cebuana style – Page 9 – Gizelle Faye Creative Studio

Between The High Eighties and The Low Nineties FM

“And her voice is pure and soft,
Oh, when she stumbles on her words.
And every boy in town is pretty certain he deserves to marry her.
Someday soon.

And that’s not all; that Elouise,
she just got a Jazz Master guitar.
And her band got a blurb in the Stranger and they’ve just been submitted for a tour.

And her tone is deep as night,
when she plays her minor chords.
And the rhythm section’s tight,
but they’re always ignored.
Always ignored.”

— Say Hi, “Elouise”

Photos taken last weekend on our second family beach trip to Tabuelan, Cebu. Milking summer for sunny skies and clearer waters.

printed cotton dress – Bangkok find

knitted shawl – thrifted

wide-brimmed floppy hat – shopyapi.com

color clash | texture tango

summer will end in a mere 2 weeks and i’ve only been to the beach once. such a waste of summer, don’t you think? with summer coming to an end and with new trends on their way to knock on our style-hungry hearts, i had to try the biggest trend this season — color blocking. you didn’t think my feeble attempt at it last month was it, did you?

so i pulled out the brightest skirt i have — this bright blueish / periwinkle electropleated skirt that i thrifted months ago and looked for another bright colored item to pair with it. deep in the knitted and crocheted section of my closet, i found this green kimono type blouse that i was thankful i didn’t give away. voila! color blocking.

anyway, physical therapy to correct my spinal disc bulges are going well. i was skeptical at first because the first two sessions caused me terrible headaches but as i progressed (i’m on my 6th session), the pain eased bit by bit and i stopped taking my depression-inducing neuropathic meds. my life is almost back to normal. by next week, i wish to take Zumba classes again. for now, i’ll just concentrate on not only with the therapy sessions but waking up early enough not to be late for work. *wink*

ps. thank you for the well wishes you guys sent on my last post. your sweet comments definitely helped me through this ordeal.

crocheted kimono blouse – thrifted

white tank top (used underneath) – random

blueish / periwinkle electropleated skirt – thrifted

gold metallic ballet flats – bangkok find

LOVE ring – giveaway win from lee

star ring – props

necklaces: angel wing – sm dept store | elephant tusk – bangkok find

white oversized bag – mongkok, hk find

my little clone and i at the beach

…and no she is not my daughter. LOL. she’s my niece, my little curly-haired fashion doll — Audrey. i taught her the cross pose but no, i didn’t teach her the ‘don’t-look-at-the-camera’ pose. isn’t she just a cutie? welp, she’s a cutie as much as she’s a bratty. *peace*

so my family, a handful of relatives and i visited our favorite beach house last weekend as a post-celebration of my dad’s birthday and as a mom’s day celebration too. i will never stop saying this — i will never grow tired of going back to this place. our annual trip to this beach house is one that i look forward to every year. not only is it a chance to bum at the beach at our own privacy but it’s always filled with craziness and laughter. this year, our relatives from Dipolog came to visit and the trip was filled with oldies boogieing to oldies music. such a treat!

neon printed monokini – shopyapi.com

chambray top – shopyapi.com

beige wide-rimmed floppy hat – shopyapi.com

yellow flip-flops – roxy

yellow scarf used as turban – thrifted

tie-dyed in the middle of nowhere

what do you do if you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere after the car you’re driving overheats and conks out? for starters, get the guys to search for nearby houses and ask for water. second, take a deep breath and appreciate the scenery. third, take photos. oh yeah, i forgot, i called my dad too. LOL. he’s in that car doing a u-turn while i posed for photo.

on my first long drive, around 3 hours to the north of Cebu, my car overheats. typical. this happened on the way home. we left the beach house at 3:30 PM and could have been back in the city by 6:00 to 7:00 PM. instead, we got home around 8:30 PM, very hungry and grumpy. well, i’ll just charge this to experience. next time, check water on the way to the destination AND upon going home. *duh*

pink tie-dyed ethnic printed top – thrifted

denim shorts – props

yellow flip-flops – roxy

wide-brimmed floppy hat – shopyapi.com

yellow printed scarf – thrifted

wooden bangles – carbon finds + gifts from WAGW

mondays all throughout the week

poor Monday. everybody hates it. it’s not as if Monday did anything to us. it’s just coincidentally situated after a weekend and is just a strong reminder that we have to go back to work or school. i don’t know when i’ve ever been excited for a Monday. maybe in college when i couldn’t wait to see my crush.

lately though, i’ve been having Mondays all throughout the week. as i look back on my previous posts, this laziness and almost-lethargic state that i’m in started on Christmas break. not only have i been sick with my herniated disc acting up, i’ve been unmotivated to get off my bed. it definitely is not helpful for my suffering salary and work. i’ve been finding myself utterly confused about what to do with my life and whether i should be where i am. one thing i only know is how intent i am to marry Harry this year or by early next year. that’s it and i’m lost with the rest of my life. i discussed this with Harry yesterday after visiting the doctor and he noted that i get like this every year. i pondered on it and realized that i do. i hate to admit it but with the slew of lazy days from Christmas break to summer gets me reflecting and over thinking about my things which leads to unhealthy realizations or nonsensical questions and doubts. gaaah, drama! so i’m soldiering on and just hope to get past August, where things usually start getting okay for me. *praying hard*

anyway, just got back from the doctor yesterday and had my MRI results read. as it turns out, i have a few (yes, not just one but 4) mild bulging discs on my spine which is causing me numbness and pain on my neck, arms and legs because these bulging discs pinch my spine. on my MRI, my spine looks like it has a few ridges because of the bulging discs. aside from that, my MRI showed that this bulging discs are also degenerating — something that’s not supposed to happen until i’m in my 60’s. oh well, that’s what i get for working night shifts for 5 years, sitting in front of the computer for hours on end and playing flag football for 4 years from sleepless nights.

white graphic tee – bangkok find

cream pleated trousers – shopyapi.com

camel strappy heels – forever 21

camel braided belt – shopyapi.com

fringe tassel earrings – DIY

shopyapi.com is on sale with selected items at 10% – 20% off! check it out now!

Levi’s Roadwear Party

i have to admit, i used to be what you’d call a ‘party girl’ as you saw in my previous post when i went down memory lane and pulled out photos from way back. right after graduation though, i worked at a call center and wasn’t too privileged to have weekends off. that totally ruined my night life and had to disconnect from my friends. i hated it until i got fixed weekends off and realized that the night life isn’t all that. right when i turned 24, i traded blasting hip-hop or house music for dvd marathons at home and dancing until 3AM with friends to lounging and talking with over dessert.

so the Levi’s Roadwear Party was one of those rare nights that i became that younger version of myself. i couldn’t resist Eden‘s invite even i wanted to because i’ve declined too much of her invitations, including Inquirer’s Fashion Face-off (which i regret), that i owed her this. yeah, it was awkward at first because i didn’t know too many people but after a couple or so of vodka shots, the party became a blast! it was indeed a pleasure meeting Ana Kalaw of the Philippine Star’s Ystyle, Jeff and Christine from Thinline advertising and spending time with other cebu bloggers too — Eden, Nym Wales, Dale Wesley, Yves and Kristin Roa. til’ next time girls! maybe in 2 months when i get over the hangover i got from this night.

black sheer top – shopyapi.com

old-school flare jeans turned boyfriend jeans – levi’s

silver heels – urbanog.com

red studded bag – shopyapi.com

layered coin bib necklace – bangkok find

silver cutout cuffs – shopyapi.com

drunken, foolish and vain: Friendster days

[WARNING: really photo heavy. you can go back if you want. that way i’ll be saved from embarrassment too. haha!]

great panic surged everyone on April 26, 2011 when it was reported that Friendster will be deleting all data and users by May 31, 2011. my Facebook friends immediately downloaded the images they had there. some of us were reminiscing the good ol’ testimonial feature that they had. i’ve owned an account since 2003 but i deleted it last year. i can’t, however, help but remember the funny, foolish and drunken days that my old Friendster account held. so following Aisa’s footsteps, here’s a look back at the old Friendster days:

this was at a bar in Ayala (i can’t remember the name) and was taken on New Year’s Eve. oooh i love this skirt. i wonder where it is now. and oh, the beret is an ode to my old hip-hop days.LOL.

lorymer villareal and me in 2004, styling and coordinating the pageant for the Computer Engineering department. lorymer didn’t go to our school then but he was kind enough to help me with the pageant.

the tres marias. my sisters and i at the resthouse in Daanbantayan that we frequent every summer. this was in 2004.

i told you i was gangsta! LOL. now i can’t help but laugh at my humongous rock and corn rows. the corn rows happened on the night before a flag football game and were done by a friend, in their boarding house.

and then i’m all out rock! LOL again. my friends, kim, deanne and i goofing off while waiting for classes. now that i remember it, we were always waiting for classes then. especially when we were almost graduating.

richard, me, armand and my little sister, aimee. we were waiting for the rest of our friends at Starmart, Banilad (the place to be! LOL) for our Daanbantayan trip.

my old singing days. i wish i learned how to play a guitar so that i can still do gigs. *sigh* (ps. due to being under the sun for most parts of my weekends, i saw dark as beautiful until i realized i could easily get skin cancer.)

so down with jennifer lopez! this vest was thrifted at only PHP 15.00 in our local market. i still have it after 6 years. the shoes? pointed to the pointiest. this pair was my favorite pumps.

my first job after graduating and my first set of friends after of school. incidentally, we all had the same knack for laughing, embarrassing each other and just whiling our lunch making our brains smaller. *korean peace sign*

drunken nights at the back of my friend, Ingrid’s pick-up truck. rides at the back are best done when drunk! we were on our way to the beach at 3AM, after hitting a local bar and i can’t remember this photo was taken. they say, i peed at the side of a dark street. i didn’t believe them until i saw the photo. but nuh-uh, you’re not seeing it. LOL.

karen and i on christmas 2006. we were looking for a pair of shorts to give our guy friends and we found this pair!

the day i brought Cooper, our golden retriever, to a game. i HEART you, Cooper!

goofy face time with my nieces! this was on the summer of 2007.

stacey. my first car that i inherited from my dad. my training car. my bump car. i miss you, Stacey. wish i didn’t have to sell you.

at my friend’s sister’s black and white party. as you can see, i’ve had a knack for polka dots even way back. this was taken on June 2007.

the defensive line waiting for our turn. flag football will always have a place in my heart.

aimee and i pretending to frolick in Malapascua in July 2007. our big sister was taking our photos so we pretended to walk and run around. but no, my love for her is not pretend.

the injured drunkard. this was taken almost a week after my sports accident. i was in denial that my knee injury was serious so i went with my team to Bantayan island and braved the 3-hour land trip and ferry ride, in crutches! when i got back home, i learned i could never play football again — i tore a ligament on my right knee and it required surgery. :,(

this night was when Harry met Yapi. i don’t usually go to office parties but was forced by my friends to because i just shunned Harry a few days back as i was too insensitive to notice he was making a move on me. one of the nights that i will never, ever regret!

my second Etelecare team. these guys are goofballs and pains in the ass but i loved and coached them to death to be better performers.

christmas day 2007. i was heart broken, losing hope and drunk (yet again). my friends and i drove to gas station in the north reclamation area, bought a few bottles of beer and goofed off on the street. i remember drunk crying on this night too. *hush*

Vudu party on new year of 2008. this is the last time my sister Aimee and I, together with our friends, attended the open bar new year’s party at Vudu. the red dress started my polka-only new years too.

my first time in Boracay on February 2008. i haven’t been back yet and i plan to do so this year. is it just me or is the sand in Boracay really annoying? it’s sugary fine that no matter how you wash off, they stick to your body until you get back home. it settles into uncomfortable areas too. haha!

the last time my old flag football team, Dark Angels, got together before i officially retired (after my injury) and dived deep into work. one of the best times of my life.

trues humbly united gather souls. my best friends in the whole world. we have been friends for more than a decade and i’m so lucky to have them. this was taken on September of 2008.

the crazy Vonage retention parties. a retention account is crazy hell but the same effort we put into working hard, the same effort we put in partying. as they say, work hard, party even harder!

my family on the New Year of 2009. one of my last Friendster photos. hello Facebook!

so there you go. i have tons of photos in my disk drive but i wouldn’t want to bore you. it was weird and awesome browing through old photos. i had to delete a few to officially erase the foolishness but one thing i realized from browsing through them is that life should have no regrets. i’ve always had the Meet Joe Black line as my motto: ‘run the risk…if you haven’t tried, you haven’t live” and i can tell, i have lived!

[NOTE: photos were taken using camera phones, my sister’s trusty old canon ixus or armand’s old DSLR.]

more afternoons like this please

before heading back home, we spent the night of Easter at Dipolog City as our flight was scheduled on Monday afternoon. we visited the new Dipolog boulevard which was almost 3 kilometers in length and just whiled the afternoon taking photos, watching the sunset and relishing the last hours of breathing fresh air before heading back to our slightly polluted city. we also had dinner there in the form of pork and chicken barbecue and the uber-yummy fresh water crabs in Dipolog. too bad i wasn’t able to take photos of the food. i was just too hungry to remember.

it’s only been a mere 5 days since i’ve been back and i’m now longing for more afternoons like these. i don’t know, i might be unmotivated to work or am just lazy. i think i’m just lazy..haha!

photo details:

1) the Barlas (my cousin and me) in our matching crocheted beanies. these were not matched intentionally for us but i nabbed the brown one from her when she showed me that she had two beanies in her bag.

2) just a moment of vanity.

3) the extra long boulevard. if we had something like this in Cebu, i’d totally bring over our dogs and just hang out here all the time. it’s the perfect spot to watch the sunset.

4) my mom and my dad. we were teasing them for still being so sweet after more than 30 years of marriage. i love them to death.

5) this was supposed to be a candid shot until my cousin and i saw our other cousin trying to take the shot.

striped top with sequined pocket – bangkok find

denim cut-offs – shopyapi.com

blue striped ballet flats – shopyapi.com

brown crocheted beanie – custom made by my aunt

white sunnies – random

church dressing in humid weather

for four days in our province of Sindangan, these were the only photos i took that were..uhhh..for the lack of a better term “presentable..” no, i’m not saying i didn’t have fun nor that the other photos my relatives and i took were not fun or were ugly. by “presentable”, i meant that i was fully dressed and doesn’t look like melting. Sindangan is located in Mindanao, which is the southern island group in the Philippines. southern, meaning it’s very near the ecuator, which means it’s hotter and more humid.

photo details:

1) this what i wore on the first we attended Mass, on Holy Thursday and it is the only outfit i brought that was comfortable in the humid weather. made me regret not bringing more cotton or shift dresses.

2 – 5) food, food, food. eating fish everyday may be daunting but not if you live just 2 blocks away from the beach and the seafood is fresh everyday. fish and other seafood is softer and creamier in your mouth. so i present to you, grilled tulingan, fish ceviche in coconut milk (kinilaw na isda in coconut milk), the fresh and delicious steamed rock lobster and my uncle’s grilled steak blue marlin. YUM!

6) the sole reason that we come back to Sindangan every year — the carro for the Resurrected Christ. this has been in our family for generations and every year, our responsibility is to dress up the carro to ready it for the re-enactment of His meeting with Mary and to serve breakfast to the church members and the little angels that sing in the re-enactment called, Sugat.

ps. i helped decorate the carro. my mom did the top parts, i did the bottom ones. what do you think?

printed dress – thrifted | turquoise belt – robinson’s dept store, dumaguete |

multi-colored gladiator flats – khaosan road, bangkok | elephant necklace – carbon find

photo catch-up: holy week 2011

1) the propellers of our small plane to Dipolog — scared the crap out of me. as it turns out, propeller planes are slow but are safer than jet engine ones. the flight was fun and really quick.

2) my mom’s wedges and my studded flats. stole this shot while waiting for the procession after the Seven Last Words.

3) the Barlas — a quick shot born out of boredom.

4) the two dresses we found at the line of thrift shops in Sindangan — will be drooling over them as they won’t fit me!

5) a shot of our entrance here at the house, with the sneak peak of the flowers for our Resurrection carro.

back to the provincial life

there’s a week in every year that people take to disconnect and go back to the basics. i’ve taken that break and am currently in our small town of Sindangan, the one place we go back to every summer for the holy week. i haven’t been here for 4 years due to work and am very glad to be back. we go back here every holy week to fulfill our obligation as a family to prepare the carro for the ‘Sugat’ — the re-enactment of the meeting of Mary and the resurrected Jesus Christ.

the place is not the same as before, what with our grandma and grandpa gone (may they rest in peace) but the memories still linger. it’s not an ideal summer home here, oh not not at all. our house is just the right size, we have no cable tv (no TV at all), we only have old songs played over and over (think, frank sinatra and elton john), we all sleep in the big room with our beds on the floor and this is the first summer i’ve brought internet over. despite the lack of modern technology and activities that are supposedly ‘productive’, we are definitely satisfied by simply sitting down in the living room after meals and just talking and joking with each other.

try it. disconnect, sit down with family and just talk. you’ll find more connection than expected.

(photo credit here)

polka red for Japan

although news gets old the following day, the tragedy that has struck Japan will forever remain in our minds. the images of a community being washed away by that strong force of a Tsunami was devastating and heart-breaking. Japan still continues to get strong after shocks from the earthquake, up until last week. so i am wearing red to honor Japan. if you have a Chictopia account, you can upload your own photo wearing red and/or donate a minimum amount of $10 to Red Cross here. this week, postpone your craving for that most coveted blouse or your need for a daily dose of a venti from Starbucks. give a little as a small sacrifice goes a long way.