Still Sleepless in Minneapolis

By Jeanine

I woke up at 7 AM and got ready, while my wife slept in, but she loves breakfast, so she was off to the hotel's dining room by eight. The hotel's breakfast offerings were top-notch with lots of choices, so she was a very happy girl when she dropped me off at the college and went on her way to a fabric store, where she spent most of the day. When she has the opportunity to get away like this and do her thing, she's much more inclined to join me for a girls weekend, so we parted company for the day.

My workshop was scheduled for 3 PM. I wore a black suit jacket over a grey stretchy top and matching skirt with suntan hose and my low black heels. I added a small silver "J" pin to the lapel and a subtle necklace.

Upon arrival I was greeted by conference staff and a cadre of volunteers who were very helpful. I'm a bit technologically-challenged, but in a matter of minutes with the help of a professor/volunteer, I was connected to the college's Wi-Fi and checked on aspects of my presentation. Rahul also printed my handout copies for me, so I relaxed and had some coffee and a bit to eat.

This conference was very well-organized, so I did not want for anything and immediately felt at home. You can Google the conference website for more information on the workshops and schedule of events if you're interested in attending next year. About 270 people attended, most being students from various colleges and university's in Minnesota and surrounding states.

Being an LGBTQIA conference, I did not want to preach to the choir, so my workshop was titled "Crossing Paths: The Intersection of Law Enforcement (my career) and the LGBTQIA Community." I had an hour to enlighten about 12 students and with input from about half of them, it resulted in a fairly productive session.

I completed the day by listening to the afternoon keynote speaker and my wife came back at 5 PM to pick me up so we could change and go out to dinner. We only had a few hours and I wanted to return for the drag show at 8 PM, so I debated whether to take a quick shower and redo my makeup, but it was already after 10 hours and my close shave was no longer close.

Wow, fast and furious worked; my makeup was great and I even had time to put on my nails. I wore my favorite speckled grey, white and black cowl neck sweater dress with a pair of sheer black nylons and my high heel pumps. And off to an Olive Garden in the suburbs!

It was about 7 PM when we got there and it was standing room only in the foyer. Needless to say we got quite a few looks because we both were dressed very nicely. My wife wore a brown sweater-like top with a fur collar and a short dark floral print skirt with her high heel boots. I must admit that I was a tad nervous as other customers took in the tall girl trying to look shorter standing partially behind a potted plant.

We asked if we could be seated in the bar area provided we only wanted to order from a limited menu. A family with children was there, but the kids did not seem to notice. Once again, no fingers were pointed, no whispers were exchanged, conversations continued and after a long exchange with my glass of wine, I crossed my legs and relaxed. Our waitress greeted us with "hello ladies" and we began a very pleasant exchange with her that lasted throughout our meal.

The food was very good and by the time we left, the crowd had thinned and we got to the drag show just as it began. It was like most drag shows, but I tipped some of the student performers which, of course, gave the audience an opportunity to check out my evening look. Yes, as most of us must acknowledge, I too admit to my degree of vanity; isn't that one of the reasons we do this?

I sat with Nickyia, the Diversity Director, who was wearing a similar dress and we agreed that cable knit sweater dresses are one of the most comfy and dressy things you can wear when the cold weather sets in. And I've found that wearing a dress or top with a cowl or V-neck works best for me because it focuses the eye on or about the neck rather than on the center of my face as when I wear a turtleneck. I think most of us on average have larger heads and faces than genetic woman and this wardrobe tip may help to make your face a bit smaller; well, at least it does for me and I can see that in past and present photos.

We left a bit early and by 10 PM, we returned to Olive Garden to have coffee and share a pumpkin cheesecake drizzled with caramel and lots of whipped cream. Our waiter went over board to treat us ladies well and spent so much time chatting with us that he almost (but not quite) became a tad annoying, but he got a nice tip anyway!

The place was closing up as we left and went back to our hotel. I was careful to avoid the families returning to their rooms from the pool with their children as "Daddy, Daddy why is that man wearing a dress?” wasn’t something I wanted to hear!

I returned for Sunday's workshops and closing keynote while my wife packed up and then joined me for lunch. She took these pictures of me with Mary, another presenter, and with Nickyia (standing by the Century College banner) just before we left. I wore my black and brown outfit again with an orange colored top.

We drove north to Duluth and stopped for dinner at Pickwick's downtown. I received a bit more attention this time because my wife was dressed very casually. The only thing I noticed was that our waitress, who was very pleasant and efficient, mostly referred to us as "you two" when chatting with us. I also saw a guy at the bar glancing in our direction quite a bit and checking us out when we left, but once again we came, ate and went with no cause for alarm.

Well, that's about it for my femulating adventure. We had a great time and I'm looking forward to our next trip to The Cities next month. In the meantime, I have at least two other outings coming up including a micro-dermabrasion appointment and attending the monthly Free Thinker meeting, a non-religious group which has embraced me completely and scheduled me as their speaker this past April.

I genuinely enjoy allowing the feminine energy and essence that embraces so much of my spirit to shine and thrive and I'd be less than honest to say that my femme persona is not "the better angel of my nature." Thanks for taking the time to read about me and my thanks to Stana for posting it. I truly hope you found it interesting and helpful in your desire to live your life the way you'd like too!

And of course, a few more pictures: standing by the Father of Our Country and ready to go out dancing at a Halloween party.
 

 The first part of Jeanine’s adventure in Minneapolis appeared here yesterday.

 

 

 

Wearing La Redoute.

 

 

 

Femulating chorus boys from the University of Michigan Opera in 1952.

Sleepless in Minneapolis

By Jeanine

If only every week could be like the one I spent in the Twin Cities of Minnesota in early November. Dining out, shopping, going to the theatre, visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and culminating as a presenter and attendee at the Minnesota Out Campus Conference at Century College near St. Paul over the weekend made me one very happy girl! Making it ever better was enjoying the company of my lovely wife who went everywhere with me and then did some things on her own while I attended the conference.

Needless to say, I did not get much sleep, but I'm certainly not complaining. We had a great time and will do so again in mid-December when she flies out of Minneapolis-St. Paul for the holidays. We're planning on attending a murder mystery dinner Friday at the Spaghetti Factory before she leaves on Saturday and get some holiday shopping in as well.

Our extra-long weekend began on Thursday night. After checking into our hotel she went swimming leaving me to get dressed and ready to go to the theater. I chose my maroon skirt with a black ruffled bodysuit blouse and black pumps. I like bodysuits because they stay tucked and look trim and this one was a great find because it was a size Tall. I'm always searching for Tall items as I'm 6 feet tall with long arms and prefer to wear long sleeves.

My wife got herself ready and wore a colorful pleated stretch dress with her black high heel boots and looked fantastic. We definitely looked like two girls dressed for an evening out on the town. Off we went to downtown where we took in a performance of Disenchanted at the Illusion Theatre, a mildly risqué play about the "real" stories of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella --- the story that Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse did not tell you! It was very funny and the audience was mostly other women, so we fit right in.

We then went off to Crave Restaurant for some drinks and the late night happy hour where the bartender said "Hello Ladies" when we sat down at the bar, crossed our legs and took in the ambiance. When my wife went to the ladies room, I watched the male chefs and waitstaff check her out as she walked past and I couldn't blame them!

At 11pm, we walked a few blocks back to the parking garage and made our way back to the hotel. Our first night made me feel like I had gone to some womanly heaven and I looked forward to the next day and our trip to the Art Institute.

On Friday, we slept in a bit and then got ready to go to lunch first and make our way to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It's a beautiful three-story building filled with art from all over the world, but we would only have time to tour the third floor which was filled with art representative of Europe and the America's for the past three centuries.

I chose a new outfit that combined black and brown color blocking, which is a style I really like. I wore a black suede skirt with a black knit top coupled with brown tights and a dark brown suede zippered jacket and my black low heels. It's a dressy casual outfit that works well in Minneapolis where tights and boots our popular with the women who live there.

I really enjoy going to Minneapolis because the women are always dressed nicely and a transgender woman can fit in so much easier. It's a very liberal city with a large LGBT population and hospitality staff who are used to seeing and serving our community. As yet, I don't believe I've ever been called anything other than “Ma’am,” “Ladies” or some other feminine name. It just makes you feel wonderful to know that people accept you for who you want to be.

We first made our way to the Textile Center of Minnesota along the Mississippi River. My wife sews and she was really excited to go there and obtain information about their services and classes, as well as seeing the different methods used in designing textiles and fabrics.

An hour later, we made our way to the Art Institute and had lunch in their cafe before we toured the third floor. We both took each other’s picture with the big plastic dog, whose name eludes me, in the modern art wing.

There were several whimsical pieces of art here and my wife took several pictures of me posing with them. This is a fantastic place to go and just be yourself. It's so easy to blend in and move about freely or to just sit for awhile and people-watch. And the floors were made of marble or a heavy tile, so that walking with heels made that oh-so-wonderful click/click/click that just seems to announce that a well-dressed woman is walking your way.

The Institute closes at 5, so we made our way downtown with the hopes of catching the early dueling pianos show at Shout, but we couldn't find a place to park and the traffic was too heavy, so we abandoned that idea and parked in a garage to go shopping and find a place to eat dinner.

We walked our way through the Skywalk to Macy's where I looked at boots in the shoes section. Unfortunately, the only ones that I liked and weren't over $100 weren't available in my size (11). Oh, when we asked for directions of a saleswoman working in womenswear, we were pretty sure that she was a transwoman. I thought how lucky she was to work in such a great place as I've considered applying for a part-time job en femme as well. I think I'd find working in hosiery to be my ideal department!

On we went and after spending another 30 minutes or so shopping, we made our way out onto to Nicollet Mall where we forgot to have our picture taken by the Mary Tyler Moore statute at 7th Avenue. Mary Tyler Moore was one of my very first female fashion idols, especially the first two years she appeared on her show. I loved so many of her outfits and they made an impression on me that has lasted to this day.

My current fashion maven is Kate Middleton. Her style is one that I wish I could afford to femulate every day. Do you know that she was the one that re-introduced wearing hosiery as a "required" item to the wardrobe of women in the U.K? Pantyhose and nylons sales were slipping until she came along and showed how they completed and complimented an outfit. If I could look like her, I think I'd flip the switch!

At 10th and Nicollet, you'll find Zelo, a classy Italian restaurant where we had dined before on previous trips to the big city. We were seated right away by the host with a "follow me ladies" and sat side-by-side at a table along the wall. No one took any undue notice of us. Conversations didn't stop, forks still shoveled food and our waitress greeted us with a "How are you ladies doing tonight? I'll be your server." She was nothing but friendly and accommodating the entire time we were there.

My wife had ravioli and a dark beer and I dined on chicken parmesan with a glass of Riesling. Fabulous! The ambiance was great, the other diners were classy and dignified and the service was what you would expect from a first class restaurant. Oh, and the bread was very yummy!

We passed on dessert and since I had to get up early the next morning, we made our way back to our car, but we did stop in at Target to buy some nylons and some makeup. I almost bought a pair of burgundy suede pumps, but I wasn't sure they'd go with last night's skirt, so I sighed and passed them up (but I'll go back wearing that skirt next month and see).

We joined the after-dinner crowds on the mall hurrying to their own destinations, walked a few blocks to our car and then drove back to our hotel.

Other than a few prolonged questioning (or perhaps knowing) looks, we spent the day in downtown Minneapolis as two women enjoying some of the city's favorite spaces and places. It was another great day en femme and I was looking forward to the conference on Saturday.

Jeanine’s adventure in Minneapolis will continue here tomorrow.

 

 

 

Wearing Bebe.

 

 

 

Phil Black, professional femulator, circa 1950.

Yes, that's me!

When I saw this image on Pinterest, I thought that there was a lot of truth to it.

When I am not presenting as a woman and I see another woman who has her act together, I admire her, but I am jealous, too --- jealous that I am not dressed like she is.

High heels always does it for me. In my opinion, if a woman is wearing heels, it is likely that her overall appearance is pulled together.

So whenever I hear the clicking sound of high heels, I look to see where the sound is coming from and I am usually rewarded with the vision of a well-dressed woman. Then I become envious and wish I was in her shoes literally.

I also get crabby when I am in boy mode, but when I present as a woman, I am relaxed, comfortable and generally happy.

So I will admit it: I am a girl!

 

 

 

Wearing Hayden.

 

 

 

Professional femulator Robbie Ross, circa 1965.

Also a Lot More Razor Blades

 

 

 

Wearing Torn by Ronny Kobo (top), Clu (pants) and Jenni Kayne (slippers).

 

 

 

Santa Claus and his six femulating helpers, circa 1950.

Bree’s Favorite Photo (of Bree!)

Bree's Bucket List Pictures

Step 1 - Get Out The Door! (June 2011 - Picture in the orange blouse)

It was only a quick run to a gas station to fill up the tank while on vacation in central Colorado, but it was one of the toughest doors I've opened in my life.

Step 2 - Go Overseas (November 2012 - Picture at the British Museum, London)

I was lucky enough to have my job send me to England for a week and since it was my second trip there, I had just enough confidence to bring Bree along for the ride. I shopped, visited castles, rode the tube, and toured London all while having an amazing experience.

Step 3 - Really Learn Makeup (December 2012 - Picture in the Silver Blouse)

I went to M·A·C and had them teach me how to do my makeup better. They did one side of my face and I repeated it on the other. Getting into the store in the middle of the mall without wearing any makeup other than beard cover was nerve-wracking! I still use almost everything I learned there whenever I go out.

Step 4 - Climb a Mountain (July 2013 - Picture Atop 14,036 ft Mt Sherman)

My alter ego had developed quite the passion for hiking 14ers while I lived in Colorado and Bree was dying to go. I made quite the adventure out of it with camping and climbing. What a view and what a rush!

Step 5 - To the Theatre! (April 2014 - Picture outside the Buell Theatre, Denver)

I'd been to a small and casual theatre with some friends before this, but this was the main attraction. A great friend was in from out of town and we went to see Rock of Ages. The show was fantastic and we had the time of our lives!

Step 6 - Out with Mom (July 2014 - Picture at the Mall of America)

This is otherwise known as "You can go home again." In the middle of my family's move from Denver to DC, I had a rare occasion to spend a few days at my childhood home while my wife and kids were at her parent's cabin. My mom had known about Bree for about eight months and we took the opportunity for a day of shopping at the Mall of America (where I worked during college). Mom bought me a few things and we had a wonderful day. 

Future Steps?

Who knows where I'll go, but I've been awfully fortunate to be where I've been and where I'm at. There are plenty of great opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime events here in DC and we'll just have to see what I can take advantage of!

 

 

 

Wearing Light in the Box.

 

 

 

Wife and husband dressed up to attend husband’s company Christmas party. (Wow!)

More Outreach Words

Professor Schildroth has only one human sexuality class this semester rather than two, so  I only had one class for outreach. I was joined by four other transwomen --- MaryAnn, another no-op, no-hormone woman like me and three post-op women, Amanda, Kailey and Michelle. I've done outreach with MaryAnn and Michelle many times; Amanda and Kailey were new to me.

As usual, there were a lot more women than men in the class... about 25 women and exactly three men.

Our "outreach" starts off with each of us telling our biographies in a nutshell --- about five minutes each. Then the class is divided between the no-ops and the post-ops so that the students can ask questions. Half way through the class time, the no-ops and post-ops switch sides so that each half of the class gets to question all of us.

I am not sure how effective this is as "outreach" because if the students don't ask the right questions or if we don't touch upon a particular point in our bios, then there will be holes in the students' understanding of what it means to be a transgender person.

However, reading the students' written comments after each session, I think we are making some progress. We usually are able to leave them with the knowledge that we are not freaks. Rather that we are just like they are, that is, human beings just trying to get along in the world.

Most of the students' questions asked of me were typical.

• How did you choose your female name?
• Do you present as a woman all the time?
• Does your spouse support you? Etcetera.

Then there were a couple of atypical questions.

• What was your favorite time growing up? (The late 1960s.)
• What was the weirdest question you were ever asked at outreach? (You just asked it.

Sometimes, I am a little nervous when I do outreach and come across as "sad" and/or "up tight," but on Tuesday, I was very comfortable and as a result, I was humorous and very effusive.

One student commented that I was "cute" in the way I told my story. Another commented about my prowess for walking in heels --- something she has yet to conquer. Still another came up to me after the class, gave me a big hug and said I was "very pretty."

So I guess I did good.

 

 

 

Wearing DailyLook.

 

 

 

Contestants femulating in the 2014 Mr. CC-E womanless beauty pageant in Spencer, Iowa.

Outreach Words

I have no problem driving my standard/manual transmission Subaru wearing high heels. But lately, I have been switching to flats when I drive unless it is a short ride to here or there.

The reason being that I discovered that driving scuffs up and scratches my heels more than when I drive wearing flats or shoes with a small heel. And unless I am trying to show off how fashionable I am, I don't necessarily switch to heels when I reach my destination.

For example, Wednesday, I drove the 30 miles to New Haven wearing my short wedges. When I stopped at CVS to buy a package of makeup wipes and other sundry items, I did not switch to my heels. (By the way, here is a tip for the frugal femulator: use baby wipes in place of makeup wipes. Baby wipes are cheaper, but just as effective as makeup wipes.)

After CVS, I continued on to the University and after parking my car, only then did I switch to heels.

There is a big construction project at the University that is eating away at the parking lot that is next to the classroom buildings where I do outreach. As a result, there was no room for my car in that lot, so I had to park at the next nearest parking facility --- a half-mile away from the classrooms.

So when I switched to heels, I considered carrying my short wedges (just in case) because I had a long walk on pavement ahead of me and my feet. But I decided against it because I was wearing my comfortable Karmen pumps from Payless.

It was a good test for my Karmens and they passed with flying colors. My feet were painless after the half-mile trek, as well as after the return half-mile.

By the way, in addition to my Karmens, I wore my black/dark gray/light gray color-block cowlneck belted sweater dress (from DressBarn), black opaque tights and for outerwear, my white fake fur jacket and a green fun fur scarf that my wife knitted for me.

Tomorrow, I will post more outreach words.

 

 

 

Wearing Kallia (footwear).

 

 

 

Actors Vic Ford  and Chris Sheen femulating in the 1949 British film Skimpy In The Navy.

Outreach Photo

The photo above shows me with the students of the Human Sexuality class at Southern Connecticut State University where I did outreach yesterday. I will post my words about yesterday shortly.

(Thank you MaryAnn for the photography!)

 

 

 

Wearing Jay Godfrey.

 

 

 

Actors Bradley Whitford and Jeffrey Tambor femulating in television’s Transparent (2014).

I’m Back

Welcome back as we return to our normal programming schedule! I hope your holiday (if any) was pleasant. I had a molar extracted the Friday before Thanksgiving and my jaw ached for over a week, but I managed to enjoy turkey with all the trimmings nonetheless. I have been taking advantage of the holiday sales --- updating some of my wardrobe and adding to it as well. Today, I will be at Southern Connecticut State University to do outreach at a human sexuality class, which is always interesting. And I plan to do a little holiday shopping for my family and friends before and after the class. You can expect a full report on my day out as a woman in a day or two.

 

 

 

Wearing Thicken.

 

 

 

Comedian Zach Cregger femulating in television’s The Whitest Kids U' Know (2007-12).

Your Favorite Photo (of Yourself!) Marathon

TV stations like to run marathons during holidays and this TV is no different, so I hope you enjoy the Femulate Your Favorite Photo (of Yourself!) Marathon through the holiday weekend.

Carollyn’s Favorite Photo (of Carolyn!)

Like you, Stana, I have so many pictures when I'm out and about at my favorite places, but here are two photos for your use.

The first is from earlier this summer at a lovely park near my home. I love going to this park to relax, read a book or watch the wild turkeys. 

The second is from earlier this year at my favorite up-scale outdoor mall, The Fountains in Roseville, California. I love wandering through the shops and enjoying the eateries. This is one shopping area where one can dress up a bit and fit right in with the other shoppers.

Thanks for all you do.