spring trends: wide leg printed pants

i don't know about you guys but i am totally feeling this flowy bohemian palazzo wide leg pant for spring. i'm not a big skirts or dresses gal so these offer a similar airy alternative to jeans. i may or may not have ordered some trial ones from F21. that place is great for trying out trends before you commit to them. buy the $20 pair to see how you like them on yourself & then go for the better quality ones, ya know? one of my goals this year was buying quality over quantity fashion & so far i'm doing well!

i couldn't not pick up the two pairs below though:

head to toe: will definitely be coveting this exact style!

& these ones were just so cute & cheap that i couldn't say no! 

i feel like the sheer ones aren't really up my alley but are still pretty

side note: i am 100% against people wearing pajama pants in public...which i can understand why people might think this is a similar look but when paired with a cute, casual top (or even dressed up) & a great pair of shoes (this is KEY) no one will be confusing you with someone who just rolled out of bed. no way no how!

what do you think? digging this look or leaving it?

sweet spot bags + giveaway

malin of the adorable etsy shop sweet spot bags contacted me awhile back & told me a little about her new etsy adventure. it is called sweet spots & the concept is totally original & unique! you can choose any location or favourite spot in any city anywhere in the world & she uses the sun to print that onto the cutest bag! your favourite coffee shop, the spot you met your sweetie, your favourite place in the world - wherever you want, then (this is so neat!) she uses the sun to process the co-ordinates. eco-conscious & adorable, these bags are the perfect size for storing your essentials or using as a clutch for a night out! i definitely feel like they have a summer vibe so i cannot wait to use mine to carry my keys & summer essentials when going on bike rides!

the co-ordinates i chose were for my childhood house. my parents just sold the house we grew up in this past year & so i thought that using the co-ordinates for there might be a neat little memory to have. i just think it's SO cool that you can choose anywhere you want to & it's like a little secret because only you will know where you chose (unless someone looks inside the bag, because she prints the location inside)

so! now it's your turn to choose...

'like' sweet spot on facebook & tell me where you would get your 'sweet spot' for a chance to win your own custom bag!! leave a comment below to be entered.

winner will be chosen at random on april 7th!

black&bronze update!

 i haven't had a lot of time lately for jewelry making (sad face) & have been doing small updates via instagram but tonight i uploaded some new pieces to black&bronze ...everything except for the bird skull necklace is one of a kind & there are some really beautiful pieces here you're not going to want to miss out on!

& if you're new around these neck of the woods, hi & thanks for stopping by. black&bronze is the etsy shop i opened in early february & i'd love if you'd check it out.

weekly happenings

this past week was super fun, time is flying lately...soaring even!

i'm just hoping that spring is around the corner as i have had enough of this winter shit...enouuugh, i say!

my girlyfriends & i went bowling tuesday night! it was the best! next time we've decided to play bingo. nights like this are my fave. i need more of them in my life.

 on wednesday i got my hair done! i am removing the black (hello colour correction!) so it took about 6 hours this first time [whoa!] next time (in a few months) it will be better. going lighter for the summer, wooo!

& this handsome guy just got his haircut today too. doesn't he look great?! my boyfriend is a total babe.

i'm currently on day 27 of the whole30 which means wednesday is my last day! it's kind of amazing timing because thursday is bry's 33rd birthday (costume partyyy!) which means i will be dressed as a 'toddlers in tiaras' brat while getting white girl wasted on probably 2 beers because it's been so long, haha. but seriously! i couldn't be happier about it. the following day (good friday) i have re-named pizza day. i will be pleasantly hungover & indulging in a deliciously cheesy pizza...& crazy bread. then i'll go back to my clean eating (because yes i do still intend to make that a big part of my life - 80/20 as i still want to enjoy the finer/sweeter things in life still)

holyshitfrozengrapes! if you've never tried them, throw a bag in your freezer right now...yes, go! & then tell me they aren't the most naturally sweet little popsicles you ever did try!

this week i get to babysit my favourite little dude overnight! i seriously love spending time with this little man, he makes me beyond happy.

this past weekend was spent at my parents place. it was lovely, and by lovely i mean kind of hard not to drink as it's always beer o'clock there and also kind of hard not to indulge in delicious foods buuut i did it!! i can't remember if i mentioned this on here or not but we had a psychic come to the house & give us all readings. it was really neat!! in a nutshell she told me that a lot of doors will be opening for me this year, lots of changes (good ones) & some really interesting things regarding a friend of mine who committed suicide about 5 years ago. it was pretty amazing the things she knew about all of us, we all had a really positive experience for it. so neat and crazy those psychics!!

what have you guys been up to? tell me everythingggg!

black&bronze blog features

so i'm kind of really excited today because black&bronze has been showing up on some truly amazing blogs lately! nicole of rose runs wild featured her piece earlier last week & today i have some more of my favourite internet ladies rocking their pieces!

side note: kelly is wearing 2 necklaces here...the coyote tooth + coin is the black&bronze piece, the other is by an amazing designer chris rann...in which i want all of them!

i seriously get SO FREAKING EXCITED when i see my black&bronze pieces on some of my favourite people. i've been working with a few different bloggers & sending them custom pieces & this week you can see my style icons (no exaggeration!) brandi & kelly of the mucho mucho bueno bueno blog rocking their black&bronze on their mucho monday post! these girls honestly have the best style & they desperately make me want to live somewhere where you can layer comfortably & not have to wear a winter parka ever. they make me want to pack my things & move to texas!

anyway, i had a fan girl moment when i saw their post! yes ladies, you have a fan girl. i'm pretty sure that's how you know you've 'made it' lol!! ;)

another one of my favourite favourite blogger gals ever miss chelsea of the tea talk blog featured her black&bronze piece on her blog this morning! first of all, i am super jealous that she is able to wear what she is wearing in these photos, meanwhile when i look out my window all i see is snow! & second of all, she has the best hair ever...those long white locks make me envious everytime i see them! chelsea is such a doll & if you're not already following tea talk (i'm sure you are!) but if you're not, you really should be. she is such a rad, down to earth lady & i really love her corner of the internet!

if you don't already follow @blackandbronze on instagram i would love to see you over there! sometimes when i don't have time to upload the shop with new things i will sell pieces via instagram & some pretty amazing pieces have sold lately so you don't want to miss out! allison also featured black&bronze over on her blog today & you can see the piece she picked up from following on instagram here

i will hopefully be having another update soon as it's been a little over a month since i opened & it's due time! it's mainly just getting a time during the day when the lighting is good & mikey is home to take the photos...which doesn't happen too often! 

i would love to take this time to thank those of you who have supported me in my little dream thus far. i appreciate it beyond belief & am truly lucky to have you guys be so supportive & encouraging! it means a lot to me!!

also, if you're interested in a custom piece like i did for these ladies, just send me an email blackandbronze[at]gmail[dot]com as i'd love to work with you & base something around your personal style.

15% off black&bronze

if you've been wanting to pick up something from black&bronze, now is a good time as i'm offering 15% OFF your entire purchase with coupon code 'LUCKY' until monday evening!

recently

loving

smoothies with coconut milk instead of regular milk or yogurt

mikey is pretty rad too. do you ever just get that really overwhelming feeling of love for someone? it's pretty awesome.

watching

health/food documentaries. i'm obsessed with learning & educating myself on what i'm eating so that's neat.

wearing

my favourite sam edelman leopard print shoes! his & hers...kinda cute!

wanting

all the spring things! i am totally in 'spring shopping' mode even though it's not quite here yet & i want new everything, uh oh!

reading

generation a - douglas coupland (i love him)

wishing

that this date would come sooner! i don't want to wish away summer by any means but i am so so soooo excited for my brother to get married in jamaica! we'll be there for NYE this coming year!

craving

pizza...i think mostly the melted cheese part. 18 days away from dairy is the longest i've been, but i think it's part of the reason my stomach feels so awesome too!

eating

kale chips - yummm!

buh-bye GFC!

by now you have all heard that google reader is leaving in...july, i think? i've never been a GFC person, i have always just used the blogger dashboard & then Bloglovin' (because it's sweet) but if YOU happen to use GFC as your main source of blog reading, well that really sucks first of all, but second of all you should make the switch over to Bloglovin' & we can be friends over there, kay?

i love you.

ps: you can totally import your readers from GFC through Bloglovin' and it tells you how here...so i guess it doesn't suck that much; wahoo!

why i am loving the whole30

i wake up with energy, not feeling the least bit groggy & being excited to start my morning everyday (okay, most mornings i'm not wonder woman)

not being dependent on coffee for your morning 'high'

my tummy is flatter than ever before (i have abs you guys!) because i'm not eating foods that bloat your stomach 

you're not allowed to weigh yourself but i know i have lost weight...which was not my goal or intention with this, but it's just the 'extra' weight that seems to have disappeared & that is a pretty amazing feeling

i'm experimenting with foods i've never tried before & finding out i like a lot of different things

for instance pepper, i've never been a fan, until now

it has opened my eyes to a world of health

i love talking about it with people & teaching them, hearing them say that they want to try this challenge too

cooking at home is cheaper & more tasty than most fast food or takeout places...not to mention healthier, of course

i find my interests changing. i'm reading more fitness websites & blogs, following fitness & clean eating instagram accounts & watching documentaries such as 'vedgucated' & 'hungry for change' i highly recommend them both

spaghetti squash. period.

coconut milk is my new bff

i don't need the way i feel to be based on a number on a scale, it's about how i feel...on the inside, which is amazing

it's incredible the control food & caffeine has over us...incredibly scary

i no longer feel like i need a certain food to fill a void or make me happy. because in reality that void wasn't being filled before when i could have the bag of chips or reeses, it usually just left me feeling worse 

added & unnatural sugars are in almost everything & are extremely bad for you...i could write an entire blog around this topic

ignorance is not bliss, ignorance is diseases, cancer & ultimately death (harsh reality!) don't be ignorant about what you are fueling your body with...unless of course you don't care about your life

it is super fun waking up not hungover while your bf spends the morning barfing (i know that's terrible but i got a little bit of pleasure out of it)

fuji apples are my favourite...but i (not so) secretly can't wait til i can have some crunchy peanut butter on them again

...overall the whole30 has been an amazing life-changing experience for me. you know when you read things and they say they're going to change your life & you never really believe them (because nothing like that has before) well i can honestly say that it has. i am SO very aware of what i am putting into my body, what i choose to fuel it & how i am treating it. i was not treating it well before. sure i go to the gym & exercise, i also walk everywhere as i do not have my license or a car, i generally made healthy choices (or so i thought) but really i was putting a lot of things into my body that i had no idea what they were, that were chock full of bad ingredients & that i thought were a 'healthier choice'...how wrong i was. eating clean feels right. not only do i feel good grocery shopping, but i feel good making my food, experimenting with it, it feels good eating & enjoying something i've cooked, but most importantly...i feel good afterwards!! and that is something that i have struggled with for YEARS. literally about 8-10 years now i have struggled with stomach issues. eating on the whole30 makes me feel clean inside & out & my stomach feels good. i can feel my stomach repairing itself from the years of misuse and it feels amazing.

i am on day 17 of the whole30 & by no means am i going to be living this way 100% when the 30 days are over, however i do plan on sticking to a modified version of it. i honestly couldn't see how anyone could go back to eating the crap they did before after doing this challenge. it's not to say i will never have a coffee with cream & sugar again, nor will i never have salt&vinegar potato chips (i friggin' love those things) or a brownie...but everything is moderation is going to be my new mantra. instead of eating a bag of chips 2-3x a week (ya embarrassingly enough that happened) it will be more like once a month...or drinking every weekend just because it's something social to do, i am fine with being the sober one out sometimes. it's not even about having 'cheat days' either(i kind of hate that term) because i don't want to have a cheat day once a week...i don't want to be eating pizza 2x a week or on my 'cheat day' i don't want those things going into my body on a regular basis, and that's all there is to it.

if you're thinking i've gone mad & have lost my marbles over some 'cleanse' or 'diet' or whatever you want to call it, i call your bluff until you try this. if you're thinking about doing the whole30 challenge i (clearly) strongly recommend it. sign up for the daily newsletter as it really helps & really read through the website whole9life as they have some incredible information & tips on there. it's only 30 days...but i am warning you, in the end it might change your life ;)

peek at my week

i started my week off with some retail therapy from last weekend in which i came away with 2 new pieces, both of which are PINK. for those who are new around here, or maybe have just never noticed...i don't 'do' pink...or rather, i didn't use to! i really loved this neon pink loose knit sweater though & the girls said the colour worked on me so i'm trying it out!

more pink. this time in the form of a smoothie/frozen yogurt minus the yogurt. i've been making this as my after dinner treat some nights. it's SO delicious & creamy! no dairy involved as it's whole30 compliant of course. all it is is 1/3 coconut milk, 2/3 frozen fruit & filled up with water, in the magic bullet. deliciously creamy & sweet minus the sugar!

i tried these no wheat tacos the other night and they were awesome! you'd never even notice that the bread wasn't there. i used a head of lettuce as the wrap, lean ground chicken, avocado, tomato & salsa - so yummy!!

another delicious little whole30 treat.

coconut milk, unsweetened apple sauce, one banana & 1/2 a dragon fruit!

for those wondering or who care, the whole30 is going amaaaazingly! i am on day 16, so over halfway there & i seriously feel so good! i have a laundry list of reasons why the whole30 is amazing & great & fantastic but i will save them for another blog post ;)

it's finally spring here! some days are chilly but for the most part the sun is shining & it's been melting the snow which means i can wear a LOT more of my shoes now, like these beauties from the store i work at S.O.S

you can snag your own pair online here

i had a tattoo date with teddy this week!

here are what my leaves looked like before. this was the first tattoo that i got from tedd almost 5 years ago now. as you can see the colour was fading (especially the yellows) & well, to be honest i knew that since i've been going to him for the past 5 years that he's improved so much & could make them look better so we touched it up & check it out now...

i will take some better photos once it's healed but i absolutely LOVE it!! the colours are so vibrant & i really love all of the new details. i realize the corner of the photo is a little dark from his studio light, but the quote says 'full of life & full of love' which you may recognize from a song ;)

& here we are today, wednesday. i accomplished so much before 3PM today. had a nice sleep in, a delicious breakfast, got my taxes done, went to the gym, the library & the grocery store! now i'm going to clean up my office/studio space & work on some new black&bronze pieces! 

oh & by the way, i remember telling you guys about my amazing leather jacket that i found for a whole $20 when we were in toronto for our anniversary? that's it in the photo above. it's perfect!! i've been on the hunt for a real leather jacket (in my price range so usually at thrift shops) & finally found it, after 5 years!

how is your week going so far? we're halfway there!!

rose runs wild: black&bronze feature

do you know who i adore? that lady in the photo right there ^

 she runs an amazing lifestyle blog called rose runs wild & she is an absolute sweetheart!! she purchased this pretty necklace below from my new etsy shop black&bronze & featured it on her blog today! pop over & say hello to nicole!

to shop black&bronze click here

follow black&bronze on twitter

& find me on instagram under black&bronze

springspiration

this spring you will find me in one of these outfits or a combo 

black + denim + animal print

neutrals + layers + denim shorts

bright pants + neutrals

denim + simple tee + leather jacket

neutrals + patterned pant

light sweater + shorts + boots

ripped denim + ankle booties + oversized scarf

pretty pinks + maxi skirts

whole30 day 9

hello! it's day 9 here, last day of single digits then i'll be in the big leagues, woo! the last few days have (mostly) been a breeze. i was having a fantastic day yesterday and really feeling 'the magic' so they call it, then after i went to the gym & came home, i was having some pretty intense cravings but they went away & here i am today being so, so glad that i did not give in to them!!

my days have been looking a lot like this:

9am: breakfast 

2-3 eggs & a smoothie (frozen or fresh berries, water, applesauce)

this morning i added coconut milk instead of water & holy moly it is delicious! i had never tried it before but it is so damn good...wow!

1-2pm: lunch

generally i will eat whatever i had for dinner the previous night, i make enough for 2 meals and save one for lunch the following day. lately it has been pork chops (yum!) with unsweetened apple sauce and either steamed or grilled veggies & a few kiwis for dessert

7pm: dinner

again, dinners consist of either a fish (trout, salmon, tilapia) or pork chop, steak or chicken & plenty of veggies either grilled or steamed.

mikey & i have been doing dinners together & they have been helping a lot as i have been trying to get him on the healthy track as well!

snacks

i haven't found that i have to snack much between meals. they say that's good and that's what generally happens when you are eating properly and filling your body with good foods. if i do need a snack, a couple of nuts or a banana usually fill me up!

dessert

for 'dessert' (it's in quotations because it's changed drastically from what it used to mean) i usually have some raspberries or kiwis. i have been trying to save these as my 'dessert' or treats to separate them from things i normally eat. this helps as it makes me really look forward to having them. i have also found a smoothie usually fills my sweets cravings, and also some caffeine free teas like midsummers night dream from davids tea help to fill that void. i've always had a pretty big sweet tooth & am a lover of all things tasty (cakes, chips, chocolate, cookies - salt or sweet, i'll have 2!)

i have already noticed some changes in my body. i did not take measurements when i started (i wish i had of) but i can definitely feel and see changes. i took photos before i started this & the difference at the end of week 1 is noticeable. waking up with a flat tummy everyday & not feeling (or looking) bloated is the best. not only is it awesome seeing the changes, but for me it's really about feeling them, from the inside. i've always had digestive issues & tummy probs & i seriously feel this whole clean way of eating just might be the cure!

i am loving the whole30 because it has me trying new things (salsa with my eggs? so tasty!) it has me really thinking about & caring about what goes in my body & how it reacts once inside. i feel a change in my interests...i'm looking up new recipes & exercises & have become a little bit of a health freak all of a sudden. i watched a really terrific documentary called 'hungry for change' the other day & it completely changed my outlook on a lot of foods (do you even know how many hidden sugars there are in the foods you eat everyday? there are so many different names for sugar that it's hiding in almost everything) i highly recommend giving this docu a watch!

so folks, it's day 9...i'm feeling great & confident about continuing for the next 21 days & am already thinking about continuing a modified version of this when it's over. 

outfit post: denim&fur

outfit details:

top - urban outfitters

pants - old navy ($15!)

faux fur vest - plush boutique

necklaces - pyrrha & vintage

denim&fur is one of my favourite combos. add in some leather & you are set! i'm trying to get as much use our of this faux fur vest as i can before spring comes because i looove it. though i can totally picture it with a white tee & denim shorts when the weather is warm but not too warm...oooh, spring! hurry the fuck UP please. i am dying for it, haha. i heard birds chirping today & it was sunny & definitely above zero so that is a plus!

where's the weather like where you live?