Stana in Stonington and Beyond

Out en femme yesterday with my friend Diana, she drove us to the shore where we met three other friends to dine at Skipper's Dock in Stonington, which juts out into Stonington Harbor off Fishers Island Sound.

The weather was perfect and we ate outdoors on the dock. (That is the restaurant on the dock behind me in the photo in my previous post.)

After eating, three of us walked around the picturesque town window-shopping, photographing, touring (Old Lighthouse Museum) and desserting on ice cream. The photo accompanying this post is me standing by the town docks trying to pick up sailors (the last phrase of that sentence is my attempt at humor --- hahaha).

A cool antique shop with jewelry in its window attracted my attention. I went inside and I asked the friendly proprietor if she had any clip-on earrings for sale. She brought out two displays of clip-ons and I purchased a gold art deco pair that "called my name."

The proprietor also educated me about foam clip-on earring cushions. I bought a bag of cushions and she slipped a pair on my purchase, which I wore the rest of the day without any slippage, pinching, and the best part, no after-marks.

Late in the afternoon, we drove back to Diana's home where we freshened-up. Then we headed out to a meet-and-greet of the Connecticut Alliance for Business Opportunities (CABO), an LGBT chamber of commerce.

I had already met some of the attendees at the Transgender Health and Law Conference two months ago, but most of the two dozen were new faces. I met and chatted with the majority of them.

Diana and I were the only trans people there and we were representing the Connecticut Transadvocacy Coalition (CTAC). Actually, Diana was more representative than me, as she is a veteran transgender activist, whereas I am a volunteer doing what I can to help the cause.

By 7:30 PM, we were both tired from a long day and parted ways.

Stana by the Sea

June 29, 2011, Stonington, Conn.

Crossdressing Comic Book Story, Circa 1970

I am trying to track down a comic book that contained a story with a crossdressing theme.

The copy I had did not have a cover, so I don't know its title. It was published in the late 1960s or early 1970s. My copy was lost in the great purge of 1983. I'd like to find a copy, but without a title, the search is difficult; if you can help me out, I'd appreciate it.

The comic book had two stories. Unlike most comic books in which one story follows another consecutively, this book had two stories printed throughout the book concurrently with one story printed on the top half of the page and the second story printed on the bottom half of the page (the story I am interested in was the story on the top half of the page.)

This comic book included sex and nudity, so it was not likely found on the newsstand next to Archie, Superman and Little Audrey. I assume it was sold in porn shops.

The plot of the story (as I remember it) involves a gay spy named Jamie. Out and about one day, Jamie goes to a hair salon for a wash and set. While he is under the hair dryer, the salon proprietor begins feminization hypnosis.

After undergoing hypnosis, Jamie admits to being "a perfect size 12." Next scene, finds him dressed as a female with all the female salon operators gushing over "her." Jamie exclaims that he feels "fabulous!"

When Jamie returns to spy headquarters decked out in a short red dress, high heels, and full make-up, his superiors are not amused. But they have a solution: let some females have their way with him and that will switch him from a gay crossdresser to a heterosexual non-crossdresser.

Their plan works and the hetero Jamie seeks out whoever was responsible for feminizing him. Turns out his mother, who heads up another group of spies, was behind his feminization.

Sound familiar? Let me know.

Out

I am going to spend the day en femme on Wednesday.

For sure, I am going to the shore to dine with friends at a seafood restaurant. And I will be doing other stuff that has yet to be definitely determined.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to tomorrow.

The Groom Wore Satin and Lace

Surfing the Web, I found this story, an oldie, but a goodie, about a 1984 role reversal wedding in the United Kingdom.  

According to Syndication International,  "The wife wore the trousers yesterday at the weirdest wedding of the year. The 'blushing bride' in white satin and lace, was a MAN, and so were his pretty bridesmaids.

"The black-suited 'groom' was a WOMAN... and it was all legal. For transvestite Bruce Laker won his battle to wed live-in lover Vanda Young in Britain's first gender-bender marriage ceremony.

"Bruce wore tights with a garter and carried a posy of roses and orchids.

"The bizarre wedding took place at Newport on the Isle of Wight. Bruce, 30, and hairdresser Vanda, 34 wore just what they pleased, though the Registrar General frowned on the bad-taste marriage.

"Bruce's mother was philosophical about the whole thing. She said: 'Let's face it. I've not lost son - I've gained two daughters-in-law.'"

Six Years Later

In a follow-up story, six years later, the "marriage that would never last" was still going strong, according to the Weekly World News.

"..it's Vanda who dons the trousers each morning as she trots off to work in a styling salon."

"And it's her gender-bending Bruce who ties a frilly apron over his housemaid's dress and spends the day tidying up their little love next on England's Isle of Wight."

Neither story disclosed what "battle" Bruce won in order to wear white at his wedding. The earlier article infers that it was a legal battle, but I don’t know for sure.

The photo is from the Weekly World News article. I take exception to the caption, "World's ugliest bridesmaids." In my opinion, the bridesmaid to Bruce’s immediate left is a knock-out.

Twelve Years Later

The couple turns up again 12 years later in the 1997 book Male Femaling by Richard Elkins.

"Phaedra Kelly is the alternate personality of Bruce Laker. She is a 42-year-old married writer and transgender activist who lives with her wife and step-daughter on the Isle of Wight in a home which doubles as The Museum of International Gender Identity. From the same address she directs the International Gender Transient Affinity, the first working world-wide transgender human rights organization."

You can read the entire excerpt from Male Femaling here. And Zagria has some additional information about Phaedra on her A Gender Variance Who's Who blog.

I could not find anything newer about this ground-breaking marriage. Are Phaedra and Vanda celebrating their 27th wedding anniversary this year? I hope so.

A Little Behind

I got a little behind. (Nothing that some padding couldn't fix.)

Seriously, I got a little behind in my correspondence this past month. I assure you that I read every e-mail I received, but due to the weather, I have not had the time to respond to each one.

Let me explain.

We had no real spring to speak of in these parts. It seems that most of the spring was an extension of this year's winter.

When spring-like weather finally arrived, I had a lot of catching up to do, including cleaning, planting, and replacing the gutters Old Man Winter tore down in February.

As a result, I was working outside until dusk almost every night for the past three weeks. Each night, I would just crash after working outside for two to three hours (after working all day at the salt-mine for eight to nine hours).

Meanwhile, the unacknowledged e-mails piled up.

I finally had some time today to catch up. When I examined my e-mail in-box today, I was surprised that some of the unacknowledged e-mails went back to the New Year!

I tried to acknowledge all the unacknowledged e-mails. If I missed yours, I apologize. And I promise to do better in the future,

Lashes -- Gone to Extremes

Beauty and style expert, Paul Venoit, writes in The Huffington Post about the latest fashion in the beauty world, i.e., "the need for luscious, long lashes."

In his "Lashes -- Going to Extremes," Venoit describes the history of eyelash fashjion and the potential dangers of using lash growth products (like Latisse).

Last June, I wrote here about how at my "last makeover, the makeover artist mentioned that my eyelashes are blond and thin. She suggested that I try an eyelash growth stimulator to add some heft to my lashes."

Shortly thereafter, Avon introduced "an eyelash growth serum in their product line. Since I am an Avon rep, the rep discount price for the product was very attractive, so I ordered a tube."

I began using the serum religiously applying it in the morning and evening, as recommended. After two weeks, I was not thrilled with the results, but into week three and beyond, I began noticing a difference. By week five, there was a big difference.

After two or three months, my eyelashes were spectacular. Not so much without mascara (since my lashes are blond), but with mascara --- wow, what a difference. Even after I cut back to applying the serum once a day instead of twice, I still noticed improvement.

Moreover, there were no side effects, so I was a very happy girl.

In October, I had an eye exam and my eye doctor tested me for glaucoma. Turns out that I do have the early stages of glaucoma and the doctor prescribed eye drops to manage the problem.

I began using the eye drops religiously applying them every evening, as recommended.

My doctor listed the eye drops possible side effects. Bloodshot eyes was one side effect that I began to experience almost immediately; most mornings, my eyes are bloodshot, some days worse than others and some days, not at all.

Another potential side effect he listed was eyelash growth. The Avon serum was already doing that and I did not believe that my eyelashes could get any better, but a few weeks after I began using the glaucoma medication, I noticed even more improvement. My lower lashes were getting better, too!

I assume that the Avon serum is a watered-down version of some glaucoma medication. So it makes sense that since I began using a full-strength glaucoma med, my eyelashes have responded accordingly.

I still recommend the Avon serum for those of you lucky enough to not have glaucoma. It made a big difference for me, but everyone is different and your mileage may vary.

Victorious Femulation

Victorious is a situation comedy on Nickelodeon. Its cast includes Avan Jogia (above left) and Victoria Justice (above right). In an upcoming episode, Avan's character falls in love with Victoria's and lands a role as a double. By the way, Avan is a male.

You can see more photos here and here.

And thank you, Cheryl, for alerting me to this!

Famous Females of Height Revision

I am in the process of revising the Famous Females of Height List.

In addition to adding yesterday's new additions to the list, I changed its format. Before, all the females of the same height were listed in one unwieldy paragraph. Now, each female appears on a separate line.

I am also adding a very brief biography to each female in the list (this will take some time to complete).

Finally, where applicable, I am adding a note about any transgender connection to the listed female.

Check it out.

Tallest List Yet

To date, this is the longest/tallest update to our Famous Females of Height List due mainly to SoCalSecrets' alert to me about another list, Actresses over/Heigth [sic] of : 5'9'' / (1,75m) on the IMDB website.

The entries ending with an asterisk (*) are from that list; the rest are from me.

5'9" – Jaimie Alexander – actress – film, Thor*

5'9" – Mini Anden – actress – film, The Mechanic*

5'9" – Moran Atias – actress – film, The Next Three Days*

5'9" – Bianca Balti – actress – film, Go Go Tales*

5'9" – Rachel Boston – actress – film, (500) Days of Summer*

5'9" – Sarah Wayne Callies - actress - television, The Walking Dead*

5'9" – Mary Carey – actress – film, Pervert!*

5'9" – Barbara Carrera – actress – film, Never Say Never Again*

5'9" – Tina Casciani – actress – film, Role Models*

5'9" – Gemma Chan – actress – film, Exam*

5'9" – Alicia Coppola – actress – television, Another World*

5'9" – Wendy Crewson – actress – film, Air Force One*

5'9" – Caroline D'Amore – actress – film, Frat Party*

5'9" – Caroline de Souza Correa – actress – film, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift*

5'9" – Catherine Dent – actress – television, One Life to Live*

5'9" – Alison Doody – actress – film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade*

5'9" – Carly Foulkes – model – T-Mobile TV commercials (see photo)

5'9" – Tomiko Fraser – actress – film, Monster-in-Law*

5'9" – Gal Gadot – actress – film, Fast & Furious*

5'9" – Maggie Grace – actress – film, Taken*

5'9" – Courtney Hansen – actress – film, Rides*

5'9" – Erinn Hayes – actress – television, Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Mork & Mindy'*

5'9" – Courtney Henggeler – actress – film, Friends with Benefits*

5'9" – Alaina Huffman – actress – film, Dog Lover's Symphony*

5'9" – Rosie Huntington-Whiteley – actress – film, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon

5'9" – Iman – model*

5'9" – Candace Kroslak – actress – film, Planet of the Apes*

5'9" – Sanoe Lake – actress – film, Blue Crush*

5'9" – Shannon Lee – actress – film, Blade*

5'9" – Laura Mennell – actress – film, Watchmen*

5'9" – Maria Menounos – actress – film, Tropic Thunder*

5'9" – Elizabeth Mitchell – actress – film, Gia*

5'9" – Samantha Noble – actress – film, See No Evil*

5'9" – Jessica Paré – actress – film, Hot Tub Time Machine

5'9" – Tanit Phoenix – actress – film, Lord of War*

5'9" – Franka Potente – actress – film, Run Lola Run*

5'9" – Rachel Roberts – actress – film, S1m0ne*

5'9" – Emily Robison – actress – film, Shut Up & Sing*

5'9" – Lela Rochon – actress – film, Any Given Sunday*

5'9" – Tami Roman – actress – film, MacArthur Park*

5'9" – Anushka Sharma – actress – film, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi*

5'9" – Amber Smith – actress – film, American Beauty*

5'9" – Brooke Smith – actress – film, The Silence of the Lambs*

5'9" – Nancy Stafford – actress – film, Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare*

5'9" – Rachael Stirling – actress – film, The Young Victoria*

5'9" – Candace Swanepoel – model – Victoria's Secret

5'9" – Tamara Tunie – actress – film, Wall Street*

5'9" – Hanna Verboom – actress – film, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo*

5'9" – Estella Warren – actress – film, Planet of the Apes*

5'9" – Torrie Wilson – actress – film, WWE Divas: Undressed*

5'9" – Arianne Zucker – actress – television, Days Of Our Lives*

5'10" – Alessandra Ambrosio – model – Victoria's Secret*

5'10" – Moon Bloodgood – actress – film, Terminator Salvation*

5'10" – Wendy Braun – actress – film, Spanglish*

5'10" – Robbi Chong – actress – film, Shelter*

5'10" – Kelly Crean – actress – film, Bratz*

5'10" – Hope Dworaczyk – actress – film, Pepperoni Profit*

5'10" – Tamsin Egerton – actress – film, Keeping Mum*

5'10" – Lindsay Frost – actress – film, The Ring*

5'10" – Beau Garrett – actress – film, TRON: Legacy*

5'10" – Thea Gill – actress – film, Homecoming*

5'10" – Kali Hawk – actress – film, Bridesmaids*

5'10" – Natasha Henstridge – actress – film, Ghosts of Mars*

5'10" – Sonam Kapoor – actress – film, Saawariya*

5'10" – Noémie Lenoir – actress – film, Rush Hour 3

5'10" – Adriana Lima – actress – film, The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show*

5'10" – Jennifer Missoni – actress – film, Claustrophobic Happiness*

5'10" – Kimberly Page – actress – film, The 40 Year Old Virgin*

5'10" – NiCole Robinson – actress – film, Bad Boy*

5'10" – Shilpa Shetty – actress – film, Dhadkan*

5'10" –Jennifer Schwalbach Smith – actress – film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno*

5'10" –Liz Sheridan – actress – television, Santa Barbara*

5'10" –Sonya Smith – actress – film, Cyxork 7*

5'10" –Talisa Soto – actress – film, Licence to Kill*

5'10" – Marsha Thomason – actress – film, Black Knight*

5'10" – Amelia Vega – actress – film, The Lost City*

5'10" – Erin Wasson - model

5'10" – Elizabeth Whitmere – actress – film, The Last Hit Man*

5'11" – CariDee English – actress – television, Scarred*

5'11" – Shandi Finnessey – actress – film, Beauty Queens Gone Wrong: 15 Shocking Pageant Scandals*

5'11" – Jeanene Fox – actress – film, Big Momma's House 2*

5'11" – Nona Gaye – actress – film, Crash*

5'11" – Shalom Harlow – actress – film, Vanilla Sky*

5'11" – Marija Karan – actress – film, The Rite*

5'11" – Lena Olin – actress – film, The Ninth Gate*

5'11" – Sydney Tamiia Poitier – actress – film, Death Proof*

5'11" – Kim Rhodes – actress – television, Another World*

5'11" – Veronica Webb – actress – film, Zoolander*

5'11" – Daria Werbowy – model and spokesperson

6'0" – Ana Beatriz Barros – model , Sports Illustrated*

6'0" – Veruschka von Lehndorff – actress – film, Casino Royale*

6'0" – Tracy Tweed– actress – film, Johnny Mnemonic*

6'1" – Adriana Karembeu – model and actress – film, The Hidden Side of the Bottom*

6'1" – Janet McTeer – actress – film, Tideland*

6'2" – Jennifer Wilson – actress – film, Belly Full of Turkey*

Kinks

I am still working out the kinks in the video version of our Femulate Her feature, so please bear with me.

As I mentioned in a comment yesterday, you need the free Adobe Flash Player installed in your web browser in order to properly view the video. (You can get Flash Player here.)

Also, I successfully tested the video playback with three different browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) on two different platforms (Windows XP, Mac OS X), so if yours is one of those and the video still stinks, the problem may be at your end. I suggest updating your web browser if it is not current.

Speaking of kinks, I was a big fan of the British Invasion (the rock 'n' roll version, not the Revolutionary War version) and The Kinks were one of my favorite groups from that era. I had all their records, but when they came out with "Lola," I was embarrassed.

Every time that song played while I was in the presence of anyone who potentially had an inkling about my interest in crossdressing, I was sure that the other person must be thinking about me dressing up.

A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, but I still react the same way to that tune.

Go figure!

By the way, in the "you learn something new everyday" department, I always thought that Marilyn Monroe was the model for the May 1965 Esquire magazine cover shot (see above). Turns out that it was not Miss Monroe, but rather Italian actress Virna Lisi.

The "Femulate Her:" Video Experiment

If you have been viewing this blog lately, you may have noticed the video versions of Femulate Her: appearing here in the main section of the blog, i.e., the center column.

After experimenting with this feature for the past few days, I finally managed to get the video to appear in the Femulate Her: sidebar, too, and that is where it will appear in the future.

I hope you enjoy this new feature!

Femulate Her:

Video source: Byron Lars

The Gurley Family

In honor of Father's Day, I offer this one-shot 1989 comic strip, The Gurley Family by Joost Swarte, which originally appeared in Raw.

Click on the image to make it appear bigger!

Three Words and More

I have three words for today: finished hanging gutters

You cannot imagine how difficult it is hanging gutters in high heels and a cocktail dress!

Anyway, that post-winter task is finally done just two days before the first day of summer. And this year, two days before summer means that I have three more words:

Happy Father's Day!

Femulate Her:

Video source: Saks Fifth Avenue

Dear Stana: Where do you buy your wigs?

Dear Stana,

Where do you buy your wigs? (I cannot find the article in which you discuss the topic.)

Amy

Hi Amy,

I don't recall discussing the topic.

Anyways, in person, I buy my wigs at Tonkin's Wigs & Millinery in Waterbury, CT (481 Wolcott St., phone 203-753-1355)

Via the Internet, I buy my wigs from Name Brand Wigs.

By the way, I prefer Noriko brand monofilament wigs.

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.

JJ Levine's Switch

Reading Genderfork today directed me to the photography of JJ Levine, "a Montreal-based artist, who works in intimate portraiture... Levine works mostly in photography and video, and through these visual media, explores issues surrounding gender, sexuality, self-identity, and queer space."

I found Levine's Alone Time and Switch portfolios fascinating.

Alone Time is a series of photos portraying male and female couples involved in a variety of mundane and not-so-mundane activities. The catch is that the male and female in each couple is the same person. In most cases, I cannot determine if the person portraying the couple is natal male or female.

Switch is similar, but different. It portrays young male and female couples posing in prom wear. Each couple appears in two photos, side-by-side (as above). In one photo, one half of the couple wears male clothing and the other half of the couple wears female clothing. In the other photo, they switch; the person who wore male clothing in the first photo now wears female clothing and the person who wore female clothing in the first photo now wears male clothing.

I believe I figured out who was natal sex-wise in this set of photos, but it is so well done that I would not be surprised if I erred.

JJ Levine has other portfolios on the website; some trans-related, some not, but all are wonderful.

Enjoy! (I know I did.)

Bizarro Trans News

You can't make this stuff up!

Genetic engineers are deliberately breeding transgender goats to see if their milk is similar to that produced by humans.

--- Read all about it at Mail Online.

Fluorescent fish glows to show feminising chemicals in the water.

--- Read this gem at New Scientist (and thank-you, Brianna, for alerting me about this story).

Very Valentijn

Yesterday, Fashionista wrote about Valentijn de Hingh, the trans model I mentioned here on Saturday. This new article has more information about Valentijn than The Huffington Post article (like she is 6’1” not 5’11”), so you might find it interesting.

If not, c'est la vie!

Wardrobe Malfunctions

Two Words

I have two words for today: hanging gutters

Yet Another Trans Model

The Huffington Post reports that "Valentijn de Hingh is another gorgeous transgender model rising through high fashion's ranks.

"Having recently shot an editorial for Love magazine with Patrick Demarchelier and a video for Vogue Italia, the leggy (5'11") Amsterdam native is returning to the spotlight after spending almost ten years as the subject of a documentary on transgender children."

Read all about her here.

(Thank you, SoCalSecrets for alerting me about this story.)

Mother’s Bond With Her Trans Teen

"Posing arm in arm, teenager Hannah Whetton and her mum Carol look like any loving mother and daughter.

"They enjoy going clothes shopping together and share make-up tips.

"But for the first 16 years of her life Hannah was Arron, Carol's son."

Read all about it in The Sun.

1985 = 1895

The caption of today’s “The Femulated” should be 1895, not 1985. 

I will fix it as soon as I can, but I can’t now (although I can publish this post all about it!)

Fit For A Queen

The UPS truck backed up the driveway last evening and delivered my order from Shoe Dazzle.

I opened the box and found a pair of Consuelos inside that looked as nice in person as they looked on the Shoe Dazzle website. However, they looked too small and I doubted that they would fit. (The largest size that the Consuelos came in were 11, so it was this pair or nothing.)

I took off my sneakers and socks, slipped on a pair of knee-highs, then slipped on my new shoes. I was very surprised; they fit perfectly!

I wore my new shoes for about an hour and my feet felt fine from beginning to end. And I did not get a nose bleed from the higher altitude.

These heels are high! I took out a ruler and found that the inside of the heel is almost 4 inches high and the back of the heel is a sky-scraping 5-1/2 inches high. There is also a 1-1/4-inch platform. Despite the height, I had no problem walking in these very high heels.

The overall Shoe Dazzle package is very nice. It included a cloth bag to carry and/or store the shoes.

The shoe box itself is not your father's shoe box. Rather, it consists of one box that serves as a “drawer” that slides inside another box that serves as “cabinet.”  A finger hole in the “drawer” makes it easy to slide one box out of the other.

The only negative thing was that this box was loose inside the shipping box and was banged up upon delivery, although its contents (the shoes) were no worse for wear.

Overall, I am very pleased with my Shoe Dazzle order and give it two big toes up!

Thursday Thoughts of a Random Nature

Is it a crime to femulate so well!

This just in: criminal gets plastic surgery to look like a woman!

According to Reuters, "A Mexican man suspected of fraud was so keen to evade the law that he had surgery to make himself look like a woman."

Read all about it here.

(Thank you, Rhonda Williams, for the scoop as well as the title of this bit.)

Femulate Mobile

The only mobile device I own is my Subaru, but yesterday, Blogger offered me an option to provide this blog in a format that is suited for mobile devices. I accepted their offer, but have no idea if it works because my Subaru does not do the Internet.

If you use a mobile device to read this blog, let me know if you noticed the difference and if so, is it an improvement.

Text of Transgender Protection Law

I buried the link to the text of Connecticut's transgender protection law in a comment. In case anyone is interested, I am making the link more visible by providing it here.

The Huffington Post Bits for Girls Like Us

‣ Five-time Emmy Award winning celebrity makeup expert, Eve Pearl, presents a how-to: " Beauty -- Smokey Eyes: Bright Colors to Enhance the Eye,” which you can see here.

‣ Meanwhile, 6’3” L'Wren Scott is self-conscious about being tall tall (been there, done that). Read her story here.

Trans Prom Queen Joins It Gets Better Campaign

Steve Rothaus writes in The Miami Herald that transgender Andrew Viveros, the Florida prom queen, "has launched her own Facebook page and recorded an It Gets Better video for LGBT youth."

Read all about it and see the video here.

Side Benefits of Serious Femulation

In the past, when my only outings en femme were support group meetings and Halloween parties, I was not fooling anybody, so there was no need to make an effort to pass.

Not that I looked like a guy in a dress --- I have always been a perfectionist, so I learned how to apply makeup, style wigs, and dress to impress. Yet, passing was not important because my public forays en femme were rare, so what I did then worked.

However, as my outings en femme increased, I realized that I had to do better. What worked at a support group meeting would not work on the streets of Gotham City.

My weight has always been on the heavy side with 20 pound swings from one year to next.

I decided to end the roller coaster ride. I lost a dozen pounds and two dress sizes. For the past few years, I have managed to avoid the 20 pound fluctuations.

Now, there are 2 or 3 pound fluctuations and they set off an alarm to alert me to watch my diet or my figure will suffer.

In addition to a smaller dress size, losing and maintaining a lower weight had some other benefits.

Gone are the uncomfortable heavyweight foundation garments. Comfortable and lightweight Spanx-style support is all I need these days to create the semblance of a girlish figure.

Also, my toes got thinner! Before I lost weight, the fourth and fifth little piggies on my left foot were not getting along. They overlapped, which caused friction, discomfort, and severe irritation. It was so bad that I planned to see a doctor about the problem.

After I lost weight, the toe problem went away. I assume it was a combination of thinner toes and less weight pressing down on those toes.

Whatever --- my feet are happier in heels these days!

A New World

On October 1, a new law in Connecticut will ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity in housing, employment and most public accommodations.

That's four months away, but I feel like I am living in a new world already. (It is not a big world, only 5,544 square miles, but it is where I live most of my life.)

I go out and about en femme with a carefree attitude. I try not to worry about the consequences of being out en femme, but in the back of my mind, there was always some concern.

Will the woman who eyed me in the ladies' room complain to management and raise a ruckus?

Will the restaurant refuse to serve me (and embarrass me)?

None of these things have ever happened to me, but they still weighed on my mind whenever I was out en femme in the past.

Those concerns are fading away. And in four months, they will be gone; I will have the law on my side and I will be completely carefree at last.

Connecticut Trans Anti-Discrimination Bill Passes!!!

Pinch me, I must be dreaming!

Last night, the Connecticut State Senate passed the transgender anti-discrimination bill. Next the bill goes to the Governor; he promised that he would sign the bill, so it is a done deal and will take effect October 1.

The bill outlaws discrimination on the basis of gender identity in housing, employment and most public accommodations (including bathrooms). You can read all about it here: The Connecticut Mirror

I wish I could say I did my part to pass this bill. I lobbied my state representative and state senator, but they are tea baggers and voted against the bill. I will be sending them follow-up letters later today informing them that since they voted against me, I will be voting against them when they run for reelection.

Nevertheless, it is a great day to be transgender in the Constitution State!

Lea T. Struts In Swimwear For Fashion Rio

"Lea T., transsexual model and industry darling, hit Brazil's Fashion Rio runway on Wednesday, strutting in several swimsuits for one of the country's top beachwear brands, Blue Man."

Read and see more at The Huffington Post.

Dazzling Shoes

I love high heels.

En femme, I am usually in heels, seldom flats. I own so many pairs that I can go a month without any repeats on my feet.

I am always looking for something new to add to my collection. So, I joined an online shoe club.

Over a month ago, I received an e-mail inviting me to check out Shoe Dazzle.

The first time I visited their website, they prompted me to complete a short survey to indicate my shoe preferences. Thereafter, I began receiving e-mail recommendations matching my preferences.

I considered purchasing a few, but held off until today when a shoe in a style I had been looking for became available (see photo).

All their shoes cost $39.95 per pair, shipping is free, and they have my size (11). I also received a first purchase discount of $7.99, so my first order cost only $31.96.

It remains to be seen if "my size" fits me. I will find out as soon as my new heels show up on my doorstep, then I will let you know

By the way, after making my first purchase, I became a member of their club and every month, I will receive my "personal stylist" shoe selection for $39.95.

So here is my invitation to check out Shoe Dazzle yourself. If you like heels like I do, I think you will like Shoe Dazzle.

I'm So Tired

I'm so tired tonight; too tired to write anything interesting, so I will leave you with another photo from my Dayton Hamvention trip two weeks ago.

That's me Thursday morning before checking out of my hotel on the Pennsylvania-Ohio state line and driving four hours to Dayton.