Teri F.A.Q.

The 'Stats'

I'm a 5'2"ish (read: quite vertically challenged) female, with long red/blonde hair and dark green eyes (although I do wear colored contacts from time to time). I'll turn 37 on my next birthday and am just thrilled to death about it (/sarcasm). Happily divorced and gleefully child-free. An avowed introvert and web geek and boot freak and proud of it.

Who, What, Why, When, How?

Comic books. Blame (or credit) The Legion of Super Heroes when I was 6. I was a 'goth' in my teens (those of you under 23, look it up on Wikipedia), and into avant garde fashion. Still am.

Seriously though, I was always drawn to tall, high-heeled boots, leather, catsuits, corsets, and long gloves. Comics didn't get me into those things - I blew my allowance on the comics because I was fascinated with the artwork in the first place. I made a shiny gown out of black plastic garbage bags when I was 7 years old - strapless and skintight too! My mother was not impressed:). At 11, I idolized Debbie Harry and used my allowance to buy my first box of hair bleach. Mom - again - was anything but impressed and dragged me to her hairdresser. At 14, I dyed everything I owned black except for my hair - that went pink. At 15, I wanted platform boots like Stevie Nicks on the cover of Belladonna. Mom gave up and rolled her eyes for a few years. The nose ring really pissed her off though.

It was as if 'being different' was hardwired. It should be noted that I have a younger stepsister - that I had no influence during her teen years whatsoever - who did the EXACT same thing when she was growing up. I swear, it's somehow genetic. I've been nagging her for years to do a Bootlovers photo shoot but she's a college professor now, so don't count on it:).

I'm pretty sure the reason I was obsessed with growing my hair so outrageously long was because of the amount of grief I received in my teens for having 'weird' hair. Very long hair is still almost freakishly weird (how often do you see it in fashion mags?), but still almost socially acceptable. Therapists are welcome to chime in - I'm not a Scientologist:). The only reason it's not down to my knees now is because I started to bleach it again - bad decision. It'll be back to red and covering my ass again soon enough. I've never been a soccer mom type and refuse to ever look like one.

And yes, those of you with a sharp eye for detail will notice my tattoos - even though I do a very good job of hiding them in photo shoots. I hide my tattoos because I've learned the hard way that some judge me because of them. It really bugs me when people judge others based on something like their hair color, or whether or not they have tattoos, or how they dress. Statistics say that 35% of people have tattoos - and while there's plenty of idiots with tattoos, there's many more idiots who do not have them.

I'm not a stupid, sleazy person - people who would believe I am all because I have tattoos really need to get over this prejudice. If I didn't feel the resentment, I'd wear clothing that showed them in photoshoots for once.

Anyway, I actually know where my long glove fetish came from: my grandmother. She loved them too, and used to let me try her collection on when I was a little girl. You guys would have loved her - she was a dead-ringer for Rita Hayworth back in the day - tall, redhead, alabaster skin, light blue eyes, and built in a way that causes automobile accidents - and she never left the house without red lipstick, perfume, a fur coat, and high heels. What a fabulous influence, eh? She bought me my first leather jacket when I was twelve, and used to let me sneak out to rock concerts and give me money for cab fare back to her house.

I have no doubt whatsoever that if she were still around, she'd be volunteering for the webcam - and you guys would request her more than me.

So if any of you had this fantasy of Teri being the 'girl next door' who just happened to be into kinky dressing...um, no. Unless the girl next door had a mohawk and kept you up at night playing her Bad Religion records. I was never the 'girl next door' stereotype - I'm the weird artsy chick you meet at 4 a.m. in some goth afterhours club. You'd never take me home to your mom unless you have serious issues best dealt with by a professional.

For the record, my mom has seen the site and thinks it's fabulous:). It took her several years to come around, but she no longer judges a person by their appearance.

Do you prefer Leather? Latex? Vinyl?

Oh, definitely leather - my leather fetish goes back to childhood. I tend to lose interest in a leather piece after it has lost its scent though (a few spritzes with warm water can help drag this out). Still, once I'm 'done' with a piece, it tends to hang in the back of one of my closets. I don't have the heart to sell it or give it away, but I have no desire to wear it again. Right now, members see about 1/4 of my wardrobe because of this mental glitch.

As if having a leather fetish isn't expensive enough as it is! My brain is wired to get bored with things!

Latex. I like latex very much, although I tend to enjoy it on other people more. I think whatever aversion I have comes from spending most of my life with a longer than average hair length. Long hair and rubber do not mix well - if you've ever tried to pull a rubber top over your head, you know this. Try it when almost ever movement yanks your hair out!

That being said, there are things a designer can do with latex that can never be accomplished with leather. I do love latex catsuits (and am in desperate need of a new one since I went into a chlorine saturated pool with the old one, and left it by the side of the pool - for two days) and the 'high fashion' latex designs created by a few of the more creative designers. No, I'm not currently into any of the US-based latex designers - sorry. You are welcome to send me links to new latex companies to change my mind though.

Vinyl. The only time I enjoy vinyl is when it's a head-to-toe, skin tight, gorgeous outfit - like a high quality, 4-way stretch catsuit, with corset, long gloves, and tall, shiny boots. THEN I enjoy PVC. It's just that vinyl is so (righteously) associated with bad quality, and an ill-fitting wardrobe. I hate baggy and/or awkward fitting clothing! I know that vinyl *can* work - it just has to be really well done.

What never gets asked of me but I'll offer it up anyway: two of my main fetishes are cashmere and angora. I'm a sucker for soft, fluffy sweaters. An angora dress will make me swoon. Ed Wood would be proud of me.

An exception for gloves: While I have a few pairs of high-quality vinyl gloves (stressing the 'high-quality' - they have to be skintight and well-made), gloves have to be leather. I have no interest in those cheap faux satin or silk lingerie-type jobs that are all over Ebay. I have seen a few pairs of lovely black lace opera gloves though - very 1940's movie star - and may add them to the collection at some point. No offense to the people who adore silk and/or satin gloves - they're just not my thing.

Does Teri have a 'wishlist'?

Not a public one. I've thought about posting a wishlist many, many times - even my Amazon list - but the fear of being perceived as 'mercenary' stops me. FAR too many women are into this 'business' just to get free stuff, and I don't want to be known as one of them. Several wonderful members have bought me pieces over the years - and all are appreciated - but I do not demand or 'nag' - that would be rude.

That being said...do I have a wishlist? Oh HELL yeah. Like as in if I won a lottery tomorrow, I'd probably burn through it in a year and need to buy more tickets. I need pony boots, for instance. Something from Jean Gaborit and 6" Heels Forever because I feel a little silly pushing the companies when I've only heard about them second hand. I'm a sucker for any haute couture label, and droll over vintage boots on Ebay. I have at least two dozen custom boot and glove designs floating in the front of my brain 24/7. And that doesn't even start on the wardrobe fantasies.

You'd think that boot companies would be lining up for the free publicity - especially with the webcam - but (sighing...), no. Considering that the entire popularity of the 'Berger Boot' design - first ripped off by Little Shoe Box and now grabbed by Jean Gaborit - came from me? (sighing again...) - I'd like to think I know what I'm doing boot design wise. Next time I draw something for a bootmaker, I'm putting a damned 'TM' on it! Seriously, I'm really pissed about bootmakers blatantly stealing my designs - and not even giving credit.

Do you own Bootlovers?

I own 45% of it - enough that I'm not 'an employee'. I do all of the design, programming, and graphics, while D.J. does the writing and most of the photography. I suck at photography and writing for the masses so this is a good thing. D.J. and I agree 90% of the time on what goes into an issue - the other 10% we fight out. If things run late, it's either because (a) I was trying to 'do something' that didn't work, or (b) D.J. was running late because of DDI or travel. We're equal opportunity screw-ups at times.

To the few who ask: I'm a self-taught web designer. I played with Photoshop and memorized html until it worked for me - I'm still playing with stuff. If my harddrive crashes - which regular members know has happened a few times in the history of the site - I kick my tower and call a 19-year-old to tell me how to fix it. Really, I know next to nothing about computers other than I used to read a lot more before they were a part of my life.

I use Dreamweaver 4 and Photoshop 7 to design bootlovers, along with freebie gif animators for the banners. Unless you are willing to fly in to my house to set up Linux or whatever software that gets you hard - I don't want to hear about it. I'd love to be a hardcore geek - but 90% of our members are on Windows machines using I.E. - deal with it.

The 'Booted Up' blog is all me - D.J. has nothing to do with it - so if something on there pisses you off, emailing him won't do diddily squat. His secretary will just forward it on to me with a smiley face and she and I will have a silent mutual agreement to laugh at you. That being said, while I had hoped the blog would help bootlovers.com, it seems to work in the other direction - it's hurting our paysite. Let this be a lesson to the other boot paysites that copy everything we do: blogs are the 'suck it bitch' fallacy of paysites. So depending on how bootlovers does over the next couple of issues, the blog will either survive or be yanked. I'd rather NOT yank it but we'll see. I may have started it but the decision to end it is not necessarily mine.

In other words, if you enjoy the blog, support it by purchasing a bootlovers issue. It's worth your while - you haven't even begun to see my Christina Milian photo collection.

Where does Teri get her boots?

Over 95% of my boots come from a now defunct London business called The Little Shoe Box. I can't say 'sadly defunct' because most of us who bought from LSB wanted to murder them most of the time. They were rather...'tardy'... when it came to deliveries, if they got around to delivering at all. The others are either vintage: Ableman Trading Co. mostly, or from well known designers and not hard to track down. Emailing me for sources is really pointless - either the current sources are linked on the site/blog, or they are no longer available. If anything changes on that - I will post about it immediately.

The majority of the gloves are from Gaspar Gloves of Los Angeles. Do an Ebay search - you'll find her and tell her Hi! for me. Apparently she once said that I'm her best customer - because of members buying gloves to have sent to me:).

This whole 'Little Shoe Box' worship that has grown via Ebay since they went out of business - namely the ridiculous prices - can you guys just stop it? Stop bidding. LSB's quality was 'decent', nothing more. It was always hit or miss with the leather quality. Seriously - if the bids get up to the $400 point? Save your cash and order a pair of boots from Glamour Boots or Afterdark Fashions - the quality and fit will be better - and you'll be giving your money to nice, sincere people who will take care of you. Don't let LSB become this 'mythic thing' - they did not earn that right, imo.

The Webcam & Chatroom

I do my best to appear at least two hours a week on my webcam. Honestly, it's a total amateur thing - I yawn, stretch, and drag my pale ass out of bed (I'm a late - very late, like 4 in the afternoon late - sleeper), and stare at my boot boxes and closet until the mental lightbulb goes off, drag everything needed out into my main loft space, plug in the cam and balance it on an end table - and turn it on at the announced the time. It's probably the least contrived cam on the web. It's not a 'show' by any means - I wear the boots and whatever outfit I've chosen that day because I want to. Occasionally it's by request but it has to be a request I enjoy. The day I feel like a performing monkey is the day pull the plug.

D.J. and I have discussed paying a model to wear boots to fill in for me from time to time - mainly because there are times I have to cancel because 'real life' gets in the way. It's never worked out though - again, most of the girls are too 'mercenary', or know nothing about boots. We're always on the lookout though. I'm not possessive of the cam at all - if the right woman would step up, I'd happily share it with her.

Wardrobe

Keeping in mind the whole 'I'm bored with leather that doesn't smell like leather anymore" thing...52 pairs of boots, 38 pairs of gloves, 12 catsuits, 8 corsets, 16 leather jackets/coats, 3 leather dresses, 4 pairs of leather pants, 9 leather skirts of varying lengths, a few latex pieces (girdle, bolero jacket, bras, skirts), even fewer PVC pieces (a falling apart because it's gone through the laundry too many times catsuit, tank top, bra, a few pair of PVC jeans that will never fit me again unless I get cancer), over a dozen vintage lingerie 'one piece' girdle get-ups/slips (I love them). Three furs. Also, a lot of hats. Nine pairs of spurs/boot straps. Seriously - I'm bored of 3/4's of this list, and they rarely get worn. And nagging like an old woman won't accomplish anything so save the email. It's like an aversion - once I'm 'off' a piece, that's it - I have no interest in wearing it again.

Didn't you have more boots...?

Yes - in California. Giving up several pairs was part of the deal for me moving to New York City. I have a common boot size (8 1/2 US), and left several pairs behind with D.J. in case any of our models wanted to... 'model' them. Most of our models are based in Los Angeles - I'm guessing it's a wannabe actress thing - a morning drive for D.J., a different time zone for me - so I gritted my teeth and gave up the pairs I didn't wear that much or didn't fit me right.

I didn't give up ANY pairs of gloves though, because I fought like HELL for it. Total feminazi bitch mode. Giving up gloves would be unreasonable.

Can I meet you?

Well..maybe, but probably not. I've met with several of our members in the past and am open to meeting more - BUT - the only ways you have a hope in hell are to (a) be a regular participant in my chatroom for months and/or (b) be a longtime regular contributor to bootlovers or, (c) be a longtime friend of D.J.'s and a respected 'name' within the fetish scene, or (d) be female and/or a non-swinger-type couple. Sorry - but genetic females only; and I have an almost pathological aversion/hatred towards the swing scene because of a previous relationship, so if I even get the slightest spidey-sense that a couple who wants to meet me has that as a motive? Don't even go there. Kicked to the curb with extreme prejudice. I hold women to a different standard - so sue me for being sexist. I'm always up for meeting other women into boots - as long as it's HER thing, not some boyfriend with fantasies behind the scenes. I'm pretty good at sniffing that out.

Most importantly...(e)...I have to like you. As I stated in the opening paragraph, I'm a proud introvert (a much unfairly maligned word) - I'd rather spend dinner with an awkward Battlestar Galactica fan compared to a redbull and vodka entertainment lawyer extrovert type who never shuts up. Extroverts give me a headache.

If I'm a little cautious, well...D.J. and I have had to deal with stalkers in the past. This includes one that showed up in Palm Springs - when I lived there - in full drag - calling and showing up at D.J.'s office - repeatedly - demanding to know my home address. And I've had a few...'interesting'...email exchanges over the years. Most of which that started completely 'normal'. It comes with the territory, I guess. One rather notorious one that I shared with my chatroom regulars and several other 'boot webmistresses' - the guy who flies out to major aircraft disasters in the hopes of removing footwear from the victims. Yes, I'm serious - he was (is) at that level of "WTF?!?" and questioning the sanity of human race as the sun is coming up with a cigarette and a strong drink in your hand. I tried to be sympathetic with him - as sick as it was (is), the pathology was rather fascinating - but he pushed it WAY too far when I found out he pulled his shit with an airline disaster I had family members involved in (Swiss Air 400 - my mother played the organ at the victims' families church services). THAT was the end of researching 'pathologies' for me and a hard lesson. No more entertaining the crazies. It takes too much of an emotional toll on me.

And don't even get me started on the mannequin guy...

So if a few of us webmistresses are a little jumpy and hate to check email...let's just say the few ruin in for the many.

While I'm on the subject: email. I'm notoriously AWFUL at it. If you hope to instigate and/or maintain an email relationship with me, you will be sorely disappointed. The main reason why? Again - a few ruining it for the many. I *dread* checking email because there's always that one guy - the one who you would righteously beat the hell out of if he went near your kid sister - in there, starting bullshit and mental grief. D.J. tells me to 'just ignore them' but my psychological make-up doesn't work that way. If someone threatens and/or wigs out on me, or goes on a hate-rant about the site, I take it personally. It upsets me, and scares me away from the email box for awhile.

I was actually quite empathetic towards the obsessive-types when the site started - but then too many of them crossed the line into batshit crazy; I lost my patience and now try to cut off all communication. I've corresponded with far too many of them in the past - so I'm MORE than a little wary at this point.

So if you want to meet me: be an intelligent, personable, relatively sane, person. Chat with me in the chatroom, tell me about yourself. Realize that if I do decide to meet up with you - it's not a 'date'. I won't dress in head-to-toe fetish to turn you on. I'm not looking for a boyfriend, photographer, slave, or boytoy - or even if I am, I will do the choosing and announce auditions. It'll be a friendship thing - if you are (honestly) seeking something more, please do not pursue it because you will be disappointed. I'm not the type.

I'm hoping (probably against hope) that those statement cut back on my incoming email by a good 20%. I doubt it though.

Favorite Things (other than boots, gloves, and fetish)

Regular readers of my blog know: Astronomy. Even Phil Plait (Mr. Bad Astronomy himself) has posted in the comments because of the noticed hits to his blog - and I giggled as if he were rock star when I read his posts!! I study Astronomy and Cosmology obsessively, and hope to someday get a degree in the subject. If I believed I could get away with it, I'd have the first boot fetish and astronomy blog on the web!

Cirque du Soleil and the circus arts - contortion, aerial performances, and acrobatics. Rhythmic gymnastics. Ice skating. Collecting books. Perfumes (floral and oriental). Vintage hair pieces (combs, barrettes, tiaras, etc.).

Non-Fetish Stuff

Music? Probably a lot of stuff you have never heard of. Once upon a time, I was a late-night D.J. at a university radio station - so when I say 'alternative', it doesn't mean Nirvana. A lot of early industrial and goth bands. Punk. Darkwave. Neo-folk. Soundtracks. Einsturzende Neubauten, Sisters of Mercy, Current 93, Death in June, Legendary Pink Dots, Coil, Boards of Canada, Henry Rollins, Skinny Puppy, etc. I do love The Twilight Singers, Afghan Whigs, Tool, Marilyn Manson, Eminem, and A Perfect Circle though. Nick Cave has been a favorite and a total girl-crush since forever. I'm also a sucker for early 80's new wave.

And don't even get me started on my Rush and ABBA fetishes...I have every record from both. And know the lyrics. How many women do you know can flip from singing Subdivisions to The Day Before You Came without missing a beat?

Film? Again, a lot of indie stuff. Wings of Desire (my all-time favorite), Memento, Donnie Darko, Begotten, Downfall, 2001, the Kill Bills, Dark City, Jackie Brown, The Hours, Monster, Trainspotting, Hero, The Sweet Hereafter, Videodrome, Shaun of the Dead, Requiem for a Dream. Anything by David Lynch. I'll sit on a sidewalk overnight for a ticket to his films.

TV? Battlestar Galactica, Farscape, 24, The Shield, Doctor Who, Nip/Tuck (guilty pleasure), Lost, Adult Swim (late night Cartoon Network). Any of the Law & Orders are like meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy - comfort TV. i think I've seen every episode of every series at least three times. And why doesn't Mariska Hargitay wear more boots? She really should.

Haven't I see you before...?

Oh you mean the Diana Balance thing? D.J. and I used to keep my previous 'identity' under wraps - for very legit reasons. D.J. runs the top prodom advertising magazine in the world, and I used to be a regular advertiser in that magazine in the 1990's. To have internet gossip and innuendo spreading like wildfire - as it does - would be unfair to him. I have never had anything to do with DDI Magazine - not a thing - but we didn't want to risk silly rumors. They still spread anyway.

We really don't care so much now, but I've always made a clear distinction between the two personalities. Both are very real, but they do not necessarily get along with each other. My work with Bootlovers takes priority - Diana is something that gives a NYC prodom house 'a name' to advertise. I'm rather cynical about the prodomming thing at this point, and have very little patience for the stupidity and egos involved with that scene. To put it bluntly: I'm over it. That I was ever known as a 'top Domme' is rather silly as far as I'm concerned. I'd like to think I have more to offer than putting a price on my fetishism.

Not to dwell on the negative though - my experiences, back then, exposed me to the top people in the scene. Do you think someone at the level of D.J. would have given me the time of day otherwise? While I entered the business with an open mind, it introduced me to people and situations that I would have otherwise never met. It taught me empathy, and patience. Not a bad thing overall.

What you don't know about me...

I was once stopped in Santa Monica and asked if I would consent to having photos taken of my eyes. Apparently 'dark green' is an unusual color ('Pisces eyes' - which is dumb because astrology is for morons), and this contact lens VP type wanted pictures.

I've been to an Emmy Awards as a guest of a nominee. And yes, I wore boots and gloves.

I once - many years ago - worked in the wrestling circuit as a 'ring girl'. Even if I had pictures, it would be an age violation. Mom came to a show, watched it, and made me quit. Immediately. And (righteously) directed almighty hell towards my 'wrestler' uncle. She showed remarkable restraint - if I had a 15-year-old daughter dressing like me, I would have blown up Uncle Ron's car.

I'm saving for a solar telescope.

I own two pairs of high-heeled shoes. One pair of pumps and one pair of open-toed sandals. Both have 4" heels. Shoe fetishists should be very disappointed in me.