Anna Valentina

Show and Tell, College-Level

2011-05-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

I gave an interview recently to a PSU grad student for her human sexuality class. Next week, I'll be addressing that class as a guest speaker. I'm told that I can bring some toys if I like (grin).

I wonder what kind of questions I'll get?

Dental Inspiration

2011-05-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

During my dental visit a couple of days ago, the hygienist tucked a hard plastic wedge between my upper and lower molars to help me keep my mouth open. I thought, "Hmm, a couple of those could be used for other purposes..."

With a spray bottle of spring water (or, ahem, golden liquid ;) to hydrate the sub's tongue periodically as they are helplessly open-mouth-restrained. Aren't I considerate?

New website update, May/9/2011

2011-05-11T00:21:00.000-07:00

My site has gotten a little work: some snappy new writing, and a return to a light text/dark background scheme. Regular readers will notice a more congruous color scheme between site and blog. I'm happy with the reflection of myself carried in this writing; I always aim to capture some of the stark grace of my scenes.

I hope everything reads effortlessly and loads quickly. Feel free to comment/email me if otherwise.

Presenting At DomCon 2011: Part 2

2011-05-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

I have found a lovely demo dolly for my class, and turning my thoughts toward wardrobe and makeup selection is already beginning to excite me.

I get sensory flashes of corset strings taut in my fingers, of creamy lipstick swirled onto a brush, then stroked onto surrendering lips. My mind's eye focuses on the quivering backs of feminized legs that taper, stockinged, to gleaming, precariously high-heeled shoes... and my riding crop, ever ready to correct missteps or awkwardness.

I am planning only a few, incredibly focused days in Los Angeles, the better to curate my experiences to a gem-quality handful.

This is going to be fun.

Presenting At DomCon 2011

2011-04-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

Big news, dear readers: I have been selected as a Featured Presenter for DomCon 2011!

My workshop, "Femme Fantasies: Crossdressing, from Sweet to Slutty," will be at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 21st. Check the official site of DomCon L.A. for full location and schedule information. I'm planning to cover some philosophy and techniques for crossdressers and the women who wish to understand/control them.

This will mark my first time presenting at a convention, but I've been working up to this for a long time. I'm excited to finally cross the line from the informal individual/small-group coaching I've done to a more formal, larger-group class structure.

If you're attending DomCon, I welcome you to come to my class! And if you're available on that Saturday, and are brave enough to get primped and turned out in front of a group of likeminded ladies and gurls, volunteer to be my demo bottom (email address on my website, or comment here).

See you at DomCon!

Governess Knows Best

2011-02-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

Note: The following is a snippet of a very intense encounter, including a mention of blood. Boundaries were explicitly negotiated, and both players are experienced in handling heavy scenes. Please take care, and play safely.

He had been summoned because of a quite juvenile infraction: He had been caught peeping at me through the door crack while I dressed. He was clearly a fully-grown man, so as his former governess, I was obligated to correct him for his unseemly breach of boundaries.

Thus was the premise for our role play, and his discipline.

He had to specifically acknowledge why he was there, and express his sincere gratitude for the discipline he was receiving. I explained seriously that it was inappropriate to have ogled me - and worse, to have been caught! Like a common, drooling schoolboy. He had to make up this indignity. Surely I had taught him better, and the only way to truly rectify his mistake was to take his discipline humbly and fully.

I commanded him to fetch each implement, and contemplate its heft and painful potential while I watched closely. I know each tool very well, exactly what it can do, and when to introduce it.

There was the London Tanners strap of double-thickness leather, and the rectangular oak paddle signed to me by Jennifer Brooks. The punishment quirt, braided like a bullwhip but with two thick thongs for tails, and the hard wooden spoon.

He counted aloud each blow with gasping concentration. After some measured, firm strokes, I began to give my arm full, glorious swing.

I paced it slowly, not allowing him the luxury of numbness from sensory overload, and lacing each set with precise scolding (my favorite).

My own skin began to hum, listening to his determined acceptance, and that exquisite symbiosis buoyed me into further cruelties.

I love the cane. I love precision. I absolutely adore getting into small spots with sadistic intent.

My favorite cane is made of clear polycarbonate (the same material as bulletproof windows). Smooth frosted finish and a black rubber grip, luscious weight and flex. Its swing is incredibly sexy... and, it's sterilizable.

Before I was finished, his skin ceased to be a barrier against blood. A few tiny breaks in his hide were hardly going to excuse him from his just deserts - he was decidedly within his tolerance limits. So I wrapped his bottom in a triple layer of plastic food wrap and proceeded with the rest of the discipline.

At the end, he stood slowly and thanked me in a soft, warm voice full of gratitude.

How can my heart not swell with pleasure?

Who Are You... And Who Do You Wish To Be?

2010-10-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

On what do we base our recognition of ourselves?

Gender and appearance: If I take you from hulking everyguy to restrainedly feminine, how does that change what personality traits and thoughts pop forth?

Social roles: What happens when I take those from you, not allowing you control or responsibility? When you don't have to account for, or explain, those dissonant urges that crash against the walls of your upright citizenship?

To one imminent subject: "You look up, into the mirror, and the sight of this... creature... completely disorients you. You raise a hand (it can't possibly be yours - is it?) to touch the face. The hours you have spent being stripped, encased, arranged, reduced, seem but a memory: Who are you now?"

Well?

Utah Rox Is International Mr. Olympus Leather

2010-09-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the new titleholder! I met this tall drink of leather at DomCon a couple of years ago, and enjoyed his wit and wickedness through that weekend. Of course, being impeccably uniformed in leather and issue police shirts, Sam Browne belt, leather pants, and motorcycle-cop boots (*pant pant*) does help to cement an impression - that's like an arrow of fetish candy straight to my brain.

Guess what Mr. Rox used to do for a living?

Achilles, I've Got Your Heel

2010-08-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

So I had this tall, muscular, fit, ex-military guy cuffed and stretched out on the bondage bed. I'd been whipping his back for about an hour and a half, and the heat rising from his skin warmed my arm from four inches away. Every lash was rewarded with a yell, then a deep, hungry groan as he stretched toward me, offering me his firm, meaty shoulders and back in a wordless plea for more.

It was when I was roping his thighs apart that it occurred to me: "Are you ticklish?" I asked him. He immediately responded that he was, but added, "I hate being tickled!" As soon as he heard my laughter, he realized what he'd just armed me with, and scrambled to recant. But it was too late - I had already begun to lightly scratch with my gloved fingertips on his soles, ankles, and the backs of his knees. Nervous expectation, but no involuntary tension, meant no ticklishness there.

Then I moved up, to his waist. A slight exhale; I was on the right track. A little higher, and forward, to the ribs. He started to crack: stifled giggles, reflexive tension in the abs. Now up to the armpits. Dynamite! He exploded in helpless laughter and as much writhing as the bonds would allow (not much). Within five seconds he wailed such a heartfelt, "Oh! MERCY, MISTRESS!" that I had to cease my torment because I was laughing so hard.

Which, I suppose, is a goal. Delicious distress frequently makes me laugh, and when I am amused, I am pleased with my pet. So there you go - suffer entertainingly, and you will be sure to be invited back.

Behind Closed Doors

2010-08-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

About Behind Closed Doors: I've had so many incredible moments during play that I now want to share. First, to savor them, and to give you a sense of what I love about what I do; and second, because fetish films often do not, cannot, convey that intimacy and sheer chemistry. May my recollections bring you a taste of those pleasures.

They chatted amiably as Mozart shimmered in the background. She tilted her head, the light flashing off her rosy lips and sharp dark eyes as she spoke. At this close distance, the minutest reaction would not escape her notice.

Her leather-gloved fingers clamped around his nipples, slowly released, pulled, twisted... Every now and then he stiffened and gasped silently, eyes wide and helpless, when her nails dug in, or when she ground his swollen nips almost flat between her cruelly strong fingers. When the steely hold softened and withdrew, he collapsed against the bondage bed, a grin of wonder spreading his mute lips.

He told her over and over how special, how wonderful she was. She smiled, laughed, thanked him - then gave his nipples an extra wrench just to hear him stop in mid-sentence. She loved granting and taking away the power of speech, and he was in no position to object.

He could only offer himself, and hope that she would find him worth her amusement...

July 3rd Hollywood Bondage Ball

2010-07-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

My colleague Julie Simone, the busty, Amazonian, award-winning bondage legend, will be performing at the L.A. Bondage Ball tonight! [Bondage Ball link plays music when opened.]

Mistress Simone has a very special 21st birthday planned for her toy, RubberNecro, involving latex and suspension (I hear there will be some sort of cake, too). If you're in Los Angeles, go check out the performances, sexy music, dungeon play stations, and other temptations.

It's (Becoming) Official: Kink is NOT a Diagnosis!

2010-02-16T16:15:00.002-08:00

From the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom:

"In the new proposals for the DSM-V, alternative sexual behavior has been depathologized. The American Psychiatric Association's Paraphilias Subworkgroup's DSM revisions acknowledge that you can be a fetishist, transvestite, sexual sadist or sexual masochist without having a mental disorder. NCSF has worked very hard with its DSM Revision Project to make sure these changes take place, and will continue to strongly advocate for clear language of what exactly constitutes a mental disorder."

Read the rest of the story, with links to the publicly viewable proposed changes, on the NCSF site.

Goodnight, David Aaron Clark

2009-11-29T21:27:00.000-08:00

David Aaron Clark passed away of a pulmonary embolism at around 4 p.m. yesterday afternoon. He was 49.

From AVN:

Clark's untimely demise came just three days after he received multiple nominations in the 2010 AVN Awards race for his latest epic, Pure, which also happened to be his very first project for Evil Angel.

I only met David on a few occasions, but some of my friends were quite close to him. His loss is being felt throughout the adult industry.

Goodnight, David.

My Identity Box, or Yours?

2009-11-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

Patrick Califia takes aim at our attachment to labels: "Do we lose something when we polarize certain behaviors or desires and think of them as opposites? Well, of course!"

"... But humans are such tricky and complicated animals that every time we think we understand ourselves and have a way to describe it, we defeat our own wisdom, slip out of the boxes, and turn into something else."

Thank goodness for that.

MaxCita

2009-11-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

The great MaxCita has been making restrictive gear since 1985 (check out the "Inside-Out" straitjacket). They have some gorgeous heavy-duty gasmasks based on military masks, with hand-poured latex transforming them into a heavy rubberist's dream.

I've always wanted a denim sleepsack... lined in horsehair. Punishing a slave would be a simple matter, then.

How long do you think you would last with every bit of your naked skin tormented by itchy hair? How hard would you beg, what would you desperately agree to, for me to stay my hand and spare you The Bag?

Kinky King Latex

2009-11-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

Kinky King Latex has some unique latex bondage gear (check out the "gimp sack"). They're U.S.-based and very reasonably priced.

Their gear can be made in a variety of heavier-gauge thicknesses, including 1.2 mm. Imagine your entire torso encased in a rubber straitjacket as thick as a belt... YUM.

Axsmar

2009-11-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

About Link Library: I have amassed a huge collection of kinky links, and I've decided to dig into my personal bookmark folders and share the wealth. It'll be mostly suppliers of fetish gear and clothing, but also some lifestyle groups and educational resources. Enjoy!

I found this fantasy-inducing metal bondage gear site, Axsmar (courtesy of SexNShoes.com). Love the arm traps, the simple and elegant spreader bars, and the unique cross cuffs.

Travel Update

2009-11-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

I will be in San Francisco from November 18th to November 21st, then Los Angeles from November 22nd to November 28th.

I will be taking sessions in both cities, with priority given to established clients. My time in SF is scarce, but I will be catching up with some Mistress friends and possibly touring dungeons, so stay tuned for details.

The playspace I'll be using in Los Angeles is one of the most beautifully equipped, private spaces in the metro area, and was featured in DDI magazine's "Domina Files" series. It has three rooms, two St. Andrew's crosses, a sling, bondage table with cage base, Fetters spanking bench, and more.

Be sure to book early for time and equipment/wardrobe requests. Those of you who have been quietly following me for years: this is your opportunity to serve me in person!

Until then, my lovelies...

RACK vs. SSC

2009-11-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

The play party is in full swing. You're standing by a bondage cross, watching a handcuffed sub take thirteen strokes of the cane, when a tall, dark-haired woman strides up to you.

"You look new. What is your name?" she asks in a silken voice.

Once you've both introduced yourselves, she leads you to a quiet corner to talk. She's interested in playing with you, and you'd love to submit, but you're nervous about disappointing her. She asks if you have experience with ________ , and you don't, but you're curious, and you want to try. So you lie and say, "Oh, once or twice... it was a while ago... it'll be fine."

If she proceeds without making sure you know all the risks, are you truly consenting? If you withhold information from her, is she truly consenting?

Consent is a fundamental part of the kinky credo, hence RACK and SSC (Risk-Aware, Consensual Kink, and Safe, Sane, and Consensual). BDSM is powerful stuff, and to get the most out of play, we have to respect it, ourselves, and each other.

Play smart, have fun!

Tell Lita Ford and The Stockroom Your Fantasy

2009-11-10T13:10:00.001-08:00

The Stockroom is having a Fantasy Fiction Essay Contest. The theme is "Wicked Wonderland", and the top prize is a guitar signed by Lita Ford. Runners-up get prizes from the Stockroom.

My no-holds-barred playground would have lots of attachment points for chains and ropes, plenty of rubber, good drainage... and a central courtyard suitable for exhibitions. The rest of the luscious details are for me to know, and you to feverishly imagine.

How would you describe your kinky dream in five hundred words or less?

BDSM: Ripe for Reality Television

2009-10-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

This is a great idea.

I was approached about being the subject of a reality show a few years ago. I declined, for the obvious privacy reasons, but I think it would be enormous fun to be part of a competitive domination reality show!

I'm already thinking of the viewing parties a show of this kind would inspire.

Hollywood Kink

2009-05-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!... ahem. Pardon me. I was tickled by this entry on a gay porn star's blog (via Fleshbot). It seems that he was called upon for the ultimate "Dear Penthouse": a twisted little forced-bi humiliation scene starring a famous Hollywood face.

"Onward Christian Soldiers", indeed.

Jennifer Brooks: Hot Spankings.com

2009-05-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

I've just received copies of my Jennifer Brooks movies, "Auntie Ann's Discipline", and "Never Ignore Your Wife". Both are sizzling depictions of hardcore domestic discipline: seriously, have you ever had your asshole whipped by an angry young disciplinarian? How about having your ass beaten so hard that she has to drape a towel across your calves to keep you from dripping on the carpet? (Yes, the marks and blood are real.)

Do NOT delay! Get these movies now, because Jennifer Brooks, one of the legends of domestic spanking, is retiring. After she folds shop, you will not be able to get these movies featuring me, Persephone, Aiden Starr, Kat9, and a multitude of other gorgeous, hard-hitting women, ever again!

This is the stuff that makes spanking dreams. Jennifer's retirement is the end of a twenty-year era, and if I were you, I'd hustle over to secure my bit of spanking history now.

Moving On...

2009-04-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

Since my last substantial blog entry, I have relocated to Portland, Oregon... yes! I know!

Why? Well, I suppose the briefest answer is: wanderlust. To be less brief: I had such good memories of my time in Boston that I wanted to see if I could do it again, if I could leap headlong into a brand-new city and catch myself, midair.

I've not been taking sessions for the last few months, while I settle. Rather, I have been enjoying myself - and delectable sub toys - at play parties, club nights, dinner parties, and munches. A little mentoring and networking, volunteering with a charitable organization, and joining a chamber-music group have taken up odd free moments.

Now I'm ready to start playing.

I have my equipment and wardrobe at my fingertips, and access to the most beautiful playspace in Portland.

Come, join me. Let's create some unforgettable moments of kink!

Happy Birthday

2009-02-01T16:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to me!

A Call To Dream

2008-06-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

I am a geeky idealist clenching my (gloved, lubed) fist against the dehumanizing disappointments of the modern world.

This is my battle cry.

Dreams (from xkcd.com)

- MAV

Knowledge In, Knowledge Out

2008-06-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

Well! My time away from this blog has been enjoyably chock-full, but one has to put down the crop sometime.

DomCon LA was May 7-11; the fifth anniversary of "America's Premier Professional and Lifestyle Domination Convention", and, yes, Mother's Day weekend. Joining me for her first 'Con was my new friend Domina Gabriella. We took a breath and plunged in: three days of workshops, panel discussions, and networking from morning to evening, capped with the DomCon Fetish Ball. I filled half a notebook, and had the pleasure of realizing how many of the Dommes I knew. For the Fetish Ball, I skinned into my copper latex sheath gown and black patent laceup pumps. Tight rubber and sharp heels: YUM.

The exhaustion was totally worth it (hotel room upstairs from the convention = necessity). slave babbette served "en femme" all weekend, bustling about in a wig that matched my own hair. He looked that little bit closer to emulating his feminine idol, his Goddess. Isn't that sweet?

I'm considering presenting a class or two at DomCon next year. My workshop series at Drake's got shelved when the performance space closed, but that's not the end of my desire to teach. Sure, it's nice to feel validated by sharing what I know, but vastly more important is that I share out of a respect for that knowledge. As was noted in the DomCon "Leather History" discussion, the motto in the leather community used to be "Each One Teach One". And learning along with my students is gratifying in itself. (Kinky teacher/student joke here.)

The stunning photos you see here are from a recent shoot with Gabriella's friend Smashley Walters.

Happy Birthday To Me!

2008-02-06T02:02:00.000-08:00

And many happy returns...

My birthday was Friday, February 1. I spent a relaxing weekend in Las Vegas, recreating to my heart's content. Culinary highlight: dinner at Strip Steak, the nouveau-posh eatery in Mandalay Bay. Duck-fat fries were perfect; I got the foie gras simply seared instead of the featured plating. Sumptuous!

Didn't try any of the beef: I'm particular about my steak experience, and I just wasn't in the mood for trendy. Of the limited menu, a quarter of it was given over to "Kobe" (both American-raised and Japanese) and other select cuts. I prefer a more serious approach; "superhip bistro" is not, I feel, the properly reverent atmosphere for a superbly aged, exceptionally textured cut of prime meat (although they did have blue cheese-stuffed olives for my martini). Maybe next time.

Went to see "Spamalot", the Monty Python-come-to-Broadway show. Fantastic! The Vegas location was given frequent nods in song material and set design, and a good number of the musical pieces were original to the show: not just a retread of movie bits. Did I mention that the female lead was stacked and packing serious pipes?! Oh my goodness, my view was excellent, and she must have had an extra set of lungs in those luscious endowments! Much to laugh and clap about, and the theater, housed in the Wynn casino, was gorgeous.

I love Vegas every time I go there, but the best part about leaving L.A. is coming back. I never feel so appreciative of where I live as when I'm coming back. (There's something vaguely poetic there, but I'll leave that to the folk singers in the crowd.) Besides culture, Los Angeles can host a significant BDSM scene. Not so for other cities in the United States (Boston, I love you too, but I'm looking in your direction).

Speaking of, I'll be heading back east this spring. Baltimore in late February, though this will be strictly a personal visit. Family member in ill health and all. Boston and New York in March, this time to play! I still consider myself an East Coast girl at heart, and it's been too long since I've paid a visit. I am already relishing the naughty fun I expect to get up to; no doubt I'll have plenty to write about!

Open Ends and New Beginnings

2008-01-17T23:42:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, pervy people!

Here's a flash from my past: me, proudly displaying the weapons of ass destruction that Lisa Berlin brought to our shoot a couple years ago. You can see more of me at the Windowgirl site; tell them you want more Anna Valentina!

I feel calmly optimistic about this year. Travel, filming, new equipment all beckon to me in the shimmering almost-now. This spring marks my eighth year as a full-time domme; nine when you count the time before I moved west. Eight years of blood, sweat, and tears (bless you, power bottoms :) and I still feel like I have so much to learn.

Thank goodness. What would I do if I had nothing left to conquer?

What's never changed over the years is my joy in domination. Of all the sensual and psychological details, I love most what happens in me: I shed everything and become calm, savage, clear-eyed. Everything unnecessary burns away, and all that is left is perfect.

In a recent conversation with a friend, I described my fetish mindset as "remembering that pure state of innocence, before inhibitions and shame are learned". We don't associate "badness" with pleasure or bodily functions until we become socialized.

If only we, like Oscar Wilde, were more embarrassed by human misery than by pleasure; then the world would be a more agreeable place.

Of Phalluses and Friends

2007-12-13T22:17:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of stills from my new clips. At the top, I'm gearing up for a drilling. Below, Mistress Jessica Kane and I are prepping our cocks for some slut's attention.

I'm having a lot of fun indulging some of my more extreme tastes. Getting in touch with my evil side sure feels GOOD.

A nice surprise today: Aiden Starr stopped into Drake's to do a little shopping, and we caught up over lunch. She's as devious as she is sexy, and I'm excited about shooting with her in the near future.

Later this week, I'll be having lunch with Lady Lily Gardner, a wonderful Domme from New Jersey. Both of us being from the East Coast and rooted in the traditions of Leather, we're going to have a lot to talk about.

I'm being interviewed on Thursday for a documentary about the public and private lives, loves, and attitudes of women in the adult business. My pal Mistress Genevieve granted them an interview and then suggested that they talk to me, for contrast. She and I do make a compelling study in complementary opposites: both intelligent, considered, and deeply kinky, but she's the tattooed hellcat to my sinister sophisticate.

It's good to know your friends. It's better to know MY friends.

Strutting Cock

2007-11-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

Happy December!

I've got a new toy. It's the biggest that Drake's carries.

Say hello to my little friend: a replica of gay porn star Chase Hunter's third leg, measuring almost eight inches long and SIX AND THREE-QUARTERS inches around. The circumference of the scrotum is twelve and a half inches. Mmmm, think you can fit that in your mouth?

It's amusing how cock-proud I get when I'm wearing a tool. Like I grew it myself. In a way, that joy of ownership reflects my gender fluidity. In my dreams, I morph, female/male/female... and strapping on brings those images to life.

I've had strapon fantasies since I was fifteen. I'd imagine some hapless, lust-addled male on his back, his ankles draped over my shoulders, a whimper escaping his lips as I enter him.

Oh, Santa, I've got something for you at the bottom of my chimney...

Kink On The Go

2007-11-05T16:19:00.000-08:00

Here's my Rubber Widow at the 2007 Halloween Bondage Ball. Quite a night: a reason to wear shapely latex, a parade of eye candy, and a game with mysterious friends and strangers in itself.

My recent life in short: working like crazy and getting over an awful cold. I shot some video today with Mistresses Thora Nang and Jessica Kane: strapons and plenty of verbal humiliation, captured from the lowly slave's point of view. HOT! I love working with other twisted Mistresses. These will go up on my coming clip store. Look to here for details.

Hello World

2007-10-30T22:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween, my lovelies!

I can't imagine a more appropriate occasion for my first blog post. The eve of the most freak-laden night of the year, the annual bacchanalia and opening shot of the holiday season. I usually choose private parties or impromptu club crawls (which turn into private parties), but this year I have a special pleasure: I am holding court in the VIP room for Drake's Erotica Emporium at the Halloween Bondage Ball!

I met the good folks at Drake's back in August, when I was invited to perform at their grand re-opening. I did a short piece best described thusly: two trannies, a performance artist called Christ in L.A., and me, armed with a microphone and far above fear. One moment I remember: raising my arm and, to howls and cheers from the crowd, demanding,"WHO WANTS TO SEE ME BEAT CHRIST?!"

Ah, sweet, silly blasphemy.

If you're going to the Bondage Ball, swing up to the Drake's area and toast the festivities with me. I'll have fifty fliers with discount coupons good at Drake's stores: they carry everything sex-related and stay open late for those... nocturnal missions. Hey, when you need it, you need it.

Not going to the Ball? Have some questions or need to get some new gear? Come to one of my upcoming BDSM workshops (watch for dates), or get advice and buy a toy from me personally in the store. The workshops are in the planning stage, so if there's a topic you'd like to see covered, let me know.