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Fashion, Food, Goals, Lookbooks, Pantone, Travel, Wellness, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

RESORT 2020 LOOKBOOK

¡Buenos días!, amigas! After a wonderfully rejuvenating vacation and some time back on Canadian soil reflecting on all things JustineCelina, I’m back today with a dramatic change of scenery in my impromptu RESORT 2020 LOOKBOOK! As I mentioned in my last post, approaching our vacation I was unsure how much I’d want to share. It was first time in 6 years we’ve taken a week long, unplugged vacation outside of Canada — and I was desperately in need of time offline to decompress, refocus and reconnect. I decided to pack my professional camera last minute to capture images as I felt inspired, but completely relieved myself of content creation pressure. There’s an incredible duality to blogging — and as much as I wanted to capture, create and share content because it’s what I truly love to do, I also wanted to ensure I was actually resting and enjoying my vacation, rather than sharing every experience and working the entire time. While these blurred lines between life and work allow me to live and work in a way that nurtures my passions (one of the main reasons I started this blog in the first place!), they also make lifestyle blogging as a career incredibly tricky to navigate and can inevitably lead to burnout.

I’m happy to report that by our third day, I was itching to bust out my camera and capture content! This trip was incredibly refreshing — we completely lived in the moment and only captured things when we felt inspired to do so. Surprisingly, I actually have quite a few photos and videos from our travels! It was such a valuable experience to let go of my regular content creation routines and just take things as they came — a lesson I’m carrying into my workflow in 2020. So although I would have loved to shoot outfits everyday, today I’m sharing 3 looks (rather than the 6 you’re accustomed to!) we captured in Huatulco — featuring a colourful dose of free spirited, Mexican-inspired fashion, along with a handful of of my vacation essentials! My first LOOKBOOK of the decade fuses TRAVEL and STYLE (as well as some Pantone 2020 Colour of the Year inspiration) for those of those of you jetsetting to a tropical destination this winter. If you’re curious about what I wore on vacation or learning a bit about Huatulco and where we stayed, whip up a mezcalrita and come along to the pristine southern shores of Oaxaca, Mexico digitally!

January 22, 2020 by Justine

Business, Goals, Inspiration, Life, Planning, Travel, Wellness, Winter

HELLO 2020

Happy 2020, beautiful people! I’m sitting here on this snowy Tuesday morning in my fuzzy slippers and housecoat with a big mug off coffee typing my first actual blog post of the new year (as January’s Digital Blooms were prescheduled so we could enjoy a restful couple of days in the mountains ushering in a new decade, where I captured these photos!). I mentioned in my December Soundtrack that we had surprise New Year’s Eve plans and I had absolutely no idea what was in store — that is until about 5pm that day! We spent the final moments of 2019 checking in to our favourite Canmore resort, sharing a bottle of wine and getting ready for an NYE-themed dinner at our favourite restaurant before dashing back to our room to ring in the new decade infront of a roaring fire with bubbly. It was absolutely lovely, relaxed and magical — just what we needed to wind down after a very full year and busy (but very merry!) holiday season!

From Christmas until January 3rd I prescheduled all of my content — and although it made for some very late nights and early mornings prior to my break, it’s the first time since starting JustineCelina that I wasn’t working at all over the holidays. Isn’t that wild? While I’m fully aware that this the the norm for most, for me, for as long as I can remember, it’s been anything but. I didn’t log into social media, write or capture any content, check the blog or go online at all, really (okay — maybe to peruse some Boxing Day sales with my niece!) — and it was blissful. My first work day of 2020 commenced last Friday after some serious R&R in the mountains feeling recharged, refreshed and reinspired. What a concept, right? Just before the holiday season, I stumbled on a tweet that really resonated with me (wow, how millennial of me!) — “Please take your rest as seriously as your hustle.”. For the first time in nearly 5 years since starting JustineCelina, I’m carrying that energy into 2020! So, unlike years past, this is not a 2019 Review + 2020 Goals post — but rather, a raw and transparent read about what’s on my heart as we ease into a new decade.

January 7, 2020 by Justine

Bar, Caffeinated, Create, Dining Room, DIY, Dwell, Entertain, Fashion, Gluten Free, Inspiration, Occasions, Sponsored, Vegan, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

EASY HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING IDEAS

With the holidays just around the corner and the height of entertaining season upon us, I’m elated to share my go-to Easy Holiday Entertaining Ideas in my first dedicated ENTERTAIN post in… gulp… 3 years! The absence of entertaining content here at JustineCelina in recent years has happened authentically, as we’ve scaled back on entertaining in general — simply because life is busy (I’m sure you can relate, especially at this time of year!). Although we love to have an apartment full of company eating, drinking and be merry during the holidays, I’m all about making this festive time of year as fun, stress free and healthy as possible — and that’s what this post is all about! Whether you’ve been with me for years or are new to my cozy little corner of the internet (welcome!), you’ll know I also love to incorporate better-for-you food and drink whenever we’re hosting or attending a party — because I believe in balance and mindful choices in every season of life.

Earlier this month as I pulled out our festive decor and entertaining essentials I discovered Kombrewcha — a delicious, 4.4% ABV hard kombucha made from organic ingredients. As a plant based eater with a sensitive stomach thanks to numerous food intolerances, I’ve long enjoyed kombucha as a way to help keep my digestion on track — especially during the holidays! I also love to mix this effervescent, probiotic-rich, fermented tea into my COCKTAILS (if you follow along with my Instagram Stories, you’ll know I’ve been developing kombucha cocktails since last summer!). This holiday season, I was absolutely delighted to find a better-for-you beverage that incorporates all of my libation must-haves (made from incredible ingredients and free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar!) in a convenient, ready-to-enjoy format. Tonight I’ve partnered with this new to Alberta brand to host a casual holiday dinner party and share my tried and true Easy Holiday Entertaining Ideas — complete with my best decor, styling, hosting, food and drink, fashion and beauty tips to create a festive and memorable evening. Cheers to a happy, healthy and joyous holiday season!

December 20, 2019 by Justine

Beauty, Fall, Fashion, Life, Makeup, Occasions, Style Staples, Travel, Vintage, Wellness

CASUAL FALL STYLE STAPLES

Fall fashion lovers, welcome back for a fresh instalment in my STYLE STAPLES series — this time, highlighting the more casual side of my personal style! We enjoyed this past Thanksgiving weekend completely unplugged in the country — and although I was device free, I brought my professional camera along. I actually had no intention of capturing style content last weekend, but rather, was hoping for some nice family photos since it had been forever since we’d taken some (we’re talking 5+ years!). Adam isn’t really into being in front of the camera too often — so when he agreed to sneak in a couple of quick photos before heading to Brooks for our second Thanksgiving dinner, my Mom and I killed some time while he was getting ready (believe it or not I’m usually ready before he is!) and also captured what I was wearing. Although this post wasn’t originally part of my editorial calendar, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to share a fresh instalment in my STYLE STAPLES series dedicated to relaxed, comfortable fall fashion (the family dog, Charlie, even makes an appearance!).

My Casual Fall Style Staples are my most worn, most loved seasonal pieces that combine to create my go-to casual fall outfit formula — one I’ve worn various iterations of here at JustineCelina throughout the years! Longtime readers will know that while I absolutely love to dress up, I also love to dress well for more casual occasions. Today I’m sharing what I wore to Thanksgiving Dinner, complete with my absolute favourite fall wardrobe staples and elevated basics — the ones I look forward to repurchasing each year in new colours and textures! This laidback, bohemian look combines core pieces from my casual autumn wardrobe to create an outfit perfect for holiday family dinners, or anytime I want to look put together, but be comfortable and cozy (because I don’t believe they should be mutually exclusive). And as always, it’s a mixture of high, low, old (even vintage!) and new. Come along to my childhood home in rural Alberta to chat easygoing fall fashion amongst the yellowing Aspen trees and swaying tall grass!

October 25, 2019 by Justine

Bathroom, Create, Creative Process, Dining Room, DIY, Dwell, Goals, Kitchen, Life, Living Room, Plants, Space Refresh

MIDSUMMER SPACE REFRESH UPDATE

Interior design loving friends, welcome back for a long overdue SPACE REFRESH update! If you read my 2018 Review + 2019 Goals post, you’ll know that I had planned to have the next rooms in the series completed by now — but due to some unforeseen delays and unexpected (but necessary!) repairs, things have been pushed back. I realized last week that I’ve been pretty good about updating you about what’s going on on my socials, but the majority of you don’t follow me there, so I wanted to publish an all-encompassing Midsummer Space Refresh Update here at JustineCelina to bring you up to speed!

Overall, even though the next rooms in our have taken longer than expected due to some furniture delays, I’m very happy with the way things are coming together. Originally I was planning to have both the Entrance Way and Main Bathroom complete by the end of Q2, but due to a couple of furniture items being back ordered until the end of September, I’m now planning to have both of those spaces finished this fall. Instead, I’ve used the extra time to source finishing details to really elevate both rooms and make them super functional! It’s actually been a welcome change of pace to take things a bit slower around here, enjoy the summer, and not be working on the apartment every single weekend. If you’re interested in what’s coming next, updates and repairs we’ve made to the other rooms and plans for the rest of the year, fix yourself a cocktail and come join me in my Living Room for a transparent read!

August 20, 2019 by Justine

Business, Creative Process, Goals, Inspiration, Life, Occasions, Summer, Wellness

ANOTHER TRIP AROUND THE SUN

It’s Leo season and the canola is in full bloom here on the Alberta prairies as I celebrate Another Trip Around The Sun. I’ve always associated these free-spirited country flowers with my birthday — so when we stumbled on this gorgeous crop outside Okotoks after wrapping up shoots for my upcoming Late Summer 2019 Lookbook, we pulled over to capture these images as the sun set. It had been a long, hot day and I was a bit sweaty and disheveled, but we had about 15 minutes to make it happen and decided to go for it! To maximize the beautiful golden light, we ended up shooting into the sun (rather than the pretty backlit effect I typically prefer) and I was stunned at how beautifully these images came out — in fact, I think they’re my favourite of all the canola photos we’ve taken over the years. So, I thought it was fitting to share them with you to celebrate my birthday!

I actually wasn’t planning to write a post for my birthday this year — this post, like these photos, were completely spontaneous. This summer I’ve been trying to live in the moment, make the most of my opportunities and take life as it comes — and I feel that this set of images represent me and the direction I’m heading with JustineCelina perfectly right now! I’m happy, healthy and excited about what’s on the horizon — I feel very much in alignment with who I am and ready to for wherever my next trip around the sun takes me. If you’re in the mood for a reflective and uplifting read I’d love for you to pour yourself a glass of wine and spend part of your evening with me!

August 9, 2019 by Justine

Fashion, Life, Spring, Travel, Wellness

OUT OF OFFICE

Happy May long weekend, Canadian friends! I wanted to check in quickly to let you know we’re headed to the Kootenays for a week of off-the-grid relaxation. After a very busy past 2 months, Adam and I both had the opportunity to take a full week off at the same time — and we jumped on it! We booked the cutest lakeside cabin where I’ll be enjoying my first completely unplugged, work-free vacation since starting JustineCelina over 4 years ago. To say it’s long overdue is a major understatement!

Although I originally had a number of posts planned for this upcoming week, for once I actually haven’t pre-scheduled content. Instead, I’m taking the opportunity to hit pause, recharge and reconnect — something I hope you’re all able to do this weekend as well, because it’s so important. I’ll be back in action the week of May 27th with tons of fresh content, a refreshed mindset and a restocked wine rack! Thanks for taking the time to stop by if you’re visiting during my break — fortunately, my existing content never takes time off and there are nearly 400 posts here at JustineCelina spanning categories for you to enjoy. Have a wonderful long weekend, beautiful people!

May 18, 2019 by Justine

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