Thursday and my final day in Palm Springs with dinner at Tropicale with Julie

 

It is Thursday and my final day in Palm Springs, wow the week has gone by way to fast. It will be so sad to leave on Friday as I have really enjoyed spending the week with Julie. I have made a lot of Close friends in this group but a few are really more like family and Julie is one. The only bright point is Julie and Trixie will be coming back to Vancouver in a coupe weeks till next fall so I am looking forward to that.

I got up this morning and just hung out and worked on my blog which is more difficult now that Microsoft word removed its blog template. If anyone knows of a program where you can write and format a blog offline and then later upload to WordPress let me know. It was almost noon and Julie and I ran to the grocery store as she needed to pick a few things up, as I said it was going to be a quiet and relaxing day. We got home and made lunch and sat outside and ate and watched a little TV, yes Julie has a big TV under the overhang on her back porch by the pool, this really is the life. We just sat and talked and watched TV. It was about 4pm when Julie went in and started getting ready for dinner tonight, I waited about 30 minutes before I went in and showered and started getting ready for dinner. I did take my time as tonight I was going for a little more dramatic look including my bright red lipstick. We were both ready a little before 6 so we had a little while to relax before we left for dinner.

We got to Tropicale about 6:30 and went in, Julie had made reservations for 6:45 but our table was ready out on the back patio. Our waitress came and took our drink order and she was awesome. I ordered a coke and Julie got a drink and when our waitress brought the drinks Julie was getting ready to ask for a little straw for hers as they don’t normally come with a Straw but hers did. She thanked the waitress and told her she was always having to request straws and our waitress looed at her and said you have to have a straw so you don’t mess up your lipstick, she understood. We ordered an Appetizer and looked at the menu for dinner. I had it narrowed down to 2 items, there Caesar Salad with Chicken or their southern fried chicken dinner. I asked our waitress which she would recommend and she said the fried chicken dinner as they are famous for it, she said the salad was really good but you can get a Caesar salad anywhere so I went with what she said and ordered the chicken dinner. Julie and I talked as we waited and had a nice time and even took pictures of each other.

Our dinner came and our waitress was right the Southern fried chicken was really good and a huge portion. This is a dinner two could split and have an appetizer before. It was a beautiful night to be sitting outside and their patio is more private which is nice for talking and atmosphere but there is something about sitting on the sidewalk watching people walk by and being really visible. Our waitress came and checked on us several times and always talked a little with us when she did, they also had someone there to fill up your water glass before you even knew you needed more. They had incredible customer service and great food. Tropicale is a must dine at place in Palm Springs, I would give them 6 stars out of 5. Even as we left one of the ladies at the front desk engaged us in conversation for a few minutes.

We decided to go to the Casino again as it is right around the corner. We went in and they still had the $3 dollar blackjack table with 2 open seats together, 2 men to my left and 3 to the left of Julie. We sat down and bought in for $100 to play. Now over the 2 nights we have played here I am up $35 so my goal was to not lose more then that. We played for about 1 1/2 hours and had a nice time and the people at the table were great, as a matter of fact I think the an next to me was fascinated by me because he was always talking to me. The lady we played with the other night that was sitting next to Julie stopped by and said hi and asked how we were doing, which was nice. You really do meet some interesting people at the blackjack table and I really think it is a good way to interact with people. We got a new dealer and right off the bat he got 2 blackjacks in a row and then drew to 20 or 21 the next two hands so Julie and I decided it was a good time to call it a night. Julie wone about $30 and I won $9, not a big win but a win. I look at gambling as entertainment, my goal is to have a god time and not lose too much. In all over 3 evenings we probably played between 4 & 5 hours and I won a total of $44. I won’t become rich but we had a nice time.

We got back to Julies house and had a little desert and watched a little TV before calling it a night. tomorrow is Friday and I will head home. my plan is to be on the road between 7 & 7:30 and yes I will travel as my male self although like coming down I do plan on a light eye makeup and neutral lipstick.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life with me.

Saturday before Diva Las Vegas and my vacation begins with getting my nails done at Dream Nails

 

It is Saturday October 21^st and the first day of my two-week vacation and yes that means getting my nails done for Diva Las Vegas. I stayed up late last night and got up early today as I want to be able to take a nap later today before m long drive. I started getting ready a little after1 as I am hoping I can get in early today to get my nails done. I took my time even though hopefully it will be a short outing today. I was all ready by 12:15 and got a few pictures before calling Dream nails. I called and they said I could come in anytime so I told them I would be there in a few minutes.

I got to Dream nails and went in and it turns out Anna was not here today so another lady did my nails and really they all do a wonderful job here. Now the funny thing is last year when I got my nails done for Diva Las Vegas Anna was also off and it turns out the same lady who did them last year is doing y nails today. She asked me if I wanted a chrome color like last tie and I told her I wanted to lengthen them and she asked how long so I showed her the picture on my phone and told her I wanted my nails to look like the picture on my phone and she said we would have to remove the nails and start over which I had figured on. Now this does add time. She started on my nails and we talked a little, they were not busy at all just one other lady getting her nails done. I took probably 20 minutes or more to remove my old nails and yes it does mess up your nails when you remove acrylic but to get the look and length I want it is worth it yes I am going for a coffin shape and a 1/2 long.

With the nails removed and cleaned up it was time to glue on the extensions which are really long. Once they were glued on she trimmed them down and I actually asked her to go a little shorter. Now it was time to put the acrylic on my nails and as she did this I was looking at the color swatches to pick out my shade of red, she recommended Dark Scarlet #432 so I said yes. She took her time and really did a great job. The other lady finished and left and 2 more ladies came in to get their nails done. With the acrylic on and my ails shaped it was time for the gel polish. She took her time and did 2 coats and a clear topcoat and my nails looks spectacular. I will say tis is the shape and length I would love to have all the time and yes this red or some other red color as I really love red as you can tell from my lipstick choices. It was just before 2pm when I was done, yes it took about 1 1/2 hours to get my nails done today and I loved every minute. The picture on the left is what I asked for and the 2 on the right is how my nails look for the next two weeks. Let me know what you think.

 

        

I thanked her and I was on my way. I decided to stop by Starbucks across the street and write my blog from today before going home to load my car and take a nap. I got to Starbucks and went in and they were busy at least when I walked in. As I was ordering a bunch of people came in so it was a good thing I had put my computer on a table. I ordered my drink and then got my computer set up before going up and waiting for my drink, Breanne was making my drink today and of course I had to show her my nails and she loved them. We talked briefly before I sat down and wrote this blog. I only stayed her till 3m before going home. I figure I can get my car packed and be laying down by 4pm and sleep till 8 or so before getting up and getting ready for my long drive. It is a 16-hour drive and leaving at 9pm gives me extra time so I van make stops and not have to push it, which is important when driving that far by yourself. My next blog will be from Las Vegas so stay tuned for my week of fun.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life with me.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday Susan time at Starbucks and getting ready for Diva Las Vegas

 

Susan Miller

It is Saturday October 14^th and I am one week away from Leaving for Diva Las Vegas, Next Saturday I will get my nails done and then Saturday evening leave for the 16-hour drive to Las Vegas. Now I have some things to get done around the house and yes some shopping as I am getting low on one of my foundations and I also need snacks for the 16-hour drive. I am still deciding if I will make the drive as Susan of my male self. I have always done the trips as Susan but usually I am traveling with someone so being Susan is important plus it is fun to do the whole trip completely as my female self. the downside is other than when I stop for gas r breaks I am just in my car and when I get to Las Vegas I will have to completely redo my makeup before going out Sunday night and checking into the hotel with makeup I have had on for more than 16hours would look bad unless I stopped someplace and was able to redo or at least touch up so really leaning towards traveling as my male self. Now I will have long red nails and I will have some mascara on and I am thinking about some light eye makeup and a neutral lipstick.

I started getting ready a little after noon and took my time as getting ready and doing my makeup is a lot of fun. I took about an hour getting ready and today I did a purple eye shadow, with a pinkish red lipstick and a winged eye liner which actually turned out pretty well. I also wore my purple sweater top and black skirt with black footless tights, it was a cute look. I got a few pictures and then I was off with my first stop being ULTA at Cascade station. I actually use several different foundations depending on the look I want and how long I will be wearing it. Yes for all day I really like the MAC Studio fix as it last and looks the best over time and if I drive as Susan this is the one I will wear but it also cost 3 times as much so for shorter outings I have found a few drug store brand that work great for 4 to 8 hours. The first is Revlon color stay full coverage foundation which covers well and doesn’t look heavy but I find after about 4 hours my face gets dry looking. The second one I like is the Maybeline Superstay foundation, this is a really good long wearing foundation, 8 hours maybe longer and is almost as good as the MAC, but this one you have to be careful as it is easy to get too much on and then it looks heavy on your face but it lasts. The one I need today is the cover Girl outlast full coverage which is the one I use the most. This is a good 6-to-8-hour makeup and I actually use two different shades. First I use 855 soft honey on the middle of my face, around eyes, nose cheeks and around lips.  and then on my jaw and neck and sides of my face and below my cheek bone I use 857 golden tan. Blended together it helps contour my face some. Wow got a little sidetracked there.

I got to ULTA and went in and it turns out they don’t have the Cover Girl outlast foundation I looked around and did pick up a couple cosmetic sponges as mine are getting worn. Now being so close to COSTCO that was my next stop as I need gas and it is $3.99 a gallon here compared to $4.96 at the Fred Meyers by my house, plus I also wanted to go inside and pick up some snacks for my trip, Almond, beef jerky and Chips plus it is fun shopping as Susan. COSCTCO was busy as always but only took me about ½ hour and then I was on my way. I did need to stop at Starbucks and write my blog and catch up on things and I decided to go to the one by my house even though there are two right here.

I got to Starbucks by my house about 3 and went in and they were really busy today. 4 people in line to order and probably 6 waiting for there drinks and all the tables were taken although there were a couple open seats at the big 8-person table so I put my computer on the corner and went and got in line to order. This Starbucks does not have a drive through so it is great for people watching as everyone hast to come inside and it is good to see it busy as I wonder if this one might be closed. Before COVID it was open till 8:30pm and now it closes at 5:30 and a year or so ago they opened a Dutch Bros drive through at the edge or the parking lot a couple hundred yards away. I ordered my drink and then waited for it in hopes one of the tables along the window would open so I could plug my computer in. Breanne made my drink today and we talked a little, actually she told me she loved my top and it looked good on me, this is one of my favorite tops and I have had it a long time. I also mentioned I was going to Las Vegas in a week.

Well I got my drink and sat down at the big table with a few other people and started working on my blog from Wednesday nights dinner and of course people watching. This is actually a fun and relaxing way to spend a couple hours and way better then sitting at home on my computer. Now it stayed busy but a little after 4 the table right behind me by the window opened up so I moved over there so I could plug my computer in. I finished my blog and posted it and did a few other things and by 5pm it finally started clearing out. It was about 5:15 when I packed up to leave, as I was leaving I told Breanne and the other lady here to have a good night and Breanne told me that they were going to start staying open till 6:30pm in a couple weeks so it sound like business is doing well here and maybe I don’t have to worry about them closing this one.

I decided to stop by Pada Express and get dinner and the lady who always remembers me was working, her name is Christina and I hadn’t seen her for a couple months. Well we talked briefly while she got my food and it turns out she has been moving around including 6 weeks in Bend Oregon and it sounds like she might become a manager in Bend. It will be sad to see her go just because she is really good and has made that personal connection and by that I mean she remembers me and what I order. Now the other people who work here are great but there is something special about being remembered. I got my food and went home for the night as I have some laundry to do as I am washing all the clothes I want to take to Diva Las Vegas. The rest of the evening was spent watching TV and yes this is the one way I do like spending time at home as Susan, if I have been out and then come home I do stay Susan, it is just transforming into Susan to just sit at home is the one I have a hard time with now.

Oh and on a side note I did go to the gym this morning and I found out something about the elliptical machine. It turned off after 65 minutes, today I decided to just do cardio so I just kept going. 20 minutes at level 8, 10 minutes at level 6, 10 minutes at level 4 and then the rest was at level 1 and I did 4.15 miles in the time I was there. I wanted a good workout as I will miss out for a week while I am in Las Vegas.

Now I am looking forward to a little more Susan time on Sunday and of curse the week ahead. Thanks for reading my bog and sharing this part of my life with me.

Wednesday night dinner at Swagat with friends

 

Susan Miller

Another Wednesday and having dinner with my friends at Swagat Indian cuisine in NW Portland tonight. I got home a little earlier tonight about 4:35 so I had a little extra time to get ready. Now we are into the cooler fall weather so I was looking forward to wearing my red sweater dress which really is one of my favorite dresses, and of course this also means a red lipstick. I did take my time getting ready and it is funny as even without watching the clock I am pretty consistent and by that I mean I was ready at 5:35. It seems it doesn’t matter if I start a little after 4:30 or a little after 5 I seem to be ready between 5:30 and 5:40. Of course I did have to get a few pictures before leaving to pick Julie up. Traffic was light and I got to Julie’s right at 6pm and got a quick picture in the car.

Julie was ready and looking cute as always and we did have a little time to sit and talk, which is something I love to do. We talked a little about when Julie and Trixie go down to Palm Springs for the winter, which is less then 3 weeks away and as I will be at Diva Las Vegas the last week of the month I really only have tonight and next week to ride with Julie. It really will be sad when she leaves of course she will be back around Christmas and I am planning a trip down there to visit her in the spring. It was about 6:20 when we left and we talked the whole drive there. We got to Swagat about 6:40 and I did drive through their small parking lot as the last several times I have lucked out and got a spot but the parking gods were not with me tonight. I did find a spot about a block away though so not too bad.

Julie and I walked in and I told the man I had reservations at 7pm and he said he had a table ready. We were taken back to the right which I have never been back in that part as we always get a table in the front part but it turns out the other part is actually a bigger part of the restaurant, I never realized how big this place was. Julie and I sat and we talked as we waited for the other girls to show up and it wasn’t long. By 7pm we were all there and tonight we had 6 of us, Poppy, Alex, Jennifer, Barb, me and of course Julie. Our waitress took our drink order and gave us time to look atthe menu although I already knew what I was going to have. Yes most places we go I know before had what I will have although here is a little different. I am not a spicy or hot food person and yes had it not been for the group I probably never would have come to Swagat or for that matter Thia Bloom but then the Wednesday night dinners really are about getting together with friends and not so much about what we eat. That being said coming here I have found food I like and what I love here is the Chicken Makhani which is chicken in a butter sauce and very mild and really good.

We all ordered and then sat and talked as we waited for our food. Now it was a smaller group tonight and that was okay as it did make it easier for us all to talk together. The big groups are nice as it still amazes me that we can on occasion get 10 to 16 of us out for a Wednesday night dinner where 15 years ago on a weekend we were happy if we got 6 to 8 girls out. We talk a little about Diva Las Vegas and of course nails, specifically what Jennifer and I are going to get for Diva. Jennifer is thinking of a French tip short coffin and over the last week I really have been thinking about removing my nails and having extension put on so I can get a longer coffin shape, I really think if you go longer on your nails a coffin shape looks better and of course mine will be red. I am thinking about 1/2 inch which may sound long but really is not as my nails are close to a 1/4 inch now which you can see in this picture. Yes I have these as my male self also.

Our food came and as always it was really good and if you like Indian food, I would highly recommend Swagat and even if you don’t come here and get the Chicken Makhani I think you will be surprised. Joining this group and meeting these ladies really has made my life better, I have gone places I never would have and done some incredible things such as getting my nails done. 20 years ago I just wanted to go to a nail salon and get acrylic nails 1 time to see what they were like and now I go every 3 weeks and have had acrylic nails nonstop for almost 2 years now. The best part though is the people I have met, most of these ladies are my best friends and a few are more like family and know more about me and who I am then anyone including my real family. I have actually met a few people while out as Susan outside our group who I also consider friends, I actually have way more friends as Susan and closer friendships. We had a wonderful dinner and great conversation.

Now we did talk a little about the group and a couple things we noticed is we don’t get many younger girls and I think that goes for most transgender groups, mainly as it is more acceptable today especially amongst the young population to be transgender and then can be themselves without having to hid it so they really don’t need the social support. The other thing is our group is probably 60+ % part time and 40% or less full time and I think the main reason is a lot of the girls who do go full time tend to stop being active in the group and I don’t mean that in a negative or mean way. let me explain, for me I get a few hours and Saturday and Sunda afternoon and of course our Wednesday night dinners and I look forward to this time to express this side of myself. Now it is not the thrilling and exhilarating experience it was 15 years ago but it is still a chance to be the complete person I am. The friends I have made are a key part of that as we have a common bond. For those who have gone full time and are living completely as their female self they do this every day, everyone in their lives are a key part of who they are and Wednesday night dinner become simple just a dinner out. The other thing is possibility and yes for most transgender people, even the ones who pass very well there are always little things that stick out that given enough time people will pick up on and probably at least wonder. When I am alone sitting at Starbucks working on my computer I would say some people don’t realize as they are not really paying attention to me. Now you get a group of 6 to 15 of us together in one place and there is no way we will pass. We have actually been out in a big group and had a few people come talk with us and tell a few of the girls how well they passed and they never would have guessed if it wasn’t for the group and what makes this interesting most of those were the wives of some of the girls, yes a few wives got taken and transgender just because they were with the group. The sad thing is over time I think groups like ours will go away as the group ages and I see it also with Diva Las Vegas. The first year I went to Diva was 2010 and I was part of the younger crowd and even now 14 years later I am still part of the younger group. Now there are some younger girls but the majority are still older than me.

It really was a great night and it was about 9pm and we paid our bills and yes there was an automatic 18% tip on our bill which is not uncommon but I liked the way they did it here. It was below the bill and the tip line said additional tip so it was clearly marked and yes I gave an additional tip as our waitress was awesome, she even too our group picture.  We all walked back to our cars and it is amazing how comfortable I am walking around as Susan.

Julie and I talked as we drove back to her house. It will be sad when she goes south and I will miss her and our time together. I dropped her off and as always it is sad when the night comes to an end. It was just about 10pm when I got home and washed away Susan. Now I am looking forward to the weekend and a little more Susan time. be happy with who you are and find joy and things you love to do in your life.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life with me.

First Saturday of October and I was able to spend a little time as Susan today.

 

Susan Miller

This weekend is going to be a perfect fall weekend, low 80’s and sunny so I had a lot to do and yes I started with going to the gym and then home to do yard work. Now I love my tome as Susan and look forward to it and yes when I retire I will spend more of my time as Susan but there are times I don’t want to be Susan like at the gym or when I am doing yard work. Getting hot, sweety and dirty is just not part of my female experience. I worked in my yard from 10am till a little after 3pm and not once did I think about being Susan. As a matter of fact a couple times I had to be extra careful and slow down as I was worried I might break or damage a nail, which I am glad to report my nails are fine. This is why I really do like being able to be both female and male. When I came in to clean up and shower there was nothing feminine about me. I took a long shower and by the time I was clean it was almost 4pm and I did think about just skipping my Susan time today but I do need a couple things from Home Depot I forgot and shopping is my Susan side of life plus I figured I could go to Starbucks for an hour or so and write my blog from Wednesday night’s dinner.

I started my makeup and immediately felt good as there is just something about applying my makeup. I was all ready by 4:30 and yes I did think about going to the Escape tonight for dinner but figured posting this late I probably wouldn’t get any of the other girls to go. I grabbed my computer and I was off to Home Depot, it only took about 10 minutes to get there and I parked by the garden center as I need 2 bags of peat moss and a bag of grass seed as I want to over seed my front yard, that was what I did this morning was get it ready. Being Saturday they were really busy, it only took a few minutes to get what I needed, I actually spent more time standing in line at the register. It does seem funny to be out as Susan in a summer dress shopping at Home Depot as years ago I would have never imagined I could do this. A few blogs back I mentioned the balance I try to have in my life between my male and female side and this is a prime example. My male side does the hard, dirty, physical yard work and my female side helps out by buying the stuff I need. it really is the best of both worlds. It was just before 5pm now and I was only a couple miles from the Starbucks in Orchards so that was where I went.

I got to Starbucks and went in and as always a couple of the Employees greeted me by name before I even got to the counter to order, which is wonderful. I got my drink and sat down and wrote my blog from Wednesday nights dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory and posted it. As I said it was a short day out and by a little after 6pm I packed up and went home to make dinner. Years ago I loved getting dressed up and just spending time at home as Susan but now days if I take the time to transform to Susan I want to go out even if only for an hour or so an if I do that I am fine coming home and spending the rest of the evening as Susan. I think why I am okay with this is because I was actually doing something as my female self before coming home, kind of like any other woman who is coming home. It is not just dressing up as I had a purpose to it as I want my time as Susan to count for something.

It was about 6:30pm when I got home so I was only out for 2 hours but it was a fun and relaxing day and now I get to make dinner and watch some movies on Hallmark, yes one is a Christmas movie I haven’t seen.

Now I am looking forward to Sunday and a little ore Susan time, it should only take an hour or two to do the over seeding of my yard and spread the peat moss so I should have most of the afternoon to go to my Sunday Starbucks.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life.

Dinner with friends at Old Spagehetti Factory

 

Susan Miller

It is the first Wednesday night of October and we have a small group of ladies going to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory on the Willamette River, this is also one of the places we have been going for a while. We have been doing Wednesday night dinners for more then 10 years now and a lot of the ones we used to go to have closed. Who Song and Larrys is probably the longest as I think we first went here was in December of 2009 and Old Spaghetti Factory was a year or two later so our group has a good history with them. I did call last night and made reservations for 5 as we have a smaller group this week, normally when we come here we get 10 to 15 ladies, just like at Who Songs & Larrys. These two places seem to get the best turnout of course so does Outback Steak House. I got home early today s I had plenty of time to get ready. Julie texted me as I was getting ready and couldn’t make it tonight which was sad as I really look forward to seeing her and enjoy our riding together. I took my time getting ready and did a red lip and purple eye shadow and tonight I wore my grey silver dress which is a little heavier as we are into fall and of course nylons and heels. I left about 6:15 and was a quiet ride, I really missed visiting with Julie.

I got to Old Spaghetti Factory about 6:40 and parked and I had gotten an E-mail from Poppy she wouldn’t be able to make it so we would have a really small group tonight. I was just getting out of the car and I saw Gina so we walked in together. They were not at all busy unlike last time we cam here. I checked in and updated our reservation to 3 and Gina and I sat down to wait. It was only a few minutes later and Kris showed ho so we were all here and we were shown back to our table. our waiter came and took our drink order and he was awesome. We talked for a few minutes and looked at the menu but I knew what I would have when I picked Old Spaghetti Factory. We all ordered and yes I got the Chicken Parmesan which is awesome.

Now we sat and talked and being a really small group it was a great way to really get to know each other. I have know Gina for almost 10 years and we even got together a few times years ago with Stefia for lunch but tonight we had a really good chance to talk and share things about ourselves. I know years ago when we would go out we really didn’t share anything personal and by that I mean things about our male side such as where we worked, lived, family or anything about our male side for fear others would find out who we really were. When I first started going out and we would leave Embers at 2am in the morning I would walk by myself to my car as I was afraid if they saw my car they might figure out who I was from my license plate. Now days the girls in the group I will share just about anything with them, for those who have not met the male side of me I actually have a picture that I will show them, yes out of all the hundreds of Susan pictures I do have 1 picture of my male side on my phone. I bet if I had all the pictures I have taken of Susan over the years it would be over 10,000. Back between 2008 & 2011 we all had digital cameras and every time we went out we would take 20 to 40 pictures between selfies and pictures with other girls. Nowadays it is about 10 whenever I go out as I usually take a few extras so I make sure I get some good ones to post. I do hear from people reading my blog that I always look so good in my pictures and I will give you my tip on how to get great pictures. Take a lot and only post the good ones.

Our food came and it was awesome as always. We had a nice dinner and great conversation and as we got seated early and the fact they were not busy our food came quickly. It was about 7:50 when we finished eating and ordered the ice cream we got with dinner so it would probably be an early night. Well we ate our ice cream and then just sat and talked, which was really nice. It was really enjoyable and before we knew it, it was almost 9pm, wow the night went by fast. We paid our bills and I gave our waiter a little extra and he really was good and he was fine with us just sitting there and talking and even took a few pictures of the group for me Gina, Me and Kris.

We all walked out together and went our separate ways. The drive home was quiet and only took about 20 minutes so I had a little time before I had to wash my makeup away and go back to my male self. Now I am looking forward to the weekend and hopefully a little Susan time on Saturday and Sunday.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life with me.

 

   

 

 

 

Awesome Saturday getting a facial and makeover at Nordstrom’s Washington Square

 https://susanmiller64.wordpress.com/2023/10/03/awesome-saturday-getting-a-facial-and-makeover-at-nordstroms-washington-square/

Today was an awesome day and yes I started off going to the gym and taking care of things but was thinking the whole time about the day ahead. Jennifer had got to know a couple of the girls who work at Nordstrom’s in Washington Square, their names are Tiger who works the Gucci cosmetic counter and Harmonie who works the Clinique cosmetic counter. Well she told them about our group and they offered to do a mini facial and makeover for our members and today was the day. I had scheduled my appointment for 4pm and I think we had 8 to 10 of our group going. I started getting ready a little after 12 and took my time as I really wanted my makeup to look good. I was all ready by 1:30pm and on my way, yes I would be early and walk around the mall till my appointment. I did call Cassandra on my way and we ended up talking for almost an hour. She has also signed up for Diva Las Vegas and we talked about the events we would sign up for. It was great to talk with her and I am looking forward to seeing her in 3 weeks.

I got to Washington Square just before 3 so I had about an hour till my appointment. Now the mall was really busy and one thing I did notice was there were way more security officers here then last time I was here which was nice but also really sad that we as a country have come to this point. I did check out several of the stores but which is always fun but I was really looking forward to 4pm, so much so that I finally walked down to Nordstroms and sat at a table out front about 3:45 to wait. It was just before 4 when I went into the cosmetic section and talked with one of the ladies and she said it would be just a few minutes. Now this was a new experience for me and I wasn’t sure what to expect, I knew it was a mini facial and makeover and yes there was no cost but I was sure they expected me to buy some stuff which was okay as there were some things I needed. The lady took me back to a side room and introduced me to Tiger and Harmonie and they were so wonderful and truly made me feel at ease and so welcome. I can see why Jennifer talks so highly of them. Now Tiger and Harmonie names were easy to remember as Jennifer had texted us all about them. There were 2 other ladies here that actually work for the cosmetic company and not Nordstrom’s and I think their names are Tiffany & Crystal and they were every bit as nice and also made me feel very welcome. They also went all out as they had a table with fresh fruit, wraps and yes cookies and donut holes. They were just finishing up with Alice and Cindi and were talking to us all like we were friends, not customers, which really made it special.

Tiffany was the one who did my facial and she walked me over to another room for that. She was so friendly and talked o me the whole time, she told me about herself and I told her a lot abut me also, it was amazing how comfortable I felt talking with her. of course I was also enjoying the facial. She started with removing my makeup and doing a cleansing using what she called a Clinique 7-day scrub cream which was awesome and probably something I will buy as it worked really well, Tiffany said I should use it every 7 days but I can use it more often as it is gentle enough to use every day. She also massaged in a hydrating lotion which felt really good and yes, reminded me a lot like my pedicures. It really was relaxing; she even massaged the lotion on my fore arms and hands. I will probably do the facial again. Now to tell you the truth I have no idea how long it lasted as fun things always seem to go by so fast but I am guessing 20 to 30 minutes and by the end I felt like I had made a friend. Now it was time to walk back to the other room for my makeover.

I got back to the other room and Tiger and harmony was finishing up doing Cindi and Alice’s makeovers and were explaining what they were doing and how to apply the makeup they were using and they both looked awesome. While I waited for them to finish I did have a couple more cookies. Now it was time for me and I sat down in the chair and Crystal was the one doing my makeup and she was also awesome. She started off with a primer and then tested several foundations to find just the right shade. Now just like tiffany while she was explaining what she was doing she was also telling me about herself and I found myself telling her things about me. I think that is what made this so special and by talking about themselves and getting me to talk they made it more personal. It really was like getting together with friends for the afternoon and doing makeup. It didn’t seem like they were here because it was their job. Now she finished it off with a bronzer from Gucci which rally gave a warm look to the outer part of my face. After Crystal was done she asked if I had any questions or if I was interested in any of the items and I was. I have been looking for a good bronzer so I did tell her I wanted the bronzer from Gucci she used as it looked good on me and I also told her I wanted the Clinique 7-day scrub cream. They finished it up by taking pictures of us and I had a couple taken with my phone also. It seemed like such a fast tine but it was 5:45 now, I have been here for almost 2 hours, it went by so fast. Kris was just coming in for her appointment and it was good to see her. This was an incredible experience and all of them were awesome. Crystal and Tiffany are only here for events But Tiger and Harmonie are here all the time so if you are in Nordstrom’s at Washington Square stop by the Gucci cosmetic counter and meet Tiger Clinique cosmetic counter meet Harmonie and tell them Susan says hi. I thanked them all and the only bad thing about the day was on me, I should have gotten a picture with the 4 of them to post on my blog.

Now Cindi and Alice wanted to go to dinner and invited me, Jan and Lynn so we were all going to meet at Oswego grill for dinner. We got there and got a table in the bar for dinner. I probably should have gone home as I have to be up at 3:4am tomorrow for work but I felt and looked so good I didn’t want the night to end. We ordered dinner and sat and talked and yes it was all about today. All of us had such a wonderful experience and thought the ladies at Nordstrom’s went way above and beyond and we will all be going back to see them. We all looked so beautiful. We had a wonderful dinner and Kris was able to join us after her appointment, we were just finishing but our dinner. I Stayed a while but soon it was almost 9pm and I had a ½ drive home so I got my bill and paid it and called it a night. What a wonderful day and I want to thank Jenifer for setting today up, Nordstrom’s for hosting it and a big thanks to Tiger, Harmonie, Crystal and Tiffany for going above and beyond and making it such a special day.

It was after 10pm by the time I got home and got ready for bed so it will be a short night but so worth it.

Thanks for reading my blog and sharing this part of my life.