diff --git a/plugin.yml b/plugin.yml
index 010464a..a93eeab 100644
--- a/plugin.yml
+++ b/plugin.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 main: com.pwn9.PwnChickenLay.PwnChickenLay
 name: PwnChickenLay
-version: 1.7
+version: 1.8
 author: tremor77
 description: Control the chicken egg drop event and replace it with anything you want.
 website: http://pwn9.com
diff --git a/src/com/pwn9/PwnChickenLay/PwnChickenLay.java b/src/com/pwn9/PwnChickenLay/PwnChickenLay.java
index b103757..e53f855 100644
--- a/src/com/pwn9/PwnChickenLay/PwnChickenLay.java
+++ b/src/com/pwn9/PwnChickenLay/PwnChickenLay.java
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Random;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
+import org.bukkit.ChatColor;
 import org.bukkit.plugin.PluginDescriptionFile;
 import org.bukkit.plugin.java.JavaPlugin;
 
@@ -122,4 +124,15 @@ public static String getDate()
     	  return s;
     }		
 	
+    // function to colorize strings from the config
+    public static String colorize(String message)
+    {
+        return ChatColor.translateAlternateColorCodes('&', message);
+    }    
+
+    // function to colorize strings from the config
+    public static List<String> colorize(List<String> message)
+    {
+        return message.stream().map(s -> ChatColor.translateAlternateColorCodes('&', s)).collect(Collectors.toList());
+    }    
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/com/pwn9/PwnChickenLay/PwnChickenLayItemSpawnListener.java b/src/com/pwn9/PwnChickenLay/PwnChickenLayItemSpawnListener.java
index 8f62b47..1982e52 100644
--- a/src/com/pwn9/PwnChickenLay/PwnChickenLayItemSpawnListener.java
+++ b/src/com/pwn9/PwnChickenLay/PwnChickenLayItemSpawnListener.java
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ public void doReplacement(World eworld, Location eLoc, String randomReplacement
 					getSpecialName = plugin.getConfig().getString("special."+specialReplacement+".name");
 					
 					// set item meta display name
-					im.setDisplayName(getSpecialName);					
+					im.setDisplayName(PwnChickenLay.colorize(getSpecialName));					
 				}
 				
 				// Lore
@@ -225,8 +225,8 @@ public void doReplacement(World eworld, Location eLoc, String randomReplacement
 				{			
 					getSpecialLore = plugin.getConfig().getStringList("special."+specialReplacement+".lore");
 
-					// set item meta lore
-					im.setLore(getSpecialLore);
+					// set item meta lore - colorize with list string
+					im.setLore(PwnChickenLay.colorize(getSpecialLore));
 				}
 				
 				// Colors (if leather)