting art.

1) FRAME SHOPPING BAGS. For me. CHANEL is my absolute favorite brand. I love how minimal and chic the logo is. It always inspires me to be conscious of branding and reminds me to continually dream bigger. To reach for more. Anything Chanel is always giving me something to reach for, something to aspire to. THAT’s exactly what you want to feel when you are working, right? It can always remind you of a very special shopping experience. Artwork that brings up happy memories is uplifting, encouraging and will totally spark joy a la Marie Kondo. OR if you just want the look, you can find them on Ebay.

2) LOCAL LUXURY MAGAZINES. I am always grabbing the latest issue of my local Paper City or Modern Luxury Design. They always have good stuff for the vision board and they make great guest bathroom reading material. You can always find them in my home. Fun tip: Grab the larger sized issues so if you find inspiring images, they are big, bold and beautiful. Perfect for framing. This photo below I ripped out from one of my mags, its a photo of a woman with jewels all over her face. I ordered a black gallery basics frame from Amazon and voila. Very chic art for my home office aka LOVE ASHLINA HQ aka my jewelry making work station. It always inspires me to keep going and create interesting, unique stuff.

I never used to like gallery walls. But once I started using interesting photos, magazine tears and different things in frames. It made my home so much more light hearted fun and enjoyable. For more fun tips, listen to this podcast episode to inspire you for your workspace.

Happy framing!

6 tips for staying productive & positive while working from home

This post is all about 6 tips to help you stay productive and positive while working from home.

It’s been a while since I have had much time to blog, life has proved to be extra busy for me these days. I finally passed the test and got my Texas Real Estate license and the industry has kept me very busy. It has been a goal of mine for over a decade. There is no better feeling in the world than waking up everyday and feeling lit up and energized by what you do. For my love and I, we understand that it is important that each of us has that in our lives, it helps strengthen our relationship. Waking up with purpose, feeling passionate about what work you are doing in the world is a huge boost to your personal confidence and feeling in life. Just as I was feeling all of the high momentum of the new path I am creating for myself this year, the corona virus hit and the world has suddenly come to a pause and now everyone is staying home. With the recent turn of events in the world, I’ve been feeling called to return to my love of sharing on the blog, as a way to inspire and connect. So, why not share what I’ve learned about working from home?

Most of the world is currently confined to their home and as someone who is an avid work from home professional, I thought it would be helpful for me to share what has worked for me over the last 12 or so years. The home is my territory. It’s where I have always felt the most connection and grounding in life. I’m usually a work from home rock star but these days, I have a full house (bf and baby both home) so I actually am also really out of my element and having to be extra intentional about my home workspace. For today, I’d like to share some of the fundamental work from home tips for you to keep in mind when setting up for your work week at home. Sundays are a really great time to do this as the weekend gives you ample time to prepare for the week ahead.

6 tips to stay productive working from home:

1.Set up an inspiring, dedicated work area. Whether it’s an actual desk or just a space on your dining room table, you need a place that makes you want to sit there all day. It’s highly unproductive to sit on your sofa or in your bed while doing work. You need space that is not only beautiful but functional for making to do lists, creating proper files, taking notes from phone calls, etc. A place that helps you sit properly and have support on your back, right now our health and wellness is of the utmost importance. I shared 12 of my essentials for working from home on the podcast, you’ll want to go check that out here. I get very specific on how you should set up your work space, especially using Feng Shui. Did you know that depending on what your Feng Shui element is, your desk could be draining you or enhancing your work life? You can download my element locator here. You’ll also want to add flowers, proper work supplies, candles, a comfortable chair and unique filing system, etc). How cute is this adorable pink desk lamp? it would put me right in a happy work mood. I also really like to keep inspiring + motivating books near my desk so that when I take breaks, I can be growing myself.

2. Get up and get dressed. The luxury of working from home is that you can be in the comfort of your own home while you work. It’s like living the dream. However, when you get stuck in your pj’s all day, it can get in the way of you feeling productive and powerful. It doesn’t help you stay focused and driven during your work day. Studies have shown that when working from home, those who get ready, put on their makeup, fix their hair, put on a presentable outfit are much more productive when working from home and have a higher likelihood to achieve their goals. Even if you just throw on some comfortable but stylish clothes, a little bit of mascara & hair in a cute bun, that will work. You will feel so much better when you get yourself ready to work. Don’t believe me? Put it to the test. See if you can tell the difference on how productive you are when you make yourself up in the morning versus staying in your pj’s all day.

MY GO TO LOOK: a loose sweater or tee + black leggings or skinny jeans (this way if I need to leave for an appointment, I can throw on a blazer and pumps & be out the door) Also, don’t forget smelling good + easy accessories work wonders!

3. Stick to a specific routine and schedule. When you work from home, a set calendar is one of the most impactful ways to make sure that you don’t get distracted to waste time during the day. I have always benefitted from being a planner and a very detailed one at that. You will want to schedule everything from lunch, workout break, doctors appointment, phone calls, meetings, errands, appointments, etc. Even if you want to, you can schedule time to peruse social media. When things are specific and scheduled, you will get more done than you ever thought possible. I like to sync up everything on my computer calendar and my phone so I get alerts throughout the day that remind me of how to effectively use my time. This is especially helpful if you have kids at home. They need a set schedule, too. We have Roman on a strict nap time, play time and times for him to go outside and play. While balancing our parenting duties, we also need to support one another by making ourselves available to tend to Roman when the other is on a conference call or other work assignment. Being set up with a calendar helps your whole family feel sane, it also helps you remember to do things and stay efficient. Whatever you can do that works for your family to ensure you are all on the same page. We all need to do what we can to stay stress free and feel centered and grounded, am I right?

HOT TIP FOR SUCCESS: SCHEDULE THE TIME YOU CHECK YOUR EMAIL. The thing I have learned about checking emails is that it is such a time sucker and one of the main things that can distract you from keeping on track. In the book “4 hour work week” by Tim Ferris, he credits much of his success to limiting his email time. Pick a 45 minute time frame and then STOP!

4. Take scheduled breaks. When you work at home, your mind can wander off into a thousand different things when you sit and are focused on one thing for too long. I encourage you to take breaks throughout the day and clear your mind so that when you return to work you can be clearly focused and produce better work. Be sure to schedule your time and set an alert so you can return promptly. Try journaling your thoughts and ideas if you don’t know what to do on your break time. This will help you with clarity. Get outside, take a walk, exercise. This will get your blood going and oxygen flowing which will also give you bursts of creative ideas if you are stuck. Drink green tea and/or add chia seeds to your water for extra boosts of energy.

5. De-clutter your home. The things around your home can totally distract you when working. You may remember you need to take out the trash, scrub the bathtub or catch up quickly on laundry. When you’ve got too much extra “stuff” around your home, it keeps your mind in the mode of frantic work. You want to be confident and calm when you are trying to focus on getting your work done. So, if things are scattered around, you will be much more likely to get distracted. Having an organized and tidy home just breeds productivity and success. Keep your space clean too, dust flying around, dishes in the sink and things on the floor will always distract you from your work day. Begin with organizing the area where you want to work. Keep files cleaned up and organized, don’t let things pile up on your desk and keep your to do lists tidy and in one place.

6. Join outside networking groups and get social. Working from home can be lonely at times. If you don’t have a team or a few co-workers, you’ve got to get out and get social. With the recent corona virus home quarantine, I’ve seen so many virtual hangouts. Social communities are going viral. I’ve always prioritized these, because in order to stay sane you will need a support group of people for bouncing ideas, sharing tips, venting struggles, etc. You will learn some of the most valuable things from your network. I also highly suggest you attend conferences in your industry to meet like minded individuals. Set up a meeting about once a week with your support system. This is the best part of being an entrepreneur, the freedom to cherish the wonderful people in your life. So don’t miss out on this crucial step.

I have always felt so fortunate that I have had the opportunity to work from my home or from my bed if I choose to. Having the freedom of an entrepreneur is something I have always dreamed of and I just want to remind you that you can have it too! Want to take the leap and start your own business or just take the one you have to the next level, where you can work from wherever? Use this time you have to begin to build yourself up to get where you want to be.

So, there you have it. I hope these tips are helpful and inspiring for you. If you enjoyed it, I think you will probably like to read this post too.

*If you haven’t already, be sure to head over to the Blissful Living Lounge, we are currently on a 21 day Blissful Bootcamp at home