Another successful visit to the Charity Shop

Recently I paid another visit to the Charity Shop - I'm always looking for some new pretty things.  And as you can tell from my hair, I got seriously wind-blown in the process.  We have lots of wind around here lately.

While there, I found this colorful top and decent longer denim skirt, as always with reasonable prices.  Since a couple of opportunities to be fully femme will be coming along in the next few months, I want to look as nice as possible, and thought these might be able to be part of it.

The hem on this skirt has an issue of being folded over on the front - it won't stay "down."  (For under $2, you generally can't expect, and often don't get, total perfection.) I've tried ironing, but it didn't help.  It's a long time since I've been to my favorite seamstress's shop...she knows about me, and 's a big supporter.  So, I'll have to stop in for a visit.  I should be able to have her shorten my skirt by no more than an inch and re-hem it, at a reasonable price.  That would eliminate the flip-up hem problem, and preserve the walking slit in back...

And here's a close-up of my new patent leather ballerinas, the ones I mentioned in my previous blog.  That patent shine gives them a definitely feminine touch, and the best part is, that they're as comfortable as my others. They'll look nice, regardless of what I'm wearing...

One thing I'd still love to locate is a pair of ballerinas with the little string bows on the vamps.  I've tried several pairs, both mail order and in person.   So far, none have fit - but in size 12, it's not surprising.  The ones I have now are the exception, and they fit nicely.  Maybe that's why she got me 3 pairs...and I can live without the string bows.

Once again, I find that this skirt, like my others,  provides something unavailable in my capris and stirrup pants...two pockets.   Yes, they're small, but perfect for a credit card, a $20 bill, and a car and hotel room key when traveling. It's a nice touch, indeed - and a subtle, but satisfying, reward for wearing a skirt.

OMG - someone must have lost their credit card

In addition to the medical issues the better half suffered recently, I've ended up with a few of my own.

One of the issues I was dealing with, was that I was told I needed a follow up for osteoporosis due to some recent height loss.  Back in '06 after a broken toe, I was told I'd better be checked in the future -  they told me I was borderline for osteoporosis.  So I was sent in for Dexa testing at a nearby center a week ago Monday.  (That's the Bone Density Test for Osteoporosis.) 

I was dressed androgynously as usual  for the visit - stirrup pants, nylons, ballerinas and a women's sweater, with my purse).  No issues in the waiting room.  No pronouns of either gender, either!

The radiologist (or whatever title she officially had) didn't miss a beat...it was "Ms" this and "Ms" that, and we even got into some girl talk while the machine was running.  "I don't know how you felt when you went through it, but I've gained so much weight and have so many hot flashes, it's just discouraging."  I commented that we all have to put up with it, but "I sure don't enjoy the spare tires I picked up and can't lose...I feel sort of like the Michelin man on TV looks."  That got a laugh out of her and she grabbed her own "spare tire," agreeing that "all of us hate looking like this!"

I don't know if she ultimately determined my gender from the info or scans that were showing up on the screen, but if she discovered my little secret, she never switched to "Sir."  And that was really appreciated - I'd rather be addressed as "Ma'am" instead of "Sir" any day...

Mom has a severe case of osteoporosis.  Fortunately, it turned out that I don't - my numbers have actually improved since '06...so my loss of height is from normal aging.  But it keeps life busy dealing with these types of issues...Mother's, and now my own.  Guess that happens when you get old.  Wouldn't it be nice if all it took to stop the aging process was to wear a cute little mini-skirt?

Sunday I arrived for my regular visit with my mother at the nursing home.  Something - I'll never know what - made me back the car into a parking place.  When I opened the door and stepped out, what was it that was on the ground by my ballerina-shod foot? A woman's current and valid red and white BankAmericard.  If I had pulled into the parking place, I'd have missed it. 

I thought to myself: "OMG - someone must have lost their credit card."   So I immediately picked it up and took it to the front desk. That's my nature...do the right thing.  They said they'd get it to the owner.   The regular staff all knows me, so even if the clerk at the desk that Sunday didn't, a description of "the long-haired guy who looks like a girl" would be enough to identify me.  I don't know for sure if it was returned to the lady, and was quite surprised that the owner didn't relay a "thanks" message back through the chain of command.  I certainly would, if someone found my lost credit card...

Regardless of whatever may have happened, at least my own conscience is clear...and the lady's card was rescued from the parking lot by someone intent on doing the right thing.  From there, the process was up to someone else.

The following has absolutely nothing to do with gender or my attire...

Found a couple of old pictures in some papers from Mom's house and couldn't resist inserting them here - two good shots (vintage 1959) of a fabulous airplane, truly the only way to fly...a Lockheed L1049 Super G Constellation.  Four Wright piston engines, 49 to 106 seats depending on the usage, a speed of from 340 to 377 mph, range of nearly 5400 miles, and service ceiling of 25,700 ft.

Just like nowadays, they built stretched airplanes (the Super G model was one of them) back in the day...and those wobbly steps were half the fun of the trip (trip - on the steps?  Get it?  Bad pun...sorry)!  No wimpy jetways for yesterday's intrepid travelers!  There are some great You-Tube videos (not mine) of these planes...if you have any interest in aviation, it's worth checking them out.

 This was the only way to fly....fast and comfortable, with no middle seats to worry about, and stewardesses (NOT flight attendants) to address you by name and make your trip pleasant (gone are the days.)  No security lines with backscatter x-ray machines ("assume the position, please,") metal detectors, or legalized groping.  Simply luxury, and just plain fun.  I had a number of journeys in them as a kid.  And now the airplanes, as well as the airline, are gone. Anyone else remember those "good old days"?

Yesterday a package arrived in the mail for me, and I opened it, very curious as to the content.

I was surprised to find another pair of ballerinas in my size.  They're the same style as the ones I already wear, but these are a pretty croco-pattern, and they're made of shiny black patent leather.  Wow!  It's this girl's first-ever pair of patent shoes, and I love them!  They, like my other ballerinas, feel good and I know I'll spend lots of time wearing them.

The better half mentioned a while back, that she wanted to see me with some shoes more suited for dressy occasions.  So she made it happen.  "You'll look wonderful wearing your new black patent ballerinas with black stirrups over nude pantyhose, a white or red turtleneck blouse, black tunic cardigan and your French-manicured hands carrying your matching black patent purse.  They'll be  fabulous cool-weather outfits for you.  And I know you're going to spend lots of time in your new ballerinas - they'll work with so many other outfits.  Like for summer, your white stirrups with a sleeveless black polo tunic, or to dress up a pair of black capri's with a pastel tank top."

Can't argue...fabulous, and feminine.  And yes, she asked me to spend the rest of the day in them.  How could I refuse?

So far in this winter weather event today, we've escaped the snow here in the Mid-Atlantic. It's much too warm - east winds are bringing in warmer ocean air.  (We're a bit over an hour from the coast.)  And that's a good thing.  Nobody here wants a big snow storm - well, almost nobody!  A few die-hard skiers would enjoy it.  But they can drive out to the ski resorts like Seven Springs, Wisp, and the others...there was more snow out in the mountains.

Bet the grocers loved the hype of this storm...people were flooding the stores to load up on essentials...around these parts, it's "milk, bread and toilet paper."   Well, I guess toilet paper IS an essential...but why would someone wait for a snowstorm to buy it, if they need it?

Oh, well...another of life's imponderables.  Till next time...

"You girls have a wonderful Valentine's Day!"

Sorry about the lack of posts lately.   I guess you could say that life has gotten in the way again, big-time.  Things have been very busy around here, and not all good.  Particularly, the past week...and it had nothing to do with attire.

First, below are a few contemporary pictures...in stirrup pants, a women's top and women's cardigan, with light makeup and ballerinas.  That's what I must wear every day... because with the exception of my capri pants for summer, they're the clothes left in my closet.   And, well over half the time I'm rewarded by being addressed in female pronouns...

The better half and I celebrated our Valentine's day outing on the day before Valentine's day,  at a little restaurant in a neighboring town.  (We both hate big crowds...so we sometimes celebrate our holidays at odd times.)  Needless to say, I looked like the above...since that's all I wear!

The waitstaff was attentive.  Because they were a bit short on pronouns for both of us, and because I was with the better half,  I didn't alter my voice at all. We got great food and good service. The fun part came in at the end of the meal, when the waitress came by and put the check on the table, with the comment "Here you go, ladies, I'll take it whenever you're ready."   The better half picked up the bill, took out her charge card, and the waitress came by as promised to pick it up.  When she came back with the charge slip, the better half signed it, and as we were getting up to leave, the waitress said, "You girls have a wonderful Valentines Day!"  Both of us said "Thanks, you too" in unison.  And we left.  I was happy!

But I wasn't so sure about the better half being happy.   As it turned out, the next day (the real Valentines Day) I found out why she didn't look or sound very good.  That morning, while I was out running some errands, she suddenly became ill, with symptoms mimicking that stomach virus which has been making the rounds lately. (I won't go into those details - TMI.  You already know what they are.)  But she was one sick little puppy all day and through the night.

To make a long story short, by early Friday morning (like 5:30), with no improvement and even some deterioration, she was finally ready for me to call 911 and get her a ride to the hospital in an ambulance... something I had tried in vain to talk her into the evening before.  Taking her in the car was out of the question...because of her symptoms.  Plus, from prior experience with my mother, patients arriving at the ER by ambulance seem to always be seen before those brought in by family.  And she needed to be seen - NOW.   About 15 minutes later, after grabbing some of her things and locking up the house, I followed in the car.  She was already in a bed in the ER when I got there, apparently having completely bypassed the coughing, sneezing, snorting, wheezing, groaning masses filling the waiting room. (Of course, it could just be that she was sicker than most of them...but in my over 60 years on this planet, I've yet to see people on gurneys languishing in the waiting room awaiting their turn, behind the others who entered the queue ahead of them.)

After being tested for many things, instead of the expected gastro-enteritis (sp?) it turned out to be much more serious, a condition of which we had no previous indication.  But, if there can be a ray of sunshine after a rather gloomy few days, at least that condition is treatable.  She came home from the hospital after only a four day stay (including 2 days in ICU.)

 

  Stopped beside my favorite little lake...which still isn't frozen.

  

Contemplating the issues....

A nice and feminine look for sightseeing...

I finally pulled together some travel plans for July, because of a meeting in Chicago. It appears that I'll meet the better half at our destination - she'll depart a few days earlier to visit relatives.   This will allow me the freedom to dress AND travel en femme, something in the past I've never had time to enjoy.  I love this plan!

I'm planning to leave home a full day early, and overnight in Baltimore the night before departure.  This provides two continuous days en femme, longer than I've ever attempted.  And, yes, I can even arrange to be dressed when I leave the house!   I'm really excited about the prospects!  Yes, I'm feeling a bit more confident than I used to, and plan to get some makeup issues solved in the next couple of months, making this an improvement for my presentation.  Keep your fingers crossed!

My intention is to wear the above outfit the first day.  I'll be spending that free day at some local museums, then depart early the next morning.  Since I'll be standing most of the time, my denim skirt will be perfect.  I have a very different type of outfit planned for my second day....with a much longer skirt, since I'll spending most of the day sitting on public transportation and dealing one-on-one with staff members and the traveling public.  I'll put pictures of that outfit into a future post.

For those of you who've checked out my "purses" blog from December 6, 2012, you may notice that in these pictures, I'm carrying my Liz Claiborne bag, which I picked up for a song at the thrift shop.  It's actually a fairly small purse.   But if I forget about trying to jam a wallet in it, and just use the credit card slots and money compartments provided inside the purse, then eliminate everything I don't really need, it's a perfect fit!  I'll still have my camera with spare chips and batteries, cell phone, spare glasses,  contact lens supplies, lipstick, face powder, and blood pressure meds.  Just nothing unnecessary.  A side benefit is that I can hear my cell phone ring.  That's something which rarely happens with all of my other bags!  I'd love to thank the woman who gave up this perfectly lovely purse...her loss is definitely my gain!

Though nothing further has been said about the better half's previously-discussed idea of putting me in skirts or dresses and donating all my pants to the local thrift shop, if that plan comes together, my legs will be on full-time display all day, every day.  But I want to let it be her choice, so my wearing skirts remainsl fairly closeted around her and the neighbors.

I picked up the above little skirt from the thrift shop, for less than $3.   It's a tad shorter than the one in the previous picture...requiring even more attention to keeping my knees together when sitting.  I'll definitely need to wear black panties underneath for modesty, just in case!  But it's comfortable and fun to wear - as long as I'm doing a lot of standing.  While the better half was in the hospital, I spent some time wearing it at home.   The turtleneck goes well with it, don't you agree?

Given all the medical events of the past week,  I'm surprised I've found even a few minutes to throw this blog together, so don't look for more posts this month.  The better half and I need to adapt to a new diet (we'll both share it - might even help me lose weight) and other things for her benefit.

So I'll ask the question:  do these outfits look OK?  Please feel free to respond - I'll be watching. and would love to hear some comments from my readers!

"I love it when a plan comes together!"

The better half and I recently attended a Conference in upstate New York, where literally everyone attending knows us.  (Sorry, no pictures this time.)   Since I had only nude pantyhose as legwear with my stirrups, denim leggings and flats, the better half lent me a couple pairs of her dark trouser socks to wear over my pantyhose for the three days of meetings and activities.

Enroute by train in both directions, restrooms were all unisex, so there were no issues.  We sat in the first class lounge at New York's Penn Station, as neither of us wanted to spend much time out with the masses during flu season.  Whenever I needed to use the restroom, the first class lounge was almost empty, as the ebb and flow of people occurred  between departing trains!  I used the men's room, but it was vacant, so there were no problems.

I used the Conference area's men's room routinely, with no issues.  For outside activities (yes, it was cold) I wore my women's ankle boots with no issue. I talked with most all the attendees at one point or another, and nothing at all was said about my attire (at least nothing that I've caught wind of.)

Other than during the Conference itself, I seldom-if-ever heard the dreaded "sir."  I got a few "no pronouns" greetings, and some smiles, but by and large, we were generally addressed as "ladies."  Going both directions, we darted out of the first class lounge for a few minutes to get meals at a restaurant in Penn Station.

There, the waiter gave us a new variation - "you girls" - as in, "what can I get you girls for dinner?"
Not sure why the better half said it to the waiter, but she pointed out that "My husband suggested I have some soup with dinner...."  The waiter took her order and didn't miss a beat...presuming that her husband was somewhere else.  He turned to me for my order - "and you, Miss?"   Train conductors helped us put our bags on and off the trains where there aren't high platforms - "let me help you with that, Miss."  And at various times enroute, men were holding the door for both of us.  It's fun to be a girl!

In closing, to quote Hannibal Smith, leader of the "A-Team"  (for those not old enough to remember, it was a series on the telly from '83 to '87),  - "I love it when a plan comes together!"

Pedicure time again...

Time for my pedicure...since the edges of the polish on my big toes was finally starting to crack and snag my pantyhose.   The pedicure tech was glad to see me - "I figured you'd be back soon!  Six and a half weeks is very good for a shellac pedi."

"Now you'll get to see how we take the shellac off, and why you need to do it at a salon."  After a few minutes in the foot spa, she dried me off, and prepared 10 pieces of aluminum foil and pieces of cotton.  After moistening each piece of cotton with a remover (which smelled a lot like acetone), she put it on a toe, and wrapped the toe with aluminum foil.  Once all of mine were wrapped, she went to the next girl (who had been prepared before me) and started to clean her shellac off, by scraping and then pushing back the cuticles.  Then she shaped her nails and gave them a light sanding with the nail block.   Took her about 10-12 minutes, then she came back and did the same thing on my toes,
cutting them down as short as possible.  With a big smile, she said "maybe in March I'll start letting those toe nail grow nice and long, like Judy has done with your fingers.  That way,  as spring turns into summer, you'll find your flats becoming a bit uncomfortable and you'll begin to spend most of your time in one of the many pretty styles of sandals."  "I'm not sure that'll be quite such a good idea, but we'll see" was my response.

After the rest of the pedicure (massage, etc.) she moved me to a regular chair at a polish station.  There she applied a base coat, 2 coats of polish and a top coat, all with short cycles under a timed UV light.  When that was done, I heard "OK sweetie, you can put your flats back on - you're ready to go!"

It really feels strange to put shoes on over freshly-painted toes, but with shellac, there's no damage to my polish!  And I just couldn't resist putting on a pair of sandals under my housedress, to check out how they look:

Silver polish adds a feminine touch, don't you think?

Now we just need to get some warm weather....

Just Ducky....and "A High Heeled Girl"

Found this flock of ducks...well, really geese...resting in a field in the area.  It's always fun to see them - though they sure can make a mess on the ground...or on your car!  

Has anyone noticed an interesting contradiction lately...geese are supposed to be flying south for the winter (these are obviously stragglers from the flock.)  But many airborne geese have been flying north.  Has something happened to their internal GPS systems, or is it a local avian forecast of a mild winter here in the mid-Atlantic region?  It was near 50 here today, and yesterday I noticed some of the trees are beginning to form their new buds...  When the weather eventually gets cold, those trees - and the errant geese - will be in for a rude shock!

Isn't this just ducky???? Oh, that's right, they're geese!

Another shopping day - dropped the better half off at a store, and did some shopping on my own, taking a few minutes to stop by a little lake I found...you'd never guess it was January, based on the conditions in these pictures!

A walk by the lake.  And it's winter but you wouldn't know it!

A little warmer and I may find myself breaking out my Capri pants...the other girls have started to do it already, so I'd just be going along with them.

Another day out and about in the sunshine...

The following two pictures are of me wearing a pair of high heels I bought on line several years ago.  I really loved the appearance - very sexy - but when I walked in them, they were so uncomfortable that I couldn't wear them all day, or even for more than a few minutes.  Plus they put significant dimples in our hardwood and linoleum floors...not something I was willing to live with.  "No pain, no gain" is a wonderful statement, but when it applies to your own feet...not so much!   The shoes went to charity...and I haven't worn any shoes so blatantly sexy since then!

Is there any way to stop high heels from scarring the floor  (other than sticking with chunky heel styles instead of stilettos?)   Probably once I'm in dresses,  I'll get brave enough to buy heels again...but till then, I'll be in ballerinas!

Waiting for my hair appointment...

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

OMG - I cracked a nail!

How many of us have heard that common refrain from girls with long nails?  It hasn't happened to me in quite a while.  However, Monday...

I'm working on perfecting my feminine hand movements and that's helped me avoid a lot of cracked nails.  (You know the drill, pushing elevator buttons with knuckles instead of fingertips, and not prying pop-top cans open with my nails.  Typing is still a challenge - thank heavens for spell check -  relatively long (for a guy) nails have affected both my speed and accuracy!   But sometimes, we relapse to old habits. Monday, it only took a couple absent-minded seconds and a simple push of the car's trunk button with the tip of my fingernail, to crack the end of the nail on that finger.  So, I made an appointment at the nail salon for Thursday - it was time for my pink-and-white fill, anyway.

All my nails have grown to nearly 1/4" beyond my finger tips, and the tech generally smiles knowingly at me each time I ask her to shorten them.  She then proceeds to trim about 1/16" off and proceed with the fill.  Since they grow about 1/8" between fills, it seems she's devised a painless way to insure that I end up with long, very feminine nails.

Last fill, I asked long she plans to continue to "grow my nails out."  Her answer was that once they all exceed 1/2" beyond my finger tips, she'll keep them between 1/2" and 5/8"permanently. "I initially considered giving you long extensions, but everybody would have noticed that big change. Instead, I'm forcing your nails to grow out slowly, over a period of months. By doing it this way, you'll find yourself getting lots of comments from girls about your pretty manicure, but be fairly insulated from comments about how long your nails are."

So far, she's been exactly right!  It happens whether I'm alone, or with the better half - women tend to comment on the appearance of my nails.  But I just don't hear from anyone about their length,  probably because they're an appropriate length for a woman.  Men never notice, or simply ignore, them.  "So, if they keep growing like they have, by the holidays in 2013 you should be sporting lovely, feminine hands with gorgeous French-manicured talons that women everywhere will envy. Maybe then, we'll think about having you paint your nails in colors, to coordinate with the following day's outfit.  It's something many of us girls enjoy doing. Won't that be fun?"

"I guess so...particularly if I'm wearing dresses instead of pants by then.  But I'll probably need help with picking colors.  How long will it take for me to polish my nails each night?"

She was very helpful. "With our selection here, we'll find you some color numbers you can buy at your local pharmacy, or we can get them for you from our supplier.   You can figure about a half hour a night to remove old polish, push back the cuticles and apply the new color.  But don't forget another half hour or more to let it dry.  On second thought, the best option for next fall may be for me to switch you from French to a pretty medium red acrylic.  That's a wonderfully-feminine every-day color for your nails.  Many women wear it.  Like your French acrylics, there's no effort required on your part, but to come in for your fills."

"And you won't need to be in dresses every day.  Red nails will look fabulous on you, whether you're still in stirrups and capri's, or have switched to skirts, dresses, bikinis, and so on.  When you need to coordinate your nails with a dress for a special event, or with an evening gown, you polish over the red with another color."  I said, "Why don't you make the decision for me, once my nails are grown out?"  And she agreed...

My pedicure tech is really getting into this feminization, too.  Last time I got a pedi, she tried something new on my toes, called shellac polish, to stop the way the regular polish wears off between pedicures.  (It's a hybrid of regular polish and UV cured gel.)  Another big benefit is that "you don't need to wear sandals on pedicure day.  You can put your flats on and walk right out - your new polish won't smudge, and it will still look good for at least a month, probably more."  I told her that was a big advantage in the winter - I've never liked having to wear sandals on pedicure day, just to keep my nails nice.  Sandals in the snow are particularly inconvenient.   "That's why the girls all love shellac, and you will, too!"

She picked a bright silver color for me, and that's what I'm wearing now.  After it was on and cured, she assured me that she'd keep them silver (a winter color) for the next several pedicures, to get me used to seeing my brightly-polished toes.  After that, she'll stick to seasonally-appropriate colors, like  medium browns for fall and pastels for spring.  "What color dress and peep-toe heels will you be wearing on Easter Sunday?  Once you decide, let me know and I'll see if I can match it with shellac polish."  Then she reminded me of the last product characteristic.  There are special removal techniques (which I haven't experienced yet), so I won't be able to remove it on my own.  Not that I'd want to try...they look too nice.

A pic of my pedicure with shellac polish, after a month.  As you can see, this color shows up nicely in pantyhose...

And, as for wear, she was right.  It's now been a full month, and all my toenails still look pretty good, don't you think?  Yes,  some growth is showing at the nail bed, but that's to be expected.  No visible wear, no chips. I should easily go another two or three weeks, maybe more, before needing a pedicure - as long as I don't whack a toe on a piece of furniture!  (Been there, done that - it can really mess up a nail - hard on the nylons, too!)  A big bonus is that the silver color is plainly visible under my pantyhose.  Looks like wearing sandals (or open toe shoes) should become much more interesting this coming summer!  More on this topic with my next pedicure.

Today (it's now Thursday) Judy gave me a pink-and-white fill on my fingers.  Definitely another fun visit!  I didn't have to ask her to shorten them this time...she had to take a bit more than usual off to make the nails even, after Monday's "Oops."  It's at least a month's setback for reaching the proper length.  But even so, the finished product always looks really pretty.

Palm side of my left hand during a break in her work on my right hand...which needed to hold the camera!  Notice my ballerinas and stirrups?  I'm still wearing them...every day.

Judy's hard at work again, and I'm having a great time!

The tech and I were discussing another customer's Michael Kors handbag with her.  We all agreed that it was beautiful, 100 percent sequins, and very shiny.  While I would never say anything out loud, for my current situation, it would have been a bit too "over the top."  But, she looked very pretty carrying it.  Bet it cost a fortune!  Hope her boyfriend got it for her as a holiday present...

Stay tuned for more as it becomes available.