what i wore – Page 27 – Gizelle Faye Creative Studio

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

love at first sight

ever since i was a kid, heart’s day is always spent with friends. february 13 is one of my best friends’ birthday and we always spend it on february 14. it was love at first sight for all us. we all went to school together since 1st grade and became close friends when we were 12 years old. we were not the same people as some are on the honor roll, some are pretty much notorious for antics in school and some — like me — pretty much have her own world but with the same humor, same craziness, utter thoughtfulness and consideration for each other, we built 13 years of friendship that time has tried and tested.

green and pink plaid shirt – dad’s closet | pink tank top – thirfted | skinny jeans – chillypapas

brown peep-toe platform heels – matthews | turquoise studded belt – big sister’s closet

heart necklaces – random buys | pink and gold bangles – a gift from India

turquoise and gold bangle – hk gift shop | sunnies – thrifted at carbon

on another note, i’ve always loved ‘sunday morning’ by maroon 5…it reminds me of that drive my sisters and i had on the highway of a reclaimed land south of our city. sunday mornings give that chill vibe. it signals not just a new day but a new chance to make the following week better than the last. it’s mostly a time spent with family or on the bed, wrapped in the sheets watching re-runs of our favorite movies. most of all, it is a day of good GOOD food. the following photos were taken this 5am, on the way to cordova market (in mactan island) to buy seafood — shrimps, crabs, fish — for sunday lunch and for my mom’s seafood birthday party this wednesday.

have a great sunday everyone!

i just close my eyes

before anything else, i know everyone is saddened by the death of Alexander McQueen. He was a genius designer and will be greatly missed by the fashion industry. RIP Lee McQueen.

so i’m back to work. back to the grind and very deep in it. nothing interesting has happened to me since coming back from my long weekend. although now, when i’m overwhelmed with the piles of work, i close my eyes and think that at the end of the day, i’m going home to a tree house cottage with ambient lights and a comfortable bed. it comforts me for a minute and makes everything all right again.

i’ve been thinking about putting up a “vanilla ice cream shop”. people have been asking me where i buy my clothes or how i’m so lucky at thrifting. well, thrifting is a hobby. it’s something my mom and i love to do. we do it monthly and we buy in bulks — trust me, my arms get sore after shopping at vintage stores. i was thinking of selling some of the stuff i bought (washed and ironed, of course) and if i love what i bought too much, design something inspired by the item and have it custom-made for the shop. what do you think?

ruffled top – thrifted

cropped black knit cardigan – thrifted

black croc belt – props

skinny jeans – chillypapas

grey flats – so fab (big sister’s gift!)

spiral cuffs – props

gun-metal reindeer necklace – bubble bee gift shop

day three: culture immersion

**i apologize for another heavy-image post. just had to relish our last at the town of moalboal.**

believe it or not but i think this is the first beach trip where i didn’t spend the whole day under the sun and just frolicking in the waters — it was because the water was freezing and the wind so chilly. harry and i made vodka sprite (absolut + sprite..duh! LOL) and placed it in a water bottle just to disguise it but it couldn’t help the cold. summer may look like it’s here but i love how it’s still windy.

we left the resort after lunch and took a tricyle (auto richshaw) to town to ride a van for hire (v-hire in cebu). it usually takes an hour for the van to leave because the driver has to wait for it to fill up. harry and i were the first to occupy the van so we had some time to observe how life is lived in the town of moalboal. we bought fried fritters on the street (fried bite size pieces of chicken, lumpia) and the buy-one-take-one burger from minute burger. it was a coincidence that the high school there had their field demonstration on the open space in front of the church so lots of people were there. notice how cute the old couple is — together walking in the park with their walking sticks. and of course, the town fashionista — with his (or her) sparkly purple belt strutting the streets.

til’ next time! back to reality. (roll credits…)

knitted dress – thrifted

blue swimsuit – rustan’s

brown and blue flip-flops – havaianas, make your own

bangles – props

white graphic tee – roxy

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

day two: sunrise til’ sunset

warning: image-heavy post. what can i say? we spent all day at the beach — 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. so please be patient. grab a drink or snack while you wait for the images to load…*wink*

woke up at 5:00 AM due to a power outage in the resort. who need power anyway? the wind is cool and the air is fresh. we didn’t have time to waste. we changed into our suits and grabbed our beach bag filled with sunblock, carmex, my canon sx20, tripod and the sarong. took a walk on the long strip of beach and found other people up and about, taking their breakfast as well. harry and i had to wait for ours though as the resort cafe opened at 8:00 AM…haha! it was pure relaxation…what with a cottage with a very comfy bed right in front of the beach. some people may find this boring — nothing to do but stare at the water! but that’s exactly what we came here to do. to do absolutely nothing but relax, listen to some good music and the waves, eat good food and feel the sea breeze on our faces.

ps. had some fun with the ‘color accent’ setting on my camera. i’m crazy about colors! and i couldn’t help but select a few to emphasize.

blue long sleeved top – dolce and gabbana (big sister’s closet…sssshhh!)

khaki shorts – roxy

brown and white polka swimsuit – props

beach bag – roxy

bangles – props

blue tie-dyed sarong – boracay

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

day one: the tree house cottage

just got back from our beach trip…and i wanted to edit all the photos and choose a few to post in one post but i’m too exhausted and constipated (i ate too much!) LOL. decided to have three posts of our three days at the beach instead.

day one was a 3 hour road trip to moalboal, cebu. it was funny because our seat in the van had little space for harry’s knees so we were pretty much uncomfortable all the way. we kept smiling at each other and saying, ‘we’re almost there…’ when we got to the resort, it was indeed a dream. don’t get me wrong, there are better beaches in cebu but club serena was an exclusive resort which only has 6 cottages. so it was indeed serene and yes, our tree house cottage was magical.

ps. i love the smell of copper tone. i missed its smell. it signifies summer. and it brought back memories of flag football days.

green top – props

black swimsuit – props

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

blue & brown flip-flops – havaianas, make your own

gone for the weekend

will get come much needed r and r with harry at the beach this weekend. a tree house cottage. the fine white sand. blue waters. sea breeze. good music. three days and two nights.

have a great weekend everyone! talk to you all on monday. *wink*

white knit cardigan – thrifted

plaid halter top – maek fashion

denim shorts (though not visible) -big sister’s closet

blue flip-flops – make your own havaianas

black bag – lil’ sister’s

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

no sense of relief

have you ever been so deep in work that you feel as if there’s no end? i’m sorry for ranting but i just got home and am feeling very very (one more) very exhausted. it’s not that i don’t like the job, it’s just that the work is piling on everyday. i’ve recently had no sense of relief or satisfaction at the end of the day as i’ve accomplished so little (or i feel as if it’s little).

what is my job anyway? to anyone not familiar with this business, i am one of the “night critters”…i work at a call center and have been for the past 4 years. people may ask if i’m not getting sick and tired of working nights — welp, people will be surprised at this but i actually like the schedule. it keeps me away from the traffic and the heat of the sun.i am actually sleepier when i work during the day (this is based on training schedules where it’s on regular working hours – am to pm). not to mention, the pay is much bigger with the night differential. i’m a supervisor and have been handling teams of 12 – 20 for almost 3 years. what i love about handling people? helping them become better people — not just at work but also how they view and take life. and seeing that light switch in their eyes when they realize they’ve done a good job and that they can actually do a good job. you see, most people who work in a call center as agents are what you call “meantime” people… 70-80% of the agents work there because they haven’t figured out or are in the process of getting what they want to do for the rest of their lives. so some don’t care much and some just come in for the sake of getting a job. i’m saddened by those people because they end up wasting their life away — afraid to take risks, some even afraid to have a goal and aim at career growth. i try as much as possible to help them realize their goals. and when they do, i feel like a million bucks.

don’t get me wrong. this is only my ‘day’ or shall we say ‘night’ job… my goal in life? to start a clothing line and eventually, be a beach bum. LOL. as of now, i’m working my ass off to save enough money for those.

just a quick post of my necklace collection. there’s a quick peak of my earrings but then that’s another story..haha!

white top – mom’s closet

black and white floral skirt – thrifted

black croc belt – props

black polka tights – macua street market

black peep-toe booties – celine

long watch necklace – hk gift shop

gun-metal cuffs – props

rings: orange howlite – dane’s give-away | white – props

ps. i changed my header…what do you think?

be thankful for the sunrise

how big of a mark have i left with people? if and when i leave this world, how much am i going to be missed? melancholy questions from a melancholy weekend. my friend of 13 years lost her papa last week from cancer. and right when i stepped into the room of his wake, i was deeply touched by how many flowers and visitors there were. he was a good man who lived his life serving people. he never asked God to console him in his weakest days but instead continued to ask God to console those around him. he will surely be missed. but he will live on in the hearts of those who love him.

i say, let’s start with gratitude. be thankful that we still have a chance. be thankful that we can go on and touch people’s lives. be thankful that we can put smiles on people’s faces. be thankful for the sunrise as it is a beginning of another opportunity.

photo credits: sunrise by mactan bridge | morning sun at cordova fish market

black eyelet dress – thrifted

grey plaid vest – thrifted

blue tights – leg love by kate torralba

black studded flats – mongkok ladies market, hk

grey leather bag – mongkok ladies market, hk

watch necklace – hk gift shop

rings: white and blue – props

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

ps. make sure to check out the give-away of nina at ballerina’s closet obsession

comfort from the smell of bound paper

i love reading books. i think i’ve talked about this in my past posts. it’s way better than watching tv. reading allows my brain to work and envelopes me into this world far from my own. it gives me a chance to live a life i have yet to live or will not get a chance to. as a kid, i collected paperbacks of the usual — sweet dreams, love stories, sweet valley high..etc. and in college, i lived off the books that my big sister has. it’s only recently (with the adjustment of my salary) that i have begun collecting books of my own. i love books with a twist. something of the unfamiliar. something with sarcasm or wit. but ironically, i hate books that includes horror or ones involving haunting ghosts. they give me too many nightmares!

here are the ones i own:

the wicked series: wicked, son of a witch and lion among men by gregory maguire

kafka on the shore by haruki murakami

time traveller’s wife and her fearful symmetry by audrey niffeneger

the lovely bones by alice sebold

the perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky

me talk pretty one day by david sedaris

the little prince by antoine de saint-exupery

and embarrassingly — the twiligh series by stephenie meyer

and if books are not expensive (here in the PI they cost always above P300 which can already buy a person a decent meal), i would be glad to buy them every 2 weeks and just immerse myself in them — couped in my bed, surviving only with dark chocolate and water. but then, real life beckons and most things are easier said than done.

black top – thrifted from our manager’s garage sale | skinny jeans – chillypapa

headband with felt flower – props | beige patent pumps – shooz

rings: animal print and amber – props | grey leather bag – mongkok ladies market, hk

now, there’s something that have been put off for a while. i got an award from betz of her armoire and now i’m passing this to these ten amazing bloggers:

diana dye of color dye mode
sonya of so real
lexy of quirky explosion
tuesdai noelle of a reflection by tuesdai
rebecca of the clothes horse
issa of we wear things
jess of wild tortoise
louise of the f word online
diya of in her stilletos
tieka of selective potential

wishing everyone a great weekend! (sunday for the PI readers)