I Love Being a Girl

I know, cheesy lead in right? Surprise, right?

Actually, the whole mind set I'm referring to is one that I am just beginning to scratch the surface of-vintage fashion. First of all, I have had to develop a whole different mind set-heavily in grained decades in my noggin. Slowly and all so uncertainly, I no longer have to look at the generics around me and yearn to be them.  I'm to the point I can be them- to the point of enjoying to the fullest the interests and lifestyles of their world. In fact, since I never take it for granted-so maybe I can enjoy their world more as I embrace it more than they do.

Whatever- now it seems, more than a few of my "unreachable" feminine fashion icons of my youth are being brought back!

Plus, some of you may remember, I'm a historian by degree and have a certain respect for things-well old.  So why not add vintage fashion in?  Recently, I was overjoyed when I found on Twitter, a site called "Queens of Vintage" (no-not drag queens) a lifestyle blog about all things vintage - written and curated by Lena Weber.(left)

If you are curious or interested, follow the link above!

A Close Shave?

It seems the past couple of days here in Cyrsti's Condo, have been getting back to basics. Yesterday we touched on the subject of leaving the house presenting as your preferred gender.  I received a thoughtful comment on the subject through  Google Plus and Jennifer S saying a lot like me, she runs the gamut of genders on occasion.  One of the main objectives is not acting like anything is wrong of course.

Today, if you go back several posts to one of my "made up" scenarios, you will see yet another match of a picture of an unknown cross dresser on Pinterest to a possible circumstance. Many of the "Condo's" usual suspects made this one fun by adding comments. Here is a little secret on this post; I was in a hurry and only said the cross dresser in question was caught by surprise by his little sister, in his Mom's clothes.  Paula correctly noted that Mom must be hot with that wardrobe!  Then, surprise-surprise, came the leg comments as Mandy and I began to discuss if he had shaved his legs or not.

I for one, have been fascinated by the subject-period.  If you take womanless beauty pageants or Halloween for instance, shaved legs are a fairly decent way to separate the more serious woman wannabe's from the just having a good timers.

Sadly, I'm so old, I only remember  a few of the times in my life when I was able to shave my legs and wonder now how I got away with it. I wasn't cursed with tons of body hair, but what I had was very dark in color.  Like so many others, I became fairly good at hiding my leg hair with a combination of panty hose (which I hated).  After the first couple of layers, I felt like I was suiting up for football again.  Plus, when I could shave my legs, the electric sensation I felt was simply amazing.

Fast forward more years than I can remember and now shaving my legs has -yes-become part of my everyday life of what I do to maintain my feminine existence.  Plus, over the past several summers, most generics have simply gone "bare legged" in the warm months. That's OK too because even though I am far past my mini skirt days, the cool breeze on my legs under a long flowing skirt in the summer, makes the shaving process worth it. (And ooooooh so feminine!)

So again and again the fascinating part of being a "clod" (sorry! a clog) in the transgender/cross dressing community is-no matter where you find yourself today, may not be where you may be tomorrow. If you take me and my panty hose saga for example; years ago I used hose to cover leg hair and hold up my hip/butt pads.  Now, they are simply part of my fashion/style I simply don't use much until the cooler months when I wear tights and leggings.

None of it makes anyone right or wrong, except I do think almost everyone agrees, guys do have the potential to have classically beautiful feminine legs.  Just don't tell them!

Cyrsti's Condo "Star Reading"

Here we go kids! Another visit to our astrological signs from theFrisky. First, my Libra sign is rather subdued this week:
 (September 23-October 22): It’s all about keeping your word. Building trust is a sport at times and if you want to achieve the level you want, it’s going to take time. Like anything that has true substance, you have to let it settle. Be willing to lay low in the passenger seat and have your actions speak for themselves, as you keep it real with your priorities.

No problem! The way my partner Liz drives, I lay low in the passenger seat anyway!!!  Our guest sign this week comes from the sign of Aries , which seems to be a good match - to sit back and watch from the passenger seat!

(March 21-April 19): When a door opens, step in — like when sexual tension springs up in a platonic place. Yes, go hog wild on all the no strings love you can get now. However, don’t be the aggressor, because clumsiness will plague you from being as smooth as you’d like. Let them ignite the flame and they will!

If you didn't see your sign, don't pout and boo hoo which will run your fancy new mascara! Go here for yours!

Boys Just Want to Sing!

Boy Band Alice!  What came first? The cross dressing or the music? 

What Will the Neighbor's Say?

One topic I don't believe we have covered much at all here in Cyrsti's Condo is how most of us "made a break" for it past the nosy neighbors-when we were/are beginning to make the first steps out in the world to experience this "girl thing."

Looking back, I would do everything the smart way by going to neighboring larger cities and dressing there. But then play the odds of getting caught by venturing out in my home town. (60,000 population)  The more I found I felt increasingly natural in the feminine world-the more I threw caution to the wind. Actually, my "sneaking" around caused me untold suffering in my marriage when I was caught.

Years later, of course it's a different world for me now, but I still wonder on occasion, what the neighbors do think! My house I own and am trying to sell-changes out neighbors every six months, so I really don't care. Interestingly, there used to be a kid who lived down the alley who around Halloween made a point of going out of his way to speak to me.  I thought he may have had ulterior motives when one evening after school he showed up wearing a long blond wig.  Of course, a month later, he had moved.

More interestingly yet, has been the last year or so I have spent down at Liz's house.  For one, her neighbors do not move and have seen the various "shades" of me.  By "shades" I mean from total androgynous guy to transgender woman.  Bottom line is, I don't care what they think and Liz always "pronouns" me feminine when she speaks with them.

I know one has to reach a certain point in their transition to feel the same way I do and per norm I have paid my dues to get here-but- I'm fascinated at the number of experiences I read from other cross dressers or possible transgender women.  Yet another facet of our community which is unbelievably complex and diverse!   

Cyrsti's Condo- The "Balls of the Belle?"

Today, we are featuring a montage of pictures from the cross dressing event extraordinaire-the Atlanta Cotillion :


I have never been, but from the outside looking in with pictures, the event seems to be intermixed with a liberal mix of gay men, cross dressers, and even some trans girls mixed in!

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

"Ker Plunk!" Another Condo weekly wrap up has hit your virtual front porch!  Curl up with your Cup o Joe and lets get started!


Page 1.- The Week That was-or Wasn't.  Such a week it was! I really don't where to even start. I'm thinking an important place though, is my moving story.  My plan to get moved in with my partner Liz within 6 months or so and my old house on the market and sold-took a giant step forward. Briefly,  that is not an move across town-but one involving a two hour drive.
Moving was not the only thing weighing on my mind this week.  It seems the Veteran's Administration "powers to be" at the Dayton (Ohio) hospital center have gone back to where I fought them years ago and denied payment to an outside provider for my endocrinologist needs. Which (by the way) is illegal for them to do.  So here we go again.

Page 2.- A Star Arrives!   Last week marked the appearance of Laverne Cox in our area of Ohio and Northern Kentucky.  I was fortunate to see her Tuesday and was inspired and impressed. It turns out, I met a couple of young transgender men and women in Cincinnati who were impressed too.  Liz was doing a craft show here and put out many of her hand beaded items.  To the left you can see an example of a transgender logo beret she made me for my hair last Spring.  The picture is taken of me from my best angle!  At any rate, an obviously gender non forming young couple wondered by and were drawn to the beret.  Finally, the trans guy said quietly-they knew the transgender symbol and were trans! I was sitting to the rear of the table, for once being quiet and out of the way so I just raised my hand.  Liz said, "So is she" and pointed my direction.  From that point on, we had quite the chat, oblivious to the "civilians" around us. I wondered later, what they thought about phrases and words about testosterone shots, top surgery, HRT and transitioning.  How wonderful it was we could do it!!!! It turns out, they too had seen Laverne Cox at Northern Kentucky University recently. 

By the way, the trans guy is ordering one of Liz's beaded handmade beret's for his Mom as a Christmas gift-with a rainbow where the Yin-Yang symbol is centered on mine.  Just contact me if you have an idea and want her to make one for you.  Please remember they are hand crafted and I will give you a price.

Page 3.- Stealth, Football and Mo!  Our back page today is going to be brief (maybe). In the typical New York elitist media style- on the CBS News show "Face the Nation" one of the experts quoted the old "Texas" football coach who said when you pass the football-three things can happen-all bad. The coach was Woody Hayes, decidedly NOT from Texas, but Ohio State.  Then again, when I lived in the NYC area for a couple years, the only part of the country the New Yorkers acknowledged was Texas.  To them, my native Ohio didn't register.  Even though I do pay attention to the "East Coast" media bias-I hold it all at arm's length out here in the frontier!

However, here in the frontier, we do play football, and yes our Ohio State Buckeyes tore up some Wisconsin Badger last night.  Liz and I watched the game in a sports bar here in Cincinnati which is not exactly the strongest Buckeye stronghold in the state-but OK none the less. 

Being self centered, sure the victory was great but the local circumstances around it at the tavern were even better. More later.

You all are the best!!!! Thanks as always for stopping by Cyrsti's Condo!!! Have a great week!!!

Cyrsti's Condo "OOOOPS"

Dammit! I just knew this wasn't going to work well when my little sister came home early-with her new camera!!!! And, I'm in Mom's clothes!

Steppin Up and Out

Many of you Cyrsti's Condo readers know of my belief I am largely successful in my mtf transgender transition efforts because of Momma Karma.  What I pay forward into the community comes back three fold to help me.


If this latest outreach from the Dayton, Ohio LGBTQ organization works, I will have a chance to take another nice dose of positive karma.


Recently, the group has noticed the "T" in their name was silent and they knew very little about us and more importantly, wanted to reach out to their perception of a growing, largely invisible community of transgender women and men.  Wow!  (The Dayton LGBT group was partially responsible for bringing Laverne Cox to the area.)


So, where the deal stands now is, the group is trying to put together an initial brainstorming session with three of us. The final goal is to provide support locally to trans individuals.


Now all I have to do is find a brain that fits!