Browsing Category

Travel

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!

Continue Reading

September 2018 Soundtrack | Girl Holding a Sunflower in the Bowden Sunmaze, Alberta, Canada | Calgary Lifestyle Blogger // JustineCelina.com
Fall, Flowers, Music, Summer, Travel

SEPTEMBER 2018 SOUNDTRACK


Okay seriously, how is it the end of September?! 2018 is just flying by! September was a jam packed month, but we did manage to sneak in a few outdoor adventures — including a trip to Jasper to relax and decompress for the long weekend before our busy season kicked off (I honestly haven’t even had a chance to go through most of my photos!), as well as a trip to the Bowden Sunmaze to catch a field of sunflowers in full bloom before the frost set in. It was absolutely beautiful and highly worth the trip if you’re planning to go next summer (they’re now closed for the season). My September 2018 Soundtrack saw me through it all — and as usual, it’s a mash up of musical genres, styles, lyrics and artists with a healthy dose of chill and instrumental (plus some explicit hip hop throw in for good measure!). This 2 and a half hour playlist makes for an easy listening, feel good option no matter what you’re up to!

Some of my musical highlights this month include Tabrill & Emily’s Lossless, Hirola’s Melaie, HDBeenDope’s For the Record, Arms & Sleepers Down, Tom Hilcock & Nicolas Boscovic’s Golden Halo, Andrew Applepie’s Hong Kong Bedtime, Young the Giant’s Superposition, Royal Yellow’s Hazeldene, a beautifully stripped down rendition of The Naked and Famous’s Young Blood, Dizzy’s Pretty Thing, Alex Cruz & Brascon’s remix of Magical Cloudz’s Downtown, Lycoriscoris’s Her and Of Water’s Materializing. Happy listening, beautiful people!

Continue Reading

Pattern Play | Stripes | How to Style Stripes for Summer 2018 | AW18 Stripe Trend | The Best Rainbow Striped Dresses 2018 | 3rd Floor Studio’s Petra Dress | Calgary Fashion Blogger | Canadian Fashion Blogger // JustineCelina.com
Fall, Fashion, Life, Pantone, Pattern Play, Summer, Travel

PATTERN PLAY | STRIPES


Happy Autumn Equinox, everyone! Today I’m saying farewell to summer and welcoming fall with the second installment in my PATTERN PLAY series, dedicated to one of my favourite prints — stripes! Remember when I mentioned that I took some time to get re-inspired style content wise this summer and was planning to bring you more comprehensive, multi outfit posts to JustineCelina? Well, this is the first of many! I’m kicking things off today by rounding up all the different ways I wore stripes this summer, highlighting key stripe trends and colours I’ll be wearing into autumn as well as sharing shoppable links for my transitional striped wardrobe (plus my AW18 wishlist!).

When I look back on all the content we captured this summer, one thing is very apparent — I wore a lot of stripes! These past few months I really took my commitment to getting back to a way of living and working in a way that nurtures my passions seriously — which included lots of time spent outdoors with friends and family. I also switched things up and shot more style content in the moment whenever possible! I wore stripes from the prairies, to farmers markets, to berry pick, to mountain lakes and just about everywhere in between. They’re such a versatile print that can be worn in both personal and professional settings, ranging from classic and understated to bright and bold — a true chameleon print! If you’re a stripe lover or are looking for some fresh styling ideas to incorporate stripes into your autumn wardrobe, join me today for a crash course in all things striped!

Continue Reading

August 2018 Soundtrack | Alberta Fashion & Lifestyle Blogger | Field of Canola // JustineCelina.com
Music, Summer, Travel

AUGUST 2018 SOUNDTRACK


Like the final, fleeting month of summer, my August 2018 Soundtrack is short n’ sweet! August was full of a lot of BTS hustle (I have so many exciting projects, collaborations and fresh content to share with you this autumn!), but also a lot of time outdoors enjoying our beautiful weather, wildfire smoke and all! If you follow along with my RECIPES here at JustineCelina, you may remember that I mentioned we found a patch of saskatoon bushes growing wild next to a field of canola earlier this summer — well, this is the field of canola! While typically we shoot our annual canola photos in the field behind my childhood home in rural Alberta, this summer they planted a different crop, so we headed south in search of blooming yellow fields and hit the jackpot!

While the canola crops have since been harvested, they always bloom around my birthday in early August and it’s my favourite time of year! I thought this image was the perfect album cover for my August Soundtrack — inspired by carefree summer days, roadtrips, outdoor adventures and the mesmerizing beauty of our natural landscape. This eclectic, 2.5 hour playlist is a mashup of nearly every different genre and mood, but some highlights include Yoke Lore’s Good Pain, RAC’s Mission 3 (Hk), Wild Nothing’s Letting Go, ayokay and Nightly’s Sleepless Nights, Andrew Rothchild’s Routine, Death Cab for Cutie‘s entire new album Thank You For Today, Penguin Cafe’s Ricercar, G-Easy & Kehlani’s Good Life, Akasha System’s No Reality, Gus Glasser’s Heaven, Sweep’s don’t let it stress and Those Who Ride With Giant’s The Promise of the Setting Sun. If you’re in the mood to discover some fresh, feel good tunes, crank this playlist up and enjoy summer 2018’s last long weekend!

Continue Reading

Music, Summer, Travel

JULY 2018 SOUNDTRACK


Another summer month has flown by, which means it’s time for a fresh Monthly Soundtrack! July was packed full of events, weekend trips to the prairies, mountains and farmer’s markets and lots of time spent enjoying this gorgeous weather with family and friends. And my July 2018 Soundtrack has been the background music to all of our summer adventures! This laid-back, feel good, easy going playlist features 3 hours of chill, electronic, ambient, instrumental, alternative, folk and bluegrass — a versatile collection of my favourite summer jams that you can throw on whether your road-tripping, enjoying the great outdoors or simply enjoying a quiet night in with a delicious glass of wine!

I discovered tons of new artists this month (as well as a new Spotify generated playlist called Boho + Chill!), but Wit Blu’s Burgundy, Richard Houghten’s Millions of Birds, WMD’s Coniferae, Joakim Karud’s Recover, Ruuth’s All About, Vacationeer’s Being Here, Illenium + Thoreau’s Where’d U Go, Milton Breech’s Painted Skies, steezy prime + ozone.’s Baths, Pink Skies Gettin’ Old, Shook’s Bicycle Ride, Chromak’s Sunshower, Cloudy Retro’s East End and Tep No’s Who We Are were a handful of my favourite tracks. What have you guys been listening to this summer?

Continue Reading

Summer 2018 Trend Guide | Flower Power | Summer 2018 Trends | How to Style Flowy Floral Dresses, Espadrilles and Circular Bags for Summer // JustineCelina.com
Beauty, Fashion, Makeup, Summer, Travel, Trend Guides

SUMMER 2018 TREND GUIDE | FLOWER POWER


Friends and fashionistas, welcome back for my first TREND GUIDE of Summer 2018! This season, I’ve resolved to have as much fun as possible (with FASHION and otherwise!) and that mindset is definitely reflected in this look. I actually picked up most of this outfit during a last minute shopping spree in preparation for my Exploring Calgary’s Colourful East Village Junction article with Tourism Calgary! I had spotted this dress in the window at H&M a couple of weeks prior and couldn’t get it out of my head, plus I knew it would be perfect for the setting! These fun (and super comfortable!) Topshop espadrilles also caught my eye that day, as did this jubilant circular bag from Zara. As someone who’s typically a very calculated, mostly online shopper, it was a refreshing change of pace to let my impulses take over! This colourful, fun, free spirited outfit is the result — and one I’ve worn several times this season. Every time I do, I receive tons of compliments and questions — so naturally I thought it would be the perfect look to kick off my Summer 2018 TREND GUIDES!

Today we’re chatting about a handful of this summer’s hottest trends — including bold florals, rainbow brights, espadrilles, red, woven circular bags, shell details, tassels, pompoms, statement earrings and stained lips (because sometimes, more is more!). While I wouldn’t typically wear these statement items together, this summer, I’m all about switching things up and getting out of my comfort zone. But some things never change! I’ll always be a fan of breezy, statement summer dresses that almost style themselves — you know, the ones that you can just throw on and look fabulous, no matter the occasion? Today I’m sharing a selection of my favourite, flowy floral dresses with you, along with versatile styling tips to ensure maximum wear — whether you pick up something new or are looking for fresh ideas to rework your existing summer wardrobe!

Continue Reading

June 2018 Soundtrack | Blooming Alberta Prickly Pear Cactus | Calgary Lifestyle Blogger // JustineCelina.com
Music, Summer, Travel

JUNE 2018 SOUNDTRACK


Happy Canada Day long weekend, friends! What’s everyone up to? We’re enjoying some time with my family in the country — enjoy the tranquility of the prairies and doing some cocktail testing (get ready for a refreshing summer recipe coming your way later this month!). Whatever your Canada Long Weekend holds, I have the ultimate soundtrack for you! My June 2018 Soundtrack includes over 3 hours of easy listening grooves spanning genres — with a healthy dose of folky, bluegrass inspired vibes thrown in for good measure. I recently discovered Spotify’s Stay Wild playlist and it decorated the majority of this past week while I worked away on the second installment of my What to Wear to | The Calgary Stampede post — hence the uptick of tasteful twang at the tail end of this playlist!

While I love every track in include in these Monthly Soundtracks, this month, SACRE’s Lemonade, Polo & Pan’s Arc-en-ciel, Mura Kami’s Your Voice, AQUA STONE THRONE’S 3 Ways, Tadashi’s When You’re Ready, L’indécis’s God Behind The Pines, Bath’s Extra Solar, Alina Baraz’s I Don’t Even Know Why Though, The American Dollar’s Carousel (a new-to-me band with an Explosion’s In The Sky vibe!), Coubo’s Good Morning, The East Pointer’s Two Weeks, Sony Alven’s remix of Boardwalk, Yoke Lore’s Beige and PYNKIE’s Dew. Wishing you all a fun (and safe!) Canada Day long weekend!

Continue Reading