Tina’s Spring Weekend, Part 1

By Tina Davis

It was a fun and exciting weekend for me May 7-9, 2021, although I wasn’t sure how much I would be able to get out while dressed. My wife and I had originally planned to travel to Chicago to visit our daughter, including a Mother’s day dinner on Saturday after shopping for a bridesmaid dress (a close family friend is getting married in October and my daughter is in the wedding party).

However, my second vaccine shot was scheduled for Thursday May 6, and both my wife and I felt that maybe I should stay home in case I had any strong reaction. This started the planning gears in motion for that weekend. I contacted my friend Samm, who was holding an order from Venus for me, and let her know I would be available to meet on Saturday. I also ordered more clearance items from Venus and sent them to her. She thought she might have to work, but could meet for dinner.

Friday morning came and I was feeling fine, the soreness in my arm was much reduced, and I didn’t feel too tired. So I was able to drive my wife to the airport, saving her from a ride-share fare as she does not drive. I also went to Kohl’s in male mode to pick up my order (necklace, white sleeveless top, black zebra skirt, capri jeans, and white sandals). When I got home, I pulled all of my duffel bags from their hidden location. I knew I needed to selectively cull some clothes and shoes, not only because I needed room for the new things, but also that I didn’t like some items or that they didn’t fit right. This required putting on my firm shapewear, padding, and forms.  I set up a long mirror to get a full-length view of myself, then I tried on almost every dress and skirt, along with all my shoes, to make decisions. No makeup on as I didn’t shave, and only putting on the wig occasionally meant no pictures were taken. I did have a Zoom event Friday evening, so I was male on top, skirt, hose, and heels on the bottom. After a lengthy evening of outfit planning, I put on my nightgown and went to bed.

Saturday, I got up early and into the shower, shaved everywhere, and put on a sleeveless black-and-white top, a black open-front cardigan, capri jeans, and white sandals to run a few errands in girl mode. No issues at the post office or the garden shop, but it was a little bit colder outside choosing petunias for planting than I had thought. When I got home, before going to the nail salon, I changed into a warmer long-sleeved burgundy sweater and added the new gold necklace, but kept my capri jeans on for easier access to my toes. Once I got to the salon, I chose a nude color for my toes and a deep red for my fingers. The salon owner remembered me, even after 18 months (and me in a mask!), and the nail tech did a great job making my nails look pretty. I took the picture showing the new color when I got home.

I had originally planned to do some more shopping and have lunch while I was out, but I realized it was already 1 PM, and I needed to make the final decision on my dinner look. Samm and I were meeting at the restaurant for 5:45 PM, as there were no other slots available until almost 8. So I drove back home, cleaned off my makeup, and put on the two dresses I was choosing from. They both looked good, but I had also ordered new nude heels and a “T” necklace from Amazon. The heels arrived Friday, but the necklace was coming on Saturday. It arrived while I was wearing this coral Chaps dress and was a perfect fit. Adding the nude heels was the natural choice for the dress.

The decision now made, I needed to enhance my cleavage, both due to the V-neck of the dress and to position the “T” necklace. I was able to move some of my (minimal) chest flesh inward, and added some makeup to finish the look. For the early evening dinner, I still wanted to try a more dramatic makeup, so I went with a stronger eyeshadow combination including a shimmery white for the inner corners and drew on darker eyebrows. I used a red lip liner and lipstick to create a better shape for my lips that didn’t smear.

Then it was time for the false eyelashes – and the fight was on! The right lash gave me so much trouble, it kept turning the wrong way and sticking to the wrong spot. I was starting to think I would have to bail on them when I realized I could use tweezers to turn the lash end more easily. It finally settled into place, and the left one was a piece of cake in comparison! I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly finished with my setting spray before putting on my wig.

I was in a rush to get out the door and didn’t have the time for any pictures before dinner, but I did take a few of the full outfit when I got home later. When I arrived at the restaurant with a couple of minutes to spare, I saw how crowded it was and felt I was a tad overdressed. But I owned it, walked from the car to the entrance, and gave the hostess my name for the reservation. Samm came in almost right behind me, I beckoned her forward, and we were ready to be seated.

Our server Hailee was wonderful, she made us feel completely comfortable at our high-top table. I was able to sit with my legs crossed, one heel hooked over the chair rung. She even came by near the end of our meal to tell us both that we were beautiful and complimented me on the eyelashes! I had to tell her the story of my struggles, and she said as a former cheer athlete, false eyelashes were always hit or miss. I asked her to take our picture once the table was cleared, and she happily obliged. I wished I could have given her a hug for her kindness and support!

Samm and I walked out to my car, and then I drove around to meet her at hers, where she had a bag with my orders from Venus. We chatted for several minutes until we both were feeling a little chilly in the night air, hugged tightly, and said our good nights. It was a fun couple of hours, but I had planned for a full night of outfits for a fashion photo shoot, including the new items in my orders. That shoot will be the subject of my next post!

Hugs, Tina