Do you love your butt? Butts get a lot of criticism – fitness magazines promising routines to slim it down and make it firmer, undergarments to squeeze it into shape, common complaints that one’s butt is too big or too flat or too something.  And no one ever takes the phrase “look like a butt” as a compliment.  And yet when it comes to the spanking world, what is more important than the poor ol’ derrière.

What made me think about this was a conversation I had the other day with a friend. I had mentioned that while I’m incredibly pleased to be able to engage in a little more activity like a walk around the block now, I’m still frustrated that I can’t participate in all the activities and outdoor adventures I once did and that my surgical scars, though faded, still make me self conscious at times.  She said the best part of the body is not what it looks like or even what it is physically capable of achieving but how it allows us to experience the world through the senses.

This sounded like a “deep” and rather unusual concept to me.  When someone tastes really great food, do they think “wow, that’s an awesome slice of cake” or do they think ” wow, my tongue is awesome for being able to taste that cake”.  I’m guessing it’s the former.  But with spanking, physical sensation is a big part of the experience.  Spanking is about the emotional headspace of the scene AND the array of sensations on the bottom.  The sharp stings, deep thuds, the burn that steadily builds.  There’s the tingling of the over excited nerves, the feel of a cool, smooth paddle on heated skin, and the momentary comfort of a warm hand resting on your bottom before it’s used to deliver the next smack.

Have you ever paused to appreciate your butt for allowing you to experience spankings in this way? I didn’t before.  I had been more concerned with how much discipline it can endure, taking pride in being a tough bottom.  I don’t feel the same now.  Now I find the most pleasure in the interaction when I click with a partner, the occasional bit of humor in a scene, and the range of sensations during play aside from abject, limit reaching pain.  And for that, I must say thank you to both my mind and my butt.

When out in public, it isn’t always possible to sneak more than a quick swat on a clothed bottom in without raising question and concern from bystanders.  And usually the only implement at hand is well, the hand.  But fashion can provide bottoms with more protection than a layer or two of cloth.  Rhinestones and buttons on the back pockets of jeans give the top’s hand far more sting than the denim clad bottom might receive.  Brilliant!  Sass and brat away all you want and know your butt bling will keep your bottom safe!

Until you get home and those jeans can come down.  Then what?  Try out a second layer of glittery protection – rhinestone panties.  Unfortunately that may inspire the top to go straight to the bare, especially if the panties have a message like this.

But all is not lost!!!  There is one last thing to try.  Direct butt bedazzling.

(Note: this is not my butt, it’s a random picture I found online.)

Worth a shot right?  I just don’t recommend sitting down on a hard surface while decorated.

Tops, how do you deal with buttons, rhinestones, and the like on the seat of clothing?  Bottoms, have you ever purposely worn decorated clothing to interfere with a spanking?  I know of at least one person that did.

Top five signs of spring in Pixieville:

1. Tulips are blooming
2. Birds are chirping and hatchlings have just emerged from their shells (a finch built a nest on our porch, so cute!)
3. There’s enough pollen routinely stuck to my car to make it an entirely different color
4. The grass is long enough to be mowed
5. I can occasionally go outside WITHOUT having to dress in my winter down coat and fur lined boots!

When you’re watching a spanking scene, who do you tend to focus on – the spanker or the spankee? When I watch a video, I probably give 75% of my attention to the spankee and 25% to the spanker. Most of the time I empathize with the bottom and look to see if their reactions are on par with what I imagine my own would be if I were in her position. I will take note of the spanker, particularly if the spanker is a handsome male or a sharp witted female. Again, I’ll fantasize about myself in the place of the spankee and think about how the situation might unfold given my own emotion and pain tolerance.

I will on occasion imagine myself as the top. If the girl being spanked is someone that is just the right style of brat, I’ll practically want to leap through the screen and take care of business myself. And when the top is a female whom I admire, I’ll wish to emulate their style and demeanor.

When watching a scene, of course looks matter to some degree whether we’re talking about the top or the bottom since a video is a visual media format, but I think the attitude and emotion portrayed have a bigger impact on me in who I enjoy watching. I mean, sure I appreciate a hunky male top, refined female spanker, and adorable spankee, but I don’t care how attractive someone is, their demeanor can make them “ugly”. For example, for me, a top that goes beyond what’s reasonable, says “ten more” and then gives twenty-five, or appears to get smug satisfaction from delivering poorly placed smacks with all his might is going to be u-g-l-y in my book even if he were a male supermodel.

What are your thoughts on who you watch in a scene? Do you tend to focus in on the bottom, the top, or both equally? Do you try to mentally block out the top and zero in on the bottom only or do you enjoy the fly-on-the-wall point of view? Do you feel your answers are based on your role preference and gender?

(Btw, I fussed over whether the title should state ”who” or “whom” and even consulted Richard Windsor.  Whenever I blog, I think of Erica Scott reading my post and cringing over any grammatical errors.)

You’ve probably heard of the Czech tradition in which men and boys to spank women and girls with a braided stick made out of willow branches on Easter Monday.

These sticks, called a pomlazka, are symbolic of good luck, rebirth and freshness.

Typically the women award the men for spanking them- thus making them more fresh- with treats ranging from painted eggs, chocolate treats or shots of alcohol.

Now I can’t say I’m down with the idea of getting doused with water first, but otherwise, what a fun custom!  Pretty ribbons and (hopefully) light hearted, publicly acceptable spankings at every turn?  Count me in.  I don’t have any painted eggs or alcohol, but I’ll be happy to share my chocolates and other sugary treats.

I was a bit disappointed to run across this while doing my research:

“Boys used to make their own pomlázkas in the past. The more twigs, the more difficult it was to braid one. This skill is not widespread anymore and pomlázkas can be bought in stores and street stands. Some men don’t even bother and use a single twig or even a wooden spoon!”

Wooden spoons??? Tsk.  Look at that thing.  Not festive at all.  A wooden spoon should only be used for stirring up yummy food in the kitchen or for kindling for the fire.  Here’s a little diagram on how to braid your own pomlazka so you have no excuse to reach for the dreaded spoon.  Don’t forget to add the ribbons when you’re nearing the end!

The color red itself is a traditional Easter symbol.

“Red and other bright colors symbolize health, joy, happiness and new life that comes with the spring.”

Well I for one would like to see winter finally shoved aside in favor of spring already and who couldn’t use a little extra boost of health, joy, and happiness?  So for tradition’s sake, let’s redden up our surroundings starting with naughty bottoms.

So what do you think? Wouldn’t it be great to incorporate a little spanking into our Easter customs?  In fact, I think it would be amusing to have the spankings take place on the traditional Monday.  Imagine the fun and chaos that could ensue at
the office. 

To your health!

I know that certainly with foods, one’s pallet can change over time.  Canned Spaghetti-O’s are no longer a dietary staple and vegetables might be savored rather than slipped to the dog.  But what about in the world of spanking?  Have you found that your preferences have changed over time?

I’d say that my own spanking pallet has changed subtly and some strong preferences have softened as well.  I used to have no interest in topping at all but I now enjoy it.  My preference for super intense, bottom bruising play (first hand and in viewing) has been toned down significantly.  I appreciate the romantic aspect of spanking play between couples rather than always seeking disciplinary scenes.

I think perhaps these shifts are due to repeated exposure to different styles of spanking.  At first my reaction might have been “no way, not for me” but over time I picked up on some new elements that were to my liking and gradually grew to enjoy greater variety.  A bit of burnout may also have played a part and it’s refreshing to consider something new every once in a while.

What about you?  Have you noticed any changes with your own spanking preferences and styles over the years?  It could be anything from evolving from a spanker to a spankee, changes in preferred implements, or new favorite scenarios.  Share your thoughts!

Air travel can be a pain for anyone but may be particularly tough for the spanking enthusiast, both tops and bottoms alike. There are sometimes unique considerations that most travelers don’t have to think about and special planning may be necessary to make a trip go smoothly.

1. Sitting On A Sore Butt – For bottoms out there, a weekend of intense play at a party or with a long distance play partner can mean one tender bruised behind. Sure you want to feel the effects of your discipline and may enjoy squirming in your seat a bit after a spanking, but long flights may translate to more discomfort than you bargained for. There’s no place to stand and get relief in such tight quarters and shifting around constantly not only annoys fellow passengers but really doesn’t do much to alleviate the problem. What’s a tender tush to do?

- Sit on a soft pillow. Sure you may get a funny look, but I’m sure most passengers would agree that airplane seats aren’t the most comfortable to start with. Who’s to know you don’t have a tailbone injury or perhaps your legs otherwise go numb on long trips?
- Take a mild OTC pain reliever if you can. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of lingering soreness to enjoy later once it wears off.
- Wear comfortable pants or a flowing skirt. Now is not the time to pour yourself into tight jeans. Your bottom may be swollen and you don’t want to add to your distress by constricting the area.
- Prepare for the pain upon standing up again. No matter what you do, you’re going to feel a sudden surge of pain upon rising as your muscles shift and blood flow to the area increases. I always imagined my bottom decompressing and popping back into shape as the wave of pain hit.

2. Packing Your Toys – Perhaps you have an extensive toy collection and you want to bring many of your pieces with you. But with baggage restrictions, that may not be possible without a hefty fee. If you pack a separate toy bag you’ll be hit with a second bag charge. Go over on weight and you have to fork over a fee for that too. Talk about an “ouch”! Probably best to pick just a few favorites to bring along especially if you prized pieces are wooden paddles or large straps. Those things add up in weight quickly. And if you are attending a large party with vending, you may want to leave enough room in your bag for a few new toys to add to your collection.

You could also try taking your toys in your carry-on to avoid the fees, but that idea has its own issues.

3. Toys In the Carry-On – First, not everything is going to easily fit in a bag that has to be stowed under the seat or overhead compartment. I did once see a fellow party goer take an obvious disciplinary cane outside of a bag or other packaging as simply as if it were a fashionable walking cane. Perhaps only another spanking enthusiast would even give it a second glance.

A carry-on stuffed with every imaginable toy may raise an eyebrow of TSA as it passes through the scanner, but I’m sure they airport staff has seen way stranger things than spanking implements. That said, one time my bag was pulled aside for a more thorough search and I must have turned a hundred shades of red as a number of toys tumbled out including a hairbrush and a large paddle that had been decorated with paintings of bare, red upturned bottoms.

You see, they just don’t provide customized spanking related advisories like this on travel sites. Live and learn! Do you have any travel tips for the spanko on the go?

You know that old saying “always wear clean underwear … you might get hit by a truck” (or some variation to that effect)?  Pretty odd when you really think about it.  I mean really, that’s probably one of the last things to be concerned with in that situation.

However, I do suggest you keep your panties in mind should you ever be sent for an x-ray.  I learned this the hard way.  I had to go for a routine abdominal x-ray recently and assured the tech I had no metal zippers that would interfere with the image.  The image was taken and he came back in the room to ask if I had any body jewelry on that would make an unusual pattern.  I said I didn’t have anything pierced by my ears.  And then he asked if I had anything metallic on my underwear.

Cue me blushing the shade of ripe tomato.  I’d forgotten I was wearing a pair of cute panties with the words “Spank Me” written in rhinestones across the back and apparently they showed up clearly on the x-ray.

I’m sure I’m not the first person who’s done that, right?  Right????  Sigh.

Congratulations to Barsports!  We’ve decided to use your series of scene suggestions as the basis for this weekend’s shoot with a working title of Health Kick.

Thank you to everyone for all of your great ideas and comments.  I enjoyed your creative thoughts as well as the few real life experiences!  It’s always so helpful to hear feedback and  suggestions from fans as it gives us a better idea of what the viewing audience is looking for.

We’re putting a quick shoot together for next week with the lovely Joelle Barros and David Pierson.   Is there a particular scene or theme you’d like to see acted out?  We’d like to keep the storylines fairly simple to film since the shoot is being put together with short notice.

The filming will take place in a home environment so domestic themes work nicely as well as possibilities for Joelle to play a neighbor, a guest, personal chef, maid, and so on.  School or office themes would be harder to do since the setting just isn’t quite right.

If you have an idea for a scene or series of scenes, share it in the comments section.  We’ll be happy to send a free copy of the finished DVD for the winning submission.  Unfortunately due to the short notice of the shoot, I’ll need to have the ideas together by Thursday so get your suggestion in no later than Wednesday the 20th to be sure they are included for consideration.  Feel free to submit multiple entries.