TGSF Attend Gems March Social!

March 14 2009

The Gems had the honor of having our friends from TGSF (Transgender San Francisco) attend our March social. Reigning Miss TGSF Kara Flynn, plus Lisa, Allison, Vanessa, Anne, and Katra all made the trek from the Bay and joined in the fun with the rest of the Gems at our usual monthly bash. There was dinner, dancing, conversation and friendship. We all had a blast! Afterward, we got a group photo of all who attended .... see anyone you know?

Mardi Gras! Gems Party New Orleans Style!

February 28 2009

The Gems traded in their winter blues for purple, green and gold on Saturday February 28 and hosted the best Mardi Gras party west of the Mississippi! It was held at the home of one of the board members and 35 people showed up for the fun. Many wore cute or crazy costumes and there were free beads and  masks for everyone.

The house was decorated in Mardi Gras colored streamers and banners and there were lots of balloons of the same green, gold and purple in every room. Activities Director Marla, baked some traditional King Cakes for desert, there was also a feast of home made New Orleans' style foods such as Jambalaya, Creole Green Beans, Red Beans and Rice, Maque Choux (a traditional spicy corn dish) a big salad and some hot crusty garlic bread.

Party goers were encouraged to "bring their own bottle" but there were also Hurricanes, Margarita's and Mudslide cocktails available for a small $2 donation to the Gems piggy bank. The music had a Mardi Gras theme too. There was New Orleans style traditional jazz and zydeco music playing in the lounge area while classic old school 70's and 80 pop/dance music pumped out in the games room. After dinner many people participated in a fun Mardi Gras trivia quiz. The questions had multiple choice answers and if a person got the question wrong they were out. The winner won a bottle of Californian champagne (or a luxury bath gift set if they didn't drink). There was also a raffle and the first prize was a fashionable red purse. Other prizes were a bottle of wine and a $10 gift certificate for Payless shoe store.

The Gems sure know how to have fun, and it was another case of "laissez le bon temps roulee" (let the good times roll)!

Gems Attend 2009 TGSF Cotillion Debutante Ball!

February 07 2009

Wherever there's a Transgender formal ball you can pretty much bet that the River City Gems are not very far away! ... as was the case at this year's Transgender San Francisco's Cotillion Debutante Ball! 26 Gems members attended this glittering and glamorous event in the "city by the bay".

We carpooled and met up during the afternoon at the host hotel near the conference center where it was to be held. After settling in, we relaxed for a few hours before donning our ball gowns and best evening dresses and then met up in the lobby. Doing our best to look as glamorous as possible, we headed over to the event where we found the ballroom was decorated to complement this year's theme "Gay Paree (Paris) - City of Lights".

There was a high attendance, an estimated 180 people, made up of TG girls and guys, their partners, wives, SOs and allies of the community were all there!  We sipped cocktails, chatted with friends, and nibbled on appetizers while easy-listening ballads played in the background. Dinner was a sumptuous self serve buffet of chicken, beef, pasta, mixed vegetables, salad and bread. There were delicious deserts for afterwards too.

After dinner the entertainment began. There were performances by this year's contestants for Ms. TGSF - the winner of which will be the public face of TGSF for 2009. Also there were also skits, features and songs from other attendees, a raffle, plus a DJ and lightshow. At one point in the evening there was a break in the music as it was time for "the formal presentation of ladies to polite society". All first time Cotillion guests were invited to take to the stage on the arm of a handsome chaperone (one of the many F2Ms in attendance) and be introduced to the audience by name and location where upon they curtsied and exited the stage to a barrage of camera flashes!

The ball ended at around midnight where upon the Gems headed back to the hotel for a night cap in the hotel lounge. Some of us then went onto an "after show party" in the suite of one of the Gems board members. We chatted and drank wine until the early hours before finally retiring to bed exhausted and happy. The following morning we joined members of TGSF and other guests for the free hot breakfast in the hotel restaurant and recounted tales of a fabulous night of fun. Then it was time to exchange email addresses with new friends and get ready for the trip back home.

Gems Granted Non-Profit Status!

January 23 2009

The Board of Directors of the River City Gems would like to share some wonderful news. We have received notification from the IRS that our application for tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code has been approved.

The River City Gems now qualifies as a public charity and thereby all membership dues, contributions, donations, and sponsorships are tax deductible. We hope that in the years to come, our new status will enable us to secure more financial support that will help us to further expand the programs and services we offer to the transgender community. We would like to thank all of you who cheered us on and offered words of encouragement during the sometimes daunting process of becoming a 501(c)(3) organization. It took many months of hard work followed by many more months of patient waiting, but by gosh - we did it! To all those who never doubted that it would happen, thank you for believing in us.

Happy 1st Birthday River City Gems!

January 10 2009

The River City Gems are one year old! Yes, the Gems celebrated their first anniversary at January's social. It's was a birthday bash that wasn't to be missed! There was of course, dinner, music, dancing, DJ Dianna, a DJ lightshow, our regular prize drawings, but this time we also had a very special audio-visual presentation showcasing highlights from our first year. Board member Dianna created a very funny and informative 20 minute PowerPoint Presentation slideshow showing pictures of the Gems at all the various events, parties and activities that we have done in the last year. Almost all of the entries here in the news articles below, were included. Afterwards some stayed on to hit the dance floor while others sat around chatting until midnight. It was a great to see so many people enjoying themselves and to reflect on where we've come from, and where we're going to .....  Happy Birthday to our Gems family!

New Year's Eve Party Was A Blast!

December 31 2008

What better time to have a Gems party than New Year's Eve?  Yes, the Gems had our second annual New Year's Eve party at a board member's house in Sacramento. What a blast!  Almost 30 revelers showed up, including not only TG folks, but wives, girlfriends, family members, and allies ... including the next door neighbors! There was a huge amount of Chinese food available to all, along with an unlimited amount of soft drinks, beer, and wine. Some people played pool, while others relaxed and chatted with friends and made new acquaintances as there were no less than 7 new people attending a Gems event for the first time! Some danced to the music in the games room while others played charades in the lounge. Then at midnight everyone was given a glass of champagne to toast in the new year and we all sang Auld Lang Syne.  It was a great night with lots of love and laughter in the room. Can't wait for the next one ... which is a Lasagna Dinner and Game Night on Saturday January 24rd!

Christmas Holiday Party Fun!

December 13 2008

It's the holiday season and the Gems always have a holiday party of some sort, there's also the December social to be had as well, but this year we decided to combine the two! Yes, the Gems had a fabulous Holiday Party and December social at our regular hotel's banqueting room but this time we added a few more festive things.

 Every table had a wonderful Christmas decoration center piece and one lucky person at each table got to take it home. We also had a fun gift exchange after dinner too where you could choose a prize from the table or steal a gift that had already been opened - that created lots of fun and laughter!

There was also a Christmas tree, large inflatable Christmas decorations in the corners of the room, our very own DJ Dianna played the music, there was a DJ lightshow, lots of dancing, our regular prize drawings, and of course Christmas cocktails and a fabulous 3 course dinner served to us!  This time we also had a large desert table and attendees were able to choose from multiple choices and go back for seconds or even thirds if they wanted to! The attendance was high as well as no less that 54 folks showed up for the fun!

Gems Attend Carla's Halloween Party in San Jose!

November 01 2008

A Halloween Party? ..... you can bet your bottom dollar the Gems would be there! A group of ten River City Gems all traveled down to San Jose for Cal Dreamin & Carla's Halloween bash. All of us wore fun costumes such as, Batgirl, a wicked witch, Pocahontas, a naughty nurse, a sexy French maid, a couple of zombies, a pretty Southern Belle, and our very own Activities Director Marla GG was expressing her masculine side by dressing as a cool looking dude complete with facial hair! 

There was plenty of good food and the drinks were flowing all night long. There was lots of dancing and also fun costume competition. The Gems came away three of the top prizes for "most scariest" won by Jilly as a zombie, "most outrageous" won by Marla as the contemptuous young dude, and "best overall costume" was won by Rachel as a Southern Belle in her gorgeous pink dress complete with lots of hoops and petticoats! We all had a blast and also enjoyed meeting up and chatting with lots of friends from other TG groups in the area. Here's a pic of the Gems in our costumes.

1st Annual River City Sparkle Extravaganza!

October 18 2008

We first started planning it in March of this year and finally it came around on October 18th - The 1st Annual River City Sparkle! ..... and it sure lived up to everything that we had hoped for!

130 wonderful people attended the Transgender event of the year! Sparkle was an elegant formal ball and celebration of Transgender unity. There was dinner, music, dancing, and entertainment for the whole community. Whether you were CD, TG, TS, MtF, FtM, family, friends, or an ally -- everyone was welcomed.

The evening started at 6.30pm with a cocktail reception accompanied by live saxophone music. Folks chatted, sipped drinks, and connected with friends both old and new. Then we all sat down to a sumptuous 3-course dinner which was followed by live stage performances, including a magician. There was also prize drawings, door prizes, and the evening was finished off with a DJ dance party complete with a huge dance floor and lightshow. What an amazing night! Thank you to EVERYONE who contributed and made the evening so special. Roll on next year!

After dinner and after the cabaret, people hit the dancefloor!

Finally, here's some of the messages of congratulations we received after the event:

"I went to Sparkle with my 22 year old daughter and we had a really great time. I want to express a BIG thank you to all of the River City Gems committee that put this together. I know it was a lot of hard work, and you guys did a wonderful job." - Carin, San Jose

"It was a wonderful evening, the food was good, the people were very friendly, we out of towners were made to feel very welcome, the hotel staff were friendly and helpful and the entertainment was good. Sparkle was an outstanding event, I can not wait for the next one." - Vanessa, North Eastern California

"I attended Sparkle last Saturday night with some of my friends. I thought your organization is pretty darn good, so was Sparkle, by the way!" - Jasmine Nicole

"Just a note to let you know again how much I enjoyed Sparkle, I think you did an absolutely amazing job. I don't know what it was like "behind the scenes" but from my perspective everything appeared to go off without a hitch. First-time events don't usually look this seamless. I can't wait 'till next year." - Anita Prescott

"Had a wonderful time at Sparkle, the event was flawless you girls are great!" - Carla, Carla's Salon and Boutique San Jose

"Thank you all for the privilege of being there. Sparkle had a great turn-out and I hope everyone had fun including the committee. It was sooo very nice to see ole friends and family members ... all with a 'Sparkle' in their eyes." - Robin Summers Mitchell

"I didn't want to miss thanking everyone who made Sparkle the event it was. First, the board members and their partners. I know you all are very busy people and I do appreciate the extra energy you put in to each and every event. Your tireless efforts have paid off once again. Thank you Crisa Rose, Rachel, Marla, Dianna, Rebecca, Jilly and Kimberly. Sparkle was fabulous and my partner Katie and I truly enjoyed the event counting ourselves blessed to have witnessed all the beauty in the room. Thank you to all you beauties who attended and made this one of the happiest times in my life. I truly can't wait until the next time." - Tina Payne

"I've never felt as light hearted and as warm a glow that comes from being among people that I knew were delighted to see me and were full of the best and most loving feelings for me and all who were there Saturday night at Sparkle. I haven't stayed out that late in ages .... (mostly cuz it seems to age me??? LOL). It was with the greatest reluctance that I finally had to leave. I want to give a great big thanks to all those who worked so tirelessly to bring this together for the rest of us to enjoy. I look forward to next year with great anticipation." - Melissa Jean

"Dear Gems and especially the brilliant board members who made it all shine, thank you all for Sparkling so brightly. I am still basking in the warm lasting glow of generous friendship, open acceptance and unconditional love ... and the food wasn't bad either. I have never felt so ladylike amid such gorgeous feminine expression, and I confess to having a little crush on every one of you! Thank you all so very much for a wonderfully memorable evening. You're the best!" - Valerie

"To all the ladies GG and TG alike, I want to thank you for a lovely evening I had at the Gems Sparkle event. I so wish LA had something like this! I want to thank the Gems board for coordinating this wonderful event it was fantastic, and I do mean it!"  - Darlene, Los Angeles

"The Gems are the most wonderful group of girls. The Sparkle event was absolutely wonderful. That was the most fun I have had in years. Thank you Crisa, Dianna, Marla, Rachel Kimberly, Jilly and Rebecca for all of the hard work." - Gedie B Lopes

The Gems Go Square Dancing!

September 13 2008

Gems socials are always special, but at September's we had some extra fun in store for everyone after dinner -- a free beginner's square dance lesson from the Capital City Squares, Sacramento's only LGBT square dance club. They say that square dancing is "friendship set to music," so what better way to spend time with your friends? It was so much fun! 

The Capital City Squares came prepared with their own sound system and their own caller Peggy. She guided us newbies through the basics and ensured we all had a great time. By the end of the night we were all square dancing like pros! (ok, maybe intermediates!) Also September's social set a record for new first time attendees. There was eleven (yes, I really did say said eleven) new people that hadn't attended a Gems event before! Only four of them were from the Capital City Squares so that was 7 new TG attendees! Awesome! One thing's for sure, the River City Gems is an ever expanding transgender group .... and we love it!

Diablo Valley Girls - Summer Labor Day BBQ

August 30 2008

Our friends, the Diablo Valley Girls, who serve mainly the East Bay area of Northern California, invited us to attend their Summer Holiday Potluck BBQ. The BBQ was held at a DVG members'  home, which was the perfect setting for a great party. The backyard had orange trees, Japanese maple trees and a small waterfall. There was also a "Wacky Castaway's bar," a hot tub for seven, and a large patio deck with a beautiful view of Mt. Diablo. A large group of Gems all carpooled together and arrived at 4.00pm where we mixed and mingled with the Diablo Valley Girls and talked about each other's groups and our upcoming formal event River City Sparkle. We drank cocktails, ate until we were stuffed, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! It felt great to mix with like-minded sisters and share stories and experiences. At the end of the night  several Gems members were so impressed that they decided to become members of DVG!

Outreach At College

 August 20 2008

The River City Gems were recently invited to speak to a graduate class in Human Sexuality at a Sacramento area college.  The students in the class were studying to become counselors or therapists and were looking to hear real stories from real people in the transgender community.

Marla, Dianna, Rebecca, Andi, and Jenny formed the River City Gems panel. Rachel and Crisa also attended for additional support. Marla introduced the panelists and explained to the students what they could expect from the presentation. Then Jenny gave the class a brief introduction to the transgender spectrum and explained some commonly used terms. After that it was time for each member of the panel to tell their "story" in turn. Afterwards there was an open forum question and answer session where the students were encouraged to ask the panel anything that they wanted to know. They had many questions about topics ranging from self-acceptance,  relationships, and lifestyle choices to psychological and medical issues. Here's a photo of the panel at work. From the left: Jenny, Andi, Rebecca, Dianna and Marla.

Gems Get A Taste Of The Islands!

July 26 2008

The four "S"s were the order of the day ... no! ... not sun, sand, sea and sex, but sun, sisterhood, sharing, and sipping blue Hawaiians! The Gems had their first Luau party and it was a blast!  Kimberly and Jilly opened their large and wonderful home to us all. Guests began arriving around 3.00pm and were given colorful leis and lots of smiles and hugs from fellow Gems.

The menu was focused around a succulent tri-tip barbeque and a pot luck dinner with many tasty Hawaiian-inspired dishes. We also enjoyed the ambiance of festive island music, and multiple choices from the bar including delicious cocktails made by our own volunteer bartender Michelle. There were also games and prizes galore, including a hula hoop competition, a water balloon race, and a Hawaiian trivia quiz. For those who just wanted to watch and chill out, there were plenty of tables set up where people could relax, sip drinks, and chat with friends. There was also the swimming pool. Many of the Gems brought their swimsuits with them and enjoyed a cooling and refreshing time in the water. And let's not forget the "other pool" as Kimberly and Jilly's home also boasts a fabulous games room with a full size pool table. Folks hula-ed, drank cocktails, and danced their "grass" off  until way past midnight! Party Rating:  "Hawaii ten out of ten-O"

Attendance At Gems Socials Continues To Shine!

July 12 2008

 The turnout at River City Gems socials has always been good. In fact, that was the main reason the Gems moved from having socials at local restaurants to holding them in a local hotel's banquet room, as we needed more space to be able to accommodate the ever-increasing attendance numbers. On Saturday July 12, once again, the record for attendance at socials was broken! An incredible 49 folks came to dinner, plus one other stopped by afterwards to skyrocket the attendance figure for the July social to no less than 50 people!

The attendance at our monthly socials has always been high, but no one could have believed we would hit the 50 barrier! Amazing!  We had the event at our regular hotel in Sacramento. It was attended not only by regular members but also no less than 11 new girls that had never been to a Gems event before! Folks arrived and chatted during pre-dinner drinks. Then came dinner, with three delicious courses served to the sounds of classic old school soul and R&B music. After dinner we raffled off the evening's door prize which was a beautiful silk shawl. We also had the Member Drawing where the name of every Gems member goes into a container. We draw out a name, and if that member is in attendance that night they win $10. If they are not present then we add another $10 to the pot and it rolls over to next month. JoAnn wasn't there that night so the pot went up to $30! We also played our fun game during the first part of the evening, the "secret hugger." As people arrived and greeted and hugged each other, the secret hugger (who is a different person at each social) would count how many times she got hugged. When the fifteenth person hugged her, she made a mental note of the name of that person and they were revealed as the winner later in the evening. The prize was $10.

As always, there was great music with our very own DJ Rachel and this time Activities Director Marla also took a turn at the decks. Folks partied the night away until around 11.00pm. The talk on the Yahoo group the next day was full of stories recounting how much fun they'd had. What an amazing night! Thank you to EVERYONE who attended and made the evening so special. Roll on August!

Gems March in San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade!

June 29 2008 

A few weeks ago, when the Gems were invited to march in the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade with the contingent from TransGender San Francisco (TGSF), we were thrilled but not quite sure what our contribution to the parade would be. Then Dianna came up with the idea that some of us could wear "Southern Belle" style dresses. Kimberly rigged up our Gems banner with carrying handles, Marla designed some attention-getting signs for us to hold, and so it came to be that five River City Gems in elaborate ball gowns, flanked by several other beautiful sisters who were more casually dressed, marched our way down Market Street and into LGBT history!  

We assembled at Beale and Mission, near the parade start, around 10:30am. There was a long wait before it was our turn to join the procession, so we had a chance to talk to all the girls from TGSF and others who were participating, and we made some wonderful new friends. Also during this time we got a taste of what the day would bring: it seemed that EVERYONE wanted to meet us and take our picture! Here's how we looked in our Southern Belle dresses. From the left: Crisa, Marla, Rachel, Stephanie, and Dianna. Finally the parade started. We took our place walking ahead of the TGSF float, and off we went! As we turned the corner onto Market Street, we were greeted by an almost deafening roar of cheering from the huge crowd. There were literally thousands of people lining the streets. We held our heads high, smiled, waved, and blew kisses to all the onlookers. We heard shouts of "you look beautiful!" and "gorgeous dresses!" as we walked.

One group of about ten people even synchronized themselves so that they all shouted "You look fabulous!!" at the same time.  Go Gems!!!! Time seemed to move very quickly and the parade was over before we knew it. Those of us who wore the dresses needed to change, so we walked back to Stephanie's hotel room at the Parc 55. On the way back we got stopped many more times by people with cameras wanting to be in photos with us. We overheard one mother with small children say "oh, look at the pretty ladies!" It was just magical.  

In the latter part of the afternoon, six of us went to help TGSF in their fundraising beverage booth. It was hard work serving up margaritas and cosmos to so many thirsty Pride-goers, but we earned the gratitude of TGSF and strengthened our bond with their organization -- another small step along the path to transgender unity.   By the end of the day, it was cold and we all had sore feet, but nothing could dampen the joy we felt about what we had experienced. We will definitely be back next year with more Southern Belle dresses. Anyone want to join us?

Out, Loud, and Proud in Sacramento!

June 21st 2008 

It was the Sacramento Pride Festival at Southside Park, and the Gems were out in force! We had our own booth which we used as our base to hand out brochures and pamphlets and to help educate folks about  the "T" in LGBT. We talked to people about our group, informed them about our upcoming formal ball River City Sparkle, and also gave out a flyer on "How To Be A Trans Ally."  Many of our members and friends attended Pride and stopped by at the Gems booth to say hello. Some even hung out with us throughout the day. It was a great day and even though our make up was melting and those wearing wigs were sweltering in the 105 degree weather, we all had fun. Then, after the event finished, 16 of us went out for a post-Pride dinner at Paesano's Pizzeria. But first we needed to freshen up. Some went back to Kimberly and Jilly's house, while others went back to Andi's hotel room. Then it was downtown for some good Italian food! Here's a photo of our booth with some Gems in attendance.

Gems Get Wig Styling Advice From Wig Galleria Experts!

June 6th 2008

If you read our news pages here regularly, you will already know that the Gems often have Femme 101 workshops designed to help participants achieve their feminine potential. For this Femme 101 workshop on "hair" (wigs), the Gems were able to secure a private shopping and educational event at the  Wig Galleria.. Those lovely ladies Sharon and Kristy offered to let the Gems have a private after hours party  to try on all the wigs we could ever want to.

Not only that, we were offered a seminar on the do's and don'ts of selecting, caring for, and styling our own wigs. The staff of Wig Galleria answered all our questions about how to care for the wigs we currently own, including a hands on display of how to shampoo and condition a synthetic wig. They also gave us styling tips and one-on-one attention when it came to trying new styles and looks. Many of the Gems made new purchases and we all had a fun time trying on all of the literally hundreds and hundreds of wigs available to customers. 

Afterwards, we all decided that we were simply having way too much fun to go home early, so we spontaneously decided to go out to dinner (some in our new hairdos!) at a Marie Calendar's restaurant. We picked a secluded area of the restaurant and we were treated wonderfully by the staff. They called us "ladies" all night and treated us like any other group of girls. Yet again, the Gems push the boundaries of feminine expression in public, with great success!

Weekend Fun in San Francisco!

May 31st  through June 1st 2008

One of our goals at the Gems is to try to please all of the people at least some of the time. In practical terms this translates to sponsoring a variety of different activities and allowing members to choose the ones they feel comfortable with. We believe we can support those who desire to do more, while also protecting those who need more privacy. We try not not to limit ourselves to only one type of group activity.

With this in mind, last weekend the Gems organized a whole weekend of fun and activities to take place in the city of San Francisco ... all of course while dressed en femme!  We carpooled and most of us arrived in the City  around mid-morning or lunchtime.  We checked out Pier 39, the Fisherman's Wharf  tourist area, had lunch, rode cable cars, took in some shopping and generally enjoyed being out in the "big city" en femme. Saturday night came and we had reservations at a wonderful Asian restaurant called Ponzu. It had fabulous contemporary decor and delicious food. 18 of us (both GG and TG) dined together and then afterwards we headed over to Martuni's, a vibrant piano bar and cocktail lounge. Later we crossed the road and spent time at Octavia's Lounge, a busy live entertainment venue with a great band and a dancefloor. Some of the Gems even got to "strut their stuff"! Then at around 1.00am we decided to head back to our hotel to rest up ready for the next day.

Sunday morning we had two events to choose from: the Asian Art Museum in the Civic Center and the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. But first, it was time for breakfast at Ihop! After a replenishment of energy via pancakes and eggs, it was off we go! A small party decided to call it a day and start the drive home, while others went to the Japanese Tea Garden, and the rest went to the Asian Art Museum. Finally, at the end of a long day, we headed back home weary but elated at the success of our fabulous weekend en femme in the city! Can't wait 'til next time!

Attendance at May social hits over 40 people!

May 10th 2008

It's absolutely amazing!  The attendance at our monthly socials has always been high, but no one could have believed we would break the 40 attendee barrier! Yes, on Saturday May 10th the River City Gems had 42 people attend our social !  Incredible! 

We had the event at our regular hotel in Sacramento. It was attended not only by regular members but also by 4 new girls that had never been out dressed in public before! Folks arrived and chatted during pre-dinner drinks. Then came dinner, with three delicious courses served to the sounds of classic big band music. After dinner we raffled off the evening's door prize  which was a $20  gift certificate for Payless shoe store. We also played our fun  game during the first part of the evening, the "secret hugger." As people greeted and hugged each other, the secret hugger would count how many times she got hugged. When the fifteenth person hugged her, she made a mental note of the name of that person and they were revealed as the winner later in the evening. The prize was $10. We also gave away another cash prize in our Member Drawing. At each month's social, we put the names of all the paid Gems members into a container and draw one out. If that person is present, they win! If they are not there, the jackpot will roll over to the next month. Our President's Mom Sherri won $20!   Just perfect, as it was the day before Mother's Day!

Afterwards a few of the girls decided to hit the LGBT area of town for some more fun. The Gems' socials have always been well attended, but 42 attendees is not just a social, it's more like a banquet!

Bargains Galore At Our Fashion Exchange and Beauty Bazaar!

April 26th 2008

Was it a party? Was it a Fashion Exchange? Or was it a Beauty Bazaar? In fact, it was all three! On Saturday, April  26th the Gems had our first annual Fashion Exchange and Beauty Bazaar and it was a huge success. Thirty-one people enjoyed a delicious buffet (including a fabulous selection of  desserts brought by attendees), an evening of laughter and conversation, a chance to sample and order Avon products, and a fun "treasure hunt" for clothing and other items including shoes, breast forms, wigs, jewelry and more! It was more fun than we could have imagined.   Thank you to our gracious hostesses Dianna and Jeri for welcoming us into their home and making the night so special for everyone. And once again, the Gems attracted new people who joined us for the first time ... .Jada and Rebecca, Ellie and Amy, Monica, and Karin .... welcome to our family.  

Gems April Social Attendance At All Time High!

April 12th 2008

Yes folks, the Gems created a new record for ourselves on Saturday, April 12th, when we had 36 people attend our monthly social ! Fantastic! It was the first social at our new venue – our very own private banquet room at a wonderful hotel. The room accommodated our large group comfortably at round tables to allow for easy mixing and mingling. We chose from five dinner entrees, including chicken parmesan, roast turkey breast, or rosemary roast beef. There was also a full no-host bar in the room, complete with our own bartender. As an added bonus, the hotel provided us with a designated changing room so that attendees could dress on-site if they needed to, and a couple of the girls took advantage of this.

We had hoped that it would be the best Gems social yet and we were right! Attendees arrived dressed slightly more formally than usual and sipped cocktails and wine as they chatted with the soothing sounds of contemporary and current ballads playing in the background. Our Multi-Media Director Rachel brought her mobile DJ console and sound system, so we had not only our own specially programmed music but also a PA system and microphone for announcements too. During dinner, the music changed to classic lounge songs such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Dion Warwick.

After dinner we raffled off the evening's door prize and one of our members, Sarah, won a beautiful 2-foot high candle holder and big scented candle. We also played a fun new game during the first part of the evening. Before the night began, and unknown to everyone else that attended, we had selected one of the girls to be "the secret hugger." The idea was as people greeted and hugged each other the secret hugger would count how many times she got hugged. When the tenth person hugged her, she made a mental note of the name of that person and they were revealed as the winner later in the evening. The prize was $10. The Secret Hugger was so popular that we have decided to do it at every social. Who will the next  "secret hugger" be?

We also gave away another cash prize in our Member Drawing. At each month's social, we put the names of all the paid Gems members into a container and draw one out. If that person is present, they win! If they are not there, the jackpot will roll over to the next month. Next month's jackpot will be $20! After dessert and coffee, our President, Crisa made an announcement thanking everyone for coming and outlined our plans for future events this year and some of the extra fun things that we'll be incorporating into upcoming socials.  Everyone said it was a fabulous evening with great food, good music, attentive hotel staff, and definitely one of the best socials they'd been to ... and with a record breaking 36 attendees, it's going to be hard to improve on that!

Pro Makeup Workshop

April 11th 2008

On Friday April 11th we had the first in a series of Pro Makeup workshops.  Our Activities Director, Marla, had arranged for two professional makeup artists from Lancome and Clinique to teach a workshop for us at Jeri's Salon. They also gave attendees one-on-one instruction, and one lucky person got a full makeover as she was their model. Everyone agreed it was a great success!  The makeup artists, Melissa and Charlsie, were wonderful.  Their expertise and fun personalities made the class fly by.  All of their personal attention was very helpful.  The confidence that was built in the workshop was a positive thing for everyone who attended, and we all hope that the new skills and techniques that were learned will help us present a more feminine image. Can't wait for the next one? ..... it's coming soon!

..... and the Oscar for Best Movie Night goes to .....

March 28th 2008

....the River City Gems! On Friday March 28th we had our first movie night. We've had (and still continue to have) game nights before and they are a lot of fun, but never a movie night. The idea was to all get together at a member's house and watch a movie .... but of course, the Gems went one step better. We "themed up" the night and that made it a lot more memorable! One of our sisters, Stephanie, has a fantastic home theater set-up including a 56" wide screen HD TV and an amazing surround sound audio system. We added to this some decorations and displays incorporating movie themes, such as large movie posters on the walls, streamers and garlands draped all around, a clapper board as part of the table decorations, plus lots of  movie style candy and popcorn. Stephanie also supplied a 9 foot Subway sandwich plus others brought lots of chips, salads and side dishes. Wow! what a feast! There was of course, wine, beer and soft drinks aplenty. We had four movies to choose from, and after a democratic vote with a show of hands, we decided on the British comedy Kinky Boots.. It was a fun night with lots of laughter and a great movie, plus another opportunity to dress en femme and socialize with a great bunch of gals!

St. Paddy's Day Party a blast ..... to be sure, to be sure!

March 15th 2008

It was the weekend before St. Patrick's Day, and the Gems being the Gems, simply couldn't let the weekend go by without celebrating the national holiday of the Irish with a "Sham-ROCKin" good party! Kimberly and Jilly, once again, open up their lovely house to us all and we partied until midnight. On arrival everyone got a warm welcome and were given necklaces of green "pearls". Then, as the music  soundtrack of Irish pub songs and traditional Celtic tunes played, some folks chatted while others played pool and video games on the Nintendo Wii. Halfway through the night we had a hearty dinner of corned beef and cabbage with mashed potatoes and homemade Irish soda bread all washed down with Guinness for those who wanted it  After dinner, a dozen guests participated in an Irish trivia quiz. If you answered a question wrong you were "out". We had 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes for the winners. It was a great night of fun, food, and laughter ... all of course, while dressed en femme (and in green!)

Second Femme 101 Workshop well attended

March 14th 2008

The River City Gems recently held our second Femme 101 workshop. The idea of these workshops is to focus on helping participants achieve their very best feminine image. Places are limited to fifteen to keep it friendly, intimate, and informal. The first workshop's  topic was "how to get the curves you've always wanted". This second one was on "building a feminine wardrobe". It was presented by our Activities Director Marla, and covered the basics of color, style, and how to choose clothes that suit your body and emphasize your best points to make the most of your shape. There was also lots of opportunity for the participants to ask questions during the presentation and many of us shared stories and ideas on color coordinating and various tips and tricks on style. Refreshments were served during a halfway break in proceedings and we chatted like girlfriends do! Yet another great Gems event that proved very popular.

Gems March Social

March 8th 2008

It was the second Saturday of the month, and for those in the know, it can mean only one thing ... yes that's right ... another River City Gems social!  The Gems like to vary the location of our socials from time to time. We like to offer our members the opportunity to go to different restaurants, sample different menus, enjoy different ambiances, all the time being dressed en femme but still knowing that everyone is safe and secure. To get this variation we often venture outside the confines of the LGBT community restaurants in mid town and go to regular mainstream restaurants around Sacramento.

As I'm sure you can appreciate, sometimes this can have its challenges when it comes to finding a suitable restaurant ... especially when you have an average of 30 people for dinner! Saturday the 8th was no exception. We had no less than 29 people attend, including 6 who were joining us for the first time. We booked at a nice Italian restaurant a few minutes from downtown and chose to take advantage of their private banquet room. We had already checked out the restaurant, and the management and staff were excited about having our group. We arranged a special fixed priced menu which included a choice of three pasta dishes, plus soup and salad, and a soft drink, for an all-inclusive price of $20 including tax and gratuity.

At one point in the evening everyone took it in turns to stand up and introduce themselves to the group. We also had our regular prize giveaway and this time the prize was a $20 gift certificate for Century Theaters which was won by Anne. One of our GG members who is an optician brought in a selection of femme eyewear, and several of the girls had fun trying on the frames. She has promised to bring more frames to a future social or a workshop so that more members will have the opportunity to get a new look. There were also birthday celebrations for three girls. Dianna, Claire and Rebecca all had birthdays in the month of March and so the Gems supplied everyone's desert in the form of birthday cake, and of course, we all sang happy birthday as they collectively blew out the candles. All in all, yet  another great Gems social, that was well attended, and enjoyed by all.

Gems Sparkle at Dress Barn Shopping Extravaganza!

February 23nd 2008

On Saturday February 23rd the Carmichael branch of Dress Barn closed its doors to the public at 6pm, and welcomed the River City Gems for a private shopping experience. What a fabulous event! Right from the moment we walked in it was a friendly and fun atmosphere. We had the entire store all to ourselves. The manager and her staff of three were told all about our group beforehand and were truly awesome! They were all very friendly, very accepting, and very helpful. They really went out of their way to make us all feel comfortable, and not only that, they gave everyone a 15% discount! They also helped us with choosing clothes, ran to get different sizes when we poked our head around the fitting room door, and generally waited on us hand, foot, and finger! 

We also took lots of pictures, both of ourselves and with the Dress Barn staff. We had refreshments available in the form of sparkling apple cider, water, and soda, along with snacks and "finger food". The clothes were really great too ... almost everyone bought something, and many of us found several perfect outfits suitable for upcoming parties and socials. After our shopping excursion, those who wished to continue on to dinner joined us at the NY Grand Buffet, just a few doors down from Dress Barn. We reserved their private party room for our group and a couple of folks that couldn't make the shopping trip joined us for an all-you-can-eat buffet. It was truly a fantastic evening and one that we are sure to repeat !!

First Femme 101 Workshop a Great Success!

February 22nd 2008

On Friday February 22nd the River City Gems held the first in a series of five planned Femme 101 workshops. The goal of the workshops is to focus on helping participants achieve their very best feminine image. On the night of the workshop, 14 attendees arrived for the two hour presentation. The first session's topic was "how to get the curves you've always wanted". Workshop leaders and  participants shared tips and "tricks of the trade" and also went over the basics of breast forms, padding, body shaping, and foundation wear. There was also an open Q&A session where folks got answers to their questions on any crossdressing topic they cared to mention. Refreshments were served during a halfway break in proceedings and we chatted like girlfriends do! It was a great night. Afterwards everyone said that it was entertaining as well as educational. The way things are going ... I think we're going to need a bigger room for next month!

January Social - The Highest Attendance Of All Time!!

January 26th 2008

On Saturday January 26th, the Gems had their first official social of 2008. What an amazing night! We had no less than 34 people attend!  Yes, you heard correctly ... 34 people, including many couples.  This success did in fact create some challenges in itself, seating at the restaurant being one of them. Thankfully we had booked a private banquet room at a downtown Sacramento Thai restaurant which made things much easier. We did fill the banquet room to capacity, but everyone was still able to move around the room between courses to chat to their friends and welcome new attendees. Yes, lets not forget the new attendees ...it was also a record-breaking day for new people. .. we had an amazing 9 guests who were attending for the first time!  Some were online members attending "in person" for the first time, and others were brand new to being out en femme in public. One of our new attendees, Anasta'cia, took home the door prize of a stylish black leather purse. After dinner, we all enjoyed cake and celebrated our group's January birthdays. One thing is for sure - the River City Gems are on the move!

The Gems Strut Their Stuff at TGSF Cotillion 2008

January 12th 2008

On Saturday January 12th, twenty one of the River City Gems attended the TransGender San Francisco Cotillion, a glamorous Debutante Ball. The event was held at the South SF Conference Center, just a couple of blocks from the hotel where we were all staying. At the Ball itself, we had reserved two large tables near the stage for our group.

The schedule of events included dinner, then music, performances, a contest for Ms. TGSF, plus a formal presentation of ladies to polite society called the Debutante Walk. Almost all of the Gems (both CDs and SOs) walked the stage with a male chaperone and were announced to the audience by name and location.

We had such great fun, “dressed in our best” and it was so good to reunite with friends from other groups as well as our own ... and of course, it was great to meet other TG folks from all over California. We drank champagne, laughed, enjoyed the entertainment and danced until 11.00pm. After that, some of us decided to go into the city where we re-grouped at a bar called Marlena's .... many of us still in our ball gowns!

The following day we all enjoyed a free full hot breakfast buffet (courtesy of the hotel) and twelve of us, who were able to stay, decided that we would all like to spend the day together in San Francisco. We decided to go to Pier 39, a busy tourist area of the city. What a blast! We checked out the sea lions, wandered the shops, then sat amongst the audience of an entertainer on the main stage to watch the show. Then after more window shopping we all had lunch at the Boudin Bakery Bistro on the pier.

For many of us it was our first time attending TGSF Cotillion and it was a fabulous evening of fun, laughter and entertainment. Where do we sign up for next year?!

A Triple Whammy Celebration on New Year's Eve!

December 31st 2007

On New Year's Eve it's not unusual to host a party, but this New Year's Eve the River City Gems hosted three parties in one on the same night! It was Crisa's birthday, plus of course, it was the New Year and after midnight we celebrated Dianna and Jeri's Wedding Anniversary!

Our wonderful hostesses Jilly and Kimberly opened their home to 18 attendees including a new couple Jenny and Trish who were out together for the first time.  It was an unforgettable New Year's Eve bash!   Our wonderful sister Stephanie provided us with a sumptuous Chinese feast of Cashew Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Broccoli Beef, Chicken & Pork Chow Mein,  Deep Fried Prawns, Pot Stickers, Egg Rolls, Chicken & Pork Fried Rice, White Steamed Rice, BBQ Spareribs, Vegetarian Mu-Shu Vegetables and Pancakes and Vegetarian Kung Pao Vegetables.   WOW!!!   What a spread!!! For dessert there was a chocolate cake with raspberry filling and chocolate icing that said "Happy Birthday Crisa" on it.  Besides the cake, there were also delicious German chocolate brownies, various candies, and the most fabulous mincemeat pies that the world ever tasted. All that food ... it was just like one of those Las Vegas all-you-can-eat buffets! As far as drinks go, there was an unlimited supply of beer, red and white wine plus Stephanie also supplied all the champagne that was sipped during the night which included the top quality stuff for the midnight toast. Everything was just perfect, reflected by the general level of merriment and jollity throughout the house!  

As well as the wonderful games room for pool and darts, many of us played bowling on the Nintendo Wii that was set up in the lounge while others enjoyed stimulating conversation. The music was awesome. Classic party songs all night, then "Auld Lang Syne" at the stroke of midnight followed by Kool & the Gang "Celebration," Pink "Get This Party Started," B52s "Love Shack," Kinks "You Really Got Me," and Shania Twain "Man, I Feel Like A Woman." We were all dancing like crazy fools, and by the time Sister Sledge "We Are Family" came on, the energy in the room was just electric. The fact that we were all covered with streamers from head to foot because of the huge case of party poppers that someone brought only made us look that much cuter! What an amazing night! Thank you to EVERYONE who contributed and made the evening so special.

Holiday Party a Huge Success!

December 15th 2007

It was the first official River City Gems social. It was also a fabulous Holiday Party! Our Hostesses Dianna and Jeri have a wonderful home and it made for a great backdrop to an exciting night. 26 people arrived bearing gifts for a gift exchange later in the evening. Our hostesses made home- made lasagna for everyone and the guests supplied the rest. There was ample food and drink for everyone. There was also lots of good music, lots of old friends and many new ones too. Vickey and her SO Lynn came all way up from Fresno just to be with us! At the end of the night we had a fun gift exchange where you take it in turns to either pick a gift from the tree or you can steal a gift from someone who has already picked and opened their present. Needless to say gifts were getting stolen left, right and center! A great night was had by all, so good in fact, that we decided to have another party but this time for New Year's Eve!

Small Dinner Party Turns into a Social - Almost!

November 17th 2007

It started with an idea for a small group of four friends, three of whom were from out of town, to have dinner en femme on a Saturday night. Then some Gems board members asked to join them. Then the dinner was casually mentioned on the new Gems Yahoo group and before you knew it there were 14 people who said they wanted to go! Gosh! this was rapidly turning into an unofficial first social! ..... and so it came to be that the board plus 8 other supportive friends all had dinner together in a downtown mainstream Thai restaurant. The restaurant has a private banquet room so we decided to make use of it. The food was delicious, the company was fantastic and the staff were very welcoming and happy to oblige us. After dinner about half of us decided to go on to the Mercantile bar for drinks and more conversation. It wasn't an official River City Gems social but it sure felt good to be with friends and be together as the newest TG group in town!

The River City Gems Are Ready to Shine!

November 9th 2007

November 2007 saw the birth of Northern California's newest social and support group for the transgender community -- the River City Gems! To learn more about us, tour our website. If we sound like something you want to be a part of, click here to join our Yahoo group. We'd love to get to know you.