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!

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.