From the Archives: Christmas Party Ideas

It's so hard to believe that we are more than halfway through December and that Christmas is days away! December has been busy for me, but I've really enjoyed it. I feel like December has constantly kept me in motion with different projects, opportunities, social events, and travel. This week has a focus on Christmas celebrations and I'm really looking forward to it. 

Because this month has been non-stop for me, this is the first year in a long time that I won't be hosting my own Christmas Party. Part of me is relieved- when would I have time to plan and host a party this month?! Party of me is sad- I love to host and Christmas parties are one of my favourites!! 

A couple of years ago, I shared three of my favourite Holiday Party Ideas- Gongerbread & Champagne, Christmas PJ Party, and Potluck & Ornament Exchange- checkout the original post for more details! 

Posts of Christmas Past

The Christmas season is one of my favourites, and I love creating holiday content. Due to some life situations this year, I didn't have the chance to create any original content, but I did want to share some Christmas content. Below you will find links to some of my past Christmas posts. Enjoy!

• Christmas Cookies- You will find some of my favourite Christmas cookies, with links to recipes. 
• Politically Correct Christmas Carols- One of my favourite humour pieces related to the holidays- and content I seem to share every year. Also, with the whole Baby It's Cold Outside being banned from (some) radio stations this year...
• Holiday Eating Tips- Going waaaaaaay back into the archives for this funny post that offers great "advice" for eating during the holidays.
• Five Christmas Songs and Christmas Playlist- Some of my all time favourite Christmas songs, and songs I have on repeat this time of year. 
• Christmas Movies- This list is from 2016, but these are still movies I watch, and love, every year. 
• Christmas Party Ideas- I love a good party, and these ideas are great for the days leading up to and following Christmas. 
• The Night Before Christmas- A personal post about my childhood Christmas Eves' spent with cousins and Santa.

From the Archives: Children & Proverbs

I spent some time on the weekend cleaning up my blog tags- this is a HUGE project and is probably going to take me months to do. In cleaning up the tags, I have had the opportunity to revisit different posts from over the years. I have close to 1250 blog posts (CRAZY!!!) so there are a lot of posts I have forgotten about. It's been fun to be reminded of different aspects of my life, favourite beauty products, songs that I love(d), books I've read, places I've been. 

Here is a post from March of 2013 (original post can be found here), that I thought I would share again. A grade one teacher gave her students the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to complete the proverb. 

1. Don't change horses...until they stop running.
2. Strike while the...bug is close. 
3. It's always darkest before...Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimtae the power of...termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but...How?
6. Don't bite the hand that...looks dirty
7. No news is...impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a Mr. 
9. You can't teach an old dog new...Math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll...stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust...Me.
12. The pen is mightier than the...pigs.
13. An idle mind is...the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke, there's...pollution.
15. Happy the bride who...gets all the presents. 
16. A penny saved is...not much.
17. Two's company, three' the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what...you put on to go to bed. 
19. Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and...You have to blow your nose. 
20. There are none so blind as...Stevie Wonder. 
21. Children should be seen and not...spanked or grounded. 
22. If at first you don't succeed...get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you...see in the picture on the box. 
24. When the blind lead the blind...get out of the way. 
25. A bird in the hand...is going to poop on you. 
26. Better late than...pregnant. 

Posts of Christmas Past

Happy Friday! Happy December!

I am a beach baby...I love being at the beach, I love warm weather, I love summer. Love. 

But I also love Christmas. I love the movies, music, spirit, baking, card sending, gift hunting, parties and socials, decorating.

To kick-off this holiday season (which I actually did November 12), I thought I would share some of my favourite blog posts from past Christmas seasons!

• Politically Correct Christmas Carols
• Christmas Party Ideas
• Five Christmas Songs
• The Night Before Christmas
• Ninja Turtles, Art Supplies & Totally Gross
• Christmas Movies Part 1 and Part 2

From The Archives: Let It Rain

I have a life that I love and I have many, many, many great things going for me. About two weeks ago, there was a very confusing conversation with someone who claimed I was one of his best friends. From there, things went downhill. It was one thing after another- all unrelated, but all negative. I'm pretty tough and I can take a lot...but there was a final blow- someone I thought would always be there for me- that has really gotten to me. All of the situations and circumstances added up and really got to me, if I'm being honest. 

On the weekend, I was able to escape. It's a place I run to, and I had the added bonus of being alone that weekend. Time to be by myself, do what I want, process thoughts, and refocus. The weather, of course, got in the way of my plans. Instead of being at the beach, I was under a covered porch during a thunder storm. 

As I was mesmerized by the storm, I was reminded of situation years ago where I found myself caught in the rain. I was reminded of how much happiness that situation brought me, and realized I needed to stop focusing on all the little things that I could have done differently and start focusing on the small, simple pleasures of life- like playing in the rain. 

From The Archives: Bedtime Stories Baby Shower

A number of years ago, I hosted a baby shower for a co-worker/friend. The theme was Bedtime Stories. As an event planner, I get to host, design, consult, plan, etc on tons of events throughout the year. This baby shower was one of my favourite events that I worked on. 

Since it's been so long since this baby shower took place, and because a number of my friends have either just had babies or are pregnant, I thought I would go into the Dreams and Colour Archives and share the posts related to the Bedtime Stories Baby Shower!

 

Theme & Invite Decorations Food & Drink Games Book Recommendations & Gift Ideas A Special Keepsake

This is a really fun, classic, gender neutral baby shower theme...I would love to host another shower with these theme!!

From The Archives: 30 Things In 30 Years

With my birthday next week, I can't help but reflect on birthdays past. I have had a lot og great birthdays, and a couple of not so great birthdays. My 30th birthday stands out not only because it was a milestone, but because it was a month long celebration. I did something to celebrate, with so many different people. 

I remember doing a blog post on 30 things I had accomplished in 30 years. Looking at that post, which you can find here, I am reminded of a lot of really cool, fun, and once-in-a-lifetime things I had the opportunity to do. 

In the three years since, I have continued to do and accomplish a lot. I am proud, thankful, and blessed for the life I have. I am also thankful for the people who have helped me build it, supported me along the way, and experienced life with me. 

 

I started to compile a list of things I have done since I turned 30- but that's a post for another time. 

From The Archives: Spinach Manicotti

One of my favourite dishes to make is spinach manicotti. I grew up (half) Italian, so pasta based dishes were staples growing up. Spinach manicotti is a really easy dish to make, it's delicious, and it looks/sounds fancy. 

 

I shared this recipe back in 2012- crazy to think that was five years ago! You can find the post with ingredient list and instructions here. 

 

I don't like tomato sauce and I forgot to buy mozzarella cheese...still delicious!

From The Archives: DIY Sharpie Mug

It's always fun to go back through old blog posts and be reminded of different life events, favourite songs, loved books, recipes, and DIY projects! 

 

 

Back in April of 2015, I shared a DIY sharpie mug. This was a fun project and one I have made a number of times over the years. You can find the original post, including instructions, here.

From The Archives: Pink Flamingo

For today's post, I thought I would head back into the archives and share this fantastic drink recipe- Pink Flamingo. 

We are fully into the summer season and one of my favourite summer activities is to socialize with friends- aka drinks on the patio/deck/balcony/outdoor space. Combine this activity with my favourite animal, flamingos, and you have one of my favourite summer drinks. I often serve this drink in the summer months when I have friends over. A great thing about this drink? It can easily be adjusted and made into a non-alcoholic drink so everyone can enjoy it!

#TBT: 5 Questions- Chelsea

Happy Thursday!! This week has seemed to drag on and on...I'm not sure if it's because it's the first week back to work after being of for almost two weeks, still being exhausted from the holidays, or because I'm super excited for this weekend and it can't come quick enough!!

In honour of Throwback Thursday, or #TBT, I thought it would be fun to go back into the archives and share a January post from years past. I decided to share 5 Questions- which is a series I ran on my blog a few years ago. Chelsea is not only a great blogger, but she is also my blog designer (which after all these years, I still am in love with)!! 

What to know the 5 questions I asked Chelsea and how she answered? You can find the original post here. 

Looking for a fun swap? Consider joining the Book & A Cuppa.

Post Of Christmas Past

So much going on today...Cyber Monday, the last day of November, the end of my blogging hiatus, the date of birth of someone who means the world to me, the run through for the biggest of event I have ever worked on.

In the days leading up to Christmas, I will, of course, have some Christmas focused posts. Today, I thought I would go into the archives and share some the Christmas posts I have done in the past. 

Politically Correct Christmas Carols

Christmas Reading List

Christmas Playlist

5 Must Watch Christmas Movies

Christmas Gift Guide 2014

Christmas Gift Guide 2013

From The Archives: Yogurt Dots

A couple of years ago I came across a great snack that is also super easy to make. It's on of my favourites so I thought I would go into the Archives and share with you my recipe for Yogurt Dots! 

With so many different yogurt flavours available, this snack can be made in a variety of flavours too. It's healthy, delicious and takes minutes to prepare. I usually have a container of yogurt dots in the freezer. They are a great snack for basically every occasion!

From The Archives: Campfire Cookies

Happy Wednesday!! It's always fun to go into the archives and be reminded of things I have posted about in the past. I realize I haven't gone into the archives in a few months, so I thought I would do so today. 

So, what do we have from the archives? Campfire Cookies!! 

 

These cookies are not only delicious, but they are super easy to make!! 

The recipe can be found here. Enjoy!

From The Archives: Baby Shower Part 1- Theme & Invite

Almost a year and a half ago, I hosted a 'Bedtime Stories' Baby Shower for a dear friend of mine. The shower was so much fun to plan, almost as much fun as the actual party! 

I had every intention on sharing details of the shower on the blog, but never really got around to it. Better late than never, right?

Even though the actual baby shower was so long ago, I still want to share details of the event with everyone. This is a timeless, gender neutral and fun theme.

The day of the Baby Shower, I posted details about the theme and I posted the custom invitations I had made. Please visit the original post here for all of the details!!

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting other elements of the shower, which will include refreshments (with recipes), decorations, games, book suggestions and a one of a kind gift.

Trust me, you don't want to miss these details!!

From The Archives: An Important Day...Thanks Mom & Dad

Happy Thursday!! I have a busy day, some excitement, and the last work day before an extra long weekend!! Looking forward to a few days away, some fun and hopefully good news!!

Some news I am trying not to think about...my birthday is on Saturday. Spending it with family, but no real plans. I've been too busy and have had too much on my mind to think about what I want to do to celebrate. 

What I did want to do, was share this post from a couple of years ago, An Important Day...Thanks Mom & Dad.

 

While the entire post- as related to my parents- is still true, I wanted to share an excerpt:

My parents have stood by my side. They've cheered me on. They've supported me. They've laughed with me and celebrated with me. They've held me and comforted me while I cried. They gave me hope. They inspired me. 

They have kept me grounded and humbled, while making sure I had every advantage. 

I wasn't always nice to them or appreciative (hello teenage years), but I have always loved them. I'm thankful that my parents are, well, my parents. I appreciate them putting up with me, as well as everything they have ever done for me. 

I'm truly the luckiest girl in the world because of who my mom and dad are.

I honestly have the best parents, I am so lucky and blessed. They have help shape me into who I am and they have made sure I was always loved and cared for. No one could ask for- or even be- better parents.

From The Archives: Rolo Stuffed Crackers

Happy Friday!! While it has been an overall good week, I'm happy to see it come to an end. I'm looking forward to this weekend- no travel, I'll be spending it at my apartment! I can't even remember the last time I spent a weekend here, it's been THAT long. 

On Tuesday, I had some friends over and I made rolo stuffed crackers. This used to be a 'go to' recipe for me and for some reason, I just stopped making them. I decided to make them on Tuesday and they were a huge hit!! A friend asked me how I got the recipe, and I told her; Pinterest, made them, shared them online and I got great feedback from readers- one person even said to me 'In this case, sharing is not caring' as I was ruining her diet/healthy eating. 

I originally shared this recipe back in 2013, almost two years ago and before I was a .com, so I thought I would share it again. For the full recipe, check out this post. These are super easy to make and I haven't had anyone not love them!