photography – Girl Gone Cuckoo

dress code: silver and pink

silver top – celine, thrifted | electropleated skirt – primal rave wholesale | chain belt – props | silver heels – makemechic.com | silver clutch – mom’s, sm department store

when i get invited to a wedding, i always tend to gravitate my outfit to the color motif of the event. if i can’t find the exact color, i’d wear the next shade. this time, the wedding called for pink and silver. i spent 2 hours looking through all the plastic bags of wholesale stocks in our house to find a pink outfit and found this hot pink skirt. i was all set then i got to the venue and i was the only one following instructions. LOL.

this was Glenn & Charity’s intimate afternoon wedding last December 10, 2011 held at the Redepmtorist Church. the blushing bride walked down the aisle in classic Charity style — with drama and grace. it was a day surely Glenn and Charity won’t forget. best wishes to the couple! oooh, i just love weddings and i can’t wait for mine. ♥

how about you? do you love weddings? what about them do you love?

photos below were taken by Marlon Capuyan, the super talented wedding photographer from Cebu, who is incidentally Mildred Zapanta‘s better half and whom i will definitely book for my own wedding. check out his website and be prepared to be in awe.

photo session: head wrap

remember the behind-the-scene shots i posted about our farewell party for my sister last December? finally, with Armand’s hard work and multiple insertions to his busy schedule, the photos are here:

styling by gizelle faye sembrano

make-up by gizelle and armand

photography and editing by armand alforque

photo session: alter ego

just because i own a camera, doesn’t necessarily mean i’m a photographer. i dream of owning a DSLR but i’m afraid i’d only waste it by not having enough talent and will to learn photography. when my friends insisted we’d have an impromptu shoot on our sleepover last weekend though, i couldn’t resist. here’s my second attempt at photography. the first one being this one here.

our shoot is aptly named, ‘alter ego’ because i styled my friends in clothes they don’t wear, in a style that’s not themselves. meet the cast:

april, the sweet and bubbly girl whose style staples are graphic tees, jeans and ballet flats or converse chucks.

ivy, the outgoing but conservative nurse whose usual outfits are classic shorts, embellished tees and dresses.

arlene, the funny and spirited government worker whose style is mainly composed of the basic leggings or jeans and feminine tops.

mabelle, the loud and spunky sales rep whose usual style includes denim shorts or jeans and body-hugging dresses.

photography and styling by me

make-up by mabelle

behind-the-scenes: cebu fashion bloggers

armand alforque was looking for his next project and suddenly thought of us bloggers. of course we all were glad to jump on the wagon as it’s not only a chance for a little bit of publicity for us but also a chance for us, cebu style bloggers to get together and get to know each other. some our boyfriends tagged along and gillian even brought her dad. *smile*

the style bloggers who participated in this shoot are (left to right in the group photo by the truck): vanessa east of one frozen margarita, gillian uang of by details, toni pino of perfumed red shoes, eden villarba of chic in the tropics, philip lapinid of fashion toy gun and mildred zapanta of dred reveries.

monotone + a surprised bride-to-be

the surprise did happen after all. even when everyone else was 3 hours late and the bride came over at 10:30 PM. at least she still screamed when she saw all of us in my room, getting ready for our night out. the formula for our profile photos: smokey eyes + lots of eyeliner + shimmer eyeshadow + bronzer + peach cheeks + glossy berry lips + spunk + craziness!

more photos of the actual night out on the next post! hope you love these photos. of course, taken by me. *wink*

heated crayolas

one by one, we’re each building separate lives. we’re at this age where we don’t just have to worry about cutting or doodling stars on our notebooks or what dessert we will be eating but of responsibilities that we have for ourselves, families and partners. two of my bestest friends are married (one of the two will tie the knot this june 5th). pretty soon, the rest of us will follow suit. this could be our last year that we’re all together in one island.

so to make the most out of the remaining month we have, we’ve scheduled shoots to memorialize our friendship. the first one is entitled, “heated crayolas.” this is greatly inspired by the marc by marc jacobs spring 2010 ad. anything goes. any color, no matter how much it clashes. i think 60% of my accessories were used. it was hot, dusty but very much fun.

details: photography by harry | photo editing, styling by me | make-up by me and april mae | location at south reclamation area, cebu

ice cream special: armand alforque

i gravitate towards art because it’s the freest form of expression. and with that, i gravitate towards creative people too. here’s a monthly ode to arists. and let me introduce you to

armand alforque

photographer. graphic artist. a very good friend.

we’d like to think that we’re cousins mainly because our parents come from the same hometown — maybe, but very distant. nevertheless, this artist is very close to my heart. armand is a graphic artist at drawing board creative and has created all kinds of art for major events and establishments like loft. however, photography is his passion. discover the talent of armand and let’s take a look at his photos:

1. When did you start photography? Who or what inspired you to start it?

officially, i started 4 years ago when my mom and dad bought me my first DSLR Nikon D40x for my photography class in school. i was really into fashion at first but then i fell in love with photography — fashion photography and digital art. i can easily see the results and have more control over my work.

2. What was your first ever camera? What did you love and hate about it?

like i said, a Nikon D40x. a DSLR was quite expensive at that time. only a few of us in class have cameras. so we have a lot of respect for photography. what i love about my Nikon D40x? it was right for my use at that time. i bought a new one, Nikon D5000 with video(!!!) and sold my D40x to my close friend. my D40x is still in good hands although i hate it because it’s big. i don’t take it with me all the time. i don’t use it for camwhoring. *wink*

3. Do you have a special style of taking photos that you can say would be unique from others? How about editing?

i guess, i tend to over-edit. i look at small details. and my photography may look like digital art. my style is not natural — provocative, with my male subjects and ANTM-ish with my female subjects. not everybody can appreciate my work as some say its almost porn and some say its too “clean.” but i like it. i don’t aim at pleasing everybody. i’m an artist.

4. What do you enjoy most photography?

having full control over it, quick results and you can really do a lot of stuff with the photos. you can go natural or turn it into digital art. there is a work-relationship with me and the models, the MUA (make-up artists) and the designers as well.

5. Who or what is your dream subject?

ANTM-ish!!! ANTM makes me teary-eyed…and BENCH-ish!

5. DSLRs are selling like pancakes. What can you say about the massive DSLR purchases of the last 2-3 years in our city alone? Is it really for everyone?

hahaha, i know and it is quite disappointing. i bought my D40x 4 years ago and it was expensive. and now i bought my D5000 with video at a cheaper price! well, obviously, anyone can afford a DSLR now but a DSLR should be treated with respect. i don’t use it for camwhoring and i don’t use it as part of my wardrobe — a DSLR is not a necklace! everyone can own a camera, but not everyone can take good pictures.

7. What can you say to those who are still planning to take on photography?

don’t take photography because it’s a trend. don’t buy a DSLR because it’s a trend. take photography because you have the heart for it. buy a DSLR and make sure to use it. know your field — whether it’s fashion, weddings, events, etc. treat photography and your DSLR with great respect. and last, practice, practice, practice.

check out armand’s portfolio at: http://armandalforque.multiply.com

the city we love

the second installment of my friend’s pre-nuptial photo shoot. it was a must that i tag along — and bring my own photographer with me (harry…LOL),as the shoot was right smack in the city. there was dust, smog and sweat but it was all worth it. it was quite an immersion and very much fun. this time around, there were 2 photographers from calography and as small as the world is, the girl friend of one photographer is my old flag football teammate who tagged along that day. so in the usual cebu city garb — plain shirt, jeans and havaianas — we visited an abandoned building, white gold, fuente osmeña park, jones and the cebu city library.

here are some more photos of that day — photo credits to harry who was being a shutterbug. and if you check the photo right below this write-up, you’d see me and tisha left on the traffic island, naively reading a magazine while the rest of our friends crossed the street. they say they did call our attention but we were too busy debating who was the most beautiful among the metro cover girls. haha!

(hon, do not try to eat that plant!)

our city has a great influence on my style. I am most inspired by our culture, history and environment. I love the colors that surround me, the beach and the mountains that are both just 30 minutes away from the city. I am inspired by how our city is developing yet we still maintain this serene and chill atmosphere.

what do you love about your city?

teal cotton shirt – props

jeans – bebe jeans

green and gold flip-flops – havaianas

tan leather bag – thrifted at baguio (by sis)

hat – boracay

long necklaces: key – props | robot – APM

rings: clustered cubes | oval flat stone – props

ps. i now have formspring! so…ask away!

the light girl

nothing much to say today. it was weird at work today. and it’s only befitting that i can’t type too much as i sort of sprained my right shoulder blade causing me pain in my right arm for two weeks now. so i leave you with photos of my friend’s pre-nuptial shoot last sunday at the mountains of cebu and a little of the cebu street. had to tag along to shoot some photos myself and learn a few tricks from their photographer. last sunday, i was the ‘light girl’ and these are some of the photos i took.

i wish i can say that i styled this shoot but my friend chose her outfit all by herself — i am so lovin’ the hat!
the photographer is ‘paul calo’ who is a part-time wedding photographer — you can check out some of his works here.

ps. if you’re wondering about the food we’re holding, those are ‘caramelized fried bananas’ or ‘banana-cue’ as we call them. mine is a ‘turon’ which is a banana wrapped in lumpia wrapper and then deep fried with caramel. yum!!!

navy blue ruffled dress – thrifted

army green vest – thrifted

tan fringe sandals – katrina

canvas and tan faux leather bag – plains and prints (manager’s garage sale)

necklaces: robot – apm | watch chain – hk gift shop

bangles: green wooden – raw materials store | blue and gold polka – hk gift shop | faux gold ones – gifted

sunnies – thrifted at carbon

the irony of ‘our’ daylight savings time

my mom and dad told me that we used to have daylight savings time here in the philippines — during the marcos regime. i was just born at that time so i couldn’t remember. being in the call center business for almost 4 years now, i’ve had daylight savings too as our schedules follow US or Canada time. it mostly also depends on what region the company is in — so far, i’ve worked PST, EST and now, MST. you can imagine how confused i get sometimes when i step out of the office. sometimes, i greet my friends on their birthdays a day late…LOL.

now, every time we start DST, just as some of you guys do, our schedules get moved an hour earlier too. so from 9:00 PM – 6:00 AM, my schedule got moved to 8:00 PM – 5:00 AM. which made me ecstatic as i can go home when the sun is barely out and i can ‘save’ on the cooler part of the day. when the actual reason for DST is to make the most out of the sun, our DST here in the call center is a reason to still go home dark and a bit cold. there’s nothing like changing into comfier clothes, snuggling in bed or getting good ol’ breakfast at sunrise. DST saves us a bit of sanity. plus, who would want to get out of work with the sun scorching on your face, right?

here are photos i took of our street, the road on the way to get my sister (who’s a nurse) at the hospital and the city hospital she works in.

how has daylight savings time gone for you, so far?

black and white polka dress – thrifted

black leggings – ???

black suede peep-toe booties – celine (harry’s gift!)

owl watch necklace – thrifted at manalili

bangles: wooden – raw materials store | faux gold ones – gifts

love at first sight

ever since i was a kid, heart’s day is always spent with friends. february 13 is one of my best friends’ birthday and we always spend it on february 14. it was love at first sight for all us. we all went to school together since 1st grade and became close friends when we were 12 years old. we were not the same people as some are on the honor roll, some are pretty much notorious for antics in school and some — like me — pretty much have her own world but with the same humor, same craziness, utter thoughtfulness and consideration for each other, we built 13 years of friendship that time has tried and tested.

green and pink plaid shirt – dad’s closet | pink tank top – thirfted | skinny jeans – chillypapas

brown peep-toe platform heels – matthews | turquoise studded belt – big sister’s closet

heart necklaces – random buys | pink and gold bangles – a gift from India

turquoise and gold bangle – hk gift shop | sunnies – thrifted at carbon

on another note, i’ve always loved ‘sunday morning’ by maroon 5…it reminds me of that drive my sisters and i had on the highway of a reclaimed land south of our city. sunday mornings give that chill vibe. it signals not just a new day but a new chance to make the following week better than the last. it’s mostly a time spent with family or on the bed, wrapped in the sheets watching re-runs of our favorite movies. most of all, it is a day of good GOOD food. the following photos were taken this 5am, on the way to cordova market (in mactan island) to buy seafood — shrimps, crabs, fish — for sunday lunch and for my mom’s seafood birthday party this wednesday.

have a great sunday everyone!

day three: culture immersion

**i apologize for another heavy-image post. just had to relish our last at the town of moalboal.**

believe it or not but i think this is the first beach trip where i didn’t spend the whole day under the sun and just frolicking in the waters — it was because the water was freezing and the wind so chilly. harry and i made vodka sprite (absolut + sprite..duh! LOL) and placed it in a water bottle just to disguise it but it couldn’t help the cold. summer may look like it’s here but i love how it’s still windy.

we left the resort after lunch and took a tricyle (auto richshaw) to town to ride a van for hire (v-hire in cebu). it usually takes an hour for the van to leave because the driver has to wait for it to fill up. harry and i were the first to occupy the van so we had some time to observe how life is lived in the town of moalboal. we bought fried fritters on the street (fried bite size pieces of chicken, lumpia) and the buy-one-take-one burger from minute burger. it was a coincidence that the high school there had their field demonstration on the open space in front of the church so lots of people were there. notice how cute the old couple is — together walking in the park with their walking sticks. and of course, the town fashionista — with his (or her) sparkly purple belt strutting the streets.

til’ next time! back to reality. (roll credits…)

knitted dress – thrifted

blue swimsuit – rustan’s

brown and blue flip-flops – havaianas, make your own

bangles – props

white graphic tee – roxy

sunnies – thrifted at carbon