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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

Dinner, Fall, Food, Gluten Free, Lunch, Paleo, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

SUMAC ROASTED CARROT APPLE SOUP

Happy Sunday, friends! There’s something synonymous about autumn and a big, velvety bowl of puréed soup, isn’t there? It’s no secret that I love a good puréed soup here at JustineCelina — in fact, this recipe is the fourth one I’ve published! But his fall, I’ve channelled globally inspired flair and a unique, fruit-forward flavour profile into one of my favourite seasonal staples. The changing leaves and cooler temperatures always invoke a desire to spend my Sundays puttering away in the kitchen in a cozy sweater — and that’s exactly how this recipe came together! A jar of sumac arrived in my PC Insiders surprise box last month and I was eager to experiment, but we were running low on groceries — so I combined a handful of seasonal ingredients to create a simple fall soup that allowed the sumac to shine. We enjoyed it for dinner alongside a salad with a delicious glass of late harvest Riesling. After sharing it on Stories and receiving many requests for the recipe, I knew I wanted to bring it to the blog this autumn!

My Sumac Roasted Carrot Apple Soup is a fruity, exotic twist on an autumnal classic — where seasonal produce staples of carrots, apples, onion and garlic are generously seasoned with sumac and simple spices, roasted to perfection and pureed with creamy cashew milk, vegetable stock, fresh ginger and zingy lemon. This ultra simple, ultra nourishing, family-friendly fall soup is vegan, gluten and refined sugar free and comes together in just one hour with twelve ingredients, including seasonings! If you’re ready to celebrate the height of Canadian apple season and bring some Middle Eastern / North African flair your kitchen, pop out to your local grocery store, pick up some dried sumac (it’s available at Superstore in the bulk section, as well as part of the PC Black Label collection!) and let’s get to work! Sometimes all it takes is a new ingredient to reignite your passion for local, seasonal produce.

October 6, 2019 by Justine

Baking, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Food, Gluten Free, Summer, Vegetarian

GLUTEN FREE SASKATOON CITRUS BANANA BREAD

Saskatoon berry season is just around the corner — and I’m back today with a new, citrus infused banana bread recipe to celebrate! If you’ve been with me since last summer, you’ll know I absolutely adore saskatoons and look forward to picking buckets full each summer. So, it will come as no surprise that I’ve actually been testing this recipe since late winter with our stash of frozen saskatoons. My Gluten Free Saskatoon Citrus Banana Bread recipe is the result of cleaning out our freezer and fruit bowls one snowy, frigid winter day and incorporating whatever ingredients we had on hand — which always seems to yield the most delicious RECIPES in the JustineCelina kitchen!

My Gluten Free Saskatoon Citrus Banana Bread is free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar and full of healthier, natural substitutions — perfect for those of us with food allergies, intolerances or sensitivities. An inspired melange of bananas, saskatoons and fresh orange and lemon juices combine with plant-based baking staples of coconut, maple and just a splash of bourbon (it’s my newest baking secret ingredient!) to create a bright, nourishing banana bread combining the best of summer and winter with a cheerful, citrusy twist! It makes for a fantastic breakfast, snack or clean dessert anytime you’re craving a berry-forward banana bread, year round. If you have an abundance of seasonal berries and a freezer full of bananas on hands, it’s time get them defrosting, pour yourself a cup of coffee, haul out your mixing bowls and throw on your apron — this recipe is for you! I’ve also included baking instructions for a muffin variation, if you prefer.

July 19, 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 for 2019. 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 2019 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

Fashion, Pantone, Spring, Trend Guides, Winter

PRE SPRING 2019 TREND GUIDE | BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

With the first official day of spring behind us and temperatures soaring into the teens here in Calgary, I couldn’t be happier to bring you my first Spring 2019 TREND GUIDE! The sun is out, the skies are blue and the snow is starting to melt — which means it’s time begin rotating our seasonal wardrobes, transitioning winter out (byyyyyyyye!) as we ease into spring styles. That said, March weather is extremely unpredictable in Calgary — for example, over the course of the next week, temperatures range between a sunny 14°C degrees and a snowy -1°C! Dressing the part can be a bit of a daunting task when all we want to do is pack away our coats, knits and endless layers to embrace a fresh season!

These in-between months where we have the opportunity to blend the best of 2 seasons are actually some of my favourite to dress for — and that’s exactly how this experimental, bohemian look came to life! If you’re craving spring trends and colours but still faced with the bipolar nature of transitional weather, this post is for you. Today I’m chatting about how you can start integrating some of Spring 2019‘s hottest trends into your wardrobe right now, juxtaposed with cold weather style staples to create a versatile winter-meets-spring outfit formula. Saddle up for a free-spirited, transitional take on faux fur, florals, western boots, flat-brimmed hats and Pantone’s Spring / Summer 2019 Colour Trend Report as we watch the sun rise over the rolling fields near my childhood home in rural Alberta!

March 22, 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

Create, DIY, Dwell, Flowers, Inspiration, Living Room, Occasions, Plants, Winter

APARTMENT FRIENDLY MODERN HOLIDAY DECOR

Friends, I’m elated to finally share our Apartment Friendly Modern Holiday Decor with you today! If you’ve been following along with JustineCelina this past year, you’ll know we began refreshing our inner city Calgary apartment to create our dream home. We started from scratch with a fresh coat of paint, new furniture and new decor — and this year, I was so excited to decorate for the holidays for the first time in 6 years (we decorated fully for our first Christmas here… and never again!). Since we’re always out of town for the holidays (we split our time between our families homes in rural Alberta), I usually just save myself the extra time and effort and keep our holiday decor super minimal. Because we live in an apartment and have limited storage, the thought of hauling down a huge artificial tree from recesses of our entrance way closet and sorting through boxes of decor was simply never a priority during this busy month! But this year, I decided to sell all the old decor that no longer worked of us and start fresh (literally!) with our first real Christmas tree, tons of greenery and festive DIYs, plus all new holiday decor — and tonight I’m sharing every detail about how I pulled it all together!

If you’re a fan of mid century modern or more natural, earthy, bohemian elements, I’m sure you’ll agree that traditional holiday decor leaves a lot to be desired. I knew I wanted the look and feel of our holiday decor to be cohesive with our space and bring in lots of living greenery, warm neutrals, natural wood and stone textures, mixed metallic accents and free spirited, whimsical textures. I also wanted to incorporate a nod to vintage, mid-century inspired design while keeping a mixture of traditional and contemporary elements and cozy up the space with layers of faux fur, wool and chunky knits. After many HomeSense, Canadian Tire and plant / flower shop runs, I’m so pleased with the way our holiday home has come together and can’t wait to spend some downtime here as the year draws to a close! Pour yourself a juicy glass of red wine and come join me on our leather sofa as I walk you through our Apartment Friendly Modern Holiday Decor!

December 19, 2018 by Justine

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