Sister blogger, Calie, the brains behind the operation known as T-Central, invited me to guest post on her blog. I was honored that she asked me and I happily accepted her invitation. My guest post now appears there.
By the way, I am getting over my illness. Today, I feel about 80% “normal,” as compared to 50% yesterday and 0% on Sunday. Thank you all for your well wishes!
I'm ill.
I woke up in the middle of the night and had vomiting sessions at 2, 3 and 5 AM losing 5 pounds in the process.
I got out of bed at 8 AM to take a shower figuring that after a shower, I would feel better. I did not. Instead, I felt very weak and tired, so I went back to bed and slept most of the morning.
I woke up around noon with a 100.3 degree temp; took an ibuprofen and that brought my temp down to 99.
I felt blah all afternoon and am going back to bed after I post this.
Sorry, I am not my femulating self today. I hope tomorrow that I will be better.
I like your site and check it often. On your site's picture gallery, there are many pics of you, but I wanted to ask about one toward the bottom where you are dressed in what looks like a black waitress outfit from a Playboy Club. You look absolutely fabulous. It must feel wonderful. I was wondering about it though; where you got it; if it is from a Playboy club?
Regards,
Fred
Hi Fred,
Thank you for the kind words!
Like every boy, I wanted to be a Playboy bunny when I grew up. Didn't happen, but the next best thing was to be a Playboy bunny on Halloween.
Halloween 2004 was my target for joining the girls in Hef's bunny hutch, so I began searching the Internet for bunny costumes.
Occasionally, authentic Playboy bunny costumes turn up on eBay, but they are prohibitively expensive, not to mention that they are never available in Size 16 Tall.
There were a few bunny costumes available on the Halloween costume web sites. All resembled the real Playboy costume in one way or another, but none were authentic enough for me and again, size was an issue.
I am a do-it-yourself kind of girl. In the past, I assembled many Halloween costumes from scratch, so I decided that if I wanted to achieve authenticity, I would have to build my own Playboy bunny costume.
With summer winding down, there were clearance sales galore on swimwear and I found the perfect item for my costume at the Newport-News web site: a black sequins maillot-style swimsuit. I don't recall the size or the price, but when it arrived, it was a perfect fit and I was well on my way building the costume.
I already had shoes that matched the bodice: a pair of black patent high heel pumps.
The bunny ears, tail, tuxedo cuffs and collar with bow tie were relatively easy and inexpensive to acquire. Various Halloween costumers sold kits that paired the ears with the tail and the cuffs with the collar. They were so inexpensive that I bought two kits each just in case I had a costume malfunction.
The hardest items to find were the fishnets and rosette name badge.
I owned fishnets, but none that had a fishnet pattern all the way up to the waistband, which is what I needed to cover my legs from toe to hip. One more time, size was an issue, but I finally managed to find a pair online that fit my very long gams.
After visiting a number of craft and party stores, I found a rosette name badge at a local party store. All I had to do was add my own name to the badge, which I did using a font on my computer that approximated the original bunny rosette name badge font.
I had a collection of foundation garments to experiment with in order to achieve a bunny-like figure while attempting to keep the foundation garments hidden. After considerable experimentation, I went with a corset-style waist cincher to achieve the narrowest waistline and a legless panty girdle to flatten my tummy.
I went bra-less since the swimsuit had a built-in bra. I inserted my largest homemade birdseed falsies in the cups of the swimsuit and used surgical tape to bring my "girls" together to add some cleavage.
Voila! I was a now a Playboy bunny and my costume was a hit at my support group's Halloween party that year.
I am very proud of that costume and I hope I will have the opportunity to wear it again someday real soon now.
Best Wishes,
Stana
Need advice concerning femulation or other crossdressing-related matters, then e-mail me and I will happily give you my opinion on the matter. My e-mail address is stana-stana at sbcglobal.net.
Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill, FL, held a womanless beauty pageant last night.
It is the best womanless event I’ve seen in awhile. There were a lot of pretty contestants wearing beautiful outfits. In fact, the contestants were so pretty that I was not sure it was really a “womanless” contest when I viewed the first photo (above).
The pageant results appear here and a gallery of photos here.
What is the make and model of your wig. It makes you look wonderfully womanlike.
Thanks,
Patio
Hi Patio,
Thank you for the compliment!
I favor the monofilament wigs from Noriko, specifically the models that are available in gradient dark rooted colors."
Since I began wearing the Noriko brand, I have been told countless times that my wigs look like real hair. Some people were actually shocked when I told them I was wearing a wig.
Besides the excellent quality of Noriko wigs, I believe that the dark roots sell the wig as being authentic hair.
I own a variety of Noriko wigs including their "Stacie" model, which appears in the accompanying photo.
Best Wishes,
Stana
Need advice concerning femulation or other crossdressing-related matters, then e-mail me and I will happily give you my opinion on the matter. My e-mail address is stana-stana at sbcglobal.net.
High heels are my favorite shoe. I love wearing them (I seldom wear anything else) and I love seeing other women wearing them.
I admit that they may be painful to wear. (“No pain, no gain,” as they say.)
Some heels are worse than others, but after 8 hours, even the most comfortable pair of heels will take their toll. So I was pleased to find an article by Brooke Siler on The Huffington Post today that describes leg exercises to try if your high heels are giving you pain.
Read all about it here.
Last night, Paul Rudd hosted Saturday Night Live bra-less. Paul McCartney was the musical guest and performed a Beatles' transgender number, Get Back.
You can watch the whole episode here until January 7, 2011.
“Not since the glam era of the 1970s has gender-bending so saturated the news media. The difference now is that mystery has been replaced with empowerment, even pride.”
Read the rest of the story here.
(Thank you, Sondra, for tipping me off about this article.)
I have been Christmas shopping this past week and I am almost done except for a trip to the packie to buy some wine and liquor.
The thing about Christmas shopping is that I buy almost as much for myself as I do for the people on my shopping list.
Last week, my Woman Within Christmas shopping experience included a top, a bra, and six pairs of tights for myself.
My Sephora shopping order on Friday included mascara, eyeshadow, and powder for myself.
My trip to Fashion Bug yesterday included a six strand silver necklace for myself.
Today, my online visit to Victoria's Secret included two sweater dresses (see photos) for myself.
My excuse is that no one buys Christmas gifts for Stana, so Stana has to take matters into her own hands!
What boy tottering on the edge of the gender chasm could resist this outfit advertised in Macy's Sunday newspaper advertisement?
I know if I saw such an outfit when I was a teenager, I would be ready to get on board the Good Ship Lollipop and sail away to Ladyland.
I didn't do it because I was afraid what other people might think.
I was the first child of my generation and my family had high expectations for me. Back then, I believed that I would be a big disappointment if I ran away to The City, fulfilled my dream, lived full-time as a woman, and became a female impersonator? So I hung back, followed a traditional career path and made everyone proud of me except me.
It took a long time to realize that what other people think about me is not important. My dreams were important and now I so regret not following mine.
Updated Below
My favorite television show, 30 Rock, is becoming my favorite TV show (if you know what I mean). In last night's episode, Jenna's female impersonator boyfriend Paul (played by Will Forte) made a return appearance and I was amused.
I visited the 30 Rock web site today to look for photos of last night's episode. I found plenty of those.
I also discovered a slideshow of "Paul's Transvestite Tips," which I also found amusing.
My favorite tip is "Feather boas should bring out one's eyes."
UPDATE: You can watch the whole episode here until January 7, 2011.
Just some additional thoughts on what I wrote here yesterday about my Tuesday out en femme.
All the comments and e-mails I received (so far) on the matter were of the opinion that my outfit looked fine and I had nothing to worry about. Therefore, short hemlines will continue to play an important role in my wardrobe.
At outreach, someone in each class asked me about my sexual orientation. Some students were taken aback (others, not so much) when I indicated that my preference was women and if you accept my how I identify gender-wise, that makes me a lesbian.
Someone in each class also asked me if I presented as a women because I was just interested in all the trappings of being female or was it something more than that, something internal. I explained that it was more than just the trappings of being female. I never felt that I was a female trapped in a male body. Instead, I was "me" trapped in the expectations of what being a "male" was all about.
Although I embraced many things considered "male," I also rejected many "male" things, while embracing many "female" things. As a result, friends and enemies (especially enemies) considered me to be effeminate.
I never tried to be effeminate just as I never tried to be macho, but society branded me "effeminate" nonetheless. I never understood why because I was just being "me."
Yes, I love all the female trappings; I love presenting as a woman, but that's only the tip of the iceberg called "me."
On a lighter note... My wig continues to impress. A student asked me about my hair and I revealed that it was a wig, which surprised many of the students. I explained that the dark roots of my wig "sells" it and the students agreed with my assessment.
Besides myself, there are two other female fashionistas here at work.
Everyday, I check to see what they are wearing and on Monday, they showed up similarly attired.
"N" wore a rust-colored sweater dress or tunic, black tights, and black mid-calf boots.
"L" wore a red sweater dress or tunic, black leggings, and black booties.
(I wrote "sweater dress or tunic" because their sweater dresses were short enough to be considered "tunics" or their tunics were long enough to be considered "dresses.")
Anyway, guess what I was planning to wear on my day out en femme on Tuesday?
A purple tunic, black tights or leggings, and black mid-calf boots.
This blog's popularity still amazes me. These days, it averages about 4,400 hits per day. At that rate, the hit counter should pass 1.5 million sometime today.
As a result of the blog's popularity, I get a lot of e-mail. I try to answer each e-mail as soon as possible, but sometimes I cannot; the mail piles up and I get a little behind, but I still manage to answer most in a day or two. I apologize if I do not answer your e-mail fast enough, but I am doing the best that I can.
In a clip for Oprah's show today, she expresses excitement that her guest, Keith Urban, has been clean for four years. Hey, Oprah, I've been clean for 59 years; when am I going to be on your show?
I'm looking forward to Tuesday. A bad day out en femme is better than a good day of fishing
Just wondering if Sarah Palin can see North Korea from her backyard?
Speaking of facelifts, here are ten reasons why you should get a dog instead of a facelift.
Thanksgiving is a difficult holiday for girls (male or female) trying to maintain their figures.
I did not want to be blue on "Black Friday," so I refused to get on the bathroom scale on Friday. Saturday morning, I gritted my teeth and climbed on the scale; I was happy to see that I gained only one pound.
It should be a piece of cake to lose that pound in time for my next outing en femme on Tuesday, when I will speak at two human sexuality classes at a local university. I also hope to do some holiday shopping and visit a jolly old elf.
As usual, I am looking forward to doing outreach at the two classes as well as experiencing a day when I will be myself.
A female acquaintance obtained employment as a salesperson at a local Victoria's Secret store. Her first day on the job was Wednesday and she had one male customer (in boy mode) who wanted to be measured for a bra.
Today will be her second day on the job. I wonder how many boys buying bras for themselves she will encounter today, or was Wednesday's encounter an anomaly.
By the way, her store is the same Victoria's Secret store that I frequent.
Did you know that Provincetown Harbor is where the Pilgrims initially anchored the Mayflower in 1620 after their ocean voyage from England? (Provincetown is the site of Fantasia Fair, the longest-running transgender event of its kind in the New World.)
Among the books I owned as a child was a volume of nursery rhymes. That book included the following verse.
What Are Little Boys Made Of?
What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?
Frogs and snails,
And puppy-dogs' tails;
That's what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice,
And all that's nice;
That's what little girls are made of.
As a child, I found frogs and snails repugnant and I was afraid of dogs. On the other hand, I loved sugar and spice. Also, I preferred things that were nice versus things that were not so nice, which often seemed to be preferred by my male contemporaries.
I was a little girl, but I did not know it. Luckily, I figured it out after I grew up to be a big girl.
I recalled driving around town in the mid-1970s and encountering a billboard for Black Velvet Whisky featuring a blonde in a black velvet dress sprawled seductively across 50 feet of horizontal advertising space.
I had seen similar advertisements in magazines, but this was my first Black Velvet Girl billboard encounter. The combination of the model's beauty, the contrast of between her blonde do and her black dress, and her immense size was dazzling. I kept an eye out for more Black Velvet billboards during my automobile outings and during the next half-dozen years or so, I had many encounters.
Guys encountering such advertisements might wish that they could bed a Black Velvet model. Gals encountering such advertisements might wish they could look like a Black Velvet model.
I wished I could do both.
After I finished the yard work yesterday afternoon, I had some girl time for myself.
Tackling My Cosmetics Box
After my last Sephora shopping spree, I could no longer stuff all my warpaint in the Wal*Mart fishing tackle box that I use to store my cosmetics, so it was time to do some housecleaning.
I threw out a slew of old used mascaras. I also moved a load of free samples cosmetics that I may never use into the old shoebox where I keep such stuff. (Someday I will have to clean out the shoebox!)
After all was said and done, I had room to spare in the tackle box and was even able to close its lid without any effort. (The photo above is after housecleaning.)
"Leggy" No More
Friday, I exchanged e-mail with my friend and fashion consultant Patty.
The main fashion topic was my short gray sweater dress and how to wear it without affirming my nickname ("Leggy"). Patty made some suggestions and late yesterday afternoon, I was able to try them out.
She was right on the money and now I have two "new" outfits to wear my next two times out en femme.
TGIFI love the Friday before Thanksgiving. It is on the cusp of a weekend, followed by a short work week and a four-day weekend!
Although there is a Transgender Day of Remembrance event nearby tomorrow, a scheduling conflict prevents me from attending. Family comes first.
I select the images I use in the “Femulate Her” sidebar for a variety of reasons. Usually, because I like the outfit; it is something I wish I owned or could wear.
Occasionally, I select the image because in addition to liking the outfit, the model has physical attributes that resemble a transwoman. Today's “Femulate Her” image is an example of that in my humble opinion; your mileage may vary.
Professor Schildroth e-mailed me to ask if I could do outreach at her two human sexuality classes. I happily accepted her invitation, so I will be visiting Southern Connecticut State University soon.
I love 30 Rock; it is one of the very few television shows I always watch.
It seems that during the past year or so, every episode has at least one trans reference. Last night’s episode had two.
Maybe I don’t watch enough television and trans references are more common than I think, but it seems to me that 30 Rock has a lot more than the other television shows I frequent, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Yesterday, a co-worker who knows about Stana wore black calf-length boots with a 3- or 4-inch stiletto heel.
I said I liked her boots and that led to a girl-to-girl conversation about boots, footwear, and the local consignment shops.
I showed her my photo from Saturday night and she loved my dress and shoes, which led to further girl talk about high heel slingbacks and the pitfalls of wearing them.
I enjoyed the girl talk.
And I love being a girl!
Dear Santa,
I've been a very good girl this year, so I hope you will grant me one wish. For Christmas, I want the dress that Anne Hathaway wore on the red carpet last night. It does not have to be an original, a knock-off would be fine, but please Santa gift me that dress and I promise to be a very good girl next year, too!
Love,
Stana
So, fitness expert Andrea Metcalf describes three simple steps to avoid foot pain without forsaking the joy of wearing heels. Read all about it here in The Huffington Post.
If you wish to participate in the Day, the Transgender Day of Remembrance web site lists the location and specifics of all the planned events. There are a lot to choose from; I count 15 in New England alone and 14 in the Tri-State Area (CT-NJ-NY).
• Signs on the doors of the men's and women's restrooms declared that the restrooms were "trans-inclusive." I had a laugh when I saw the signs because in Connecticut, those signs are like carrying coals to Newcastle. Years ago, Connecticut courts decided that its citizens could use the restroom facility that matched their gender presentation (if you’re dressed like a boy, use the men’s room; if you’re dressed like a girl, use the ladies’ room). I guess the signs were there to clue in the clueless, but I was amused nonetheless.
• While I was dancing, I noticed an attractive 30-something woman dancing nearby who was checking me out. Our eyes met an inordinate number of times. Finally she flashed a smile in my direction and I returned the favor. She wore no make-up and she was dancing with another woman, who I assumed was her date or partner. Her dance partner had her back to me, but when the song ended and they walked off the dance floor hand-in-hand, I was able to see her partner. She resembled me! She was a tall 50-something blonde wearing full make-up and a short hair style very similar to mine. Go figure.
• The photo accompanying this post is another of me dressed at home before heading out to Hartford Saturday night.
• Going out en femme is now so natural to me that I don't think about it. Saturday night, I interacted with civilians both male and female without giving it a thought.
That is in contrast to my outings in the not too distant past when I'd be inside my female embodiment wondering if the person I am about to encounter is going to figure me out or whether the person I just encountered did figure me out or Goddess forbid, if the next person I am about to encounter is male and is there anyway I can avoid him!
Those days age long gone.
Now that I am not thinking about how other people react to me, I am able to let my personality out of the box and really be me. For example, while I was waiting for the elevator at the hotel hosting the dinner-dance, I made small talk with two guys who were also waiting for the elevator and I even cracked a joke that made them laugh.
All I have to say is that I've come a long way, baby, and it is wonderful!
Transgender fashion model Lea T appears on the new cover of Lurve magazine, wearing couture Givenchy.
"To me, there's nothing worse than seeing someone dressed as a woman, a beautiful woman. Then she opens her mouth and she sounds like a sailor. It's very off-putting for people."
Read all about it here.
I was intrigued.
The film starred Bothwell Browne.
That name rang a bell, so I looked him up and, voila!, Mr. Browne was "a noted theatrical female impersonator at the top of his profession when this movie was filmed," according to IMDB.
I decided to watch the film, which turned out to be a farcical romp.
Mr. Browne's femulation was excellent (see photo). Despite his flat-chested female presentation, he definitely passed.
Gina sent me this photo from a large New Zealand chain store.
I especially like the baby blue menswear on the left!
Saturday, I will attend One Big Event, a benefit dinner-dance for the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective. I attended last year and had a wonderful time and look forward to attending again.
