Here is the line-up for Miss Oklahoma 2012!
Category Archives: Preparing For Miss O
Contestant’s Day
I’m now sure how time flies faster with each year, but Contestant’s Day has already come and gone! Yesterday, we gathered every Miss and Teen contestant, their local directors and volunteers, and several family members at Jenks Performing Arts Center.
I was SO thrilled to drive a short five minutes to something Miss Oklahoma related, since normally we are Tulsa bound from Shawnee at 6 am!!! We turned in our ad sales information and the talent run-throughs began. Though I had taken allergy medicine, drank a tall glass of green tea and used a neti-pot for the first time, seasonal allergies were giving me a run for my money! Fortunately, I made it through and was happy with how I performed. In fact, it makes me anticipate singing on the Miss Oklahoma stage that much more! This year, I will be singing “Come Rain or Come Shine.”
Watching talent rehearsals reminded me of the amazing talent our contestants possess. Makes me glad I am not a judge!!! After talent rehearsal, we spent some time dancing around with Kent – the nation’s best choreographer (I’m not biased or anything…), and working on a bit of modeling. The show this year is going to be unbelievable! Kent said it currently stands at about sixteen minutes, with contestants performing back up to SEVERAL former Miss O’s dancing and singing. How he tops himself every year, I will never know!
Mignon spoke with us (I have always loved Mignon – what a role model!), about the job of Miss Oklahoma in great detail and what qualities Miss Oklahoma 2012 should possess. She greatly emphasized “committed to educational goals,” which is such an important aspect of Miss Oklahoma, being a scholarship organization, and a mentor for students.
Once we had learned the chorus of our opening number, we gathered with our pageant families to hear from Betty and watch her interview from Miss America. I think it’s quite obvious that her interview was nothing short of fantastic. Betty has done an excellent job as Miss Oklahoma, and it is apparent by the way the board speaks of her as well. They told of her incredible work ethic and how she has never been late. Betty also gave each contestant a gift – a light up (LED) lip gloss with a mirror from Artistry by Amway, a Miss America sponsor! It is seriously super cool. She attached a wonderful poem reading, “If your lips would keep from slips, Five things observe with care; To whom you speak, of whom you speak, And how, and when and where.” She explained how important it is as Miss Oklahoma to always “be” Miss Oklahoma, regardless of how bad your day is going, because someone is looking up to you.
After watching Betty’s interview, we drew for placement! I am very excited to be in the MU group! My schedule will be:
Monday AM: Interview
Tuesday: Swimsuit
Wednesday: Talent
Thursday: OSQ/Evening Gown
The judges were revealed and HOO BOY – what an amazing panel! They are a fascinating group, which I would like to interview, though I will be interviewed by them! Miss Oklahoma has selected an extremely well-rounded panel with entrepreneurs, philanthropists, high achievers, and names with national recognition. We even have an NBA basketball player, a former Miss Oklahoma and a former Miss AMERICA!
Contestant’s Day is special for many reasons, but most of all I love getting to visit with the extended members of the “pageant family.” Those who I have known since the teen system, former directors, contestants, and many who have judged me in past competitions. Much like other families who are separated by distance, it takes a pretty big deal to get us all in the same room together – but when we are, it is just the most enjoyable day ever! Thank you to everyone who has sent such kind words my way with feedback about talent and more. Here’s looking to June!
Winter Meeting
Winter Meeting was held last Saturday and it was SO nice to have everyone in one room! There are 45 Miss contestants this year (more than I can ever remember competing!), with 23 rookies and 21 veterans. We’re quite outnumbered!
Team Green Country
In the morning we went over wardrobe requirements, ad pages (who wants to buy an ad from Miss Green Country?!), and the Duke of Edinburgh award. This award recently partnered with the Miss America Organization and the Boy Scouts of America, among many others world-wide. Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011, is an award winner as well! If I were to sum it all up, it could take a bit – so I copied this from the website to allow the creators to explain it as they intended it to be understood.
“We provide a balanced programme of activities that develops the whole person – mind, body and soul – in an environment of social interaction and team working. Young people progress through three levels of DofE programmes to achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.
Taking part builds confidence and develops self-esteem. It requires persistence, commitment and has a lasting impact on the attitudes and outlook of all young people who do their DofE.
Our participants are aged between 14 and 24.”
These are the reward requirements:
THREE LEVELS
The Award is based around three Levels, each successive one requiring a greater degree of commitment.
- BRONZE is for those 14 and older. The minimum period of participation to gain this Award is 6 months
- SILVER is for those 15 and older. The minimum period of participation to gain this Award is 6 months
- GOLD is for those 16 and older. The minimum period of participation to gain this Award is 12 months
The Award may not be achieved in a shorter time span by working more intensively. Participants must persist for at least the above minimum periods.
It is possible to start at any Level – many participants work their way through all three, while others start at Silver or Gold by fulfilling additional time requirements.
FOUR SECTIONS
To gain an Award, participants must complete activities in four Sections – one hour weekly for each activity. Minimum periods of participation vary with each Award Level (see above). Participants choose their activity for each Section – an Activity Coach needs to verify that the participant has been making persistent and regular effort for the minimum time period required at each Award Level.
Activity Coach – an adult supervisor (not a parent) who has a workable knowledge of the chosen activity. The Activity Coach must verify that the participant has fulfilled the requirements for that Section. i.e. – soccer coach, piano instructor, service coordinator.
- Community Service – participants engage with their community and discover the impact they can have through service.
- Special Skills – participants develop personal interests and learn practical skills. There are almost limitless possibilities to choose from. Participants set their own goals and measure their progress.
- Physical Recreation – participants show perseverance and improve their fitness by undertaking some form of organized and regular physical activity. Most sports team and individual sports satisfy this requirement.
- Adventurous Journey – participants develop an understanding of the environment, and the importance of working together in a team with a common purpose. It can be on foot, by bicycle, boat or on horseback by learning preparation, self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
- Bronze – 2 days+1 night. 6 hours of purposeful activity each day.
- Silver – 3 days+2 nights. 7 hours of purposeful activity each day.
- Gold – 4 days+3 nights. 8 hours of purposeful activity each day
While this is an exciting opportunity for Miss Oklahoma and Miss America, it is not a requirement, but a challenge provided to each contestant if willing.
In the afternoon we had two fantastic speakers – Rick Brinkley, Miss America Judges Chair, and Lu Sienna, Elite Model. Both were inspiring, humorous, and honest about what Miss America is looking for and how we can achieve our dreams of holding the Miss Oklahoma and Miss America titles.
I loved seeing many pageant friends who I rarely see now that I live in Tulsa, and meeting the new faces who I will become better acquainted with in June. Our next stop? Contestant’s Day on April 14th!
Goofing off at Winter Meeting – Kevin stunted me so I could be in the tall people club like them. Would have worn heels if my legs hadn’t been covered in bruises from a recent scrap with a four-year-old!
Wardrobe in the Works
In December, I (and probably 42 other girls) was beyond elated to receive an e-mail from the Miss Oklahoma organization regarding wardrobe for the on-stage competition. In the past two years, information on the swimsuit/opening number/closing number requirements was not revealed until late February – but now we have an additional two months to search!!
I am so excited to have the list of swimsuit options already! They include cobalt, turquoise, magenta and purple. There’s no telling what Kent has up his sleeves, but these colors will look absolutely fabulous together!! Our ramp gown, or what we wear for awards, is white again – something which will save money for many contestants. We will be receiving more information about the opening number outfit soon, but it will be great to begin working towards locating these items in the mean time!
A Girl and a Gown
If you’ll remember, my original gown is not the gown I wore at Miss Oklahoma. There was a factory mix up and I called Kaynein a massive panic just a few short weeks before the pageant was to begin. While I’m sure he is cringing right now at the thought of someone coming to him in such a short amount of time and in need of a gown again, he somehow waved a magic wand and created something totally unexpected and perfect for me.
What’s really interesting, is that even in just a few weeks, my gown changed multiple times – though just slightly! Throughout the process, I sent pictures to Selby as updates on the progress being made. The gown originally began as a new dress in Kayne’s collection. Emoly West wore it during one of the prelim nights at Miss O, with the collar and halter. This is what we decided on (it’s actually a blue/purple and incredibly lightweight) when I first called Kayne.
(excuse the ridiculous MySpace pictures during this post – I was trying to get the full view for Selbs!)
The dress had a big collar and halter, but Kayne was going to change the straps to make it fully open (I don’t really like wearing halters). Kayne was trying to order the dress from his factory in a smaller size, but was also prepared to re-make it if it wouldn’t ship in time.
A few days later (and in the meantime, a lot of sweating), Kayne called to say that he would be making the gown from scratch. No problem! While there, we decided to put a lace overlay on top to downplay the shine of the fabric. Of course, I wanted as many rhinestones as we could add between then and the pageant! We kept the same style and navy shade, but changed the fabric. Kayne and his team began working around the clock.
Then, we realized the straps exposing the back would not fit correctly or hold the same, so Kayne created a cross back strap. I must have called to ask the ETA every day…surely he was sick of me by the beginning of Miss O. At one point, I even took it home to rhinestone overnight. If I could have sewn, I would have volunteered to do that as well!
And the gown continued to take shape! The rhinestones were attached to the dark blue lace, which was added after this picture. It fit like a glove! As it was being crafted, I liked the idea of adding more of a mermaid flare at the bottom. Kayne and I met in the middle with just a touch of crinoline. I picked up my gown THE day I left for Miss Oklahoma and could not have been happier with it! This is the finished product:
It’s amazing to think of what kind of obstacles are placed in front of us for a reason, which we are unaware of at the time. I am so very thankful to Kayne, Ky, Vicki and everyone else who put in the hours to create my gown. There has been talk of Kayne joining the Project Runway: All-Stars edition, and we decided that my gown was the ideal practice for the competition. I have no doubt he would dominate every challenge!
Weeeeeeeeeeeee’re Heeeeeeeeeere!
It’s been a wild week of packing for Miss O, packing for Arizona, practicing talent, working out, and dress fittings! Time had flown by so quickly, and the older I get, the faster it flies!
This morning I picked up my gown (between running errands and having my fingerprints taken downtown at the Sherrif’s office – a great story I will add to my TFA blog since it was teacher related!) and u can’t begin to describe how happy am with the final product. God works in mysterious ways and I am blessed beyond measure. Thank you to Kayne for being not only a life saver, but a true cheerleader who has lifted my spirits so much in the past few weeks.
I had hoped to make it to Tulsa a bit earlier, but we have had plenty of time to unpack and relax before check in. (It’s 1 am and my mom just realized she left all her hair products in Shawnee. At least we didn’t forget competition wardrobe?) I was so excited to catch up with Selby and her friend Natalie tonight too! Selby brought me such a sweet gift – she’s the best!!!
Tomorrow we check in, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, move in and attend the red carpet premiere! This is going to be a fantastic week and I cannot wait to see what’s to come!
Slowly but Surely
Between the cardio, weights, dancing, packing, preparing pre-institute work, packing, organizing, school appearances, and trying to maintain my sanity – things are MOVING around here! I leave a week from today for Tulsa and still cannot believe the time has come. Whether I’m more excited about soon competing or eating a cheeseburger (or real, flavorful coffee, or french toast, or croissant, or cinnamon roll, or….well…you understand) I’m not sure! There is still so much to do, and not as much time as I wish I had allotted!
Yesterday I picked up my talent costume and today I picked up my opening number dress, white ramp gown, and swimsuit from alterations. That talent costume is like wearing a trash bag – it’s SUPER hot, but talent is first so I should be able to sweat out a few pounds before swimsuit! (That is, if the red coats can peel it off my body!)I also dropped off my interview dress (after FINALLY finding a pair of heels which somewhat matched!) for alterations as well. It won’t be ready until Wednesday – let’s hope it fits! Sunday I will have a fitting for my evening gown (props to Kayne for making it in just under two weeks!) and could not be more excited to see what it looks like! My sarong and silver swimsuit/opening number shoes are in the mail, and I have started sorting through clothes which I will be taking to Tulsa and Phoenix. Around the Mills house we are Keeping Calm and Carrying On!
Now, if that sounds like a lot of clothing for one week, I’ll be the first to agree with you! These are all items which must be packed before the week begins (complete with checklist):
Talent: Talent costume, tap shoes.
Swimsuit: Swimsuit, sarong, silver heels.
Evening gown: Gown, gown heels, jewelry.
Interview: Interview dress, interview heels, jewelry (in hand, but undecided!)
Ramp gown: White gown, gown heels, jewelry.
Opening number: Opening number dress, silver heels, jewelry.
Red Carpet Premiere: Dress, heels, jewelry. (that’s right, none of that is crossed off!)
Various: bedding, room decorations, secret pal gift, four “nice” dinner outfits, Kiwanis luncheon outfit, Family brunch outfit, rehearsal clothes, Black pants/bright top for CMN hospital visit, college t-shirt, local title t-shirt, every color of shorts since you don’t know what color the shirts are, additional “just in case” clothing, robe, shoes and jewelry for all of the above, necessities (pajamas, curling irons, straighteners, rollers, bath mats, etc.), and oh so very much more…
To be perfectly honest, I will probably pack the same amount (if not more!) for one week at Miss Oklahoma than six weeks in Phoenix! It’s all coming together, it’s just taking a bit of time!
P.S. Watch for me on KSBI 52 Tuesday at 10 am – I’ll be co-hosting All About You!
Keep Calm and Carry On
Seems like I just picked my theme for Miss Oklahoma life this year! The past few weeks have been something else, to say the least. Last Saturday, I graduated from the University of Oklahoma, moved out of Norman, and somehow brought a small village’s worth of stuff to Shawnee. I’ll be back at home until Miss O, and directly after the pageant I will hop on a plane to Phoenix, where Teach For America institute is held. I found out Tuesday that I will be teaching at the Community Action Project, an early childhood type center in Tulsa. This means I’ll have teeny tiny ones, 4-5 years old! I will be in Phoenix until July 16th, when I’ll drive home and begin training for CAP July 18th. No summer for Miss Sooner State! I also met Kimberly and her mom in Tulsa to apartment shop on Monday, so to say the least – I’ve been a busy graduate!
Tomorrow I have another school assembly and later meet with Brian. Saturday I take my teaching exam in the afternoon, then a wedding Saturday evening (not to mention the Thunder game!), and Sunday I’m meeting with my choreographer again. I also have an estimated 30 hours of Teach For America homework to do in the next week, on top of working out, dancing, and preparing to be thrown into the real world. YIKES!
Yesterday, Rep. Pittman’s anti-bullying bill failed to pass. The final vote was 44-52, incredibly close numbers. Though the bill did not pass, I know Rep. Pittman, Kirk Smalley, and others who have a passion to see the end of this hideous cycle will not stop seeking out schools, civic groups and lawmakers until something changes. If nothing else, I am more determined to visit an even greater number of Oklahomans to spread my message about relational aggression. Rep. Pittman intends to make a plea to State Superintendent, Janet Barresi, to join the cause against anti-bullying and help amend rules which are currently in place.
After yesterday’s photoshoot, I went to pick up my evening gown. I’ve been so excited for months, anxiously awaiting the day my gown would be in my hands. Unfortunately what arrived was not what was ordered, by no fault of the store itself. Somehow the factory had misinterpreted the designs sent and what came back was simply not my gown. This is not the first place Keep Calm and Carry On is necessary (nor the last I’m sure), but I find the words much more comforting after my moments of sheer panic. The poster was introduced by the British government in 1939, at the height of WWII. It was intended to raise morale in the event of an invasion. I’m putting a huge poster of this in my classroom, Miss O dorm room, and probably my future apartment in Tulsa.
Miss Oklahoma is just a few short weeks away and today I am gownless. I have not decided what to do just yet, but I know that by remaining calm and thinking through it, God will provide an answer. I’m a huge believer in “everything happens for a reason,” and the good Lord would not give me more than I am capable of handling. This is just one more obstacle which I will overcome while gladly accepting the challenges which are ahead. At the end of the day, this is not the end of the world, just a bump in the road.
Twenty Something Preview
If you’ll recall a previous post, I was selected as the Twenty Something Magazine winner for the June Twenty Something Girl contest. Yesterday I met Kelsey and Bethany, the editors, in Oklahoma City for the photoshoot. If you don’t know these two, you need to, because they are beyond fun! Bethany is an amazing photographer (check out her work in the magazine) and Kelsey is not only a sylist, but a Thunder Girl! I really enjoyed getting to know them and trying my hardest for a serious face every now and then (Leigh, Larry: I think you would agree that I am seriously not serious. Maybe ever.) Jamy did my hair and make up which was faaaaabulous! I was dressed up like a pin-up girl – red lipstick and all! They were surprised to learn that I had never worn red lipstick, just recently learned how to curl my hair, and my ears are not pierced. And I call myself a pageant competitor?
We had a wonderful time and here are a few sneak peeks at the shoot, featured in the upcoming June issue. Be sure to like their Facebook page and check out their website to view the magazine!
Children’s Miracle Network
May is for Miracles and the perfect time to help a child through the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals! When I speak about the Miss America Organization, many are surprised to hear that the organization has a national platform, among the contestant’s platforms as well. Children’s Miracle Network and Miss America have teamed up for the past few years to provide mentors and funds to children’s hospitals across the nation.
CMN was founded partially by Marie Osmond (trivia for the day!), and you have probably seen their signature yellow balloon in many ad campaigns throughout America (above). As of this year, CMN hospitals have raised over $4.3 billion to help kids in every community. Children who benefit from CMN often have life-threatening illnesses including cancer or birth defects, but many are also treated for asthma, burns, broken bones or the flu. The most amazing aspect of CMN is that, while the organization often receives large donations, most funds are raised one or two dollars at a time.
An example of this is IHOP’s National Day of Pancakes. If you refer back to previous posts (A Syrupy Sweet Saturday, National Pancake Day) you’ll remember that IHOP helped fundraise nationwide for CMN hospitals. that day, participants could purchase bracelets or a paper balloon for just a few dollars to aid in the organization’s mission. Isn’t it amazing that donating one dollar can change a life in the big picture?
Right now, I am fundraising as a Miss Oklahoma contestant. My goal is $650 and I have raised $550! While only $100 shy of my goal donation, every dollar counts – and this is where I am asking you to join in my efforts. Please consider donating to the link below. As you’ve learned, every dollar counts and can make a huge difference in a child’s life. For more information, visit the link below or Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Miss South OKC 