Diary

Posts from the Diary category, in chronological order, newest first.

  • Out and about 9-Nov-2019 - I’ve not been posting much lately. Not because I haven’t been doing much but because I’ve just been a little lazy with posting. No one thing has been remarkable enough to write a blog post about. Plus, I’m not convinced…

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  • Cookery: The Juicy Lucy 2-Sep-2019 - I’m not really much of a cook, and this is the first time I have blogged about cooking. But I thought I would share an experiment that I did in creating a Juicy Lucy burger. I was watching Man vs…

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  • But is it art? 25-Aug-2019 - Having recently bought yet more nice art, as mentioned in my previous post, I’ve had a bit of a spending spree on even more art today. I only popped out to the supermarket, but I decided that whilst I was…

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  • Out and about 21-Aug-2019 - Work is a little slack with so many colleagues on holiday at the moment, so yesterday I decided to take the day off and go shopping. It’s been a while since I last visited Henley-on-Thames, so that was my main…

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  • Thruxton again 11-Jul-2019 - A year ago I posted about popping over to Thruxton Race Circuit for a track day. Gold Track were back there again this year, so I popped over to see the guys and girls. I wasn’t planning on driving on…

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  • And then I went out… 9-Jun-2019 - Well, having stated in my post yesterday that I seldom go out, I decided to go out today. 🙂
  • Not going out (much) 8-Jun-2019 - I’m not entirely sure how many people actually read my blog, or follow me. When I moved to self-hosting, very few people have re-followed me and I’m not sure if my followers from wordpress.com still get notifications for posts made…

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  • Enforced absence 27-Apr-2019 - Sorry about the lack of posts and new pics lately. Back in January I developed a cyst on my eyelid that progressively got worse. In the end it was felt that minor surgery was needed, which was done under local…

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  • 20 million views 26-Feb-2019 - I never thought, when I joined Flickr in February 2009, that 10 years later I would be seeing peaks of hundreds of thousands of views per day, nor that I would see 20 million views. I wish it were possible…

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  • Pin up art, and a new purchase 10-Feb-2019 - In this post, I buy a reproduction of a painting by Gil Elvgren, and trace some of the history behind it. I also have to modify the painting in order to be able to hang it.
  • Ten Years 17-Jan-2019 - There is a “10 year challenge” doing the rounds on Social Media at the moment, which is fairly timely for me as it is now 10 years since I first came out in public.
  • Diary update – an eye infection, and new artwork. 13-Jan-2019 - No new self portraiture pics right now, I’m afraid. I have a cyst / lump on my eyelid at the moment which means I can’t really wear makeup. It’s affecting my vision too, which is a little worrying.
  • New Year, same me. 2-Jan-2019 - I’ve been a bit remiss about posting lately, so thought it was about time for an update.
  • Girl Racer 17-Aug-2018 - Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed from my recent Flickr pics that I have a new car, and that I have also published a pic of me wearing a crash helmet in the car. So, since I haven’t blogged for a…

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  • Out shopping 10-Jun-2018 - I popped out to a local Antiques & Collectables fair in Hartley Wintney today. Despite having far too much jewellery, I couldn’t resist this cute pair of silver earrings for £9. I liked how the inner and outer hearts moved…

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  • Continuing journey 31-May-2018 - I received an absolutely lovely comment on one of my Flickr pics recently: What a pleasure to see the subtle but striking changes from your first photographs to this one, you have changed into such a pretty woman ? Looking…

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  • A visit to the hairdresser – wig revitalisation 20-Jan-2018 - a.k.a. “Getting wiggy with it” Like any girl like me, I’ve got a number of wigs. Many are cheapies that I bought for photo shoots and general fun, but my four main ones are expensive ones costing several hundred pounds…

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  • Laser update: bikini line 9-Dec-2017 - In a previous post I mentioned the new course of laser hair removal that I am doing. It’s going very well, and it’s time to give you an update. I’ve had one more session on the face since then, but…

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  • Lost and found 4-Dec-2017 - It was the Monthly Market at Farnham Maltings on Saturday, and as regular readers will know it’s something I like to go to regularly. I started to put together a skirt & leggings type outfit, but it just wasn’t working,…

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  • More laser hair removal (pew pew anew!) 11-Nov-2017 - In a previous post I mentioned that I was re-commencing laser hair removal after 3+ years, and since then I have had several sessions so I thought it was worth posting an update for those that are interested. I’m going…

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  • Shopping trip 28-Oct-2017 - Today I decided to get into girl mode and to pop into Camberley for a spot of shopping. I wanted to pick up a few things, specifically a valance for my bed, and also perhaps something sexy for a photo…

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  • Time to break out the lasers again 18-Aug-2017 - It’s now been over 3 years since I last had laser hair removal treatment. Mostly, things have stayed pretty much static on my body. As I mentioned in my last post on the subject, regrowth on my arms and legs…

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  • Warco pillar drill, and other tools 3-Jul-2017 - My father has decided that his days of DIY are over, and asked me if I would like to take over custodianship of his Warco pillar drill, plus various other tools that he has accumulated. Not an entire clearout, but…

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  • Girls who do Maltings 2-Jul-2017 - One of the things that my various social media accounts often results in is contact with other t-girls, and one such girl is Siobhan Hapgood who regularly comments on my Facebook posts and who has become a friend as a…

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  • Workbench 3 – the final workbench 25-May-2017 - In a previous post, I mentioned how I had built two workbenches out of plywood and planed timber. Only a few days after building the smaller one, I sold the grey fridge freezer which meant that I now had much…

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  • Building a workbench or two 9-May-2017 - At the end of my series on restoring an Art Nouveau style cabinet, I mentioned that I had another project I wanted to tackle. That project was building a workbench. I’ve never made anything like this before so I rather…

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  • Weekend Away (Part 4) – the journey of eight legs 8-May-2017 - This is the final part of my series of posts on my trip away for the Bank Holiday weekend, which included front row VIP tickets to Caro Emerald‘s 2017 UK “Emerald Island” tour and also a gig by my best…

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  • Weekend Away (Part 3) – Iconic 7-May-2017 - This is Part 3 of my trip away for the Bank Holiday weekend, which included front row VIP tickets to Caro Emerald‘s 2017 UK “Emerald Island” tour and also a gig by my best friend Claire’s band Iconic at Lady…

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  • Weekend Away (Part 2) – Caro Emerald 5-May-2017 - This is Part 2 of my trip away for the Bank Holiday weekend, which included front row VIP tickets to Caro Emerald‘s 2017 UK “Emerald Island” tour. In Part 1 I told you about my journey there, and how we…

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  • Weekend Away (Part 1) – The Journey there. 4-May-2017 - I’m a big fan of Caro Emerald, and almost a year ago I bought two tickets for her 2017 UK tour. In fact I think I might have bought the tickets the moment they went on sale. I went a…

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  • Diary update – Lady driver 23-Apr-2017 - Recently I popped over to Thruxton Race Circuit for a track day organised by Gold Track. It’s a circuit I have driven several times before, but on this occasion I was not driving as my sports car is too noisy…

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  • Art Nouveau style cabinet – part 4 22-Apr-2017 - This is Part 4 of my restoration of an Art Nouveau cabinet which I had bought and whose base was riddled with woodworm. As you will see from Part 3, I ditched the idea of using 18mm MDF and reverted…

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  • Art Nouveau style cabinet – part 3 2-Apr-2017 - This is Part 3 of my restoration of an Art Nouveau cabinet which I had bought and whose base was riddled with woodworm. As you will see from Part 2, it was my intention to use 18mm MDF to construct…

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  • Art Nouveau style cabinet – part 2 22-Mar-2017 - In a previous post, I mentioned an Art Nouveau cabinet which I had bought and whose base was riddled with woodworm. At the time I thought it was beyond economic repair. However, I decided that I had little to lose…

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  • Art Nouveau style cabinet 28-Feb-2017 - Today I went to the huge twice-monthly Antiques and Collectables fair at Kempton Park Racecourse at Sunbury-on-Thames. Unfortunately, despite walking around for over 4 hours and walking 5+ miles (according to my FitBit Alta), I didn’t find anything I wanted…

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  • Diary update 23-Feb-2017 - I’ve been very remiss of late in keeping you up to date with how things are going with the job. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been predominantly working from home with occasional face-to-face meetings which I…

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  • Dear diary 17-Aug-2016 - Somewhat surprisingly, people actually read my blog (I know – it came as a surprise to me too) and people have been asking me what I’ve been up to, and how the job is going. As I mentioned in my…

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  • A new chapter 29-Jun-2016 - As you may or may not know, I work on a freelance basis rather than being a permanent employee of a company, although often it is on a contract basis with just one client. For the past 2+ years I…

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  • Project Reorganise: Jewellery Rack 18-Apr-2016 - Recently I found a jewellery rack for sale on Amazon. It’s the first one I have ever seen for purchase that doesn’t require you to remove the back from a post earring, push it through a hole, and then reattach…

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  • Art Nouveau – Alphonse Mucha exhibition, UEA. 19-Mar-2016 -   I’m a big fan of the Art Nouveau movement, especially the works of Alfonse Mucha, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and Charles Horner. I have a number of reproductions of Mucha’s works and a few items of jewellery in the style…

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  • Don’t forget Facebook! 7-Feb-2016 - Often I have little snippets of blogette to post and don’t feel like they really belong here on my ‘proper’ blog, so I post them to my public Facebook page instead. Sometimes these are incorporated later into a more formal…

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  • Go East, young woman 8-Jan-2016 - Growing up in the digital age, it’s funny to see how relationships can form in ways that in previous generations would be considered unconventional. To my parents’ generation, getting to know people on-line is rather strange and they consider that…

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  • Ruby Shoo 21-Oct-2015 - Recently, one of my colleagues wore the most GORGEOUS pairs of shoes to work. They were a pair of either black or dark Navy court shoes in a Mary Jane style, in material / fabric, with an ankle strap and…

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  • Home photography 5-Oct-2015 - I’ve been interested in photography for a very long time. In fact, back in the days before we all used digital cameras, I even had a darkroom and used to process my own Black & White 35mm film and make…

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  • Photo shoot: In the Storeroom 12-Sep-2015 - In my previous post, I mentioned that I had bought an office style / school style blouse for a photo shoot, and also if you follow my Flickr, or my Facebook page or Twitter, you’ll know that I also bought…

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  • She’s the man – getting ‘read’ in public. 2-Sep-2015 - It’s been said[1] that trying to ‘pass’ as other than your birth gender is like playing a game where the moment someone becomes aware that you are succeeding, then you have just failed. On Saturday I played just such a…

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  • Project Reorganise: Shelves and chair 28-Aug-2015 - I have been on the lookout for some shelves to go above my dressing table, and finally found something suitable on Amazon from a seller on the Marketplace. They do two versions; both the same height and the same number…

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  • Project Reorganise: Parental house rummage 9-Aug-2015 - As you’ll know from previous posts about Project Reorganise, I have been on the look-out (amongst other things) for a chair for the Dressing Table. I visited my parents one weekend a few months back, and they let me have…

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  • Farnham Maltings (August) 2-Aug-2015 - Yesterday I returned to Farnham Maltings for their monthly market. You might recall from a previous post that I went to the June one. Given the slight confusion that buying earrings in guy mode caused a seller last time, I…

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  • Eastleigh – Charity Shop Central 22-Jul-2015 - If you are into clothes shopping in charity shops, then I can thoroughly recommend a visit to Eastleigh. And if you’re not, then try it – there are some ridiculous bargains on nearly-new (and sometimes actually new) clothes to be…

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  • Bargain Hunting 30-Jun-2015 - I had the day off on Monday, so went to the IACF Antiques and Collectors fair at Newbury Racecourse. Or, more specifically, I took the day off so that I could visit it. You may recall that the last time…

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  • Farnham Maltings 11-Jun-2015 - On Saturday I popped over to The Maltings in Farnham for their monthly Maltings Market. I’ve not been to one of these before, despite Farnham not being too far away for me. But a recent advert in a magazine mentioned…

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  • Comic Con – the aftermath 31-May-2015 - As I mentioned in my previous post about Comic Con, the following day I decided to drive across London to get home, and to stop off at Old Spitalfields Market at Shoreditch. I was in two minds about doing this…

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  • Comic Con 26-May-2015 - As you’ll know if you follow me on Facebook, Comic Con went really well. In fact, to quote GLaDOS from Portal: This was a triumph. I’m making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS. It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction. But I’m…

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  • Jewellery update 28-Apr-2015 - I was at one of the bi-monthly (as in, once every 2 months) Antiques and Collectables Fairs at Sandown Park Racecourse on Sunday, and was looking forward to catching up with Amita Vetta of Love That Jewellery. Amita and I…

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  • Project Reorganise: Dressing Table 26-Apr-2015 - Project Reorganise has slowed down a little of late, but I have managed to get to a milestone on the Dressing Table. I’ve been holding off posting about it until I had found the right mirror for it, which I…

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  • Countdown to Comic Con 20-Apr-2015 - London Comic Con is being held at ExCeL London Exhibition and Convention Centre on 22-24 May 2015, and I’m planning to go on Saturday 23rd. I’ve not been to a Comic Con before, and I’ve not tried Cosplay before either,…

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  • Art Deco ceiling light 17-Apr-2015 - As I mentioned in a post about lighting for Project Reorganise, I have what has turned into a bit of a project over an Art Deco ceiling light. To recap, I was in a charity shop in Camberley and I…

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  • Project Reorganise: Necklace rack 4-Apr-2015 - I buy too many necklaces and am starting to have trouble storing them. I have a table-standing necklace rack but it’s getting pretty full and also I find it looks a little messy. I’ve seen a product for sale that…

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  • Off to the Races 1-Apr-2015 - On Monday I took the day off in order to go to a big Antiques & Collectors Fair at Newbury Racecourse. It’s something I have wanted to do for a while, as week-day events tend to be bigger and are…

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  • In search of Fanny 24-Mar-2015 - On Saturday I decided to drive up to Reading to visit Fanny’s Antiques, which is an antiques and architectural salvage shop on the North side of the Reading ring road. It’s not the first time I have been there, but…

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  • Project Reorganise: Initial progress 22-Mar-2015 - Just a quick update on how things are shaping up with Project Reorganise. Earlier in the week I finally moved my memory foam mattress from the spare room and onto my new bed, thus officially moving into my “new” bedroom.…

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  • Project Reorganise: The delivery 19-Mar-2015 - As I mentioned previously, the bed and the furniture were due to arrive last weekend and I was going all out to get my bedroom cleared in time. Fortunately I achieved that goal and by Wednesday evening the room was…

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  • Project Reorganise: Lighting 11-Mar-2015 - As mentioned in my previous post, I am in the process of reorganising my main bedroom and my spare bedroom. In this post I want to tell you about lighting, mainly because it’s been a bit of a journey and…

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  • Project Reorganise 6-Mar-2015 - It’s been well over a month (6 weeks, in fact) since I last posted, and a few people have asked me what I have been up to and said that I should post it on a blog post. I confess…

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  • I am a div 21-Jan-2015 - On Saturday I cracked a bleary eye open at 7.15am and rather grumpily cursed myself for agreeing to a 10.30am appointment for Voice Coaching with Christella Antoni. Crawling out of bed, I made my way to the bathroom and started…

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  • Cantbearseditis 12-Jan-2015 - I’ve been feeling rather blue lately. On Friday night I was a rather down from a poor week, and had rather a lot to drink and filled Facebook and Twitter with a load of rubbish (much now deleted), then awoke…

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  • Take another Five 31-Dec-2014 - On Sunday I was back at the Woking Leisure Centre for another of Take Five‘s fairs, this time for a 20th Century, Art Nouveau and Art Deco fair. These are generally less packed with stalls than the “flea, antiques &…

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  • Sequins no more 18-Dec-2014 - As I mentioned in a previous post, I had been planning a night out with a friend and had bought the “Two-Tone Sequin Bodycon Dress” by Top Shop in anticipation. That night out was meant to be last Friday and…

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  • Take Five 15-Dec-2014 - On Sunday I attended one of Take Five‘s flea, antiques & collectors markets. These are held roughly once a month at the Woking Leisure Centre, although some events are 20th Century & Art Deco events. You can find a calendar…

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  • Butterfly 6-Dec-2014 - The butterfly and the dragonfly have both long been emblems that are special to me, representing as they do the concept of rebirth, metamorphosis and transformation. One of my favourite necklaces is one that I posted about back in May…

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  • Black Friday 3-Dec-2014 - On Friday I had the day off and decided to go shopping to look for a party dress as I am going out with a friend in a couple of weeks for a night out and need one. The first…

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  • It’s a man’s world 21-Nov-2014 - As many of you will know, I’m the kind of transgendered person who is equally happy (or unhappy) in either gender binary, being fortunate not to suffer from gender dysphoria, so I tend to present in whichever gender will make…

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  • 2 Million Views 10-Nov-2014 - Back in August of this year, I posted on Flickr that I had just passed 1.5 million views (or, as Dr. Evil might say, “Wun point five MEEEELEON” views). It had taken me 5½ years to get to that point.…

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  • Out and about 10-Nov-2014 - Yesterday (Sunday) I decided I was definitely going to return that Plunge Bra to M&S for a refund, and I thought it would be nice to go in girl mode. If for no other reason than I know some of…

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  • Bras for t-girls 7-Nov-2014 - Due to buying larger breastforms, I needed to buy some new bras to fit the bigger cup size that they give me. Naturally my local Marks & Spencer flagship store was my first port of call. M&S do a vast…

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  • Windfall 4-Nov-2014 - As regular readers will know, I bought two new (and rather expensive) wigs recently, which I have posted about on this blog and which have also appeared in my latest Flickr pics. And I’ve also bought the IPL machine that…

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  • She’s not so dumb 13-Oct-2014 - I had been planning on going to the Flea and Collectables Fair at Woking on Sunday, but when I got up the weather was a little grotty and I decided that I really couldn’t be bothered. Besides, it was the…

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  • Brain off, computer on 8-Oct-2014 - When I was at school, we were taught when using a calculator you should also do a mental arithmetic “first approximation” (ie. rough guess, ballpark figure) to verify the result. A useful cross-check for not being way out due to…

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  • End of Stays 7-Oct-2014 - Yesterday was the last day of my Staycation and I was back to work today. That meant that last night I had to get my nail varnish off, and trim my nails back a bit. I generally wear them as…

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  • Staycation: Update 3 4-Oct-2014 - Following on from Staycation: Update 2… Thursday. The plan for this day was to get up at a reasonable time, get ready in girl mode, and then head over to London to do whatever in the morning and then meet…

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  • Staycation: Update 2 3-Oct-2014 - Continuing on from my previous post… On Wednesday, I headed down to Southsea via Lee-on-the-Solent. Or, rather, I set off, realised I had left my camera at home, turned round and went back, got it, and headed off again. I…

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  • Staycation: Update 1 2-Oct-2014 - As I mentioned in my last post, I took some time off for a Staycation. Well, that was this week and I am over halfway through it. It’s been a week of ups and downs. And in one case, an…

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  • Staycation 26-Sep-2014 - I haven’t had a holiday in a while. Being freelance means you tend not to take a lot of time off – you’re either working, or in the times between clients, you’re looking for work and can’t really relax. However,…

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  • Dear ‘Drunk Me’ 15-Sep-2014 - On Saturday afternoon a parcel from Amazon arrived at the Amazon Locker at my local supermarket, so I popped down to get it and whilst I was there picked up two bottles of wine. I was planning to go to…

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  • Hotel adventures 8-Sep-2014 - In my previous post I mentioned that I was considering staying in a hotel mid-week to break up my long-distance commute a little. A local Spa Hotel had a special rate last week where they had 20% off their standard…

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  • Tyred out 31-Aug-2014 - I’ve had a bit of a roller coaster this weekend. On Friday I got home from work early, and I decided to get dressed and reshoot the Biker Girl look that I did a few years ago. A friend suggested…

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  • Fashion update 24-Aug-2014 - As I mentioned in a recent post, I recently bought the ‘Baroque Print Skater Dress’ by Tenki but had not taken a photo of me wearing it. I’ve now taken one, as you can see. I can’t say I’m totally…

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  • Getting my eye back in 6-Jul-2014 - Yesterday I finally got myself motivated to put on my makeup and go out in girl mode. I gave liquid eyeliner another go, and it came out pretty well I think. I used an old Virgin Vie liquid eyeliner on…

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  • Infatuation 28-Jun-2014 - I still haven’t made a purchasing decision on a new wig yet. I’m still thinking long and hard about the Show Stopper by Raquel Welch but it is very expensive and also I have learned that it is being discontinued…

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  • I’m on Twitter! 26-Jun-2014 - I’ve been getting increasingly annoyed with Facebook of late. In case you are not aware, ever since Facebook introduced “Promote”, you only see about 20% of the posts that anyone makes unless they pay to promote them. So for getting…

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  • New wig? 8-Jun-2014 - I’ve been looking for a new wig for a while. Of the two I currently have, one is by Ellen Wille and has a monofilament parting, and the other is by Raquel Welch and has a full monofilament crown. What…

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  • Pew Pew Anew! 7-Jun-2014 - It’s been almost 5 months since I had my final session of laser, and in the intervening time I have kept an eye on how successful it has been. On the whole it’s been pretty good; an awful lot of…

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  • Sizing to flatter 9-May-2014 - Vanity sizing is nothing new. And no matter how hardened we are to it, there is a secret little thrill to getting into something the next size down. That’s why they do it, of course. The thing that *really* miffs…

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  • (whispers) I’m Joanne 28-Mar-2014 - My work has taken me back down to Hedge End on a regular basis, and I was in Sainsbury’s Hedge End recently, which was where the Brides in the Aisles photo shoot was. I saw the young Sainsbury’s employee who…

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  • Oops, shopping 9-Mar-2014 - I was out for a little drive today, and I happened to drive past the Holme Grange Craft Village near Wokingham. Since it was a lovely day, and I had nothing better to do, I popped in and wandered around…

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  • But I have wings 8-Mar-2014 - I recently saw this quote on Facebook and it struck a chord with me.   I think one reason it struck a chord is because it rather sums up the ‘support’ I get from my family. If I fold my…

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  • Fashion update 2-Mar-2014 - As I mentioned on a recent post, I managed to pick up some more bargains on a recent shopping trip. From New Look I got a lovely jumper for £11 (in the sale) and a vest top similar to the…

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  • Making your own handbag charm 2-Mar-2014 - Charmed, I’m sure Today I made a handbag charm out of a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic blind bag figurine of Rainbow Dash, a screw-in eyelet, and an old key chain. The first thing to do was to assemble…

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  • Wood you believe it 27-Feb-2014 - I’ve lived near to a common / Country Park with lots of bridleways and footpaths for over a decade now, but have never walked them. Earlier this week that changed, and I went for a nice long walk along them…

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  • Lean times 26-Feb-2014 - As you can see, there hasn’t been a lot of activity on my blog for a little while. This is mostly down to the fact that there hasn’t been a lot of activity in my t-life either; the muse has…

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  • The final “pew pew” (for now) 13-Jan-2014 - Today I had my sixth and final full body laser hair removal session. That’s not to say this is the last time I’ll have laser, but it is the final session of the six full body sessions that I paid…

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  • MAC Attack! 11-Jan-2014 - On Thursday I had a make-up lesson with MAC Cosmetics in Guildford. MAC do a number of offers like this, from a taster, to a makeover, to a full 90-minute tutorial / lesson which is what I went for. It…

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  • I’ll get me coat 31-Dec-2013 - In my previous post I mentioned that I really wanted to get a ladies overcoat and I have now managed to find one. I went over to Camberley on Sunday and had a good wander around, especially in House of…

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  • Gilt-y pleasure 30-Dec-2013 - On Saturday evening I spent a rather nice few hours with the wonderful Miss Sarah Lovely who I know via Flickr, who more than lived up to her adopted surname. If you haven’t visited her Flickr stream then be sure…

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  • Let your mind go and your body will follow 17-Dec-2013 - Regular readers will know that I tried going to Salsa for a while but for one reason or another, mainly confidence, I stopped going. Since I’ve spent so much time and money on laser hair removal and Voice Coaching, I…

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  • Llamas in wellies 9-Dec-2013 - On Saturday I went up to London again for another Voice Coaching session, only this time it was a group session rather than one-to-one. I was due to meet a friend for lunch beforehand. I had a rotten journey up…

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  • Zap, Crackle and Pop 2-Dec-2013 - On Saturday I had another session of laser hair removal, and since this was session 5 of 6, I wanted to see some real progress. That’s not to say that there hasn’t been huge progress already; far from it. My…

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  • Brides in the Aisles 2-Dec-2013 - The Countess Mountbatten Hospice Charity have now published their official pic for their “Brides in the Aisles” Guinness Book of Records challenge, which is the attempt to fill the aisles of Sainsbury’s, Hedge End with 1,000 brides on Sunday 9th February…

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  • She’s a model 21-Nov-2013 - I had a fabulous opportunity to be a model yesterday. My good friend Del is a photographer, and he had been approached by the Countess Mountbatten Hospice Charity to take promotional photos for their “Brides in the Aisles” Guinness Book of…

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  • A little more real 3-Nov-2013 - I’ve had quite an epic long weekend! I’ve had friends over since Thursday evening, staying over till mid-morning Monday, and I have been in girl mode for that entire time, which is the longest continuous period I have done that…

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  • Getting Friendly 21-Oct-2013 - I had an absolutely fabbo day on Saturday! I was going up to London anyway as I had another Voice Training session, but about a week or so ago I started corresponding with a really nice guy and since it…

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  • Pew! Pew! Swipe! Swipe! 14-Oct-2013 - A couple of days ago (ie. Saturday) I had another session of laser hair removal. Nothing much to report really – it hurt like hell as usual, and it took two hours as usual. I’m definitely showing progress though, with…

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  • Strictly plant inspecting 7-Oct-2013 - I had a great weekend just gone. It started off with a bit of drinksitting on Friday evening and staying up into the early hours of the morning talking drunken rubbish to friends on Facebook and IM, and then a…

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  • Fashion update 29-Sep-2013 - Recently a catalogue (a real, actual, dead tree one) popped through my letterbox from the French company La Redoute. I’m not entirely sure where they got my details from, but no matter. I confess I haven’t heard of them before.…

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  • Gender roles 15-Sep-2013 - A little while ago I discovered The Advocate, with some of the articles really making me think and some of them blowing my mind, such as the one that suggested that the fundamental flaw in being transgendered and trying to pass as…

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  • Fashion Roundup 12-Sep-2013 - Not much to report on my recent purchases, but there are a couple of things I wanted to share. First up is to say how brilliant the Customer Service is at DUO Boots. I bought their Neva boots, as I…

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  • Apparently sane 7-Sep-2013 - I had a very productive session with the Counsellor today.  Mostly it just confirmed what I already knew and had already worked out; that perhaps you don’t need to have a destination in order to enjoy a journey. And if…

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  • Ma heeed 4-Sep-2013 - I’ve got an appointment with a Counsellor who specialises in Gender Identity issues this Saturday. Probably no prizes for guessing who they are since it’s a very small world. I’m not entirely sure why I made the appointment, to be…

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  • Balance restored 1-Sep-2013 - I wrote previously that I had spent £50 on a pair of shoes I didn’t like, and completely undone all the savings I had made from bargain hunting. Well, balance is restored! I went into my local branch of Barratts…

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  • Pew!Pew! Six 1-Sep-2013 - I had another session of laser yesterday. It hurt just as much as the last one but I just gritted my teeth and got on with it. The pain is only transitory and the redness and swelling goes down really…

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  • Madam… madam… sir 26-Aug-2013 - Had a rather odd day today. I needed to go up to London for a Voice Coaching session today, but there was an Art Deco & Art Nouveau fair in Woking this morning and my appointment was in the afternoon,…

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  • Bargains Galore 25-Aug-2013 - Regular readers will know that I love shopping, especially when I get a good bargain. Well, in the past week or two I’ve had a positive orgy of shopping resulting in a Smorgasbord of items arriving at my house. First…

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  • Deeper Underground 18-Aug-2013 - Yesterday I went up to London for another Voice Therapy lesson. As usual, I drove to Hammersmith and parked up, then jumped on the tube from there to continue the journey. It works well for me as I know the…

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  • Return of the MAC 5-Aug-2013 - Last Saturday I popped up to London again for another session of Voice Coaching, and also to meet a friend for lunch. I got up there in good time, met my friend, we had a light lunch, and then we…

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  • Pew!Pew! Five – with added ‘ewwww’ 29-Jul-2013 - I had my third session of laser on Saturday. I decided to grit my teeth and go for the 15mm rather than the 12mm we had to drop to last time. Initially it was very painful but then I sort…

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  • Making a meal of it 18-Jul-2013 - Making a meal of it, a photo by Joanne (Hay Llamas!) on Flickr. My friend Jo took this pic of me when we grabbed a nice meal together last Saturday. It came out better than I expected! The frozen caramel…

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  • Wistful envy 18-Jul-2013 - I walked down to the local shops today to buy lunch, since it was a nice day. It’s around 10 mins each way, which is just right especially in this weather! Whilst there I saw a gorgeous girl-next-door type; brown…

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  • A great day 13-Jul-2013 - I had such a brilliant day today. I had a nice lie-in, and a nice lazy bath before I got ready for my trip up to London for my first meeting with the Voice Coach. It took me longer to…

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  • Anklet 10-Jul-2013 - A good friend recently persuaded me to buy an anklet and always wear it, just to remind me who I am. It arrived on Monday, and I haven’t taken it off yet. I’ve never owned or worn an anklet before…

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  • Voice Coaching 6-Jul-2013 - I’m so excited! This weekend I made an appointment with a Voice Coach in London who specialises in Transgender issues! She’s going to help me find a more feminine voice for when I’m in girl mode. I have an acquaintance…

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  • Quite clear 29-Jun-2013 - Had rather an odd experience today whilst I was out shopping. I was taking a break from my shopping (with very sore feet) in Costa, having a cup of coffee, and to my left, perpendicular to me and with his…

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  • A little Burlesque 23-Jun-2013 - I finally overcame my inertia and got myself all made up and did a photo shoot yesterday. My plan was to do some outside in the sun, as I have been waiting for some nice weather for ages, and the…

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  • Pew!Pew! Four 16-Jun-2013 - As I mentioned in my previous post, I had my second session of laser treatment yesterday. It was my third visit but only the second time any one part of my body had been treated. I confess I had been…

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  • Running out of steam 12-Jun-2013 - I really don’t want this blog to go the way of so many, where the author has an initial burst of enthusiasm and then runs out of steam and posts less and less. The truth is, the loss of steam…

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  • Phoenix dactylifera 11-May-2013 - I spent an absolutely wonderful 8 hours today with a very lovely man (and I’m not just saying he’s very lovely because he’ll be reading this!) We met up at lunchtime and went to La Tasca for lunch. Due to…

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  • Pew!Pew! Three 4-May-2013 - Today I had the rest of my first Laser Hair Removal treatment. Last Saturday was the easy bits – legs, bum, bikini line and back. But today I had the really painful parts; tummy, chest and face. I also had…

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  • Bollocky 3-May-2013 - I had my first minor setback tonight. I went to Salsa classes, which on a Friday is in a different town to the Monday classes but as convenient for me (in fact, slightly more so). The venue is a bar…

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  • Pew! Pew! Two 27-Apr-2013 - I had my first proper session of “Pew! Pew! Layzorz!” today. I had full leg, bum, bikini, underarms and back done. Next week will be chest, tummy, arms and face. After that I’m going to switch to everything in one…

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  • Salsa me up, baby! 22-Apr-2013 - I went to Salsa classes again tonight. And I was a little brave because the friend who goes with me was unexpectedly unable to go, so I went anyway! This is the outfit I wore. The flat shoes made spins…

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  • Pew! Pew! Lasers! 20-Apr-2013 - It’s said that even the longest journey begins with just a single step. Well, in my case, this one begins with a Patch Test. I have decided to embark on a programme of Laser Hair Removal, with a view to…

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  • London-bound 15-Apr-2013 - I went up to London yesterday with a friend to hear a mutual friend singing at a bar. What a great night out! I took this pic before I went out as I wasn’t sure if we’d get a good…

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  • Salsa 8-Apr-2013 - I went to Salsa classes for the very first time tonight, with a good friend. Slightly brave of me, but I’m getting pretty comfortable going out in girl mode. I took to the basic steps very quickly because I’ve got…

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  • Counting the Costco of transgenderism 7-Apr-2013 - One of the annoyances of leading a double life is the problem of having ID and membership cards in the wrong name and with the wrong photo. On a whim a while back, I contacted Costco customer services, said I…

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  • Out & about 7-Apr-2013 - Out & about, a photo by Joanne (Hay Llamas!) on Flickr. Just a silly camera phone self-portrait I took whilst I was out shopping today. The jacket is new – I just bought it today. Yay!
  • Lunch 17-Mar-2013 - Lunch, a photo by Joanne (Hay Llamas!) on Flickr. I went out for lunch with a friend yesterday, wearing this outfit (plus a jacket). Unfortunately the pic we took of me didn’t come out very well, so I took this…

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  • Fed up with Winter 13-Mar-2013 - I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m fed up with Winter. I want it all over with, so I can break out the nice Spring dresses and skirts, and dispense with jeans and jumpers. Today got my hopes up…

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  • Being social 10-Mar-2013 - One thing I am (slowly) starting to learn is that, as being Jo becomes more and more normal, so you start to realise that you don’t have to overdo things and that there’s a time and a place for things.…

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  • In these shoes? 7-Mar-2013 -     I bought a shoe rack today, and now all my shoes and boots are nicely organised. Although I think I may need to lose a pair of boots so they can all be lined nicely along the back…

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  • Art Deco 4-Mar-2013 - I love the Art Deco style, particularly the later Streamline Moderne variant. I’m also a big fan of Dieselpunk (and totally loved the visual style of the film “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”). So I was overjoyed to…

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  • We’re ess aitch oh pea pea eye en gee… 2-Mar-2013 - I went shopping today (quelle surprise) and found some absolute bargains. It seems everyone still has a sale on of some sort. I know everyone is struggling financially at the moment, but if you do have a little disposable income…

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  • Hello and welcome! 1-Mar-2013 - I’m really looking forward to this weekend. I have at least 3 outfits that I want to take vain self-portraits of, and also I have my new MAC makeup to try, now that I have found the missing items (long…

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