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.

the ‘barla’ incident

photos (from top clockwise): me, the barlas, mom and gianne frances, me and my cousins – cookie and lilac, mom and dad, my robot necklace

family will always come first for me. when all else fails and the rest of the world abandons me, i can count on my family to be right behind — waiting to catch me.

last sunday was the christening of my cousin’s baby girl — gianne frances. and i was one of her godmothers. that means more gifts to buy by christmas…haha! i was happy to have spent time with my cousins, especially my favorite cousin, lilac (on the 3rd picture). our age difference is almost 15 years but we just think alike. they call us ‘the barlas‘ after this long, black and bony fish.

why barla? well, every holy week, we go home to our province in zamboanga del norte and spend time at my grandparent’s house. we take care of the easter breakfast for the church and the ‘carro’ of jesus on his resurrection. while in there, we mostly eat fish for fasting. our late lola (grandma) used to buy this fish called ‘diwit‘ which is so yummy. the ‘diwit‘ is a long and flat fish. one summer, my cousin and i volunteered to shop at the market for dinner. we were so excited to have found ‘diwit‘ at such a cheap price — P60 per kilo. we immediately bought it and were so proud of ourselves. we even bought sweet mangoes for dessert. when we got home, we were scolded by our moms because what we bought is not ‘diwit‘ but barla! they look the same — same shape and length but the barla has almost black scales. the barla is sooo bony that we can barely eat any meat on it. we became the laughing stock of the whole holy week and our relatives couldn’t stop joking about it. LOL.

what about you? tell me of a family blooper you experienced.

striped dress – thrifted | long navy blue top – thrifted | suede belt – big sister’s |

suede brown wedges with rhinestone details – celine (mom’s gift) | faux monogram bag – thrifted | robot long necklace – APM | bangles – gifts

don’t forget to join my 100 followers give-away!

| for the love of accessories |

for the love of accessories | 100 followers give-away!

as a simple thank you for taking the time to read my blog, i will be giving away an accessories package from PROPS!

a long necklace with a wire pendant shaped like a moon, a blue spade ring and a couple of headbands (my love: polka!)

*huge smile*

it’s nothing much but these are all the items i love to wear to spice up my outfit.

i am never a simple girl. i am not the girl guys would want to take home to their moms on first impression.

i dress up or pile on the accessories.LOL.

this give-away is open to everyone. (yes! even to international readers!)

here are 3 ways to join (each will count as 1 entry):

leave a comment and answer this question: “what is one accessory you can’t leave home without?” (make sure to leave me a link of your blog / or an e-mail if you don’t have a blog)
be a follower — if you’re not yet one, follow me now!
post a link of my give-away in your blog! comment again once you’ve posted the link.

the give-away will be open until march 16 – on the new moon.

forever thankful

in college, my friends and i were blogging to share more stories of our lives, mainly just to each other. the sentimental and emotional person that i am unconsciously made it to a blog filled with feelings. i eventually stopped blogging in 2006 because i got too busy with work and the dawn of multiply and myspace at that time took more of my web-time than blogging.

mid-2009, i discovered karla de rass and i was hooked.

around november 2009, i decided to turn my personal blog into this.

fashion has always been an essential part of my life even when people say it’s just vanity.

my style is the way i express myself and my mood. it’s one of my forms of art.

documenting my outfits — daily and what-not, have pushed me to be more creative with myself.

it has secretly given me the excuse to go beyond boundaries and wear whatever i like.

but staying true to myself, this blog will never be just about fashion but also about my life.

it will be filled with feelings — yes, sometimes mushy ones. and rants.

it will be filled with adventures. loves. laughs. heartaches. triumphs.

and i am forever thankful for my 100 followers who have been putting up with me.

your comments, believe it or not, have made my day in more ways than you can think of.

you have all made this adventure damn worthwhile!

ps. 100 followers give-away will be posted soon! keep posted!

purple and grey floral tent dress – thrifted

black cropped cardigan – thrifted

layered-chains necklace – props (new stocks!)

black faux croc belt – props

suede black peep-toe booties – celine (a gift from harry)

work watch – swatch

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

of alarm texts and music

“you mean the world to me.”

waking up to this sure makes my day better. harry surprised me with an alarm text message on my phone. so i get to wake up everyday with that text. i’ve been feeling low over the last couple of days and felt slightly disconnected from the world. aside from all of your encouragements and sympathies, i’m so thankful that harry is here to bear with me despite my weirdness, sadness and grouchiness — man, i can snap like that and he’d just swallow hard and take it all in. it’s only to you hon that i’d say sorry for being a bitch. *sincere apologies*

music is a big part of my life. and especially on days when i cannot begin to grasp what i’m feeling, i immerse myself in music. for days like these, i am thankful for:

frou frou

imogen heap

regina spektor

the national

the honorary title

john mayer

up dharma down

your music has kept my life in balance.

this heartache

this was taken last sunday when i decided to suprise harry after his shift (at 9:00 AM) for breakfast at one of the retaurants in I.T. Park. decided to bring along snickers so he won’t grow up ignorant from the world since he’s mostly couped up in the room. he can’t go out because our old dog is so mean and possessive of our attention (especially my dad’s) that we’re afraid she’d attack him. being a sunday morning, the park was serene, perfect for just hanging out and chilling. i sat by the pond for a while and enjoyed being alone for a few minutes. those are one of my favorite moments — when i can just be alone and be allowed to think.

so this weekend, harry and i watched one of the local movies ‘miss you like crazy‘… i’ve always loved the tandem of john lloyd cruz and bea alonzo on-screen (don’t like her too much anywhere else..haha!) the movie was predictable but still interesting. i loved the concept. i loved the scenes. i love the conversations and the lines. and it brought about certain emotions that i’ve suppressed for a while.

i miss my best friend so damn much. it’s harder breaking up with a friend than with a boyfriend. you’d take years of friendship and just throw it away. she was my soulmate. we could be together and not say anything but know how we are feeling. we had a falling out almost 3 years ago and my heart is still aching, everyday. although i have harry, there are times when i’d feel so damn alone because i lost the only person who can understand me without asking why. i have tried opening up to my other friends but it’s just different. she’s in hawaii and i’m here. miles apart and we can’t bridge this gap that we have.

so now i have woken up with very swollen eyes, having cried myself to sleep last night.

polka mini-dress – thrifted

black cropped cardigan – thrifted

brown sandals – prima donna

brown leather bag – thrifted

bangles: orange polka – a gift | pink polka – DIY | bronze – props

vintage car necklace – manalili

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

let go of high school already!

one supervisor for 40 agents is just plain crazy.

i feel like this has been the longest 2 days of my life.

i wish that people in their 20’s would already let go of high school. stop with the gossiping, stop with the talking behind people’s backs and most of all, stop with the bullying. snide remarks, raising of the eyebrows and rolling of the eyes is all too pubescent and it’s stupid. i am here to manage professionals and not be a high school guidance counselor. just start doing your jobs. the last i heard, people who constantly look at other people’s work and not their own can never be successful.

there. i’m sorry. just had to rant (yet again). thanks for letting me. now i can move on to my weekend.

i have great things to look forward to this weekend. dinner with old co-workers for the promotion of a former manager. my 1st monthsary with harry — by the time we roll over a year, we start counting back to 1 month (just to spice things up and feel like a couple in their honeymoon stage again…LOL). a night of blogging and catching up on your blogs (yes, YOU!) and thrifting with my mom and sister on monday morning. (yey!)

hope everyone has a great weekend!

thanks for the lovely comments on my previous post.

i’m seeing that i already have 91 followers since i turned this personal blog into

a fashion & lifestyle blog last november 2009.

with that, i might (99.99% chance) do a 100th follower give-away!

clue: it’s going to be a few of my favorite things. *wink*

ruffled top – thrifted

white shorts (yes, i did wear one) – props

white studded sandals – a gift from lil’ sis

vintage suede bag – from bangkok

long watch necklace – hk gift shop

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

the art of thrifting

another thrifted find. i know, you must be wondering where i shop. and might be thinking that i just walk in the vintage shop already filled with awesome stuff. i wish! thrifting takes patience and needs a bit of learning.

i started out at 12 years old and that was before people and fashion magazines labeled thrifting as cool. before, it was a taboo of some sort. we can’t talk about it. as a child, we’d go thrifting at one of the local markets in our province every summer — where people can’t see us! haha! and where most of the cool stuff are. the market is stuffy and the clothes are on bamboo racks and platforms. you’d have to literally rummage through the clothes. mind you, it was super dusty! but the finds are worth it — vintage tees and cute dresses at only P5 – P50 (that’s $0.10 to $1) each. it was always something we looked forward to.

in college, we’d wake up really early on sundays and go to our local market in Cebu. ukay-ukay (vintage) vendors would all lay their tables and hang their racks everywhere on the streets — this is from thursday evening to sunday. this became our sunday habit. the market is sometimes smelly and muddy, full of sweaty people and noisy. since i was in college, i’d scour for vintage and graphic tees, denim shorts and skirts, long-sleeved shirts and dresses. the prices ranged from P10 – P80 ($0.20 to $1.60). we soon realized though that we were buying more ‘could be’ stuff — stuff that needs altering, fixing or snipping. we’d soon have piles on our sewing machine — waiting to be altered.

we’ve long let go of our sunday habit and just shop at the nearby vintage stores — air-conditioned and the clothes are properly organized and on hangers. the prices are a bit more expensive than the street kinds at P50 – P200 ($1 to $4) but we don’t have to bear the sweat, smell and grind of the market. not too much alterations are needed too. and i personally have learned something, before buying anything, i need to picture if the item is something i can wear over and over. if it’s just a ‘could be’ or a ‘i could possibly’ item, it’s off of my list. now i can’t wait for the weekend — new stuff at our nearby vintage store!

ps. my dad does the alterations to our dresses. he shortens them, trims the waist, alters our flare jeans to skinnies..LOL. his grandma taught him how to sew. love you dad!

striped dress – thrifted

red flats with chain detail – celine

black leather bag – lil’ sister’s

thin black belt – props

long watch necklace – hk gift shop

gold bangles – from india

layered beaded bracelet – from a friend at P80

it’s:my:time

i don’t have the typical features of a Cebuana which is mostly a mix of Spanish and native blood — a mestiza as what we call it. i have chinky eyes, that of a chinese though am not fair but have almost caramel skin. i have curly hair and have never had it straightened. i don’t have the typical body type too — while my big sister is model tall at 5’7″ and my little sister is petite and can fit into anything, i have an athletic body with round legs and wide shoulders. and although i played with dolls as a kid, i’ve been into sports growing up (swimming and flag football) and am never afraid to get my hands dirty or my fingernails chipped. i dress up according to my mood and i have never been an avid follower of style rules — i don’t mix and match to the tee. although i prefer hanging out with the boys due to their uncomplicated outlook and am always mistaken for being one of them due to my sarcasm and humor, i hang out with them in my daintiest dress and red lips.

this is me. it’s my time…

and yours too. join benetton’s

it’s:my:time global casting competition

they’re looking for something different, something unconventional, something surprising, something real. It’s not just how you look but how you are

(and no they did not pay me to post this…LOL. i just believe it’s a great contest!)

linen zipper up top – thrifted

brown leggings – ???

brown peep-toe platforms – matthews at CMG

tan fringe bag – lil’ sister’s

bangles: brown – props | gold ones – from india

rings: animal print – props | white & wooden – from chai

long watch necklace – hk gift shop

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

stuck at home instead

…and i couldn’t be more pleased. although i was looking forward to the beach and the sand but i was sort of dreading the trip because i wanted to be at home this weekend. it’s been a while since i’ve been on my bed, just relaxing. one thing i would have missed on the trip though is the great photo possibilities! instead, i got to spend more time with my puppy ‘snickers’ and gave him his second walk out — he’s such a baby! our manicurist also came over and i had my nails painted neon pink..LOL. i bought several neon colors — green, yellow and orange just to welcome summer. it can’t be beat. with the el niño, summer is early and here to stay.

i love coffee. i love its smell. and i especially love ‘peppermint mocha’ or dark cherry mocha’ from starbucks. but i cannot for the life of me consume a cup and not palpitate and stay awake all day. i got this from my mom. a single shot of caffeine causes my palms and feet to sweat (i know, yuck) and my heart to palpitate… but i was so sleepy on my shift last night that i had to down a small cup. the effect? slightly shaking hands and awake for almost 24 hours. it’s time to take the sketchpad and color pencils out — a gift from harry on v-day! warning: the images below are amateur sketches.

now you can open your eyes. LOL.

printed loose top – thrifted

jeans – chillypapas

fringe sandals – katrina

(the daughter of the owner is an agent in my account and she had them custom made)

long necklace – props

bangles: wooden – raw material store in manalili | gold ones – from india

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

trademark polka

this is what i wore for valentine’s day. i know, i know, it’s a very late post but it’s perfect because pipi of black hair do did this illustration of me and my ‘trademark’ polka! thank you so much! i love it!

anyway, i’ve only got 30 minutes to spend on blogging today as i have to pack for yet another weekend at the beach! this time, i’d be with my co-workers whom i don’t know very well — but am obliged to go because if i don’t come, i’d have to work on a saturday! waaaahhhh! i’d rather spend it on the beach than be in my cubicle. i’ve got my escape plans covered anyway. what do i mean by ‘escape plans?’ welp, i usually have this tendency to take myself apart from the crowd by plugging in my headphones, immersing myself in my music and just staring at the sea (or at the crowd or in space…LOL). you could say, i sometimes love my own world and am perfectly fine with being in it even in the middle of a crowd.

ps. i will make sure to check out all your blogs and comment back when i get back on monday! for now, happy weekend everyone!

blue polka dress with lace details – thrifted

maryjane oxfords – so fab (gift from big sis!)

thin gold belt – props

white ring – a purchase from a friend at P70

bangles: wooden – manalili | gold ones – from india

sunnies – thrifted at manalili

ashes and wine

i just love that song by ‘a fine frenzy’… it’s great to listen to during sunset. i don’t know, maybe it’s because the first time i heard it, i was parking on the roof parking lot of ayala terraces and it was sunset. i had it on blast on my ipod, blocking any other sound from the world.

although the sun is out, it’s still pretty much cooler today than yesterday. the wind was blowing my hair all over when we attended mass this morning. it’s the first day of lent — ash wednesday. a time for soul searching. ironically, it’s supposed to be the start of fasting as well but it’s my mom’s birthday today so food is very much abundant! we can’t eat any meat on wednesdays and fridays of lent but my mom is preparing lots of seafood dishes from all that we bought last sunday.

♥♥ happy birthday mommy! ♥♥

thank you for all the love and support you have given us, all our life. you have never failed us. i love you mom!

on me:

floral dress – thrifted

pink sweater – gap

skinny jeans – chillypapas

green braided belt – thrifted

white studded sandals – so fab (a gift from lil’ sis)

layered bead necklace – bought from a friend 4 yrs ago

bangles: pink and gold – from india | blue and gold – hk shop

sunnies – thrifted

on mom (in hongkong):

green dress jacket – thrifted

black blazer – linea italia

brown leggings – ???

brown suede ankle boots – mongkok ladies market

blue green pashmina scarf – hk street vendor

taking a big leap

i have wanted to do this since forever. only that i was making excuses for myself, basically because i was afraid i wouldn’t be able to pull it off. so here it is — shop yapi vanilla. it’s partly named after the nickname my lil’ sister has for me — yapi (which is backwards for my childhood nickname). it will feature pre-loved items, vintage finds and some designs by me. *crossing my fingers* the shop is currently open to philippine buyers for now, only because i’m still trying to figure out a payment and shipping scheme for international buyers.

so summer is definitely here and there’s no stopping it. the heat is almost unbearable! it is scorching hot. the season for cotton shirts, linen clothing, short shorts and skirts is here!

neon green shirt – thrifted
plaid skirt – props
black beaded sandals – DIY (finickee sandals + old buttons from people are people)
white bag – mongkok ladies market, hk
dog tag necklace – custom-made
rings: blue – props | orange howlite – dane’s giveaway