Do you ever feel like this?

[laceydoolittle2013]

Do you ever feel sometimes you don't care about CDing anymore but you know how much excitement you get out of it? It seems like to me sometimes the amount of work it takes to get ready is not as beniffiting as it took to get ready, or that since you only dress in the house you really don't know why you put on all the dinner dresses.

[Kate Simmons]

I know what you are saying Hon but what we can accomplish is only limited by our own imagination. Works for me. :

[Ericaxd]

I sort of go through what you might call remission from time to time, but it never lasts long. Whatever you do--take it from me--don't purge. It will end up costing you a fortune and you'll miss things you can never replace.

[laceydoolittle2013]

Oh im not in purging lol, done that a few times as im sure all the rest of you have also lol. My wife actually wishes I never purged before I met her just so we wouldent have to start back from scratch.

[Teresa]

I guess if you're around the house just dress to your mood, as little or as much, full makeup and wig is only a chore if you haven't got much time but don't force yourself no one is going to tick you off !

[cdterri]

That,s exactly why I don't bother to completley dress anymore. Hours of preperation for a few hrs. of pleasure just doesn't seem worth the effort. For the last 20 yrs. I just slip into a bra, panties, dress or skirt and top, shoes and enjoy myself for the entire day and evening. I'm not going out into the world, just hanging around the house and yard, and can convert back to drab within a few mins. if need be. I know I,m considered just a "man in a dress" but I still get the thrill of dressing, feel of the clothes and pretty much the same look san's wig and makeup.

[Karren H]

It is a lot of work...... but like I have a choice? Its not something I do for pleasure.... Its something I do because I have to.....

[samantha rogers]

After many years only dressing in hotel rooms, I only dress now if I am going out. Or if I have to check a fit or try a look in preparation to go out. :battingeyelashes:
Of course, I wear skinny girl jeans and tight tops most of the rest of the time anyway, so even drab feels somewhat femme.
Well, unless I have to mow the lawn or do some other task that requires more traditionally male or work type clothing, but that is kind of rare.

[Jenelle]

The majority of the time I dress I do not go all out. Usually it is just a simple outfit, some eye make up and lip stick. The whole bread cover and foundation rarely happens for me. I know once I go out that will change but if I am just sitting at home, I don't need to do the whole process.

[Stephanie47]

I have to be in the proper mind set to do my feminine clothing. I don't do it just for the hell of it. It is a source of tranquility and relaxation.

[Katey888]

I know what you're getting at Lacey, but no.... not for me...

All that preparation is still exciting, in its way. Demanding, painstaking, time consuming... Yes, all that and more...

But without that, it would neither feel completely right, nor would I look half as good... Hah! Forget half, probably a sixty-fourth! :eek:

If that's your thing just with the clothes - that's cool... for me, that would just be like taking a walk to the pub but not stopping for a drink... Nice to do, but not really the point... :)

Katey x

[Anna H]

It's a matter of just feeling good and being comfortable with me.

I'm not taking it out in public, so nobody sees me. I don't sit admiring
myself all day, so I don't need to be fashionably adorned with the latest
styles.

Makeup is pointless unless I, or someone, can see it....and it can feel
"heavy" to me sometimes. (I'm not sure how to explain that, though...)
My wife rarely bothers with makeup herself.

I Used to think I needed to "do it right", but now I'd just rather be at
ease and feel nice. If I felt the same dressed in men's clothes, I'd dress
in them. I'm more comfortable in what I Do wear. If it made no difference,
I'd go with the men's clothes. But it does.

If I go out socializing, I'd do what was expected of me. But at home...
if I feel happy, that works wonders for me. Sometimes it doesn't take much.
I'm usually too busy to notice what I look like. I do notice what I feel like.

:happy:

[Tina_gm]

I am actually going through something similar at the moment. I am just not getting the feeling of wanting to dress. And it is weird... because I know I would still like it, i am still interested in feminine things, clothing.... I still feel feminine, but when I get home lately I am just feeling blah about it all. Why bother to change and then just change back again??.... I am not really sure what is going on, been busy a lot, I feel tired a lot.... I don't know if part of me is fighting it, or what is really going on.

[Rachael Leigh]

Lacy for me yes that's a very common conversation I have with myself. I look at myself and think what am I doing I mean I love the clothes but being a mostly 99 percent at home dresser Im like what is the point.
Then the next day I'm shopping for more clothes lol. So yep it's crazy being a CD

[ClaireCole]

Sometimes I don't feel like dressing, even though I have an opportunity but it's never because I can't be bothered putting in the effort, thats half the fun.
Occasionally I'll get all dressed and made up, and if I don't think I look good I'll get disheartened, but I forget about these times pretty quickly and always dress again.

[laceydoolittle2013]

Im sorry your feeling like that, but I hope you find the time to make yourself still feel special :)

[laceydoolittle2013]

That's latterly the problem I run into all the time is I ask why but then I still want to feel more lol.

[Brittany CD]

Yep, all the time. I don't crossdress that often anymore because of all the work that goes into it

[JanetM.]

Over the years I have been dressing, it seemed that this interest was cyclic. In other words, excitement followed by guilt, followed by worrying about being caught and having my life ruined followed by excitement again. I know this may not make much sense. The sad thing is that during the times I was worried about being caught, I would dump all of my collected things; wigs, makeup, clothes, you know the entire thing only to replace it again piece by piece during the next 6 months. I understand your feelings and have no real solution. Coming into this forum and listening to the experiences of others has given me tremendous confidence to continue.

[marsha leanne]

lacy, if i am really tired and run down, i have a very real issue of getting dressed. I look at the clothes, and just cant get myself to put them on. i find that when i push through that, i dont even want the added pressure of wig or makeup. gg's dont have that option, they still have to get dressed and move on. don't know if that is a good or bad thing.

[shawnsheila]

It is alot of work and sometimes, when I plan what I'm going to wear, i look at how much time I have left and judge if the effort is worth it or not.. plus I get lazy too and will just throw on leggins, heels and a girly top and walk around my house that way :)
Its not that I don't care about dressing up, its just some time i think the effort is not worth it for the time I have to dress.

[Abbygirl]

Wow. I can really identify with the comments made in this thread. I love this forum!

I go through cycles too- for a while I'll do everything to the max, then I'll go through periods where the "extras" seem like more hassle than they are worth. When I'm in those "this is more trouble than it is worth" phases, I find that I actually worry that the thrill is gone, that I won't ever feel the urge for full-blown Abby again, even though I've been going through these cycles for decades. Big surprise, the urge seems to always come back!

[KimberlyJean]

I hope this makes sense: Best I can figure it is like being hungry, when I get enough to eat I don't think about food or crave very much (except chocolate). When you are starving all you want is food! When I get to dress as much as I want I seem to get enough and I am full. There are times that I don't dress very much or can't dress very much and those are the times I can't stop thinking about it or shopping.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Lacey, I dress to see that lovely lady in the mirror.

[MarisaRose.]

Good days, bad days, going half mad days. Sometimes ya feel like a girl, sometimes ya don't. Wait 5 minutes it'll change!!!

[Beverley Sims]

That feeling left me a long time ago.

[paulawilder]

I've been in the same boat, and have purged 3 times now. I found the recession hard to hang on to jobs and had to stop dressing for job hunting and expense reduction. Such a shame, and I regretted it each time. I keep coming back though, and I'm happiest when I am able to doll up, shop for clothes and makeup, and be myself, either at home or out. Life is a roller coaster for me, so I know what you mean, but I intend to follow my heart and be feminine when I can. Hope you find your equilibrium, and happiness - it's worth the work!

[Zylia]

Yes, quite often actually, probably nine out of ten times If I consider getting 'pretty', although it's not really because I don't care about cross-dressing anymore, it's mostly because I'm too lazy. It's a lot of work indeed. I would never purge though.

[Alice-n-wonderland]

Been through this many times to only come back, not anymore. I think I will be keeping all the stuff even though I cant always do it or feel like it. Sometimes you have to be honest with yourself. If this is something your really into you wont be getting rid of it. For me it has been a lifelong fascination. Like anything you have to take it the ups and downs.

[CynthiaD]

It doesn't take me any longer to put on girl clothes than it does to put on boy clothes. In fact, often it takes a lot less. I have a couple of $10 dresses from Wamart that I can slip on and be done. Yes, I can "do the ritual" too, but only if it's fun.

But I need to spend part of each day in girl mode to keep from going crazy. Even when I don't feel like it.

I need to have a few "slap, bam, hello ma'am" outfits to keep from having an excuse not to dress.

[CarlaWestin]

You know, all of the famous historic people, George Washington, Lech Wałęsa, Picasso, Jesus, probably at one time questioned, "What the hell am I thinking?"

[Adriana Moretti]

, it's mostly because I'm too lazy. It's a lot of work indeed. . I felt this exact way yesterday....i was going out and realized it's ALOT of work.....sometimes I like just being cozy in some girly sweatpants..its much easier

[Sophie Yang]

Nope. I have plenty of opportunities to go out dressed. I do not spend a lot of time getting ready, but enjoy the time that I do getting ready. The only time I do not feel like going out is when I am really, really tired or stressed. If dressed, destressed, I am going out. I can go out alone and enjoy myself.

[suchacutie]

I think it's called "life". Once we've come to grips with the fact thay we aren't going to live only in one gender, we also acknowledge that we are going to have a full and possibly more complicated life. There are a fixed number of hours in a day, and with two full transformations required for a one-day excursion into our feminine selves, we need to balance the 2 hours (or so) that might require if we haven't transformed recently, against the rest of life. It's a cost-benefit analysis as it is with all that we do.

Ironically, if we dress more often, that transformation time diminishes. Also, planning ahead (which also takes time) can drop the transformation time. For me, if I'm crunched for time it's the nails that don't get done. I can do a 'day' makeup job and get dressed in 30 minutes if I don't have to go looking for Tina's stuff!:)

It's a balance.

[connie23]

Wow, what a great thread!
I have gone through cycles for many years and agree with many who have said, "Don't purge". I know the feeling and urge will always come back. The beauty is that it is always different and better if I don't let guilt or judgment get in the way. Right now, I am going through a stressful time and dressing lets me escape from my troubles in a safe and totally comforting way.
It is relief for me now, but , in the past it was excitement or some weird kind of risk taking.
I am just so grateful I have this way to help manage life and explore evolving parts of me and the me I will be next year.
Gratefully,
Connie

[Heather-Hill]

Hi Lacey, I have just spent an hour plus doing makeup and getting dressed just so that I'll end up taking it all off again in the next two hours. Was it worth it? Damn right it was, I now feel the person I love being, so I took a few pics to celebrate the effort :)

I do sympathise though, there have been times when you know so little time is available or it will alienate the wife so I drop the idea. It does make me a little moody though :straightface:

Please don't give up.
love
Heather X

[JennyLynn]

All the time! I sometimes just don't even bother and just go with a bra and forms, maybe my wig. I'm housebound too. The best is when I used to travel for my work and stayed in outside access motels. I'd dress and go out for a drive. Only did it a couple of times though. No where to go, but it felt nice to be out and free!