Happiness is...

Fathima's Studio Sunday Times Feature

2017-08-04T11:22:00.001+02:00

This past weekend there was a cool little feature on my business in the local Sunday Times "My Business Neighbourhood". It was focussed around the area where my studio is based, the new "design precinct" in Durban on Station Drive.

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Happiness is... now at a new URL! We've moved.

2016-07-28T21:06:00.001+02:00

Happiness is... has moved over to join my new website at www.fathimasstudio.com. Very similar look, same content, just a new address with more than a blog to look at. There's even an online store!

Go over and have a look.

Some of my social media handles have been updated to match the site name - if you don't already follow me, add me below:

twitter • facebook • instagram • pinterest • behance

I look forward to seeing you there! Don't forget to sign up to the Lucky Packet to stay updated AND get exclusive free printables. Drop me a comment on the new site and let me know what you think of it :)

April 2016 Free Printable Calendar + Brand New Website (+ possibly the last post here)

2016-03-30T17:38:00.002+02:00

Hey there! It's calendar time again... And it's also finally brand new website, shop and blog time! Yup, that's right, my new website has finally launched with a bit of a rebrand, and so the blog will be moving over there from now on. I've decided to still keep this blog live instead of shutting it down, because it's been through so much with me and I feel like it's kind of a thing of its own in a way... so it'll stay here for any roaming passers-by, but will from now on continue over here. All the old stuff as been moved over, and the blog is still Happiness is... so it's not really changing much - except for more frequent posting and more focussed content. The monthly calendars, including this month's calendar, will still be happening, same as always :)

I've chosen Fathima's Studio as the name to pull together all the different elements of what I do. For now this covers my design and illustration work, my online store and products which will be both printed and downloadable stationery, and the blog. The store has a few recent products in it and will continue to be updated regularly. Keep an eye out on the new blog for a launch giveaway coming soon! Some of my social media handles have also adjusted to suit the new name, so don't forget to update those from the new site.

Thank you for visiting my blog and for following, commenting and supporting me here over the years! I hope you'll join me on the other side :)

DOWNLOAD THE APRIL FREE PRINTABLE CALENDAR

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New logo, new look, new site!

2016-03-16T13:07:00.003+02:00

If you're subscribed to the Happiness is... Lucky Packet or have been following elsewhere, you may have seen me mention that I've got a new website brewing. After many months of planning and careful tweaking, it's almost ready to be launched! I cannot wait to share it with you :)

The past year has been full of change for my business, and so I felt it was time to relook at things, see what was working and what wasn't and make some adjustments.
So what's new?

Behind the scenes
With change and growth comes the need to update systems and processes, so that's exactly what I've done. I've updated how I handle projects and clients, and fixed problem areas to make things run smoothly and professionally to give my clients the best possible experience when they work with me.

Website
The new website was carefully structured and designed to create the feeling I want people to have when they work with me. The look is an extension of the blog feel, so no drastic change there. One of the most exciting things about the site is the new online store! There'll be printed and digital download stationery products available for sale.

Logo & Branding
Since I started my own business I've been torn between using my own name, a brand name, or going with "Happiness is..." since that was already a somewhat established name. I've finally reached a decision on this and will be launching a consolidated new logo and name that will cover all my work, services and products, while "Happiness is..." will stay as the blog name only.

Stay tuned to my social media channels for updates, sneak peeks and giveaways, and get excited, coz I am! :)

I'm also going to be sharing some of my latest client projects over the next few days, so keep an eye out for those.

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March 2016 Free Printable Calendar

2016-02-29T16:43:00.001+02:00

It's almost March! This month's calendar illustration has a somewhat vintage botanical feel to it, and as usual is completely hand drawn.

You asked and I listened! This month's calendar week starts on a Monday, following several requests and subsequent surveys that I carried out. I've also made the calendar area slightly larger to give you more room for your notes. Enjoy!

Get your copy now and share this post with your friends!

Thanks so much to everyone who helped out by sending their preference on the Monday/Sunday saga!

Get your calendars first PLUS extra exclusive printable freebies by subscribing to the Happiness is... Lucky Packet!

I love when people share pics of their calendars in use! Share yours via twitter, facebook, instagram or pinterest using the hashtag #happinessis_calendars.

Happy March! :)

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Design Indaba 2016 - Durban Simulcast

2016-02-12T08:00:00.000+02:00

If you haven't heard of it before, the Design Indaba Conference is a yearly three day event held in Cape Town, South Africa. It features creative thinkers and doers from all over the world and from all areas of design, making it rich and diverse in content. The Cape Town event has many smaller events that happen as part of the overall Design Indaba Festival, and the conference is also available live via simulcast to other areas in SA.

This year will be the fourth simulcast event I attend, and I'm really looking forward to it. Instead of looking at pretty pictures and portfolios within specific fields, you get to hear the thinking, process and experiences behind some amazing creations in varied fields. It's always interesting and exposes you to creations and ways of thinking you may otherwise not come across. This year's Durban simulcast is being held at our magnificent City Hall, at the Durban Art Gallery - a big favourite for me!

Some of the speakers I'm looking forward to:
How Far From Home - a South African couple who quit their jobs and travelled 86 000 kilometres across the world - check them out on Instagram

Imogen Heap - yes guys, THE Imogen Heap from Frou Frou. She'll be talking about the future of the music industry

Twins Cartoon - a twin brother duo who are leading the comic scene in Cairo

Snask - a Swedish creative agency who moonlight as a rock band

Margaret Calvert - a British typographer and graphic designer known famously for her design of many of the road signs used throughout the United Kingdom

Jaime Hayón - a Madrid-based artist-designer known for the bold-yet-whimsical look and feel he brings to his work

Fred Gelli - the designer behind the Rio 2016 logo

Elena Arzak - a world-renowned chef and pioneer in the food world who creates new and inspiring dishes in a laboratory rather than a kitchen

The conference runs from the 17th to the 19th February. Check out the program and the rest of the speakers here, book here and let me know if I'll see you there! ;)
Check out this post from the 2013 event for more of a taste of what you can expect.

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February 2016 Free Printable Calendar

2016-02-01T09:22:00.000+02:00

Welcome to February! This month's calendar illustration has a nice loose feel to it, in the hand lettering as well as the botanical illustration bits... do you like?

With last year getting very busy towards the end, the calendars have been going up later and posts have been few and far between... but that's all about to change! The calendar will go back to being posted at it's original intended time, on the last Monday of the month, and I've got some posts lined up that I hope you'll enjoy. If there's anything in particular that you'd like to see more of from me, do let me know. Stay tuned ;)

Get your copy now and share this post with your friends!

Thanks so much to everyone who helped out by sending their preference on the Monday/Sunday saga!

There had been some requests for the calendar week to start on a Monday instead of a Sunday as it currently does, so I asked you for feedback on my last calendar post, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and the Lucky Packet. The feedback was overwhelming in favour of Monday, so from March the calendar week will start on Monday! Yay :)

Get your calendars first PLUS extra exclusive printable freebies by subscribing to the Happiness is... Lucky Packet!

I love when people share pics of their calendars in use! Share yours via twitter, facebook, instagram or pinterest using the hashtag #happinessis_calendars.

Happy February! :)

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Fluffë Flavoured Cotton Candy

2016-01-21T09:50:00.001+02:00

I came across this site the other day and it made me so happy I just had to share it! Fluffë is an Australian product conceptualised and created by a guy called Nathan. From what I gather, it's pretty much a one man show, which makes it all the more exciting to me - entrepreneurship FTW!

So what is Fluffë? Beautiful flavoured candy floss! Or "fairy floss" as they cal it in Australia, or "cotton candy" as they say in the US. Fluffë says "pink is not a flavour" and create their own flavoured sugars by hand... they'll even create a custom flavour for you! Just close your eyes and imagine the magic of candy floss in flavours like cereal, birthday cake, rosetachio, cookies and cream, unicorn poop, mojito and more. Amazing! I have always harboured a guilty love for candy floss, so I find this concept terribly exciting, even though it's so far away.
If you're in Australia, get your hands on some of that fluffy goodness and tell me what it's like :)

Check out their website and cool Instagram feed for more drool-worthy temptation.

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Happy 2016 + January 2016 Free Printable Calendar

2016-01-04T12:04:00.002+02:00

Happy 2016!

Hope you've all had a wonderful and restful holiday and are refreshed for the new year. I've broken my holiday up into two phases: 01 rest and chill, 02 work catchup and prep. I've spent a loooot of time asleep these holz and it's been amazing. I'm generally chronically sleep deprived most of the year due to bad sleep habits, so it's been so great to just relax and get ALL the sleep without stressing that I'm not getting work done. This week it's onto phase two, where I'll be cleaning up my systems and processes to improve areas where I found problems last year and to make everything run more smoothly this year. I'm also going to be finalising my new site and online store! Can't wait for that, keep an eye out for giveaways and new products coming with that later this month. Then it's officially back to work from next week Monday.

In case you missed it last year, you can still order a 2016 calendar in printable or printed form.

Here's your January calendar, created using hand lettering with ink and brush pen, by me. Hope you like it, and here's wishing you an amazing start to the year and a great day today if it's your first day back at work :)

Get your copy now and share this post with your friends!

Please take a second to comment with your answer

to one little question for me:

Do you prefer the week starting on a Sunday or Monday on the calendars?

(i.e. it currently starts on a Sunday)

Please comment with either Sunday or Monday.

You can also let me know if you have a favourite calendar design from the past calendars,

or which ones you liked best so I can create more like those for you ;)

Thank you, your feedback is hugely appreciated!

Get your calendars first PLUS extra exclusive printable freebies by subscribing to the Happiness is... Lucky Packet!

I love when people share pics of their calendars in use! Share yours via twitter, facebook, instagram or pinterest using the hashtag #happinessis_calendars.

Have a fantastic start to 2016!

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December 2015 Free Printable Calendar

2015-12-01T01:50:00.002+02:00

We're on our way out of 2015! The December calendar's got a party vibe going on. What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments below!

The January calendar will be out in mid-late December, keep an eye out for it :)

Get your copy now and share this post with your friends!

And don't forget to get yourself the 2016 Calendar!

Get your calendars PLUS extra exclusive freebies

by subscribing to the Happiness is... Lucky Packet!

The Happiness is... 2016 Calendar is now on sale! Available in two printed sizes or as a printable download.

If you've been enjoying the free calendars all year, I'm sure you'll enjoy these

(and it's also a great way to show your support! ;)

Click here to find out more and place your order!

I love when people share pics of their calendars in use! Share yours via twitter, facebook, instagram or pinterest using the hashtag #happinessis_calendars.

Have a wonderful festive season!

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Artsnacks, a Subscription Box for Art Lovers

2015-11-18T21:43:00.002+02:00

If you follow me on Snapchat (@happinessisblog), this is the unboxing blog post I mentioned last week! Artsnacks is a really cool subscription box that I've posted about before but only signed up for earlier this year. If you're an arty type and into stationery tools and trying new things, you'll love this! I'm going to share two of the most recent boxes with you today.

So if you aren't familiar with the subscription box model, it involves you signing up to receive a monthly box of mixed goodies. Like a little surprise gift to yourself every month! I love surprises, so I really look forward to it. The subscription box has become a pretty popular model and these days you can get one for pretty much anything (specific types of food, jewellery, beauty products, etc).

Box #1

Each box comes with a little sweet (a different one each month), an Artsnacks goodie (sticker, temporary tattoo, etc) and a varying quantity of full sized, high quality art materials from all over the world. You also get a little card with an explanation of each product, its features and its retail value. In the case of this particular box, there was even a brand new product from Winsor & Newton that isn't even in stores yet! How cool is that? So here's what was in the September box:

• Winsor & Newton Pigment Marker and White Blender (exclusive brand new product)

• Caran d'Ache Swiss Wood 348 Pencil

• MOO Eraser by Weber Co.

You can read the detailed descriptions on the image below...

Quick review of these markers: I wasn't terribly impressed, unfortunately. It might be a great tool for people who work specifically with markers, but I found that they didn't blend very well, as you can see above, and I couldn't see how I'd use it myself. Checking out Youtube videos from other users didn't shed much light either. Still glad I got to try them out though, I get such fomo for new art materials so I know I'd be lusting after it If I hadn't had the opportunity to try them here.

Box #2

This was a Halloween themed box for October aptly dubbed "The Midnight Snack", hence the black paper and brain sweets. In this box there was:

• Higgins Black Magic Ink (right on theme, love that!)

• Caran d'Ache Black Wood Pencil

• 2 x Cretacolor Artist Studio Line Colored Pencils

• Pigma Professional Brush Pen by Sakura

• Connoisseur Bamboo Watercolor Brush

Read the detailed descriptions on the image below...

All great products in this box! The bamboo brush is very soft, very different to the brushes I usually use or have tried before, am looking forward to playing around with it more. The brush pen is great, always love experimenting with those. The pencils and ink are great, too. Yay!

Even with the exchange rate and shipping for us in SA (they're based in the US), it works out to a reasonable price if you consider the normal retail price of these materials, many of which aren't readily available in SA, or at least not in any store in Durban, so would have to be imported anyway. Quality art materials are pricey!

Another great point is that they have excellent customer service. I had an issue once or twice with shipping and it was handled so promptly and efficiently that it was no problem at all. You can also cancel whenever you want, so you're not locked into anything.

If you're an art lover, or know one, this would make a great gift for the holiday season! Visit Artsnacks and see what it's all about for yourself :)

** Please note, this is not a sponsored post, I'm just that excited about the product ;) **

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The Happiness is... 2016 Calendar

2015-11-12T20:31:00.000+02:00

The Happiness is... 2016 Calendar is here! Just in time for holiday gifting and to get prepared early for next year. It's full of hand lettered goodness and watercolour botanical illustrations, all handmade by me. Click here to find out more, sign up for product updates and place your order! :)

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November 2015 Free Printable Calendar + Brand New Planner Pack & Desktop Wallpaper

2015-10-30T01:06:00.002+02:00

Two more months left of 2015, peeps! Went for a looser look for the November calendar, which I quite like. What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments below!

(Seriously, I really appreciate the feedback ;)

Get your copy now and share this post with your friends!

And check out my brand new planner pack below!

Get your calendars earlier PLUS extra exclusive freebies

by subscribing to the Happiness is... Lucky Packet!

So many people have been letting me know how much they love and use the monthly calendars regularly. This makes me so happy, to know that so many people find it useful and have made it a part of their daily lives - last month's calendar had almost 2000 downloads!

People have also been saying that I should charge for them because they provide such great value. Don't worry though, I have no plans for that. Although I spend a lot of time and effort on them, I have always intended for them to be free as my way of offering you something of value. However, for those who would like to get even more value and show their support, I've created a complementary planner pack that I'm excited to share with you...

This pack contains five high quality items to go with your calendar and help keep you organised:
• a weekly planner, for more detailed planning
• a line-a-day journal page, great for noting anything important or memorable from each day. I like to use it as a gratitude journal.
• a mini calendar to stick up wherever you need to keep track of dates
• a habit calendar, for those of us trying to start new habits or keep up with existing ones. Fill in the circle on each day that you complete your "daily" habit
• a desktop wallpaper, to mix things up each month and keep you inspired

How does that sound? There'll be more of these with varied content, so if there's something you'd like that isn't included here let me know and you might see it in the next pack! I'll also be working on packs that are not month specific, so you can reuse them as much as you'd like.

This bundle can be purchased on my Etsy store - it's definitely for you if you've been appreciating the free calendars, love adding some pretty hand lettered goodness to your daily life and supporting handmade products and small businesses :)

I love when people share pics of their calendars in use! Share yours via twitter, facebook, instagram or pinterest using the hashtag #happinessis_calendars.

Have a great November!

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A Hand Lettered Birth Announcement & Watercolour Illustrations

2015-10-13T13:53:00.001+02:00

I realised recently that I haven't been sharing much of my work on here anymore! Not intentionally, it kind of just got buried in the busyness. So today I'm sharing a project I really enjoyed: a hand lettered birth announcement and some illustrations for little Samuel...

Marni contacted me a few months before her due date with a commission request for some illustrations for her baby's room, and a birth announcement for when he arrived. She liked this one that I had done previously and wanted something similar. She requested three woodland animal illustrations, and although animals aren't quite my forté I enjoyed creating these and Marni loved them. Here's a look at the full set and some details...

Then, a few months later, it was getting close to the due date for Marni's little one. She had given me most of the wording beforehand so I could do some planning, and the other surprise info (weight, height, time and photo) would be provided once the baby arrived. Of course with this being a birth announcement, it all needed to be done pretty quickly after his arrival, so it was rather exciting. Marni let me know when she was going into hospital so I knew when to allow time to get it done. It felt like I was part of their whole exciting experience, which I loved! Once they were all healthy and happy and home, they sent through some pics, which we'd discussed earlier, and the additional info, and I got it to her the next day to send out to her friends and family. I'm told they all loved it!

Here's a look at some process and details and the final piece...

How amazing to be able to have a part in such a special occasion! I love this hand lettering style and am so glad everyone was happy with the end result.
The birth announcement is a great way of creating a memorable and functional piece of art to mark the special day. It can be sent out as an informational piece, and then also printed and framed as a special memory of that day.

Drop me a mail if you'd like to commission an illustration or lettering piece ;)

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October 2015 Free Printable Calendar and Planner

2015-10-01T01:49:00.000+02:00

It's all lush, green happiness for the October calendar! This one was created using watercolour hand lettering and botanical illustration. Like it? Let me know in the comments below!

(Seriously, I really appreciate the feedback ;)

Get your copy now and share this post with your friends!

Get your calendars earlier PLUS extra exclusive freebies

by subscribing to the Happiness is... Lucky Packet!

I love when people share pics of their calendars in use! Share yours via twitter, facebook, instagram or pinterest using the hashtag #happinessis_calendars.

Here's wishing you a calm
and happy October!

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Illustration Exploration: an art treasure hunt

2015-09-28T10:09:00.001+02:00

#IllustrationExploration is a little side project I've started just for fun, for the sake of happiness and sharing, and for a little something different. A little while ago I had an idea to create a piece of art and share it for free, through a treasure hunt of sorts - hence "Illustration Exploration". The first one happened last week and it goes a little something like this:

• I'll announce on social media (facebook, twitter, instagram, snapchat @happinessisblog*) the day before it happens
• On the day I'll post clues about the package's whereabouts on twitter and snapchat. If you look carefully the clues will generally include a landmark or road name that you can google if the area doesn't look familiar
• I'll share a pic of what it looks like where it's placed
• It will be "hidden" somewhere in plain sight, where you may not see it if you aren't looking for it, but if you are looking for it, it'll be right there
• Once someone finds it they need to let me know, so until I've posted on my social media accounts that it has been found, it'll probably still be out there waiting!
Both of these were found a day or two after they were left, so if you aren't available at the time that I'm posting clues, don't be discouraged! It's not over until I share that someone found it. Make sure to check out all the clues on the hashtag (#IllustrationExploration), and on both twitter and snapchat for maximum info as the clues will be different on both accounts.

A lovely lady called Kat Kali found the first package, and her message about it was so heartwarming, it absolutely made my week....

So they'll happen roughly twice a month, every second week. You'll have to keep an eye on social media to know exactly when it's going down, and follow along for clues. The package is generally placed around lunchtime, so you can even pop out for some lunch break exploring to find it! There've been two so far, have a look at some of the clues and the illustrated pieces that were inside...

Inside the package you'll find an original hand drawn illustration, much like what you'll find on my Instagram account, a handwritten note from me, and maybe some other mystery items, depending on how much time I have. A little package of happiness, no strings attached!

Sounds good? Join in! The next one will be next week.

Of course due to the nature of the project it is only available to people in the Durban area. If you're not from Durban and you'd like an illustration, or if you'd like a specific illustration piece instead, you're welcome to get in touch for commissions. Most pieces on my Instagram account are also or sale.

If this inspires you to start your own branch in a different city, drop me a mail! Spreading the happiness is encouraged :)

*Add me on Snapchat for this project as well as some behind the scenes on my work and some of what I get up to when I'm not working: @happinessisblog

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5 Links Worth Clicking

2015-09-04T23:28:00.000+02:00

I come across so many awesome articles and sites during the week and while I do often share them on twitter, I think this is a nice roundup. These are only links that have really stood out to me over the past week or two...

Burger King offered McDonald's a very creative truce for Peace Day, McDonald's declined, but others accepted. Such a great idea, but even if you don't care about the concept, the site is so beautifully done, it's really worth a look.

Blossom Type is a typeface made of real flowers. On this site you can create your own message in flowers and download it.

"It's not worth it" is an art director's take on the creative industry. Very well worth a read if you're in the creative industry, especially in advertising. His full post contains a lot that I could relate to.

This genius artist who put on a multidisciplinary exhibition pretending to be 100 different artists. It's not very long and well worth the watch, his versatility is astounding.

12 Little Habits You Don't Realise Are Messing Up Your Mood Each Day - make a positive change :)

Would love to know if any of these resonate with you, so share your thoughts in the comments :)

Have a great weekend!

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September 2015 Free Printable Calendar and Planner

2015-09-01T08:59:00.000+02:00

Spring has pretty much sprung here in South Africa, so the September calendar is a burst of pretty, fresh blooms!

Like it? Let me know in the comments below :)

Get your copy now and share this post with your friends!

Get your calendars earlier PLUS extra exclusive freebies

by subscribing to the Happiness is... Lucky Packet!

I love when people share pics of their calendars in use! Share yours via twitter, facebook, instagram or pinterest using the hashtag #happinessis_calendars.

Here's wishing you a wonderful fresh start to the month and a happy September!

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Tree Natural Concept Cafe and Yoga Studio

2015-08-26T08:00:00.000+02:00

Last week in a tiny gap of a hectic day, I popped in for a whirlwind visit to Tree Natural Concept Cafe in Umhlanga. I'd been following them for a while on Instagram and their mouthwatering, healthy meals and treats had my hopes pretty high, and they didn't disappoint. They're tucked away on the corner of Lighthouse Drive and Ridge Road, and walking through their little gate and into their space feels like entering a sanctuary of calm away from the bustle outside...

Tree is a yoga studio and health food wellness concept store, run by couple Brett and Dom, who come from music, TV and advertising backgrounds in Cape Town, and Nic who together with Brett comes from an athletic background and also has a passion for yoga and food. I love the way Brett describes how Tree began...

“Once arriving back to KZN and with all three of us being very passionate about food and yoga, we decided to merge the two businesses and create a “wellness concept” - yoga and health food have such synergy and a symbiotic relationship that it was an obvious decision for all of us. Tree was then born - we wanted to create a place where people could arrive and feel nourished through fitness, yoga and our delicious and healthy food. The vision was to create a brand that becomes synonymous with health and wellness. We plan on perfecting our product here in Umhlanga and then growing nationally. Its very rewarding for all of us being part of something that has such a positive impact in so many peoples lives. We like the idea that we can create a little bit of extra happiness for all our students and patrons every time they enter the Tree space.”

I had the Acai Berry Smoothie Bowl and my friend had the Foundation breakfast - both were super delicious and satisfying. We were then encouraged to try the wicked looking chocolate protein muffin... and my word, was that good! It had a pleasantly surprising unusual taste from all the healthy ingredients - its gluten and sugar free. It was seriously delicious, including the cream cheese icing. Within 5 minutes of leaving I realised it really shouldn't have been shared and regretted not getting my own to take away. They also have healthy waffles, biscuits, crepes and more - guilt free! They've got great variety on the savoury side, too.

Here's a little more info on the food and thought behind it from Brett:

“Our food has a few basic principles. Most importantly though, no two people are the same, so what works for one person might not work for another. There are endless reasons for this, even within the partners we all react to different foods very differently. Therefore we are not a certain diet specific menu. Instead we believe in fresh, locally sourced, high nutrient and super foods that have no refined sugars or are GMO free, we also believe in sustainability and creating a menu that is good for the longevity of the planet. We have designed our menu so whether you are banting, gluten or lactose intolerant or vegetarian you have excellent choices at Tree. We are passionate about flavour so its been a big thing for us creating a menu where you are not sacrificing flavour for nutrition. Healthy can be delicious, just try our cupcakes or waffles :) Having a healthy relationship with food is important for everyone, correct eating is the most important thing you can do for your body, food is medicine and we really have tried to build a menu where we are making difference in peoples lives.”

Aside from the great food, decor and general vibe, they also have two resident French bulldogs, d’Artagnan (aka Dartie) and Bijou, who are the furbabies of Brett and Dom. They were pretty busy socialising and being good hosts so couldn't stand still for a good pic, but made up for it in friendliness. Adding furry friends to any occasion makes it 100 times better, so having them around is a definite bonus!

Some favourites on their menu include Darties almond waffle, protein chocolate cupcakes, twist wrap, cat coleslaw salad, acai berry bowl, the Top Deck smoothie and the broga smoothie. Just some suggestions to start off with since everything on the menu looks so good. View the full menu here.

A great way to fully enjoy their wellness concept experience would be to join Misha, the head yoga instructor, and her phenomenal team in the Tree heated yoga studio. They have a growing and loyal following from Sharks rugby players, big wave surfers, top businessmen and woman, world class athletes, Mums, Dads etc. They even offer kids yoga (Yoganastics), Pregnant yoga (Preggie Power) and sculpt (Tree Fit) where you will burn over 1000 calories in a high intensity class!

Anyway, that's enough, go experience it for yourself! They're open from Monday to Friday 06:00 to 19:00, and 08:00 to 15:00 on Saturday and Sunday and you can find them on the ground floor of the Protea Building on the corner of Lighthouse Road & Ridge Road, Umhlanga Village. Check out more on their Facebook page, Instagram and Website.

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5 reasons to start a daily project

2015-08-24T08:00:00.000+02:00

Hi friends! So remember I mentioned starting a series on my freelancing experience? And then you never heard about it again? I realised I'd been putting so much pressure on myself to "make it amazing" and do it really well that it was preventing me from actually doing it. I've decided to just post little bits of info in mostly quick, shortish posts in the interests of just getting shit done and taking away my procrastination excuses. So here's one that's been parking off in the drafts folder for a few months...

I started a daily doodle project on my Instagram account in December last year, which I wanted to keep going for the whole of 2015. This isn't a new concept, many others have done this and other similar projects, but I thought I'd share with you why I'm actually doing it, because as you might imagine, it's quite a commitment to add onto an already busy schedule.

Constant improvement through daily practice
Generally, the more you do something, the better you get at it and the easier it becomes. So many of the podcasts and articles I read talk about this kind of daily practice and how beneficial it is if you really want to get better at something.

Making creativity a habit
When your work depends on creativity, you can't sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. Creativity needs to become a habit, almost a switch that you can flip. Sitting down and forcing myself to come up with something new every day helps me with that and keeps new ideas coming in. Creating a bit of a routine or ritual around it also helps your brain get into the right mode, for example have a set time when you do your daily project, sit at the same desk, prepare a nice cup of coffee beforehand, etc, or whatever suits your taste.

Idea generation
When you have to choose themes and come up with something new every single day, it requires a bit of thought that you otherwise wouldn't be doing. I mean sure, you're having to have ideas about your paid work, but it's kind of different isn't it? With that work there's a brief and client feedback, etc, that guides your ideas, whereas in your own project you have to come up with your own boundaries. I feel like this daily wracking of my brain for a new idea keeps things fresh and makes me more aware of things.

Opening up to vulnerability
Every day is different, some days with less drawing time than others, and sometimes this leads to a rushed piece of work that's not at the level I'd like it to be. But the commitment to posting daily means it needs to go up anyway, which means I have to swallow my pride and allow people to see work that I've created that I'm not necessarily completely proud. This helps to break down the procrastination tactic of not moving forward with work until it's "perfect" and helps me put out more work. I think a lot of fellow makers will relate to the idea that putting work up publicly is a bit like standing on stage in your underwear, every single time you do it. This helps makes that a little less scary.

“...putting work up publicly is a bit like standing on stage in your underwear...” - tweet this!

Build a community
People who follow on Instagram know that I post daily (most of the time :P), generally around the same time, and hopefully start looking forward to posts if they're enjoying that particular month's theme. I love the interactivity and feedback that people sometimes share, and if you're a follower, share more! Remember that thing I said about standing on stage in your underwear? Support is hugely appreciated :) And I usually respond to each comment.

FAQ
Do you really do them each day or do you do a bunch in advance and just post them daily?
I do them each day, because doing them in a batch would defeat the above purposes of the project. I try to work a day in advance to reduce stress and in case I end up only working on a day's illustration too late to post, but life is busy and that doesn't always work out.

How do you manage to keep it going?
Truthfully, I don't always. I think I skipped May, because things just got too busy with "real" work, and this month hasn't been very consistent either for the same reason. Most of the time I try and make the time, I add it into my schedule, plan ahead and treat it like work. There've been times when I'm working in-office with a client for the day and then spend my lunch break getting it done, or sometimes they happen at 2am. I respect those that can manage to keep it up regardless of anything else going on, but if there are times where I feel like forcing myself to do it will compromise my work quality or health (in terms of lack of sleep or unnecessary excessive stress), then I allow myself to skip it and try to catch up if possible.

Follow along on Instagram! :)

Start your own daily project
A daily project doesn't have to be illustration. You can create one from anything you enjoy but don't usually get time to do, or something you'd like to get better at. Here are some tips:
• Set aside a time and timeframe for it, like "work in the garden for half an hour a day before work".
• If there's preparation that needs to be done or things you need to get for it, make sure to organise that beforehand so that when you get to your allocated time you aren't wasting time setting up, you can just get straight into it.
• If you're a planner type, make a schedule for exactly what you'll be doing each day (on your Happiness is... free printable calendar! ;)
• You don't have to post it on social media, but if you do it can help with accountability and support to encourage you to keep going.
• Basically remove any barriers that might get in the way from you actually getting started, and just do it!

Hope you enjoyed this post! My new "quick post" decision will hopefully get me posting more often again, so stay tuned. If you have anything in mind that you'd like me to talk about in future, comment and let me know! Or comment anyway, just to say hi :)

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August 2015 Free Printable Calendar Planner

2015-07-31T10:05:00.001+02:00

The August calendar is purely black and white so that you can add a bit of your own personality to it with some colour! You might enjoy this if you're into adult colouring books :)

Like it? Let me know! ;)

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Enjoy your calendar, get your plans on there and have an amazing August!

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The most beautifully designed chocolates I ever did see: Compartés Chocolatier

2015-07-16T11:49:00.000+02:00

Compartés Chocolatier is a handmade chocolate company run by renowned chocolatier, Jonathan Grahm. He's known for his over 100 varieties of gourmet chocolates and was named one of Forbes "30 Under 30". Based in LA, the idea was to bring European chocolate techniques, recipes and artistry to the United States. The premium organic gourmet chocolates are all made in house from scratch daily using all natural ingredients at their LA factory and store.
But now, all that info aside... Just LOOK at them!

These are the most beautifully designed things ever. Every time one of their pics comes up on my Instagram feed I'm in awe, either because of the design or the incredible flavours...

In their chocolate bar range you'll find flavours like Donuts & Coffee, Cereal Bowl, Biscuits and Honey, Apple Pie, Japan (white chocolate/ matcha green tea), Vegan Zen (healthy kale dark chocolate bar)... just to name a few. Apart from their chocolate bars, they also have truffles, jams and artisan bars...

Can you even handle?! And yes, that donut is made with their chocolates. Go check out their site to feel the full force of deliciousnessness and design awesomeness overwhelm.

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3 years of self employment + a new blog series

2015-07-13T13:31:00.002+02:00

Hi, friends! I've just passed the three year mark of being my own boss! I had an immense wave of overwhelming gratitude when I realised this: it blows my mind that I'm able to work the way that I do, and I'm incredibly grateful for that, every day. It has been a really interesting three years: the growth and learning curve have been amazing and I've loved every second of it. Here's a throwback to my original launch post back in 2012.

I often get asked questions about freelancing, working from home, etc, so thought I'd start sharing my experiences to help others who may be in the same headspace I was in when I took the plunge, and to let you into the behind-the-scenes of my world :)
I'd like to announce the launch of a new series...

This series will share info on my experiences and things I've learnt so far. If you have questions I'd love to hear them, and I'll try my best to address them in this series, too. Drop me a mail with any questions you may have at happiness.is.info@gmail.com with the subject "Freelance Queries". First post coming soon!

Here's a look at some work I've done over the past three years, with much more still to be uploaded (click the images to see more)...

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25 Podcasts you should be listening to

2015-07-01T09:58:00.000+02:00

As the beginning of a somewhat new chapter for this blog where I'd like to share more informational posts with you all, today I'm sharing some of the podcasts I listen to regularly. Podcasts have recently started gaining more popularity, and if you haven't tried them out before these are some good ones to get you started. If you aren't quite sure what a podcast even is...

podcast (noun): a digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or portable media player, typically available as a series, new instalments of which can be received by subscribers automatically.

The most popular apps to use to subscribe to podcasts are Stitcher and iTunes. You can also listen to them online without subscribing, usually on the podcast's website or wherever the specific podcast has been made available, often sites like Soundcloud. (subscriptions on iTunes and Stitcher are generally free)

So the podcasts I listen to fall mainly into two categories: creative business and entrepreneurship, and background listening. I've shared a pretty large mix of both categories here and have linked to each podcast's webpage because they often have other great content beyond the podcast, and also so that you can choose your preferred listening medium. Click on the pics for the links! I listen to these while I'm working, so if I'm doing stuff that requires more thinking I'll listen to the background listening stuff, and if I can spare some attention to actually take in some info I'll go for the creative business stuff.

Here are my top 5 most often listened-to podcasts:

Gary Vaynerchuck runs a huge digital agency, has invested in many of the largest social media platforms, and is an all round dynamic and charismatic guy. On the #AskGaryVee podcast and the matching Youtube channel Gary provides huge value by taking questions about social media, entrepreneurship, startups, and family businesses. It's super interesting as well as entertaining.

Sean McCabe is a hand lettering artist and designer who runs his own business. On the Seanwes Podcast he shares great advice on creativity and business, professionalism and marketing within the design industry. A must for freelancers for info on pricing and how to deal with clients.

The Being Boss podcast is about creative entrepreneurship and is run by Emily Thompson of Indie Shopography and Kathleen Shannon of Braid Creative. They share useful advice and interviews, and I especially like the dose of what they call "woo woo" that they add into it, meaning looking at things from a more emotional and spiritual side.

This American Life is an award winning weekly radio show. Each week has a theme and the show interviews all sorts of different people in each episode who have interesting stories relating to the theme. Their archives go back to 1995, so there's a ton to go through if you get into it.

TED Radio Hour features fascinating ideas, new ways of thinking, inspirational people and great speakers, based on the popular and often awe-inspiring talks from TED conferences.

Entrepreneurship, Business and Creativity

Background listening - Talk Shows and Storytelling

Do you already subscribe to podcasts? I'd love to hear what you're listening to! Please share your faves in the comments :)

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July 2015 Free Printable Calendar and Planner

2015-06-29T09:42:00.001+02:00

Let's go, second half of 2015!

The July calendar is made up of hand lettering and a sprinkle of other goodies on the side that remind me of popping candy. Like it? Let me know! ;)

Get your copy now and share this post with your friends!

Get your calendars earlier PLUS extra exclusive freebies

by subscribing to the Happiness is... Lucky Packet!

I love when people share pics of their calendars in use! Share yours via twitter, facebook, instagram or pinterest using the hashtag #happinessis_calendars.

Enjoy your calendar
& have an awesome July!

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