Hotel Witch-ing!

Hotel Witch-ing!

Hey gang! Surprise! I'm in SUNNY, HOT, EVEN-THE-WIND-IS-HOT Los Angeles! I got a great new day-job on a Wednesday and was whisked away to L.A. the following Monday for training. So, it's been a whirlwind and an adventure and I'm still just a little over halfway done. I'm having a great time but at the same time missing home so I figured that meant it was time for a HausWitch post. Specifically one about living in a hotel. Let's face it, I'm here for 20 days. I am a resident of the Hampton Inn, room 223.
Hey gang! Surprise! I'm in SUNNY, HOT, EVEN-THE-WIND-IS-HOT Los Angeles! I got a great new day-job on a Wednesday and was whisked away to L.A. the following Monday for training. So, it's been a whirlwind and an adventure and I'm still just a little over halfway done. I'm having a great time but at the same time missing home so I figured that meant it was time for a HausWitch post. Specifically one about living in a hotel. Let's face it, I'm here for 20 days. I am a resident of the Hampton Inn, room 223. Before:

hotel

Since I'm such a homebody and such a haus cat I figured this wouldn't be easy. So I did a few things before I left, (bought a fancy candle for my room, stocked up on good reading material, etc.) but I've also figured out a few things since I've been here that have helped me feel more at home in my weird, generic hotel room in Van Nuys. 1. Make it yours Take down all the signs telling you how to make coffee, connect to WiFi (after you've connected, obvi) and anything else that you wouldn't have a little sign for in your home. Move lamps if you can, I took the phone off the desk because I didn't need it. My friend even hid the fake orchid. (Fake flowers are a sin, but I still thought it added a little something.) Then create a shrine to that which keeps you sane. For me, that's HausWitch, so I turned the desk into LA HausWitch Headquarters. Washbi tape, a couple of good magazines and some cute post-it notes later I feel like I have a little space in the midst of all the beige and fake wood.

hoteldeskcollage

2. Fake some throw pillows.

I brought one of Dave's t-shirts out here with me. I know- gross. But it smelled like him and he smells good. Then one night I put it on a pillow. Boom! Instant wolf pillow! Then I dug out a sweater I just bought at the (totally crucial) Target that's across the street from the hotel. I tied the sleeves behind the pillow and now I have a nice pop of color and cats. There's usually about 1,000 pillows on each bed and since I brought my own I had plenty of extras.

hotel10edit

3. Decorate with ANYTHING

Use whatever you can that's YOU to decorate. I hung a shirt I like on the back of the desk chair. I hung a sweater vest on the back of the bathroom door. The more places I look that there's something of mine, the more at home I feel. I had to push back against my natural tendency to de-clutter and put everything away in order to have some "decor". Keep the pretty things you love out and on display!

hotelclothescollage

4. Use the Interwebs to do your thangs (whatever they are)

So obviously there's "Play instant" on Netflix where I can watch all the "Storm Chasers" I want, just like at home. I also found YogaGlo which is a totally genius concept. I'm not a yoga maniac (like Marisa) or anything, but I do find at least one class a week totally crucial to my sanity. YogaGlo offers classes you can watch and practice along with on your computer. I've done 3 or 4 classes already and I love it! With great titles like, "Better than Coffee" and "Get Your Head in the Game" you can pretty easily find a class for anything. Bottom line: everything is online now. If yoga's not your game you can probably find a way to do your thang with the help of your laptop.

hotel4edit

5. Bring your family with you. (In spirit if not in real life)

I brought a bunch of my printed Instagrams of Dave and the cats and posted them up everywhere. hotel11edit

I brought the framed photos I keep on my dresser at home and set them up on my dresser in the room. Oh, and of course there's always Skype....

hotelskypecollageI think Moscow is mad at me for leaving because he refuses to Skype. Cats these days.

So there. Make that boring corporate hotel feel like home. I'd love to hear any other tips people have for long-term business travel, decorating, coping, etc. I'm having a total blast but definitely still counting down the seconds til I return to my life back in Boston. Literally.

hourglass

Moon and sun are both in Virgo! Tomorrow the witches say: "Listen to the birds."

P.S. This post is dedicated to Fernando. Best.Concierge.Ever.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQsjAbZDx-4&w=420&h=315]

 

OUR GIFT TO YOU

WEEK OF WITCHCRAFT

The days of the week carry just as much energy and symbolism as the months of the year or the phases of the moon, and that can be helpful for witches who like to time their spells with the vibe of the moment!Inside you'll find practices, associations and allies for each day of the week to help you infuse every day with magic.