My Outfit - Cool Dress

Dress - Max Studio @ Amazon

Scarf - no idea - Similar @ Amazon

Shoes - Born O Concept. Schirra - Similar @ Amazon,  @ DSW

I wore this outfit about a week ago when my wife and I were able to go to a local college, COS, and give a talk on gender.  I am so super thrilled to be able to go to colleges and try and help educate about the transgender community.  The classroom that we went to this time was for one of my favorite teachers, Debra Hansen.  It was about two years ago now that I first contacted her and inquired about speaking in her room.  I was not able to speak for her class at that time as it was just a quick inquiry.  We connected though and the next semester there was an opportunity so I jumped at it.

Super terrifying was the way I might describe how I felt the very first time I spoke, and it was only a panel discussion.  A panel talk is when several transgender people are there, the students ask questions, and if you feel like offering up some information, then you can speak.  If you don't want to say anything, then you don't need to.  It is a super easy and relaxed way to speak with college students.

This last time though, it was a bit different, it was only my wife and I.  Wow!  Exciting.  I have done a few speeches since that first talk I gave in Debra's class, but that was with my powerpoint showing my life.  This talk was no powerpoint, no reference materials, just my wife and I, and some time.  I was a bit nervous about doing this talk as I only found out what was happening upon walking into the classroom that morning.  But, I'm an educator at heart, along with my wife, and so we totally just rolled with it.

We each gave a brief overview of who we are and why we were there to speak to the students.  After that, the students got to ask any question they wanted to.  I love answering their question, but honestly they are a bit tame.  I keep expecting some sordid taboo subjects to pop up, like how does a cis woman and a trans woman have sex!  That would be a wild question that I'm not sure I would even attempt an answer.  Alas, no student has yet to ask me anything that I have been unwilling to at least attempt an answer.

They question came, and my wife, Debra, and myself tried our best to provide good answers for the students.  We had a good time, the students seemed to respond well, and Debra super appreciated us being there to speak with her students.  What did I appreciate?  Being able to be there with my wife.  She and I compliment each other very well.  I really think that she and I should do most of the transgender presentations I coordinate. Hopefully in the future we will get that opportunity.

Oh, right, this is supposedly an outfit post! Crap! I totally got sidetracked! I just love my wife, presenting, and educating!  Okay, well, anywho..... I love this dress!  It is super light and flowy, a perfect dress for these hot Central Cal summers.  What else?  Well the sandals I have on are some of my faves.  I have two pairs of them.  A dark brown pair, and a black pair.  I think they are still available and have provided some links for them.  I highly recommend them.  They are super cute, comfy, and I have gotten many compliments on them. 

Okie dokie, that's about it!

Love you!

Love yourselves! 

Love, love, love!

Today's Outfit - White Skirt

Skirt - White House Black Market -  Similar @ Neiman Marcus, @ Amazon

Tank - White House Black Market - Similar @ WHBM, @ Amazon

Wedges - Born O Comfort - Schirra - Similar @ Famous Footwear,  @ Amazon

I love this skirt.  Seriously, I absolutely adore it!  The pleating makes it move so lusciously that it feels like wearing a cloud.  Well, maybe, but I am not sure what a cloud actually feels like.  How about that I say that it is super light, fluffy, and swishes while I walk and twirl about.  Yes, in this skirt I am a bit prone to twirling.

As well, I like this tank.  It is simple, but lovely.  It has small scallop like waves on it that are edges with white fabric.  It has a lovely look to it, but also a great texture to it.  And you know how much I appreciate a good texture, right?  No?  Well I do, so now you know.  Exciting!

A funny little thing lately.... You may know that I am beginning to speak with groups of college students.  I go over much of my life, telling of my journey to finally accept myself as the woman that I am.  Typically I don't like PowerPoint presentations at all, but, and I know I am biased, I like this one!  I love the photos I was able to put together for it..... okay, well I am sure eventually I will let you know more about what my speech is about.  For now, the only thing that matters is that I have a bit of a joke that goes like this......

I am hated for a variety of different things (and it often changes depending on what I can come up with at that particular moment,) one being that I am a math teacher (generally math teachers don't bring up warm fuzzies for humans,) two that I am transgender (you know, because of how terribly frightening we are, yes sarcasm is my good friend!)  Three - that I am a fashion blogger!  (The internetz don't seem to be all that favorable to fashion bloggers!)

So, yeah, that's one of my jokes.  I do say it in somewhat serious jest.  While I do not feel as though I am truly hated, there are groups of people who do hate others.  Some people hate math, and thus math teachers, there are some people who hate duck hunters (something I may include on occasion,) And so on..... so while I don't ever, in the least, ever feel as though I am hated........ I think that is why the joke is funny to me.  My audience seems to get that.

Okie dokie bloggo-sphere, I am off!

Love you!

Love yourselves!

Life is too short to hate!

My First One Woman Show

It has to be at least a year ago that I met the amazing and fabulous Jessica Lynn.  If you don't know Jessica travels the world giving speeches about her transgender life experiences.  She is helping to educate the world that we transgender folk are just regular people trying to navigate this thing called life.

Anywho.... I met her at a group therapy session with my super cool therapist.  Jessica came to talk with us about what she does.  During that time she encouraged us to get out there and do the same thing that she is doing, talk with the general public about what it means to be transgender.  It intrigued me immensely.  I mean I love to talk, and I am proficient at speaking with large groups of humans, so it seemed like it was right up my alley.

The only issue was, I had no idea bout what I would say.  Jessica's story is heartbreaking.  It is filled with lots of ups and downs, immense drama, and mega injustices happening during her transition.  Myself, my story is not nearly as drama filled.  I told my therapist that while I wanted to get out there and speak, I didn't really think that I had anything about my particular story that would be all that interesting for anyone to listen to.


That was at least a year ago.  During this time in between, much of the writing portion of my brain has been locked in on the idea of writing a speech for a presentation to college students.  I started writing it last summer.  I got about 75% of the way there and then stopped working on it.  I had lost inspiration and it was hard to look back on my story without becoming lost in the emotionalism of it all. But it bothered me that I couldn't seem to finish it.  I began worrying about it and pondering what it was that I wanted my message to be.  It weighed heavily on me.

During this past winter break from teaching I became determined to finish my speech so that I had at least something to work with.  I figured out how to end it and with glee I began emailing professors at colleges around me.  Happily one teacher wrote back super quickly and inquired about my speech.  We agreed to have me come in to his class in the middle of March.  I was thrilled.

And then the speech sat.  I had done my jobs so far.  I wrote the speech and had a class to go give it.  Near the beginning of this month, I went back to the speech and began trying to practice the speech I had written.  I hated it!  It bored me!  That was not good.  I quickly set out to write another more interesting version.  I finished that one in a day or two.  I thought it was okay, but then I had the opportunity to go see my inspiration, Jessica, give her speech.  It was then that I realized what both of my speeches were missing, heart.

I sat down for a third time and wrote another speech.  Now when I say, wrote a speech, it really is not quite that simple.  In writing these speeches, what I was really doing was to create three different PowerPoint presentations.  Really, nobody wants to sit through an hour long speech that someone reads from a typed page of text.  And, even if they do, that is not the speech that I wanted to write.  I wanted to write a speech that would pull people in and allow them to see a glimpse into what it means to be transgender.

I gave the beginning parts of my two second speeches to my wife and asked her thoughts.  We both agreed that the third one seemed to be the one to focus on.  I worked on it throughout much of last week and finally ended up with something that I thought was doable.  I began practicing my presentation and thought I had it down pretty well.  It is fascinating in giving an ad-lib speech, meaning not from a typed text.  With an ad-lib speech, it changes every time it is given.  Thus I simply wanted to be confident that I could flow with it and make sure that I covered the key points.

Yesterday was the day.  I was super nervous and unsure.  But I made my way to UC Merced and found the teacher's office.  We sat and chatted for a few minutes before heading over to his classroom.  I got my computer setup, he introduced me, and off I went.  The next hour passed in a blur and it was over before I knew it.

They all clapped and praised me for my efforts.  So far I have gotten some great feedback from the teacher and a fabulous letter from a student.  Apparently, they like me, they really like me!  Which is great.  But my largest hope is that I can help educate the non-trans population.  People need to see that we are just like any other human being.

My hope is to be able to continue contacting college professors and to be able to continue to go in and do my thing.  This is not an effort to get rich or famous.  This is an effort to help educate.  At my core, that is what I am, an educator.  If I can use my skills and talents to help educate the world and make it a little bit easier for trans and cis alike, then I have truly won.

Love you!

Love yourselves!

Love educating!