This is entry #5 in my vlog series. Hard to believe it’s been over a YEAR since posting my previous video! It honestly doesn’t feel like that long.

There’s been a lot going on in my life, which is why I haven’t been able to keep new content rolling out on a regular basis. I was however, able to take a little time and make this short video. I hope you’ll share a minute or two of your day with me to watch and comment. Video running time: 1 minute, 21 seconds

About the video
The video was shot on May 29, 2011 with my iPad 2, and later edited on it (mostly). The main reason for making it, besides the fact that it’s been so long since my last, was to put something out there and let people know I’m alive and well and… well, still me. Over a period of time, several people wrote to me and asked if/when I might publish another video.

For the record, if this ends up being the last video I publish, ever, please understand that I’ll ALWAYS be me (as in Gabrielle). Do not mistake my lack of time to write/share, as being anything other than a lack of time to share. Time permitting, I’d like to make more videos (and content in general) to explore and discuss various things in the future.

A picture in a picture in a picture in a picture…
The video was intentionally framed to show my back side in the mirror behind me. Not to show off my literal “back side”, but rather to offer another view of me actually holding up the iPad while talking into it. If you look carefully, you can see the iPad screen in the reflection, and in that screen, another reflection with another screen, etc. – kind of like holding two mirrors up to each other.

Gabrielle the musician(ish)
The background music is a custom arrangement by yours truly! I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with sound and music, though I’m far from being a real musician. The music track was made in a music composing application by dropping individual instrument “loops” (short audio clips) onto a timeline to form the final composition. The final result is a unique creation and I’m happy with how it turned out. If you’re a musician or just like to experiment like I do, tell me about it!

My first published iPad 2-taken photo!
The iPad 2 is an amazingly cool and versatile device. If you have one, you’re probably aware of the less-than-amazing quality of the cameras it sports. In good lighting, the image quality is pretty decent, but the lighting fairly dim where I took the photo shown here (also featured in the opening and closing of the video – click it to enlarge). I don’t think the photo turned out too bad… aside from it being grainy with blotchy color. I tweaked it a little (also on the iPad). Sorry about the blah pose – it wasn’t easy trying to take a decent self-photo in a mirror, in a small, confined space, while awkwardly holding and aiming the iPad 2 to capture the image.

If you’ve done any iPad 2 photography, chime in and let me know about your experiences.

Talk to me!
Please take a minute or two to answer the questions I posed in the video. Although I directly asked about “YouTube subscribers”, the broader intention was simply: What do you like about my video offerings? What, in particular, would you like to see in future videos? Tell me what’s on your mind – leave a comment or shoot me a private message if you prefer (using the contact link up top).

Thanks for watching (and reading), and have a beautiful weekend!

Related content:

• My YouTube Channel
• My Flickr photos
• Vlog entries

This is entry #4 in my vlog series. It’s been a few months (about five) since my last vlog was published. My, how time flies!

Clocking in at a whopping 30 seconds in length, this is my shortest vlog to date. Sometimes less is more, and I think this is a good example. It’s short and sweet. My apologies if you were hoping for something a little longer. You can always play it again a few more times. Don’t worry, it won’t wear out.

Why so short?
The video footage was actually recorded a few months ago, and meant to be longer. Trouble with my editing tools had me spinning my wheels and I gave up on it after a while. I talked about it in this post.

After playing around with some of the footage on and off, mainly as a creative exercise, I settled on an interesting, stylized visual presentation. A few short snippets of the original version were chosen to appear in the final 30 second video. It seemed more effective and meaningful to keep the “message” short and sweet. In the end I liked how it turned out, and there you go.

The day after
Like the video, this write-up also had to be chopped down to a more manageable size. I have a tendency to ramble on about my creative interests – in this case, video production and visual style. It was enjoyable to indulge, but most people don’t come here for that kind of thing. It seemed to clutter up the post, rather than add to it. Another good example of less being more effective. Exactly one day after publishing, I removed six paragraphs of “clutter” for a shorter, tidier post.

Where do you go when you’re “all dressed up”?
Like I asked in the video, is there a welcoming and safe environment you can be yourself and fem-out? Perhaps like myself, you find yourself all dressed up with no place to go? Please take a few minutes to share – either way.

Disclaimer and reminder
I have little control over the suggested videos offered after mine finishes.

Related content:

• My YouTube Channel
• Vlog entries

It’s Christmas day, 2009. May your day be filled with family, friends, love and happiness. I hope Santa was good to you.

In my childhood, the anticipation of opening up presents on Christmas morning made if difficult to sleep the night before. My brother and I would always be awake very early on Christmas morning. Tactfully waking up our parents so that we could have at the cornucopia of presents that lie under the Christmas tree was a yearly ritual.

After several years of being woken up around 5:00 AM by kids who could not contain their excitement, our parents started the tradition of opening up presents on Christmas eve – just after returning home from the Christmas eve mass that we attended as a family. It worked out great for everyone – my brother and I got to open our gifts without that last grueling wait of anticipation for one more (sleepless) night, and Mom and Dad got to sleep in the next morning.

Those were magical times – the joy of opening up gifts in my youth and then playing with new toys for the first time. Having Christmas break off from school to enjoy new toys, sledding, and playing in the snow was always a joyous experience. My memories of playing with Star Wars toys and Atari video games are probably the strongest from those days.

I miss the magic that Christmas once held for a much younger me, but there are still good times to be had and plenty to be thankful for and celebrate.

With a few family gatherings out of the way already, there will be more family coming over throughout the day today. In-laws, nieces, and nephews will be joining us for their Christmas presents that await under our tree, and what will surely be an amazing pork dinner prepared by my wife, the fabulous Mrs. H. She started preparing the meat two days ago and the delicious aroma has already filled the air as it slowly cooks.

What are your favorite Christmas memories from childhood? What are your plans for today? Was Santa good to you? Please take a moment and share a bit of your Christmas joy with me in a comment. :)

DISCLAIMER: I have no control over the suggested videos offered after mine finishes. I do NOT endorse any of them.

Related content: My YouTube Channel

It’s Christmas eve, 2009, and I wanted to share a couple of short greeting videos. I hope you’ll enjoy with a smile. :)

I’ve been terribly busy lately (and dealing with life) so this is the first new content I’ve been able to publish in a few weeks. Sometimes I think my website should be renamed to: MyCrazyBusyLife.com. lol I’ll share more about what’s been going on in my life in upcoming posts. For now, let’s concentrate on the most wonderful time of the year.

This second video is a playful and humorous take on unwrapping presents:

The music in both videos is “O Christmas Tree” as performed by Doro Pesch. I’ve said it before – I’m kind of a metal head.

I wanted to spread a little Christmas cheer on the night before Christmas and let you know that I’m alive and well… just been busier than Santa’s elves in December!

Please check back again tomorrow (Christmas day). I’ll (hopefully) have another short Christmas video and smile to share with you. :)

In the meantime, have a beautiful day. Please take a moment to let me know what’s going on in your life this Christmas eve. I’d love to hear about your plans.

DISCLAIMER: I have no control over the suggested videos offered after mine finishes. I do NOT endorse any of them.

Related content: My YouTube Channel

To my American friends, happy Thanksgiving, 2009, a day early. To friends around rest of the world, happy November 26, a day early. Holiday or not, I hope everyone enjoys the company of friends, family and good food.

This is vlog entry #3 – a (mostly) Thanksgiving themed video that is bit experimental in presentation. In a departure from grainy phone video, this one was recorded on a standard resolution video camera and features a few basic but fun visual effects.

In vlog episode 3, I discuss:

• My low-key Thanksgiving Day plans
• A Thanksgiving meal that does not include the traditional turkey
• An inquiry into who plans on coming out to friends/family this holiday season
• Meeting up with an old school friend who I came out to at my class reunion a few months ago
• My love of horror and slasher films
• Long-term plans to (hopefully) incorporate my feminine side with my creative interests in film/video and the horror/slasher movie genre

Thanksgiving
I was initially just going to do a Thanksgiving Day post without a vlog attached to it, but decided on a Thanksgiving themed video blog instead. As stated in the video, it’s just Mrs. H. and I this year – no extended family gathering. Honestly, it feels so good to just enjoy a nice, quiet holiday together sometimes. There will be plenty of family gatherings to attend this year. They’re fun, but can also be a stressful, too. I’m sure many of you can identify. Every few years, my wife and I like to spend Thanksgiving by ourselves and just relax. Do you and yours ever do the same on Thanksgiving or any other holiday typically associated with extended family gatherings? Tell me about it.

Coming out
Crossdressing being a social taboo, it is something many (most?) choose to keep very private about. I was that way until just last year when I came out to my wife. Do any of you plan on coming out to your wife, girlfriend, friends, or families this holiday season? If so, why did you choose the holiday? I’d like to hear what your plans are in that regard and how they turned out.

Christmas tree & decoration weekend
Putting up the Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving is pretty typical for many. I forgot to mention it in my video, but the fabulous Mrs. H. and I will be setting up our Christmas tree and putting out the seasonal decorations. Mrs. H. will be handling most of the decorating herself after I reassemble our artificial tree. She’s very good at it and really enjoys the process. It doesn’t do much for me – the actual activity decorating, that is. I like decorating myself (as in en femme, of course), but I don’t exactly have a flair for seasonal decorating or much interest in taking care of it, personally. Thankfully, there’s no need to because my wife does a fantastic job.

Who takes care of the decorations in your house? Is it a pretty mutual activity, or does one do more than the other? Do you use an artificial tree or prefer a nature-made real pine?

Horror movies
What a strange, mismatched topic to include in a Thanksgiving themed video blog. Then again, the topics covered in my previous vlogs were also varied to some extent. The point in my video blog series is sharing ideas, information, and just plan chatting about whatever. I do enjoy horror/slasher films and felt like chatting about it. In some ways, I’m sure that breaks a few stereotypes of “what crossdressers are in to”, and I really like that. People need to rid themselves off the stereotypes. Anyone who thinks they’ve got me all summed up because I crossdress is an idiot. I am many things – we ALL are. I am not defined by just my gender expression, but rather the sum of who I am, and that encompasses a plethora of things.

Lights, camera, action… WHOA!
What did you think of the presentation of this particular video blog? I had a lot of fun ideas, but time constraints greatly limited me to what I could include in it (in terms of visuals, sight gags, and additional supporting imagery).

On the technical end, I was very unhappy with the harsh lighting (for vanity reasons). It wasn’t until after reviewing the footage that I realized how terrible and unflattering the hard shadows made my face look. With some reluctance, I completed and published the video in spite of my unusually rugged appearance. The photo to the right (taken shortly after shooting the video) shows my face in softer, better light (click to enlarge). In the future, I’ll probably go with my phone camera again. Thought it lacks picture quality, it’s simple, effective, easy to work with, and requires a lot less preparation, set-up and time consuming postproduction work.

Some feedback on the technical end would be appreciated, if you have any to offer. What worked in this video and what didn’t? Were the visuals fun, or just distracting?

Sorry about the annoying hum noise
My apologies for that annoying damn hum sound in the audio. I was completely unaware of that while working on the video because it was not present in the (cheap) headphones I used during editing. Only after uploading the video to YouTube and listening to it on another computer did I realize there is a rather annoying low-spectrum hum present on the vocal track. Unfortunately, my time is up and the video is posted. YouTube doesn’t allow video replacement – I’d need to delete the video and re-upload it as new, which I really don’t want to have to do. The hum is rather irritating though, so I may just fix it, delete the old hum-video, and re-upload it anyway. Let me know if you heard the hum or not. Maybe I’ll get lucky and everyone will be listening with cheap headphones and not notice. lol
UPDATE: Hum noise fixed!

Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday. Eat well, but don’t over-do it. Enjoy the company of friends and family, and remember to be thankful for all that you have. :)

Just a reminder
I have no control over the suggested videos offered after mine finishes. I do NOT endorse any of them.

Related content: My YouTube Channel

Update, November 26, 11:15 AM (EST)
Our Thanksgiving chicken just went in the oven. I decided to take a photo just before it went in. This thing already smells amazing! Mrs. H. prepared it yesterday. In an hour or so, the whole house will be filled with the mouth watering aroma of Mrs. H.’s chicken dinner. Oh, the terrible wait for what will be an awesomely delicious meal!

I’ll post a “finished cooking” photo later in the day… that is if I can tear myself away from the fixation I’ll have on getting this baby into my mouth! lol

I hope everyone else’s Thanksgiving (or just plain Thursday if you’re not in the U.S.) is going well so far. :)

Update, November 26, 3:29 PM (EST)
My wife and I just enjoyed our masterfully prepared Thanksgiving meal. Yes, we eat dinner early. Along with the chicken, there was Pureto Rican style rice and beans and pateles (don’t know if I spelled that right). Hours were spent in anticipation of delicious food and it took mere minutes to become completely stuffed. Here’s how the bird looked just before cutting it up:

I feel bad for those who are subjected to dry, flavorless turkey prepared by someone who doesn’t know how to do better. That used to be me years ago. My wife’s Thanksgiving turkeys always turn out juicy and delicious, and the meat falls right off the bones. Her Thanksgiving chicken is no different – filled with flavor, and no knife needed as the meat just falls apart because it is so juicy. I hope everyone reading this ended up with turkey (or chicken, like us) that was on the juicy side rather than dry.

I’m very stuffed right now, and after a brief rest, I’ll need to put in some extra miles on the treadmill. The extra miles are well worth it through. That was one outstanding, amazing, delicious, and a zillion other descriptive words for mouth-watering bliss, meal!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! From Mrs. H. and I. :)

Update, December 18, 2009
I took the video offline. I was never really happy with how it turned out in the first place. The visuals were kind of fun to play with, but the video on the whole was somewhat of an eyesore to me.
 

This is entry number 2 in my vlog (video blog) series. It’s been just over a month since my last vlog, so I thought it was about time.

In this installment, I talk about a personal struggle that’s been causing trouble in my life. A recent session with my therapist shed some light on a destructive obsessive cycle that’s been spiraling out of control for a few months now.

In vlog episode 2, I discuss:

• My recent troubles with overeating
• Obsessive over exercising to compensate for overeating
• Stress
• Lack of personal time
• Mario Kart Wii
• My number one video admirer (?)

Vlog #2, take two…
Once again, this was recorded using my phone’s low-end built-in video capabilities, so my apologies for the picture quality. I spent some time in front of a real video camera talking about things, but rambled on way too long and didn’t feel up to the time consuming task of chopping it all down to size. Somehow, talking to my phone cam in the bathroom keeps me more focused than when talking in front of a tripod-mounted camera in my makeshift studio.

A brief segment from the original recording session remains intact in the video – a little Mario Kart sight gag. It should bring a smile :)

Discussing personal struggles
We all have our problems in life to deal with. Even though I was caught in a worsening destructive obsessive cycle for months, it wasn’t until discussing things with my therapist that I full realized how bad things were. This may sound odd, but I was embarrassed to discuss this issue, and the many others I spewed out during my last session. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. The embarrassment often helps me break free of the negative patterns I sometimes get trapped in.

There is also embarrassment in sharing my shortcomings in life publicly like this. So why do it? Sometimes humility is good. It can be a powerful motivator to change bad habits and replace them with new, healthy habits.

What works for you?
As pointed out, I’ll shame myself (sometimes publicly) into making positive changes in my life. It works for me. How do you motivate yourself to make changes when they become necessary? If you have any tips or tricks in that department, please share what works for you.

Just a reminder
I have no control over the suggested videos offered after mine finishes. I do NOT endorse any of them.

Related content: My YouTube Channel

My first official “vlog” (video web log). This was originally recorded on September 12, 2009, but it took a while to find the time to polish it up with some titles and music, and post it online.

Ever wonder what my femme-voice sounds like? Well, it ain’t very convincing. Not yet, anyway. But I’m working on improving it and practicing voice feminization techniques. I’ve got a long way to go in the voice department, but I don’t think you’ll find it too distracting.

In vlog episode 1, I discuss:

• My feminine voice (a work-in-progress).
• A failed outing (all dressed up with no place to go).
• Why I often record phone-videos in my bathroom.
• How people reacted to seeing me en femme at my high school class reunion.
• The fact that I don’t pass (in person) and why that can cause complications when venturing out in public en femme.
• My striped mini dress and outfit, head to heels.

My apologies for the poor video quality. After returning home from a failed outing, I wanted to capture a quick video of my thoughts. My phone was the most convenient video capture device handy – nothing to set up, no lighting to play with, etc. As with other phone-videos, this one was captured in (of all places) my bathroom. Want to know why I often record phone-videos in the bathroom? Well, it’s certainly not because of the scenery! lol I explain in the video.

Please take a minute to offer your feedback.
What’s your take on vlogging? Do you regularly watch other vlogs? Would you like to see more video content like this from me? It won’t replace my written content, but rather be offered in addition to. Let me know if the relatively blurry phone-video quality is good enough, or does it detract from the video as a whole?

It’s YouTube, not me.
Btw – I have no control over the suggested videos offered after mine finishes. I do NOT endorse any of them.

Related content: My YouTube Channel

I produced a short Magic 8 Ball promotional video and uploaded it to YouTube a few days ago. Unlike my previous videos, this one was not captured on my phone, but rather a standard video camera and features musically synchronized editing. Check it out below.

The video started out as an accompanying bit for my previous Magic 8 Ball post: Thou Shalt Not Make Magic 8 Ball Videos, but I wasn’t able to finish it in time. It morphed into more of a playful, generic Magic 8 Ball video in postproduction.

Although I received a couple of questions that might be fun to ask the glossy all-knowing sphere-o-answers, the jury is still out on whether or not to expect any Magic 8 Ball reading videos. Funny that shortly after the “Thou Shalt Not Make Magic 8 Ball Videos” write-up, appears this post featuring a Magic 8 Ball video. That’s pretty ironic… or perhaps just poor planning on my part. lol Either way, I’m oddly amused.

And now for the feature presentation. Please refrain from talking, texting and tweeting while the show is in progress. If you have to go to the bathroom before it’s over, just cross your legs – it’s only 53 seconds long!

I had fun making it. Some of the rock music videos of the late 80′s utilized an over exposed, grainy film look and I wanted to give that a try myself. My wife thought it just looked “staticy” rather than artistic though. Oh well. So much for stylization. In retrospect, maybe it should have been left it unaltered in terms of image clarity.

Was it cool? Was it too “staticy”? Did it make you smile? Are you dying to know what question I actually whispered to the Magic 8 Ball? lol Seriously – let me know what you liked and what you didn’t like about it. Your feedback will be helpful should I produce more videos in the future (Magic 8 Ball or other).

On a side note, a video section has been added to myCDlife.com (see the top nav links). For now, it’s mainly just a link to my YouTube channel. How often new videos will be added is uncertain. I enjoy making them, but production videos can be time consuming. Phone videos are quick and easy, but low-quality and limited in presentation options. Even so, they’re getting more daily hits than my single production video according to my YouTube stats. Sometimes, quick and easy makes for more enjoyable content.

I don’t exactly have many videos to share right now but I decided to create a YouTube account. You can view the official myCDlife YouTube Channel by clicking the link. Before you go running off to check it out, please note that there is currently but a single short video there, and I’ve embedded it further down in this post.

I’m guessing “YouTube” was originally named in reference to the term “boob tube”, which was parent-slang for a TV… back when TV’s actually used a cathode ray tube (or CRT, look it up) to display video. I paid homage to the tube-based TV in the image for this post. That’s actually one of my older tube-TV’s. That bulky TV of nearly 20 years is almost TWO feet deep! :o Still works rather well though.

The idea to start a YouTube account came to me recently after posting a few short phone-videos on a crossdressing message forum. Some of the members had trouble viewing them in their native 3g2 format. The current version of QuickTime plays 3g2 video just fine, but not everyone has it installed or wants to install it. Flash-based video is all the rage these days. Pretty much, if you’re on the internet, you’ve got the Flash browser plug-in and have no trouble watching videos on any of the popular video sites.

Here’s the first (and currently only) video posted on my YouTube account. It’s just me trying to look cute and girly while offering a little message of video love. :) Sorry about the low quality. Shooting video on my phone is rather convenient, but my current phone doesn’t exactly capture high resolution, crystal clear video.

How often I’ll make new videos and post them to YouTube is uncertain. Finding the time to do so is one factor. Coming up with material people might actually be interested in viewing is another. Did you like the phone-cam video? Are cute little short videos like this are worthy of your time if I make more? Would you prefer something with more polish to it? Should I make short Gabi videos a reoccurring segment here and start a “video” category? Speak your mind, baby!

Do you have a YouTube account and want to be my close, personal YouTube BFF? Shoot me a friend request. My other social networking accounts kind of suffer from neglect (lack of time) but I love making new friends and would be honored to be your YouTube BFF. :)