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Dwell, Fall, Flowers, Inspiration, Living Room, Plants, Space Refresh, Summer

TRANSITIONAL SUMMER MEETS AUTUMN DECOR

Interior design lovers, I’m thrilled to welcome you back into our sun drenched Living Room for my first dedicated DWELL post of the year! So what exactly have I been up to around here? Well, to be completely transparent, all the brand partnerships I had lined up for our SPACE REFRESH series this year were postponed (some indefinitely) due to COVID. I had so many plans for our remaining rooms, along with updates to spaces you’ve already seen, but due to the current situation, they simply haven’t been possible. Instead, I’ve been focusing on making small tweaks and seasonal updates to already finished spaces so that we can fully enjoy them with all the extra time we’ve spent at home! I’m allowing things to come together naturally, ideas to ebb and flow organically and working away on our home when I feel inspired to do so — because if this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that life doesn’t always go according to plan. Lately I’ve been cozying things up for autumn, picking up a few new key pieces and restyling items we already own in new ways, so I thought it was about time I share our Transitional Summer Meets Autumn Decor with you here at JustineCelina, if you’re doing the same and looking for inspiration!

This year we’ve opted to keep things lighter and brighter as we transition into a new season — and it feels like a perfect blend of summer and fall. It’s the magical time of year where we can enjoy the best of both summer and autumn out in nature, in our homes, on our plates and in our wardrobes — and I’m fully embracing it! Despite the pandemic’s challenges, we’ve experienced the warmest autumn I can remember — and I’ve definitely channeled that inspiration into our home this season. I love to experiment with juxtaposition in my personal style and in my home — I’m all about mixing high with low, old with new and modern with traditional. Each year, my inspiration hits an all time high as summer blends into autumn and I explore new ways to translate this seasonal shift into our inner city Calgary apartment! Fall decor doesn’t have to be expensive, overwhelming or impractical — and today I’ve rounded up all my best transitional decorating tips and favourite sources for affordable, quality pieces to refresh your space. If you’re a fellow apartment dweller, working with a small space (or a modest budget!), you’ve come to the right place — pour yourself a glass of crisp rosé and curl up on the sofa as I share our Transitional Summer Meets Autumn Decor!

October 12, 2020 by Justine

Dairy Free, Entertain, Fall, Inspiration, Local Love, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine & Cocktails

ROSEMARY FIG JAPANESE WHISKY SOUR

Fig season is upon us — and I’m back today with a fresh, summer meets autumn sip to celebrate! My Rosemary Fig Japanese Whisky Sour was actually conceived at the height of quarantine back in April (when we were encouraged to limit our grocery runs as much as possible) — another exercise in using what we had on hand to to whip up a comforting COCKTAIL at home. Despite this recipe using fig preserves (rather than fresh figs you see photographed), I waited patiently for fig season to bring this inventive cocktail to life — simply so I could make it as beautiful as possible! And while I never thought I’d be incorporating Japanese whisky or egg whites into a cocktail — here we are. 2020 has been full of curveballs, but one thing is has been good for is nurturing my mixology skills and pushing me to create more resourceful, experimental recipes! There have been many a Rosemary Fig Japanese Whisky Sour consumed this year as this recipe underwent an intensive testing process to ensure it was shaken to perfection — and I’m elated to finally bring it to JustineCelina this fall!

My Rosemary Fig Japanese Whisky Sour is a deliciously luxurious juxtaposition of fall flavours and textures that you can shake up at home. This creative cocktail is creamy, smoky, sweet and sour — enveloping your tastebuds in early autumn inspired warmth! Premium Japanese whisky (thanks to Adam’s latest spirit obsession!) combines with egg whites (with a vegan option), fig syrup, bitters, fresh lemon juice and a sprig of rosemary, shaken into a comforting sip that celebrates quintessential fall flavours in cocktail form. If your looking to satisfy your cocktail lounge cravings at home this autumn, look no further! Dust off your shaker, slip on your fuzzy slippers, light a fire and learn how to shake up this sumptuous, seasonally inspired Japanese whisky sour in the comfort of your own kitchen. Cheers to breaking out of our cocktail comfort zones with beautiful, seasonally inspired ingredients!

October 3, 2020 by Justine

Dairy Free, Entertain, Fashion, Summer, Travel, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine & Cocktails

CREAMY COCONUT MANGO MEZCALRITAS

Friends, it feels absolutely incredible to be back today with a fresh COCKTAIL recipe! It’s been quite awhile since my last blog post — between a wonderful, 3 week workcation in the country, to making the most of some business-related travel in Edmonton (where we enjoyed a little weekend getaway!), I’ve been (safely) bouncing around all over the province like a true digital nomad this month. Although I’ve had my camera and laptop in tow and have still been creating content, keeping my socials updated (have you stopped by Instagram lately to see what I’ve been up to?) and working on some exciting projects, I couldn’t find the time to actually sit down, process and edit imagery, write long-form content and publish a blog post! Instead, I had some long overdue development tasks taken care of behind the scenes here at JustineCelina to get the site back in pristine working order (hopefully you haven’t even noticed!). Overall it’s been a very lucrative and productive month, although blog content took a back seat — so thank you for your patience and understanding! I’m thrilled to be back with this clean slate, feeling refreshed and ready to bring you tons of summer content — commencing with these Creamy Coconut Mango Mezcalritas!

I’ve been sipping away on these jubilant, Oaxacan-inspired cocktails since Cinco de Mayo when I whipped them up for a festive night in, simply using what we had on hand — and the results were absolutely delicious! My Creamy Coconut Mango Mezcalritas are a perfectly balanced libation that are equal parts smoky, citrusy, creamy, spicy and sweet — and are (as always!) free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar. A healthy dose of hand-crafted mezcal and creamy coconut milk combine with fresh mango and lime juices, along with a splash of Cointreau, agave nectar and just a hint of red chilli before they’re shaken over ice and strained into a Himalayan pink salt and Tajín rimmed glass. Make the most of this very welcome heatwave with an inspired seasonal sip that will virtually transport you to a tranquil ocean shore from the comfort of your own home, backyard or patio! Cheers to finding new ways to bring TRAVEL into our lives this year!

July 29, 2020 by Justine

Appies & Sides, Baking, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert & Treats, Dinner, Food, Gluten Free, Lunch, Roundups, Salads & Bowls, Smoothies & Juices, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

28 PLANT BASED RECIPES MADE WITH PANTRY STAPLES, FROZEN FOOD AND STURDY PRODUCE

Happy Saturday, friends. How’s everyone doing? These are certainly strange and uncertain times. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine blogging about this topic, under these circumstances! But like many of you, I’ve been reflecting on how I can best serve my community in this time of need — and its been so heartening reading stories of individuals and businesses stepping up to care for one another. I’ve always taken great comfort in preparing nourishing meals for myself, my family and my friends — and that extends to all of you! In light of recent world events and the different realities we’re all currently facing in this unprecedented situation, this week I focused on what I could do here at JustineCelina to help. As we spend more time in our homes over the next few weeks (or months) and adapt to a new normal, we’ll inevitably be cooking and eating more meals at home — something I’m very passionate about. So, I rescheduled the pretty cocktail I had originally slated to publish on Spring Equinox (which is now live!) to bring you 28 Plant Based Recipes Made With Pantry Staples, Frozen Food and Sturdy Produce — the ultimate resource in feeding yourself and your family well, and economically, during this challenging time.

I’ve scoured my virtual recipe box to compile 28 extensively tested, plant-based, inexpensive, easy to prepare, immune boosting recipes from breakfast through dinner (with snacks in-between!). Each of these recipes are free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar, but many also yield large batches — which are perfect for families, meal prep or freezing to ensure you have nutrient dense meal options on hand. I’ve always been one to keep a well-stocked kitchen — the majority of my recipes focus on inexpensive but versatile, plant based, pantry, freezer and fridge staples that pack a nutritional punch. I’ve also sprinkled this mega-post with ingredient substitution ideas and tips for maximizing the life of your produce, so you can make the most of what you have on hand (this is actually how my most inventive recipes are conceived, food never goes to waste in my kitchen!). We’re all in this together — so if you’re craving some time in the kitchen cooking, baking and recipe making, I’ve got you covered!

March 21, 2020 by Justine

Flowers, Travel, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

HIBISCUS BLOOD ORANGE MEZCALRITAS

Happy Saturday, cocktail lovers! I’m back this weekend with my first recipe of 2020, inspired by our recent trip to Mexico and the height of citrus season here in Canada — Hibiscus Blood Orange Mezcalritas! Have you ever tried mezcal? I discovered mezcal during our first trip to Oaxaca back in 2012 and it’s my spirit of choice whenever we’re in Huatulco. This traditional Mexican liquor is closely related to tequila (both are distilled from agave — mezcal can be made from any of several dozen species, while tequila must be made from blue agave) and originated in Oaxaca, which is still the largest producer of mezcal globally. Each time we visit we discover new artisinal varieties — and bring as much as we possibly can home to help ease our Canadian winters with spirited memories!

If you’re looking for an inventive libation that celebrates citrus season and the vibrancy of Mexican culture, you’ll find it in my Hibiscus Blood Orange Mezcalritas! This jubilant craft cocktail is free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar and loaded with better-for-you ingredients, antioxidants and a healthy dose of vitamin C. Inspired by Mexican Agua de Jamaica, hibiscus tea concentrate combines with freshly squeezed blood orange and lime juices, Joven Mezcal, Cointreau and a splash of agave syrup shaken over ice and strained into a pink hibiscus salt rimmed glass. Transport yourself to the healing, pristine waters of the Mexican south pacific with this modernized, seasonal spin on the traditional mezcalrita!

February 22, 2020 by Justine

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

Dining Room, Dwell, Entertain, Music, Occasions, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

DECEMBER 2019 SOUNDTRACK + BONUS 2019 SOUNDTRACK

It’s the last day of the decade — and after a very restful, unplugged week in the country celebrating the holidays, I’m back with the final Monthly Soundtrack of 2019! My December 2019 Soundtrack is a short n’ sweet, 20 track playlist that’s equal parts festive and relaxed — with a few hip-hop curveballs thrown in for good measure! It you’re looking for some great tunes to decorate your NYE plans as we get ready to ring in 2020, this playlist is for you!

This month I had a few modern holiday playlists on repeat, including, Indie Christmas 2019 and Modern Holiday — but also discovered a few standout tracks of my own during December! Bien’s The Best is yet To Come, Flughand and steichi’s fyrsta, lōland’s linus, Mtbrd’s Those Eyes, Tycho’s Stress, Regina Spector’s My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year) and LOYAL’s Light Up For You were some of my most played tracks. If you’re in need of even more fresh tunes, check out my Spotify-generated 2019 Soundtrack, featuring my 100 most played songs from 2019! No matter what your plans are tonight, I hope you all have a fun, safe and happy New Years Eve! Thank you for spending a little bit of the last day of 2019 with me and for your continued support here at JustineCelina — it truly means the world to me. Wishing you all the happiest new year and fabulous decade ahead!

December 31, 2019 by Justine

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