What's In A Name?

It's been about five years or so since I shared the story behind my blog name (and social media handles), so I thought that I would do that today!

I started blogging back in the fall of 2011 and Dreams and Colour has always been the name of my blog. I know that a lot of bloggers have gone through different names and branding, but I was never one of them. Speaking of branding...all of my branding was created by the insanely talented and super sweet Chelsea from Swoon & Co. You can also find Chelsea at her blog, Olive & Ivy.

So, why Dreams and Colour?

One of my all time favourite songs is Betterman by Pearl Jam. I remember hearing it as a kid, and loving it from the beginning. There's a line in the song 'She dreams in colour/she dreams in red' that has always been one of my favourite song lyrics. 

Red is my favourite colour and I considered naming my blog 'Dreams in Red' but I thought it might be limiting as far as design goes, and I thought that it might also give off a negative image- red is often associated with anger- which I definitely didn't want.

I really liked 'Dreams in Colour' and thought it would be great from a design and imagine perspective, and I felt it related to me on a personal level- I like colour, I light bright, I like fun. 

Unfortunately, Dreams in Colour/Color were not available, but Dreams and Colour was. Dreams and Colour was close enough to the original name that I wanted, so I went with it and never looked back! 

Updated Blog List

2016 was not a good blog year for me. Life got the best of me and this little blog took a backseat. I'm hoping in 2017 that I will be able to go back to blogging regularly. We'll see what happens. With that being said, there are a couple of things that I have been meaning to update-including my Blog List, which you can find in the right side bar. 

Here is a quick overview of the blogs on my list:

• Airing My Dirty Laundry I have been following Amber for years, since before I started blogging. She is hilarious and keeps it real. 
• Amber Nicole Blog First of all, I am so lucky to call Amber a friend Amber covers life with her kids, cooking, fashion, beauty, and general lifestyle tips. 
• Brittany Viklund Brittany hasn't blogged in almost two years, but I keep her on the list because she is such an amazing woman- and I keep hoping she will come back to blogging! She has been busy the past two years with married life, having a baby and starting her own business! She is active on Instagram.
• Everyone Plays Dwayne shares stories based on his life, work, things he reads, etc and is constantly highlighting the theme of belonging. Engaging posts and a great reminder to be inclusive in all that we do. 
• Simply Being Ki Ki shares her journey to live a simple, minimalist, grounded lifestyle.
• Smart Pretty and Awkward Molly offers tips and tricks on how to be smarter, prettier, and less awkward. Her posts are quick reads and super easy to implement. Year after year, Smart Pretty and Awkward is my must read blog. 
• Southern Living Preppy Style Jennifer covers life in Florida with her family, and shares her incredible fashion sense. Love her spy it and buy it posts- where she 'spy' a look and share where to 'buy' the look at an affordable price point. 
• The EveryGirl This is a blog that I stumbled across recently and fell in love with! They cover everything from career to wellness. Lots of useful information and ideas. If I am looking for something, this blog has become my first stop.
• ThePoint This is the Hudson's Bay Official Blog. I was hesitant to add something so commercial to my blog list, but I love the Bay and Bay stripes, so it made the list. Everything posted is either an event that happened at the Bay of products you can buy at the Bay. But they do have good content too...so worth looking at.

I encourage everyone to checkout the above mentioned blogs...happy reading!

Book & A Cuppa Swap: The Reveal

Swaps are so much fun and a great way to meet other bloggers.  Chaotic Goddess Swaps host a number of swaps throughout the year. They decided to combined two of their swaps : Books & Bloggers, and Mug 'O Comfort (which I loved), to create:

I was partnered with Mary from Mary's Marbles for this swap. I had the chance to get to know her a bit and I had fun picking out items to include in her swap package. The BEST part of being partnered with Mary? We live 20 minutes away from each other!! 

Since we live so close to each other, we decided to have a blate (blog date) and swap our packages in person. I had a fantastic visit with Mary (and one of her daughters). It was so great to see and chat and ger to know each other even more.

So, what did Mary give me?

The mug says "All you need is tea and warm socks".  While I do drink coffee, I am more of a tea drinker, and I told Mary after she gave me this mug that I loved the fact that she was able to find and gift me with a mug that had a quote about tea- most mugs have quotes that deal with coffee. 

Maeve Binchy is one of my all tiem favourite authors and Minding Frankie is one of her books that I have yet to read. I was ecstatic that Mary picked out this book for me!! I can't wait to read it!!

I love having a nice smelling apartment, so I frequently have wax tarts melting. Mary got me 'Sweet Sangria' wax tarts...which smell amazing!! She told me that she saw that in 2011 I had posted a recipe for Sangria on my blog (which, for the life of me, I cannot find) so she thought I would like this scent!

Finally, Mary gave me these beautiful bracelets. They are made by a company called Color by Amber and are made using recyclable, eco friendly material. One of the bracelets has grass in it from Africa- how cool is that???- and one of the bracelets is clear; it's called clarity...which I love! 

Huge thank you to Mary for spoiling me!! Head over to her blog to see what I gave her.

Also thanks to Angie and Beth from Chaotic Goddess Swaps for hosting!!

Swaportunity: Book & A Cuppa Swap

I seriously love swaps...I love getting to know other bloggers and I love learning about people and putting the perfect package together for them! I don't participate in as many swaps as I would like, but I am excited to participate in the Book & A Cuppa Swap by Chaotic Goddess Swaps!

CG Swaps host a number of swaps throughout the year and actually combined two of their swaps- Books 'N' Bloggers and Mug O' Comfort- to create the Book & A Cuppa Swap! You will partnered with another blogger and you will exchange a mug, a book, and other mug and book related items. The Mug O' Comfort swap was one of my favourites and I'm looking forward to this updated/combined version. 

You can sign up- and get more info- here. 

Amber's Birthday Giveaway

Not only is today Friday, but today is also my sweet friend Amber's 30th birthday!!! Make sure you stop by her blog to wish her a happy birthday!!

What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a giveaway!! Amber and some of her friends have gotten together to offer a fantastic giveaway! You can enter using the rafflecopter below. Good Luck!!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pretty Little Beauty Swap-Reveal

My dear, sweet friend Justine hosts a fantastic swap; Pretty Little Beauty Swap. There are so many bloggers that love subscriptions boxes (me being one of them) and we've all received items in the subscriptions boxes that are great, but not great for you. This swap allows you to pass on items that just weren't for you- either a product you don't use or a colour that's not right for your complexion or a product that you have a million of and just won't end up using. It's a great way to pass on products and share favourite products with another beauty-loving blogger!!

One of me favourite part of this swap, is that I am always paired with another Canadian!! I love meeting new bloggers, especially Canadian bloggers. For this swap, I was paired with Lindsay from The Flynnigans and she has quickly become a new friend! We would would have loved to meet up in person to exchange our packages, but summer activities kept that from happening.

Lindsay absolutely spoiled me!!

Balea 3-1 Cleansing Cloths- I LOVE Balea face and hair masks (which I sent Lindsay!!), as well as foot scrubs. I have never tried their cleansing cloths, so I'm excited that Lindsay sent them to me! I use cleansing cloths all. the. time. One of my 'must have' beauty products for sure. 

e.o.s. Lip Balms in Summer Fruit, Blueberry Acai and Sweet Mint- I also sent an e.o.s. lip balm to Lindsay...and these are another one of my beauty 'must have'. I was actually introduced to these by another Pretty Little Beauty swap partner and have used them ever since! I'll be keeping one at my desk, one at home and one in my purse, and these are three I haven't tried yet!

Rimmel London Volume Flash Scandal Eyes Mascara- I have known about this brand for years and years, but have never tried any of their products! I am always on the hunt for a great mascara, so I'm excited to try this!!

Anna Sui Lip Balm- First of all, super cute packaging! Another product I haven't tried...but I'm excited that Lindsay sent it! I'm basically addicted to lip balm.

Coach Purfume- This smells amazing!!! Plus this is the perfect size to keep in my bag.

Maybelline Eyeshadow in Sunlit Bronze- I love this palette!! This is perfect for me and something I will definitely wear! I'm not one to wear a lot of colour when it comes to eyeshadow and tend to stick to neutrals and bronzes. 

Vaseline Intensive Care Dry Skin Repair- Thanks in part to Ontario weather, I have the driest skin ever. I'm constantly applying moisturizer and on the hunt for moisturizer that will work. I just put some on, and my skin is feeling some relief.

Lindsay also sent the cutest card with the sweetest message! Seriously, I love this girl!!!

To see what I sent Lindsay, check out her reveal post.  

Huge thanks to Justine and Chelsea for hosting! Click here to see the rest of the link up.

The Young Professional- Hiatus

Happy Monday!! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!! Last week, we had a day off in the middle of the week because of Canada Day. I spent last weekend, Tuesday-Wednesday and this past weekend at the beach. It was fantastic!!

Work (which is going amazingly well!!), weekends away, a personal situation, some changes, and some prior commitments have pulled my focus from blogging. While I will still/be going back to blogging on a regular basis, but decided to but The Young Professional series on hiatus until the fall. Who wants to think about work during the beautiful, sunny, beach worthy months? Not this girl!

In other news, the Pan-Am games start this week!! I'll be attending some of the games early next week and I'm excited to share the experience with all of you. Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see what I get up too. 

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week off without a post.

TUESDAY: I didn't linked up with Amber for Hey, It's Ok.

WEDNESDAY: I shared a recent time that I had it all.

THURSDAY: I reviewed how I'm doing with my word of the year.

FRIDAY: I finished the week by tracking the progress of my new year's resolution.


Have you entered the Fun in the Sun Summer Giveaway yet? You can win $450!!

Hope everyone has a great Saturday!!

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week off with the Young Professional series and interview prep. 

TUESDAY: I didn't linked up with Amber for Hey, It's Ok.

WEDNESDAY: I went into the archives for campfire cookies.

THURSDAY: I had no post.

FRIDAY: I finished the week by sharing some of my favourite things.


Hope everyone has a great Saturday!!

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week with a fantastic giveaway, which you can still enter.

TUESDAY: I linked up with Amber for Hey, It's Ok.

WEDNESDAY: I shared a song that I cannot get out of my head. 

THURSDAY: I revealed my blog crushes.

FRIDAY: I finished the week by announcing an Instagram Loop Giveaway (which you should enter, if you haven't already).


Hope everyone has a great Saturday!!

I Just Crush A Lot: Blogger Editon

I have A LOT of crushes in my life; man, music, girl, hockey, style...the categories are endless. Today I thought I would share my Blog Crushes. So, here they are in no particular order:

Sarah from Journeys of the Zoo is my original blog crush. She is so incredibly awesome AND a fellow Canadian! I love that she dedicates a good portion of her blog to promoting Canada, Canadians, and Canadian bloggers. She talks a lot about her family and travels, but the best part of her blog- and Sarah in general- is her humour! Justine from Sleepy Single Girl is one of my blog best friends. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love and adore this girl!! She is also a new mom to the sweetest, cutest little boy, Noah. She is taking a little bit of a blog break to focus on Noah, but she has tons of content to read while she's on hiatus. Her and C have the cutest love story, their wedding was beautiful, she chronicled her pregnancy, talks about life as a football wife, book and beauty reviews...and so much more. Justine is honestly the best.  Another blogger on a bit of a hiatus, Jennifer from Southern Living Preppy Style was one of the very first blogs that I started to follow. She has the two most adorable little girls...too cute for words! Jennifer shares the adventures of her family, Florida living and great Spy It & Buy It posts. I love her style and it's really fun to watch her girls' grow up. In my opinion, Amber form Airing My Dirty Laundry is one of the funniest bloggers out there. Her daughter, Natalie, is entertaining beyond words (but I'm glad she's not my daughter) and Amber shares her son, Tommy's journey with ADHD and Aspergers. Amber is also a Military Spouse and talks about the challenges she faces when her husband is deployed. It might seem like serious stuff, but Amber injects humour into all situations. Caitlin, from Southern Curls & Pearls, has the best style- both fashion and decorating! Lots of fashion on this blog, with glimpses into the life of this Carolina girl. It's been fun tracking the decorating progress of her apartment and I really enjoy learning about her favourite products. I've been introduced to so many things through this blog.  Kathleen, from Carrie Bradshaw Lied, is another blog that I have been following forever. Another blogger with fantastic fashion sense and impeccable decorating skills. I love her Friday' 5 posts, where she shares 5 things from the past week; anything from a pretty scene to a favourite product, from a type of clothing to something sweet her husband did for her, from something she experienced to a wishlist item. Kathleen also shares delicious recipes, SoCal living and fabulous DIYs. This blog is a must read.

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week with no post.

TUESDAY: I didn't link up with Amber for Hey, It's Ok; another no post day.

WEDNESDAY: I wrote about where I've been recently and why I've taken a bit of a blog hiatus. 

THURSDAY: I reviewed The Da Vinci Code.

FRIDAY: I finished the week by updating my 2015 Friendly Resolution.


Hope everyone has a great Saturday...make sure you come back on Monday for a great giveaway that you do not want to miss!!

Where'd You Go, Melissa?

Things have been pretty quiet around here...my life has kept me busy, which resulted in an unplanned blog hiatus. I haven't forgotten about my blog, there were just other things that were taking up my time, and my blog had to take a backseat. I think things have settled down enough for me to get back into blogging on a regular basis.

So, what has been going on?

Back in March, I left my job in non-profit fundraising. This was something that I had been trying to do since November, as I found myself working for an organization that I did not want to be associated with. This departure, a blessing in disguise, was not without drama. My former employer has been nothing but difficult. Things that I don't want to deal with, don't have time to deal with, but must deal with. I will spare the details, but I will say they have been acting unethically and illegally.

I've started two new jobs! Back in April I accepted a part-time position with a fantastic and reputable global organization. I was excited to work part-time; I had hopes of focus more on writing, building my blog, volunteering and take on projects that I just never had the time for. After 3 weeks at my new job, I was offered a part-time contract to work on a special project. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I just couldn't say no too. And I didn't say no. So, my part-time job turned into 40 hours a week. I'm really enjoying it so far and I'm excited to see what the next few months will bring.

My social life has been packed; friends, networking, family, and events. I haven't had a free night of 'nothing' in weeks. I'm not complaining about that. I love being busy, seeing people and doing things. I'm working on a really fun event- my dad's charity gala- and I've been spending a lot of time with a new friend. 

The little time I have left, and it's very little, has been spent getting caught up on Big Brother Canada episodes and following the New York Rangers on their playoff run. 

May has been a busy, life changing and exciting month for me. But I'm happy to be back here...I've missed this place and all of you.

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week with my blog series, The Your Professional, and cover letters. 

TUESDAY: I linked up with Amber for Hey, It's Ok.

WEDNESDAY: I posted a song that I'm currently loving, Say Hello. 

THURSDAY: I shared decor and entertainment ideas for a Kentucky Derby Party.

FRIDAY: I finished the week by reviewing the Spring Fab Fit Fun box.


Also, today is the Kentucky Derby!! Can't wait for the race later this afternoon! Hope everyone is having a great weekend and has a chance to watch the Derby!!

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week with my blog series, The Your Professional, and resume writing. 

TUESDAY: I took a break...no post.

WEDNESDAY: I talked about one of my favourite days of the year, Kentucky Derby!

THURSDAY: I shared food & drink ideas for a Kentucky Derby Party.

FRIDAY: I finished the week by updating how I'm doing with New Year's Resolution.

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week with my blog series, The Young Professional, and talking about job searching. 

TUESDAY: I linked up with Amber for Hey, It's Ok!.

WEDNESDAY: I reviewed a book, Moranthology.

THURSDAY: I shared the final installment of the Bedtime Stories Baby Shower, which featured a special keepsake.

FRIDAY: I finished the week with five of my favourite things..

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week by debuting my new blog series: The Young Professional!

TUESDAY: I linked up with Amber for Hey, It's Ok!.

WEDNESDAY: I shared a DIY custom mug project.

THURSDAY: I wrote about book and gift ideas from the Bedtime Stories Baby Shower I hosted for a friend.

FRIDAY: I finished the week with one of my favourite David Myles songs.

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week off with putting my Inspire Me posts on hiatus and announcing a new blog series starting next week. 

TUESDAY: I linked up with Amber for Hey, It's Ok!.

WEDNESDAY: I wrote about Operation Smile.

THURSDAY: I shared the games from the Bedtime Stories Baby Shower I hosted for a friend.

FRIDAY: I finished the week with no post, since it was Good Friday. 

Inspire Me Hiatus & New Series

Happy Monday everyone!! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!! My weekend was great. Friday was spent with a friend and her daughter, where we had Kraft Dinner- which is kind of a tradition for us. Saturday I went to Guelph and had dinner with a friend; we went to two different restaurants (one for dinner, one for dessert) and then back to her house to exchange Christmas (for her) and birthday (for me) gifts. Sunday I was woken up in one of my favourite ways- a phone call from a friend- and spent the rest of the day relaxing.

I have a couple of things to announce...

Every Monday, I would start my week off by posting a quote and a write up related to that quote. Both of these things were inspiration to help me get through my days. For a very long time- too long- I found myself in a very unfortunate and overly negative situation. I struggled to be happy, positive and get through days, especially when I knew I had specific people I would need to deal with. These Monday posts served as a reminder...be happy, see the good, your attitude reflects your mood, follow your dreams, take chances, things will improve, etc. 

Earlier this month, things changed. The negative...the toxic...the cancer...was removed from my life. While this brought a new set of challenges, I felt genuinely happy and relieved I was able to finally distance myself and be done with the situation. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel like myself again. I'm happy. I'm laughing. I have so many prospects and potential opportunities coming my way. Things are looking up!!

While it's always great to be inspired, I no longer need my Monday dose of inspiration to survive the days and weeks. So, I've decided to put my 'Inspire Me' posts on hiatus and have decided to include a favourite quote (and I have MANY) with my Hey, It's Ok! post on Tuesdays.

What will fill my Monday blog post spot? 

For a while now, I have been wanting to do a series on a topic that I'm interested in and kind of excel at. What is it? You'll have to come back NEXT Monday to find out!

Hope everyone has a GREAT week!!

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week off with some inspiration.

TUESDAY: I linked up with Amber for Hey, It's Ok!.

WEDNESDAY: I updated the planning process for a Charity Gala I'm working on.

THURSDAY: I shared the food & drink from the Bedtime Stories Baby Shower I hosted for a friend.

FRIDAY: I finished the week with an update on my New Year's Resolution and how I'm doing with it.