yapi – Page 2 – Gizelle Faye Creative Studio

unplanned trips make the best adventures

one of the challenges of ensuring a good photo shoot session is finding a good location. i have been finding myself craning my neck during road trips or even short trips to visit a place to look for a good spot to do a photo shoot. i usually sleep during trips as i find being in a vehicle lulling. however, Cebu City is really small and with soon-to-be married couples now investing more on a great engagement sessions, it has become difficult not to have the same location as the other. depending on the skill of the photographer, some common locations can still become different. nevertheless, finding new ones is still part of the highs of a stylist’s job.

last February, in an effort to find new scenery and to cheer up our beach-loving pregnant friend, Mildred — who is incidentally the wife of Marlon Capuyan, one of the highly talented photographers that Cuckoo Cloud Concepts have frequently collaborated with, we went on an unplanned southern road trip. just a simple text, “let’s go to the beach” (cue Nikki Minaj) and an “okay, I’ll tell Harry. see you 8:00 AM tomorrow,” we were off! certainly, unplanned trips make the best adventures. no expectations, just enjoying things as they come.

do keep your eyes open for the editorial that we have been working on for the top wedding blog in the country. *palpitations* our hearts and souls have certainly been poured into this endeavor.

p.s. my flip-flops is one of those, “omigad, i can’t believe i bought this. it looked good with one outfit but i can’t wear it again.” and i wore these because the trip was very much unplanned and we literally had ourselves running out the door early in the morning.

nostalgic for summers spent with watercolor and acrylic

here’s a continuation of our little mission to rediscover our city. this time we visited the San Pedro Calungsod Chapel, which i wasn’t able to fully see on our last trip and dropped by Fort San Pedro as well.

the newly erected San Pedro Calungsod is as magnificent inside as it is on the outside. the interior is very zen and the decor is minimial but it gives you a different sense of serenity when you’re in it. i think the chapel being right by the sea adds to its charm. Fort San Pedro, on the other hand, has been standing on the island of Cebu for more than a century and is still one of the amazing structures in the city. i cannot believe that the stones on its walls were actually constructed using egg yolks and were done by hand. walking around the Fort made my sister and I nostalgic for the summer we had studying art and we spent 2 weekends hanging out by the park near the Fort, painting with oil and watercolor.

p.s. please don’t mind the heavy eyebags — i am still recovering from night shift syndrome and have not managed to flip back my sleeping pattern. not to mention that the females in my family suffer from insomnia. *sigh*

what we take for granted could surprise us

it’s funny and sad how by looking ahead, we take for granted what we have near us. it took a visit from one of my sister’s classmates in Uni in Sydney for us to get the chance to explore the city and re-learn our history. it was an afternoon city tour, visiting local tourist spots like the Heritage site, Metropolitan Cathedral, Magellan’s Cross, Sto. Niño and Taoist Temple. these sites were the usual spots we visited back when we had elementary field trips but it’s been awhile since we’ve been here and actually absorbed the history.

Aqui, her husband, Manij and her mom visited my sister, Aimee last January. although Aqui is from Pangasinan, another province in the Philippines, it was her first time here in Cebu. they met in school and became fast friends. for the people who took my sister in and took care of her while she’s miles away from her family, we made sure their first trip to our city was worthwhile, no matter how short it was.

breakfast road trip

one of the things Harry and i promised to do this year was take on more adventures and travel more. we didn’t get to do as much last year or even in the later part of 2011 because we were dead serious in saving money for our wedding. we decided that 2013 will be the year for adventures, even if it’s just an out-of-the blue road trip to south reclamation area to visit the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod. we drove there really early in the morning and by early, we meant the sun-was-still-rising early. it was refreshing to be up when every one else were still sleeping and having the road to ourselves. it felt infinite, like everything was alright in the world.

the place was still closed though, which we didn’t consider when we left home. so we just strolled around the place and reveled in the amazing structure which is said to be made of a hundred walls. the walls created these beautiful shadows at different angles, it was also a little eerie. after saying a quick prayer, we headed back to the city to have breakfast and start the week right.

lace boho top – thrifted | pale lilac jersey maxi skirt – props | double braided belt – props | grey cotton flats – solemate, gifted by sister | black studded chain backpack – thrifted | coin necklace – pink pvssy bangkok | claw cuff bracelet – borrowed from mom | rings: wasp – downtown find, owl – gifted by a friend, gecko – pink pvssy bangkok, butterfly – accessorize, gifted by a friend

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

take risks — start with your hair!

meet my hair that’s a result of an utter sense of freedom and relief that the wedding planning is over and i get to do anything i want that will not do injustice to my beautiful wedding dress. last july 2012, when i got my roots retouched for my engagement session, i had my hair stylist promise that she’ll do my hair ombre after the wedding.

i was wed on December 22, 2012 and on the afternoon of December 31, to greet the new year I made true to that promise of changing my hair drastically. it’s the craziest thing i have done appearance-wise and because it’s crazy, it’s all the more reason that i love it. every time i look at the blond roots, it reminds me of my vow to do the things i love and with passion. to embrace life freely and take risks.

the photos were taken prior to our cut & style activity with islands souvenirs. i initially planned to wear denim cut-offs which has recently been my go to closet item but decided against it knowing that Eden will be there — we have a standing joke of dressing simply every time we get together which we somehow can’t manage. what can we say, we’ve learned a lot from Chanel — we dress up every time we go outside because we never know we’ll have a date with destiny. right? ♥

floral cropped top with cutout shoulders – traded with sister | jersey maxi skirt – props | mustard platforms – zalora by centropell | oversized leather bag – R.A.F. by plains and prints | rings: blue stone ring and cross connector ring – downtown finds | butterfly ring – gifted by a friend | bracelets: brown and pink stone bracelets, green spiked bracelet, chain and braid bracelet – downtown finds | wooden bangle – bangkok find | angel wing necklace – downtown find | black watch – gifted by sister

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. ♥

the second reason why we celebrate the holidays – HAM!

oh mr. Jack Daniels, you look so good but doesn’t make me feel good.

never too old for sinulog

the Sinulog festivities have grown over the last years. more and more people flock to Cebu from different parts of the country to venerate sto. nino and of course, to experience how it is to party in Sinulog. the first photo below is how Sinulog looks like in Cebu. imagine that volume of people and multiply that by 100. now imagine, half of these are inebriated and are most likely to splash water (or beer) on you or paint your face with poster color or worse, black oil. don’t expect to go home clean and untainted — especially if you’re intent on partying. be prepared to give your Sinulog shirt a good funeral because you will never be able to wear it again. this year, we even saw everyone sharing the love, holding placards saying “free hugs.” Sinulog is indeed a happy time.

when Harry and I were asked what we’ll be doing this year for Sinulog, we figured we’re too old for the street party and planned on staying at home. after all, we’re an old married couple (or we feel like one). admittedly, after last year’s tragic incident, Sinulog has scarred me. good thing we went out though because that was one of the most fun we’ve had in a long time. it was also a great time to spend with my sisters — as we danced crazily, not caring what other people would think.

where is my Islands Souvenirs cut&style shirt? i wore the pink at the beach and gave the other one to my cousin after her pleas. LOL.

december diary: bloggers united FOUR

i have to admit, Bloggers United being a 2-day event this time was very exhausting but it sure was a helluva fun experience. it gave us more time to get to know other bloggers which we haven’t had the chance to meet in person on the last BU runs. i will let the photos do the talking and by the end, you will all see how the event became like a get-together with friends — with matching class picture-esque photos. i will say this again (as i’ve done so every time i do a BU post) I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BLOGGERS UNITED.

day one: shopping day and being at awe with the shoppers’ style

day two: meeting more blogger friends!

i have to admit,

december diary: bloggers united FOUR x the airport

have i ever told you guys that i have this great fear of flying? in general, i have this great fear of heights. being in a plane that is thousands of miles up in the air (i actually don’t know if i got the numbers right) just makes me very uncomfortable. yes, travelling by air is quicker and saves you tons of time but just thinking of the entire vessel suddenly falling just scares the bejeezus out of me. i mean, i know how to swim so if a ship sinks, i can try to survive. but if a plane falls, i wouldn’t know what to do! okay so i’m being morbid and i have to stop myself.

anyway, i had to face my fear of flying for the Bloggers United 4 event and i couldn’t be happier that i had my two sisters to accompany me. also if it weren’t for joseph gordon levitt’s funny performance on SNL, i wouldn’t have survived the flight. December began with a typhoon and after that, it was raining intermittently all throughout the month. so on the day of our flight, we had grey skies and the dreaded turbulence. to top it all off, we had the worst landing of all time — literally, our butts flew a feet from our seats when we hit the ground. kudos to the pilot — not!

cramming like my life depends on it x BU4 pass winners!

harry and i started planning for our wedding in early february this year and i can’t believe that it’s literally just days away from our wedding. i sat up in bed the other night with only 5 hours of sleep from a drunken night from my bachelorette party and my mind is running like crazy, very much paranoid about all the things i still need to do for the wedding. see, i’ve opted to DIY my wedding reception — so the decor and ambiance will be a reflection of us. DIY-ing a wedding is hard, especially if it’s your own. so wish us luck. right now, my nails are blue from paint and my legs are smeared by glue and food coloring.

floral long-sleeved top – thrifted | denim cut-offs – thrifted | silver glitter flats – rubi, cotton on | neon pink belt – props | silver collar necklace – downtown find | camel fringe leather bag – urban originals | boho laptop bag – thrifted | bangles – braids and bonds

anyway, on to great news — here are the winners of the bloggers united 4 passes:

Tintin Olavia

Hazel Ann Uri

Kate Barretto Mira

Patrick Noel Genio

Daphne Villasin

congratulations and make sure to drop by our booth — can’t wait to meet all of you!