Cyrsti's Condo "I 'Doesn't' Know it?

After her son won this womanless beauty pageant, this Mom is thinking four things...
1.- So maybe this Isn't a phase?
2.- Is this why he "practiced" every night for a month?
3.- I hope Dad doesn't see these pictures!
4.- Damn! He looks better than his sister in her LBD!

How Many Words IS a Picture Worth?

I have been meaning to write a post "focusing" on pictures here in Cyrsti's Condo for a minute now. Finally, I'm going to try to make some sense of a complicated concept.

If you are like me, pictures don't really represent what I think I look like.  So, either I try to play with them or just don't put much emphasis on them.  Years ago, I think I could take a better picture than what I really looked like. As an example,  I have used a picture on the left which is actually 10 years old and quite possibly the most commented picture I ever put on line...but...presenting to the public in this outfit was quite a different story for several reasons.  The picture itself as you can see, is essentially what I call- a picture of a picture-taken from a mirror reflection. It wasn't a "fake", but an adjustment designed to garner all the false adulation one can get on line-which does us NO good in the public eye.

Now, lets take my "red" picture below for an example.  I was getting a little better with my "poor person's" photo manipulation.  It's a blurred mirror shot too...without showing the camera. Nothing new about the process, just check out the close ups of the famous movie actress's of the 1930's and 40's.

Bottom line though, although I did feel as if these pictures made me look better than I actually did, they were only moments in time.  My feminine life was maturing and I was moving on.

Now, let's get back to pix and one I originally saw on Femulate from Paula Goodwin (left).  I positively love this!  I see a proud transgender woman in her musical element and the strength in her eyes! I could go on and on about Stana's and Janie Black's photo's and not even scratch the surface of trans women who also are able to present themselves wonderfully with a picture!

As far as I go, I can only say, I'm kind of working on pix,  and was pushing my very talented and creative partner Liz to help. She took the easy way out and just underwent major shoulder surgery. So, she will be "one arm short" for a couple months.  Excuses-excuses!!!

Perhaps for the first time in my life, I want the special picture or to which represents my spirituality with nature, writing, inner self etc.  I actually thought about sending in a picture to Femulate-but decided I don't have one which fairly represents where I am in life. To hell with looks.  Sadly, the subject was send in your fave photo and I don't have one-yet!

Finally, here is Mandy! Rightly or wrongly, I always look for a transgender person's picture who is not in the same room all time or a motel room- like Mandy!   OK, I'm a photo snob!!!

Technically - It's Platinum!

A couple days ago, I wrote a post about my "gray" roots which my sister in law called "silver" and J. Alana commented:

J.AlanaSNovember 24, 2014 at 9:52 PM

LOL Cyrsti, technically it's Platinum Blond, best bet is not to fight it with a dark color. Instead try going with a blond shade with your next coloring.

I've had an ever increasing amount of platinum hear since my mid 30's. I went for my first color just last month. In this small town, they don't color men's hair, but I talked them into giving me some blond high-lights to cover the platinum.

Thanks!!!  "platinum" makes me feel better than gray!!!!  Ironically, last summer I did go with a progressively lighter blond shade to go with an overall chestnut shade of red.  Under the careful eye of Liz, when we went went this auburn (almost ombre) shade of color, my roots were very reddish.  All I really know is, I'm willing to trust others with my color (Liz) and she hit the jackpot on this one.  I have an experience to pass along from this morning about a conversation I had with my Doctor's nurse on what the color was-and she had tried to find it.    

Cyrsti's Condo "Star Gazing!"

After missing a week, we are back to checking what the astrological signs say about about our lives here in the Condo.  First off, my sign- Libra:

(September 23-October 22): It’s amazing how much you do know and how little you give yourself credit for it. Listen to yourself now. This is the time to step out and look at yourself from the outside in. When you embrace certain truths about your patterns, it’ll help you untangle messy connections that are trying to saturate your brain. Stop the madness now, as it can be a slippery slope.

Interesting! I have been accused about giving myself too much credit over the years on occasion!

Our guest sign this week goes to the Capricorns! 

(December 22-January 19): Restlessness can plague you at night, as darkness will bring out a different creature in you now. Instead of trying to fight the insomnia, dive into new obsessions, play new characters and let your inner werewolf howl. Not only are your odds high to discover a new level of genius within yourself, but there’s also a trippy feeling flying around your head now.

Cut it loose girls!!!!

If you didn't see your sign here, don't boo-hoo and go here to theFrisky to find yours!

This Says It All!

Thanks Bobbie!!!!

Proud to be a "Buckeye?"

If you didn't know, I am from the state of Ohio also known as the "Buckeye State".


I have always been a fan of another Ohio - Marcela Ohio to be exact.  She is a gorgeous Mtf transgender woman, not from Ohio!

The "SisterHood of the Silver Hair?'

If you have noticed my newest and (most popular) hair color is an auburn toned very dark brown.  It was all good until my sister in law Missy in all her glory said:  "Wow! I never noticed your new hair color included silver roots!"


After a brief pause and I skipped over all the cheap shots I could have come up with, I said: "Damn Missy! Those are not silver high lights! Those are GRAY!"


I don't know where I will spend all this silver I found!


FYI, I came up with title after Liz and I watched the film "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Tissue alert-do not watch this chick flick if you are on HRT without a box of tissues!

Master Mechanic?

It figures I ran across this article which fit right in with my recent "Mechanic" post about my basic style and how I go about it-after I wrote it.   I passed along five of my "basics" and forgot an important one- being allowed access to a dressing room to try on clothes.


I will say, I have never been denied access anywhere, but years and years ago, Lane Bryant used to discreetly move me to a secluded room.  I have always lived with the idea that me being green trumped me being transgender.  Most stores simply wanted my money.  In fact years ago, my daughter worked for "Victoria's Secret" and there was a regular customer who spent big money on the largest sized items they stocked.  Of course he wasn't too sly about who the apparel was for and most of the other clerks steered clear of him.  My daughter was on some sort of a commission and saw a monetary opportunity and tried to always wait on him.  This was way before she had any inkling of my cross dressing or later transgender gender fluxing. Similar to so many other issues we see in our community, it takes only one misguided bigoted individual to send an old issue once again into the public eye:



Recently, a major site took on the issue with these results:


Like a lot of people, my biggest fitting room worry is that none of the jeans I picked out will make my butt look good. But for many, that’s a microscopic concern compared to the potential human rights violation they might have to endure. For transgender individuals, having a store employee humiliate, dehumanize, or turn you away for simply wanting to try on clothes in their fitting room is a constant  — and sadly, legit — worry. Back in July, a transgender woman was expelled from a lingerie store in Austin, Texas. Earlier in 2011, another transgender woman was thrown out of a Macy’s dressing room for make the audacious and ludicrous attempt to just try on some clothes. To see how other mass chain stores dealt with transgender customers, Ashley Hoffman at Styleite cold called a handful of your (probably favorite) stores, inquiring on their transgender fitting room.


As my partner Liz (generic) just told me, this problem won't end until the world understands our interaction in the world is a gender deal and not a sexual one.  A penis in the closed dressing room next door in a woman's clothing store is not cause for a panic.

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

"Ker Plunk!!!" another Condo "Sunday Edition" has hit your virtual front porch!  Get your hot "Cup o Joe" ready and let's get started:
Page 1.- The Week that Was-or Wasn't?  The week past saw us discussing a "self professed" life long cross dresser bemoaning the fact we all are delusional fanatics who live in our mirrors and will never look like a generic woman.  It was quite the rant!  In sort of a reverse order only we dyslexics can embrace, I wrote an exceeding rare post on the mechanics (so to speak) on how I go about my personal feminine style and fashion.  Later today, I am going to add to it a link looking at how transgender or cross dressers are faring today in four of the major women's apparel outlets. 
Page 2.- The Polar Plunge and the Gender Flux?  Last week in much of the country, winter tore in to us and tossed any ideas of a gentle return into the ditch.  For me it meant a bit more "flux" back to my male being.  I needed his help (what's left of him) to assist moving a couple heavy vintage furniture pieces out of my old house before I list it for sale. I found out quite literally how the combination of my age and HRT has robbed me of a tremendous amount of any of the male upper body strength I used to possess.  It's a very simple deal-the decrease in size and definition of my biceps (which have given me the ability to wear sleeveless tops) equals a decrease in strength.  DUH! The problem I have is though, under bulky flannel shirts, jeans and an old Army ball cap, the perception the public still has is I still should have at least a little strength with my bulk.
Page 3.- What's Up Doc?   Coming up Tuesday, I am scheduled for my semi annual visit to my primary care physician.  To prepare, I had to fast on a diet of water for 12 hours or so and visit the vampires and provide a "sampling" of my blood.  One of the unfortunate traits I learned from my Mom, was the fine art of being a hypochondriac. So, when the vampire nurse asked me if I was diabetic, I said no, at least not that I knew of.  Then I began to worry if I was, would it have any thing to do with my hormone replacement therapy meds?  My partner Liz, knowing me too well, said no offense, they check people your age for diabetes anyhow.  Gee thanks!
Page 4.- The Back Page. As Mom always said, "Life is like a roll of toilet paper-the closer to the end it gets-the faster it goes!" This past week zoomed by too and now Thanksgiving week festivities are again almost upon us.  I know the holidays present a unique time (and not always a pleasant one) for many in our community. Here's hoping you are looking forward to a fun, loving and festive one! Thanks for stopping by Cyrsti's Condo.