Monday, January 29, 2024

My Biggest Influence!

 Hello There,

    I drew inspiration from many places in life when it came to adopting my feminine persona. I've already talked about my celebrity inspirations in a previous blog post, and while I certainly draw some inspiration from them they are far from my largest inspiration. During my formative years when I discovering things about myself I started doing research about crossdressing online. I happened to stumble upon a little blog called lisagirl.net (don't bother trying to go to the site, it doesn't exist anymore), and suddenly I was enthralled. Lisa was a crossdresser who wrote about a variety of things, from her crossdressing adventures, to showing off her wardrobe, to advice pages (sound familiar LOL). I regularly checked back every week to read all her new posts, and soak up all of the crossdressing fun! 

    Lisa brought a sense of normalcy to crossdressing, it wasn't just some weird fetishy thing to her, this was part of her life. She always wrote with elegancy and a sense of joy that you could just feel as you read. As a young person coming to terms with who I was, being able to read regular blog entries from a man who wore woman's clothing because it made him feel gender affirmation, really made a massive impression on me. Perhaps even a man can feel like a real woman, even if only briefly. Lisa's blog milestones were simple and attainable, she showed that even the little things can make you feel like a woman. Woman don't just go out dancing or clothes shopping, women also do simple things like getting gas or mailing a letter. As long as you are presenting as a woman or wearing gender affirming clothes you too can feel like a woman.


    Speaking of clothes, Lisa always wore clothes that a woman of her age and background would realistically wear. While it's certainly fun to parade around in a prom dress, or show off in a skimpy club dress, women realistically almost never wear outfits like that. Lisa taught me that it's not always about showing off or being hyper feminine. Sometimes just feeling like a real woman is enough, especially if your goal is to take your womanhood out of the bedroom and into the real world. Things like t-shirts and jeans when presented in the right way can sell femininity just as much as a dress. Real women dress casual most of the time and so to craft realism means dressing causally. 

    That's not to say Lisa certainly couldn't be sexy when se wanted to be! She could always rock both the casuals and the sexier items of a woman's wardrobe!

    Lisa also highlighted lesser known articles of women's clothing that can be added to ones wardrobe to help further craft a realistic feminine wardrobe. As I've discussed before I love slips and pantyhose. My love for both of these modesty garments comes from Lisa! Lisa was outspoken about her love of pantyhose and all their benefits, and for the longest time I just ignored her advice. Of course eventually I caved and started wearing them regularly, she was of course right about them LOL. Same goes for slips, Lisa would often go out of her way to create an outfit that would incorporate slips, as I often do now. In her blog post on slips she even went so far as to say: Hopefully someone will one day say to me in public, "your slip is showing," and then I can reply to them, "good!". From slips, to pantyhose, to even Maxi Pads, Lisa always had something new to recommend, and you could ALWAYS count on the recommendation to be good.

    As time progressed she began to identify as a transgender woman, and made the decision to make some major life changes. She decided to come out to her wife, and for the sake of her family's privacy, close down her blog. Lisa posted the following before closing down her blog:

It is with mixed emotions that I announce the closing of my public crossdressing diary as of August 31, 2019. Exactly 10 years ago, I felt the need to share my story with the world because I knew there were so many people out there just like me, and I've enjoyed every minute of telling my story and getting to know each of you.

10 years ago, terms like "transgender" and "gender dysphoria" were unnamed conditions that existed in our hearts, and while we knew they were there and real, we were just hoping to be able to find some sort of light at the end of the tunnel. I think we've certainly done that over the past decade, and I will always look back on this time with fond memories.

The reason for this life change is that I finally had the full talk with my wife (including her reading this blog), and everything is now out in the open from my innermost feelings to my vast bra collection...which yes, is larger than hers. : )  I'm overjoyed to report that she accepts who I am and supports me fully. We both decided that for her protection and the protection of our children that it was best if I lessen my public profile, and part of that change is closing this chapter of my online diary.

With my wife's support, I will still be able to venture out into public as a girl, meet up with my friends, and most importantly keep in touch with all of you. Furthermore, my wife and I are already planning special "girls nights out" for the two of us. Life couldn't be better for me now, and I'm excited--and anxious--to see what the next 10 years will bring, but I just want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for being there.

Lisa

    Needless to say I was devastated, no more advice to receive, no more fun adventures to read. It was quite the blow to me. But as we all know coming out is hard, and not without its consequences, so it's completely understandable that she felt the need to close down her blog. I look back on my time regularly reading Lisa's blog with a deep fondness. She always had some insight to give on how to feel feminine in one way or another. There was no other person had had a larger influence of my womanhood than Lisa, and on the slim chance that she's reading this now I can not express enough how much you changed my life for the better. You helped me understand that sometimes I wanted to fell like a girl and that it was OKAY! Thank you Lisa for your influence, charm, and years of entertainment. 

    Unfortunately for many, they'll have never gotten to experience any of Lisa's writings. Which is why I plan to feature a select few here on the privacy of my little blog. Look forward to me featuring some of Lisa's advice columns below soon!

Monday, January 15, 2024

2024 Bucket List

 Hello There,

    New Year, new bucket list! So I'm back again with my 2024 bucket list! I already published my summary of how I did on my 2023 bucket list so go check that out! As I mentioned in that post some of my goals from 2023 are going to roll over into 2024 because I didn't get to check them off of my 2023 list. As with my 2023 list it'll be fun to see at the end of 2024 how many things I accomplish! Well without any further ado here is my 2024 bucket list!

1. Get a Bra fitting at Victoria's Secret: This one was on my 2023 bucket list too, and even though I didn't accomplish it, it's still my number 1 bucket list item for the new year! They use a tape measurer on you right there in the store to find your bra size, and then recommend styles that would fit you best. It can definitely be a little awkward to get one because unless you suffer from gynecomastia, there's no real reason for a guy to be getting a bra fitting at Victoria's Secret, other than for personal pleasure (or a feeling of gender conformity for us genderfluid and transgender folks, but most people are too narrow minded to think of that). So I'm interested to confirm my bra size and for the feminine experience, and since bras are so important to me this is an experience I feel I can't go without!

2. Go out in Public: I've been working towards this goal for a few months now. From perfecting my makeup skills to planning an outfit I've been getting myself ready for when I take those first steps out my door! Hopefully 2024 is the year Carly get's to get some fresh air!

3. Be more bold with my blog posting: I've had several blog posts that I've fully written but haven't posted yet due to fear of other's perceptions of me. But this is my blog!  I should be able to post what I want. Here's hoping that in 2024 I'll be a little less gun shy about what I post! Look forward to more hard hitting and possible NSFW topics coming to this blog soon.

4. Cosplay as a comic book character: There's certainly no shortage of princesses on this blog, but I'm interested in cosplaying other characters as well. Comic book characters have always had a huge association with cosplay, and as a fan of both comics and cosplay it seems strange that I haven't done it yet. Hopefully 2024 will be the year that Carly finally gets to become a super heroine!

5. Experiment with more makeup: I've used the same basic makeup for years now, and while it certainly works well, I think it's time I tried some new things. Even if it's just new lipstick or eyeshadow colors, adding new items to my makeup bag would be great!

6. Find a better storage solution: It's always such a hassle for me to find any particular item of clothing in my clothing bin. I really need to find a way to organize things better and make my wardrobe more accessible!

7. Finally buy myself a Wedding Dress: If you missed my last disastrous attempt to buy a wedding dress, read about it here. But since I've been on the hunt for a wedding dress for years I can't give up now!

8. Keep the Princesses coming: Obviously I've got quite a few Disney princess posts on this blog, well I have no intention of stopping anytime soon! I want to keep the princess posts coming. Plus I've got a special new addition coming to my blog that may just be princess related, so stay tuned!

9. Try a new wig: My wig has seen better days and is getting towards the end of it's life. While I can always order myself the same wig again, it'd be fun to try something new. I'd especially like to try a new color or style.

10. Do at least 5 photo sessions during the year: A lot of times when I get all dolled up it might just be for a few hours and I don't end up taking pictures of myself, which is unfortunate because then I have a lack of content for my blog. Well my big goal for next year is to do no less than 5 photo shoots of myself during the year. 5 seems like a reasonable number and should add plenty of new content for my blog. 


    There's my list for 2024! Here's hoping it's another excellent year of feminine fun for us all! Keep your eyes on this blog because I hope to keep adding to it all year long!

-Carly

Monday, January 8, 2024

How to come out to someone?

 Hello There,

    I've got another post sharing some advice today, and we're talking about how to come out to people. Whether your transgender, genderfluid, or just someone who crossdresses for pleasure, it can naturally be extremely hard to share your passions with others. Much of modern society is still not accepting of members of the LGBTQ+ community, and it can be hard to judge which of your friends and family may be accepting of your gender nonconformity. I've shared previously how I've come out to several friends, and I think I've learned a trick or two about effectively coming out to people. Hopefully with the following few tips I'll help you determine how to build up the courage to start coming out to a few people!

Start Online:

    Obviously it can be extremely intimidating to come out to friends and family. They are among the most positive relationships in your life and you don't want to be potentially compromising them with the "polarizing" information of enjoying aspects of the opposite gender. So my advice is to start small, talk to people you don't even know in your personal life by chatting with strangers online. There are a myriad of online communities dedicated to various gender nonconformities. Reddit would be my first recommendation! There is a vast variety of communities on reddit dedicated to gender issues such as r/trans, r/lgbt, r/crossdressing, and r/genderfluid; which are just a small handful of the huge number of active communities on Reddit. They are a great resource to talk to other people about your particular interests, through the lens of anonymity. Of course other sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Flickr all have active communities as well if you're interested in sharing photos of yourself.

    Regardless of what avenue of online chatting you choose I highly recommend chatting with some people online before coming out to people in your real life. Coming out to strangers online has no effect on your actual life, and chatting with strangers of similar interests can go a long way to build up your own self confidence. Additionally chatting with likeminded individuals can help you understand yourself better, and prepare you for having to explain yourself to people you come out to. I can not recommend chatting with people online enough before coming out to people in your life. There's little to no risk involved and the rewards of self confidence and self understanding are more than worth it!


Choosing who to come out to:

    After chatting with folks online you've built up the self confidence to try to come out to someone in person. But who to choose? I've got a couple of tips to help you choose. Firstly and most importantly, do you know their opinions on LGBTQ+ issues? The two people I've come out to either had friends who were gay, or were part of the LGBTQ+ community themselves. I therefore suspected they would be highly supportive of me. So when choosing someone to come out to, this can be a great metric for judging how safe a bet it is that the person you want to tell will be supportive. But maybe you're not sure of a persons LGBTQ+ opinions, or maybe they are pretty middle of the road when it comes to their opinions, what then? Well think about the nature of their relationship to you, how might you be affected if the person has a negative reaction? If it runs the risk of ruining the relationship, you should heavily way the potential consequences of coming out to them. While to some it certainly can be important to come out to people like family members, I would recommend starting with a friend first. Usually you're stuck with your family forever, friends can be fleeting, so loosing one to coming out may not be the end of the world (if they're not accepting of you it's probably not worth being their friend anyway). Additionally if you're going to make the big jump to telling a family member or romantic partner, at least you'll already have a supportive friend to talk to about it. The last thing I'll say about choosing who is to trust your gut instinct. Is this person accepting of LGBTQ+, are they a low risk person to tell, do they love you unconditionally? You'll know when you've finally found your target, trust your gut.


How to come out:

    Well we've chosen who, but what about how? How to actually rip the band aid off and come out to someone? This part will probably be up to you. I read a lot about coming out stories where people cried, I've read others where there was excitement, I think it just depends on what kinda person you are. I would only recommend being very clear with your coming out, gender issues can be very confusing, especially where things get blurry like non-binary and genderfluid people. Be ready to explain yourself fully, and have an in depth conversation about your feelings. People won't respect your feelings if you can't clearly articulate them. 

    Another thing I will recommend is DO NOT try to shock them by dressing in front of them for the first time without any prior context. Shock tactics typically cause negative reactions! If you want to share your feminine identity with the person you are coming out to use a picture, that way they've had some context before seeing you transformed. This also protects you if they have a poor reception to you coming out and you can therefore skip the photo, which means at least they will have been unable to securitize your appearance. When choosing a photo to use I'd recommend something flattering, but not sexual in nature. I'm sure we all have quite a few naughty photos of ourselves enjoying some feminine antics, but best to play things safe when coming out, it's stressful enough as it is. I've used the following photo for when I came out to people:

    Well hopefully I've helped you in one way or another to come out. Obviously it is among the most stressful things we do as gender nonconformists, but it can also be among the most important. Keeping your true identity hidden away can be immensely stressful. Finally being able to live your true life in front of friends and loved ones, will be life changing. I wish you the best of luck in your coming out journey! 

-Carly

Thursday, January 4, 2024

Even Cinderella needs a good Bra!

 Hello There,

    I've got a fun little princess post for you today about Cinderella. Everyone tends to think of Disney Princesses as these perfectly dressed pure hearted individuals. But every now and then even princesses are human, for one way or another. Women wear bras to provide support, and maintain modesty while also shaping and lifting their breasts to enhance their figure. While bras play a very important role in a woman's wardrobe, traditionally making them visible in your outfit in any capacity is usually seen as immodest. This is because bras are associated with undergarments and modesty standards typically emphasize concealing such intimate attire to maintain a more conservative appearance.

    So as a pure of heart princess, you probably don't want to go around being immodest and showing off your bra. However even the legendary Cinderella has had it happen from time to time. I was pursuing my collection of photos from the princesses at the Disney theme parks and found a few instances where Cinderella herself had some immodest moments of Bra strap slippage! Our first example is not too bad, Cindy's dress has lifted up just a little at the shoulder to reveal a beige bra strap underneath. While certainly not ideal to have accidentally revealed your bra strap, at least it was still technically beneath her dress.

    Our next reveal from Cinderella comes as her dress slips down on her shoulder a little, causing the strap of her matching blue bra to be revealed! While not ideal that her bra strap has been completely exposed, at least it matches her dress. I wonder if her panties match too? 


    Lastly we have by far Cindy's most egregious reveal of her bra. Not only is the strap of her Beige bra visible, the tops of both of her bra cups are visible as well. What kind of princess goes around showing off her bra cups at the top of her dress?! My oh my, Cindy what were you thinking?

    When it comes to accidentally showing off your undergarments, even Disney Princess aren't perfect. Even the most perfectly planned outfits can have small imperfections, being imperfect is part of what makes us human. Accidents happen every now and then, and as a huge fan of bras, I enjoyed seeing Cinderella accidentally show hers off, and I hope you did too!

-Carly