Author Archives: Gizelle Faye Creative Studio

Hi, my name is Gizelle Faye. I am an artist, florist, stylist, calligrapher, letterer, mum, and wife to Harry. I am a bohemian risk-taker who fell in love with an old soul. Three months before our wedding in 2012, I went cuckoo and left my corporate job to pursue my dreams and founded Cuckoo Cloud Concepts. For about a decade, I was the creative director of Cuckoo Cloud Concepts, dreaming up unforgettable and picture-perfect moments from a tropical island called Cebu. I specialized and honed my skills in photo shoot styling, product styling, floristry, calligraphy, and lettering. During the pandemic, I rediscovered my love for painting amidst the dark times. The universe proved a lot more cuckoo than me and sent me and my family on a journey that will find us in Camden, New South Wales. But I vow to always bloom where I am planted. Today, in this new city, I host art workshops and offer social media content styling and creation, and other creative services for small businesses. Here, you will find an archive of my paintings and other works of art inspired by nature, scenes, architecture, and BTS, as well as art events I run in different venues in Sydney.

a solace from insecurities

as i was editing these photos today, i realized that my lips are extra pouty in them. upon closer look, they turn out to be my natural pout which is funny because i remember being so insecure about them as a child. when i was just a kid, my mom would sometimes scold me and tell me to purse my lips because i’ve pouted them too much. then this realization led me to another one — that as a kid, i’ve had way to many insecurities about myself and i can’t believe i have overcome them.

it wasn’t until high school that i full embraced my curls. i used to comb them really hard in elementary and pretend i had straight hair like the girls in movies. it wasn’t until second year high school when i stopped combing them, just shook them off after applying hair lotion and allowed them to air dry.

it also used to take me a while to try on a trend because the consciousness with my body preceded my courage to try them out. it took me months to try on the skinny jeans, the ankle booties or the wedges because i was so conscious of my rounder, more muscular legs. now, i can’t part with them.

apart from growing up and making fashion mistakes along the way while learning from them, this blog, more importantly has taught me to love myself more. to try out new things, new looks and to think outside the box when it comes to styling. if you’re reading this and you’re a style blogger, what have you learned from blogging about your style? if you’re not a style blogger, what kind of blog do you maintain and what have you learned from it? i’m looking forward to your answers.

ps. thank you all so much for giving me amazing, romantic and even naughty suggestions for way harry and i can celebrate our 36th month together. find out how we did celebrate it, on my friday post!

oversized polo – thrifted

white tank top – thrifted

skinny jeans – chilly papa

eggshell mesh cuban-heeled booties – parisian, sm dept store

studded belt – pratunam, bangkok

brass cuffs – carbon find

faux gold necklace – carbon find

brown sunnies – carbon find

stumped and in need of your help ♥

the greatest thing is about to happen. in less than 5 days, harry and i will be celebrating 36 months together. it’s cheesy but i can’t help but be giddy about it. ♥ this is the longest time i have ever kept a relationship with somebody. not that i hoped to have had longer ones in the past because if not for everything i went through, i never would have met harry. i am excited because after 36 months, it still feels like we’ve been dating for only several weeks. yes, we’ve gone past the honeymoon stage but despite that, after 36 months we still have a lot to talk about, a lot to smile about and definitely a lot to love about each other.

now, we do have something planned for the weekend after the happy date but i still want to do something special for him on the day. i am really stumped, however and that’s where you guys come in. tell me something romantic to do for harry on our 36 months. ♥ you never know, if i like a suggestion, i might just give you something in return. *wink*

suede cutout smock dress – borrowed from aimee

black cardigan – thrifted

black tights – metro dept store

black cuban heels – gifted from harry ♥

brass cuff – carbon find

necklaces: diamond pattern – gifted from ivy | elephant tusk – bangkok

oval semi-armor ring & alligator ring – carbon finds

oversized black ring – gifted from sweet

awkward like prom

one of the perks of my job is being able to attend events on billable hours. last saturday, on the sinulog weekend, our company Drawingboard Creative Studios sponsored an event at the CICC featuring Hed Kandi. we created their promotional designs and printed their posters and streamers. it’s been a while since we’ve sponsored an event and it was actually the first time i attended one for our company.

unfortunately though, the only other perks i can say about that night was having spent it with harry and having been able to wear this outfit. honestly, the event was mediocre to say the least. upon mentioning Hed Kandi, people initially got excited as his music brought us amazing memories and is still continuing to do so. i think the event might not have been well-promoted. the initial hype was there but nearing the event, it lacked the much-needed push for people to attend it. the place itself didn’t have enough spunk that would get the people excited when they arrive at the venue. the heavy rain may be blamed for the significantly low attendance but certainly not the absence of eye-catching decorations, identifiers upon entering that the event is featuring Hed Kandi or even lights on the photo wall. in three words, the event was ‘awkward like prom’.

oh i didn’t say i didn’t have fun that night though. i did as i do always manage to make the most out of the situation. mimicking the dancers’ moves, getting free beer and eating at what we call ‘the cholesterol center’ with harry, sister and her husband after the event was fun enough for me.

printed mini-dress – pratunam, bangkok

tulle ruffled shorts (underneath) – props

black studded wedge booties – ebay find

studded bucket bag – parisian, sm dept store

necklaces: round imprinted – gifted from gelie | dogtags – custom-made

silver bangles – carbon finds

skull ring – carbon find

rain or shine: Cebu knows how to party!

purchasing this pair of studded boots despite living in a tropical country is probably one of the best shoe decisions i’ve made in 2009. this pair has gone through two Sinulog festivals and has freed my feet from mud, being stepped on and believe it or not, blisters. Sinulog is always the best excuse to go over the top with the outfit and don as many accessories as you can. as i didn’t have enough time to make my American-Indian head dress, my mom’s floral boho top is the next best thing plus my favorite head dress, the turban. next year for sure, i’ll be donning feather on my head.

Sinulog is also always the perfect excuse to go wild out on the streets even with the heavy rain, paint our bodies with anything that we’ll probably regret when we get to the office on Monday, drink even in the early afternoon, blow on a whistle till’ our friends go deaf and shout to our hearts desire. you don’t believe me? i’ll let the photos do the talking…

i don’t know how i got home but i owe Harry for getting me there safely. next year, i’m not drinking on an empty stomach nor am i stealing any cups of beer from unknowing friends. LOL.

floral bohemian top – thrifted

denim shorts – beads and blooms

studded boots – mongkok, hong kong

purple printed turban – thrifted

brass alligator and scorpion connector ring – carbon find

huge black oval ring – gifted from sweet of pensandlens

elephant necklace – carbon find

elephant tusk – bangkok

brass bangles – carbon finds

wooded bangle – raw materials store, cebu

as colorful as a peacock

disclaimer: pardon the puppy face on the last photo. i meant to show you my peacock feather earrings and my owl connector ring. can you believe each accessory are just below PHP 50.00?

as if it was intently scheduled by the heavens above, after raining for 2 weeks due to the la niña, the clouds cleared up and the sun came out to get ready for the festivities this weekend.

we will be celebrating the feast of the sto. niño this weekend. (sto. niño, meaning the child jesus). the feast celebrates how us, filipinos who had Islamic and Pagan origins, were Christianized and accepted Roman Catholicism. the celebration is called the Sinulog and is celebrated with nine days of novena before the feast, a procession for the child jesus and the street dancing with the dancers and participants in bright and extravagant costumes, giant mascots and colorful parade floats. literally everyone able to walk will be out on the streets celebrating during the parade. it is chaotic, what with the traffic and huge flux of people dancing, drinking and just having an awesome time but the celebration is definitely still something we look forward to every year as it is always a reason to get together with family and friends.

white top – thrifted

green suede electro-pleated skirt – thrifted

camel faux leather bag – parisian, sm dept store

nude lace-up wedges – gold dot

peacock earrings – platinum mall, bangkok

owl connector ring – carbon find

camel braided belt – pratunam, bangkok

brown sunnies – bazaar find

get your boy to buy you a pair of shoes

first of all, thanks for the sympathy with my last post. your responses surely made me laugh, what with some of you raising both hands and some even their feet. it comforts me to know that so many of you can relate to me.

in continuation with the previous post, i’d like to believe that the best way to recover from the disorder is to form a support system from family and friends. as my i’ve outgrown asking stuff from my parents and the only way i can get stuff from my sisters is when christmas comes around, my best bet is my boyfriend.

as you may have noticed in some of my outfit details, a few of my shoes are gifted from Harry. gifted, yes but not really his own idea. i once had someone ask how harry buys amazing shoes for me and if he has great style as well. well, he buys them in cash (haha!) and he does have a certain laid-back style but not the kind of style where he’ll see a pair of shoes and immediately think it’s stylish and is perfect for me. i’d like that to remain that way as i don’t want my boyfriend to be leaning towards girly stuff (if you know what i mean).

visting department stores and different shoe stores is one way you can get the idea into your boyfriend’s mind. try on a few pairs and don’t stop gushing over them until he gets the point. saying it would look good with that dress would also help. talking incessantly about the pair even after you’ve left the store is one way for the idea to stick to his head. yes sure, these may be good steps and have been tried and tested by most girls but remember, guys are not mind readers. actually, there’s no one i know who can read minds. so giving hints and having your boyfriend pick them up may be romantic but there’s an 85% chance that you’ll get the wrong pair (or size or color) when you open your present.

so how do i get Harry to buy me a pair of shoes? i tell him. LOL. it would be good if you have an agreement to give gifts during birthdays and christmas which we have. so right when these occasions are nearing, i tell him straight to the point, “i want shoes for my birthday (or for christmas).” how do i get him to buy the right pair, size and color? i take a photo of the pair and save it in his phone with my shoe size as the photo name.

and that’s how you get your boyfriend to buy you shoes. it’s a win-win. he’s free from having to guess and take hints while i get to plan my outfits imagining the pair of shoes i’ll be getting. *wink*

polka top – thrifted

lace-detailed pleated skirt – thrifted

black cuban heels – parisian (gifted from Harry!)

black studded bucket bag – parisian, sm dept store

studded belt – pratunam, bangkok

necklaces: house key – DIY | elephant tusk – bangkok

metallic cuff – carbon find

bow ring – carbon find

turning out to be a disorder

i don’t know if it’s just me or that others may be able to relate to this but sometimes when i’m feeling apathetic or severely confused about what to do, i think about buying shoes. i used to laugh at movies where the heroine resorts to shopping, shoe shopping to be more specific, to alleviate their stress but i think the same thing is happening to me. the fact that this may be my fourth or fifth post about those wonderful creations is already a solid sign that i have got a slight disorder.

in a day, i’d usually think about them or look at online shops and ponder about buying a new pair. there was a time last week where i was lying in bed and i was feeling restless then i thought i needed to buy a new pair. luckily, there is still a conscious voice in my head that reminds me that i don’t need a new one as i’ve still a got a couple of pairs i haven’t worn yet so i think i’m still safe.

i hope i’m not alone in this. if you think you have this disorder, raise your hand. *wink*

peach blazer – thrifted

graphic tee – night market, bangkok

black leggings – random

black cuban heels – parisian, sm dept store

work watch – esprit

dog tag necklace – custom made

rings: bow tie and flower cluster – carbon finds | white stone – borrowed from sis

the need to be busy

as lazy as i have been these days, i ironically love being busy. i love having something to do for the whole 8 hours at work because it makes me forget the time. i love being surprised that it’s already dark outside and be reminded that we have to lay down our stuff and forget them for the night, only to get back on them tomorrow. i love it when ideas run like crazy in my head that i tend to become disorganized and all over the place. suffice to say, this week has been kind of a bore. it’s surely a breather from last month’s chaos but too much of a breather, i’d have to say. our co-worker in the production team is getting restless and hasn’t stopped talking all day today. she talked about anything she could think of. i need to get this woman a damn project to work on or we’ll drug her to shut her up! LOL.

white floral dress – thrifted

military jacket – thrifted

eggshell mesh booties – parisian, sm dept store

green braided belt – manager’s garage sale

necklaces: elephant – carbon find | elephant tusk – thailand buy

bangles: pink rhinestones – gifted from india | brass ones – carbon finds

rings: bow tie, dotted and owl connector – carbon finds

laziness and the overcast sky

life at the call center was not only difficult due to the nocturnal and ever-changing schedules but a lot of holidays and night outs with friends have also been missed. for five years, it was either christmas or new year and not both. last year, i didn’t even get to spend christmas or new year with my family as i had to work. so this year, i was extra relieved to have had the chance to not only spend both the holidays with my family but get more than a week off from work.

imagine what more than a week off from work can do to an ex-nocturnal person like me. it sure made me lazy! and what’s worst, the skies have been overcast for several days now that it’s even more difficult to
get up from bed. so the past 2 weeks or so, all i’ve been doing is watch old romantic movies, play plants vs zombies, read books, eat and just lie in bed. getting to work has surely been a struggle for the past 3 days exercise and diet is not in my vocabulary and i’ll surely be sorry in a couple months when i can’t fit into all my clothes anymore…haha!

photos taken a pacific cebu resort and are courtesy of armand alforque

white top with lace detail – pratunam, bangkok

floral skirt – thrifted

yellow flip-flops – roxy

bowler hat – parisian, sm dept store

heart necklace – pratunam, bangkok

wooden bangles – chatuchak, bangkok

dotted and sober: how i met 2011

LIFE CHANGING — this is how i sum up my 2010. i left a high-paying job that made me unhappy and immersed myself in the world of the unknown, visited Bangkok and finally rode an elephant, invested a bit in the retail business which is enough to sustain my savings for the year and by the end of the year, both my sisters moved out of the house leaving me as an only child to my parents. i must say if this was how my 2010 went then God must be preparing me to conquer the world by 2011. so 2011, bring it on! ♥

as with the many changes in my life last 2010, my family and i celebrated new year’s eve differently this year too. my mom and i finally got over the melodrama and were well-prepared for our new year’s eve feast. instead of eating at home though while counting down for the new year, we ate early and drove up to one of the mountain subdivisions here in Cebu to watch the fireworks all over the city. the city was in a fog of firework smoke and looked like it was on fire with all the lights. it was amazing.

my friends and i then met up at penthouse to party til’ sunrise. unfortunately though, the party ended a little early at pent and the dance floor was half empty by 4AM. we headed straight to vudu and danced til’ the sun had risen and our feet got so sore they became numb. original plan was to drink til’ we drop but we were so sober when we got home that we ended up eating home-made sushi at our place before packing up and sleeping at 7:30 AM.

i hope all of you had a blast on your new year’s celebrations! have a great year ahead!

ps. aren’t my sister’s aldo strappy sandals just beautiful? so jealous.

polka maxi dress – platinum mall, bangkok

black studded wedge booties – ebay find

white fedora hat – pratunam, bangkok

necklaces: round engraved – gifted from gelie | angel wings – carbon find

bangles – carbon finds

rings – platinum mall, bangkok

a new year | giveaway winners!

2010 was such a crazy rollercoaster for me that i sure am glad it’s over. one of the few things i am thankful for though is my family (as always), my friends — old and new and that i have sustained a year with this blog because of all of you lovely readers. ♥ ♥ ♥

my wish for everyone this 2011 is more laughs, more loves, more will to live our lives to the fullest, to follow our dreams and wear our passion.

and without further adieu, i’d like to announce the winners of the 3 awesome giveaways from fashion to figure, shopbop and shabby apple. winners were chosen via random.org.

congratulations to all of you!

i am wringing with envy here.LOL. anyway, i have e-mailed each of you and copying in on the point of contacts for each store. please do coordinate with them regarding your prizes. ♥

Vanilla with Orange and Banana in the Tropics! ♥

this is a long overdue post. met up with len david of orange and banana mondays over for lunch at bistro ecila 2 weeks ago and just had a blast chatting over just about anything. i tend to get shy with new people but both our talkativeness totally overcame any shyness or awkwardness. thanks len for meeting up with us. we should definitely get together when you visit Cebu again.

although i love how it got back on the runway because it gave me a reason to wear one of my favorite pieces of clothing but i’ve been wearing maxi skirts or dresses more lately as a better alternative to jeans or leggings when i am super lazy to shave my legs. i mean, what girl isn’t lazy to shave her legs? or visit a waxing salon. LOL.

current plans:

stay in and watch old romantic comedies or movies — sweet november, 10 things i hate about you, mad love, 500 days of summer, etc.
visit a charity with my friends this january 2 using the money we earned from the garage sale we had last october
go thrift shopping to fill some recently vacated areas of my closet

brown maxi skirt – thrifted

crocheted pink cover-up – thrifted

white tank top – thrifted

beige suede booties – gold dot

necklaces: diamond-shaped pattern – gifted from ivy | fairy – gifted from sis

owl connector ring – carbon find

bangles – carbon finds

brown sunnies – carbon find