Wednesday 30 July 2014

SA National Cookie Swap 2014

SA National Cookie Swap 2014

Have you heard about the National Cookie Swap? It's a really great (and fun!) initiative, and it's happening this weekend!

The SA National Cookie Swap is basically a fun event to raise funds to help organisations empower people with skills and resources to earn an income. This year's recipients of the funds are Learn to Earn and their Bake for Profit project which teaches women in Khayelitsha and Hermanus how to bake over an eight week course and provides them with the business skills they need to turn it into a profitable vocation. I love their slogan: "A hand up not a hand out".

How it works:
You can bake cookies to swap with others and pay R50 to attend, or if you don't want to bake you can pay R100 to attend. Payment is made at the door.
Booking is essential! Contact them via message on their Facebook page and mention which city event you'd like to attend.

Durban event info:
Date: 2nd August
Venue: Quarters Hotel, Avondale Road
Time: 10:30am
Hashtag: #CookieSwap4

Here are some pics of the yummy goodies from last year's Cape Town event...

SA National Cookie Swap 2014

Hope to see you there! :)


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Tuesday 29 July 2014

August 2014 Free Printable Calendar

Happiness is... free printable August calendar and planner 2014
It's almost August! For this month's calendar I went with a mix of watercolour lettering and botanical illustration found image collage. What do you think of it?
If you haven't got your calendar yet get yours now, below! (Lucky Packet subscribers get their's first + an extra freebie)
Happiness is... free printable August calendar and planner 2014
Happiness is... free printable August calendar and planner 2014
Happiness is... free printable August calendar and planner 2014 (black and white)

I love when people share pics of their calendars in use! If you'd like to share yours you can do so via twitterfacebookinstagram or pinterest using the hashtag #happinessis_calendars. 

Enjoy your calendar 
& have a wonderful August!


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Sunday 20 July 2014

What you've missed if you haven't signed up to the Lucky Packet yet!

So this is a little update on what's been going on with the Lucky Packet newsletter, if you haven't subscribed yet. The fifth newsletter is about to go out soon, and I'm so stoked with the subscriber growth and responses so far! (Read some of them here!)

In case you haven't heard about it before, The Lucky Packet is an exclusive emailer I send out once a month that gives you the next month's free printable calendar before it's available on the blog, some useful tips, advice or links from me, a brief update about the blog and what's been going on in the Happiness is... studio, and of course, the exclusive extra freebie! This is a free printable that isn't made available anywhere else for free. 

If you haven't signed up yet, here are the freebies you've missed so far:


• a printable version of one of my hand painted ice creams
• a mini envelope and notecard
• an inspirational poster
• "hello" digital illustration greeting cards
• my favourite chocolate cake illustrated recipe printable

Each of these things are created specifically for the newsletter, by moi.
Sign up now to make sure you don't miss the August freebie!
Subscribe to the Happiness is... Monthly Lucky Packet!
**Please note, if you're using Gmail you might find the newsletter automatically gets sent to your "Promotions" tab. Be sure to drag it into your main mail tab and when you see the yellow box asking if you'd like to do this for future messages from this email address, select "yes". Also check your Spam folder if you can't find it in your Inbox.**


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Thursday 17 July 2014

Instagram x 2

Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws

Guys, full disclosure: I'm really not doing well with time management as far as non-work things go lately. I'm trying to get better though! Self improvement FTW. So basically I'm scrambling to get the August free printable calendar done and the content and exclusive freebie for the Lucky Packet newsletter, and I haven't been blogging much this week. 

But I have squeezed in some Instagrammin', and I've started a new account to separate my interests that I'd like to share with you. Here are some recent pics from my normal account, @happinessis_blog, where you'll find doodles, illustration, things that I'm working on, and stuff related to that...

Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws
Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws
Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws
Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws
Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws

And on my new account, @fathimadraws, you'll find things that I've seen that I find aesthetically pleasing, inspiring and photo-worthy. So kind of... the things in my life that aren't illustration or work related, but that inspire me or make me happy. Like this...

Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws
Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws
Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws
Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws
Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws
Happiness is... on Instagram: @happinessis_blog and @fathimadraws

No filter on that flower, by the way. Isn't it just exquisite?
Anyway, give me a follow or two, if you like :)  - @happinessis_blog and/or @fathimadraws


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Wednesday 9 July 2014

Felt Illustrations by Jacopo Rosati

Felt Illustrations by Jacopo Rosati
I came across these awesome felt illustrations yesterday and they made me so happy I just had to share them with you all! These are created by Jacopo Rosati, an Italian illustrator who started off with digital illustration and then turned to felt for something more tactile and interesting. He's done so many of these collages, and they're mostly used as editorial illustrations. Have a look at the making-of video below, it's so awesome! I just love that people can get paid and make a living doing something so very fun and cool! :)

Felt Illustrations by Jacopo Rosati
Felt Illustrations by Jacopo Rosati
Felt Illustrations by Jacopo Rosati
Felt Illustrations by Jacopo Rosati



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Tuesday 8 July 2014

Logo Design for Chocco&Becca

Chocco&Becca Logo Design and Branding by Happiness is...
One of the things I love about my work is that it's not location specific - I get to work with people all over the world. Today I'm sharing a logo project I worked on recently with a lovely lady all the way from Spain! Rebeca of Chocco&Becca creates beautiful custom cakes and takes a lot of pride in giving her cake designs her own creative spin. She wanted a logo that she felt represented her and stood out from other companies in her industry in her area. I worked with her to come up with this cute bunny character that she was really happy with. 
Chocco&Becca Logo Design and Branding by Happiness is...
Chocco&Becca Logo Design and Branding by Happiness is...
Chocco&Becca Logo Design and Branding by Happiness is...
Check out some of her lovely work here!


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Monday 7 July 2014

33 Habits of Highly Creative People


I love this infographic that I saved a while back from the Brika site. Aren't these such great, practically useful tips? They're all things that I try to keep in mind at all times, so it's great to have this to look at to remind me. Get their free handbook for all 33 tips. (They're busy updating their site, so this link may not work for a while. I'll update it as soon as I can though!)


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Friday 4 July 2014

The Macaron of the Month Box from Madame Macaron

Happiness is... yummy goodies from Madame Macaron +  Macaron of the Month boxes

Today I want to tell you about a delicious new service from local Durban yummy-things-maker, Madame Macaron! (How amazing is that edible glitter?!) I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Madame herself to chat about her new Macaron of the Month boxes. Viveshni Joseph is a super talented woman who spent a few years in various professions before realising that baking and macaron making was where her passion lay. She's now a pretty successful small business owner, creating macarons, cakes, cake pops and cupcakes for all sorts of occasions, and even inventing some new creations of her own. I first experienced her goods at a blogger meetup earlier this year where she had sponsored macarons and cake pops, and they definitely left me with a good taste in my mouth :)

Her latest product is the Macaron of the Month box, which is a subscription service that gets you a box of 12 macarons in the flavour of the month delivered to your door, every month. How delightful! There are a few different subscription levels from a month to month basis to a whole 12 month subscription! Have a look at the lovely personalised box she put together for me...

Happiness is... yummy goodies from Madame Macaron +  Macaron of the Month boxes
 Happiness is... yummy goodies from Madame Macaron +  Macaron of the Month boxesHappiness is... yummy goodies from Madame Macaron +  Macaron of the Month boxes
Happiness is... yummy goodies from Madame Macaron +  Macaron of the Month boxes
Happiness is... yummy goodies from Madame Macaron +  Macaron of the Month boxes
Happiness is... yummy goodies from Madame Macaron +  Macaron of the Month boxes

I absolutely love that she included the little cat goodies for me! Even apart from the lovely customisation, the rest of the package is so beautifully and meticulously done - it would be like receiving a special surprise gift every month. I love the process of unwrapping things, the suspense until you get to see what's inside, and this just really did it for me.

To find out more and subscribe check out the order form on the Madame Macaron site and her Facebook page

Happiness is... yummy goodies from Madame Macaron +  Macaron of the Month boxes
Happiness is... yummy goodies from Madame Macaron +  Macaron of the Month boxes


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Tuesday 1 July 2014

Some FAQs on Ramadan 2014

Some FAQs on Ramadan 2014

It's that time of the year again when Muslims all over the world are fasting for the holy month of Ramadan, which began this past Sunday. I know most people have heard of it, but most don't know what it actually is, so I thought I'd shed some light on it for those who are interested. If you have work colleagues or friends who are fasting, this is what it's all about...

Ramadan is the name of the ninth month in the lunar Islamic calendar. During this month it's compulsory for all Muslims to fast for the whole month, from sunrise to sunset. This is a complete fast, meaning no food or drink at all. (There are of course a few exceptions for people who can't fast for medical reasons, children, pregnancy and a few others.) The end of the fast is determined by the sighting of the new moon of the next calendar month, and we have a day of celebration called Eid which is spent visiting family. And eating.

What a fasting day looks like
The fast begins at sunrise, so we wake up just before sunrise to have a meal, which is referred to as Suhoor or Sehri. At the moment for us in Durban, South Africa, this means waking up at about 4:30am and the cut off time is 5:22am. From that point on there's no food or drink (or smoking or sex) til sunset, which at the moment is around 5:09pm. We then traditionally break our fast with dates and a meal, and this is referred to as Iftaar. After sunset until sunrise you can eat as much as you want.

Isn't that really hard? 
Not as hard as you'd expect. It's good to eat and drink wisely at meal times, meaning eating nutritious low GI food and plenty of water to make sure you're well hydrated, and that helps keep your energy up during the day. I've found that most of the time when I think about food or want to eat, it's more in my mind than actual hunger. It's surprising just how much we eat out of boredom, needing a break from work, eating because you know there's something yummy in the fridge, stress, habit, or just as something to do. For me personally, I only truly feel hungry once or twice in the day usually in the late afternoon, and the feeling passes.

Isn't that unhealthy?
Not at all, it's actually medically proven to be beneficial in many ways. Google it.

So you probably lose a lot of weight, right?
Hmmm... not so much. You probably could if you were eating healthy and that was your goal, but I've never experienced weight loss, or gain, from fasting. Traditionally people tend to make lots of fried foods, samoosas, savoury pies and other delicious things during Ramadan which is not great health wise, but is so yummy! If you're able to resist all that and maintain healthy eating then you've got a better chance. Personally, I try to eat healthy but I love yummy food, so I do a bit of both :)

So should I not eat around people who are fasting?
Nope, that's not the case at all. A fasting person isn't meant to live in a bubble and hide from food - resisting it is a practice in self control, and that's part of the point.

Fasting from food is the most basic way to fast, but this month is a very spiritual time in which we should increase prayer and charity and basically detox from our bad habits and try to better ourselves and gain better habits. It's a good opportunity to be mindful and "fast" from thoughts and conversations that are negative. It's also good to minimise useless activities like binge watching series and wasting hours on social media, etc, and swop that out for prayer or just more useful activities.

Hope this helped share some understanding! If you'd like to know more, you can read about it here, here and here. If you'd like to wish someone well for their fasting you can say Ramadan Mubarak, and Eid Mubarak for the day of Eid.

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