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.

regrets over ample coverage

i don’t have too many regrets in life. sometimes i wonder what if, especially for unfortunate events like a falling out with a best friend or a tragic accident but i manage to brush them off, comforting in the thought that everything happens for a reason. one thing i do regret though is cutting off all of my maxi skirts for shorter ones to wear for the super sunny days here in our country and when i say sunny, i mean really really scorching hot. coincidentally, just as the weather here in the Philippines is getting a tad colder and i’m longing for my maxi skirts, the long garment has also graced a number of runways for fall/winter 2010. i have always loved the bohemian and feminine feel of maxi skirts. it gives me a reason to be lady-like but still be allowed to tuck a part of it in when i sit down, just like how we used to do in high school. those girls who went to an all-girl catholic school, admit it, we were taught social graces in classes but in classrooms when the teachers are not around, we sometimes sit with our legs apart or tuck in our skirts in between them. haha!

yellow floral-printed maxi dress – props

black cardigan – thrifted

black beaded sandals – people are people

brown bag – chatuchak, bangkok

long necklaces – carbon finds

rings: rectangle jewel stones – carbon find | round white stone – props

bangles – chatuchak, bangkok

a thousand years ago (in college actually), i made a maxi skirt out of a pair of denim jeans. it took a seventeen magazine DIY, a pair of strong scissors, a huge-ass needle and all the free time in the world. this is the end result. please excuse the scruffy face of a chinky-eyed morena who doesn’t know how to smile then. paired my denim maxi skirt with a pair of chuck taylors, a black studded belt, simple black tee and the used-to-be amazing hoop earrings. i was ghetto back then okay? LOL.

anyway, there’s two more days left for the 300 followers giveaway — a chance for you to win a denim acid-wash polka dress and a pair of multi-colored stone earrings. enter here!

classic never goes out of style

to resolve my dilemma in picking out the grey and camel-colored shoes i needed, i asked two friends if i should go with the clogs or the classic booties. one told me to choose the clogs as they are very much on trend right now and only a few people are wearing them here in Cebu. i thought about it and realized that yes, clogs have hardly touched cebu — well, not the cool kind, at least. the other friend told me to choose the booties as it is more me. i wondered if my friend thought i couldn’t rock the clogs and defensively asked, “so i do you mean i won’t look good wearing clogs?” he was surprised by my question because that’s not what he meant at all, to which he explained, “choose the booties because you have more a classic and timeless style.”

when i shop, i always look for something that i can wear again and remix with my other clothes. i’d look for something that i can still see myself wearing in maybe a couple of years. for shoes, i always look for a pair that i can pair with a dress, jeans, shorts or a maxi skirt. with being overwhelmed in choosing among so many amazing shoes, i almost forgot what my real style is. shame on me. i have nothing against clogs. in fact i am so amazed at how other style bloggers rock them. i must admit though that i was very much surprised at how far the clog went and i think it will go farther than expected, it not having reached most of the philippine stylistas yet. maybe by january and the next months leading to summer. however, the clog is not for me. in the end, i chose a boho strappy pair of camel shoes with wooden heels and a pair of grey booties. it took me hours to pick them out and my sister even called me out for choosing similar styles for my shoes but that’s me and at the end of day, it’s about how i feel wearing them.

polka dress – platinum mall, bangkok

black peep-toe booties – gifted from harry

long black cardigan – thrifted

white braided double-length belt – pratunam, bangkok

necklace: leaf and small clutch bag – carbon finds

gun-metal bangles – carbon finds

rings: clustered white beads – chatuchak, bangkok | owl – carbon find

brown sunnies – carbon find

which shoe to pick?

i think every filipina fashionista knows it’s such a pain trying to order stuff online because the shipping fee is more expensive than the price of the item. i once tried to order a $24 pair of shoes from forever 21 and the shipping fee to the Philippines is $34. so we usually wait for a friend or relative in the U.S. to come home so we can hitch a space in their ‘balikbayan’ (take-home) box. since my sister and her fiance have a friend in new york and they’re getting a box filled to send here, i took the chance of purchasing shoes for my sister’s wedding and have some pre-ordered by some of my friends. filling up the box as soon as possible could mean that i’d be rocking my new wedges earlier too.

i never thought buying shoes would be such a headache. with this chance to purchase amazing shoes online, i’ve spent hours checking styles, sizes, color and price. i may have bookmarked 3 out of 30 in a day only to realize that i may not need them and have to go through the process again the next day. there’s just so much to choose from. i mentioned this on my shoe post last june that though i love to have lots of shoes, i always tend to buy those of the classic colors — black, brown, camel, grey and white. to narrow down my choices, i listed down every pair i own with each corresponding color and realized that i needed grey heels after my fave one died last april. i also needed a pair of camel ones because the cutout heels gifted from harry have loosened up and are now a bit big for me. i picked out brown wedges and silver platforms for my sister’s wedding and i’m now down to picking my grey and camel ones. the question is, should i purchase the on-trend clogs? or the classic booties?

white tunic – thrifted

giraffe-printed shorts – pratunam, bangkok

gold ballet flats – sensini, bangkok

eiffel tower necklace – carbon find

plastic faux gold bangles – gifted from india

braided bead cuff – chatuchak market, bangkok

rings – carbon finds

work watch – swatch

worn to death

there were periods in my life where i’d choose a piece of clothing as my favorite and never stop wearing them until i wear them out or in the case of my pleated khakis, until my cousin called out my attention that i’ve always been wearing them. i think all of us can relate to this — having a shirt or dress that tends go through the washer more than it should for its own sake.

in the early years of grade school, i had this ‘rosalinda’ floral dress with cross straps at the back that i never stopped wearing, even to play chinese garter with friends in the neighborhood. in 5th – 6th grade, i had a pair of short overalls that i wore almost every week because it was just sooo comfortable and i loved styling it in different ways just as Tai, played by Brittany Murphy (R.I.P.), did in Clueless when she was at a party with Cher and she had nothing else to do but style her overalls. in high school, i wore the aforementioned pleated khaki pants to death — with white tank tops or button-up shirts and my brown platforms (ala Spice Girls). i went through college and couldn’t stop wearing my trusty old vintage tee that i thrifted which had vintage cars lined all over the front.

now i think this stripe tee with sequined pockets is going to be my new overused piece of clothing. i wore it on the last day in Bangkok and right after it went through the laundry, i had to wear it again for a meeting with an accessories designer. right now, it’s sitting in my closet waiting to be worn again —maybe next time with my new pleated pants.

ps. isn’t mr. fox just adorable? i bought it for only 70 baht and i had to buy two items to get it at that price. imagine my panic when i couldn’t find any other ring that fit me because the rest were all too big. good thing they considered a necklace as the other item.

striped tee with sequined pocket – platinum mall, bangkok

paper bag pleated skirt – thrifted

faux snake skin belt – borrowed from mom

grey flats with metallic details – gifted from big sister

bangles: gun-metal one – carbon find | braided beads – chatuchak, bangkok

round imprinted necklace – gifted from gelie

mr. fox ring – platinum mall, bangkok

what would you wear?

even if my feet would ache terribly and eventually die all-together from my 5 inch heels, i’d still wear this out if i could attend the Philippine Fashion Week. this is of course, if i’m invited and if i’d be one of the other fashion bloggers invited to the event. there’s really nothing special with this outfit but it’s a perfect representation of me: vintage and a little bit of boho rock. and yes, my dress is thrifted too — a printed electric-pleated dress with a ruffled neckline that used to be knee-length. i asked my dad to trim off some length, added a black studded belt and black leggings, tall heels and my signature stacks of bangles and a couple of rings. i’ve come to prove that style doesn’t have to be expensive. (on the details below, i’ll list the prices of the items in this outfit.)

september is the start of the fashion year with fashion week events all over the world. as i’m still comfortably stuck on my seat just watching the week in amazement on the internet, i’m just participating in Chicisimo’s septemer event — What would you wear to the Philippines’ Fashion Week? Paxie of Drowning Equilibriums is the co-organizer of this event here in the Philippines and she is definitely one fabulous gal. so let’s play a game. participate here:

vintage orange printed, eletric-pleated dress – thrifted, php 180

black leggings – random, php 150

black cutout heels – forever 21, php 1500

black belt with gold ring studs – pratunam find, 50 baht

bangles: plastic faux gold – props, php 100 | braided beads – chatuchak, 30 baht

butterfly ring – gifted from sweet

where i am + what i can afford

ever since i was a kid, i have been reading fashion magazines (even late copies of U.S. seventeen magazines) and just absorb all the fashion in it. i’d take in all the details in editorials and try to emulate them in real life. i was not born rich and did not grow up rich so we always had to make do with what we have. i am not saying that we couldn’t afford good shoes or clothes too as special occasions do call for special clothes but growing up, we always had the ‘i can do that’ attitude. we’d admire a piece of accessory and if it’s too expensive, we’d tend to say, ‘well, i can make my own anyway.’ it may not be apparent now that i know how to make my own accessories but i’ve had far too many DIY projects while in school to save me. my mom and aunts have introduced us to ukay-ukay (thrifting) and scouring our lola’s old closets at a very young age that we learned to admire quality clothing and materials over synthetic ones found at the malls or retail shops. my dad has also instilled in us the value of saving up for what we want so we have grown to pay in cash and not by plastic.

i am writing this after reading my favorite Philippine fashion magazine, Preview. although they occasionally do features on outfits that cost less than a thousand or have recently done a feature on department store buys, most of the items and products they print all cost above P1000. they have bags or shoes that cost P10,000 – P500,000 and i always am at awe at how people in a third-world country can afford this. i say i am lucky for having had sufficient values on money growing up, but i fear for the other girls like me (yes, the ones in the middle class) who desperately want to attain such luxurious items. i believe credit cards were created for the middle class only so we can ‘seemingly’ afford what we really can’t by having the ‘virtual’ purchasing power even when we don’t have the actual money for it.

oh no, i am not against those Filipinos who can afford Louis Vuitton, Hermes or Chanel. if they can afford it and can easily shell hundreds of thousands without fearing for their lives and worrying about not being able to eat or afford fare to work, then i am happy for them. i will not deny that i dream of being in that state one day. i will also not stop subscribing to Preview just because they print uber-expensive items because i have learned to use my envy and channel it the best way i know how, to use these items as inspiration. all i am saying is if we can’t afford it, let’s make do with what we have. i am perfectly happy conquering ukay-ukay (thrift) shops for all my clothes all for less than P300, buying my ballet flats and flat sandals in SM department store for only P500 and accessories at the shops downtown and i will continue to save up for the P2000 high-heeled platforms that i spotted at CMG (until i can afford it!).

mixed-print dress – thrifted

purple blazer – linea italia (borrowed from charm)

tan cut-out heels – le donne (gifted from harry)

white braided double belt – pratunam, bangkok

back to the grind

after every adventure, i know i must snap myself back to reality. responsibilities await and i have to work my ass off to be able to travel and of course, shop excessively again. i never thought i would say this but after that 5-day shopping stint in Bangkok, i have to admit that i found myself to be such a shopaholic.

it’s a holiday in the Philippines today as we celebrate the end of Ramadan. although i’m a Christian, our country does consist of a significant percentage of Muslim people and respecting that is one good step to attaining peace here. anyway, i was totally preparing myself to write the articles that have been waiting for me since i arrived but after 5 hours in front of the computer, i just couldn’t bring myself to do so. don’t get me wrong, i love writing but i’ve sort of been drained of motivation to write. writing these articles would mean extra moolah for me and i don’t understand why i can’t just write a few 300-word articles. (you need to set your priorities, Gizelle!)

floral shirt dress – mom’s closet

leopard-printed flats – parisian, sm dept store

brown braided belt – borrowed from sis

brown bag – platinum mall, bangkok

wooden bangles: brown and green – raw materials store, cebu

stone rings: teal stone and burnt orange – props

elephant necklace – carbon find

just a quick update on my recent job switch: i am still very much loving it but am slowly pressured on how else i am going to get more clients for Drawingboard Creative Studios. i guess that’s how it’s always going to be in the field of sales and marketing. and while we’re mentioning my company, might as well promote it a little here. better yet, let’s get the version one of the Drawingboard portfolio to do the talking:

http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf

Open publication – Free publishing – More marketing

bangkok tales episode six: i wish we can stay longer…

so it’s out last day. with the visit to safari world, i am utterly torn between loving elephants or giraffes! giraffes are just gorgeous…i love their eyes and how amazing their print is. i love that they have somehow evolved long necks to survive and adapt to the changing world. i once saw a discovery channel feature on crescent island in africa which made me cry and made me long to see a giraffe…so i don’t know, i’m torn. (listen to me talking like crazy here…haha!)

overall, bangkok was a blast —- the shopping there is the best! and the food, my gosh, is just incredible. what i didn’t like though was the terrible traffic and the very humid and hot weather.there were some family drama that went on but it was still all worth it. i cannot wait to go back to bangkok and do more serious shopping! no more tours, just SHOPPING.

ps. the double belts was a crazy idea that didn’t turn out too well, i know. armand wanted to take off his brown belt (mine was tan) and i wanted to try and wear both of them.

striped tee with sequined pocket – platinum mall, bangkok

polka dot shorts – pratunam, bangkok

woven oversized hat – khaosan road, bangkok

grey espadrilles – carcar, cebu

black bag – nine west

on the last 2 days in bangkok, i shopped for…A GIVEAWAY!

before the last heave of the loot i found in bangkok and yes, before the giveaway, a few items for sale:

an over-sized bag (just the way i like) made with faux black leather. the insides is lined with black faux leather too so it is very durable. it can carry anything and you can even use it as an overnight bag.
a couple of printed shirts with cool animal patches. i found this right on the last shopping day. i bought 3 and had to share the other 2 even when i wanted to keep them all. this is perfect for the casual laid-back days that we all have. (admit it, you do have a shirt + shorts + flats day)

For local readers outside Cebu, standard shipping fee is P150. If you purchase more than 2 items, shipping fee is for free. Payment accepted is through PayPal, Gcash or direct deposit to my BPI account.

For Cebu readers, I can do meet-ups or you can pick the item up at Drawingboard. E-mail me so I can give you my mobile number and the directions to the Drawingboard office.

For international readers, standard shipping fee is $15. Payment is accepted only through PayPal.

now on the shopping loot:

i cannot wait to go back and shop shop SHOP! and finally….

for my 314 followers — for the patience in reading my ramblings and nonsense. for the continued interest in Vanilla Ice Cream. for my new readers and followers. for all of you guys — a giveaway.

just a gesture of my gratitude for helping me keep this blog alive. here’s how to enter:

you must be a follower of Vanilla Ice Cream (you’re not? follow me on Bloglovin’ or Google Connect now!) — make sure to indicate in your comment where you followed me.
ask me any question (sane questions would be greatly appreciated) or a fashion challenge you’d like me to do
leave your full name and e-mail address (or the link to your own blog)

for additional entries (make sure to leave a comment for each):

‘Like’ the Vanilla Ice Cream’s Facebook page — there’s another giveaway there too!
spread the word —- post a link of the giveaway on your own blog
tweet about the giveaway! (on twitter of course, where else? LOL)

giveaway is open to local and international readers and the winner will be picked on September 24, 2010.

bangkok tales episode five: buddha maxi overload

due to the pressure of Thailand buddha temples’ dress codes, we had to overly prepare for this just to make sure we get to see all the temples planned for the day. the dress code says to not wear shorts or fitted jeans (it’s too humid to wear jeans anyway), no short skirts or mini-skirts, no sleeveless tops and no slip-ons for shoes. well, if we have to wear such conservative clothes then we might as well have to dress it up right? and dress up we did. this has got to be my most fave outfit during the trip — mainly because i did get to wear layers, accessories and a studded belt.

we had a super funny and green tour guide for the day. everyone called her ms. bangkok and we thought it was a joke until she introduced herself to be ms. bangkok 20 years ago. my favorite line from her right at the start of the trip? “if you have questions, you can ask me anything just not my body…” LOL.

i wanted to tell you about all the temples we visited but then i’ll just let the photos do the talking.

on aimee: black and white striped maxi dress – props | blue cardigan – pratunam find | white fedora – pratunam find | black faux leather bag – sm dept store | black sandals – night market find

final and huge shopping post tomorrow! check back for two items for sale and a giveaway!

on the third day in bangkok, i shopped…

…ANIMAL PRINTS, a very functional and chic bag and lots of accessories! it takes really good bargaining skills to catch great find in Chatuchak. the shop owners know a lot of tourists flock to the weekend market so they naturally start with steep prices. as much as possible, as with any market, try to bargain for half the given price and the seller will meet you halfway or mostly agree with you if they really want to sell the item. what i have discovered in Mongkok, Hongkong is that when you walk out and pretend that the item is not worth it for the price, the seller will come after you and settle with your bargaining price. in Bangkok though, sellers won’t go after you and will even get mad if you haggle and not buy the item so make sure you’re sure of what you’re actually buying.

the blue leopard print dress with the lace turtle neck has a lime green version too. i really love this dress as it is perfect for date night with the boyfriend or hubby or even for a dinner out with your girlfriends! no need to wear a necklace with this dress as the laced chest will definitely be the focal point. just add a pair of studded earrings, maybe a couple of cocktail rings and black heels. can be paired with black sheer tights too. PHP 500 only! (that’s only $12!)

For Cebu readers, I can do meet-ups or you can pick the item up at Drawingboard. E-mail me so I can give you my mobile number and the directions to the Drawingboard.

For international readers, standard shipping fee is $15. Payment accepted is only through PayPal.

E-mail me if you’re interested at gizellefaye@yahoo.com.

I may be boring some of you with the daily Bangkok posts. Two more days of our Bangkok adventure and at the end of this, a giveaway may be announced for all of my gorgeous readers!

bangkok tales episode four: chatuchak weekend market

entering the chatuchak weekend market is like entering a maze of goodness. the market has layers of lines of shops that go around a tower. once you enter the market and see something you want to buy, it is suggested that you buy it and not say you’ll get back to it because chances are, you will forget where the shop was or you won’t have time to go back once you’ve finished scouring the whole market. with that advice in mind, the 10 of us went off in pairs so we won’t have to wait for each other and scattered all over the market. we decided to meet at one spot, which at one point or another i thought it was impossible to go back. good thing my dad found a good landmark to guide our direction.

the market sells clothes, shoes, accessories, bags, lots of cool shirts, make-up, gift materials, fabric, food, housewares, native raw materials, cellphone and mp3 player accessories and even pet supplies (even pets — i saw a really cute beagle puppy!). i was just completely overwhelmed in chatuchak and my wallet got overwhelmed too. i left 1500 Baht lesser and my feet hurt like hell — as if my heels were about to explode. oh i wish i can go back.

printed cotton dress – thrifted

beige shorts underneath my dress – thrifted

blue espadrilles – carcar find

green wide-brimmed hat – khaosan road find

black bag – nine west

by the way, twisted halo is giving away a pair of camera necklaces that are just so adorable!

the giveaway is open to Philippine readers only though but nevertheless, check out her blog here.