Father of the Bride

Mr. and Mrs. George Beckman

request the pleasure of your company

at the marriage of their daughter

Veronica Nicole

to

Mr. Gregory Richard Lubinski

on Saturday, the sixteenth of March,

Two thousand thirteen

at three o’clock in the afternoon

Wedding Isle

And with this, George realized the money he had been socking away for a little boat, nothing fancy, something he could take out on the protected waters fishing on the weekends, maybe take his pal Steiner along, was gone. There was the dress, the flowers, the photographer, the limo, the invitations and custom napkins, the wedding venue, the reception with catering, band, cake, and the lace-trimmed wishing well thing Ronnie got for envelopes at some crazy bridal fair. After a while, he just signed his name to the checks and handed them to his wife, sighing, watching his boat slowly sink out of sight.

“Daddy,” Ronnie came flying in one Saturday morning. “You have to go with Greg and his dad to get fitted for tuxes.” He grumbled about wearing a “monkey suit,” but dutifully went, bearing with the humiliations of being measured for something he would wear only one night. He watched the groom, standing awkwardly as the tailor inserted pins around his cuffs and zipped a tape measure up his inner leg to his crotch, and he realized this boy—this young man—was willing to go through all this bullshit for the same reason as he was—the boy loved his little girl.

The day of the wedding, he put his favorite cap on his head and stood still while his wife pinned a peach flower to his lapel. (All the bridesmaids wore peach dresses—his daughter’s idea. It looked like a tissue box had exploded in the back of the limousine.) “George, take your hat off. Ronnie will not like it. Don’t spoil this day for her.”

“I will when we get there but I just don’t feel right without it,” he grumbled.

When he went to peek in on his daughter, trusty hat still on his head, he felt his heart stop for a moment. Seeing her there, dressed in a most beautiful white dress, her face glowing, her smile radiant, blowing happiness around her like a supernova, he felt the visceral assault of the moment. She looked like his wife when they had first gotten married, graceful and fresh. And she looked like the little girl who had once told him, “Daddy, I lub boo,” with popsicle dribbling out of her mouth. He saw the teenager who had once shouted, “Daddy, you don’t get it! If you loved me you would let me go!” And he saw the young woman, holding a mortarboard to her head at her college graduation, who said, “Thank you for this, Daddy. I hope I grow up to be just like you.”

At the end of the night, a beautiful wedding, a great dinner, happy people dancing, two young people clearly in love and happy, he realized he could start saving for a new boat tomorrow. It was a small cost for this kind of happiness for so many. It was a good night.

Skin and shape: RUBYEzraSkin(shadow) with RUBYEzraShape by Carmella Ruby for Ruby Skins, available at the Skin Fair *

Eyes: IKON Lucid Eyes – Hazel (ML) by Ikon Innovia for IKON *

Tuxedo: L&B Mesh (MED) “Modern White Open Tuxedo” by Paul Lapointe for Lapointe & Bastchild *

Hat: JfL flat cap grey tweed by Johnfrancis Laville for JfL Men’s Store *

Boutonniere: [EvF] “Sakura” Deluxe Boutonniere – Peach v2 by Bastchild Lotus for Lapointe & Bastchild *

Shoes: Colbert Black by Eponymous Trenchmouth for Jeepers

Poses by Scarlet Chandrayaan for Magnifique Poses

Photographed at Wedding Isle

What Barely’s Wearing Today

Barely “Emo” Texan has shown up again on the blog, this time in a more punk/new wave look. Start with this awesome military jacket from Kauna (which I shot in this funky pose to prove that mesh moves with a lot of craziness. Barely chose some pretty awesome striped pants from Redrum to go with the jacket and boots from Gos. This time, he chose his own hair, this awesome newer one from Dura and heavy guyliner on a skin from Tricky Boucher. Barely makes it work.

Skin – Belleza – Tricky Boucher – Ethan Best Buys in Pale

Hair – Dura – chiaki Xue – Dura Boy 41 in black

Eyes – Ikon – Ikon Innovia – Eternal Eyes in black

Tunic – Kauna – Ross Myhre – Military Retro Jacket

Pants – Redrum – Mzzy Wytchwood – Carnivale Jeans in Red & White

Boots – GOS – Gospel Voom – Triumph Boots in Old

What Barely’s Wearing Today

Barely and I had a little discussion about his photos. He just got that LUMIPro and he’s be going to town with it (literally—he won’t let it go—he sleeps with it). I said, “That’s fine. The photos are artsy and emo, but people want to see the clothes.” He then sent me photos labeled “Barely Emo.” I think that should be his new display name.

I like this look because it’s eclectic and rock n roll. I especially like the pattern on the shirt from Voodoo Gear and the skin from Fruk. He looks like your little brother, grown up to go out clubbing or play in his alternative band.

Skin – Fruk – Chucky Hollak – Bennet skin Rock of Ages- Limited Edition

Hair – Redgrave – Emilia Redgrave – Jacob in black

Eyes – Ikon – Ikon Innovia – Eternal Eyes in Heath

Necklace – Trinket – Stephberry Delling – Guitar Pick Necklace

Shirt – Voodoo Gear – Voodoo Shilton – Men’s Mesh Dress Shirt in Arabia #1

Jeans – breathing|time – Kevin Titian – Lazy Jeans in Print

Boots – Shelly Laufer – Shelly Laufer – Mesh Boots DT in black

What Barely’s Wearing Today

Barely got a new gadget and went to town. He got his little pixel hands on a LUMIPro system, made by Stefan Buscaylet, and now he thinks he is a photographic auteur. He has used the LUMIPro to make this darkly rendered version of himself as a moody, cigarette-smoking artiste who wears his sunglasses—these from Izzie Button—at night. His outfit helps a lot with a mesh red shirt from Hoorenbeek, checkerboard skinny jeans from Juiced and the ubiquitous artist’s scarf from Sey. Perfectly rendered Doc Martins from Gospel Voom finish the look.

Photos taken by Barely Texan using the LUMIPro Virtual Lighting System by Stefan Buscaylet for LUMIPro

Skin – KOOQLA – Rocketta Haven – GRAY in tone 05 (dark brows)

Hair – Dura – chiaki Zue – Boy*35 in Dark brown

Eyes – Ikon – Ikon Innovia – Eternal Eyes in Storm

Sunglasses – Izzie’s – Izzie Button – 70s Sunglasses in gold

Cigarette – Hermanni – Hermanni Laville – Ultimate Cigarette

Shirt – Hoorenbeek – LimerDesigner Flux – Mesh Basic Shirt in Red

Scarf – Sey – risey Arai – VH-stole

Pants – Juiced – AskParis Resident – Checkerboard Skinny Jeans

Boots- GOS – Gospel Voom – DocsV2

What Barely’s Wearing Today

Barely has learned Gyazo, which is a blessing for him. Now he can send me 20 looks and go, “What do you think?” without breaking the bank. It’s a good thing too because Barely is a shopper of major proportions. I think he keeps the Linden economy going single-handedly some days. Today he couldn’t wait to show me this awesome jacket from Nazaire Resident and the shoes, which he had picked up on a shopping trip with me to Morphine Janick’s new little place. We both agreed that Amesha Jewell’s male skins were the unsung skins of the men’s world—doesn’t that look great on him? And Ikon Innovia’s eyes and a fedora and hair combo, specialty of Rika Oyen, completed the look.

Hat/Hair – ARGRACE – rika Oyen – Straw Fedora/Crosby in Mocha

Skin – Heartsick – Amesha Jewell – Idira in Tone 4

Eyes – Ikon – Ikon Innovia – Eternal Eyes in Pewter

Jacket/Shirt – Entente – Nazaire Resident – Gaston Jacket & Shirt

Pants – Motivation – Illeana Magic – Formal Male Pants in Grey Pinstripe

Shoes – Monso – Morphine Janick – My Leather Oxfords

What Barely’s Wearing Today

Barely stunned me today when he walked into the studio with this. Something about his look—the wild animal print on the jacket and the straight-legged pants from Parallaxx with the studly matching shoes from iru Yebet—got me going. He had a sort of confident rock n roll way about him. Looking closer, I see it’s actually his skin from Tricky Boucher that’s racing my engine with that great hair from Kavar Cleanslate. Rowr!

Skin – Belleza – Tricky Boucher – Dylan in Pale 4

Hair – Exile – Kavar Cleanslate – 6th Avenue Heartache in Wedge

Eyes – IKON – Ikon Innovia – Eternal Eyes in Storm

Suit – Phunk – Parallaxx Resident – Zebra Jacket and Black Pants

Shoes – Iruco – iru Yebet – Formal Shoes in Border Black

What Barely’s Wearing Today

Barely got hit with a set of vests and shirts with bow ties from Jayden Rage. At first he wasn’t quite sure what to do, but a look through the set showed a pretty intensely cool choice of pieces. Jayden’s opening a store and wants to make sure you all check these out. (Barely and I think you should too.) Barely and I worked together to nerd up his look, opting for some spectacular madras pants from Nazaire and spiffy shoes from 2REAL Okelli. Now if he wouldn’t fall asleep while I am trying to take photos….

Hair – Exile – Kavar Cleanslate – Sexy Action News in Drift

Skin – Nivaro – ReishiProphet Resident – Emerson Skin in creamtone

Sweater – Avoid – Jayden Rage – Geekazoid in 18 *

Eyes – Ikon – Ikon Innovia – Eternal Eyes in Storm

Trousers – Entente – Nazaire Resident – Madras Pants

Shoes – 2Real – 2REAL Okelli – Low Cuttlerz

Posing stool: Diesel Works – Hemingway Stool by Rogan Diesel for Diesel Works Animations *

Lupe

She calls me and I can hear the purr of her soft Carribean voice blunted by the consonants of Dutch in my ear. “Darling!” she greets me. “I am going shopping tomorrow. Would you like to join me?”

She is technically still a he. She still has the equipment to be a he, but prefers the adornment and way of being a woman. She is not swishy or femme—she is womanly, revealing a regal demeanor cut with a tough edge. Years of being underground in her desires and then the painful process of coming out in a macho culture have created strong backbone. She is not flamboyant as so many in her situation but rather dignified and self-contained.

Europe afforded her a safer place to be who she was, but it also gave her cold feet—cold cold feet. “Darling,” she laughs, “there are days when I can’t feel my poor toes it’s so cold here.” She likes recounting the first time she got off the plane in Northern Europe in January. She had no idea what she was encountering. It was surreal to her. All the sunny days of her childhood in the Carribean, the dry salty air, the big turquoise skies and bright colors in the white sun—all washed to a gray, damp efficient urban solidity.

Some days she wears colors—bright colors. They remind her of the joy of spring in her new home, the rich loam in the air,  the colors of nature exploding and awakening and warmth finally returning to her feet. The first spring she hopped on her bike, rode for kilometers and happened on a tulip field. She gazed at it for hours.

Shopping with Lupe is a trip as in a “trip.” She dabbles in the black arts of fashion, finding all the backstore jewelers, the street vendors with gypsy fabrics, the bizarre and unusual and exotic. She mixes leather with snakeskin, lace with motorcycle boots, black lipstick with lush lashes. She is an other being, transinternational and transsexual.

 

She works as a hostess/bouncer in a sex club—there is simply no other work suitable for a woman who is a man. “Eh, it’s three nights a week and good pay. Who am I to complain?” She has a degree in psychology—it serves her well in comforting the t-girls, moody on hormones, fretting about their finances and their nails, crying about the disappointments of their transformation. She always counsels, “It’s a long road and doesn’t always seem to get you as far as you hoped. But it’s the road that chose us so it’s the right way.”

This is one of her club outfits—a combination of fetish and lace and leather. It serves her well—it alternately turns on the patrons and scares them into good behavior. This ensemble is a favorite—dark, brash, sexy. It shows off the surgery she has paid dearly for—an augmentation both expensive and painful.

Is she happy? Happy enough. She has found her place, though her feet get cold sometimes. This is her life.

“There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anais Nin

Hair: Reptilia by MissAllSunday Lemon for Wasabi Pills

Skin and Eyes:  Anaya by Psycho Kondor for PK Skins

Makeup: Heavy black combo by Yoko Leeeroy for .:Glamorize:.

Bodysuit: JD EXOTIC by Wiraya Johin for Jaydee Designs

Bracelets: Kabuki by Kikunosuke Eel for Mandala

Earrings: Senjyu by Mandala by Kikunosuke Eel for Mandala

Nails: Kabuki by Mandala by Kikunosuke Eel for Mandala

Choker: Milky Way by Kikunosuke Eel for Mandala

Piercings (nose): Gemma by ROZOREGALIA Braveheart for Rozoregalia

Hip Chain: Babette by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer

Belt: Dominator by Tatyana Ultsch for Insanya

Boots: Elise by Paul Lapointe for Lapointe and Bastchild

Scene ~*GOD*~ Dream Scene – Showcase Set 2 – Box (Snake) by Kayle Matzerath for Garden of Dreams *

Poses by Rogan Diesel for Diesel Works Animations *

Model: Lupe. Photos and text by Harper Beresford

I’m Shakin’

When you touch my hand and you talk sweet talk
I got a knocking in my knees and a wobble in my walk
Yeah, and I’m tremblin’ and I’m shakin’

~ “I’m Shakin’” by Little Willie John, covered by Jack White

Barely plays a lot of alt country, which is a mix of rock n roll, blues, and country with no small amount of punk mixed in. So our look makes sense (I hope) for one of Barely’s DJ parties.

I can’t remark on his choice of couture except to say that the shirt is one he wrangled out of CarrieAnn Lemon, who is releasing a series of them TODAY. And the creepers from UnknownSoldier Maximus are his shoe of choice. I personally have donned a shorty short dress from Spooky Mistwallow that comes complete with lingerie and decided to dress it up in rockabilly style with tattoos and cateye glasses from Antonia Marat and hoop earrings from Maxi Gossamer. Little ankle boots from Onyx Leshelle make the outfit complete.

Of course the whole retro look starts with Truth Hawks’ top-curl hair, which I just love and red red lips from Launa Fauna which make the beautiful pale skin from Tuli Asturias pop. Barely stuns with a Belleza skin made uncharacteristically punk with hair from Jay Khaos and eyes from Ikon Innovia.

When you take me in your arms and talk romance
My heart starts doing the St. Vitus’ dance
And I’m pantin’ and I’m shakin’

On Barely:

Skin – Belleza – Tricky Boucher – Dylan in Pale 3

Hair – Raw House – Jay Khaos – Khaos in Black

Eyes – Ikon – Ikon Innovia – Eternal Eyes in Black

Shirt – Ellemeno – CarrieAnn Lemon – Playing from the Grave *

Jeans – Lapointe & Bastchild – Paul Lapointe – L&B Mesh jeans in Distressed

Glasses – PrimOptic – Nibb Tardis – Fifty

Shoes – BC322 – UnknownSoldier Maximus – Brothel Creepers in Mersey

On Harper:

Hair: >TRUTH< Sassy 2 w/Roots – burgundy by Truth Hawks for >TRUTH< *

Skin: [:T:] Helena / powder :: December 31 (TDR) by Tuli Asturias for Tuli, available at TDR Fusion

Makeup: L.Fauna Starlet Makeup [Graphite] by Launa Fauna for L.Fauna and -Belleza- Eyeliner 2 by Tricky Boucher for -Belleza-

Eyes: IKON ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Bleached Blue ML by Ikon Innovia for IKON

Dress: :KR: Araya Dress & Lingere Set – Black by Spooky Mistwallow for Kastle Rock

Glasses: /artilleri/ Meredith glasses (chin) *red* by Antonia Marat for artilleri

Earrings: MG – Earrings – Late Night Hoops by Maxi Gossamer for Maxi Gossamer

Nails: Leverocci – Round Nails_1FA_ScarlettPlain by Jin Elfan for Leverocci

Tattoo: /artilleri/ maggie tattoo (no chest) by Antonia Marat for artilleri

Boots: Maitreya Devi Booties Black by Onyx Leshelle for Maitreya

Poses by Dove Swanson for Long Awkward Pose (no longer available)

What Barely’s Wearing Today

“Barely!” I IM’d.

“Yup?”

“Can I throw you in my blog?”

“Yup.”

Two hours later after I had him replace his shirt, his pants and his shoes about 20 times, here he was. But wait! SOCKS! (Why do men always forget the socks?)

“I know about the socks! I’m working on it!”

Hat/Hair – ARGRACE – rika Oyen – Straw Fedora/Casey

Eyes – IKON – Ikon Innovia -  Eternal Eyes in Pewter

Skin – Belleza – Tricky Boucher – Cooper “FAIR”

Shirt – The Plastik – Typhaon Nishi – Malleus in Brocade

Pants – FATEwear – Damien Fate – Cory in Tundra

Socks – FATEwear – Damien Fate – Ben  in Void

Shoes – 1-800-Betties – Jacqueline Boehm – Saddle Shoes in Black/Gray