Right I’m back with a vengance,firstly thanks to everyone who has voted in the Owlies 2011 awards ,I’m so proud that the t-girls have in total 7 nominations this is amazing and shows that we are here and we are here to stay !!!

Top fashion tips

1. Check the bottom of your heels before leaving the ladies nothing looks worse than walking back into a room with loo roll attached

2. If you’re wearing suspender tights and want to stand out wear a coloured pair underneath that go with your outfit will draw you lots of attention

One of the best parts of being a woman is having CURVES galore!

But maybe you’re wondering …

It is really possible to look like an hourglass if you’re built like a rectangle or an apple (as most transgender women are)?

The answer is YES!

Keep reading to learn how to slim your waist and enhance your hips to achieve an hourglass shape:

1. Try corset training

If you’ve never worn a corset before, you’re in for a treat. A corset can take up to 6” off your waist and make you look and feel ultra-feminine.

A corset can even be used for permanent (or at least semi-permanent) waist size reduction. Corset training isn’t fast or easy, but it can work wonders when combined with a proper diet and exercise.

2. Wear a waist cincher

As lovely as corsets are, they aren’t always practical. A big drawback is that corsets can look stiff and bulky under most clothes.

Waist cinchers, on the other hand, are designed to be worn under clothing. A waist cincher can take 1-4 inches off your waist while still allowing you to move and breathe easily.

Here are 3 top-reviewed waist cinchers available in small to extra-large sizes.

3. Improve your posture

Most of us have poor posture from being slumped over computers all day. Good posture can make you look 10 pounds lighter around the middle, so pay attention to the way you sit and stand. Think: stomach in, chest lifted, and shoulders back.

Even better – put on your waist cincher! A waist cincher improves your posture by forcing you to keep your tummy in and your spine straight.

4. Try the vacuum pose

Traditional exercises like crunches and sit-ups can overdevelop your abs and increase the size of your waist. Have you ever noticed that many modern bodybuilders have bulging abdomens?

You obviously don’t want to look like “The Terminator”, but these classic bodybuilders were onto something. Their secret was the “vacuum pose”.

The vacuum pose is an exercise that tones the transverse abdominals. The transverse abdomen is the innermost ab muscle, which supports your posture and helps hold your stomach in. Everyday crunches don’t target this muscle.

The vacuum pose can take 2-4 inches off your waist, so it’s definitely worth a try. (I personally lost 1 inch off my waist after vacuum posing for 2 weeks!) Here’s how to do it:

1. Exhale all the air from your lungs.
2. Expand your chest and suck in your stomach as much as possible. Imagine trying to touch your belly button to your spine.
3. Hold this pose for 5-15 seconds and then relax.
4. Repeat for 3-5 minutes.

The vacuum pose should be done on an empty stomach and can be done standing, sitting, or on your hands and knees. Check out this article to learn more about the vacuum pose.

5. Enhance your hips

A small waist is only half of the equation. Your hips should appear approximately 10 inches larger than your waist for true hourglass proportions.

Here are some tips for enhancing your hips:

·         Wear padded panties... You can also find a big selection of removable hip and butt pads on the internet.

·         Go for skirts and dresses with gathered waistlines. Gathers are the easiest way add inches to your lower body and create the illusion of hips.

·         Look for peplum styles. A peplum is a ruffle or overskirt attached to the waistline of a top, dress, or skirt. Besides adding fullness to the hips, the peplum is a very fashion-forward look.

I have mentioned virtual makeovers previously and the one I recommend is the ivillage program

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/tool/virtual-makeover?nlcid=ub|01-11-2012|b#

Virtual makeover

Have you ever wanted to try a different haircut, a radical new shade of lipstick or some funky new specs, but chickened out at the last minute because you were worried about how you'd look? Take the risk out of playing with a brave new style, and give yourself a virtual makeover in our all-new makeover studio. Experiment with hundreds of celebrity hairstyles, hats, lipsticks, eye shadows, accessories and more today. Simply upload your photo and away you go

Once you're done finish off your new look from our 100 eco fashion and beauty best buys gallery or find some new celebrity hairstyles

It’s easy to use upload a facepic and then off you go try on hair glasses, makeup and save your results

T-GIRL. / T.S./ DRAG QUEEN /THE DIFFERENCES

It is highly likely that you have passed a transgender person on the street, at the grocery store, in the bank, at the gym, and, yes, even in a public restroom, without even knowing that that person was transgender. A transgender person is not a clone of another transgender person. He or she is different and unique, just as is every other person. Transgender people are those who transgress gender norms of society by attempting to transition into the correct gender into which they should have been born. Transgender people are not the same as transvestites, cross-dressers, drag queens, or drag kings. Being transgender is about gender identity, whereas being a cross-dresser or drag queen or king is not.

Below are very basic terms and acronyms related to the transgender community. Sexual orientation varies because gender and sex are not the same (see my previous post for more on the differences between sex and gender).

·         Transsexual (TS): describes people who elect to change their physical sex through hormones, SRS (sex reassignment surgery), and/or additional cosmetic surgeries, such as facial feminization and breast implants in the case of male-to-female (MTF) transsexuals, or facial masculinization and breast removal in the case of female-to-male (FTM) transsexuals. Sexual orientation varies.

(GLAAD calls this "an older term which originated in the medical and psychological communities. While some [transgender] people still prefer to use the term to describe themselves, many transgender people prefer the term 'transgender' to 'transsexual.' Unlike 'transgender,' 'transsexual' is not an umbrella term, as many transgender people do not identify as transsexual. It is best to ask which term an individual prefers.")

·         Transgender (TG): describes people who begin the process of changing their gender appearance. These steps may be in the form of wearing clothing typically associated with the other sex, undergoing hormone treatments and/or surgical procedures, removing unwanted hair, etc., as with transsexuals. The difference is that transgender people wish to transition their gender but may not necessarily want to undergo SRS. Sexual orientation varies.

(GLAAD calls this "an umbrella term [adj.] for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. The term may include but is not limited to: transsexuals, cross-dressers and other gender-variant people. Transgender people may identify as female-to-male [FTM] or male-to-female [MTF]. Use the descriptive term ['transgender,' 'transsexual,' 'cross-dresser,' 'FTM' or 'MTF'] preferred by the individual. Transgender people may or may not decide to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically.")

·         Cross-dresser (CD): a person who dresses in clothing typically associated with the other sex but does not undergo surgery or take hormones. Cross-dressing is typically the beginning phase as one progresses through the transgender and transexual process, but the term "cross-dresser" should not be applied to these people. Most cross-dressers care about the clothing and not about changing their sex. Sexual orientation varies.

(GLAAD defines cross-dressing as "occasionally [wearing] clothes traditionally associated with people of the other sex. Cross-dressers are usually comfortable with the sex they were assigned at birth and do not wish to change it. 'Cross-dresser' should not be used to describe someone who has transitioned to live full-time as the other sex or who intends to do so in the future. Cross-dressing is a form of gender expression and is not necessarily tied to erotic activity. Cross-dressing is not indicative of sexual orientation.")

·         Transvestite (TV): is an outdated, derogatory term for cross-dressers, although many people erroneously equate it with being transsexual or transgender.

·         Drag queen or drag king (DQ or DK): a man who dresses up as a woman (DQ), or a woman who dresses up as a man (DK), specifically for the sake of performance, usually very over-the-top and exaggerated. Drag is an art form about performance and not gender identity.

These are brief and simple definitions, but they serve as a good starting point for those venturing into this unfamiliar territory. Being transgender is just another characteristic of being human and does not define the person.

Many transgender people want to blend in or go stealth (that is, pass in public without drawing attention to themselves) throughout their daily routines of life. Stereotypical characters like Corporal Klinger of the M*A*S*H television series, Dr. Frank-N-Furter of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, or RuPaul are not transgender but dramatizations of cross-dressing or drag; the popular misconception that these characters represent transgender people occurs due to the lack of a transgender role models and the perception that this less-understood group has comedic value.

During the past 30 years, a few positive transgender role models, such as Renée Richards, Caroline "Tula" Cossey, and, most recently, Chaz Bono, have opened their lives to the public in efforts to communicate the reality of being a transgender person. The more exposure real-life transgender people experience, the less inequality and discrimination society will subject us to out of fear.

WELL THATS A GOOD START FOR 2012

The next L.F.F. IS A HUGE EVENT AND THE THEME IS FETISH OR FORMAL

This is now probably the biggest monthly T-Girl event in the UK attracting between 150-200 people each month! 

Brilliant Friendly Atmosphere!!

This Event was once again a HUGE success in January - with more than 150 Girls + Partners, Admirers and friends attending from all over the UK.

This month we're having a theme - Fetish February (dare to wear) - so get out your pvc, rubber and anything else you might think is fetish - make it as shocking as you like (as long as it is legal to be worn in a public place lol).

******** NEW ********************************
After meeting with the Cosmopolitan Hotel here are the newly discounted rates for LFF:

single room £45
Small double room £52
Double room £55

To get these rates you MUST book directly with the hotel and make sure you quote LFF when booking. If you book online the rates will be more expensive!!

If you require breakfast this is also available at a discounted rate of £6 per person

ASLO, especially for LFF, cocktails will be available at 2 for £8
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Glamour & Sparkle have a regular stand selling Jewellery, Handbags and accessories at every Leeds First Friday in bar area of The Cosmopolitan hotel. You can also purchase their jewellery and accessories on their website at: www.glamourandsparkle.co.uk  .

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FIBRE continues to be a great success and the feedback has been extremely positive. Fibre will be providing a fantastic FREE BUFFET EVERY MONTH from about 10PM. So you'll need to get there quick before it all goes - cos when it's gone - it's gone!!

The night is loosely planned as such:

7pm - 8pm - Cosmopolitan hotel bar (for those who like to start early)

8pm - 9.00pm - Blayds Bar

9.00pm - 10.00pm - The Viaduct

10.00pm - 00.30 - FIBRE - Free Buffet available from 10pm!!

00.30 - 5am - The Loft @ Queens Court

ABOUT FIBRE: We have our own private bar, dance floor, seating and a balcony for those who want to stand outside and for those who smoke. This is only for LFF member and not for members of the public until midnight. We have negotiated a rate for drinks to be reduced to £2 for LFF member only (the same as the Loft)

BLAYDES BAR is located in the centre of the gay area (Pink Triangle) on Lower Briggate in Leeds. Lovely yard to stand outside and have a drink in summer. There are many Trans friendly bars and clubs located very close by.

THE LOFT @ QUEENS COURT is just across the courtyard from Fibre! Very trans friendly and the staff are very welcoming to everyone attending the LFF event:

• Free entry to ALL girls (Normally £2)
• Drinks only £2 each all night until 5am!!!!!
• 2 dance floors and 2 dance podiums for all you exhibitionists
• Separate bar and spacious seating area.

The Loft @ Queens Court have kindly offered us the use of the upstairs area for those girls wishing to change for the event. Please contact myself, Rachel or Queens Court directly for more information.

There is parking available at the nearby NCP car park on Boar Lane (entrance on Swinegate) and street parking in Leeds is free from 6.00pm onwards

So come along meet people - make new friends and enjoy yourselves

The event usually starts at about 8.00 pm and afterwards many of the girls go off to many of the other of the close by “watering holes” such as, the Viaduct, Queens Court, the Bridge & Mission2, all trans friendly.

The Event continues to go from strength to strength every month - so here is a BIG Thank You to everyone who supports LFF and also to those who promote the event here on FB.

(This is a Social Event and is a meeting place for T-girls + their partners + Admirers and friends - it is TOTALLY FREE and non-moneymaking Event.)

Thank you all love and kisses Susan Platt