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Dwell, Flowers, Life, Living Room, Local Love, Music, Spring

APRIL 2020 SOUNDTRACK

April is on her way out — and to say I’m relieved would be an incredible understatement! April was a challenging month as we collectively spent the majority of our time in our homes, adopted new traditions, dodged curveballs (of which there were many!) and attempted to adjust to our new normal. I’ve definitely experienced extreme waves of motivation (and emotion!) during this pandemic — as someone who’s very Type A and a major planner, this has certainly been a lesson in learning not to place worth in productivity, allowing myself to slow down, giving myself some grace and just taking things as they come. Unsurprisingly, I turned to life’s simple pleasures to help me pull through — like cheerful blooms, great coffee and uplifting music! My April 2020 Soundtrack features just over 3 hours of everything I’ve had on heavy rotation lately to help me feel grounded, focused, calm and inspired.

Freedom Fly’s Tell Me It’ll Be Alright, Luna Shadow’s Palm Springs, Oliver Tank’s Dreams of Fish and Waterfalls, GHSTWRLD and Metaxas’s Everything, Day Waves Potions, Cards & Sitas All Over Me, Jack Larsen’s Vanity, Hello Meteor’s Kuroshio, NEIL FRANCES Tell Me, Brett’s Prom, Bad Snacks Elsewhere, Alle’s Islands and Blood Cultures x DJ ST THOMAS’s Best For You delighted my ears this month. If you’re in need of some fresh quarantunes (ha!), give the latest instalment of my Monthly Soundtracks a listen! Here’s to a brighter month ahead, friends.

April 30, 2020 by Justine

Baking, Bar, Create, Dessert & Treats, Dining Room, Dwell, Entertain, Fashion, Flowers, Food, Gluten Free, Inspiration, Local Love, Occasions, Spring, Vegan, Wine & Cocktails

A SIMPLE EASTER DINNER FOR TWO

Remember when I mentioned over the holidays that I wanted to bring more ENTERTAIN content to JustineCelina this year? Although these weren’t quite the circumstances I envisioned (now that’s an understatement!), I’m thrilled to share A Simple Easter Dinner For Two with you today! While Easter certainly looked a lot different for everyone this year given the current global situation, we decided to make the most of it and celebrate here in our home in Calgary — just the two of us. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we’d spend an Easter without the large family gatherings in the country we’ve become accustomed to over the years — but rather than mourning the loss of our cherished traditions, we resolved to stay home and create a few of our own!

In over a decade together, this was the first Easter dinner we’ve celebrated in our home — and I wanted to mark the occasion by capturing these memories to look back on. I put on a dress, ordered flowers, made some nostalgic family recipes along with my first ever carrot cake — then we popped some Prosecco and enjoyed A Simple Easter Dinner For Two (Adam was actually peeling potatoes in the kitchen to my left as I snapped these photos from my tripod!). I was reminded of my ability to find beauty in uncertainty and create amongst chaos — these are things I find very cathartic and truly bring me joy. While it wasn’t a traditional Easter, it was still a lovely weekend — gifting us with lessons in resiliency, enjoying life’s simple pleasures and doing the best you can with what you have, where you are! Whether you’ve stopped by today for details on our Easter in quarantine, are planning a more intimate Easter gathering of your own, or are visiting years in the future once this is all behind us in search of some easy Easter entertaining ideas, I’ve got you covered!

April 18, 2020 by Justine

Entertain, Flowers, Giveaways, Local Love, Pantone, Spring, Wine & Cocktails

HONEYED SASKATOON CHERRY GIMLET

After what has undoubtedly been the longest month of my life, I know one thing for sure… I need a stiff drink! Who’s with me?! Each March, I eagerly await Spring Equinox and typically celebrate its arrival with the publication of a fresh, seasonally inspired cocktail — but March 2020’s events really threw my editorial calendar for a loop. Although this recipe is publishing a bit later than I had originally intended, I can assure you it’s been tested to perfection — in fact, there was rarely an evening that passed this month when I didn’t find myself shaking up a Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet (if you follow along with my Instagram Stories, you can attest to this!). This cocktail highlights Eau Claire Distillery’s recently re-released Saskatoon Honey Gin — and I’ve teamed up with them give away a full sized bottle (along with a few other goodies!) to one of my Canadian friends to help lift your spirits and keep your home bars stocked!

Gin lovers, I’m thrilled to share my Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet recipe with you today — a refreshingly spirited, 4 ingredient spring cocktail inspired by doing the best you can with what you have, where you are. The best part? If you have a well-stocked bar, you likely already have all of the ingredients on hand (and if not, I’ve included links to where you can purchase them to help support local businesses during this challenging time)! This simple but perfectly balanced craft cocktail combines Saskatoon Honey Gin with Honey Simple Syrup, cherry bitters and freshly squeezed lime juice shaken over ice — and can be prepared with ease by home bar beginners and skilled mixologists alike. Bring the cocktail bar to the comfort of your own home this spring with my Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet — a quintessentially Albertan twist on a classic gin cocktail! Cheers, friends — and best of luck to those entering the giveaway!

March 30, 2020 by Justine

Create, Digital Blooms, Fall, Flowers, Local Love, Pantone, Summer

DIGITAL BLOOMS SEPTEMBER 2019 | FREE DESKTOP WALLPAPER

With the promise of changing leaves dancing on the late-summer breeze, I’m back with a fresh instalment of DIGITAL BLOOMS to welcome my favourite month of the year! I love September because it combines the best of summer and autumn — and I’ve channeled that transitional inspiration into this month’s free tech wallpaper. Last weekend we popped over to a local farmer’s market where some incredibly lovely bouquets of sunflowers were on display and I couldn’t resist picking one up to share with all of you! The best part? Everything featured in September 2019’s Digital Blooms is organic, biodynamic, growing here in Alberta right now! I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to celebrate the season.

September’s DIGITAL BLOOMS are heavily inspired by the Pantone Autumn/Winter 2019/2020 Fashion Colour Trend Report featuring warm, transitional hues of Chili Pepper, Biking Red, Rocky Road, Sugar Almond and Dark Cheddar set on a moody Bluestone backdrop. Unique Chianti and Little Becka Sunflowers are complimented by Rudbeckia, Strawflower, wild Firewheels and Barberry leaves in free desktop wallpaper that’s equal parts sunny and dramatic — just like the first month of autumn. Give your devices a seasonal makeover by clicking through to download September’s free floral tech wallpaper!

September 1, 2019 by Justine

Fashion, How to Style, Local Love, Occasions, Summer, Vintage

HOW TO STYLE | CALGARY’S WHITE HAT FOR THE STAMPEDE

Yahoo! The Stampede is in full swing and I’m back today with a fresh post in my HOW TO STYLE series dedicated to Calgary’s iconic White Hat! Whether you’re a seasoned Stampede veteran or have only glimpsed images of the Calgary Stampede from afar, you’ve undoubtedly seen this steadfast symbol of Calgary hospitality donned by many during these festive 10 days. This year I had the pleasure of styling a custom-fit Smithbilt 7x White Felt Hat for my latest article for Tourism Calgary about What to Wear to The Calgary Stampede — and I knew I wanted to bring a comprehensive post to JustineCelina in honour of this quintessentially Calgarian cowboy hat. I know it will remain a treasured piece in my Stampede wardrobe for years to come!

As a born-and-raised Alberta girl and lover of western, bohemian inspired FASHION year-round, I’m thrilled to offer up some fresh Stampede style ideas. Although I used the White Hat as my ‘anchor piece’ in this look, you can absolutely swap it out for any other western or cowboy hat and achieve the same effect! That said, if you’re ready to fully commit to the finest, custom-made western hats in all the land, I’m also sharing my first Smithbilt Hat experience with you (it certainly won’t be my last!). Saddle up for a free-spirited, modern take on styling The White Hat up for the Calgary Stampede, plus a breakdown of my favourite dresses, boots, belts and accessories to carry you through The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth in style!

July 10, 2019 by Justine

Entertain, Local Love, Occasions, Pantone, Spring, Vegetarian, Wine & Cocktails

RASPBERRY RHUBARB ROSÉ SPRITZ

In the wake of Summer Solstice, I’m so excited to share the first clean COCKTAIL of the season here at JustineCelina! Those of you who follow along with my Instagram Stories will know this one has been in testing since early April, when the first rhubarb of year starting popping up in my local farmer’s markets. This year I hosted the special ladies in my life for Mother’s Day brunch and created this signature cocktail inspired by them to celebrate the occasion! I’m happy to report my Raspberry Rhubarb Rosé Spritz received rave reviews after 15 rounds of testing and perfecting — my Mom even exclaimed “Now that’s a keeper!” upon first sip!

My Raspberry Rhubarb Rosé Spritz typifies the season in a jubilant celebration of all things feminine, fruity and nostalgic. Rhubarb and raspberries have always reminded me of my Grandmother’s garden and berry picking at the family farm — so I channeled some of my fondest childhood memories into this cheerful libation! A summer-inspired trio of rhubarb, raspberries and honey combine in a scratch-made Honeyed Raspberry Rhubarb Syrup to infuse this effervescent cocktail with seasonal panache, beautifully complimented by sparkling rosé, local craft vodka, soda water, fresh lime juice and a dash of bitters. Enjoy this pretty, Pantone Living Coral inspired spritz with the special ladies in your life this summer — it’s the perfect menu addition for your next summer soirée, brunch, baby or bridal shower, or girls night in! Cheers!

June 26, 2019 by Justine

Business, Fashion, Fitness, Flowers, Goals, Inspiration, Life, Local Love, Planning, Travel, Wellness, Winter

2018 REVIEW + 2019 GOALS

Well hello, friends! It’s been a little while since I’ve posted — I took some time during the first half of this dry January (it’s actually been great!) to reflect on the past year, get re-inspired and really put some thought into what I’d like to achieve in 2019. It’s been a very valuable exercise, so thank you for your patience! Today I’m dishing on everything I’ve discovered in this real, raw, lengthy (we’re talking the longest post I’ve ever written!) read recapping 2018 and sharing my intentions, aspirations and goals for the new year — plus exactly how I plan to achieve them!

When I look back on my goals post from last year, I feel grateful to be in a much better head space and place in my life — although it was a long road to get here. Longtime readers will know I’m always very transparent about the staggering amount of work that goes into blogging, content creation and creative entrepreneurship — and from the day I stared this blog in March of 2015 through to the end of 2017, I hustled hard. As a result, I entered 2018 feeling completely burnout, uninspired and unsure of how to proceed. I knew a change was necessary for me to move forward and progress in a way that would allow for more balance and well being in my life (and therefore more inspired work), but I wasn’t exactly sure how to get there. I felt like I needed to slow down and take life as it came, rather than creating an exhaustive list of all the things I felt I needed to accomplish — and I spent 2018 doing just that. I changed course and made chasing my passions for HOME and FASHION based content my first priority, which resulted in a pretty monumental year here at JustineCelina. That said, the largest shifts I made were off of these pages, in my mental and physical health, relationships and life in general. Fast forward to January of 2019 and I’m feeling energized, more inspired and productive than ever — and ready to make 2019 my best year yet! If you’re curious about what what’s to come, my favourite tools and resources to stay organized, inspired and fit, or in need of a healthy dose of motivation, cozy up with me and let’s chat about living and working with confidence and intention this year!

January 21, 2019 by Justine

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