family – 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! “

heaven sent

i took hiatus — quite a long one. it’s been almost a year actually but for good reason. my last few posts last year were melancholy, what with the loss we experienced. i tried to get back on my feet after a few bouts of depression and tried to accept that everything happens for a reason. and it did. a month after i turned 30, i found out that i was pregnant again. we were hush-hush about it, keeping the news as much as we can to ourselves, our family and close friends.

nine months and 22 hours of labor after, we met a heaven sent in the form of our flower child, Madison Rue. she is everything we expected and more. she gave us the gift of love that we thought we already had. on May 5, 2015, i became a mom.

see more of Maddy’s newborn photos on our photographer, Salt and Bleach’s blog.

hale manna part 3: mornings by the beach

we did take a dip when the tide rolled in the night before so our time at the beach wasn’t wasted at all. tired from the late swim, we slept early and woke up early enough to enjoy the cold morning breeze. the tide was mid-level and we were able to kayak safely over to the hut on a raft in the middle of the sea and swim with the fishes. the water was so clear, you don’t need a snorkel to see the corals and colorful creatures below it. okay, okay, so i am a good swimmer but i cannot snorkel for the life of me. i don’t know, i’ve tried it several times but end up getting water up my nose. sue me! LOL.

after the swim and before our sumptuous lunch, we spent the great part of our morning lounging, the best way we know how.

printed monokini – bangkok find | denim cut-offs – tommy hilfiger | pink flip-flops – havaianas | oversized sunniess – urban outfitters, gifted by sis | black wide-brimmed hat – cotton on

we went home around 3PM, hearts a little heavy and promising to come back soon. my sister will be leaving for Sydney in a few days and we had other duties to attend to but our stay in Hale Manna will always be something we will remember.

we couldn’t pass up the chance to grab yummy dessert on the way back to the city and dropped by the milk station in Barili. a cup of homemade ice cream (okay, i got 3 cups, shared with Harry since i couldn’t decide on flavor) and locally made barquillos completed our weekend vacation.

hale manna part 2: afternoon bliss

since we arrived at the beach past 2PM, the water has receded by the time we got settled in our room. actually, our detached bungalow which housed 8 beds was a dream so we found ourselves rolling in our beds, eating and just having fun — we almost forgot we were at the beach, so it took us more than an hour to get settled. what a waste of a beach right? well, it’s our vacation and we call the shots.

so we stepped out and just spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the beach, waiting for the sunset. my sisters, my mom, dad, cousin and I stuffed ourselves in the cabana and played that app game with the icons. i think Harry even dozed off in one of the hammocks and my brother-in-law Warren still couldn’t disconnect himself from his Mac. an afternoon by the beach, in our own version of afternoon bliss.

polka dot ruffled maillot – cotton on | white denim cut-offs – thrifted | black wide-brimmed hat – cotton on, rubi shoes | oversized sunnies – urban outfitters, gifted by sister | bangles and bracelets – downtown finds

daddy’s girl | rainbow summer!

happy birthday daddy! ♥

am i not my dad’s photocopy? nobody can argue that i’m his daughter. haha! we celebrated his birthday last May 1st and spent by the ocean as always. this year, however, we couldn’t visit our favorite beach house because of road conditions so we went island hopping in the nearby islands of Cebu — the easiest way to chill by the ocean.

violet monokini – primal rave wholesale | multi-colored striped skirt – shop dred reveries | fringe boho vest – bangkok find | sunnies – downtown finds | bangles: green and gold wooden bangles – bangkok finds, red coral bangle – boracay find | red mini-wooden bangles – gifted by wagw

this will be my only rendezvous with summer this year in preparation for the wedding. so long, sweet summer! til’ next year ~ i promise i’ll see more of you. ♥

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)

sunset sunday visits

my sister is my inspiration right now. despite everything that has happened, she remains strong and perseveres through the grief from the loss. she knows she must stand back up because it would have what he wanted. for anyone who’s gone through loss, stitching your life back together can be hell but my sister — although she’s feeling this eternal heartache, she is taking one day at a time in dealing with life. other people may give up but not my sister.

so every time i am extra stressed at work and feel like walking out the office door or every time i think i may never get through some shitty traffic, i think about how my sister is moving forward despite what she went through. life gives us little hiccups but we will always get past them. people go through worst things and they get past it. what happened has made me realize that i need to cherish life even more and not sweat the small stuff. life is too short.

on me: grey sheer top – primal rave wholesale | striped pleated culottes- primal rave wholesale | flap booties – shopyapi.com | coin necklace – bangkok find | bangles – downtown finds, forever21 | rings: owl, black stone – downtown finds & gecko – bangkok find | white sunnies – raybans, borrowed from sis

cheers to 2012!

Good morning 2012!

the Sembrano tres marias — meeting 2012’s first sunrise! (forgive my sister Aimee, she doesn’t realize Cebu pavements are not as clean as Aussie’s..LOL!)

Mr. and Mrs. B’s first new year as a married couple! ♥ ♥ ♥

Harry, me and my kulit sister, Aimee!

Sam, Kate, Armand, Aimee, Me and Harry

i miss Armand!

family’s night out? LOL.
Mr. and Mrs. B ~ Harry & Gizelle + Aimee + Mr. and Mrs. Tan ~ Warren & Charm

with the super hilarious Mary Ty, one of the amazing designers of MEGA YDC. our jaws hurt from laughing!

now, on to the outfit…

polka tent blouse – primal rave | bandage skirt – primal rave | black strappy heels – people are people
brass cuff – shopyapi.com | feather necklace & brass layered necklace – downtown finds | rings – downtown finds

Aimee’s outfit: pink bandage dress with sleeve cutouts – primal rave | chain bag – vintage
leopard heels – people are people | necklace and bangles – downtown finds

can you guess what those things are beside the lion?

the polka dressing tradition continues! this is my 4th new year wearing polka — they say it’s good luck and brings in more money for the year! here’s to not just more money but more love, guidance from God, opportunities to seize and risks to take…

2011 was definitely a roller coaster ride for me. half the year were mornings where i didn’t know whether i wanted to wake up or just sleep through the day but i was blessed enough to realize life is too short and took mine back. 2011 blessed me with a job that i loved [all this time], a promotion, a fiance, a family reunion and fiinally, a husband.

to 2012, may you bring as many opportunities and adventures as you’ve given in 2011 — only less confusion, heartache and drama. ♥ ♥ ♥

different but it’s Christmas all the same

true, this year was a different Christmas than all the others i’ve spent. for one, i missed a whole lot of misa de gallo because of work. i shopped too late for gifts because i was waiting for additional funds — like, 3 days before Christmas and i’m not done yet. it was the first time i decorated our tree on my own because my mom got sick with flu and it was already December 20 — Christmas is not complete without an overly decorated tree in our house. we didn’t have a big noche buena like we used to but my sisters (and i helped a little) cooked yummy seafood and hungarian pasta and we had our fill of my tita’s home-made ham. lastly, we didn’t open gifts after midnight because we didn’t wrap our gifts this year. to sum it all up, my Christmas was a lot simpler than it used to but you know what? what mattered most is that i had 85% of my family complete — with my little sister back from Australia but minus Harry who was in Bohol with his family. being in the company of people who will love you unconditionally is still the best Christmas one can have. i am, indeed, lucky. ♥

merry christmas everyone! ♥

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

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