cebu bloggers – Girl Gone Cuckoo

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.

i support cervical cancer awareness

this post may be late but it is definitely still worth posting because cancer awareness doesn’t end when cancer awareness month ends. it should continue because we are in constant need of education. we humans, especially the Filipinos, are very guilty of delaying finding out the truth of what we’re physically feeling because we are afraid of having to hear bad news. we are afraid of being aware and afraid of what awareness might do to our minds. we are afraid until it is too late.

this experience has opened my eyes to the shocking statistics of cervical cancer in the Philippines and specifically to how it affects women. cervical cancer can develop in 10 to 20 years. that means, it can be contracted when we were young and only develop in our late thirties or forties. for more information about cervical cancer, get in touch with she matters.

sunstyle: summer skin and fashion fest

last March 16, Vaseline collaborated with Forever 21 and Zee Lifestyle Magazine for a summer skin and fashion fest held at SM Northwing. the event couldn’t have come at a better time because the sun has begun to be scorching hot and we definitely needed not just lighter and fashionable clothing but a way to moisturize our skin and protect us from the sun despite the heat.

the host, Karla Henry’s fabulous shoes!

one of my favorite looks from Forever 21’s spring/summer collection. i die for maxi skirts.

i’m more bohemian than grunge but i could definitely add that luscious leather vest to my floral staples.

the kid on the right is how i hope my kid would look like. isn’t she adorable?

the tie-dye maxi skirt and floral jeans! super chic!

another great look — the cutouts at the back of this top and those tribal-printed shorts are L.O.V.E. oh, she’s one of my favorite models too. shout out to AR!

totally love the look on the left, even when i’ve gained weight and cannot wear cropped tops anymore. LOL. the tribal-printed jeans on the right are pretty too!

ira jennena and toni pino

of all events that i opted not to wear heels, i was accompanied by two tall bloggers…LOL.

see? i knew i should’ve worn my heels. but these footzyfolds flats are so comfy!

yes! i shaved my head — another risk. i’m that bored! haha. so far, i love it. it gives me more character. it doesn’t make me think that i’m boring when i look at myself in the mirror. i might keep this for a while.

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.

the boys in my life

thankfully my mom’s visa to Australia got approved and she left on the first week of April to accompany my sister there for 6 months. after everything that has happened, my sister definitely needs all the support she can get.

it’s weird having no one else to talk to at home though, except Harry and my dad. i used to share a bedroom with my sister until she left and right when she did, i’d hang around in my mom’s room. thanks to Facetime though, i can still bug my mom and sister any time i want to but it’s not the same really.

so now, for 6 months i’ll be the lady of the house — looking after my dad and my Harry. i’ve been cooking for two Sundays now and am intent on doing so for the next Sundays to come. and on our Sunday afternoon visits, it will be just us three. a couple of hours of serenity with the afternoon sun and the sunsets right after.

ps. good thing both of them are very supportive of this blog. in fact, my dad was the one who suggested the location of these shots. (thanks Dad…<3)

blanc magazine online

on january 12, Cebu’s underground youth and stylistas gathered for the launching of blanc, an online magazine that chronicles the latest fashion, art, androgyny, culture and most importantly, street style of Cebu. according to blanc‘s editor-in-chief, josei ouano cuizon, the magazine started a year ago after a group of stylish friends were talking about what they wanted and didn’t want in a fashion magazine. well surely, after hours of talking, one of them may have strongly suggested that they start their own.

apart from Bloggers United 2, never have i attended an event where street style was so rich and prominent, i didn’t feel odd wearing an overly-colorblocked outfit. we were surrounded by strong individual styles and not with the usual identical body-con or bondage dresses. and with my CFB sisters there, even rain couldn’t stop us from having fun.

the fashion show of creations from a few of Cebu’s young designers

the amazing blanc magazine staff

cebu fashion bloggers in action — garbed in our distinct styles

here it is: the first official issue of blanc magazine with the queen of cebu, bee urgello, on the cover

for a lethal dose of underground fashion and art by Cebu’s youth, it is imperative that you:

♥ bookmark blanc magazine‘s website

♥ like the facebook page

♥ follow the magazine on twitter

http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v2/IssuuReader.swf

Open publication – Free publishing – More blanc

photos grabbed from:
toni of perfumed red shoes | jeemah of cupcakes and choices | gillian of by details
phil of the fourth kid | angeli of miss enthusiast

cebu fashion bloggers x parade of dresses

finally got to meet Cherie of Parade of Dresses ♥

i have always been in awe of Cherie’s blog and the style and photos it contains. the colorful and soft outfits, the breezy beach photos and the gorgeous afternoon sun are all elements of her blog that never cease to take my stress away. so you can imagine how excited i was, actually all of us, when she asked if it was okay to meet on january 7. in perfect timing, the meet-up was right after the maze event so even without sleep, i pushed myself to survive the night and survive i did. this is all to bond with the cebu fashion bloggers and of course, to meet the gorgeous Cherie. ♥

here the photos and i have to warn you, it’s really heavy. well, what do you expect when stylish people convene.

Cherie and her equally pretty sister — she’s still 17 and so cute!

jerrick, a young cebuano designer , whose necklace i covet and the gomez sisters — liezyl and chyrel

gillian in her tribal printed body con dress & ombre denim vest | mildred in her mixed print outfit & jaw-dropping leather skirt

chyrel in her ooh lala red jeans and sky-high booties | vanessa in her chic navy blazer & fun earrings

mildred and me | toni in her yummy fringe bag & gold glitter oxfords from shoe etiquette (me wants one)

chyrel, gillian, me and jerrick

mildred, eden, philip, chyrel & gillian

the super-talented wonder kid of our group, philip lapinid and me

me with the uber gorgeous toni in her pixie hair (doesn’t it suit her perfectly?)

group shot! the cebu fashion bloggers with Cherie and her sister

from the left: jerrick, eden, chyrel, cherie’s sister, cherie, me, jem and liezyl

the outfit:

my gecko ring, tassel earrings and woven cuffs

my hilariously high-maintenance fringe knit top — it was getting in everything i wore LOL

giraffe meets leopard — my giraffe printed wedge from shoe etiquette & mildred’s leopard wedges from F21

fringe knit top – primal rave wholesale | sheer printed maxi skirt – thrifted | giraffe-printed wedges – shoe etiquette | tassel earrings – DIY | woven cuff – downtown find | gecko ring – bangkok find | chain clutch – vintage from mom

photos courtesy of toni pino & mildred zapanta

the maze teen model search

in my resolution to be a better blogger, a Cebuana fashion blogger at that, by doing more posts, saying yes to more events and supporting the local fashion industry in any way i can, i said “yes” to Eden’s invite to attend as one of the guests for The Maze Teen Image Model Search which was held at the Ayala Activity Center last January 7, 2012.

Maze, which coincidentally is where my sister’s retail shop Props is located, is a one-stop hip shop in Ayala Cebu where one can find every fashionista’s needs, from chic dresses & accessories and even tech gadgets.

the cebu fashion bloggers on front row

i gotta’ hand it to yves camingue for the styling in this segment of the show. tribal prints overload, layered on each other — i drool! i was literally bouncing in my seat!

the fans were the funnest part of the search — they went crazy for their model bets!

the talented hosts, eden and mark in their costume changes — of course styled by yves. turquoise is the peg for the night and i love it!

the lovely ladies in their gowns designed by Cebu’s Young Designers and wearing shoes by Shandar

my favorite in the search — she was chic, she had potential and best of all, she tripped so many times in this dress and even fell but she picked herself up and forged ahead. ♥

kudos goes to the Carolyn Tan, the CEO of Hype Management and Development Corp., for donating P15,000 to Clothes for Life — an association of fashion designers spearheaded by Cary Santiago and Wendell Quisido and supports several beneficiaries, including the Little Lamb Children’s Center (source: http://www.everythingcebu.com/sidebar-photoblog/queen-of-cebu-2010/)

and the winners are…

naomi grace and john paul

congratulations!

freeman feature x the humanizer

on the day we left for Manila to attend the Bloggers United 2 event, Freeman released a feature of us, the Cebu bloggers attending the event, written by Kristine Roa (online article here). the miracle it took for us to get a copy of this article was so funny because Mildred and Alexa literally had to steal this page from a coffee shop at the airport. some photos used on the article were submitted by the bloggers who were not able to do the photo shoot with us the week prior. as for some of us, we did an afternoon shoot with Rolan Icban, the humanizer.

i have to say, it was really fun doing the shoot with the girls and Roland. as talkative as i am with my friends but i don’t do well with strangers because i tend do be too shy but Roland knew how to direct our poses and amazingly captured the light in all of our photos. i definitely look forward to getting another chance to do a shoot with the humanizer.

printed vintage dress – thrifted | black tights – sm department store | black lace-up booties – parisian, sm department store | black floppy hat – shopyapi.com | bangles & rings – downtown finds

gillian uang ♥ vanessa east ♥ eden villarba ♥ gizelle sembrano

we ♥ the humanizer!

bloggers united 2: the amazing day that was

last May, as Bloggers United took place, all i can do was hold on to my iPod and check real-time updates of the bloggers who were participating and check their posts days later to continue to stalk even more — i think i drooled a bit too. this December, i drooled but i was there. (yeah baby!) and it was one of the funnest, exhilarating and exhausting yet most memorable event of my year. after months of stalking the fabulous Manila bloggers, i finally got to meet them in person. since it was a one-time event, i took my shyness aside and got the courage to smile at people i don’t personally know and it was just amazing to have met new friends. *crossing fingers* i do hope we’re still invited on the next Bloggers United event. even if we haven’t left Manila, we were all already thinking of what to do the next time. ♥

our space. our label. the CFB representatives. ♥

mildred and i were one of the firsts to arrive. those are our luggages that we almost carried through the long flight of stairs. good thing a kind guy helped us carry them.

our clothes for sale on the table. we didn’t have clothes racks but we had no regrets. people flocked to our booth because ours looked un-intimidating? i don’t know but we’re just glad we sold a lot of items.

the long line of bloggers united attendees…whoot! ♥

the cebu fashion bloggers with the gorgeous bloggers united organizers and founders, Melai and Aisa.
(we should have waited for Ana too)

with my sunshine and most supportive friend — pyangee

wrapping up! all the clothes we had unsold were donated to GMA Kapuso ♥

time for outfit shots!

eden villarba of chic in the tropics

alexa en tan luna of i am alexa

vanessa east of the detritus of an earthbound goddess

moi — looking very sleepy and more haggard without make-up..LOL.

mildred zapanta of dred reveries — she was also my roommate and we had loads of fun!

color blocked arrival | manila trip day 1

photos courtesy of Mildred and Eden

green maxi skirt – thrifted | denim jacket – borrowed from Aimee | white tank top – thrifted | blue and white striped flats – bangkok find | necklaces – vintage & bangkok find

these photos were taken upon our arrival at Manila on December 2, 2011 to join the Bloggers United 2. is it obvious that i haven’t slept for 24 hours and that what was keeping me alive was a bottle of energy drink and my excitement for the event?

i love how we all traveled and went through the hassle of airport security in not just any casual outfit but something that was what we called our own version of comfort and style. i also loved that we came garbed in our own distinct styles — with me turning to my fail safe maxi skirt, white tank top and long necklace, Alexa in her cool sleeveless top and tulip skirt, Mildred in her bright blazer and denim cut-offs and of course, Eden in her grunged up sweater and studded cut-offs. i’ve never traveled with so many stares before because not only were people staring at me for wearing such a bright colored skirt and fuchsia lipstick but at my fabulous companions as well.

well, we’ve been joking about blogging about our Manila trip for days on end (maybe in a span of 2 weeks, right Van?) but maybe it just might happen. LOL. hold on to your seats for my post on the actual day of the Blogger’s United 2 event and on our 3rd day in Manila. ♥

Cebu Fashion Bloggers: Starting a Community

inspired by recent get-together that the Manila bloggers had just a few weeks ago, we decided to get our asses moving and actually build a community here in Cebu. the brainchild of this whole event, Eden Villarba of Chic in the Tropics and i contacted everyone we could possible know who blogs about fashion and personal style and planned an intimate dinner, where everyone can get acquainted. the venue was at Veranda, in Park Mall and the night ended with of course, lots and lots of photos. we missed a few people though and we really do hope they could join us next time.

Toni Pino of Perfumed Red Shoes, as pretty as ever. my style muse for Shopyapi.com who’s leaving for Cali in a couple of days. i’m happy for her but now i have to look for another model. lol.

the amazing Pino sisters with their equally amazing necklaces. i die!

(left-right) Gillian Uang of Detail by Details, Eden Villarba of Chic in the Tropics, yours truly, Issa of Little Black Sheep Fashion and Vanessa East of Being Miss East

Eden and her blazin’ red hair!

Me and Lyka Raagas of Crazy/Beautiful. we’ve been friends since 2006 actually so it was awesome to have someone i knew that long, that night.

Maan Cajipe and Liezyl Gomez of The Red Diary

Check out Neil San Pedro’s awesome skull ring that he personally customized and hand-carved!

Gillian Uang and Neil San Pedro of NFBlogs

Gillian Uang, Vanessa East and Me

this photo was supposed to be a candid one but Eden’s camera’s flash kept flickering that we got conscious. lol.

the very pretty Vanessa East

Eden Villarba and Me

the gang! Philip Lapinid of Fashion Toy Gun, Eden Villarba, Yves Camingue of Yvestyle, Toni Pino, Lyka Raagas, Me, Maan Cajipe, Liezyl Gomez and Vanessa East

Lyka Raagas, Me, Maan Cajipe, Toni Pino, Liezyl Gomez and Andrew Sincgo of Non-Active Euthanasia (who just recently jumped on the blogging wagon)

printed sheer top – thrifted

black layered electro-pleated skirt – thrifted

studded open-toe wedges – ebay find

cerulean blue belt – shopyapi.com

teal clutch bag – borrowed from sister

cutout cuffs – shopyapi.com

tassel earrings – DIY