In Olden Days a Glimpse of Stocking...

...was pretty much nonexistent at the Renaissance Faire.  At least amongst the girls in costume.  In

not my hand.

fact, it was quite warm and probably none of the drab visitors wore stockings either.

The Virginia Renaissance Faire is on the small side.  It's in a winery in Spotsylvania (I would have preferred Pottsylvania, but...).  There was quite a crowd there; I suspect a lot of people came from downstate, to enjoy a faire without having to travel another hour and a half to get to the Maryland one.

The VA faire was more kid-oriented than others I've been to.  There were lots of educational activities and events kids would probably enjoy more than adults would.

At one tent, they were selling mail-type jewelry and accessories.  They had chain mail hacky sacks, the headpieces that look great but rip out huge quantities of hair when removed, and more.  I was looking at one piece and had no idea what it was.  Something similar is in the picture here.  It's that picture = 1000 words thing.

A salesgirl saw I was confused and came over and picked up a pink one and put it on my finger/wrist.  Then she turned to someone else and loudly said something about how amusing it was that she would put a pink bracelet on a man.

Before leaving the booth, I showed her the picture of Meg at last year's faire and said "it's not that big a deal."



NINE!

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More On Mott

Some readers mentioned that Mott, my opal ring, is just fine with some scratches.  It lends some character to the ring.

The scratches are more rough spots than scratches, the kind that will snag on, say, fabric if they come into contact.  Unless I can file or sand them down somehow (or find someone who can) I can't wear it.  I play with my rings/bracelets/whatever I'm wearing.  When I had long hair, long ago, I'd bite on the ends.

Normally, playing with my ring is a mindless activity while I'm doing whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing.  But the rough spots will distract me.

Music is a good analogue.  I can leave music on when I'm working and listen and do other things.  But if I have to focus on something, the music will just play and I won't have any idea as to how many songs or how long it's been playing.  If the music is exceptionally loud or soft or discordant (there should be a word "dischordant" just for lousy music), it'll distract and I can't work.

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Simple Pleasure ~ Saving Nails

Last month, I wrote about my frustration with splitting my thumbnail while trying to hold the lobster claw clasp open when putting on a necklace or bracelet.  Marian suggested an easy solution: there are magnetic clasps.  You add this to the stock clasp.  It has a claw on one end and a hoop on the other.  Simply attach the clasp claw to the hoop on the item and the clasp hoop to the claw on the item and after that, you only need to open and close a magnet.

Of course, if you have several bracelets/necklaces you like to wear, you really need one per and that can run into money ~ money that can be better spent on jewelry.

It turns out there's an easy solution for my favourite necklace.  It's 24" and I wear it most days when in drab.

At 24" there's no need to open it at all.  It just slips over my head.  I was opening and closing it daily for no good reason.

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Simple... Pleasure?

I've been trying to keep my nails looking nice.  They have a habit of breaking and I've been using Nailtiques formula #2 to both harden my nails and give them some shine.

They still break, but there's no breaking bad.  So to speak.

However, I noticed that my right thumbnail has a split right in the centre of the nail.  It's about an eighth or sixteenth of an inch deep, depending on how short my nails are.

It was puzzling, until I realised that every day, twice a day, I open clasps on both my necklace and bracelet with that exact spot on my fingernail.

I need to find a fix for that.  I can't do clasps with my left thumb though.

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Forward, Into the Past ~ Oooo.... Shiny Stuff

There were a lot of nice jewelry booths at the faire.  I don't think I saw them all, but one of the first we came to sold ear cuffs.  They were inexpensive and nice and I decided I'd think about it while I wandered.  I had budgeted a few bucks to spend on "stuff" and I needed to see if I found something more appealing.

I did not.

On the way out, Charity and I stopped at the same shoppe and looked at a few different cuffs.  I like to shop with people who have at least as much sense of style as I don't.

They had some cuffs that hung off the middle of your ear, and rings of different sizes that would clip onto the ear, and all were non-pierced items.  As I was looking, with a helpful young saleslady watching, a woman came up to the counter and said to the clerk "can I wear this as a nose ring?"  And the saleswoman looked pained and said "I'd prefer you didn't.  At least not until you buy it."  I laughed and said "I'm glad you said that.  You almost lost a sale."

I bought two cuffs and two rings.  No pics ~ I haven't even tried them on yet!

On the way out I decided to have a little fun with the salesgirl.  After being in close contact with someone, I assume they know I'm not what I appear to be.  They might know at 500 yards, but I don't make that assumption.  More than once, say at a makeup counter where I'm getting some makeover assistance, I say "can I ask you a question?  When did you know?" and I uniformly get a "when did I know what?" which is wonderful to hear as well as flattering, but I really do want an honest answer.  I never pushed the issue and stopped a long time ago. 

So I assumed she figured out Meg.  As we were leaving, I hung back a bit and let Charity go ahead.  Then I got the salesgirl's attention and did my best nervous/upset look and said softly "she makes me do this."  I was rewarded with a shocked (horrified?) look and I quickly turned away and hurried off to catch up with the group.

I bet she has a story to tell her friends.

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Mott the Opal

(Shana Tovah, all)

Some of you got the Mott the Hoople reference.  It was actually a threefer.

* There was the basic pun.

* A few of you pointed out that Mott was one of the original Glam (or Glitter) Rock groups.  Opal is definitely a glam rock.  Or a glitter rock, I suppose.

* There's something of a gender reference as well.  Glam rockers were known for wearing outrageous or at least androgynous clothing, hairstyles, and makeup.

As an added bonus, Mott's best-known song is "All the Young Dudes" which contains lyrics such as

Now Lucy looks sweet cause he dresses like a queen
But he can kick like a mule it's a real mean team

And their second-most well-known song is arguably "All the Way From Memphis."  She is actually from Points Further South, but most recently my roommate Charity came here, well, all the way from Memphis.

Finally, my friend Rhonda took a close look at the ring and wrote

BTW, the ring is really nice. And shiny. VERY shiny. Looks like you took reasonable precautions when photographing a reflective object (e.g., clothes on), although I've only been able to get the magnification of the ring up to 400X (just kidding). It does look like two people, the one on the right looks to be in a white top with a high collar of some sort. The one on the left is blurred. 

I've got to figure out my ring size so I can shop for some nice ones. Have you had luck buying rings on-line? How about bracelets and bangles? Even my small hand doesn't fit through most of the bracelets that I find in stores. 

Addressing the last issue first, finding your ring size is pretty easy.  Go to any jewelry store (even Kay's or something like that) and ask them to size you.  They have a ring of rings in different sizes.  They'll tell you the size of any finger in a second.  OR you can bring in a ring that fits and they drop it on a long thin conical "finger."  Whereever it lands, you read your size.  And men's and women's sizes are the same, so don't worry if you're deep in the closet ~ get your finger sized at one store while you look at men's rings, then go to another and say "she'd like this ring.  Can I get it in an 8?"

7 is my size, by the way.  And the jewelry show had women's rings up to 10, possibly 11.  I forget.  Most had separate trays with different sizes so you didn't have to hunt much.

As for that picture (reproduced below)....


Well, I was the only one in the room.  That's me behind the flash (on the right), but there's definitely someone to my left wearing something cute and frilly.  I can see the bodice and an arm.

Is that you, Thalia?  Did you finally show yourself?

Me, right.  ??, left

Simple Pleasure: Live and Learn

It's very cute

I bought a necklace last Saturday at a small jewelry store.  They sold a mix of vintage and new, fine and
costume (why isn't the opposite of "fine jewelry" "coarse jewelry?").

They had some that were hand crafted.  Charity bought a bracelet that was beads and a vintage dog tag (the type that goes on a dog collar, not a soldier).  I bought a necklace for under $15.  It had something I thought was new: a couple of inches of "extra" chain that allow you to clip the clasp onto any of several loops to lengthen or shorten the chain.

(Joking with civilians note: I said "maybe I'll wear it out" when she offered to put it in a box; when she laughed, I said, "you're right.  I'd have to remove my owl" and I showed her my clockwork owl which she thought was nice.  The funny thing is, I was wearing a woman's ring and my charm bracelet and neither triggered anything that said to her "he's serious ~ it is for him.")

The next day, I decided to wear it instead of my owl.  When I took it off at night, I noticed that the smaller eye on the end of the "extension" part of the chain was large enough that it could go into the hook opening and act as a stopper so the chain could be even longer than I thought.  I put it down and left it that way overnight.

Monday, I wanted to wear it to work.  I opened the clasp and put it on.

A few minutes later, I felt something moving on my chest down to my stomach.  I opened a button and reached in ~ the necklace fell down.  I was confused: the clasp looked closed, and the pendant was all the way at the other end of the chain.  I thought the chain broke (big deal... under $15, remember?) and that's when I learned something new: There are chain extenders that clip onto an existing chain to make it longer.  This one matched the chain perfectly.  The end that came off was the one I thought fit through the clasp without being clasped in (clearly, I was wrong).

So:
Cute pendant
Long chain (16.5")
Extender (3")
Learned something new
Did I mention it was under $15?

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Hi Yo Silver

(for the record, I rank "juvenile westerns," such as The Lone Ranger, down near the bottom when I listen to my old radio shows.  "Adult westerns" (Gunsmoke, Six Shooter) can be fun though)

When I went out with Joanie and the rest of the girls Thursday night, I decided to wear some new jewelry.

The idea was to show both stars together. :(

Along with my Swarovski Crystal star ring (which I wear pretty much daily ~ if you  see a guy wearing that ring, it's probably me) and an "engagement" and "wedding" ring (both costume, probably under $20 for the pair), I had two new items.

When I was in New York, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Charity noticed they had a "clearance gift shop" in the basement.  There, they had a pair of Swarovski star earrings.  Amazingly enough, they were clip.  Even more amazingly, they were $20.  Note: in New York City, $20 plus tax is around $145.  OK, not really, but it seems that way.

My ring is a hexagram.  The earrings were pentagrams.  If they matched up, I would have cheered out loud.  But the shop still made a sale.

Funny thing... I joked with the cashier about the earrings being for me, and she laughed, and didn't seem to believe me even after I drew her attention to my ring.  Remember, this was a drab day.

For my birthday, a reader gave me a necklace.  It's a short silver chain with a beautiful script Meg, also in silver.

I put on a clunky bracelet that went well with my dress and we were off.

rings and necklace.  clickk to enlarge!

Simple Pleasure ~ One Ringy-Dingy

Does anyone remember that  reference?

I have a new ring. 

I've been wearing it daily ~ to work and after work ~ and as Meg.  It's been on my finger for about two weeks now and no-one has commented.  I'm actually a bit surprised about that.

I Brought WHAT?

I opened my little cosmetics bag last night, hoping to do a "dry run" for the weekend, or at least organise my choices.  Instead, big things are happening at work and the entire project is being thrown into chaos.  So I had homework.

But I did, as I said, open my little cosmetics bag to see what my choices were.

Did I ever mention that I overpack?

I have some bandaids for my li'l toes, which sometimes get blisters and really keep me from enjoying my Megtime.

I have a cover stick, and an eyeshadow primer, and some blush.

I have an eyelash curler and eyelash/eyebrow brush.  I don't see my other brushes!  Dam!  I may pick something up, or I may just make do.

I have a small scissor and special brush to help trim brows.  I also have a brow pencil and a lip liner and a sharpener and a lipstick brush.  I have an eyeliner pencil ~ two actually, because the one I usually use is getting short.

I have foundation and powder (both Clinique.  I think they're the best variety and value in any department store!).

I have makeup remover, and three different lip balms (I didn't notice!  Honest!)

I have two mascaras, by design.  I never know when one is going to be a bit old and cake or clump or be dry or run out so I take a second.  I also checked my foundation to make sure I had enough or I would have taken a second bottle.

(By the way, I tried both mascaras to see which I prefer ~ both have problems.  The top looks OK but not great and they both seem to clump on the bottom.  Back to the CVS or Dillards.)

Now it gets weird.

I have three lipsticks and five (!) lip glosses.

I have a purple eye shadow.  I have a buttercream eyeshadow.  I have a palette of four, two palettes of three, and a matched pair of palettes (3 colours).

Apparently, I don't make decisions as much as I defer them.

And while I'm at it....  Why the heck did I bring NINE pairs of earrings, a watch, a black bead necklace and FIVE matching bracelets, a "pearl" necklace and bracelet, a lapus necklace and bracelet, two other necklaces and two other bracelets, and exactly ONE RING (a fairly plain band)?

Part of the problem is, even though I take my time, I pack in haste.  I have to grab things while the family is otherwise occupied and I don't have time to see what I'm bringing, or to just lay everything out like I did just now to decide what goes with which outfits.  I'm tired of carrying excess items.  I'll try to use this as a "lesson learned" and next time put out each outfit and one, maybe two sets of jewelry that I think will complement it.

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That Flurry of Polls ~ What Else?

When in drab, I also wear women's... (60 votes)
pierced earrings	11 (18%)
other visible jewelry	16 (26%)
shirts, if they pass	24 (40%)
slacks, if they pass	14 (23%)
jeans	44 (73%)
shoes	22 (36%)
sneakers	15 (25%)

This is just a little catchall.  I'm sure I missed some things, and there's one thing I wish we did wear (more at the end).

Many of you are wearing women's shirts.  I know shirts are difficult.  In a dress shirt, darts may appear where they shouldn't.  While men's shirts have a uniform collar, women's shirts are all over the place in terms of size, shape, and buttons (or lack thereof).  No complaints: that's a large part of what makes it so much fun to buy and wear women's clothing.  But it's hard to buy a shirt.  You need to look at the collar size and shape; the buttons, including size; sleeve length, since men have two sizes and women have an infinite range of sizes; cuff size; length, since some shirts are barely waist length; darts; and so on.  Sometimes colour is the big showstopper.  Pink is OK, bright pink or salmon, maybe not so much.  Blue is good, but teal is right out.

But 40% of you manage.  I wear a women's shirt one or two days a week and always on (casual) Friday.

Almost a quarter wear women's slacks, which are also difficult: pockets, belt loops, zipper, length, cuffs can all differ on women's slacks in subtle ways.  There may be a perfect pair of pants but the pockets are tiny or vertically slit or way too high, or there are no belt loops or the loops are skinny and definitely femme.

I'm guessing that the slacks wearers are a subset of the jeans wearers (three quarters of you!).  Jeans are easier, and a bit of flair is allowed.  When I started wearing women's jeans, the first non-plain pair had a rivet pattern, like one of those cause ribbons, on the back pockets.  My wife said "well, everyone will know they're women's jeans."  Since then, I've seen men wearing jeans with rivet patterns on the pockets.  The same thing happened with embroidery: white stitching is kind of mainstream now.  But those pretty bright butterflies on the legs are still off limits.

About a third wear women's shoes (I wear Aerosoles) and another quarter wear women's sneakers (mine are from New Balance).  I'm still considering ballet flats for the airport.  Loafers are not hard to find.  My next pair of sneakers will have a little bright colour ~ some electric green or blue maybe.

A quarter wear some women's jewelry.  I always have my charm bracelet and a necklace (which is under my shirt, generally).  I'd love to expand my repertoire, if anyone has any suggestions!

And almost one in five wear pierced earrings!  I have often considered having my ears pierced, but always change my mind.  Someday, I need to figure out what the hang-up is and go for it.

What I wish we wore: something that was kind of a secret sign that says "hey, I'm a crossdresser."  I don't know what it might be ~ a pin, a bracelet (maybe one of those rubber band things), a thumb ring, a pink shirt every Tuesday... something so we could identify our sisters and feel less alone.

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Goodbye (But Not To You)

Update: I wrote this Friday but Blogger was down most of the day so....

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Today, I'm busy cleaning my computer, and saying goodbye to a couple of people here.  I'm also going to tell S about my "flying pretty" adventure.  I promised I had something to tell her on my last day ~ this is it.  I will not be pointing her at my blog.  There are two people who know my male self and about the blog.  Neither know anyone else I know ~ although they do know my home address and phone number.  My true friends are people I can trust without even thinking about it.  Maybe that's why I have so few.

One of the two, Amanda, wrote to say she couldn't really see the pendant, even when zoomed, so here's a closeup.

Although I did seriously think about coming in as Meg, I really would have had to mention that to a couple of people here, and I didn't have a chance to do that.

I would have loved to show up as Meg for my exit interview and security debrief!  I can picture me sitting across the desk from HR and security, legs crossed, doing final paperwork, saying goodbye and "it's something I do, sometimes" to the other people there.  I think that would have been the Best Day Ever!

It's probably better that I did not.  Especially since I have three customers right after work.

Next up: my trip to the second jewelry store.

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Halloween Shopping

I picked up some costume accessories but haven't tossed anything, as I promised I would yesterday. I do have that giant bag of clothing for the swap, so I don't feel guilty about it. Besides, everything could fit in a pocket with room for my car keys, wallet, and an extra pair of hose in case mine run. :)

In the pictures I've seen of O'Donnell she's always wearing a pearl necklace. It seems like she has quite a few ~ I've seen several. Sometimes she's sporting a matching bracelet.

She also seems partial to hoop earrings.

Check, check, and check. Clearly, my budget doesn't allow real pearls. It doesn't even allow nice fake pearls. But the ones I bought look OK and all three items cost under $50.

The most amazing thing: I went into Macy's, went down to jewelry, found the items I wanted, bought them and left. I didn't get drawn into dresses or misses or lingerie. I did walk up and down past cosmetics, just because, well, I like to. But I bought what I wanted and left.

I know what you're thinking: typical guy. :)

Here's what I'll be wearing (click to enlarge):