Lotte's Main Highlights:Key Moments from Recent Weeks

 

 

Hello, I’m back again!

Welcome to the third edition of Lotte’s Main Highlights. It’s been another couple of busy weeks, and once again, this post might end up being just as long as the last two. There’s quite a bit to catch up on, everything from my wedding anniversary to finally booking a date for my next tattoo. I’ve also had a few unexpected surprises with my shopping habits (let’s just say Vinted might be a bit too tempting), some new additions to my shoe collection, and an update on my diet and fitness plan.

And that’s not all, there’s also a meaningful gift from my daughter, more shapewear (yes, really), and a personal milestone in my journey with a self-referral to a Trans Support Group and Gender Identity Clinic.

So, grab a cup of tea or coffee, or perhaps something stronger, and let’s dive into what’s been happening these past couple of weeks.

27 YEARS MARRIED

We recently celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary, how time flies! We didn’t go out to mark the occasion since it fell during the week, so we decided to treat ourselves to some delicious sirloin steaks from Morrisons, paired with chips and fresh vegetables. Over the years, I’ve perfected the art of cooking steaks, and I’m happy to say, I didn’t disappoint! It was a simple yet special meal, and we’re planning a belated celebration at a nice restaurant sometime soon.

As I think back over the years, I’m reminded just how lucky I am to have such an incredible wife by my side. We’ve been through so much together, the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Through it all, she has stood by me, even when parts of me have been difficult for her to understand. I know it’s a constant worry for her too, and I can only imagine how hard that must be. Yet, her love, patience, and strength have never wavered. She’s carried me through moments of uncertainty and challenge, and for that, I will always be grateful. Sometimes, I feel I don’t deserve someone as special as she is.

A DATE BOOKED FOR MY TATTOO

After designing my own tattoo and getting my wife’s approval, I’ve finally booked an appointment for early December to have it done. I’m super excited, it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time! Hopefully, it won’t be too painful.

This tattoo isn’t just art to me; it’s a deeply personal reflection of who I am. I’ve chosen a design featuring three colourful butterflies, each with realistic shadows, stretching from just above my hip to below my ribcage. To me, butterflies symbolise femininity, delicate, graceful, vibrant, but they also represent transformation, freedom, and strength. They mirror my own journey of embracing my feminine side, a core part of who I’ve always been.

An image I created showing how it might look and no that's not my stomach! 

 

The tattoo will serve as a permanent symbol of my connection to that feminine energy. It’s my way of authentically expressing who I truly am, celebrating my love for all things feminine, while remaining true to the person I’ve always been, as a husband and father. 

THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF VINTED: HOW ONE DRESS TURNED INTO FIFTEEN

 

I recently decided to hop onto Vinted to hunt down the floral dress that Lynn over at YATGB looked so lovely in on one of her blog posts (see HERE). But as soon as I started scrolling, I found myself overwhelmed by the sheer number of gorgeous floral dresses. I felt like a small child in a toy shop, so many choices, and impossible to pick just one!

What started as a search for one dress quickly turned into a shopping spree. One dress became five, then ten, and before I knew it, I’d ended up purchasing fifteen dresses. Sure, they’re second hand, which makes them more affordable than buying new, but when you start adding up the items, the cost can really pile up.

It’s not just about the price, though. It’s the thrill of discovering those perfect floral patterns and colours that instantly excite me. I can already picture how those vibrant prints and soft hues will look on me, and the anticipation of wearing them is hard to resist. There’s something about finding the right dress that feels just right, the vision of how it’ll fit, how I’ll feel in it. And before I know it, I’m lost in a sea of patterns, each one more tempting than the last.

Vinted is a treasure trove, but it’s also a bit of a trap. The endless scroll pulls you in, and suddenly, you’ve bought more than you intended. It’s the excitement of the hunt, the search for that perfect piece, and before you know it, you’ve got a wardrobe full of dresses you never thought you needed.

Now, here's the thing: while I absolutely love these new additions to my wardrobe, they’re only going to add flames to the fire when it comes to the ever-present ‘clothing ratio’ issue. If you're wondering what that means, it’s a bit of a sensitive topic between my wife and me. We’ve had more than a few conversations about the balance between my female and male clothing, and let’s just say we don’t exactly see eye to eye on it.

She believes the ratio is ‘unhealthy,’ and that I should have more male clothing to balance things out. But, truth be told, I’d much rather have more female clothing. I have no real interest in male clothing, aside from the essentials I need for everyday life. So now, I find myself with yet more dresses and no idea where in the world I’m going to store them. Because let’s be honest, there’s no way they’ll all fit in my wardrobe!

I’m hoping to be able to share some photos of me in my new dresses sometime soon.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I did find Lynn’s dress in my size, and now it’s mine too!

YET MORE PATENT HEELS

I need to do a full count of how many pairs of black patent heels I've got now but here are my latest additions:

 

UPDATE ON MY RECENT POST ABOUT CARMEN'S BURGUNDY OUTFIT

After I posted about Carmen's burgundy outfit (see HERE), I messaged her on Instagram to let her know I had featured her and her outfit on my blog. Here’s the message I sent: 

Subject: Revisited Blog Post Featuring Your Fabulous Burgundy Outfit

Hi Carmen,

Hope you don't mind me contacting you but I wanted to reach out and let you know that a blog post I've written features you and your fantastic style.  I hope that's okay, and I really hope you like how it turned out.

You can find my blog post featuring you and an outfit you wore on Saturday Kitchen Live recently at: https://stillinthepinkfog.blogspot.com/2025/10/admiring-look-burgundy-from-head-to-toe.html

To give you a little background, I’m a 52-year-old cross-dressing male with a deep love for all things feminine. I always look forward to seeing you on Saturday Kitchen Live as you do wear some really lovely outfits. You seem to have such an effortless, chic way of putting things together. Truly inspiring!

Your burgundy outfit was gorgeous x

Best wishes,

Lotte x

P.S. If you have a moment, I’d be thrilled if you left a comment on the new post.

Imagine my delight when she responded to me on Instagram:

 

And my even greater joy when she left a comment on that particular blog post as well:

HEALTH AND FITNESS UPDATE

It’s been just over three weeks since I decided to stop eating crisps, and honestly, I’m not really missing them. I think I was mostly eating them out of habit more than anything else. I knew they weren’t the best for me in the long run, but I just needed to wean myself off them. It’s taken some real determination and willpower, and the thought of getting into that smaller dress size again has definitely helped keep me motivated. 

 

The treadmill sessions are going great, all thanks to my trusty "sports bra", I mean, vest! My wife is definitely not a fan of me calling it a bra, understandably. I’m doing my best not to slip up. It’s a battle of words, but hey, whatever helps keep the workout moving, right?

As you can see below, I’ve been sticking to a regular routine of three 10km sessions a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). There was one occasion when I couldn’t make it for my Wednesday evening run, so I decided to take Friday off as well and then do a longer 15km run on Saturday morning instead:

 

It’s been 5 months and 2 days since I started my diet and fitness journey, and in that time, I’ve lost 18kg (just under 40lbs). I’ve already dropped a few trouser sizes, and I’m almost back into a size 16 dress again. 

The weight loss seems to have slowed at the moment. I was hoping to be 89kg by the end of October, but I’ve been stuck at 93kg for almost two weeks. Maybe it’s due to an increase in muscle mass?

It’s hard to believe that just 5 months ago, I struggled to run even a mile without getting out of breath, and now I’ve recently run 9 miles non-stop. I guess it’s a clear sign that I’m making good progress. I might even consider signing up for another half marathon in the new year.

A SMALL GIFT FROM MY DAUGHTER

Last week, I had an emotional meltdown. It was the fallout from my recent Vinted shopping spree. I'd bought so many dresses that the worry of where to store them all became overwhelming. My collection of female clothing is already at bursting point again, and I'm struggling to find space. I say "again" because it’s not the first time I’ve run out of room. I have boxes and boxes of clothes sitting in paid storage from when my wardrobe and attic were last at capacity, and I had to make space again.  

Due to the meltdown earlier in the day, it was during a video phone call with my sister that I truly lost it. We were supposed to be heading to an Aunt and Uncle's wedding anniversary get-together, but I was already feeling overwhelmed with the Vinted situation and everything else. I just couldn’t muster the energy to go. In the middle of our conversation, I told her I didn’t want to go, and then I broke down right in front of the phone camera... and I ended the call.

My daughter heard me crying from downstairs and came running up, concerned, wrapping me in a big hug. She told me she didn’t like seeing me upset and just wanted me to be okay. It was such a simple, yet profound moment, her kindness and empathy shining through. I reassured her, telling her I was fine and just feeling a little low, but her care was a reminder of how deeply we feel each other’s pain, even in the quietest moments.

My sister, seeing the state I was in, suggested she go on her own and let them know I couldn’t make it because I wasn’t feeling well. Her understanding and support were exactly what I needed in that moment.

Then, a few days later, while we were watching television on the couch, my daughter turned to me and said she had something to cheer me up. She asked me to close my eyes, and when I opened them again, she was holding a beautiful gold chain with a little gold 'C' pendant.

It was such a thoughtful and sweet gesture, and it really made me pause. Sometimes, it’s the smallest, most unexpected moments of kindness that can pull us out of a dark place. I’m so grateful for her tenderness and for how, even when I feel at my lowest, the people around me seem to know exactly how to remind me that I’m loved.

SELF REFERRAL TO A TRANS SUPPORT SERVICE

After witnessing my breakdown on the phone with my sister, my wife suggested I seek professional help through counselling. I took her advice and referred myself to a local Trans Support Service.

A few days later, I received a text saying they had received my referral and would call me the next day to discuss it. Unfortunately, the time they suggested wasn’t convenient, as I’d be at work, so I reached out to rearrange the call for later that day.

 

The call went well. I explained why I’d contacted them — the increasing meltdowns, feelings of being overwhelmed, and the dark thoughts that had started to creep in. I also shared my interest in exploring micro-dosing, which I believe could help, and made it clear that I’m not looking to transition, given my age and family commitments. She told me I’d been placed on the waiting list for one-to-one therapy sessions with her to explore my gender identity, and that this call was really just about making initial contact and setting the scene.

 

Unfortunately, the waiting list is about two years long. In the meantime, she recommended I refer myself to a Gender Identity Clinic, as they would be the ones to prescribe hormones if necessary. She advised me to keep checking the Transcend website, as they were about to start accepting self-referrals, and mentioned they had the shortest waiting times in the country.

So, I checked the website a few times, and eventually, I was able to self-refer. I filled out the form and emailed it right away. Then, on Friday evening, I received a reply confirming they had received my referral and would process it this week. Someone will be in touch soon.

We’ll see what happens next.

FINAL ITEMS OF SHAPEWEAR

Okay, the spending spree is finally over, and I’m probably not going to be buying anything else for a while until my bank account has a chance to recover. The final two additions to my collection were a waist clincher, which helps give me a flatter stomach, and a breast plate. I’m not entirely sure I really needed the breast plate, but I’ve heard so many good things about them that I was curious to give one a try.

 

LUVCAT

I was browsing the O2 Academy Liverpool website, just seeing if there was anyone worth catching live, when I stumbled across Luvcat. Wow, seeing her sent me into a frenzy, I can tell you! That effortless femininity stirred the female inside me, the pink fog was well and truly upon me.

Eager to find out if her music was any good, I search for her on YouTube and stumbled across the following official music video, Lipstick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e92meU2saA 

Wow again! What a video. That white dress is absolutely gorgeous, and she looked so effortlessly feminine in it. From the way it hugged her curves to the delicate way she carried herself, utterly mesmerising!

It was the following shot that hit me like a jolt, seeing that dress from those angles, the way its ruffles danced with every curve, the laced corset back teasingly framing what lay beneath, the leopard bra with its cheeky black trim just peeking out. The white platform heels, tied in perfect ribbons, those impossibly long legs, the pearls draped delicately around her neck, and her golden blonde locks catching the light, it all combined into something intoxicating.

 

In that instant, it wasn’t just admiration. I wanted to be her, to slide into that dress, lace up those heels, and feel that same seductive, effortless femininity radiating through me. Every detail, every shimmer and shadow, pulled me into a pink haze of longing, a desire not just to watch, but to embody that exquisite, breathtaking expression for myself.

AND FINALLY..... XMAS PARTY WEAR HITS THE SHOPS 

My wife always gets nervous around this time of year. She worries that seeing all those gorgeous, sparkly, sequinned dresses will send me off the rails. But I’ve gotten much better at controlling myself these past couple of years, and besides, I already have way too many sequin dresses. I think I’ve got one in every colour!

She always avoids the women's clothing section from now until Xmas when I'm out shopping with her and she wasn't too happy for me to be so close to the dresses in the photo below.

 

I took this next photo while I was out with my daughter. We always love browsing the women’s clothing together and swooning over all the gorgeous things we find.

 

Well I think that's all.

Thanks for reading,

 Lotte x