JustineCelina

Beauty, Fashion, Fragrance, Local Love, Makeup, Skincare, Sponsored, Spring

THE ULTIMATE GIRLS DAY AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE CALGARY

Happy sunny Monday, beautiful people! If it seemed a little quiet around here during the beginning of April, I was working on a few exciting projects BTS — this one included. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world being treated to The Ultimate Girls Day at SAKS Fifth Avenue with Tourism Calgary — and today I’m thrilled to share my experience with you!

After what has quite possibly been the longest winter in Calgary’s history, I’m sure we’re all in need of a little pampering — am I right ladies and gents? If you’re anything like me, spring evokes the desire to refresh your wardrobe, beauty routine and skin in preparation for the balmier weather that lies ahead. Last month, I had the opportunity to indulge in the ultimate girls day at the newly opened, 115 000 square foot SAKS Fifth Avenue located in Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre — the first location in Western Canada. And today you can come along as I share each luxurious experience and thoughtful detail — including a beautiful champagne lunch, my own private shopping suite complete with personal styling services, a diverse selection of the hottest designer labels, exclusive cosmetic, skincare and fragrance brands and an ultra pampering facial in SAKS‘ spa-like treatment rooms!

April 23, 2018 by Justine

Beauty, Fashion, How to Style, Makeup, Spring, Winter

HOW TO STYLE | TRANSITIONAL LAYERS

It’s mid April… and I’m editing this post during yet another Snowfall Warning here in Calgary! I don’t meant to give you a mini weather update every time I publish new style content — but the weather greatly impacts what I wear, and therefore share with you FASHION wise here at JustineCelina. And to be completely honest, this has been the longest winter I can remember… like, ever! The silver lining is that our chilly, temperamental ‘Canadian spring’ has forced me to get really creative when it comes to dressing myself for these transitional months. We shot these photos on a beautiful, 11°C spring day last week — followed by a winter storm and freezing temperatures that evening. This outfit is one I’ve worn several iterations of over the past couple of months — a mashup of winter coziness with an infusion of spring trends!

So, what’s a girl supposed to wear when she experiences each of the four seasons in one day? This versatile, layered look with an air of cool sophistication is my answer! In this edition of my HOW TO STYLE series, I’m chatting all about Transitional Layers and how to make them work for you this April in our unpredictable climate. I’m also dipping my toes into a few spring trends you can wear no matter the weather — including longline layers, baker boy hats (yep, still loving them!), dark denim, contrast stitching and statement sleeves, paired up with classic spring staples like trench coats, versatile knits and pointed toe shoes. I’m also mixing prints and using this moody spring weather as one last excuse to rock a vampy lip! Navigate the changing seasons and our crazy Canadian spring in style with a simple outfit formula that can be adapted to both personal and professional settings!

April 17, 2018 by Justine

Create, Creative Process, DIY, Dwell, Living Room

DIY | LARGE DRIFTWOOD MACRAME WALL HANGING

Welcome back for a fresh DIY post, friends! It’s been quite awhile since I’ve shared a home-based DIY project here at JustineCelina, but that’s about to change this spring! You see, I have expensive taste — especially when it comes to home decor. But I’m also a pretty crafty and love the challenge of figuring out how I can achieve a similar look for less — like the Natural Tree Trunk Side Table I made for a third of the price of its West Elm dupe, for example. Over the years that post has become one of my most popular pieces of content, so I know you love home based DIYs as much as I do — and I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring more of them to you this year! Tonight, I’m sharing all the DIY details that went into the Large Driftwood Macrame Wall Hanging I created for our recently refreshed Living Room!

The inspiration for this Large Driftwood Macrame Wall Hanging came about as my DIY ideas often do — I spot a stunning piece of art or decor and fall head over heels, only to experience extreme sticker shock when I find out how much it costs! In this case, I found similar scale wall hangings (for reference, this piece is 70″ x 52″) retailing online for up to $1 500 (plus shipping!) — and while I believe art is worth the investment if you absolutely love it, since this is a trendier piece, I was hesitant. I knew I could probably DIY something similar for a fraction of the cost — and I was right! I made this our Large Driftwood Macrame Wall Hanging for less than 30th of the cost of the inspiration piece — plus it ties in perfectly with our space and I have the satisfaction of knowing it’s completely unique. This project took about an hour and a half to complete and cost less than $50! If you want to know how I pulled it off, pour yourself a delicious glass of wine, get comfortable and let’s get into it!

April 9, 2018 by Justine

Digital Blooms April 2018 | Free Pantone Inspired Desktop Wallpapers for Spring | Free Lavender Floral Tech Wallpapers | Design 3 // JustineCelina.com x Rebecca Dawn Design

Create, Digital Blooms, Flowers, Occasions, Pantone, Spring

DIGITAL BLOOMS APRIL 2018 | FREE DESKTOP WALLPAPERS + DIGITAL BLOOMS TURNS 2!

Happy April 1st, friends! Today marks 2 years since Rebecca Dawn Design and I teamed up to create the first edition of DIGITAL BLOOMS for you — that means we’ve created 72 free tech wallpapers to date! Rebecca and I started working together around my 1st Blogiversary to bring FLOWER content to JustineCelina and make flower education accessible — and we haven’t looked back since. Our free tech wallpapers have since become some of my most popular content — and we’re thrilled you enjoy them just as much as we enjoy creating them for you!

This month, we’ve gone monochromatic — and it’s all about lavender, shades of purple and the 2018 Pantone Colour of the Year, Ultra Violet! If you’re not quite convinced you can pull off one of spring’s hottest colour trends in your wardrobe (although, I bet you totally can!), why not take it for a test drive on the background of your computer, tablet or phone this month? Dress your tech for spring with a lovely selections of Earl Grey and Lavender Garden Roses (learn more about Roses here), Delphiniums, Ranunculus (learn more about them here), Anemones (learn more about them here), Lavender, Fringe and Parrot Tulips (learn more about different tulip varieties here) and Feather Eucalyptus.

April 1, 2018 by Justine

Entertain, Local Love, Music, Pantone, Spring

MARCH 2018 SOUNDTRACK

As March draws to a close, it’s time for a fresh Monthly Soundtrack! March was an absolutely insane, very busy month for me — but in the best way possible! From kicking off our SPACE REFRESH series with our Paint Transformation and Living Room Reveal, to working on the next spaces in the series, to my first SMP Living feature, to my 3rd Blogiversary (this image is a sneak peek of the celebratory post I shot, publishing next month!), to cocktail mania (hey, all in the name of a great recipe!) plus a few really exciting projects currently happening BTS that I’m excited to share next month, there were a lot of late nights and early mornings — and this is what kept me going! If you’re looking for an eclectic, easy listening playlist, my March 2018 Soundtrack contains nearly 3 and a half hours of great thinking, working, creating, driving or entertaining music as you celebrate with friends and family this Easter weekend!

I discovered so many new artists in March! I’ve had ODESZA’s A Moment Apart, Instupendo’s Boy, Xander Lewis’s I’m Glad You’re Here, Ab-Soul’s Bloody Waters, Pool Cosby’s New York Band Plays New York Venue, Capo Cheeze’s Oceans, to Handsome Ghosts’s cool, stripped down version of Reckless Lover, Soul Cataylst’s Escape, Ark Patrol’s Fiend, Wild Nothing’s Chinatown, Rhye’s Taste, UTAH and ADAM’s Glass House, Brett’s On The Rise and Dyalla’s Hustle Mode on repeat all month long. I hope you enjoy this playlist as much as I have lately, friends. Wishing you all a wonderful Easter weekend!

March 31, 2018 by Justine

Beauty, Fashion, Makeup, Pattern Play, Spring, Winter

PATTERN PLAY | LEOPARD

I’m spending Good Friday catching up on some editorial content — and I don’t mind one bit! It’s snowing (again… cue eye roll!) here in Calgary so I’m quite content to be curled up at my desk in a cozy pair of sweatpants and fuzzy socks with my second cup of coffee. Spring has definitely been holding out on us this year — and while most of the world (and the fashion industry) is in full on spring mode, I always dress for our current Alberta climate. Today I’m thrilled to introduce a new series to the JustineCelina FASHION department called PATTERN PLAY — where I dedicate an entire post to a specific pattern — along with tons of styling ideas, curated pieces with shoppable links at every price point and tips for selecting the right print for your lifestyle and body type. And we’re kicking things off with one of my favourite classic prints, leopard! I’m also taking this snow covered opportunity to get the last of cold weather textures in — including (faux) leather, satin and wool. Hey — I’m a glass half full kinda gal!

Regardless of whether you’re a leopard lover or never thought leopard was for you, there’s something for everyone in today’s post! I’m chatting about how you can incorporate leopard print into your wardrobe right now as well as transition it into spring (and style it with 2 of my favourite spring prints, stripes and florals!). I’ve always considered leopard print a neutral (when you break it down, it’s just shades of brown and black) — and while it’s more popular some seasons than others, this iconic pattern truly never goes out of style. In fact, I’ve owned my oldest leopard piece for about 8 years! Of course, there are some of the usual suspects in today’s look as well — including baker boy hats (but don’t worry — I finally trimmed my fringe this week so I’ll be sharing some new style content next month where I’m not wearing a hat!), longline coats, OTK boots and a beautiful, neutral lip — but I’ve also integrated some fun, playful textures in this monochromatic, leopard-centric outfit.

March 30, 2018 by Justine

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

SPRING EQUINOX KIWI ELDERFLOWER SMASH

Happy first weekend of spring, friends! Wow — what a crazy, whirlwind week this has been. Between publishing our Living Room Reveal on Monday, my Style Me Pretty Living feature on Wednesday (pinch me!), a very exciting FASHION announcement (which has now published!), to a jam packed calendar full of events and meetings, plus 8 rounds of testing for this recipe (and subsequent cocktail ingredient runs before noon!), I’m finally getting a fresh cocktail for you this weekend. Initially this recipe was supposed to publish on Wednesday to welcome the first day of spring, so let’s just say my Spring Equinox Kiwi Elderflower Smash is fashionably late (like our spring weather) — but she comes bearing gifts! I’ve teamed up with Eau Claire Distillery once again to give away a full sized bottle of Prickly Pear EquineOx to one of you lovely Canadians (check out the bottom of the post for details on how to enter!).

After a long, snow covered winter, I’m elated to unleash my Spring Equinox Kiwi Elderflower Smash — a post-hibernation celebration of spring’s refreshing flavours in cocktail form! I figured it was time to pump the brakes on the gin train (let’s be real… there’s been a ton of gin drinking going down here at JustineCelina!) and introduce you to a completely unique spirit to welcome spring’s arrival. Today I’m working with Eau Claire Distillery’s award winning Prickly Pear EquineOx — a sweet, lightly citrusy, barley based vodka incorporating Alberta’s Prickly Pear Cactus with a special blend of spring botanicals. Complimented by a refreshing bouquet of elderflower, kiwi, lime, a kiss of wine, a dash of bitters and a splash of soda, I’ve created a seasonal elixir that pairs perfectly with longer evenings and balmier weather. I’ve also teamed up with 4 talented food bloggers across North America to bring you the Spring 2018 Edition of Connecting Over Cocktails! If you’re looking for some inspired cocktail ideas as we transition into spring, we’re totally got you covered — stay tuned to see what my fellow Food Bloggers of Canada are mixing up for you this weekend!

March 24, 2018 by Justine

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