mylifebyandrearaven

This time by way of a change we have an interview with my dear friend Emma...... 1, Tell us a little about yourself, who you are, what you do. Well Andrea, for the benefit of your readers, I am Emma Benitez and I am the proprietress of a couple of online vintage lingerie stores, DreamDate andNylon Nostalgia, vintage aficionado and lover of the most adorable lingerie. Since taking a degree in Fashion & Dress History at university I have worked as a fabric specialist for a modern lingerie manufacturer 2, You deal in vintage lingerie, why do you think there is a demand for these products? I still think there is a need for glamour in peoples lives. 3, In your professional opinion, in te rms of quality do you think vintage items are better than similar products available today? On the whole, vintage lingerie is by far superior in quality to a lot of modern mass-produced lingerie. Way back in the 50's and early 60's most people couldn't afford to k

This time we meet Paula from the north west of the UK 1 .How do you describe yourself, (crossdresser, transvestite, transgender) ? Transgender 2. How long have you been dressing? I don't 'crossdress' (hate that word). I dress, and have been doing it since I was 14, so that's 47 years now. 3. Acceptance was for me, the turning point, once I had accepted who I was my life changed. What about you? When did acceptance come to you, how did it change your life and outlook regarding dressing? Acceptance came after my divorce in 2007, when I decided to bring Paula out properly, and I have never looked back. 4. Have you ever considered transition? Would you consider it in the future? Yes I have, and still considering it now. 5. You seem very confident when dressed, but how do you really feel? I feel alive, and I feel the real me has come out, a feeling of contentment and happiness comes over me. 6. I know you get out and about, tell us

All of us are having a hard time at present there is no doubt about that. It is too easy to get yourself into a depressed mood and feel very negative about everything. I know, because I am an expert at it! I tend to overthink things and so have a terrible habit of going down the doomsday route! If we are fortunate enough to avoid contracting COVID-19, that is a big positive, the next thing we must do is follow our governments advice, here in the UK that means only going out when absolutely necessary and keeping a distance of two metres from other people. Have you managed that? Yes? Thats another positive. But now we have managed to keep ourselves and our family safe what's next? For crossdressers like me the coming weeks and months are going to be very difficult, those people that know me personally will know that Andrea will not be able to make an appearance, add that to the fact that I overthink things and we have a recipe for disaster! None of us want any more disasters in ou

1.How do you describe yourself, (crossdresser, transvestite, trans gender) ? I do struggle a bit with labels. Partly because the definition of them shifts and language seems to be evolving. I usually say I'm Trans because I'm somewhere on that spectrum. The concept of being bigender seems to fit reasonably well. Whatever label applied, my nature doesn't switch off when I put on a shirt or dress: I'm always me, a mix of male and female. Perhaps that's true for more of us than we realise. 2. How long have you been crossdressing? I remember my first time was in late primary school. I saw a pair of tights fresh in the laundry pile and I wondered what they felt like. I mean, why don't boys wear these? So began the journey...:-) I couldn't tell you my age, but I've been dressing on and off when I had the opportunity. It just seemed right. That this was part of me, even if I didn't know that back then. 3. Acceptance was for

I don't think any one of us predicted the situation the whole country has found itself in today........... Coronavirus has taken a huge toll on our population, but unfortunately we are only at the beginning and it will, without doubt, get significantly more serious as time goes on. By the end of it there will be very few, if any, within the UK that does not personally know someone who has succumbed to this terrible virus......... The UK is currently in a state of almost suspended animation, work is continuing -  just -  people that are lucky enough to be able to work form home are in many cases continuing, many have been put on furlough , that is 80% of their wages are paid by the government if the company has to close down, or shed a number of staff due to the downturn in work. Some companies top up the wages so the staff receive their normal weekly pay, but many do not. As a result many families have suddenly had a 20% cut in income, but it's better than nothing at a

This is the life story of Caroline Cossey a transgender model, actress, showgirl and activist, first published in 1991 it charts her life from a young boy right through to becoming a bond Girl. and beyond. Born Barry Cossey in 1954 she grew up with a loving family at Brooke in Norfolk. I was stunned at how closely her young life experiences mirrored my own life, and I suppose that of many people growing up to discover they are not as society expects.  This  fascinating and inspirational story, extremely well written and very readable, takes us through the events of her life form childhood through troubled adolescence, her time as a crossdressing show girl, breast implants, top less dancing, page three girl, GRS, her time in the Bond film 'For Your Eyes Only'. Sadly there was always a constant threat of disclosure, eventually her world came crashing down with a damming article in the 'News of The World' She fought back only the be dealt another devastating blow by