fitforafemme.com

Meet one of Brooklyn’s finest femmes, kittens! Here’s the delightful Bevin Branlandingham of FemmeCast and Queer Fat Femme. She and I ran a little workshop at the Femme2010: No Restrictions conference last Friday morning. We met for the first time in June at her incredible Re/Dress & Size Queen event in Oakland, after becoming fast internet friends through our mutual love of fashion, all things femme, and involvement on our respective committees with the Femme Collective earlier this year.

Also, her tomboy friends have the cutest puppies, don’t you think?

Of course, her outfit rules. This is one LBD that refuses to be outdone, and the little tart hair clip was quite the cherry on top of her ensemble. Here’s her really impressive bio, since it says it way better than I could:

Bevin Branlandingham is the Host and Producer of FemmeCast: The Queer Fat Femme Podcast Guide to Life. She is a flamboyant femmecee, writer, drag king, burlesque and comedy performer. She is Co-Head Madam of the Femme Family, the New York Chapter of the Femme Mafia, on the steering committee for the Fat and Queer conference and the media committee for the Femme Conference. In 2008 Bevin received a Commendation from the Mayor of Jersey City for her work with the LGBT community. Her writing has been published in numerous periodicals and she has performed throughout North America. Her mission is to make the world a safe place for people to love themselves, regardless of their marginalizations. Her website (including blog, calendar of events and workshops) is found at QueerFatFemme.Com.

She also blogs at Butch-Femme.com and The Femme’s Guide to Absolutely Everything and performs throughout North America.

This has to be one of my most favorite collages ever. Adorable puppy? Check. Pretty, multi-talented femmes? Check. Dildo? Check. Fancy hair ornaments? Check. DONE AND DONE.

I need Bevin to chime in on her outfit particulars, but here are mine:

Dress: Calvin Klein
Shoes: MaxStudio
Bag: Betsey Johnson
Earrings: Vintage
Necklace: Culp Baubles
Feathered Hair Clip: Buffalo Exchange

Waiting for Rufus Wainwright. After the closing remarks at the conference, M fetched me from the hotel and we set out for Napa. It couldn’t have been a more perfect evening. The temperature was perfect, the light falling softly at sundown was perfect, dinner was outstanding and Rufus Wainwright was absolutely wonderful, as always. At one point during the show, M whispered to me “How is he even a real person? His albums sound so good, but then you hear him live up there and he’s somehow much, much better than all that!” and I nodded with my tear-streaked face.

He made corny Napa jokes and told a few stories between songs, and he played La Complainte de la butte and Memphis Skyline (two of my favorites). Zebulon undid me completely. His sister brought the petite onstage and they all sang together (well, the petite cooed), and it was really lovely. I cannot wait until he’s back in November with the SF Symphony for Five Shakespeare Sonnets.

I am going to go every single day of the 3-day series, come hell or high water.

CONFESSION: I had a very full, very festive weekend. The last before Christmas! On Friday night, the tomboy and I bundled up (a bit too much – it was wonderfully pleasant out!) and headed downtown with the petite to follow the longtime tradition of peeking in at the puppies and kittens up for adoption, adorably displayed in Macy’s whimsical holiday window displays. (M threatened to physically remove me if I didn’t stop tearing up! I can’t help it! One little creamsicle kitten was hugging herself to sleep!) It was so much fun! We came home and had Mexican hot chocolate and cookies fresh out of the oven, and watched Valentino: The Last Emperor (which really made me cry).

We celebrated my best friend’s birthday at a lovely French bistro on Saturday night (that’s where these fancy photos are from – this H&M top is so FUN with a built-in petticoat underneath the peplum, but I pinned the flower to the waist for a little extra something) – I had a wonderful pear cocktail and ordered the Coq au Vin, which was fantastic. The BFF was thrilled to bits with everything and we laughed heartily through the entire dinner. All were loathe to end the night so soon!

On Sunday, we celebrated my Grandmother’s 90th birthday. Festivities began promptly at a 10AM mass and didn’t stop until we tore ourselves away from her charming stories and copious amounts of her favorite brandy, in order to make it to a dinner on time at Will Blog For Food’s house. She roasted her very first chicken for us, paired with a gorgeous salad with persimmons and endives, a toasty loaf of bread and roasted vegetables (which became quite caramelized and which M could not get enough of). A happy and lovely evening to complete a very busy weekend!

After catching up with my beauty sleep this morning, I have to tidy up the flat, queue up the baking parade, wrap gifts and take care of those inevitable last-minute errands the holidays bring. I can’t wait until Christmas Eve and I hope y’all are ready for whatever wonderful plans await you! XOXO!

Some fancy photos of the tomboy and I, for fun:

Confession: DOUBLE WHAMMY! Because I’ve neglected y’all and I am terribly sorry. I’ve purchased a sewing machine, resumed my French lessons, started Bollywood dancing and helped a friend throw an amazing benefit for her AIDS Lifecycle 8 Ride over the weekend. Phew! I hope you enjoy the sassy new belt from modcloth.com and the exclusive softball game pics with a peek of the tomboy! I swear I swear I swear I’m not neglecting the sniffs section of the blog – I’ve got plenty, I’ve just been lazy in that dept. – and will try to post a few new ones this week. End. Weekend! Soon. Really. Have I told you lately that I love you? Well, I do. XO.

*Shades below by Spy Optics and vintage Wilson’s leather jacket.

We’ve got everything we need for sliders, I’m making my famous homemade french fries, if we had a single additional bottle of booze in our cabinet we’d probably need a liquor license. We have a ton of extra snacks (chips, lemons, Chili Cheese Fritos, white cheddar popcorn, mozzarella sticks…) and no other plans tomorrow other than to camp out and watch the Superbowl and the Puppybowl. (Oh, and a workout. Damn it.)

In preparation for the latter, we give you the following:

A sampler from a former puppybowl:

UPDATE! M’s delicious sliders, prep:

When: Monday, Jan. 26th, 2008.

What: Lamica boots, Laundry by Shelli Segal trousers, vintage neck-tie blouse by Georgiou Studio, layered vest by Boom Boom Jeans, long cardigan by Kersh Essentials.

Confession: In numeric form, a grab bag of random -

1. That lady with the litter in SoCal should give M & I a baby. I took the petite and her friends to an especially infant-laden neighborhood cafe this afternoon, and my ovaries went into overdrive. This wee Asian baby waved at me with his little hand. All snuggled inside of his stroller. He couldn’t have been 10 mos.! Can they do that so soon? I’ve forgotten! I’m all out of practice! OMG!
2. I took my petite and her friends to the arcade today, where she and I scored 700+ tickets. We cashed ‘em in for candy (cherry pixie sticks!) and a fortune telling machine that’s all WIISSSHHHHHHRRHHHSSSHH! YES, BUT PROCEED WITH CAUTION! WHHHSSSSIIISISSHRRRRSSHHH!
3. There is a new Bachelor episode tonight and I am so so so impatient for it. DeAnna, where are you!?!?!? HURRY UP!
4. M & I have to go to the gym again tonight, for Operation Get Buff 2009. I’m scared. Hold me!