Mason Design Group

Designing our future.

Happy New Year! 

My first blog of 2011 isn’t directly about design.  Well, not really.  But, well… perhaps it is.  Perhaps it’s about designing our lives.

My blog is about optimism. I am a glass-half-full kinda girl.  I not only see my glass as half-full, but it’s a hand carved crystal flute from Europe, half-full of the finest of Champagne.  And it’s only half-full because I sip from it regularly and enjoy every drop.     

I’m not suggesting that I don’t get frustrated or bummed out.  Like everyone I’ve faced challenges, disappointments, heartbreaks and even a few tragedies.  The truth is, however, that a hundred times more good things happen in my life than bad (unscientific number, of course) and I’m the kind of person that focuses on the good rather than the bad.

I’m not a Pollyanna.  I don’t think everything will always turn out just right, nor do I think that describes optimism.  Dr. Terry Paulson writes in his book The Optimism Advantage that, ”True optimists have earned their positive attitude from a proven track record of overcoming real obstacles.  They did it the old-fashioned way; they earned confidence one obstacle, one challenge, and one victory at a time!”  

This month’s Wellness Matters newsletter addresses the Power of Optimism.   The article in part states, “The difference between a pessimist and an optimist lies in how they interpret events. Pessimists see positive events as temporary and limited, and bad events as permanent and far-reaching, while optimists see things in reverse… Optimists also look for an external cause for events, while pessimists tend to blame themselves. Optimism isn’t denial. It means taking positive action to overcome setbacks… and addressing challenges or failure as learning experiences will teach you strategies and coping methods that can boost your skills and keep you healthy, happy and productive.”

Being an optimist helps me tackle big challenges for my clients, or a difficult recipe with a sense of humour and adventure.  But I’ve also had to learn that in spite of my desire to do things right, some things are not within my control.  I’ve learned to stop punishing myself because I couldn’t “fix” everything, and letting go means I don’t get bogged down.  Give yourself permission to walk away when you’ve done all you can in work or in life even if it’s not perfect.  Doing so has changed many of my relationships in business and in my personal life over the years, most for better and some for worse, but my life is better for being kinder to myself.  What we put out to the world we get back from the world, right?  This is ancient advice, of course.  If we are miserable we attract misery; if we are optimistic, kind and confident we attract the same.  It’s all in how you choose to see the world.  Dr. Wayne Dyer is spot on when he says that when you change the way you look at things, the things that you look at change.  So do yourself a favour and choose happiness. 

“Happy New Year” is more than just a reason to stay up to midnight on the 31st of every December.  It is a positive and upbeat mission statement for our future.  Hold on to that thought all year and keep the momentum.  I raise my half-full glass of champagne to toast your success in 2011 and beyond.

Have fun designing your wonderful life. 

Found some more fun gifts – for your loved ones or for yourself!

The hunt for the perfect gift continues as the clock ticks towards Christmas. So here I go again… and here are some cool – or so I think – gift ideas to get your creative shopping juices flowing!

This chip and dip bowl from Neimen Marcus is so great and functional that I am buying one for myself when I buy it as a gift for some lucky person. Not only efficient but a conversation starter. We love Neimen Marcus!



In our house we use our Vinturi all the time. We bought ours while on a wine tour of the Napa Valley last year. It’s the little funnel you see at the top of this cool stand and it allows you to pour a single glass of wine instantly when the bottle should have been decanted to breathe first – wine drinkers know what that means. If you are not going to decant an entire bottle and would want to enjoy a single glass right away then the Vinturi is the solution.

‘Tis the Season… for unique gift ideas

I’ve been on the hunt for fun new ideas for Christmas gifts.. here are a few I just have to share with you.

I love this gift! Let’s face it, our brains get full and our world is so big on numbers that I often can’t remember my phone number let alone recall yet another PIN. I feel like I’m in a perpetual Sudoku puzzle! So when I saw the WordLock I almost jumped out of my seat. What a great gift, and it comes as a padlock and even a bike lock. Go to Word Lock and you can order online, or Bed, Bath and Beyond is listed as one of their retailers.

For the wine lover on your list I think this rocks. Candles that look just like corks and fit into your empty bottle. You can use them to set up the table before dinner or make a fun time of lighting the empties as the evening progresses. I found a few suppliers on line such as The Wine Enthusiast and from Uncommon Goods . I am not sure if they were in a store in Vancouver. They should be!

I’ll let you know if I find them in a retail location in Vancouver, or let me know if you’ve already seen them.

This may not fit in a stocking but I think it is oh so cool. It’s a self watering flower pot based on a laboratory flask shape and an IV drip bottle. Can you imagine? How creative! Comes in white or black from the UK’s Vitamin Living and can be purchased through Generate Design out of Quebec. They carry all sorts of fun gift and have free shipping.

They have great cushions (not cheap) that will suit just about everybody.

If you have someone on the list with rather unusual taste and a sense of humour then you may want to give them a Little Joseph Candle Head. Creepy but fascinating, don’t you think? Generate Design has them waiting for you. Made me laugh out loud!


Don’t forget Rover. The Wooferang is really easy to throw – even when you throw like a girl like I do – and it does some funky maneuvering in mid-air that will keep your best friend pretty excited for a while. This manufacturer sells some other great things online so check it out.

Ok, perhaps I’m thinking of myself with this next “gift” or can see myself giving these to myself, but I love these great little ballet slippers from Coach. Plaid is back! And that little bow – can you resist? And can you see the little Christmas outfit to match? Fun, fun, fun.

For the new father on the list this tie kit is cool stuff. The Daddy’s Tie kit comes with your choice of three colours of tie and a safe ink pad that you use to stamp your baby’s hand and foot prints on the tie so a very proud dad can have bragging rights at the office. I think this is adorable! It would work for a puppy too, but then I’m a dog person.


Love the 2 Carat Mug, a little bling for a woman can go a long way at Christmas. After all, a diamond ring is what every girl secretly hopes for at the holidays. Available at lots of gift shops in Vancouver.




As a tea drinker I was thrilled to have recently been given a Tea Posy. I didn’t know what I was getting but knew enough to make tea. So when I poured water on the little nugget of tea it actually bloomed into the most beautiful flower display you can imagine. I had made my tea right in a white mug and the big flower blossom made me smile everytime I took a sip. But if you add a Tea Posy to a glass tea pot for a simply stunning display you can share the beauty. Oh, and the tea was outstanding, too. Caren carries these at the Gourmet Warehouse or you can find them at good tea shops and online.

I’ll stop here for now but there are endless great gifts out there just waiting for you. Sign up for regular emails from The Daily Grommet who promises to introduce you to something new everyday. And they almost always do. Great ides.

Have fun!



Home is where the hearth is…

I love Christmas because it is a time deck out the house like never before!  Let’s all commit to decorate with a plan for the holidays.  Be careful not to overload your house with items that will only serve to water down your efforts and be distracting.

The fireplace, for those fortunate enough to have one, is a natural focal point in one or more of the major rooms in your house.  There is no better place to start playing with Christmas decorations to set the theme for the house while keeping the spread of decorations under control.  The fireplace is, of course, Santa’s entry to your home but it is also historically the warmest place in the house and where generations gathered to celebrate the holidays so it became the most decorated place in the home.

Whether you live in a small home or a massive space, it helps to focus your holiday decorating to a few key areas of the house.   With fire safety in mind you can combine greenery such as bows, holly, eucalyptus and some pine cones with garland and ribbons.  If you cannot light a real fire, add a mantle and hearth to a key wall and line the “fire box” with candles to give a warm glow.

Stockings are a perfect addition.  Use a bit of synthetic cushion filling to mimic snow under some garlands and around branches.  Simple is the key.  If you can put your tree close to the fireplace you’ll have the best of all worlds with a huge holiday impact without taking over the house to do it.

Don’t have a fireplace?  Get creative.  There are dozens of styles of electric and gel-fuel fireplaces on the market and you can create the surround of your dreams.  For condos and small homes, or old fireplaces with bad chimneys that can no longer be used, this may be your answer.

Good design is simple and purposeful.  With a few carefully planned items placed in just the right way your holiday decorating will be a huge success.  And if focused around the fireplace it will warm the true heart of your home.