Yesterday (Halloween), I went to work en femme.
Above is a photo of me seated in my cubicle. I will post more words later and maybe another photo or two.
Yesterday (Halloween), I went to work en femme.
Above is a photo of me seated in my cubicle. I will post more words later and maybe another photo or two.
Holdenville (OK) High School, 1988 |
One hundred eighty (!) new high school yearbook images were Starla's gift to me upon returning from Fantasia Fair. I processed and uploaded the images to flickr for you to view just in time for Halloween.
I appreciate all the work Starla has done finding and collecting these images and I hope you do, too.
* There are two ways to view the newest additions:
Method 1: Open one of the Yearbooks sets (A through Z) and you will find the newest uploads at the end/bottom of the set. (The oldest uploads appear at the beginning/top of the set.)
Method 2: Open my photostream and you will find the newest uploads at the top of page 1. The uploads get older as the page numbers get higher with the oldest uploads on the last page.
By the way, the contents of the Yearbook A through Z sets are organized according to school name, for example, the photos from Hard Knox High School would be in the Yearbooks H set.
I was different from the other boys in my neighborhood; I wanted to be a Playboy bunny when I grew up. Didn't happen, but I could be a Playboy bunny on Halloween.
Occasionally, authentic Playboy bunny costumes show up for sale, but they are very expensive and never available in size 18 Tall.
The "Playboy bunny" costumes sold at the Halloween stores (online and on the street) sort of resemble real Playboy costume, but none are authentic enough for me and again, size is an issue.
I am a do-it-yourself kind of girl. so I decided that if I wanted authenticity, I would have to build my own Playboy bunny costume.
Here are the parts I acquired to assemble the Playboy bunny costume I am wearing in the accompanying photo.
Black maillot swimsuit --- I lucked out and found a black sequins maillot-style swimsuit on clearance at Newport News. Sequins is not a necessity, but nice if you can find it.
Black patent high heel pumps --- I already had a pair; you probably do, too. If not, here is a pair from Zappo's that fits the bill.
Fishnet pantyhose --- I am tall and I could not find fishnet pantyhose in my size in the local stores, but I found these online from Hue that are available in sizes that will fit everyone.
Corset or waist-cincher --- I used a corset-style waist cincher (like this model from Frederick's of Hollywood) to achieve a wasp-like figure.
Bunny ears, tail, collar, bow tie and cuffs --- Halloween stores stock the ears, cuffs, collar, bow tie and tail needed to complete the costume. This ears, cuffs, collar, bow tie set from Amazon is authentic, as is this tail.
Rosette name badge --- I found a rosette badge at a party store. To add my own name to the badge, I printed my name in white text on a black circle, then glued it to the badge.
By the way, I am submitting this post to the Halloween costume challenge at IFB.
For a different take on the Fantasia Fair experience, read Kathleen's recent blog entries concerning the Fair. They begin here and continue here, here and here.
The Cut has a slideshow of Simon Doonan’s best Halloween costumes since 1978. The majority of his costumes are femulations, so it is worth a view.
I planned to spend the day en femme on Halloween, so ever since I returned home from Provincetown, I have been considering what to wear on the 31st.
But now it seems that Sandy may dash my plans. According to the latest predictions, the storm will likely pass through here by Wednesday, but who knows what it will leave in its wake on Tuesday.
So I will have to wait and see about going to work pretty on Wednesday.
All four situation comedies broadcasted by ABC on Wednesday night had Halloween themes in their plots and three of the four had femulation sub-themes.
On The Neighbors, episode "Halloween-ween," alien boy neighbor, Reggie Jackson (played by Tim Jo), convinced human girl neighbor Amber Weaver (played by Clara Mamet), to costume up for Halloween, but there was a misunderstanding about who was going to wear what. As a result, both the boy and girl dress as slutty nurses with her referring to him as a “ladyboy.”
On Modern Family, episode "Open House of Horrors," Jay Pritchett (played by Ed O'Neil) feels like he is losing his touch with the ladies. Later, when he attends a Halloween costume party, he hits it off with a guest named "Sam," who is dressed as a princess. It turns out the Sam is a man (played by Rodney To) (see photo above).
On Suburgatory, episode "The Witch of East Chatswin," neighbor Noah Werner (played by Alan Tudyk) admits to dressing as his wife the previous Halloween. Not femulation-related, but neighbor Dallas Royce (played by Cheryl Hines) dressed as a Barbie doll for Halloween and her resemblance to the doll was remarkable.
You can view all three episodes on the ABC website.
As I wrote previously about Friday, "Every day at Fantasia Fair has been a full day. For example, I left my B&B at 9 AM Friday and did not return until 1:15 AM except to change outfits. As a result, I had no time to write here and barely enough time to post a photo from the day... After I get home, I will fill you in with a lot more words and even more photos."
I hope you have enjoyed reading the expanded version of my Fantasia Fair adventure. Friday follows.
Off-season, the store hours in Provincetown are all over the map, but most seem to be opened on Friday, so that was the day I planned to shop.
Monday, I noticed a beautiful blouse on display in a window of a boutique about a half-mile down Commercial Street. The store was closed on Monday, but opened on Friday, so that was my first stop. I wish I had noted the time that it opened because when I got to the store, it still displayed the blouse, but it was still closed and would not open until 11 AM.
With over an hour to kill, I decided to give my camera a workout as I stood in front of a sign for the Charles Baltivik Gallery & Sculpture Garden. The sign looked cool, so I took a photo of it. Then it occurred to me that a lot of the signs in Provincetown looked cool, so I spent the next hour or so walking down Commercial Street photographing signs.
You can see what I photographed, "Signs that you're in Provincetown," on flickr.
After the photo shoot, I returned to the boutique and asked the salesboy about the blouse in the window. He informed me that the blouse was made of silk and only cost $549. (I have very good taste, but not a pocketbook to match.)
On my way to Napi's to eat lunch, I stopped by another clothing store, which had $10 and $20 racks of clothing for sale (a better match for my pocketbook). I tried on a few things, but nothing moved me to open my pocketbook and I left empty-handed.
I had better success after lunch. I bought two pairs of real cool-looking vintage clip-on earrings in a collectibles store. The store had an off-season sale, so I got a good deal (can't remember exactly what I paid, but I do remember it was a good deal) and wore one of the pairs the rest of the day.
Lunch at Napi's was a chicken dish and was the best lunch I had all week. Since there were no plans for an evening meal, I went back for seconds. However, I knew that I would never finish it all, so I talked another new friend, Jennifer, into splitting the second portion with me.
I met up with Melissa at the Keynote Address ("We Will Be Free: Legal Developments on the Path to TG Rights" by Michael Silverman, Executive Director of Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF).
After the Keynote, we attended Amanda Ryan's presentation "Visibility - The Road to TG Acceptance." Amanda is very out about her crossdressing in Canada and she related her story about being out in her presentation.
Friday night's schedule consisted of the Fantasia Fair Follies at The Crown & Anchor, followed by the Late Night Dance Party at Club Purgatory. Since no evening meal was included in the schedule, Melissa and I agreed to meet at George's Pizza for a slice or two before the Follies.
I returned to my B&B to get ready for the night. My goal was to make a splash especially at the Late Night Dance Party, so I wore my gold sequins tunic, off-black thigh-highs, and black accessories (scarf, jewelry and shoes). To keep off the cold, I wore a black metalflake cape. By the time I was ready to go out, a light rain was falling, so I added a red floral umbrella to my ensemble.
Mellissa was already at George's Pizza, so I joined her and made my first splash of the night when I walked to the back of the restaurant to get two slices and a bottle of water. Most of the patrons watched me pass by both coming and going, but I never heard a discouraging word or a snicker or a guffaw or a pick-up line. I either shocked and awed them or they've seen it all before. (Knowing Provincetown, it was probably the latter.)
After pizza, we moved on to the The Crown & Anchor for the Follies. We were early and got good seats close to the stage, but far enough away so that we could take it all in and not be overwhelmed.
The show was excellent. The song and dance performances by my trans brothers and sisters were on par with professionals. In fact, a few of the performers were professionals.
By the time the show was over, the rain was falling steadily. Melissa did not want to go to the dance party, so we parted ways and I began walking through the rain to Club Purgatory a few blocks away.
A woman crossed the street from the other side and joined me in my walk. She was a genetic girl who I noticed checking me out at both the Fashion Show and Follies. We began small talking while dodging puddles on the way to the party. About a half block away from the club, lightning and thunder struck and the steady rain became a deluge, so we ran up the hill to the club as fast as our heels would permit us.
Inside the club, she complimented me on my perfume and beautiful eyes. Instead of complimenting her on her beautiful eyes, I babbled on about something and she excused herself to use the bathroom. I never saw her again.
I bought a drink, ate some hors d'Å“uvres and waited for the crowd to grow and hit the dance floor. Meanwhile, I struck up a conversation with Mariette Pathy Allen, the famous photographer of the trans. We talked about a variety of trans topics for about 20 minutes, then I asked her to dance. She accepted and we rocked and rolled for one song.
At my age, I rock and roll for one song and rest during the next song. And that is how it went the rest of the night - dance, rest, dance, rest, etc. I probably danced six or seven times before last call, then I exited the premises.
The rain was heavy and I was soaked by the time I got back to my B&B.
I changed out of my wet clothes, dried off, slipped into my nightie, and went to sleep. Next morning, I drove home.
End of story!
My post for Fantasia Fair Thursday contained one photo and no text, so I will fill you in.
Slept later than I should because I wanted to attend the Transgender Family Law workshop at 9:30 AM, so I had to rush to get ready.
I wore my gray tunic sweater, black leggings, pink scarf, minimal jewelry, and my black Mary-Jane flats.
Out the door ay 9:20, I arrived at the workshop site (Napi's Restaurant) right on time and found Dru Levasseur, the workshop's presenter, cooling his heels outside waiting for the doors of Napi's to open.
Dru recognized me from other trans events, but was not sure who I was until I mentioned my blog; his eyes lit up when I mentioned "Femulate" and he said that the blog had helped him in some way in the past, but he could not remember exactly how.
Dru and I (see photo above) were the only people to show up at 9:30. It seems that there was a schedule change --- a 10 AM start rather than 9:30 AM. So we chatted while we waited for other people to arrive. Since we both graduated from the same law school (Western New England University), we had a lot to talk about.
A handful of people arrived by 10 AM and Dru discussed his work as the transgender rights attorney at Lamda Legal in New York City.
It was a very informative workshop and I recommend downloading Lamda Legal's excellent Transgender Rights Toolkit (a "legal guide for trans people and their advocates") --- I think you will learn something, if not a lot from it.
Bayside Betsy's was the site for my lunch. There I sat with a couple of girls including Natalie, a Fan Fair first-timer from Connecticut, who was also staying at my B&B. After seeing the results of my makeover, it inspired her to also get a makeover from Hera Navassardian. Her appointment was coming up and she was excited about it.
By the way, my makeover may have sabotaged my suggestion to blog readers to say "Hello" if they recognized me at Fantasia Fair. After my makeover, only one blog reader recognized me and said "Hello": Jackie from Connecticut.
After lunch, I walked to The Crown & Anchor for the Keynote Address: "20 Amazing Years" by Sandra Samons, a certified sex therapist specializing in transgender issues and after her excellent talk, I returned to my B&B to get ready for the evening activities: a wine reception hosted by Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) and dinner with my friend Robin and other unknown guests.
I wore my favorite dress (sleeveless black and white print sheath) and favorite shoes (patent red and black Mary-Jane pumps) and accessorized with silver bling. Like Tuesday night, it was a long walk in high heels to the location of the wine reception (Anchor Inn Beach House), so I called a cab and gave my tootsies a break.
At the reception, I had a glass of wine, sampled the cheeses, and schmoozed with the boys and girls in attendance (the place was packed). Michael Silverman, TLDEF's Executive Director spoke about TLDEF's work and urged us to support the organization. Then, Abby Saypen entertained us with her trans and non-trans poetry.
After the poetry, the crowd began breaking up and I sought out Robin to proceed to our restaurant, The MEWS. Joining us were Scarlett Thompson, whose makeover workshop I had attended Tuesday morning, and Chrissy Sue McCarty, who got together the first-timers each morning to help them get over the hump of attending their first Fantasia Fair.
Robin had her car, so we did not have to walk 3/4 of a mile to The MEWS and I did not have to change to my flats.
The MEWS is the nicest and classiest restaurant in Provincetown. It may also be the most expensive restaurant in town, but the food was excellent - the best I had all week, and probably all year.
My company was also excellent. Robin is an old friend who I have known for about ten years, so we have a lot experiences in common. Chrissy Sue is an entertainer and she kept us amused the whole evening. And it is always nice to have a genetic woman join us not-so genetic women, so Scarlett was a wonderful addition to our quartet.
We drank, we ate, we talked, we joked, we had a great time and we closed the place! It was a fantastic evening and I hope we can do it again someday.
Robin gave me a ride back to my B&B and I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
I wrote a very very very short post about the rest of Monday at Fantasia Fair that I will expand upon here.
At home, I had removed all the hair from my legs, arms, and breasts, but my back awaited me; the dress I planned to wear Monday night demanded a hairless back.
I tackled the jungle with my Mangroomer. It did a good job clearing out most of the heavy brush, but it was far from hairless and not very feminine.
With my electric razor, I tried to remove the remainder and was successful in the spots I could reach, but there was still some hair in the middle of my back that was unreachable with my razor.
I considered my next move carefully. I had Veet, Nair and a foam paint brush to apply one of the chemical hair removers to my back. The handle of the foam brush made it possible to reach the unreachable, but I hesitated.
In the past, when I applied Veet or Nair immediately after shaving, it burned my skin and was red and sore for days. But what choice did I have? Worst case, I could not wear the dress I planned to wear and my back would be sore for a day or two. So I took a chance and applied Veet all over my back.
After a few minutes, I could feel a slight burning sensation, so I got in the shower and washed off the Veet. I held my breath, but the Goddess of Femulation was on my side! My back was clear of all hair and there were no burns.
I was elated and I began to get dressed to kill for the evening. I wore the ivory floral taffeta party dress with an empire waist and bubble hem that I bought at Torrid in November. I also wore white thigh highs, my ivory floral 4-inch pumps, my white bag, silver jewelry and white shawl. I thought I looked lovely, but I will let you be the judge (see my photo above).
The BBQ was at Boatslip Resort, which was about a half-mile away from my B&B. It was too far to walk in heels and I looked so elegant that I did not want to ruin the look by wearing my black flats, so I splurged. I called a cab, which quickly deposited me in front of the resort where I made my grand entrance!
One friend chided me for overdressing for "a BBQ," but other people voice their approval regarding my appearance and many more complimented me with their eyes. And it was not a traditional BBQ; it was BBQ-style food (delicious, by the way) served as a buffet. Also, we all dined at tables rather than standing and trying to balance a plate of food and a drink, while consuming the same.
After dinner, transman comedian Ian Harvie performed for us. I thought he was amusing and I laughed out loud a few times, but most of the others in attendance thought he was a laugh riot and guffawed uncontrollably. Each to her own.
After the show, Melissa and I (now in flats) hoofed it back toward our respective B&Bs. Along the way, we looked for venues to stop and have a drink and chat, but Monday night off-season in P-Town is like most towns on Monday night, so I returned to my B&B and fell fast asleep.
Like Sunday, I previously wrote a short post about Monday at Fantasia Fair.
After a good night's rest (one of the few all week long), I dressed in my new JCPenney fuscia and black color-block sheath and walked one block to The Crown & Anchor for the Orientation Brunch. It was a beautiful day and I did not need outerwear (most of the week was just as nice and I never needed anything more than a sweater or cape).
This was my third Orientation Brunch and there was not much new to be heard that I had not heard before, but it is a must attend event because the majority of attendees show up, so it is a chance to see old friends and make new friends. And since this is the initial meeting for most of the attendees, most girls dress to impress as I did.
I met Femulate reader and frequent commenter, Marian. She was in P-Town for just a half week, but we broke bread with her a few times during her stay and it was always a pleasure.
After the brunch, Melissa accompanied me to my B&B where I changed my booties to black Mary-Jane flats. Then we walked one block to the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum complex to take advantage of the free admission for Fair attendees.
Climbing the 252-foot tower was easy; ramps in place of steps made it so, but at the top, the wind was stiff and I literally held onto my wig because I was afraid it might blow off. Also, with my hair flying in my face, it was difficult to take photos and I was so anxious to get out of there that I was half way down before I realized that the only photos I took up top were of the scenery and none of myself. However, I tried to make up for it back on the ground and Melissa took a bunch of photos of me posing at the base of the tower as can be seen above.
After touring the museum, I returned to my B&B to get ready for Monday night.
During Fantasia Fair, there were so many things to do that I did not have much time to write, so I posted a few words and a "photo of the day" (after all, a picture is worth a thousand words).
I will write more about what happened in Provincetown in this and in the next few posts. I took over 350 photos during Fantasia Fair, so I have a lot to show you, too!
Sunday Redux
Previously, I wrote a short post about Sunday at Fantasia Fair.
At the Welcoming Reception at Saki Restaurant, I encountered Miqqi Gilbert at the bar. Miqqi is the Executive Director of the Fair and one of my trans heroes. She is a professor in York University in Toronto, Canada, and she is out about her transness to one and all. Some days she shows up for her classes en femme and other days, en homme.
I asked Miqqi to pose for a photo with me. She happily obliged, the bartender manned my camera, and the result accompanies this post.
As I sampled the various Japanese foods served by the waitstaff, my ham radio trans sister Melissa Cross showed up and as it turned out, we hung out together through most of the Fair. She was great company and often served as my photographer whenever I felt the need to pose for yet another photo. (I also did her bidding and gladly took her photo whenever she asked.)
Melissa also convinced me to try sushi. I have tried it in the past and I found that I could take it or leave it. But the sushi at Saki seemed to be more to my liking (or I was very hungry) and I sampled a variety of the sushi that the restaurant offered.
Reviewing my photos from Sunday night, I was surprised how short my skirt looked; a "scandalous hemline" as I wrote last week. But this was Provincetown where almost anything goes and my hemline got even shorter as the week progressed.
I tossed and turned Friday night/Saturday morning and probably got only two hours sleep.
I gave up trying at 6 AM and got up to drive back home.
On the road at 8:30 AM, I arrived home at 12:35 PM. The trip home was uneventful. A light rain the first half of the trip and sunny skies the second half.
After unpacking, I was so tired that I did little the rest of the day.
I watched the Hitchcock-Hedrin film (The Girl) on HBO and regret it. (Hitch is my favorite film director and now I think less of him.)
After watching the film, I went to bed and slept until 8 AM.
Well rested, I will begin describing my Fantasia Fair adventure in my next post.
Photo by Jill |
Every day at Fantasia Fair has been a full day. For example, I left my B&B at 9 AM Friday and did not return until 1:15 AM except to change outfits. As a result, I had no time to write here and barely enough time to post a photo from the day.
I will be on my way home later today. After I get home, I will fill you in with a lot more words and even more photos.
It is now 1:55 AM and I think I will call it a night!