bohemian – Girl Gone Cuckoo

Tis’ the Season

Truth be told, I’ve got more backlogs than I can imagine {both in this blog and my Cuckoo blog} and I have so much to do that I don’t know where to start.

But today was a very good day and naturally, when you’ve had a good day, excitement is to the brim. It’s been one of those good ones where you realize and feel that really, everything will be alright. And honestly, it’s been a while. My days have been chaotic and rushed and overwhelming that it’s been a while that I’ve taken a break and just spent time with family and a little time with myself. Sure, I injected a bit of work today but panic did not ensue. There were no small dramas. Maybe, I’ll accept panic tomorrow {we have our last wedding to style on the 28th!} For now, I’ll cherish this day.

Cebu Fashion Bloggers Girl Gone Cuckoo Vanilla Ice Cream Gizelle Faye Dec 2015 OOTD-15 — white button-down shirt – thrifted | printed skirt – thrifted | wide-brimmed hat – cotton on | camel backpack – forever 21 | tan brogues – forever 21 | watch – aldo accessories | matte lip cream – australis, velour lips

The most important reason why today was a good day? I got to spend time with Harry and Maddy. Family is and will always be one giant happy pill. From us, the Honeybees to you:

“Happy Holidays! We wish that you’ve had more good days this season despite the rush and we hope you’ll have a wonderful year ahead! “

maternity diary: what do i wear?

Every girl’s dilemma before going out of the house is this: “I don’t have anything to wear.” Would you agree? Well at least that was the case for me. I’d say this everytime I’d open my closet to which my husband would reply with a snort. I’d roll my eyes at him and he’d point out his smaller clost compared to mine.

I’ve always leaned towards loose clothes and layer them for a hippie chic look. Whenever I wore form fitting clothes though, I’d always pair it with something flowy or loose. When I got pregnant and my tummy got bigger, most of my style philosophies went out the window. And that what to wear dilemma happened daily.

The 1st Trimester
For me this was the most challenging of all. My body has just started changing and the little bump developing looked like extra tummy fat (hihi). My hips have become wider which I really wasn’t used to because I had really narrow hips. My shorts didn’t fit me anymore and I couldn’t really wear form-fitting tops. I hoarded pajama pants which turned out to not just be flattering but were also very comfortable with its cotton material. I wore looser knit tops over my pajama pants or cotton leggings. Of course, my maxi dresses which I consider wardrobe staples stayed loyal to me all throughout my pregnancy.

The 2nd Trimester – 3rd Trimester
Around the 5th month, my tummy was more pronounced. My pajama pants wouldn’t fit anymore as my legs have grown bigger too. I didn’t want to buy maternity clothes because frankly the ones in malls are not so fashionable and I didn’t want to spend money for clothes I won’t use all throughout the year. All my skirts were meant to be worn on the waist. So what to do?

I wore my maxi and midi skirts over my tummy. And to create shape and not look like a big cloud of clothes, I tied my shirts over the skirt waist.
I wore my husband’s work shirts (haha!) over simple black cotton leggings. This automatically became my errand outfit.
I banked on my maxi dresses and wore them to death — as in I’d wear them right after they’d come from laundry.
Shift dresses that used to be below the knee are now above the knee because of my tummy.
I wasn’t afraid to wear form-fitting dresses because how many times can I get pregnant and flaunt a beautiful tummy? Thus, the 2nd set of maternity session with Blinkbox Photos below. ♥

Note: More photos of maternity outfits below the series.

neutral floral chiffon dress, max mara (worn with a nude-hued slip dress) | army green parka, thrifted | leopard print combat boots, doc martens (gifted from sister) | necklaces, bracelets and statement ring, vintage stores and forever 21

“maternity session taken at 35 weeks” photography by Blinkbox Photos | hair & make-up by Suzaine Christi Smith

A few of my outfits while pregnant:

the good kind of blurry days

i am going to use “throwback thursday” as an excuse for my delinquency because really, it’s been a year since this outfit shot was taken. i did still have long, ombre hair but i am still wearing my favorite black booties.

i count my months by how many weddings or engagement sessions i style now. i label my months as the wedding season (may, june, december, january) or as the ghost month (august) and before i know it, the year has ended. it really is different living an artist’s life. the days are a blur but it’s the good kind.

contemplating on staying forever ~ boracay day three

day three of our beach bumming and beer drinking honeymoon vacation in Boracay. we woke up early enough to have breakfast at the resort then immediately proceeded to spend the whole day by the beach. i wish all days can be spent near the water, with the water splashing and i’m just lounging with a book and good music. if only. seriously, on our way home, Harry and i were contemplating staying here for a while and were imagining ourselves getting just about any job we can find in the island and live a simpler life together. *sigh*

the major peril when traveling with just the two of us is that we don’t get to take photos together. we didn’t bring a tripod and only brought an SLR with a 50mm lens, not a digital camera so it was even more difficult to take photos of ourselves. it took us 3 days to attempt to take photos on a timer and we ended up with a series of blurry photos and my iTouch getting dumped in the sand. thank you to the korean guy who took pity on us and volunteered to take our photo. LOL.

look back once then move forward x cheers to 2013!

i’m in a bit of a panic here because not only is it another month, it’s another year and i’m still catching up with posts from december 2012. so i better hurry up then!

but before i proceed with my catch-up posts, here’s a quick look back into my 2012:

my favorite looks

it’s on this year that i have found a sense of style that is true to myself. over the last 3 years since i started my blog, i’ve been experimenting with various looks. this year, i’ve been more picky with my closet items when i shop and only get the ones that truly represent who i am.

falling in love all over again

i was civilly married last year however, it was only this year that Harry and i started planning for our Church wedding. we had our engagement session shot by the amazing Marlon Capuyan and it felt like day one with Harry all over again.

how i took the risk and chose my passion

i may have spoken about resigning in October and choosing to do what i love but i don’t think i’ve discussed in detail what i actually do for a living now. my friend April and I launched Cuckoo Cloud Concepts back in October and as Harry would say it, “We’ve gone Cuckoo!”

cuckoo cloud concepts cebu wedding stylist cebu engagement session cebu wedding

Cuckoo Cloud Concepts specializes in styling and set design for engagement sessions that have a fun and quirky vibe. we love couples who’d like to tell a story with their engagement session and want to make a fun memory of their love story. we also style weddings for couples who want handmade elements in their wedding. so far, things have been unexpectedly good. we’re still starting a bit slow but there has been a lot of potential and upcoming opportunities. we are especially thankful for Marlon and Mildred for their support — as they’ve been there for us since the start. of course, our Mr. Cuckoos have been our number one fans. here are some of the work we’ve done — and you can check out our website and Facebook page for more details:

what i did, resigning from a high-paying corporate job, is a great risk. honestly, i don’t have money to spend for personal stuff right now and my money is enough for day-by-day expenses but that’s okay. i’ve realized you have to undergo a bit of sacrifice to pursue something you love. i love fashion that’s why i have this blog but i’m also happy that i get to do a bit of that for the couples in their shoots. i’ve dipped my hands into DIY-ing again and it feels good knowing that i can create something beautiful with my hands. of course, i love weddings. am in love with weddings which makes this job all the more fun. so —

“hi, i’m gizelle. former sales and call center manager. now a happy stylist and set designer for Cuckoo Cloud Concepts. nice to meet you!” ♥

experienced Bloggers United twice!

a look back in words

in words, my twenty-twelve has been a roller coaster. it started really dark what with the tragedy my family experienced in january. we slowly had to move on from it to support my sister and i underwent hell at work, all while preparing for my wedding. i lost weight because i could only eat once a day due to work stress and my personal life almost faltered. but in the end, everything turned out well. the choices we make mold our lives to what we what we want them to be in the end. on December 22, i got married in front of God and our families in my dream bohemian wedding gown and to the love of my life, Harry. (and if some of you are wondering, i’m 28. not 22 so yes, it’s the right time for me get married. haha!)

happy new year everyone!
here’s a year of fashion brilliance (or mistakes) and hopefully a whole wall of beautiful shoes by the end of year.

boho chic on the down low

i’ve been wearing more flats lately and they’ve invaded two-thirds of my shoe rack. there’s something about cute ballet flats that i can’t resist. if not for the non-existent cash in my wallet, i would’ve gone ahead and bought myself two more pairs at the department store early today. sometimes, not carrying cash is a good thing.

these wide-legged palazzos are very tricky to wear. they’re very comfortable but the wrong styling can make you look like a balloon. do you think i styled it well? you, how would you style a pair of palazzos?

i also blogged over at www.everydaysundaes.com — a style blog i share with my two sisters. ♥

close your eyes and dive

…i’ve always been a risk-taker of some sort. although i’m ironically afraid of failure but i’ve had so many instances in my life where i’ve leaned on my instincts, followed my emotions and jumped the gun. usually these instances turn out for the best. sometimes, they don’t but they never come with utter regrets because regrets hurt most when you didn’t take chance, don’t you think?

i am about to embark on another chapter in my life. a scary yet exciting venture that draws on my passion and the love of arts. this seems familiar but this time i somehow know where i’m going. only a few more days to go and i’ll be living the boho life.

P.S. i promise to tell you guys more about this venture — for now, i’m making sure technicalities are set and i still have enough to pay the bills. that’s life for you right there — the arts doesn’t necessarily pay the bills. at least not at the beginning. i hope that you guys pray for our success though. we badly need all the prayers we can get. ♥

no to dress codes

one of the perks of working in a design company is the freedom to dress in what we’re comfortable in, the freedom to express ourselves. of course, partial nudity is not allowed — that would be insane as we have to meet clients..haha! but still, we don’t have to wear rigid business casual clothes like blazers, non-denim trousers but can wear clothes with breathable materials and even shorts. breathable clothes are really important these days because as summer arrives, so does the scorching heat. scorching meaning there is not a cold moment inside my air-conditioned car in the 15-minute drive i make to work to every morning. the heat is ridiculous and it will become more insane as summer deepens.

printed tunic – mom’s closet (thrifted)

denim shorts – props

studded wedge booties – shopyapi.com

layered necklaces – carbon finds

brass oversized carved cuff – shopyapi.com

rings: armor ring | oversized blue stone – carbon finds

i want to thank everyone for checking out my shop: www.shopyapi.com especially to the ones who’ve already purchased a few items. the shop can be overwhelming but deciding on what to purchase isn’t too difficult as the shop has a ‘shop outfits’ page where you can check out how an item can be styled. every item also has a styling suggestion — just to give you a picture of how you can rock that Yapi item.

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channeling 60’s woodstock

(the mini burgers are the sampler ones of flame it’s awesome grilled burgers. cream cheese + garlic, garlic mayo, bacon mushroom and cheese and chili con carne = LOVE)

i just can’t stop wearing this vest! haha. wearing my beloved fringe vest with this floral tiered dress made me feel like i belong in a 60’s woodstock concert but in a conservative way. i should dress this way more often as it’s liberating in the sense that i was able to channel an era of new and radical events and trends. ‘The Sixties’ was an era where social taboos were relaxed, there was an excess in flamboyance and where people simply freed themselves of social constraint. the constant swinging of the fringes on my vest and the last tier of my dress also helped with the liberating feeling.(kidding)

hmmm, so how’s my life been in the last few days? i’ve been utterly busy, it’s sometimes no longer funny because i’ve been late for work almost everyday. i’ve been sleeping until 3:00 AM everyday, not only taking care of our wholesale business (which is situated at home, taking over my sister’s old room) but most importantly preparing for www.shopyapi.com. i’ve prepared 43 tops, dresses, skirts, shorts and trousers; 5 bags, 8 pairs of shoes, 8 kinds of belts and 3 kinds of swimsuits for the shop.

floral tiered dress – bangkok find

fringe vest – bangkok find

turquoise belt – robinson’s dept store, dumaguete

tan bag – parisian, sm dept store

blue embellished sandals – bangkok find

cross necklace – custom made by sister

morbidly chic

i’ve been coveting this Alexandar McQueen-inspired bag since last year when i first saw them in the Chatuchak market in Bangkok. i didn’t get the chance to buy them though because they were selling them at a despicably high price for an imitation bag. i go to lengths to get the items i want but not for a steep price. my patience did me good because on our trip last February, i finally found one being sold at half the price it was originally sold at last year. it’s boho-shaped with a number of skull studs and a dash of fringe — what more can i ask for? incidentally, my favorite grey bag i bought from Hongkong died on me so i have another good reason to buy a new grey bag.

on another note, our internet at home is still erratic and i’m seriously considering disconnecting from Smart, our provider. it’s only now that we’ve had this issue though but it’s been 2 weeks and they still haven’t fixed it. i think it’s our location, specifically because i tried bringing our wifi router to our office and the connection was working fine. i hope you all still hang tight for posts from me. i really do apologize for not having blogged much these days and not replying to your comments. i’m doing the best i can to work around this issue so yeah, i’m sneaking in a post while on my lunch here at the office.

my prayers go out to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. may God give you comfort amidst the chaos and strength to survive the aftermath.

ps. i laud Japan though for being well-prepared for the 8.9 earthquake. if it happened here in the Philippines (God, i hope not), we all would have been erradicated. our infrastructures are just not engineered and built to survive earthquakes, nor is our government for that matter.

pale blue dress – thrifted

knitted pink shawl – thrifted

grey skull-studded boho bag – bangkok find

layered chain necklace | letter necklace – carbon finds

stacks of silver bangles – carbon finds

elephant ring – carbon find

coral red ellipse ring – bangkok find

oversize silver flower ring – forever 21, gifted by Sweet of pens and lens

blog full of introductions

first introduction: yes, $2 dresses are cool..but hey, i live in the Philippines and $2 is still PHP90 and that can already buy someone a meal. so i present to you my PHP10 dress. something i scoured from our local market trip months ago. it needed a bit of fixing as the neckline’s threads were loose but with the help of basic sewing skills learned from years in an all-girls school, i managed to sew the neckline back. aside from the dress being multi-colored and floral, my most favorite part is that it’s a tent dress and can be adjusted using the thin strings attached on it. forgiving. very forgiving — especially for a girl who has gained so much weight from the two trips she’s been on..haha!

second introduction: F-R-I-N-G-E! i need it in my life right now. every time i say that when we were shopping in Bangkok, my mom and sister would laugh and roll their eyes. oh well, i’m shallow like that. since i couldn’t find a fringe bag, i settled for this awesome vest instead. oooh, i’m so excited to pair this with floral and printed sun dresses and maxi skirts and swimsuits. summer is here!

third introduction: my gecko ring. my gecko love. my sister was baffled at how i can love such weird accessories as last year, i also went ballistic over my fox ring but for me, the weirder the better. i’ve been finding reasons to wear this for days now and i’ve been finding myself just staring at it, even over a stop light as i’m driving and imagining that it’s a real gecko on my finger. yes, i’m weird like that too. *smirk*

ps. i threatened to disconnect my internet connection and when i got home from the service center, my internet suddenly worked fine.tsk tsk. hope this is the fix they promised.

floral dress – thrifted

fringe vest – platinum mall, bangkok

nude suede wedge booties – gold dot

layered coin necklace – platinum mall, bangkok

layered chain necklace – carbon find

stacks of bangles – carbon finds

gecko ring | turquoise ring – platinum mall, bangkok

leopard ring – carbon find

orange howlite ring – dane’s giveaway win

boho femme

trend or not, in season or not at all, i always love the feminine boho chic style. i am enchanted by the prints, enthralled by the flow and layer of fabrics and charmed by the piles of accessories. other than my necklaces, rings and bangles, i have quite a collection of scarves even when i didn’t have much use for them back when i was in school. people would stare if i wear them on my head. i once wrapped my entire head with a scarf while i was being admitted to the hospital when i had really high fever and i found myself rumored to have cancer and under chemotherapy. sad but true — most people here cannot understand some of my fashion sensibilities. i continue to defy them though and wear my scarves out despite people’s stares. i guess that is what fashion is sometimes about, a risk of being stared at. the only consolation is the attention — positive or not.

speaking of bohemian fashion, here’s a great online shop you can visit — the House of Isla. the designer is based in Baguio and she has the most amazing pieces — true to the heart of a bohemian.

anyway, it would be our third day here in Bangkok and i would expect to have shopped my feet to death. it’s a Sunday and i am hoping to meet Sweet of Pens and Lens. will do a post about more of my BKK adventures when i get back. ♥

denim tunic – mom’s closet

white shorts – props

nude cage heels – parisian, sm dept store (on sale at PHP600)

green printed scarf as turban – thrifted

oversized white braided belt – pratunam, bangkok

necklaces: clustered bells – pratunam, bangkok | clustered charms – carbon find

rings: boho armor ring | alligator ring | blue stone ring – carbon finds

brass cuff – carbon find