LOL & Sunday Social

I can't believe it's the last day of September! Where has the month gone?!?!? But what a gorgeous weekend we had here! I can't believe how beautiful the weather was! It was sunny and warm, without being hot- a perfect fall weekend! I had an amazing weekend (which I will write about later this week) and I hope you did too!

I am a HUGE hockey fan (Go Rangers!) and I am, like the rest of the fans, disappointed with the lockout. A friend of mine posted this on Facebook, and I just had to share:

      1. What do you miss most about being a kid? Having no responsibilities! It's really not a lot of fun being a grown up. Sure, you can do whatever you want, but you also have to pay the bills, clean the house, do groceries, etc. Not a whole lot of fun. 
2. Did you have a nickname growing up? What was it? My dad used to call me 'Bean' (and sometimes still does). I'm not sure why...I don't consider this a nickname, but other do...a lot of my friends call me either Meliss or Miss. I see them both as just shorter versions of my name and not so much a nickname. 
3. What was your favorite thing to do at recess? Recess was pretty standard...we'd just play games- tag, red rover, baseball, etc. It was fun. 
4. What did you want to be when you grew up? A lot of things! A politician and lawyer were the most common/long standing. 
5. What was your favorite toy? Like every little girl, I loved Barbie. I also liked Quints (quintuplet dolls). I was really into arts and crafts, so I loved crayons, paint, clay, etc. I loved my Light Brite and Etch-A-Sketch. My parents also got me this toy that hooked up to our VCR and I could draw, colour, etc on our tv. That was pretty cool!
6. What is the funniest thing you did as a kid that your parents still remind you about? Hmm...I'm not sure! I don't think this is the funniest...but I used to have an imaginary friend, and I knew it was imaginary. I also used to tell people I had multiple brains and they were different colours.  I was a creative child.   

Life Goals

I work in non-profit and have been in my current job for almost 3 months. Actually, I have had my current position for over 2 years, but at a different chapter. At my current place of employment, when I was hired, there was no Executive Director (ED). My boss thought it would be a good idea for us to all write down goals for us to show the ED when he/she was hired so they would know what we were working on.

I will admit, I struggled with my list of goals. It's hard to write work related goals when you are new to a place. As a non-profit fundraiser, some of my work related goals are set for me (example, X amount of money needs to be raised through events) and being new, I wasn't aware of the goals. I did manage to come up with a list of goals. I wasn't crazy about them, but at least I had something. As it turns out, my boss wasn't crazy about them either. She told me to re-work them.

This morning, I met with our new ED for the first time (she started earlier this month). Just before I went into my meeting with her, my boss handed me my (not that great and now forgotten) list of goals. I did share this list with the ED and she said:

"This is a work to do list. What are your life goals?"

I was a bit taken aback. I was not prepared to answer this question and this is a question that I haven't been asked in a long time. I was honest with her and told her I don't currently have any life goals. All the goals I had set for myself, I had already accomplished. 

When I was turning 20 and 25, I went through a bit of a...I don't want to say crisis, because it wasn't...but I questioned myself and what I was doing with my life. At 20, I had a friend point out everything I had accomplished. At 25, I was able to list my accomplishments on my own.

My list of accomplishments is long. Everything I've accomplished, I'm proud of. I've had both big and little dreams, but I've worked hard at all of them to make them a reality. Some of my accomplished goals include:

• Graduate
• Land a good job
• Land my dream job
• Make a difference
• Establish my own scholarship
• Travel 
• Raise $100,000 for charity in a single year
• Own an original piece of art
• Political goals 
• Get an education (I have a post grad as well as two professional designations)

I've been told, I've accomplished more than most people do in a lifetime. No idea if that's true or just what people tell me to make me feel good about myself.

I think, I hope, I have a lot of life left. I know I need to come up with some new life goals. Something to work towards.

I need more dreams.

My dance teacher always used to say- and yes, she was talking about dance combinations, but I've applied it to my life:

"If you can say it, you can do it."

Hey! It's Ok

Idea taken from Amber at Airing My Dirty Laundry One Sock At A Time

To be unprepared for and not like this cold, fall weather that's suddenly hit. I want warm summer back please.

To not like weddings. They aren't for everyone. 

To not know how to get the smoke smell out of my apartment. I've tried keeping my windows open, using an air purifier, air freshener, etc. Nothing is working. 

To be negative every once and again. You can't be an optimist all of the time. And I feel like this weeks Hey! It's ok is negative. But that really is ok.

To not want to go to work today. I just want to curl up in bed, watch a movie, read and sleep some more. Obviously, not all at the same time.

i & i

i(nspiration)

&

i(dea)

Fall is officially here! I know sooo many people who love Fall. I am not one of them, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the season and the different activities you can do. 

This weeks idea is to make a fall bucket list. We have all hear that studies have shown, if you write things down, you are more likely to do them. Why not make a list of the things you want to do this fall? It doesn't even have to be a long list. It's also a great way to make sure everything you love doing in the fall, gets done. 

Check out this site for some ideas that can be added to your fall bucket list. 

LOL & Sunday Social

This past week has been busy for me...Thursday was the first event that I organized at my new job. It went super well! Everyone had a great time, we made some many and people showed up! I had one problem, and it really wasn't even big. I was on the hunt for helium balloons, which I was having trouble finding. I was later told (by 3 separate companies) that there is a helium shortage world wide. Who knew? I did find a florist who was able to help me out, so things worked out. 

 

I had one major headache related to apartment furniture, which still isn't sorted out. But that's a story for another time. 

 

My weekend was great! I had dinner at a new place in town with a friend, Kelly who I haven't seen in ages! Her boyfriend, both daughters and one daughters boyfriend were all there, I had so much fun. My dad and I were both in town. It was great to talk to him and catch up. This morning I had an appointment with Connie, so it was all about relaxing. Verdict: great weekend (besides all the rain). 

 

Some Sunday humour:

 

 

1. What is something you have wanted to do but are afraid of? 
Skydiving! I think it would be a lot of fun and something rally cool too do. But I'm terrified of heights, never mind the fact that there's a chance my parachute won't open! 

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 
In 5 years, I'll be in my 30's so I'm hoping to be settled into a job that I love. I'd like to say I hope to be in non-profit fundraising still...but I think I might be happy in corporate events. I think I'll still be living in a city, still have a great social life. Wherever I am, I just hope I am happy.  

3. What are you looking forward to before the end of 2012? 
Oh gosh! Curtis' annual party next weekend, Cassie's wedding in 2 weeks (!!), a possible bus trip to a football game in November, hopefully more event related work at work, Thanksgiving & Christmas (can't wait to see my cousins!)...

4. What are your hopes for your blog?
I've been blogging for about 10 months now and I still really enjoy it. I started out not knowing what was going to happen. I have set topics for each day of the week and I'm hoping to move away from those topics more often- add variety. I hope to become more active in the blog community and to continue to meeting new people. Most importantly, I want my blog to continue to be about me...to write for myself and not for followers, stats, etc. To never loose sight of way I started to blog in the first place.

5. Do you always see yourself living in your current town/city? 
I currently "live" in 3 places: My hometown, the second house town and where I live for work.
 
The second house town: I am a third generation to spend time here and I think I will continue to do that during my lifetime. This is where my family is from. Lots of happy memories here.

Work City: It's great to live and work in a city, and I love it. It has never been a dream to live here and I only moved here because I got a job. I can see myself continuing to live here as long as I have a job. At this time, I don't feel like this is a city I'll 'settle' into.

Hometown: This is where my heart is and I love it there. I would eventually love to move back there and put down solid roots. 

Honestly, it really depends where my job is. I am able to move around and live where I need to in order to work.  

6. What is your morning routine 

My alarm goes off and I hit snooze every 5 minutes for 15-20 minutes. I'll eventually get out of bed. As I walk to the bathroom, I turn the light and air purifier off. I after I shower, I go to the kitchen where I put away the dishes from yesterday and have a glass of juice/water and a granola bar. 

I fill up my water bottle and go to the entrance way, where I put water bottle, planner, etc in my bag. I then go to my computer where I check e-mail/facebook/twitter/etc. 

Back to my bedroom where I get dressed and as I leave my room, I turn the fan off. I go back to the bathroom, where I brush my teeth, do my hair and put on my jewelery. Unplug my laptop as I head over to the entrance way, put on my shoes, grab my bag and keys, then I'm out the door and on my way to work.

World Alzheimer's Day & Wandering Survey

September had been designated as World Alzheimer's Month and September 21 is World Alzheimer's Day. 

Wandering is a huge issue for people with Alzheimer's disease and I was recently advised that the Alzheimer Society has been tasked with working on this issue (they already have Safely Home, a wandering registry). I was asked to participate in a short survey and provide feedback. 

I loved having the opportunity not only talk about my personal experience (which I, luckily, didn't have) but also add input to what I felt was needed in the program. I strongly believe that we need to work closely with police and other emergency personnel to educate them on this disease, the importance of starting a search for a missing person with the disease ASAP and have it be taken seriously and train them on how to handle people who have dementia. I was so happy to have had the opportunity to offer insight.

On Monday, I wrote about Alzheimer's Facts & Stats. As a human being, you have a 12% chance of developing Alzheimer's disease or other dementia. If you have a family member with the disease, your chances increase to 30%. I am in that 30%. 

Dementia cannot be prevented.

As an advocate for Alzheimer's disease, I can never stress enough the importance of supporting research and the work of local Alzheimer Societies and Associations. The work that they do is much needed. Not only do they offer support to caregivers, but they also offer support to people in early stages, allowing them to continue living life, providing them with socialization and meaningful experiences.

I have experienced this disease first hand with my grandfather. And knowing the stats, that 30%, I know chances are I will be a caregiver to my parents and that I ave a good chance of developing this disease. 

In 2010, the global cost to society for dementia care was $604 billion (US dollars).

We should be encouraging our politicians and government to create a national dementia plan. The Alzheimer Society of Canada recommends: increase dementia research, provide support for caregivers, promote prevention and early intervention, integrated system of care, strengthen and supplement Canada's dementia workforce.

Alzheimer's disease is not just memory loss. There are 10 warning signs. 

For World Alzheimer's Day, or any day, contact you local Alzheimer Society/Association and see what you can do: volunteer, donate or even advocacy. Every bit helps and counts. Help spread the word put an end to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Apartment Sweet Apartment- The Tour

On August 1, I officially moved to a new city. Not only was this a city I've never lived in, but I had spent the past 4-5 years living in a small, rural, mid-western (or southwestern, depending who you ask) town. I was ready for city life again. With this move, came my very first apartment! I had never lived in an apartment before...always houses. 

Everyone, except me, was excited for me to live in an apartment. Questions about how I was going to decorate, what my style is and what my colour palette was going to be arose. My answer was "I don't know." To most, this was not an acceptable answer. 

I've now been in my apartment for almost two months. My decorating so far has been what's on sale that I can live with. I've declared my style to be minimalist. And my colour palette is brown and white, which just so happen to be the same colours of my couch and shelves, the only furniture (beside my bed and two tv tray tables) I have. 

I've decided to introduce a new, monthly blog series called 'Apartment Sweet Apartment' where I will document my apartment set up and living. 

The before tour Aug 1, the day I moved in):

Entrance way:

Not very big, but that's ok. Right behind the door, is the only closet (beside the bedroom). That black thing (to the right of dreamsandcolour.blogspot.com) is the back of a fridge, it's in the entrance way to the kitchen. 

Kitchen: Because the kitchen entrance was blocked, no pictures of the kitchen.

Living room:

 You can see the entrance way. The door on the left of the picture is the bathroom. The pictures is taken basically standing beside the entrance to my bedroom.

This picture is taken with my back to the entrance to my bedroom. The white on the right side of the picture is the bathroom door. Where the TV box is, is where I had planned to put a table (on the hunt of a bar or cocktail height table). To the left is balcony.

Not sure why I didn't take a picture from the other side of the room (ie where the tv is) to show not just the other side of the living room, but the entrance to my bedroom as well. 

Balcony: For some reason, didn't take a picture. 

Bathroom:

 This picture was taken from the doorway of the bathroom. It is a long, narrow space. It's awkward. To the right is the sink. Beside the toilet is the bath tub/shower. Seriously, not a lot of room.

 This is just a closer shot of the toilet. You can see how close the toilet and tub are.

 The tile for the shower and the shower head.
(And the shower caddy I wasn't going to buy but my friend told me I had too)

This is the light in the bathroom.
There is no mirror. When I asked about this, the people in the apartment before had put in the tile and their own mirror, which they took when they left. The apartment complex provides a standard mirror, but because of the custom tile, the mirror doesn't fit...or something. Anyway, no mirror and if I want one, I have to get it myself.

The sink (with no mirror). You can't tell from this picture, but there isn't a lot of counter space. The counter space is basically seen in this picture.

Bedroom:

 This was taken from the doorway of my bedroom. It's not a big room by any means and I don't have a lot of space. You can't really tell, but the top left part of the picture is the entrance to my closet.

 This is standing in the doorway to the bedroom, looking straight ahead. In the upper right side of the picture, there's a small piece of white, that's the window. As you can see, not a lot of room between my bed and the wall.

This is standing with my back to the window. Again, not a ton of room between the wall and bed. As you can see, part of the room goes back...that's my closet. Like everything else, not a lot of room!

My apartment is classified as a "bachelor apartment" because the closet and my bedroom do not have doors. A true bachelor is an open concept, one room apartment. I don't mind not having doors, but I like having separate rooms. I also love the tile in the bathroom and the fact that there is no carpet in the apartment! It's all tile or laminate. 

So, that's the tour from the day I moved in. Each month I will be showing how the decorating/settling in process is going with my apartment.

Hey! It's Ok

Idea taken from Amber at Airing My Dirty Laundry One Sock At A Time

To be sad that Big Brother ends this week. I hope it's Dan & Ian in the final two and that Ian wins. Danielle is so oblivious it makes me sick.

To be unimpressed with the company I bought my couch from. It took about a month for them to deliver it and when they finally did, it had a rip. They sent a replacement couch, which also had a rip. I am now waiting on a replacement replacement. 

To know that September is World Alzheimer Month and that September 21 is World Alzheimer Day. I had the opportunity to give some input into a project that the Alzheimer Society of Ontario is working on...more about that later this week!

To love living in a City (again)! My social life has improved 100% because of it and have been invited to events (mostly parties) every weekend for the next 4 weeks!

To hope that the NHL lockout ends soon. I LOVE hockey and don't want there to be too much of a delay for the start of the season, never mind have the season cancelled. In this situation, I am for the players- they are willing to continue playing with they work out an agreement...But Gary Betman won't let them. Without getting too much into it- I can feel a rant coming on- the players are just looking for a fair deal. As one of the players said; if you worked for a company that was making a profit and they asked you to take a 24% pay cut, would you?

World Alzheimer's Month...Facts & Stats

September is World Alzheimer's Month, with September 21 (aka Friday) World Alzheimer's Day. 

You...yes, you reading this...have a 12% chance of developing Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. However, if you have a family member who has the disease, your chances increase to 30%.

There are currently 35 million people with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. That's more people than all of Canada (our population is over 34 million). 

The youngest known person with an Alzheimer's diagnosis was 29 years old. 

For every person who gets an Alzheimer's diagnosis, there are 10-12 other people affected. This includes family members, co-workers, neighbours and friends. 

There is no known cause for Alzheimer's disease and no way to really diagnosis the disease-you get tested for everything else, and if the tests come back negative, by process of elimination, you get an Alzheimer's diagnosis.

The only way to give a true Alzheimer's diagnosis is by an autopsy, after the person has died.

There is currently no cure for this disease. But local Alzheimer Societies (Canada) and Associations (USA) provide support to persons with the disease, their caregivers, family members and friends. 

Worldwide, there is one new case of Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia diagnoses every 4 seconds. 

Please visit your local Alzheimer Society/Association to find out more about this disease, to donate or to get involved.

LOL & Sunday Social

I have decided that weekend pass too quickly! This might be because I was so used to working Tuesday-Friday, having a 3 day weekend, and now I work Monday-Friday. It was too cold for the beach yesterday, so I did a little DYI project, which I will feature on my blog later this month...I'm pretty excited about it! Something else I'm excited about? My social life! I barely had one when I was living in rural Ontario but living in a City (again) has changed that. 

Anyway...saw this on Facebook:

1. 5 items you can't live without on a daily basis(water, food, shelter, and clothes dont count)
Blackberry (sad, I know), Kindle, Car, Laptop and my bed! 

2. All time favorite book? Why?
I have a couple of favourite books, so I'm just going to pick one randomly:
Prep: A Novel It's just one of those books I can get lost in. It's about Lee's four years of high school, at a boarding school, where she is a scholarship student. This book addresses so many society issues (social class, racism, etc), it makes you think. Also, I loved my high school years and reading this book makes me go back to that time of my life. 

3. Something you'd like to accomplish before the end of 2012
Hmm...get settled in my apartment!  

4. If you could go back and relive any year of your life which year would it be?
I've had many great years in my life, a lot that I would love to go back and re-live. I'm going to pick my last year of high school, As mentioned, I loved my high school years and my grade 12 year was by far the best year. There was drama, of course, but the fun, good times far out way the dramatic. I have so many great memories and I had so much fun! 

5. What do you wish people knew about you without you having to tell them?
I am so much nicer, friendlier and more fun than I actually look/come across.

Favourite Things- Flare

As a Canadian, I LOVE to support Canadian talent, products, etc. I have been a loyal reader of Flare for years. I love supporting a Canadian publication and I love all of the Canadian content- new designers, Canadian fashion trends, learning about different stores and opportunities around the country, and even discovering new books, music, talent. 

Two weekends ago, I picked up my copy of the October issue and noticed that Flare had published one of my Tweets! I was so surprised, honoured and excited!

Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!

Make With Me- Aunt Mary's Bacon & Cheddar Quiche

Aunt Mary's Bacon & Cheddar Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grated old cheddar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 pinch oregano
• Pepper

To Make:

• Mix 1/2 cheddar, flour, salt, pepper, mustard powder with melted butter (mix well)
• Press into 9: pie plate
• Add onion and bacon, spread on pie plate
• Beat 2 eggs
• Add oregano and pepper to eggs
• Melt remaining cheese (1/2 cup) in 1 cup milk and mix with eggs
• Pour over onion and bacon
• Bake at 350 for 30-50 minutes
• Enjoy! 

Notes:

1. Another recipe from my Aunt Mary.
2. Crust can be made and frozen ahead of time.
3. My cousin has found that most vegetables leave the egg mixture too watery, but has found that peppers and Italian sausage work well. She also says that mushrooms can be used IF they are dried with a paper towel after cooking.

Book, Song, Body

BOOK- I am giving away a few of my favourite (Canadian) things on Neely's blog, A Complete Waste of Makeup (go to the link to enter!) and one of the items is:

Set in the 1970's in the North, this books focuses on a group of people working at a radio station. I've mentioned many times how like books that character focused, which this book is. The reader learns about the different characters, how they came to work at the radio station and their relationships with each other.

While this books is by a Canadian author, set in the Canadian North and focus on a CBC radio station, I truly believe that any fan of literature will like this book and find it appealing. While it is a Canadian book, people and relationships are universal, making it easy for everyone to relate to the characters and storyline.

I love this book and each time I read it, I pick up on something new. I found it to be a captivating read, spending hours with this book and never wanting to put it down.

SONG- I was watching a show on CBC last month, when they played this song:

Dirty Town by Mother Mother

I had never heard this song or of this group before. I really enjoyed the song and haven't heard anything like it before.

BODY- Like practically everyone else, I am addicted to Pinterest. Last week, I came across a pin that originated from Souls Never Wrinkle. I had no idea, but marshmallows were originally created to treat sore throats! So, if you have a sore throat, eat marshmallows. I have no idea if this works...I've yet to have a sore throat since finding out about this.

Check out Soul Never Wrinkle for more ways to relieve a sore throat.



P.S. Join the Return the Favour Hop....this week is Twitter accounts.

Hey! It's Ok

Idea taken from Amber at Airing My Dirty Laundry One Sock At A Time

To not really be into football- CFL, NFL or College. I'm just not. Sorry.  

To be annoyed that week days, when I am stuck inside a building with no windows, are beautiful and sunny, and that weekends, when I'm off and can enjoy the weather, it rains. Kind of hard to enjoy the last few beach days of the year when it's raining.

To not be crazy about Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. I LOVE Starbucks, I really do. But I just don't get the appeal of Pumpkin Spice.

To love living in a city for no other reason than the fact that I have a social life again! I liked living in rural Ontario...but made very few friends over the almost 5 years I was there, so I didn't have much of a social life, not to mention that there really wasn't anything to do. I was too far away from home to participate in social events going on there. But city living...it suits me!

That I'm hosting a giveaway on Neely's blog, A Complete Waste of Makeup. Go enter for a chance to win some of my favourite things (jewelery, book and beauty products).

5 Questions- Jennifer

I am so excited to introduce a new monthly series on my blog called 5 Questions. 

Jennifer is one of my all time favourite bloggers. I love her blog, Southern Living: Preppy Style, and think everyone should add it to their 'must read' blog list. Being a fan of Jennifer and her blog, I was so excited when she agreed to participate in this blog series! Here are her answers to the 5 Questions:

1. Something on your bucket list: 
I guess the most readily achievable item on my bucket list is to read the Bible (though I have to admit, it's been on there for a while and I have yet to do it.)  I've read good portions of it for classes, church etc., but I've never really just sat down to read and reflect.  The next achievable would be to visit Italy with my Husband.  He visited with his family about a year before we were married (I stayed stateside) and while he was there, he purchased a beautiful handmade lace tablecloth for about $100.  We were just out of college so $100 was a lot of money to us, still is!  He accidentally left the tablecloth on a gondola.  So, I'd love to visit and have Husband go back to buy me my tablecloth.  The most lofty is to go to law school and practice in commercial real estate law.  Of course, with a growing family and careers, this is probably a long shot.  But hey, I can dream!  :-)

2. Best piece of advice and/or favourite saying/quote: 
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."  Albert Einstein.  I was a dreamer as a child and I was often made fun of because of my big stories.  My dad purchased a poster of Einstein with this quote when I was a fairly young kid and it just stuck with me."  I should actually remind myself of this more often when life gets in the way of my living!

3. Favourite place:
    a) Where to stay: 
I can't pick a favorite place.  The Tetons, Zion National Park, Florida Keys, Apalachicola, Florida, Husband's parents farm....of course, all of these places as long as my family were in tow to share the experience (I know...cheesy).
    b) Where to eat: 
A grill in my Florida town that we've visited a few times a month since we moved here.  It's consistent, nice, we love the atmosphere and the servers have been there for years, so we know them all.  We ate there the night before Lallie was born.  :-)  That and anywhere I can get ahold of fresh veggies!
    c) What to see/do:
We love to go to the sandbar with our boat and hang out where the tourists only dream of going.  It's a local place you can only get to by  boat which means everyone's respectful and knows how to have fun.  It's relaxing and one of Lallie's favorite things to do!

4. You're given $10,000 and 24 hours to spend it. You can't give it to other people, invest it or save it. What would you do: 
I can't physically GIVE the money to people, so I guess I'd buy things to give to them then, like food or clothing to one of our church missions.  I'm sure I'd spend some of it on myself, like a new purse or pay off something we owe on, like the car (I'm not a complete girl scout!) 

5. Historical figure or fictional character you'd like to be: 
I LOVE Anne of Green Gables!  If I could choose a time period and place to live, that would fit me perfectly!  I also love her dreamy outlook on life (which was to her detriment at some times), but her ability to look through everything negative to see the positive is a quality I wish I possessed more of in my own life.

Thank you so much to Jennifer for participating and taking the time to answer these questions!

LOL & Sunday Social

What a rainy weekend! I had hoped to spend the majority of the weekend at the beach, but the rain stopped that from happening. I did have a nice visit yesterday with a friend and I'm meeting my University roommate for dinner tonight. I haven't seen her in over a year (even though I talk to her ALL the time) so I can't wait for tonight.

Before getting to this weeks LOL and Sunday Social...I am giving away some of my favourite things on Neely's blog, A Complete Waste of Makeup, so head over to enter. Also, tomorrow I will be introducing a new blog series, so be sure to come back and check it out!

 

    1. What is the name of your blog and how did you come up with it??
One of my favourite songs is Better Man by Pearl Jam. One of the lyrics (and one of my all time favourite song lyrics) is "She dreams in colour/she dreams in red". I dropped the 'she' from the lyric and when I learned that 'Dreams in Colour' wasn't available, I changed 'in' to 'and' and that's how I got my blog name: Dreams and Colour. 
2. What do you love the most about blogging?? I've had the opportunity to discover some amazing blogs and get to know the bloggers behind them, which I love. I also love writing...I've always loved writing. I like having my own little corner of the internet, where I can say/do/post what I want.
3. What are your 2 favorite posts you've written?
It's hard for me to pick just  two! I love all of my posts...or else I wouldn't have written them.I know it says to pock 2, but I'm picking 4. The post I wrote in honour of the on year anniversary of my grandpa dying: Grandpa
The post I wrote for my Aunt Mary: Favourite Thing- Aunt Mary
The post I wrote about a now ex-coworker and her being pregnant: Favourite Thing
Finally, an LOL post. "Divert Your Course" makes me laugh every time I read it.

4. What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in blog world? Blog for yourself. Don't do it for anyone else and for any reason besides you wanting to. Don't worry about impressing people. Don't focus on your stats. Most importantly, remember what you post is accessible by the public, by anyone. Don't post anything you wouldn't want your family or employer to read (even if they don't know you have a blog). Even if you delete content, someone can still read it before you delete it. Just be careful.
5. Biggest blogging learning experience you've had? Blogging is a commitment! You have to set time aside to write, read, comment, etc. When I started out, I had no idea it would take up so much time! But it is worth it in the end.
6. Give us 3 blogs we NEED to be following that you love. Besides A Complete Waste of Makeup...
Southern Living: Preppy Style
Airing My Dirty Laundry One Sock At a Time
Manicures and Monograms   (Three blogs that I love, but aren't updated as frequently as the three above: Happy Brittany, everyday joy, and  Somewhere With You)

Favourite Things- TIFF

Happy Friday! Even though it was a short week, this week seemed never ending. I'm glad Friday is FINALLY here again and I am definitely ready for the weekend!

I have decided to start 3 new blog series, with the first debuting on Monday! I'm pretty excited about it. I'm also excited to be participating in a couple of giveaways later this month. I'll be sure to post about them here.

On to this weeks Favourite Thing:

As a Canadian, I LOVE supporting Canadian talent, products, etc. Yesterday marked the first day of TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival). This is such a fun time of year. All the different red carpets, learning about new films coming out, the variety of events during the festival and just all of the hype and excitement surrounding the festival. It's hard not to get into- even if you aren't able to actually attend TIFF, with new and traditional media, it's so easy to stay up to date the daily happenings.

When you get the chance, take a look at TIFF's website to learn more about the festival as well as the films being screened this year.

Make With Me- Miracle Whip Parm Chicken

Miracle Whip Parm Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Miracle Whip
• 1/2 cup parm cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 chicken breasts
• Paprika (optional)

To Make:

• Mix Miracle Whip, parm cheese, oregano and garlic powder together
• Spoon mixture over chicken
• Bake chicken at 350 for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked
• If desired, sprinkle with paprika
• Enjoy! 

Notes:

1. In place of oregano, I use a mix of Italian herbs.
2. I usually serve this dish with rice, spooning a bit of the mixture onto my rice.
3. I believe I originally saw this recipe on tv (a commercial) and then found the recipe on Mircale Whips website. 

This week, I've linked up with Chelsea (she did my blog design) at Yours Truly for her weekly Return The Favor Hop. Visit her blog for more info!

Hey! It's Ok

Idea taken from Amber at Airing My Dirty Laundry One Sock At A Time

To be excited about a new series I'll be doing on the blog, which will be debuting next Monday. 

To be sad that summer is unofficially over. I know we still have a couple of weeks left of summer, but Labour Day weekend is traditionally seen as the end of summer. I had a great summer and an amazing long weekend- days at the beach, spent time with my family and had dinner with my friend Daniel.

To have had an amazing Twitter week last week. A Twitter convo with Dilshad Vadsaria (aka Rebecca Logan from Greek), followed by Brock University and Brock Alumni, and one of my tweets was published in Flare magazine!

To think Abby Miller from Dance Moms is a bully. 

That I'm a little upset that my couch that I had to wait a month to be delivered has a rip in it and I need to get it replaced. The store was nice about it, but they can only deliver during the day when I'm at work, which means I have to take time off of work to accept the delivery.