once upon a time: a bride & breakfast editorial

one of the best gifts 2013 has blessed me and Cuckoo Cloud Concepts is a small message, on January, from Janna Simpao of Bride and Breakfast asking if we'd be interested in doing an editorial with them. i just woke up at 6AM to pee when i saw her message sent at 3AM. i literally shook and jumped off my bed! 

Cuckoo Cloud Concepts was just a start-up wedding styling team that April and i started in October 2012 -- something we did with a leap by leaving our cubicles and taking on the endeavor full time. we didn't have any assurance of clientele nor whether Cebu would bite the idea of engagement session stylists or wedding stylists. we presented ourselves not as florist but a team who adds additional styling to weddings that would capture the couple's personality further. so it was an amazing surprise to have been caught by the Philippines' no. 1 wedding blog much more being invited to do an editorial. 

we got to work immediately and worked on the project for two months. here are the behind-the-scene shots and for the editorial, you can check them out here. 

cotton top - thrifted | denim cut-offs - thrifted | leopard print boots - forever 21, gifted by sister | camel braided belt - props | floral headdress - custom-made by Cuckoo Cloud Concepts | crochet cardigan - BU3 find

love conquers all: why i do what i do

such a cheesy title, isn't it? well, it's true no matter how much we deny it. love is really one of the reasons why i choose to do what i do -- style for engagement shoots and weddings. we don't just get to do what we love which is expressing our love for art and crafts, we also get to meet new amazing people. people who are in love. 

styling for Christian and Sheila was truly an honor, especially after hearing their love story and what they went through. they've been together for 7 years and have gone through so many trials that rival that of a teleserye and yet they're still going strong and still look like high school sweethearts. here are some of the behind-the-scene shots, of course with the mandatory outfit shots (*wink*). As for the actual photos of this lovely engagement session by the ocean, check them out here. 

 

 

 

 

green and brown boho tunic - thrifted | denim cut-offs - thrifted | leopard print boots - forever 21, gifted by sister | brown sunnies - fashion de bella | bangles - DIY, gifted and downtown finds | peacock earrings - downtown find | nail art by me

styling for footzyfolds spring/summer 2013

i once again had the pleasure of styling for Footzyfolds Philippines' spring / summer 2013 campaign. with the sleeker styles this season, the look we wanted to achieve was fresher in breezier yet still classic outfits. of course, we couldn't veer away from the nautical trend as this season offered chic foldable boat shoes too. here are the outtakes -- official photos to be posted soon. 

details: models from Model's Association of Cebu | HMUA by Ramil Solis | wardrobe styling by Gizelle Faye | photography by Dan Ong | outfits by Dino Lloren, William Manahan, Philip Rodriguez and stylist's own

MAC model AR Duenas, make-up artist extraordinaire Ramil Solis and former Ms. World Philippines Karla Bautista - Siao

in Footzyfolds classic styles for Spring / Summer with the girls wearing William Manahan's very chic SS 2013 cocktail dresses

MAC model Kim Covert with MAC's very own Chicoy

even if was wearing heels, i don't think i can ever fare with these beauties..haha!

sneaking in an outfit shot:

chambray button-up - thrifted | denim cut-offs - thrifted | peacock summer sandals - people are people | geometric stone earrings - lovechic.ph | neon pink belt - props 

a little sacrifice goes a long way

next on the queue of my posts is Harry and mine's February Boracay honeymoon - vacation but since we should all be in a somber mood for the Holy Week, i figured i should post them starting Easter. here's a regular daily outfit post, after one of our Cuckoo meetings. this was taken last January, when we spent the whole afternoon discussing our business plans for the rest of the year. 

working freelance was something both April and i decided to do in October when we launched Cuckoo Cloud Concepts and definitely, one of the major advantages is flexibility and being able to manage our own time without being strapped to corporate necessities. nevertheless, freelancing is hard and certainly has a few downs as well. since we're a start-up company, we have to let go of personal wants to allocate funds for materials, fare to and fro supply stores and our workplace and we have to accommodate long working hours. it's hard not to be able to expect a certain amount of earning every month for the bills and we've had to depend on our super-supportive hubbies to get through. 

they say though, and this has been a tried and tested testament, that a little sacrifice goes a long way. we're lucky enough to have such supportive people in our lives to cushion our sacrifices but we know that when we work hard with what we're passionate about, we will surely get there. security and stability will come. for now, we just have to work our asses off. 

 

black safari top - thrifted | printed leggings - props | chain backpack - thrifted | silver ballet flats - rubi shoes, cotton on | gun-metal silver necklace - downtown find | claw cuff - bangkok find | beaded bracelets - downtown finds, braids & bonds | rings - downtown and bangko finds | black watch - gifted by sister | oversized sunnies - urban outfitters 

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. 

polka dot maillot - cotton on | high-waisted cut-offs - thrifted | knit cover-up - thrifted | black turban - bangkok find | tan fringed bag - urban originals | oversized sunnies - urban outfitters, gifted by sister | bangles - downtown finds | elephant tusk necklace - bangkok find | multi-colored braided belt - borrowed from sister

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.