June 20 House of Khoas Kinky Kamping.. teaching bloodplay
June 27th Augusta Pride marching with SRALL
June 28th Sponsoring Bratting 101 by The MightyOne Gastonia, NC
July 4 Bar Night Woodshed Lounge Charlotte, NC
July 10th-12th TLC Stars and Stripes 25th anniversary run Sponsoring Women Play Space Friday Night
July 31-August 2 W.I.L.L Dallas, Tx volunteering and running around
August 8th There Will Be Blood Asheville, NC
August 14-16 Southeast Black and Blue Atlanta Georgia
September 26 Foreplay: Nothing but Rope Richmond Virginia
October 2-4 LHC Greensboro, NC
October 31 RSVP Fundraiser Baton Rouge, LA

Feb 26-29 Charleston, SC Low Country Leather's Inagural Run
March 4-5 Nashville, TN Switching in Dynamics MAsT- Nashville The Mark
March 19 Baton Rouge, LA RSVP: There Will Be Blood
April 2 Charlotte, NC AWOL Bar Night
April 7- 10 Denver, Co Colorado Leatherfest: Switching in Dynamics and Protocols, Directives, Rituals Made Easy
April 14- 17 San Jose, CA IMsL: Foreplay: Nothing But Rope
April 29- May 1 Charlotte, NC Tradesmen Run/ NCLC
June 3 Atlanta Eagle: SE ONYX and Onyx Pearls bar night
June 11 Columbia: Columbia Leather Order inaugural run
June 16-20 Winston Salem, NC: Debauchary
June 24-26 NYC: PRIDE, marching with Lesbian Sex Mafia and friends
July 8-9 Philidelphia Mr. Friendly fundraiserJuly 15 NYC Lesbian Sex Mafia(LSM) Foreplay: Nothing But Rope
August 4-8 Women International Leather Legacay(WILL) Event Staff, Foreplay: Nothing But Rope

This quarter has been so completely nonstop that I wouldn't know where to start with the recap so this blog is going to be about the feels.

It took six months for me to seriously consider running for a title. Never underestimate the power of a boy nor his persistence....

My reasons for running were simple: there is an influx of women coming in to this thing that we do and there is little to nothing offered to support those who don't fit in to the neat little boxes and SELF is home.

Once I won I started taking off my social masks and allowing a peek in to what my leather looks like outloud. I joked the other day that my quarters have a theme party, fundraising, educating and community service so even if I was confused about my time zones, I was consistent in upholding my personal code.

It wasn't until December until I actually felt like I was a titleholder and April before I finally accepted that while it looked different from what I thought it was going to be, I was helping/connecting with women.

I had the honor of tieing someone who had a very bad experience with rope and wanted it back after foregoing the activity she enjoyed most for a few years. The moment my hand grabbed her hair to pull her in for the first length of rope our energy synced and as the last length came off and the tears flew freely from her I knew the price of admission was worth the ride.
This last weekend I was home in North Carolina for my charity event: Carnival of Madness: A Night of Burlesque. This event is my heart and it's 4th time was a smashing success. A lot of old timers came out to support and the constant theme was: you have changed with no real definitive answers as to how. Yet, the last year has changed me. I became less rigid, have taken more risks, opened up more, loved easier, and allowed all of that to be seen. In doing so, I have been able to see people I may have overlooked in my travels before.

I feel like I grew up in my 30s, my 20s when I should have been doing that were spent busy with other stuff. My final year of this decade was spent enjoying all that I have learned.

Your title year is what you make of it, your growth is of your own choice, your success can only be measured by you alone. The answer to the question I asked 24 months ago is this: being a titleholder isn't necessary to do anything you want to in this community, however, it changes everything in ways that are not tangible and in ways you will never be able to vocalize. Take the risk.

My final quarter will be just as busy as the last 4, follow or friend me on facebook to see all that is in store....

I am in a hotel room just outside of New Orleans while writing this. I had the opportunity to head out to teach in Baton Rouge early so I brought my bio family along for the ride.

The last few months have been a juggling act of balance for me where I have worried about my partner's health, my family and if I am doing enough to help build my community. That is life though and I believe everyone struggles with all the things, being a titleholder doesn't make one immune from candles being burnt at both ends. With that in mind, I feel like I need to thank our producer publicly. Lady Catherine cares about us as a whole, not just the us that is going to events. I appreciate the energy you put in to making sure we are doing ok on and off the grid.

So, I spent most of January and February in Denver only making it to one event, but let me tell you the Virgina Knight Hawks and The Sanctuary sure do know how to do charity. I was quite impressed and can't wait to get back.

At the end of February I hit the ground running as I was late, late for a very important.... errr I went to LowCountryLeather's Inaugural Run Down The Rabbit Hole. It was great to be with my club, Appalachian Women of Leather. It was even better to win the first Club Fantasy Fight award, apparently a club full of "titleholders and such" were able to pick up that gauntlet that was thrown our way lol. I had a boi in service to me that weekend and that made the entire experience even better.
I headed off to Nashville, Tn after that and spent time with one of our SELF judges, slave krissy and ...and bootblack. We found the leather bar Friday night and got to meet some of the Conductors which was a lot of fun. I got to teach what I consider to be one of my most important classes, Switching and Dynamics. I love being able to shed some light on a topic that is often overlooked and it was so good to see the headnoddings in agreement as I talked.

SPLF has been on my bucket list forever and I wound up being able to head to Texas on a wing and a prayer where I got to interact with some of the most fantastic women and men on the planet. I was able to go to the women's cruise, watch the contest, and enjoy the celebration of power exchange dynamics.

I have a lot going on over the next couple of months that I am fantastically excited about.. stay tuned...
#nosleeptilaugust

This quarter has been pretty busy.

In October I did registration at the Leather History Conference with Scott. He is one of the kindest people I know and I always love working with him. Blue, Sheri and Holly were my roommates and together we put on a fantastic room party. LHC holds a special place in my heart because of the access to living history that it provides. Next year will be just as awesome.

I made a little drive to Baton Rouge at the end of the month and celebrated Halloween with RSVP and my sash siblings. RSVP is an education/playspace that supports SELF every year and is responsible for making our cigar parties epic! Halloween weekend is their big fundraiser so it was nice to give back and put our asses on the selling block. A huge shout out to Dutch who opened his heart and his home to us. I can't wait to get back.

I also had the opportunity to join Autumn and Timothy in Columbia for their PRIDE parade. We have come so far in our fight for equality and yet we have more work to do. Thank you Columbia Leather Order for making room for us and allowing us to carry the flags!

November starts the holidays for me and I tend to stick close to home and focus on that however I did get to sneak in bar night with my club, Appalachian Women of Leather, and what felt like half of the SELF family over at the Woodshed.
I also managed to roll out a new class at the LOFT. I have said this before but I will say it again: the love and support this place offers is second to none and if you ever get the opportunity to visit, do it.

I also got to go see Alabama kickass live. Friday, thank you for the gracious hospitality and for helping me impress my kid. Sir David, thank you for the restaurant recommendation. Both of you hold special places in my heart.

December saw me back in Baltimore for 12 Days. Thanks to my sash family for helping sponsor an event that is near and dear. It is amazing every year and this year was no different. Getting to meet Jill Carter who inspires my fundraising heart was sooooo amazing as well as being able to spend time with folks I am growing to love.The fact that titleholders started this charity and every year raise a lot of money for different charities and have for 17 years is pretty inspiring.

UPSTATE TNG was my last event of the year which is appropriate because making sure our younger people have access to good education and the opportunity to expand their skill sets is a passion of mine. Thank you for working with my crazy schedule Artemis. Thank you phoenix for going with me and being my bottom not even knowing what the topic was. I am grateful our paths have crossed.

Hope everybody had fantastic holidays. The new year is bringing me a lot of fantastic opportunities. I can't wait to share them with you.

This quarter has been very exciting as you can see from social media. I have gotten to present at various places, did an interview with kinkycast and popped a few event cherries.

One of my favorite things that happened was rebooting the Sisterhood of the Traveling Boots, which is the brainchild of Blue, at MsC. The idea is connecting women through a pair of boots. It is magical and good stuff happens. We have a facebook page. If you see us at an event make sure that you try them on and get your picture snapped! Thanks to feyrie, Blue, sheri for getting me to an event I have wanted to go to for years.

I also got to do a little sleepover with a few members of CLO at SRALL's run which fed my soul, I love those guys. Thank you Cissy Cat for opening your home, I am sorry Ms. Kitty got molested ;).

WILL was probably the most special time for me. I had the opportunity to not only serve the community but to also serve an individual. I got to sit in classes and get a few tricks to up my game. I got to listen to a roundtable of incredible women whose advocacy has made my path so much easier. I can't wait for next year. Thank you Master Trish and slave pat for the roomshare!

And finally, I was reminded why each one should teach one when a baby rigger was born during my Foreplay: Nothing But Rope class. We have the opportunity to start fires with our sparks, make sure you are sharing yours!
Life changes and mine definitely took a few unexpected turns this quarter. I am happy and excited and looking forward to the next few months.

This past month has been such a whirlwind. I have been so many places already and had so many great times it's just crazy. Right now I am staying pretty local and working my way out. I am awfully proud of the kink and leather scene in North Carolina. We have so many great groups and people involved. I love being able to give back because I remember a time when there wasn't quite such an eclectic mix around. I start venturing out at the end of next month.
So to recap where I have been
I taught a bloodplay class at House of Khoas Kinky Kampy in the foothills of NC. I can't wait to go back to a bonfire. This group was fantastically stellar.
I was at Augusta PRIDE the day after SCOTUS and I have to say that I have never been more proud to be a leatherwoman.
I hosted a demo called Bratting as a service in Gastonia, NC which was great, I can't wait to use those notes.
I was able to make it to TLC's bar night in Greensboro and to my home bar The Woodshed Lounge in Charlotte, NC for AWOL and The Tradesman's bar night. I love my brothers and sisters and am blessed to get to spend time with such great clubs.
I got to host Womenspace at TLC's 25th anniversary run. Those Tarheel's sure do know how to throw a party. I rocked the Slip'n'Slide and channeling Julia Roberts will always be one of my favorite memories.

I'm still working on getting my footing and figuring out what exactly I want my title year to look like, how to measure success with my goals and how to reach people and tell them about home. I am beyond honored and proud to be MS. SELF 2015...

Email                      Fetlife                          Facebook

October 3 Leather History Conference Greensboro, NC
October 3 Tradesmen Bar Night Woodshed Lounge Charlotte, NC
October 9 - 11 American Brotherhood Weekend Chicago, IL
October 16 - 19 Seattle, Washington vacation Weekend Seattle, WA
Carolina Panthers vs Seattle Seahawks
October 24 SC Pride Parade & CLO's Bar Night Columbia, SC
October 31 Halloween Party at the Woodshed Woodshed Lounge Charlotte, NC
November 6 - 9 C.O.M.M.A.N.D. Leather Run Mr. Maryland Leather Contest Baltimore, MD
November 15 “Out At The Movies” LGBT Film Festival Winston Salem, NC
December 5 House of Mercy Christmas Dinner Charlotte, NC
Tradesman Bar Night Woodshed Lounge/Charlotte, NC
January 15 - 18, 2016 Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend Washington, DC
February 26 - 28 Low Country Leather Inaugural Run Charleston, SC
February 27 Timothy Lee/Mr. SELF 2015 Keynote Speaker

Coming soon!

We hope you enjoy Timothy's Keynote Speech at Low Country Leather. It was excellent!

{nmap}normal|250|45|images/titleholders/titleholderaudios/KeynoteTimothy2016.mp3|b{/nmap}

Where do I begin?? Actually, it may have been a little easier if I started a few months ago when I was SUPPOSED TO!! Having said that, I will attempt to catch up on this whirlwind of a journey that started as Mr. SELF 2015.

I immediately hit the ground running, joining my title wife, Jennifer as we drove to Augusta, GA to march in the Augusta Pride Parade. A few weeks later I was in Provincetown for Bear Week. In the middle of all of those Bears and Leather Men, I got to have my first shot of Jager with Mama Sandy Reinhardt! After that, I made the quick trip to Charleston, SC for SE Cellblock’s fundraiser and bar night.

August began with the annual cookout hosted by the Charlotte Tradesmen at the House of Mercy. This is one of the most meaningful events that we do, where we actually get to spend time with the residents and staff. Later that month, I was honored to carry the American Flag and lead the Charlotte Pride Parade with the Tradesmen and other Leather Men and Women from NC and SC who made up the Color Guard. I even snuck off to Hickory NC to attend the finals of the National Unlimited Leather Contest.

Just last week, I was in New York City, having been invited to attend the annual LGBT Gala hosted by the Democratic National Committee. The keynote speaker was none other than the President of the United States, Barrack Obama!! All I can say is WOW!!

Each month, I have been fortunate enough to meet so many new people that come through Charlotte and the Woodshed. I continue to be amazed that so many people have taken a moment to say hello and congratulate me.

The next few months will hopefully be just as busy. I’m planning to attend the Leather History Conference in Winston Salem, NC. I’ll be marching in the SC Pride Parade in Columbia, SC. I will also be at CLO’s bar night. Over the next few months, I will attend ABW in Chicago, C.O.M.M.A.N.D. & Mr. Maryland Leather Contest in Baltimore. I also plan to participate in both Mid-Atlantic and South East ONYX bar nights before the end of the year!

In the meantime, I can be found at the Woodshed Lounge on Friday nights. I attend almost every one of Charlotte Tradesmen’s bar nights. (After all, I am the Road Captain). Follow me on Facebook/ Tradesmen Timothy Lee. I’m also on Twitter/@MrSELF2015. Although, I must admit, I haven’t quite gotten the hang of “Tweeting” yet.

In the meantime, know that I am having a BLAST and that I remain HONORED and PROUD to serve as your Mr. S.E.L.F. 2015. I hope to see ALL of you soon!!!

WHEW!!!
I just arrived back in Charlotte, and I can honestly say that barely remember the ride home. I can’t believe this whirlwind of a weekend passed by so quickly!! This whole experience has been a blur…
What I remember at this moment, is everyone that told me to breathe, and to have FUN!!! I must admit that I could not really process the concept of FUN during the competition weekend, because I was focused on overcoming my own anxieties and my own quest for perfection. Obviously, I didn’t forget to breathe, but I have 363 days ahead of me to have FUN!!!

Now to the many people that I need to thank:

To boy Dave…thank you for EVERYTHING you did as my handler over the SELF weekend! Knowing that I had you in my corner, took so much stress of my plate, as I knew that I could depend on you to address every detail that I may have overlooked! More importantly thank you for holding my hand and guiding my steps in the beginning stages of this journey, when I didn’t know anything or anyone. Thank you for gently nudging me in the right directions and also giving me the space I needed to grow. If I am ever to measure my successes as a Leather Man, it will be when I am able to look at myself and know that I gave the same support and advice and nurturing to someone at the start of their journey, that you gave to me…

To Catherine Gross and the entire Board of Directors and the Staff and volunteers of S.E.L.F….
Thank you for continuing the traditions of excellence. Thank you for not only running a professional contest, but for running an organization that continues to provide so much for this Leather community. I am PROUD to be your “Mr.” representative.

To our judges…
Thank you for your critiques, your wisdom, your professionalism and your belief in me. Thank you for awarding me the title of Mr. SELF 2015. You ALL are role models in the Leather Community, and I can only hope to achieve the success and the respect that you have earned. I am empowered by the tasks ahead of me, and I will certainly do my best to live up to your expectations.

To my SELF 2015 Family…Jennifer, Autumn, Friday, Miss Kitty, Coco, & Kittin,
It was a pleasure and an honor to compete with each and every one of you. I learned something valuable from all of you and look forward to working all of you in some way. On a special note, Ms., I think our adventures are just beginning!! Look out SE, here we come!!

To The Tradesmen…
I could not ask for a better group of gentlemen to share this honor with. I am honored to be your Club Brother. I am honored that you saw fit to bestow the title of Mr. NCLC 2013, when we inherited a struggling contest. Although it was made clear that I was only expected to be the “face” of NCLC, you ignited spark in me and let me know that I could advance to bigger and better things.

To Greg Brafford, and the Staff and Patrons of the Woodshed and SHED Leathers…
Thank you for your sponsorship! Thank you for your patience! Thank you for the MANY weekends that I have taken off and for the ones that I haven’t asked for yet!

Thank you to all of the people who I failed to mention. Thank you to all of the names I don’t know. Thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement, your well wishes, your stories, your whistles, your “WOOF’s”, your flirtations, your hugs, your tears, your invitations, your acknowledgements, your critiques, your love, your congratulations and your expectations…

I will do my best to not just live up to, but to exceed your expectations. I pledge my 100% to being the best titleholder EVER!!!

Email                               Facebook                         Twitter   

August 13-16 Rocky Mtn Rebellion Salt Lake City, Utah
September 17-20 Florida Power Exchange Clearwater, Florida (with Friday)
October 2-4 Behind Closed Doors Tuscon, Arizona
October 16-18 Beyond Vanilla Dallas, TX
October 31 RSVP Louisiana(with title family)
January 2016- SW Leather Conference (Tentative)
February 2016- Sin in the City Las Vegas, Nevada International Title Competition
March 2016- Frolicon Atlanta, Ga Easter Weekend
May 2016- Trademark
June 2016 -SELF 21

I keep thinking about my title year. I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to say about it. So, I began to think about the past.

When I first came to SELF I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Everyone was so friendly, so open, so welcoming, so glamourous, and just plain wonderful. I learned so much in the classes, and I had a blast at the parties. I really thought I was getting the feel for it all. Then, I got to the contest. It was like a whole other world had opened up in front of me.

The first contest I remember watching was at that SELF. I remember a few things so clearly that it still seems like they only happened yesterday. I remember Flossie was bold, beautiful, and glamorous. The way she held herself on stage was awe inspiring. River was humble, racy, and proud. The speech he delivered gave me chills. I remember Optimus as dashing, daring, and utterly exquisite. His fantasy made me realize there was a world full of puppies. I remember Sparkles. (I believe she goes by Armadillo these days, possibly, but I remember it being something different then.) I remember her smile, quiet confidence, and her beautiful boots. They all left me feeling like I’d just witnessed something rare. A true, wonderful, amazing, and eye opening experience. These people were leaders. These people were able to put all of themselves out on the stage to be judged not just by the panel, but by their entire region. It was truly a sight to see.

I was so painfully shy then that if you had told me then where I’d be now—I never would have believed you. Yet, here I sit, at home surrounded by love. I just got off the phone with one of my judges whom I’ve grown close too. I think about all the places I’ve been over the past year, all the beautiful souls I’ve met, and all of the earth shattering and mind blowing experiences that have occurred. It just seems so surreal. I am accepted. I am loved. I got to have the opportunity of a lifetime and I got represent the South East as a title holder. I got to become one of the people I so admired years ago.

What I’ve realized in reflecting upon it all is that it all leads back to that contest. Seeing those people give their all made me give my all. I had the courage to seek out a mentor after that contest. I had the courage to eventually network, travel, learn, and do all of the incredible things that I had only ever dreamed of. That contest changed my life, and it’s only just now that I realized it. As strange as it is for me to say-- SELF is where I found my family, but I never imagined that it would also be where I ended up finding myself. For that, I am forever and eternally grateful.

“Be who you needed when you were younger.”
That quote has stuck with me since I began my title year. Every time things got hard, every time I got scared, and every time I wondered why I ran for a title—I remembered those words. I would find the courage, strength, determination, and will to keep going when I really just wanted to hole up in my room and hide from the world. You see, I’m an introvert. I’m at my happiest when I’m curled up in my papasan reading and petting my cats.
As you can imagine, going out to events, talking to people, and putting myself out there has been really difficult for me. I do it because I feel like what I want to say needs to be heard. I devoted over a year of my life to preparing for International. I wanted to bring the title home to the South East. When I didn’t do that—I had to take a really hard look at myself. I knew I would stay in the community regardless, but I had no idea what direction to take.
I still don’t, but I will keep on going. I’ll continue to teach, I’ll continue to advise, I’ll continue to learn, and most importantly I’ll continue being an active part of the community. I’ll see you all as I continue on my adventures in Leather. I hope that you all will continue to coexist, love, learn, and be the amazing people I’ve come to know and love as family.
In Love and Leather,
Autumn

I can’t believe it has been six months since I received the title of South East Person of Leather. It’s still so surreal to me. As I write this, I’m sitting in a room in Columbia, SC about six hours away from my home. Writing this while I’m traveling has made me think about just how amazing these past months have been. I keep thinking about all of the places I’ve gotten to travel too, all of the incredible people I’ve met, and all of the wonderful and awe inspiring moments I’ve been a part of and gotten to witness. None of these things would have happened, in the way and in the time that they did, if it weren’t for this title. I still can’t believe that I get to travel as often, and as much, as I do. It absolutely warms my soul.

I cherish these memories, and I love how I’ve grown, and helped others to grow, from them. I know that I’m better for having experienced them, and hopefully I’ve helped others too. These reflections are what keep running through my mind when I think about the upcoming convention in Las Vegas. I’ll be going in February to Sin in the City. Sin is the host convention for the International Person of Leather title. All of these wondrous moments that have occurred through all of my travels, all of the earth shattering ways that I’ve had my eyes opened, all of the ways in which I’ve learned so much from so many different people—these are things I’m taking to Sin with me.

The Leather community, and all it encompasses, is such a joy and an absolute thrill to be a part of. I am proud and so completely honored to be able to go and represent the South East. I hope to be able to make you all proud. So, wish me luck, lovelies. I’ll do my very best, and we’ll see what happens in February. Thank you so much for all of your support. I couldn’t do any of this without all of you and your incredible love and support. I can never thank you all enough, but I always want you all to know just how very much it means to me. <3 I love you all. Thank you so much for everything.

In Leather and Love,
Autumn

It’s been a few months since I received my title. In that time, I have traveled quite a bit. At least, it has been a lot of travel for me. During those wacky adventures, I have had the fortunate opportunity to meet quite a few people. While all of these places were different and all of the communities I visited were just as varied, the people I met all shared a few characteristics; they were kind, generous, open, and informative.

Before, I won my title I really didn’t have a lot of faith in people. I thought that everyone was solely out for themselves, and that there were very few exceptions to that general rule. Over the course the past couple of months, the wonderful people I’ve met have proved me wrong time and time again. I’ve never been more happy to be so absolutely wrong. The end result of all of this, for lack of a better word, love, is that I’ve changed.

I’m kinder. I’ve become more open and more generous. I’m doing my best to learn all that I can about Leather and all that it encompasses so that I can be informative as well. While this isn’t huge, or monumental, it changed my life. It fundamentally changed me. It gave me the ability to have faith in people again. That is a gift I’ll never be able to put a price on or repay. I can’t even begin to try to explain just how precious that is.

So, to any and all of you wonderful souls that took the time to talk to me, from the bottom of my former jaded little heart, thank you. No, really—THANK YOU. You’ve helped make me a better person. You’ve helped make me a happier person. I adore you all. I am so incredibly lucky to be able to do this. You all truly have, and continue to, inspire and motivate me. I’ll never be able to thank you folks enough, but I’ll never stop trying. I love you, my lovelies. Truly, thank you again.

In Service, Awe, and Admiration,

Autumn 

My First Contest

I’m supposed to write about my experiences from SELF this year. I don’t think I can do that without giving you all a little bit of back story, first. So, please forgive me if I wax poetic. This is a little bit about how I became who I am.

I’ve never been very brave. I’ve always hid in the shadows. I stayed there for a very long time because that is where I felt safe. I wanted more. I wanted to be noticed. I wanted to figure myself out. I wanted to be around like minded people. I just couldn’t make myself do it. That is where my chosen family came in. They pushed me to work hard, to study, to find myself, and to be who I really was. In fact, one of those individuals I’ve known since I was in the seventh grade.

He was a year behind me. We met because we were both in the school band. We hit it off because we were both geeks. Which, at that particular school, was a bit of a rarity. We ended up transferring to a different school around the same time when the bullies got to be too much. We would take turns picking each other up. He, more than I, made a point of being exactly who he was. We ended up in theater, band, and guard together all because he pushed me to do it. He made it okay for me to be different. He was one of the few people who got me through high school.

When I got to college, things were easier. I wasn’t in a tiny conservative town anymore. I could freely admit to liking female identified individuals. I could wear funky clothes. I could openly discuss and debate any number of issues. It was like a brand new world for me. He was still around. We still picked each other up when life knocked us down. However, we ended up living in different places. We didn’t talk as much as we got a little older. Last year, we reconnected in May because he had moved back for a short period of time, and he was about to move away to Florida with his partner. When we saw each other we caught up. We laughed. We danced. We sang. We drank. Then, he took me to the side. He always did that when he had something he thought I needed to hear. He told me just how proud he was of me. He loved that I had lost some weight, that I was taking care of myself, that I had found a good partner, and that I was well on my way to getting my degree. However, he told me I had to dig deeper. He knew what I was too afraid to confront at that point. He knew that I was gender fluid. He tried to confront me about it. I was hurt, angry, upset, and I ended up leaving the bar without saying goodbye. A month went by and he got engaged. We chatted one other time via Facebook. Then, towards the end of June, he had a brain aneurysm. He died on July 1, 2014.

At his funeral, I saw so many people who were disgusted by him. People who were there just to support his biological family. They were so afraid of going near him just because he was gay. I can’t even tell you how many times that I heard people mumble under their breath about hell, and then turn around and give the family fake platitudes. It made me sick. I hated them for it, but that anger fueled me. I made him, and myself, a promise. I was finally going to be myself. I was going to stop hiding. I was going to tell people what I thought. I was never going to hide in the shadows again.
So, I came out as gender fluid even though I was terrified of losing everyone around me. I stopped lying to myself about my weight, and I got serious about getting healthy. I stopped daydreaming about going out for a title, and I started working on running for one. Even though I was terrified and even though I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry every time I came off the stage--I did it. Not only did I compete, I actually won. I became the first South East Person of Leather. I couldn’t have done it without my friend pushing me to always be myself, and I will be forever grateful to him for that. However, he wasn’t the only person to have a hand in helping to shape me.

There are several other people who were involved in helping me win this title. I owe a great debt of thanks to the SELF board for putting SELF together. Without their endless hours of love and devotion there wouldn’t be a convention for anyone to go. I’d also like to thank my judges. Learning about them, striving for excellence, and having them push me as hard as possible to see if I was worthy of holding a title absolutely changed my life. To thank them for making me see that I am strong enough to hold this title will never be enough. Nevertheless, those inspiring individuals have my thanks. I’d also like to thank my incredible partner, who helped me learn metal work and also helped me design my portable spanking bench. This amazing man has also found a way to deal with, and handle, my own special brand of crazy. For that, I can never thank him enough. (I love you, Kermit. : P) I owe my sanity to my den crew. You have my gratitude and my respect. I don’t know how you put up with me and my nerves during the contest. I HAVE to thank the entire title class of 2015 along with all of the handlers. You all were unbelievably kind, generous, loving, caring, and wonderful. I am honored to be one of you, and I cannot thank you all enough for the mutual support and respect. You all are without a doubt some of the best people I have ever encountered. I can never fully express my gratitude to the incredible Luna. Without the beauty, style, and grace of this woman I would never have gotten through the competition. I must also thank my very best friend. We are always there for each other, and the Thursday that SELF started she ended up having to go through emergency surgery. I called to tell her I was on my way to the hospital, and she yelled at me. She knew how hard I had worked, and she made me go to SELF to compete. She will forever have my love, admiration, trust, and endless thanks. I love you Lace Face. The last individual I’d like to thank is my mentor. This powerhouse of a woman is without the wisest, kindest, most intelligent, caring, informed, endearing, wonderful, and supportive person I’ve ever encountered. Without this woman I would never have been able to fully explore who I am, start my leather journey, or even be a fraction of the person I am today. A thank you will never be enough. A life time of thanks will never be enough. I am, however, eternally grateful. (You’re amazing, ma’am.) The very last, but certainly not the least, is all of you. Thank you for your encouragement, support, and advice. It was invaluable. I adore all of you, and I honestly could not have continued to keep getting back on that stage without it.

I learned a lot about myself running for a title this year. I found strength, courage, conviction, and wisdom that I didn’t know I had. I could not have done it without everyone mentioned. I wouldn’t be who I am without everyone I mentioned. You all have my limitless love and gratitude. To repay that kindness—I promise to give my all to represent the South East Region to the very best of my ability. After all, you folks picked me as your South East Person of Leather. I’m going to do my level best to make you all proud.

Email        Fetlife        Facebook     Twitter

6/27/2015 Open Play @ The Red Chair, Birmingham First night out as a title holder!
7/17/2015 Demo & Play Party @ House Je Te Vois, New Orleans
7/18/2015 Primal Passion Hosted by Spring Fling Leather Fest and Hard Pink BDSM, New Orleans. Fundraiser for Spring Fling Leather Fest
8/7/2015 Leatherfolk Night @ The Red Chair, Birmingham
8/14/2015-8/16/2015 Southeast Black and Blue Weekend, Atlanta. Still waiting on a reply regarding registration so this is not for sure.
9/17/15-9/20/2015 Florida Power Exchange, Clearwater, FL Hopefully bootblacking as well as volunteering
10/16/15-10/18/15 DomCon, Atlanta actual event 10/14-10/19
10/24/2015 Demo (not mine) at Les Bon Temps, Mobile
10/30/15-11/1/15 RSVP Weekend Anniversary/Fundraiser, Baton Rouge
December 2015 Twisted Toyland, Atlanta
3/5/16 MAsT Nashville and Mark of the Wild at the Mark
3/11/16-3/13/16 South Plains Leather Fest, Dallas
4/14/16-4/17/16 Spring Fling Leather Fest Springfield, LA
5/5/16-5/8/16 Frolicon, Atlanta
6/5/16 Leather Love Demo, Birmingham
6/11-Pride Parade in Birmingham. Marching with members of various Birmingham groups under the NCSF Banner.
7/16-Teaching Bootblack Lab and 101 in Tampa at the Phoenix Club
7/23-Attending Mr Kentucky Leather 
8/4-8/7-Attending and Blacking at WILL in Dallas (arriving Friday)
8/12-8/14-Blacking at Southeast Black and Blue in Atlanta
8/25-8/28-Attending, Blacking, and Tech Judge at SELF

Hello again from the great Southeast. It's June, and instead of gearing up for SELF this month, y'all get me for 2 bonus months. Woohoo! I hope that everyone decides to come and see us in August, you're not able to see the awesomeness that is being planned behind the scenes but it's going to be great! And if you're reading this and thinking of running for one of the titles, I only have one piece of advice, and that is to go for it.

I've aged a year since my last column and was able to spend my birthday with some of my best friends, it was a weekend that I will remember and treasure for a long time to come. There was so much traveling that it was really good to get back to home base with chosen family.

I can't even begin to cover all of the events that I have been able to attend, more firsts that I thought possible, new events, better connections that turn acquaintances into friends, and friends into family. This has truly been a year of firsts and of breaking out of my shell and I would like to think that I've learned and grown some. South Plains, Spring Fling, Frolicon, the Tradesman Run, and Southeast Olympus at TRC... I think I got my hands on boots at every single one of the events that I attended which always makes me happy.

I'll be slowing down a little this month before picking back up the second half of July. I'm scheduled to do a bootlab in Tampa, maybe a trip to Kentucky the weekend after that, and then the entire month of August will be spent on the go. WILL, Southeast Black and Blue, and SELF are all that month and I hope that if I can't see you at them all, that you will at least come home to SELF to visit.

Until I see you again...

Friday

And it’s March already. It feels like I haven’t been able to stop since the New Year started, but I suppose that’s a good thing. I’m happy to be able to have the ability to travel, and teach, and meet others within the community.

I know that I wrote the last post from Mobile as I was gearing up for New Year’s in Louisiana and what a great beginning to the year it was, I honestly could not have planned anything better if I had tried. I ended up back in Louisiana (in Baton Rouge) in February for a demo on topping and bottoming from the bootblack chair. It was a great crowd with lots of really good questions afterwards. I’m hoping to see more people get interested in the area soon.

I also was able to visit Southwest Leather Conference in Phoenix towards the end of January. This is a great place to visit should you find yourself in Arizona. Judy and Elegant took great care of me and it was wonderful to be able to make new friend and reconnect with ones that I have known for a while longer. Getting to help Bootblack Marta with her Mean Boots class was especially fun, and I look forward to being on the panel with her as a bootblack judge at the next SELF.

February also brought me home to TRC, finally! It was so great being back in my home club. They hosted a fetish ball with wonderful food, decorations, and people. TRC has grown a lot and is bringing in new people all the time, it’s a wonderful time to be a part of the Birmingham community. It was at TRC that one of my favorite moments thus far has happened. I had a client sit in my chair that had sat for shoe shines, but never for a bootblack. There was much exclaiming over how different (and good) it felt and at the end I was told that they have a saying in Russian for those with skills like mine, “May your hands never hurt.” So simple, but so perfect. I will remember it for a long time to come.

Somewhere in the midst of it all, I decided that it would be a good time to run a half marathon in New Orleans. I signed up for the race before I signed up to run for my bootblack title but I don’t think I was quite prepared. I did it, though, and that brought it’s on sense of accomplishment. So many times I was asked why I would want to do such a thing, the answer being, “To prove to myself that I can.”

March is going to bring a new round of visits. I’m excited to be able to see my two title sisters in Nashville this weekend. We’re attending the MAsT meeting as well as the Mark’s party on Saturday night. I’m not sure what we will get up to, but I’m sure that there will be shenanigans. Maybe someone will remember to take pictures this time. 

South Plains Leather Fest is going to be my long distance trip and I know that I’ll be seeing a great many members of my SELF family there as well. It’s always so perfect to be somewhere far from home but seeing those that are familiar. A new friend that I made at SWLC will be there and has helped link me with a friend of theirs for a room share and introductions will be made, and new friends will be met. It’s a great wide world out there, but being able to make friends within the leather community will ensure you have friends just about anywhere you go.

I hope to see you in my chair soon…
Friday

I’m writing this column on the last day of the year from my brother’s apartment in Mobile. It has been an incredible year and I still feel slightly dazed from time to time thinking about the opportunities that have been afforded to me, and the joy that has come from representing as SouthEast Bootblack. I wouldn’t have thought at the beginning of the year that this is where I would end up but I am so happy that I did. This month has hit hard with death and illness but having family and community that will surround you with love has been a blessing.

Since the last column I was able to do my first demo on Bootblacking Basics in my home state in front of several friends and some new ones. There was a great fundraiser in Atlanta with Twisted Toyland and I was so grateful to be given the opportunity to help raise money for the two wonderful causes that they support. If you have a chance, please check out Lost and Found Youth as well as the Leather Heart Foundation.

DomCon was a first for me this year and getting to see so many friends there and make new connections made it very special. Attending the Pantheon of Leather Awards, the International Olympus Contest, and bootblacking all weekend was a wonderful way to spend time in Atlanta. It was also the last time that I got to see Master Heinz and I’m glad that I got the chance to talk with him there, he will definitely be missed by all that got a chance to know him.

The RSVP auction was a huge success and the laughs that were had during the process still bring a smile to my face. Bidding on and being bid upon was definitely fun. I think that we ended up raising almost $400 for them, not including the passes to SELF in 2016. I’m actually going back to RSVP tonight for their New Year’s Eve, it will be good to be back among this good group of people.

Tomorrow night is House Je Te Vois in New Orleans, my second family and home. I know that I have leather that’s earmarked for me and I can’t wait. You know that you’re needed when someone’s vest accidentally calls you.  It is a blessed person indeed that gets to spend their time doing what they love. To have the continued support of this club means the world to me, always welcome and always home.

The New Year will get off to a roaring start with Southwest Leather Conference in Phoenix in 3 weeks with the Winter Luau in Pensacola that weekend directly following. February won’t slow down much and I’ll be back down to Louisiana twice that month-once for a demo at RSVP with Ms SELF and once for a half marathon in New Orleans.

I hope to see you in 2016, please come say hello and introduce yourself-I’m always happy to meet new people and share a smile.

Wow, what a busy and fun time it’s been! In the past month and a half I’ve gotten to visit Louisiana, Atlanta, and Florida, as well as attend some events close to home.

In Louisiana, I attended a party put on by House Je Te Vois that was fun as always and offered up some boots for me to love on. The next night was the Primal Passion event hosted by Hard Pink to help raise money for their upcoming Spring Fling Leather Fest that’s happen this coming spring and I had the honor of being their featured bootblack for the night. It’s always so much fun to spend time with this group and I can’t thank prince_tristian enough for offering up his hospitality when I get to visit.

Florida was the scene of many adventures between PALS, LINK, and FPE. I was privileged to be able to talk to the attendees before the PALS August demo in Pensacola about SELF and hope to see some of them in attendance in June of 2016. LINK provided a super party to follow the demo and I got to meet some new people and some new boots.

Meeting up with Autumn (SEPOL) again at TRC’s Leather Folk night in early August and again in September at Florida Power Exchange was super awesome! I thoroughly enjoyed shenanigans, cigars, and taking her bootblack cherry. I think that one of the things that I’m enjoying the most about my time as a title holder thus far is getting to know some people so much better and getting to meet all of the new friends from all over the country at events.

My time in Atlanta at Southeast Black and Blue was unfortunately cut short due to getting sick but I have definite plans to go back. Elegant and Archer did a great job taking care of me and ended up catching it as well for their troubles. I have promised to go back soon, minus the germs, and make it up to them in cookies. So far I’m scheduled for DomCon, Twisted Toyland, and also most likely Frolicon. I am excited to make my way back to the Eagle some time as well, and get the opportunity to bootblack there again.

TRC in Birmingham continues to be my home club and though I don’t make it there as often as I did, I still enjoy going and experiencing the familiar. I still have people to come and have their boots done and I enjoy adding to their stories and seeing what new ones they offer up.

Coming up, I have trips back to Louisiana but to Baton Rouge this time to visit RSVP for their yearly auction and will be joined by Jennifer (Ms Self) and Autumn for this round. I am so excited to introduce them to the awesomeness that is their hospitality. I’ll be doing a demo on bootblacking coming up in November in the northern part of the state and then helping with a bootblack weekend in the southern part of the state a couple of weeks later. I’m planning a trip to Tennessee and hope to be able to organize a trip up the east coast so keep an eye out for that. Also, if you don’t make it to DomCon but happen to be in Atlanta for Twisted Toyland, please be sure to stop by and say hello!

Amazed. That's the only way to describe how I feel, even though a month has passed since announcements were made on the stage at SELF. I am so thankful for all of the opportunities that have been presented to me and all of the people that have reached out. This is truly an incredible opportunity and I can't wait to see where the next year takes me.

I stayed close to home, going to my home club for my first outing as a title holder. It was a small gathering but felt right to celebrate with them. I am lucky to have the community that I do with TRC in Birmingham. The bulk of my items for my auction baskets were made or donated by members of this club and the awesomeness of my baskets is owed to them.

I attended Summer Sinsations in Atlanta on July 11th and it was a great event! Such an awesome chance for people to learn in a good environment. Classes all afternoon with a rocking rope performance at midnight. Many shenanigans and much fun to be had. I hope that this is something that they continue to do.

I'm venturing a little further, down to my second home at House Je Te Vois for my next event. I can't wait to see these crazy, awesome people again. These are the primary people that you have to thank for me running, I don't know what I would have done without their support. You would be hard pressed find a more loving group of people and I was happy to have a few of them with me the weekend of SELF this year.

On Saturday night, there's a fund raiser for a new event that's to be held next April (Spring Fling Leather Fest) and I'm excited to be the featured bootblack for the event. I look forward to seeing what they do their first year and camping out with them next Spring. I'm already on the line up as a presenter so I hope to see some of y'all there!

Plans have been made for FPE in Florida, DomCon in Atlanta and SWLC in Phoenix to hopefully meet up with some of my favorite western reps. If you see me, please introduce yourself if I don't get to you first!

Friday
SouthEast Bootblack 2015

Email         Fetlife       Facebook       Twitter