Wednesday, November 30

Good Morning!

Hello and good morning!

I have an extremely stressful last 10 days... Lila's been sick and throwing up for 10 days :( We've been in the ER three times and to the doctor twice, and she received IV fluids and some anti nausea meds. Anyways she seems to be doing better then all of a sudden she will throw up everything she's eaten. They ruled out a bacterial infection and a blockage, so they think its just a really bad case of the flu. Bleh. Thankfully I haven't gotten sick yet, but both my parents got it.  So that is why I have been absent from the blogging world for awhile!

But I have some news! First things first: I am featured in a BNR treasury today! Click here to see it!
If your not sure what a BNR Treasury is, I will tell you. BNR means "Buy and Replace" so if you buy anything (over $4.00) from any of the shops featured in the treasury, you will be featured in the next round! I just discovered these so I am considering this an experiment, and hoping for some sales! Have you had any luck with these before?

Also I having a 30% off sale in my shop until Friday: use the code HappingThanksgiving11 at checkout! I posted a ton of new cards recently, including these:




Also I am doing my very first craft show this weekend! I will share more details with you later this week, maybe tomorrow! I have so many things to share, including Lila's birthday photos! So check back soon!

Friday, November 25

Christmas Card giveaway winner!

Hello everyone! I am very excited to announce the winner of my Christmas Card Giveaway!

*drumroll please*

And the winner is:

Ms Veronica!!!

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy your Christmas cards!

A huge thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and helped me promote!
I am also thrilled to announce that I am having a 30% off sale in my shop!! Now until Sunday everything is 30% off so if you didn't win, you can buy your own set of Christmas cards, or stock up on whatever you need for the holidays!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have a great holiday weekend!!

Friday, November 18

TGIF Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! I had a less stressful week this week, but was blown away by the snow! Have you had any snow where you are? I am keeping busy planning Lila's 1st birthday!! 
Make sure you enter my giveaway!!
Here are some gorgeous things I've been drooling over:

 I love this hand-knitted afghan! I also love the couch, and both of the pillows!

These adorable hand made owl gadget cases are made to order!

How freaking adorable is this kitty hat!?!?

These adorable paintings would be perfect in the baby's room!

Check out all of these beautiful new turquoise pieces at Moorea's shop!
I am in love with this whimsical leafy scarf!

These bath salts look so dreamy! They are definitely on my Christmas list!

Isn't this photo lovely?

I'm always a sucker for beautiful and unusual shoes!

I love this whole entire outfit! Especially the umbrella!

This display is so breath taking!

I can't wait to have my own bathroom so I can display these beautiful perfume bottles!

Thursday, November 17

Giveaway: Christmas Card Set!

This giveaway is now closed - Thank You to everyone who participated!!!

I am having so much fun making Christmas cards... it is truly the most wonderful time of the year! I'm trying to boost my blog and shop traffic this season, so I'm having a giveaway! The lucky winner will receive a set of these lovely Christmas cards, handmade by me of course!






This set includes eight Christmas cards, neatly wrapped with eight white envelopes. Perfect for mailing to faraway family or passing out at work! You see can more details about them in my shop here.

To Enter: All you have to do is follow my blog! Please leave a comment that you are a follower.

Extra Entries: (please leave a separate comment for each entry!)
1. Check out my Etsy shop, pick your favorite item and comment on it!
2. Follow me on Twitter
3. Like my page on Facebook
4. Follow me on Tumblr
5. Tweet about this giveaway. You can use this message: Enter to win a set of handmade Christmas cards by @mmcreations16
6. Share this giveaway on your Facebook page, blog, Tumblr or other networks you are a part of! Leave a separate comment for each.

Added bonus: If you follow me on my various networks, I will most likely follow you back!

Giveaway ends Thursday, November 24 at Midnight.

Thank you for your support, and the best of luck to you all!

Wednesday, November 16

Mini Christmas Cards!

This week I've finally got my crafty hat on, and I've been making Christmas cards! Did I you tell you about the HUGE yard/garage/house sale that I went to a couple weekends ago, where I got tons and tons of paper and cardmaking supplies for garage sale prices? I probably got $500+ worth of stuff, for under $50. It was insane. So that has really inspired me to get creating! Here are my latest creations:




These little cuties are available in my shop individually and in sets of four. You can even pick which four you want! Aren't they adorable? More on the way soon!

Tuesday, November 15

Taste The Rainbow!

Lila's birthday is next week already! I can't believe she's almost 1 year!

So we are celebrating Lila's birthday tomorrow with the family I nanny for, and last night I made....

Rainbow Cupcakes!!









With some Skittles on top, they are delicious and so pretty!!!

Friday, November 4

In My Opinion: Speaking Without Bias

Something that is very important to me is treating everyone with respect, unless they behave in a way that makes them deserve otherwise. As unoriginal as this sounds, I treat people the way I want to be treated. With this being said, one thing I am really sensitive to is biased language.



Example #1: The most common question I get asked by complete strangers is "what is your nationality?" When people ask me this, I always respond the same way, with the truth: American.
This is not the answer that people expect. They want to know a country that I am from, or, more simply, why I don't look white. They sum up that I must be "from somewhere" because non-white people aren't usually from here. Well guess what folks!? "White" people aren't originally from here either!
Okay I'm going to avoid going on a crazy rant but to summarize, I have had many guesses as to where I am from, including: Brazil, Hawaii, Mexico, India, Iran, Italy, and Egypt. I'm actually from none of these places. Allow me to introduce myself:
My name is Liz, short for Elizabeth.
My nationality is American. My parents were born in America. My parent's parents were also born in America.
My race is human.
My ethnicity is Portuguese-Cape Verdian, West African, Norwegian and English
My background is African American and European American
I am biracial


Often after explaining this to something, they will say "oh your mixed." Like "okay let me fit what you just said into my small minded view of the world." and its really hard for me not to be offended. But I know they don't mean any offense, and I try to remind myself of this when responding.

 To me, the term "mixed" sounds like a term you would use when breeding dogs. Or making chocolate milk. I wish there were more words for people of multiple ethnicities and backgrounds, but there just aren't enough terms that are socially acceptable. So with a lack of another appropriate term, I prefer "biracial" or "multiracial."

me (on the right) and my cousins
Maybe its because I was raised in a very liberal town with two parents who lived through a "mixed marriage" in the 60's, but I am very sensitive to labels. We are all human beings, we are all people. We all deserve to be recognized as people before we are labeled as anything else. Therefore, when someone uses bias in their language, it really bothers me.

Example #2: I know some people who call themselves radical thinkers, but who still refer to people by their differences first, even when it is irrelevant. They frequently use terms like "my tranny friend" or "that black guy" instead of just "my friend" or "that guy" or even better, using their preferred names! Differences shouldn't be mentioned unless they are relevant. That is not to say that they should be ignored. But, lets assume you are Caucasian, and most of your friends are Caucasian. Do you refer to each of your friends by "my Caucasian friend Betty..." or "my white friend Sarah"? I'm pretty sure you don't. So why do people choose to use labels when someone is different?



When it comes to identifying someone, I get it, it is easier to say "do you remember my friend Joe, he's African American?" when the majority of your friends aren't African American, it might make it easier to explain who Joe is. But lets say you want to tell your friend about the time when Joe accidentally knocked down the baked bean display in the grocery store. Would you start your sentence with "My black friend Joe was pushing his cart..." I find this unnecessary and, if done gratuitously, offensive.

Reducing bias in language: Differences should be mentioned only when they are relevant. Factors such as marital status, sexual orientation, racial or ethnic identity, or the fact that a person has a disability should not be mentioned gratuitously.
Be sensitive to labels. Call people what they prefer to be called. For example; Native Americans may prefer to be called by their name in their native language, rather than the English word. Be aware that these preferences change over time.
When referring to someone with a difference or disability, use person-first language. Rather than saying "he is autistic" you would say "he is a person with autism" or "he has autism." Autism is not what he is, but one characteristic of him. He is a person, first and foremost.

Thank you for reading my rather long post! I hope you gained some insight and inspiration from my thoughts! I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!

Thursday, November 3

Fashion Favorite: Pussybow Blouse

I love the internet. Not just for wasting time, which is what I mostly do on it, but also for finding incredible inspiration! I was inspired by Cabootique's blog entry to do a post on this lovely piece: the pussybow blouse! (read her original post here)

 (via: riverisland)

(via: ellalai)

(via: romwe)

(via:asos)

 (via: theoutnet)

(via: asos)

I love the way it looks with jeans, dressy pants, or skirts. I think it looks great by itself, layered with a blazer or sheer with a coordinated bra underneath! I have one somewhere that is short-sleeved in black lace. I think I need to find it asap!

Wednesday, November 2

Cooking: Taco Casserole

There is something about Fall that makes me want to cook and bake! Once I start cooking, its like an infection and I just want to keep cooking! Does this happen to you? 

Anyways this recipe is so yummy, I can't wait to make it again! Its also super easy. You need:

1 lb ground beef
16 oz refried beans
16 oz spanish rice
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of cheddar and monteray jack)
2 cups coarsly crushed tortilla chips (I put them in a bowl and crush them with the bottom of a glass)
1 package taco seasoning (omit or reduce this if you want it less salty)
1 cup salsa (mild for me!)

optional:
2 green onions, chopped
1 can black olives, sliced
1 tomato, chopped


Directions:
(Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit)
1) Brown ground beef and drain
2) Add taco seasoning (or desired spices) according to package directions
3) Put crushed chips in bottom of 9x9 baking dish
4) Cook refried beans on stove until hot
5) Add 1 cup cheese and 1 cup salsa to refried beans, stir until combined
6) Pour beans over corn chips in baking dish
7) Heat Spanish rice, pour over beans in baking dish
8) Add beef on top of rice
9) Sprinkle remaining cheese over beef
10) sprinkle green onions and black olives over cheese
11) Bake in oven until cheese is sufficiently melted
12) Take out of oven, sprinkle tomatoes on top
13) Wait 1-2 minutes then enjoy!!!

If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think!!