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.

don’t disturb the neighbor

presenting…harry. the man behind the camera. i have other shots of him but they were too goofy!

so the gate is not even ours. it’s our neighbor’s. i’ve always found the color interesting and it has always been my favorite shade of blue. he was trying to tell me to look candid and just move around but i was too conscious, thinking of the neighbors..haha!

this has been a hard week at work. i swear, i’ll soon get a heart attack because i keep breathing in my frustration and anger. i’m a very loud person and i sometimes can’t notice my volume. but due to constant feedback, i am trying my best to hold it all in. so these days, i’ve been keeping my voice soft. and trying to calmly tell someone that they messed up and should start pulling their act together. i’d take a deep breath and slowly answer a very annoying question. i think my sarcasm still shows with my eyebrows though. they are very expressive. my closest friends once laughed at the thought of imagining me as a team lead and how i’d roll my eyes. i tend to do so when i’m annoyed…LOL.

i’m really looking forward to just unwinding this weekend. will be reading ‘lion among men’– the 3rd book by gregory mcguire, listening to ‘the honorary title’, ‘the nationals’ and ‘regina spektor’ over and over again. and will definitely get some more zzzzz’s….

lace top – thrifted | skinny jeans – chillypapa | brown suede shoes with rhinestone details – celine |

vintage car necklace – thrifted at manalili | rings – props

and before i forget, nina of ballerina’s closet obsession gave me this award — happy 101. i am supposed to list down ten things that make me happy and forward this award to 10 stylistas. so what makes me smile?

my family. my mom. dad. my best friends — sisters: aimee and charm.
h-a-r-r-y. and his goofy antics.
thrifting. and the thought of finding unique and incomparable clothes!
that song that is forever linked to a memory — ie. ‘folding chair’ by regina spektor will always remind me of that double decker bus trip from ocean park to the train station.
vanilla ice cream. it’s my college drug. sometimes my friend and i would cut class just to eat vanilla ice cream at mcdonald’s. stupid but really made a difference then.
flag football…or the memories i’ve had of it.
the beach — the sand on my toes. the smell of coppertone.the salt on my hair.
new comments from my new friends in this blog. reading all your comments really makes my day!
our dogs — snickers the dachsund puppy, cooper the golden retriever and chloe the jack russell terrier.
pizza. any kind. any restaurant. even mom’s pizza…haha!

so i give this award to: toni of perfumed red shoes, my good friend deanne of one step at a time, kate maggie of postcards from..., jen of jennifhsieh, eden of chic in the tropics, leah of leah taas in focus, megara of fresh brownies, katrina of pugly pixel, julia of the song of the exile and eunice of hey fancy pants.

hush now

this is me trying to be quiet since my sister is sleeping. i’m on her bed as it is near the window (better light, better pictures). she got mad at me for this because i eventually woke her up…haha! and yes, at 25 i still share a room with my sister. here in our country, it is not necessary to move out of the house after turning 18. we stay with our parents yet we do pay the bills..hehe. they took care of us and bore with our craziness, so it’s our time to take care of them. of course, i’ll soon get married and have a home of my own but i’ll always stay close. i am one those lucky people who not only are close to their parents, but we share a real friendship too.

i had to make do with a shoot inside our room as i was too lazy to find a good spot outside or ask our ‘manang’ (our house maid who has been with us for 10 years — i love her so!) to take a photo of me..i just got home from a 4-hour OT at work because we had to close a lot of work queues. it was the least i can do to support my team as they have been working their asses off. i hope we get through this week. so far, this has been the longest week ever..and i can’t wait for the weekend!

printed top – props

black blazer – thrifted

jeans – chillypapa

black studded flats – mongkok ladies market, hk

long chained watch – hk souvenir shop

dog tags – custom-made

ring – props

smile despite the pain

harry and i went to visit the dentist today — my dad!hehe. harry was nervous as hell, letting my dad take a look at his teeth but he had no choice as he had to have his wisdom tooth checked. it was killing him and he couldn’t pronounce well all week — which was affecting his work as he has client calls everyday. i won’t describe what my dad did to his tooth but what i can tell is that he can now pronounce the letter ‘s’…hehe. i also had my teeth cleaned — after 25 years! ironic huh? my dad’s a dentist yet we hardly visit his clinic…haha! so, what better reward than to have ice cream right after the visit…yes, the cold ice cream does relieve the mouth but the extra toppings give more cavity…LOL.

ps. i love the details of this top. it’s linen, plaid and has pleats and pockets on the front. grabbed it and never let go of it while thrifting 2 weeks ago.

plaid top – thrifted

skinny jeans – chillypapa

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

owl chained watch – thrifted at manalili

black bag – lil’ sister’s

aviator shades – lil’ sister’s

rings: animal print and clustered cubes – props

viva pit senyor!

it’s the 30th sinulog in cebu! to know more about this festival — click here!

it’s grander than new year’s here in our place and i swear, every year more and more people flock to cebu! it’s not a mob but a tidal wave of people and all you can do is let the waves take you… even the rain this year couldn’t stop the people from partying…

the family and i had our annual lunch at my tita’s (aunt’s) house in talamban and the above photos were taken on their steps. i couldn’t eat much because i was sick the whole night and had painful stomach spasms — almost had myself hospitalized if it weren’t for the thoughts of sinulog motivating me to get through it. i mean, i don’t want to miss the fun on the streets and stay couped up in a hospital room…after lunch, my friends and i hung out at a bar on the streets of mango, right near the actual sinulog parade… we did our own body painting (as seen below: my own painting of our group name right on my arm)… i took a few photos of the parade and the people (as much as i could manage since it’s very crowded)… then we walked to ayala cebu to have a picnic on the terraces grounds and watch the fireworks…i’m very proud to say that i got through this year’s festival SOBER…haha!

printed top – roxy

boho skirt – thrifted

flip-flips – havaianas (make your own)

black studded boots – mongkok ladies market

black bag – lil’ sister’s

dog tag necklace – custom made

reindeer in gun metal (necklace) – bubble bee gift shop

rings – props

gun metal cuff – props

pink sunnies – thrifted

"it’s a small world…after all" (repeat 3x)

rain or shine, january 15 was a date to mark. my good friend, edu, got married to kathi last night. and although i was hours late and didn’t get to see the cermony nor catch most of the reception because of the crazy – insane traffic, it was still very touching for me. my friend is happy. my friend is smiling. and most of all, he has found someone who can laugh at his jokes — when all the time we were making of fun of his humor in college..hehe.

and of all places, i bumped into eden of chic in the tropics at the party! we were laughing at how it could be a mini-(very mini) blogger meet-up…haha! we’re wishing dane was there. eden emceed at the party and is a good friend of kathi since high school. we took a few photos before she left but couldn’t really strike poses as it was pouring really hard. i swear, we were crowding ourselves inside the tents. eden sure knows how to do the smokey eye. while i almost got soaked in the rain and forgot to bring my make-up bag.haha! (i should have asked eden what she’s wearing…anyhoo, just check out her blog! it’s really good..)

while i loved the heels, i couldn’t bear wearing them to work because i had to run through the parking lot and it was raining all day. so i brought my trusty boots.

i work the night shift and always look forward to 6:00am and see the sun rise from our window. however, today was as gloomy as it could be. (i think this is the jinx from all the people who say they’s jealous of our sun…haha!) so i had to make do with whatever light i can find to manage a good photo inside the house. believe it or not, the light is from my sister’s reading lamp…LOL. so how did i do with my photos?

floral dress – thrifted

black blazer – thrifted

strappy heels – so fab!

black boots – mongkok ladies market, hk

chained watch (with floral design) – hk souvenir shop

pink shell cuffs – props

blue ring – props

black bag – lil’ sister’s

braving the blue

i had asked for these blue tights of Leg Love by Kate Torralba from my manito (Secret Santa) for Christmas…and luckily, he found it. and now, when i think about it, it is such a bold shade of blue. an eye-catcher you might say. i wore this once with dotted tights over them (here!) and they looked subtle then — and that was for a vudu party.

so…i gathered all my courage and decided to wear them for work as i also needed a boost of confidence from the effects of work blunders last Tuesday. people stared. people were shocked and nearly dropped their jaws…i even had one agent ask me why i’m wearing such blue tights. and it kept me smirking the whole time because some people looked so funny trying not to stare in the elevator (in such a small space!)… nevertheless, i loved wearing these tights. despite everything, i stood out and i was myself again. who cares if they can’t understand.

i want to talk some more but my puppy is on my lap and has his head on my right arm. he gets mad when i type too loudly..haha!

printed top – thrifted

black jacket – thrifted

blue tights – Leg Love by Kate Torralba

black flats with bow tie – leaveland

rings – props

bangle – props

hello sunshine!

this is the only time i love the sun — when i’m at the beach. went with old co-workers and harry to a local beach resort last sunday to just unwind and hang out. there were good laughs and good food.

(i had this whole write-up prepared but my mood today just isn’t letting me want to talk too much)

just wanted to show you guys this skirt that we thrifted years back. it’s an original united colors of benetton vintage which still has a “made in italy” tag. most clothes (or stuff even) today are mostly made in china. not that i’m hating it…hehe. i wore this once to a company party 3 years ago and was awarded one of the best dressed for the night. wore the skirt as a dress and belted it. (don’t be shocked with how dark i am… i was still playing flag football then…haha!) damn, i miss my collarbones…and by arms… fast forward to 2010 and look what losing exercise can do to you…

4th of july party at vudu (2007)

white tank top – metro kids dept

pink swimsuit – props

printed maxi skirt – UCB (thrifted)

flip-flops – havaianas

bangles – various: props | manalili

heart necklace – ???

sunnies – thrifted

clear as vodka

i do go out at night. if my friends beckon, i come out of my pj’s and dress up for the weekend. nothing really to celebrate but just old friends seeing other after months overtaken by our busy lives. drinks of the night: tanduay ice + soju, vodka + sprite, smirnoff + sprite. you can guess what happened afterwards..haha!

on a more serious note, i’m really having a dilemma with a friend. how do you tell a friend your opinion of something that might hurt her? i know i should be honest about it to her as i’ve always told her my opinions but she might take it negatively. will have to gather enough courage to do so. wish me luck!

ps. the beige top is supposed to be worn with the ribbons tied. but i firgure, i’m out so might as well be comfortable and casual.

beige top – mom’s closet

high-waisted denim skirt – thrifted (owned for 5 years)

tan cutout heels – a gift from harry

green woven belt – thrifted

tan leather bag – thrifted

long necklaces – hongkong | sm dept store

rings – props

bangles – gifts | props | manalili

happier = less words

i’ve been thinking about what to write here. and i almost thought i’ve gone totally illiterate that i can’t write as much as i did before. i used to fill journals of my feelings or thoughts and when i read them all again, i couldn’t identify with what i wrote anymore. in it was a girl with so much insecurity, self-doubt and desperation. don’t get me wrong, i took risks (in both my personal life and career) and went on great adventures but i built a wall around myself. i showed people i was strong but deep inside, i was filled with fear. i don’t want this to sound like an attempt to write a script for a romantic movie but when i met harry, i slowly dropped the wall and shed the bitterness away. i thought i have lived my life to the fullest by going on multiply road trips and partying every weekend but i found myself going home, my journal in front of me and still feeling empty. when yapi (me) met harry, my journal entries became scarce and my thoughts are now of the future and no longer of the past..and possibly my life with him. could it be that if we’re happier, words become scarce…? because as of now, i am happily speechless…

floral printed bubble top – maek fashion

black leggings – bought from mom’s friend

black peep-toe booties – a gift from harry

grey bag – mongkok ladies market

chained watch with rose detail – elegant tang dynasty

angel wing and woven heart necklace – props + sm dept store

rings – props

sunnies – manalili

walk till i can’t walk no more

a sneak peak of my shoes.

they’re not much and the most expensive one i own is only P2000…

but i love them all! and i try my best to give them all attention by wearing them regularly…

~~heels~~ (left to right): white gladiator heels – centropell, tan cutout heels – le donne, black strappy heels – so fab!, khaki pumps – shooz, tan oxford heels – shooz, brown suede with rhinestones – celine, brown booties – rosanna peña, black peep-toe booties – celine

~~fave flats~~(left to right): bronze – unlisted, black with bow tie – leaveland, black with studs – mongkok ladies market, white/khaki oxford mary-janes – so fab!, grey suede – so fab!

~~boots and others~~ (left to right): grey – janylin, black biker boots – mongkok ladies market, tan boots – centropell, khaki/gold sneaks – leaveland, white flats – mario d’ boro, suede ankle boots – mongkok ladies market

daring to be great

i talked to a friend today…and we got to the topic of ‘just going the flow..’ this friend has a ‘go with the flow’ vibe..and doesn’t really make long term goals…when asked why he stayed with a company for a year, all he said was that he stayed just because…and he left because something happened that caused him not to attend work for quite some time…although i am most of the time a happy-go-lucky person and at times, just choose to go with the flow, i cannot stand not being in control of my life… my friend chooses to be mediocre..because if he aims high, he and the people around him have high expectations of him… but i have always chosen to be great… mediocrity for me is just choosing to not make the most out of your life…i have always believed that not trying and not taking risks is not living at all… but that’s just me. and that’s just my friend too.

ps. this is the very first time i’ve worn deep berry lipstick..saw it on my mom’s dresser and tried it out before i asked dad to take photos of me. yes, my dad takes my photos. *wink*

black blazer – linea italia

striped top – thrifted

skinny jeans – chillypapa

strappy heels – so fab!

dog tag – custom-made

rings – blue: props | howlite: dane’s giveaway

sunnies – thrifted

neutrals

when confused about what to wear, we can’t go wrong with neutrals. as much as a love colors with punch, i always go back to shades of brown. it’s my go to palette.

i’ve been losing some sleep because of the band practice at the back of our apartment. here in cebu, celebrations start with christmas season and end by valentines. some people even don’t take down christmas decorations until february..haha! and why is this? well, cebuanos celebrate ‘the sinulog’ — the feast of the baby jesus. it’s a city wide celebration with a big procession on 3rd saturday of the month and a huge mardigra on the sunday after that. there’s street dancing from different contingents and schools (all sacrifices and offerings to the baby jesus)..and there’s a lot of parties on the streets…the mardigra ends with fireworks…and before we know it, we’re waking up with a really bad hangover…it’s really crazy!

anyway, my ‘a-te’ (big sister) told me i need to get better backdrops for my photos. i wish! i don’t have much time or chances to go around and find good scenery as i take my photos right when i get home from work. i wish i can have denise’s backgrounds. she always has really good and interesting ones.

cropped pants – mom’s closet

white tank top – metro kid’s dept

cropped jacket – thrifted

brown suede shoes with rhinestones – celine (a gift from mom)

long necklace – a gift from ivy

bejewelled cuffs – custom made by sis

rings – props

sunnies – thrifted