cebuana style – Page 16 – Gizelle Faye Creative Studio

back to the grind

after every adventure, i know i must snap myself back to reality. responsibilities await and i have to work my ass off to be able to travel and of course, shop excessively again. i never thought i would say this but after that 5-day shopping stint in Bangkok, i have to admit that i found myself to be such a shopaholic.

it’s a holiday in the Philippines today as we celebrate the end of Ramadan. although i’m a Christian, our country does consist of a significant percentage of Muslim people and respecting that is one good step to attaining peace here. anyway, i was totally preparing myself to write the articles that have been waiting for me since i arrived but after 5 hours in front of the computer, i just couldn’t bring myself to do so. don’t get me wrong, i love writing but i’ve sort of been drained of motivation to write. writing these articles would mean extra moolah for me and i don’t understand why i can’t just write a few 300-word articles. (you need to set your priorities, Gizelle!)

floral shirt dress – mom’s closet

leopard-printed flats – parisian, sm dept store

brown braided belt – borrowed from sis

brown bag – platinum mall, bangkok

wooden bangles: brown and green – raw materials store, cebu

stone rings: teal stone and burnt orange – props

elephant necklace – carbon find

just a quick update on my recent job switch: i am still very much loving it but am slowly pressured on how else i am going to get more clients for Drawingboard Creative Studios. i guess that’s how it’s always going to be in the field of sales and marketing. and while we’re mentioning my company, might as well promote it a little here. better yet, let’s get the version one of the Drawingboard portfolio to do the talking:

http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf

Open publication – Free publishing – More marketing

bangkok tales episode six: i wish we can stay longer…

so it’s out last day. with the visit to safari world, i am utterly torn between loving elephants or giraffes! giraffes are just gorgeous…i love their eyes and how amazing their print is. i love that they have somehow evolved long necks to survive and adapt to the changing world. i once saw a discovery channel feature on crescent island in africa which made me cry and made me long to see a giraffe…so i don’t know, i’m torn. (listen to me talking like crazy here…haha!)

overall, bangkok was a blast —- the shopping there is the best! and the food, my gosh, is just incredible. what i didn’t like though was the terrible traffic and the very humid and hot weather.there were some family drama that went on but it was still all worth it. i cannot wait to go back to bangkok and do more serious shopping! no more tours, just SHOPPING.

ps. the double belts was a crazy idea that didn’t turn out too well, i know. armand wanted to take off his brown belt (mine was tan) and i wanted to try and wear both of them.

striped tee with sequined pocket – platinum mall, bangkok

polka dot shorts – pratunam, bangkok

woven oversized hat – khaosan road, bangkok

grey espadrilles – carcar, cebu

black bag – nine west

on the last 2 days in bangkok, i shopped for…A GIVEAWAY!

before the last heave of the loot i found in bangkok and yes, before the giveaway, a few items for sale:

an over-sized bag (just the way i like) made with faux black leather. the insides is lined with black faux leather too so it is very durable. it can carry anything and you can even use it as an overnight bag.
a couple of printed shirts with cool animal patches. i found this right on the last shopping day. i bought 3 and had to share the other 2 even when i wanted to keep them all. this is perfect for the casual laid-back days that we all have. (admit it, you do have a shirt + shorts + flats day)

For local readers outside Cebu, standard shipping fee is P150. If you purchase more than 2 items, shipping fee is for free. Payment accepted is through PayPal, Gcash or direct deposit to my BPI account.

For Cebu readers, I can do meet-ups or you can pick the item up at Drawingboard. E-mail me so I can give you my mobile number and the directions to the Drawingboard office.

For international readers, standard shipping fee is $15. Payment is accepted only through PayPal.

now on the shopping loot:

i cannot wait to go back and shop shop SHOP! and finally….

for my 314 followers — for the patience in reading my ramblings and nonsense. for the continued interest in Vanilla Ice Cream. for my new readers and followers. for all of you guys — a giveaway.

just a gesture of my gratitude for helping me keep this blog alive. here’s how to enter:

you must be a follower of Vanilla Ice Cream (you’re not? follow me on Bloglovin’ or Google Connect now!) — make sure to indicate in your comment where you followed me.
ask me any question (sane questions would be greatly appreciated) or a fashion challenge you’d like me to do
leave your full name and e-mail address (or the link to your own blog)

for additional entries (make sure to leave a comment for each):

‘Like’ the Vanilla Ice Cream’s Facebook page — there’s another giveaway there too!
spread the word —- post a link of the giveaway on your own blog
tweet about the giveaway! (on twitter of course, where else? LOL)

giveaway is open to local and international readers and the winner will be picked on September 24, 2010.

bangkok tales episode five: buddha maxi overload

due to the pressure of Thailand buddha temples’ dress codes, we had to overly prepare for this just to make sure we get to see all the temples planned for the day. the dress code says to not wear shorts or fitted jeans (it’s too humid to wear jeans anyway), no short skirts or mini-skirts, no sleeveless tops and no slip-ons for shoes. well, if we have to wear such conservative clothes then we might as well have to dress it up right? and dress up we did. this has got to be my most fave outfit during the trip — mainly because i did get to wear layers, accessories and a studded belt.

we had a super funny and green tour guide for the day. everyone called her ms. bangkok and we thought it was a joke until she introduced herself to be ms. bangkok 20 years ago. my favorite line from her right at the start of the trip? “if you have questions, you can ask me anything just not my body…” LOL.

i wanted to tell you about all the temples we visited but then i’ll just let the photos do the talking.

on aimee: black and white striped maxi dress – props | blue cardigan – pratunam find | white fedora – pratunam find | black faux leather bag – sm dept store | black sandals – night market find

final and huge shopping post tomorrow! check back for two items for sale and a giveaway!

on the third day in bangkok, i shopped…

…ANIMAL PRINTS, a very functional and chic bag and lots of accessories! it takes really good bargaining skills to catch great find in Chatuchak. the shop owners know a lot of tourists flock to the weekend market so they naturally start with steep prices. as much as possible, as with any market, try to bargain for half the given price and the seller will meet you halfway or mostly agree with you if they really want to sell the item. what i have discovered in Mongkok, Hongkong is that when you walk out and pretend that the item is not worth it for the price, the seller will come after you and settle with your bargaining price. in Bangkok though, sellers won’t go after you and will even get mad if you haggle and not buy the item so make sure you’re sure of what you’re actually buying.

the blue leopard print dress with the lace turtle neck has a lime green version too. i really love this dress as it is perfect for date night with the boyfriend or hubby or even for a dinner out with your girlfriends! no need to wear a necklace with this dress as the laced chest will definitely be the focal point. just add a pair of studded earrings, maybe a couple of cocktail rings and black heels. can be paired with black sheer tights too. PHP 500 only! (that’s only $12!)

For Cebu readers, I can do meet-ups or you can pick the item up at Drawingboard. E-mail me so I can give you my mobile number and the directions to the Drawingboard.

For international readers, standard shipping fee is $15. Payment accepted is only through PayPal.

E-mail me if you’re interested at gizellefaye@yahoo.com.

I may be boring some of you with the daily Bangkok posts. Two more days of our Bangkok adventure and at the end of this, a giveaway may be announced for all of my gorgeous readers!

bangkok tales episode four: chatuchak weekend market

entering the chatuchak weekend market is like entering a maze of goodness. the market has layers of lines of shops that go around a tower. once you enter the market and see something you want to buy, it is suggested that you buy it and not say you’ll get back to it because chances are, you will forget where the shop was or you won’t have time to go back once you’ve finished scouring the whole market. with that advice in mind, the 10 of us went off in pairs so we won’t have to wait for each other and scattered all over the market. we decided to meet at one spot, which at one point or another i thought it was impossible to go back. good thing my dad found a good landmark to guide our direction.

the market sells clothes, shoes, accessories, bags, lots of cool shirts, make-up, gift materials, fabric, food, housewares, native raw materials, cellphone and mp3 player accessories and even pet supplies (even pets — i saw a really cute beagle puppy!). i was just completely overwhelmed in chatuchak and my wallet got overwhelmed too. i left 1500 Baht lesser and my feet hurt like hell — as if my heels were about to explode. oh i wish i can go back.

printed cotton dress – thrifted

beige shorts underneath my dress – thrifted

blue espadrilles – carcar find

green wide-brimmed hat – khaosan road find

black bag – nine west

by the way, twisted halo is giving away a pair of camera necklaces that are just so adorable!

the giveaway is open to Philippine readers only though but nevertheless, check out her blog here.

on the second day in bangkok, i shopped…

the black and white shorts is mine. only the top is for sale.

…SHORTS! and a handful of graphic tees and lace-detailed tops. I wanted to keep all the lace tops for myself, as well as the peach culottes that are sooo adorable but I have to learn from Melai of Style and Soul —- always learn to let go for business. Her online store is doing so well and I am really proud of her. I am so glad though that I found a pair of zig-zag edged shorts (I wish there were scalloped shorts too.)

I know, I should have worn the items and taken photos of myself but rest assured all of the items fit me. I am expecting a few questions on the dimensions of the lace top and the shorts so here they are:

Lace-detailed Top (Off-White and Black):

Length from Back Neckline – 27.5 inches
Depth of the Back Neckline Scoop (of Lace) – 10 inches

Peach Culottes (Shorts)

Back is garterized
Waistline as is: 24 inches
Waistine with garter stretched: 28 inches
Length of Shorts: 11 inches

For Cebu readers, I can do meet-ups or you can pick the item up at Drawingboard or Props at Maze.

For international readers, standard shipping fee is $15. Payment accepted is only through PayPal.

E-mail me if you’re interested at gizellefaye@yahoo.com.

There are 4 more items up for sale so better check back on my blog. A giveaway might also be announced within this week!

for now, my good friend Sweet of Pens and Lenss is giving away a Samsung phone. Do check out her blog!

bangkok tales episode three: a dream come true

when we were planning our trip to Bangkok 5 months prior, one of my wishes was to ride, hold and feed an elephant. it came true on our second day in Bangkok! right after the floating market, we visited a place where we can ride an elephant for 30-40 minutes for only 600 Baht. our elephant’s name was Nhuong Nuon and she’s 25 years old. she’s really sweet, kind and didn’t give a fuss at all. she made the ride worth while because she kept stopping to pull out grass to eat and had to poo-poo 3 times! LOL. our elephant driver was really kind too as he got off Nhuong Nuon and volunteered to take photos of us while Nhuong Nuon followed him. i had the time of my life on that 30-minute ride!

we also dropped by Samphram Zoo to watch an elephant show — which was equally fun as well as the elephants were sooo adorable! one young elephant wouldn’t stop dancing, bouncing his head and wagging his right leg every time there’s music. at the end of the show, the elephants lined up and we had the chance to feed them. of course, i immediately jumped at the chance too! other than the elephant show, we also fed a line (or bunch) of crocodiles with chicken meat and took a picture with two tigers! oh how i love animals!

the day ended with scrumptious and cheap thailand street food — coconut and corn fried dumplings, sesame pork (my fave!) and grilled pork & fish balls. we also hung out across the nearby 7 eleven for a bottle of drinks — bacardi for aimee and me and singha beer for the rest.

shopping post tomorrow — 3 items for sale so do check it out!

bangkok tales episode two: floating market

a kind note to all: this is going to be a picture-heavy post so you’re patience is greatly appreciated.

photos are a combination of my canon sx20 and armand’s nikon d5000.

the floating market is part one of the second day in bangkok.

i can’t believe that even in Bangkok, we practiced the so-called ‘Filipino’ time. Filipinos are notorious for being late and this day was not an exception. room 2042 woke up 30 minutes prior to the schedule meet-up because instead of pressing snooze on their alarms, they turned it off. so naturally, at 15 minutes late, we had to enter the van with embarrassed faces as our tour mates might have been slightly pissed off.

we were brought to the floating market by a long speed boat which passed by several houses by the river. it was interesting to note how the rivers has served as the community’s passage way and how their livelihood has adapted to their location. it was really surprising (well, shocking) to see one lady washing their dishes on the mossy river water. we all opted to think that the water is full of nutrients that it is actually healthy to wash their dishes, fruits and vegetables there. *crossing fingers*

the boat ride cost 100 Baht and it was basically just so we can experience riding in the long wooden boats that they use to travel through the market. old ladies who were surprisingly still strong were manning these boats, including our own boat. you can find anything there from noodle boats where you can actually eat the noodles they cook in the boats, boats with fruits, vegetables, flowers, accessories, hats and even house ornaments. the boats travel slowly through the market and even bumped into each, naturally as if they’re not afraid of it breaking. i have to say the floating market is one surreal and different experience.

on me: white boho top with lace detail – thrifted | black shorts – maldita | grey espadrilles – carcar find | straw hat – khaosan road find | black handbag – nine west (you might notice i am lacking my usual bangles and necklaces — i was expecting to be shopping accessories on the 1st day but they turned out to be more expensive than expected)

i wish i can tell you what kitoy and armand wore but sadly, i missed asking them outfit details.

on the first day in bangkok, i shopped…

our hotel is luckily situated beside pratunam, the wholesale shopping haven in bangkok. all kinds of vendors are selling at the side of the streets too so you can imagine my amazement at seeing all the shopping possibilities.

the striped briefcase bag, regardless of how cute i find it to be, i am selling because i realized i no longer work in a corporate office and will not be bringing papers anytime soon. i would love to put my laptop in it but i have yet to purchase my own laptop too…haha! i guess you could say this was an impulse buy which i’m very glad to share with all of you.

*shipping fee not included in the price so if you’re interested, e-mail me your location and we can discuss your shipping fee. for local readers, payment is accepted through paypal and gcash

*for international readers, standard shipping fee to U.S. and Canada is $15. payment is accepted through paypal only.

more items for sale will be posted soon. so if you want the bag, maybe you’ll find something to match it with. *wink*

oh and before i forget, Fashionista Fortune Cookie is giving away Ichigo Oxford Shoes that are just to die for! Check it out!

bangkok tales episode one: khaosan road + tuktuk

before i start telling you about our first adventure in Bangkok, i have to say it is really really (i need to add one more) really humid here. stepping out of an air-conditioned building is such a surprise because your face gets easily warm and you’re just suddenly hit with this unexpected humidity. it is surprising though that despite the humidity and the infamous traffic, the place is not as polluted as the streets in Manila. my first impression? Bangkok is like downtown Cebu, only 3 times bigger with 6 lane roads and lots of flyovers and beautiful buildings.

the morning after arriving, we were lucky enough to get 3 Tuktuks who would take us to Khaosan road for only 30 Baht. the drivers were really friendly and even brought us to this Jewelry Factory and Gallery where we found gorgeous (and expensive) jewelry made of different gems found there. my favorites were the big cocktail rings that were formed into animals like tigers, owls and foxes made of gemstones. my mom bought herself earrings and dad bought her a ring made of her birthstone and even bought my sister, Charm earrings for her wedding this December. as it turns out, the side trip to the Gallery was necessary so the Tuktuk drivers can get vouchers for free gas. I wonder how much free gas they got considering we bought quite a number of items.

Khaosan road is filled with street stalls selling all kinds of items — clothes, t-shirts, handicrafts, hats, sandals and even bikinis. they even have food stalls that sell yummy fruit shakes, fresh spring rolls and pad thai noodles — yummmmm! the items for sale seem cheap but since my sister, Charm has been to Bangkok several times, as it turns out Khaosan prices are a little steep because most of the people who visit there are foreigners from Europe and U.S. nevertheless, i still bought a floppy hat and 2 pairs of sandals there. will post about shopped items on Day 1 tomorrow. *wink*

my outfit: peach lace boho top – thrifted | grey denim shorts – props | beige gladiator flats – parisian | brown sunnies – carbon find

aimee’s outfit – black layered lace top – props | red shorts – thrifted | black belt – props | toms-like shoes – carcar find

charm’s outfit – ripped cropped tee – DIY | black tank top – props | black tulip skirt – props | black sandals – so fab | oversized grey bag – sm dept store

Incorporating Hats in Your Wardrobe

Hats have been used for centuries first as mere protection for the head to soon becoming a fashion staple and an expression of art. The attention of the onlookers is easily caught because of how hats are worn on top of the body. This has caused hats to be a necessary accessory for most people. Most people include me. I have always had a fascination with hats as a kid. I’ve found movie characters wearing hats to be interesting and was then always on the hunt of hats in thrift shops and vintage stores. I have recently revived this hobby after stopping when we moved twice in the last 7 years.

Fall is nearing in other countries and while they are enjoying the cool breeze and the picturesque colors of the autumn leaves, there are people like me in tropical countries who have the sun all year-round. Panama Hats and light Fedora Hats were created for this reason. These hats are breezy and breathable so the head still gets protected and looks fashionable even without breaking a faucet of sweat. Our trip to Bangkok most especially needed light and breezy hats in the outfits as the sun was always out and it was humid all day. For a bohemian girl like me, here are different ways to incorporate these hats into an outfit: