Tag Archives: new year

in keeping with old superstitions

as with all other new years in the past 5 years (here, here and here), i make sure to wear polka dots to greet it. not only am i a fan of polka dots and that these have a gravitational pull to me whenever i see them but old superstition say that wearing polka dots bring luck in money. it never hurts to believe in a little bit of superstition, don’t you think?
this new year was spent with my sisters and unlike last year, we didn’t end up barefoot and crawling. we found ourselves still overly sober at 7:00 AM that we had to drop by a 7-eleven on the way home to grab a few bottles of beer for a night cap. nevertheless, as long it’s spent with my sister and our husbands of course, it was still worth the while. ♥

black and white vintage polka dress – thrifted | oxblood red vest – eden‘s closet | strappy boots – denise‘s closet | stone necklace – lovechic.ph | gold chain necklace – mom’s | fringe leather bag – urbanoutfitters.com | bracelets and bangle – downtown and bangkok finds | oversized black ring – forever 21, gifted by sweet | spiked connector ring – downtown find | black watch – gifted by sister

the second reason why we celebrate the holidays – HAM!
oh mr. Jack Daniels, you look so good but doesn’t make me feel good. 

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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.

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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. ♥ ♥ ♥

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dotted and sober: how i met 2011

LIFE CHANGING — this is how i sum up my 2010. i left a high-paying job that made me unhappy and immersed myself in the world of the unknown, visited Bangkok and finally rode an elephant, invested a bit in the retail business which is enough to sustain my savings for the year and by the end of the year, both my sisters moved out of the house leaving me as an only child to my parents. i must say if this was how my 2010 went then God must be preparing me to conquer the world by 2011. so 2011, bring it on! ♥

as with the many changes in my life last 2010, my family and i celebrated new year’s eve differently this year too. my mom and i finally got over the melodrama and were well-prepared for our new year’s eve feast. instead of eating at home though while counting down for the new year, we ate early and drove up to one of the mountain subdivisions here in Cebu to watch the fireworks all over the city. the city was in a fog of firework smoke and looked like it was on fire with all the lights. it was amazing. 

my friends and i then met up at penthouse to party til’ sunrise. unfortunately though, the party ended a little early at pent and the dance floor was half empty by 4AM. we headed straight to vudu and danced til’ the sun had risen and our feet got so sore they became numb. original plan was to drink til’ we drop but we were so sober when we got home that we ended up eating home-made sushi at our place before packing up and sleeping at 7:30 AM. 


i hope all of you had a blast on your new year’s celebrations! have a great year ahead!

ps. aren’t my sister’s aldo strappy sandals just beautiful? so jealous.


polka maxi dress – platinum mall, bangkok
black studded wedge booties – ebay find
white fedora hat – pratunam, bangkok
necklaces: round engraved – gifted from gelie | angel wings – carbon find
bangles – carbon finds
rings – platinum mall, bangkok




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a new year | giveaway winners!

2010 was such a crazy rollercoaster for me that i sure am glad it’s over. one of the few things i am thankful for though is my family (as always), my friends — old and new and that i have sustained a year with this blog because of all of you lovely readers. ♥ ♥ ♥

my wish for everyone this 2011 is more laughs, more loves, more will to live our lives to the fullest, to follow our dreams and wear our passion.

and without further adieu, i’d like to announce the winners of the 3 awesome giveaways from fashion to figure, shopbop and shabby apple. winners were chosen via random.org.

congratulations to all of you!
i am wringing with envy here.LOL. anyway, i have e-mailed each of you and copying in on the point of contacts for each store. please do coordinate with them regarding your prizes. ♥


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happy polka new year!

 
 
  
my polka dots may seem cliche for new year’s but not for the superstitious and those who love polka. they say that polka dots or round things on new year mean you get more cash for the year…*crossing my fingers* it’s my 3rd year wearing polka for new year’s eve (see photos below)…and so far, i’m loving it.
it’s the first new year’s eve not spent with my family and although i’m crushed as are all my agents, we did try to make the most out of it. we brought food to the office and i bought them all horns to toot when the clock strikes 12. so we stood under the drizzle and screamed and tooted outside the building, looked at the fireworks from our windows when we got back to our floor and ate as much as we could. and now i’m home, eating chocolate cake while everyone is asleep. *sigh*
here are my past polka new year’s:
new year at vudu (2008)

new year at waterfront hotel (2009)
polka shift dress – thrifted
black tights – hanes
black peep-toe booties – celine (a gift from harry)
long necklace – a gift from ivy
rings – props

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2007 | the year that was

like all the year – ender blogs, i will attempt to write about 2007 and how it was for me.

  • my year of new loves (and lusts..hahaha!), beach bummin’, crazy football practice drills, new found friends to treasure forever, heartaches, betrayal, out of the blue road trips at dawn, unexpected kisses, music surge from my ipod, drunken drunken nights, pizza overload, falling asleep while driving, believing in love again
  • the year i learned that when bad things happen to me or when the situation falls short from what i expected, it means that greater things are bound to happen
  • when i became a dark angel and it was a turning point from there on
  • i failed the trainer’s demo in etelecare but got accepted to QA which led to my promotion as TOIC
  • when i was infatuated with my best friend’s ex which led to a betrayal by my little sister but now my friendship with her is stronger than ever
  • the first time a camped out in a tent for 2 nights and 3 days with nothing to depend on but the water we can buy from the stores outside the resort and rubber-chicken — a 2007 holy week in bantayan with canence!
  • when i dated a long time friend which led to another heart ache but one which i don’t regret because now we are still very good friends
  • when i celebrated my 23rd birthday with more friends that i could ever imagine and had the longest birthday at work — people were greeting me all week
  • when i was at the prime of my football career and was awarded best defensive line in my team for having the most sacks and tackles for the 4 years i’ve been playing the sport
  • when i went on my first manila trip ever with four guys and felt so taken cared of
  • when my little sister graduated and i’ve never felt more old..hehe.
  • when i took my first ferry boat ride to mactan island — one of the most amazing 15 mins i’ve had in my life
  • the year when i sold my most-loved vintage volkswagen which i named “stacey”
  • had the most trips to the beach in a year — malapascua, daanbantayan, moalboal, bantayan, el salvador in danao and even the small beaches in liloan
  • the year when i had to let go of a long time love because nature failed me and i had my ligament torn on my right knee — the year i had to stop playing football after 4 years
  • the year when i traded vudu or loft to more chillout places like sizzling buddha, crib, baseline, cheavers, handuraw, friends’ house — marianne’s, tessa’s, gammy’s
  • growing up to be a more responsible adult when i took the responsibility of paying for house bills and giving allowances to my mom and dad
  • when i established a bank account which i could call my own back-up plan
  • tried being awake for more than 30 hours and still survived
  • first over-night stay at marriot with long-time friends — tha’ thugs
  • just when i almost stopped believing that magic can happen to me, i found a boy who made me feel happy and loved
  • the year when 12 people made me feel stressed, cared for, angry and mad all at the same time — i handled my very first team in etelecare
  • multiple drives to home where i find myself thinking about my life and the lives of others
  • the year i was closest to God when i finally accepted that everything not only happens for a reason but for a purpose
  • the year when i forgave myself for letting go of my first love
  • the first christmas and new year where i felt so at peace, i was almost complete

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