I feel like I’m losing track of my days while at Miss Oklahoma and am only following the schedule provided! The morning arrived with veery frightening news. Our feisty red coat, Donna Knight, suffered mini stroke while in the dorms last night. We are so fortunate that she was surrounded by red coats and contestants, including Brienne who is a nurse and was able to check all her vital signs to see how severe it was. I’m not sure how I missed the ambulance and fire trucks last night, but I could not be more thankful for the quick response. Please keep Donna in your thoughts and prayers as she recovers. Norma ensured me she was doing very well and would be back very soon.
Today began with talent rehearsals, which for me, were atrocious. It was my first time to sing on the Miss Oklahoma stage and while it was 90% empty, it was still daunting. Over the course of the day I took a lot of good advice and prayed with everyone I could get my hands on. Never have I felt more lifted up than I did today with the love and support of my pageant family – competitors, volunteers, family and friends.
After a rocky start, we ran through the show and were off to lunch provided by Mazzios. We then left for a very short stop by BounceU, where a fundraiser for CMN was being held. I love this event and wish we could have stayed longer. One of my students was able to come and her dream is to grow up to be a princess! I was over the moon to see her sweet face!
A little down time, a downtown dinner at McNellie’s, and a few rollers later we were ready for showtime! Each night I am blown away by our former titleholders, and the tapping trio was amazing! As my talent neared, I felt the peace within I had prayed for. As I worked through the song, I knew each moment was the best it could possibly have been and as I ended I was so overcome with pure joy! Thank you to everyone who prayed for me, and to Miss Shari who has shown me unconditional love and encouragement, and believed in me when I wasn’t sure of anything.
The official Miss Oklahoma twitter page tweeted pictures of our talents, and here is mine! Congratulations to Alex, Veronica and Brooklyn on your preliminary awards! We really are part of the BEST state pageant in the nation!
Whew! Night one is done and we have an early morning coming. Tonight was amazing, particularly for someone like me who adores history and loves seeing pictures and videos of past Miss Oklahomas. It is incredibly special to see the talent, poise and genuine hearts of our Miss Oklahomas over the years and I am certain our new Miss O will carry each trait.
Congratulations to Veronica on her swimsuit win, Aly on her talent win, and Victoria on her rookie talent award! I met Victoria and her family while competing in National Teenager and have maintained contact with them so many years, so it was very exciting to cheer her on! Tomorrow will be a fun day with an appearance at Bounce U that I am ready to cut loose at! My poor feet are just regaining feeling, but it was a great evening with doughnuts after swimsuit. What could be better?!? I wish we had a bit more time at visitation, but I was so happy to chat with friends and family, furthering their encouragement during what has been a week of excitement and tragedy. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I am blessed to be surrounded by women I love this week – even if we stay up too late making sure our tans are even. I have never had so much FUN at Miss Oklahoma and I almost don’t want the week to end.
Please pray for peace during my talent performance – I can only hope to do the very best I possibly can. My goal is not to win any category, but to be who I truly am and walk off the stage knowing it could not have been better. Talent – here I come!
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!
Friday night was the Little Miss Fall Festival pageant! I was honored to be asked to judge 13 Kindergarten and 1st grade girls vying for the title. What do I know about 5-7 year olds? Well…a surprising amount! I taught 1st grade this summer in Phoenix (and absolutely LOVED it!), and now teach Pre-K in Tulsa. Little ones are so fun because every day is a new day – new personalities, new interests, and new, unbelievably funny words and sayings. Miss Riverwalk’s former director, Nicole, also asked another TFA friend and YWCA employee to judge – what a small world!
Kevin met me in Coweta, which is about a 35 minute drive from my apartment, where the skies were a hazy shade of grey and a Fall chill was beginning to set in the air. Initially, the pageant was intended to be held outside, but after a wild downpour, was moved to a local church. It was so cold that I can’t imagine keeping the girls outside in their beautiful dresses – would have been tough!! On the way to the church, Damaris and I huddled under an umbrella, but still wound up soaking wet. What seemed like the entire town was waiting outside the church because it was still locked – priceless! Haha, we looked faaaabulous..
Damaris was the emcee and it was wonderful to catch up with the newly crowned Miss Oklahoma State Fair. After making our way into the church and drying off, the pageant was on! Each contestant first competed in modeling – wearing their gowns. They were SO adorable! After each was finished, they took a seat on the stage behind the other contestants. Once modeling was complete, we moved to talent.
Honestly, some of their talents were better than mine! The winner was a gymnast, another precious angel sang a country song with more attitude and personality than I have ever seen before, and there was even a magic show! There were several singers, a few dancers, and also a guitarist. The last portion was interview – where Damaris asked the girls a few questions about their interests or hobbies. One ate a whole pound of fudge before her mother caught her!
During awards, I was so pleased to see each girl receive something for her hard work and bravery to even just get on the stage. The winner was the cute gymnast in a fun, pink gown! I had so much fun and would love to do it again. After the pageant, I chatted with several girls – those who won and those who did not place, telling them what I loved about their performances. It’s hard to not win at any age, particularly when you may be too young to see the big picture. These girls ALL have a shot at Miss Oklahoma someday – and I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Miss Oklahoma 2023 was on that stage Friday night!
I’m going to try to make this a short one – today was too full and my eyes and feet need a break! This morning we had rehearsals, then the Kiwanis luncheon. I absolutely love the Kiwanis luncheon and was able to meet several Kiwanians – always wonderful hosts. Sarah Klein and I sat next to Steve, who you may remember normally runs the stage. Steve is awesome and has been volunteering for years (even in my one year of Outstanding Teen competition!), but is unable to help backstage due to job commitments. I think I speak for all of the girls who have been joked with or calmed down by Steve backstage!
At the Kiwanis luncheon the community service awards were given out: 3rd place Talia Berning, 2nd place Alex Eppler, 1st place Heather Harris. Heather also won the Miss America Community Service award and Sarah Jensen won the academic award. Congrats!!! Afterwards, we jetted back to the Mabee Center to prepare for interviews. The judges were fantastic and meshed so well! Can’t give away the questions – but I truly enjoyed my time with them!
I was able to see Selby after dinner… a much needed break! It was great to discuss my interview and she brought me ANOTHER wonderful gift!! I am so spoiled… but I’m definitely not going to complain. 🙂 More rehearsals, dinner at Rib Crib, and a night filled with rehearsals later – and I am here!
On a side note, this is the conversation which occurred in our car earlier
Me: Have you guys had issues with there not being a toilet lid in your room? I’ve nearly dropped my phone, make up, and brushes in that thing!
Car: No, we just close the lid.
Me: What lid?
Car: The lid on the toilet…
Me: Oh….I don’t have one of those.
Please say an extra prayer for me tonight that I do not drop anything into my lid-less bathroom toilet and that God blesses me with the ability to dance between now and 7:30 am. I’m kind of kidding…but really. It wouldn’t hurt. 🙂 I’ll be praying for an inner calmness and may throw in a request for a non-slick stage….couldn’t hurt to ask, right?!
Last Friday I spoke to Lincoln Elementary’s 3rd, 4th and 5th graders! They were a fantastic bunch and absorbed everything I said. Though it was 9 am, the students were not only alert but interested!! I always love speaking with students who are the older trend setters in their schools. Often, they set the examples for younger students and I encourage them to model better behavior in order to create the safest social climate at school, home and in extracurricular activities. They loved their bracelets and enjoyed the gossip game we played even more! One of my new favorite things to take from schools is a list of memorable questions or quotes. Unfortunately, my memory card is being crazy and I cannot access the pictures taken on Friday. Hopefully my dad will have an answer for this when he gets home from work and I can upload them tonight!
“How long does it take you to do your make up?”
“How long does it take you to do your hair?”
“If you absolutely had to change your name, what would you change it to?”
“What is your favorite color?” “What is your favorite movie?”
“Do you like Taylor Swift?” (Uh oh…I’m in trouble on this one!)
“Are your bullies jealous of you now?” “Did your bullies ever apologize?” “What was the meanest thing you ever said about someone?”
“Who do you think is going to win American Idol?” (Little did they know – even if I guessed, I know oh so little about singing!)
“What is your talent? Will you tap dance for us?” (Met my screams and urging, I did a few wings!)
“I know at Miss America you have to change clothes like super fast, so how fast can you change clothes?” (I may have to ask the Red Coats to time me this year!)
“What is your favorite romance movie or book, you know, like Twilight?” (After proclaiming that I am, in fact ‘Team Edward’ the crowd went wiiiiiiiild! Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lincoln’s students were awesome, and not only cared about anti-relational aggression efforts, but are already involved in a program to stop bullying in their schools! They have a program called Positive Leadership which consists of a few students, selected by each class for being consistently kind and caring towards others. After speaking to the groups, I was able to chat with these students about what they have learned prior to my visit and how they are preventing relational aggression at Lincoln. It’s always encouraging to see schools which know bullying is one of the greatest issues facing our students, and implement programs of this nature to protect their students!
What a weekend! I’m still recovering from the combination of my 8 hour class Friday, driving to Shawnee late that night, sleeping napping for three hours, and waking up at 5 am to pack up and head to Tulsa. I was in the early group (lucky me!), and danced fifth. In terms of my talent, it’s not where I want it to be at Miss Oklahoma, but I’m pleased with the improvement I’ve made over the past few months. I received several compliments and even my mom said the quality of the dance was much more entertaining compared to my previous performances. Over the next two months, I’ll be tweaking my dance and pushing myself to perform the best that I possibly can. Here’s a clip of my song:
After talent, we had a short meeting with Kent and then lunch. It was great to sit with a few old friends and meet new girls at lunch, since we didn’t have any other down time to chat! Kent did announce the theme: “On the Line.” He wants us to focus on bringing everything we have to Miss O and putting it all on the line. Our opening number dresses have great movement to them (example below). He described the stage which sounds fantastic, especially for swimsuit. I won’t give any more away, but think Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show! (If only we got to wear huge wings!!!)
After lunch we had time with Kent to learn a part of the opening number dance, but we also had walking lessons! Kent moves so well. Seriously – far better than ANY of us could ever hope to walk. He is always pushing us to get out of our comfort zone, be more natural and increase the sex appeal. When you are 5’2″, blonde, and often mistaken for a high school senior – sexy is the last thing which comes to mind! Looks like someone will have to practice being sexy for the next two months….
Later, Jack and Mignon spoke with us about the duties of Miss Oklahoma, what to expect, and what the judges will be looking to crown. The Miss Oklahoma Organization is fantastic for so many reasons, but one of them is because they give us the same list they provide for the judges. When we came back, we were able to watch Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan’s interview at Miss America. I love watching the interviews because when watching a pageant, you see everything except that – and it accounts for 25%! After the video, we were given the judge’s bios for Miss O 2011. The judges are from every background and are extremely well qualified! There is a past Miss America, Miss Florida, NFL superstar (Selby wanted to ask if he was single. Now I bet she comments on this post!), local Oklahomans from backgrounds including education and business, and a few others! Interview is absolutely, hands down my favorite part of competing and I’m too excited to meet the judges!
THEN we finally moved on to the best part of the day – placement selection! The three teens and miss contestants who sold the most ads were able to select their placement first, and then titles were drawn and we had 30 seconds to choose a group/number. Sidenote: Congrats to Sarah Simpson, Miss Elk City for selling 52 ad pages! Looks like the program book will be bigger and better than ever! I was hoping to be drawn somewhere in the middle, but I was the fifth or sixth to choose! Selby and I thought fast, and selected number 18 in the Omega group. Somehow, there are 4 tappers in this group, something I was hoping to spread out. Fortunately, I am the first one!
I’m so excited about the girls in my group – they’re all really nice and I already know several! I’ll be on their same dorm hall, in the same chauffeured cars as them, and we will be getting ready alongside each other before the competition. In the Omega group, I will have my interview Monday afternoon, perform talent Tuesday, compete in on-stage question/evening gown Wednesday and swimsuit Thursday.
We left around 5, and between Selby, my mom and I – we were starving. I took advantage of my cheat meal (didn’t make a day out of it! YAY ME!) and ate at Red Rock Canyon. I put away a filet, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and best of all – cornbread! Oh, the taste of carbs….it just cannot be explained. I had so much fun getting to sit with Selby for a large portion of the day and didn’t want to send her back to Lawton/Houston! She’ll be back in a few weeks, and I may be able to meet up with her next week as well. I’m beyond fortunate to have a director who is supportive, enthusiastic, and above all – a dear, dear friend.
Now that my placement has been set, I can continue working on each portion of the competition and intend to perform my very best. Someone made a good point and said to treat every aspect as if it were weighted equally. I completely agree and I think contestant’s day was great motivation to put it all “On the Line” in June! Last night I drove back to Shawnee, then back to Norman, and am now off for another 8 hours of Strategic Fashion Communication! Needless to say, I look forward to sleeping. 🙂
P.S. At the end of the day there was a VERY big announcement….
This time of the year has really picked up! My capstone is taking up more time as we complete the execution and my weekends are filled with a thousand and ten different tasks. Since talent is something I struggle with after the great ankle injury of 07, I’ve found a tap class in Norman and have been attending for the past few weeks. It meets every Thursday evening and has not only helped my memory, but has broken in my tap shoes and strengthened my technique. I had not taken a tap class since high school, so I often forget what steps are called and it sometimes takes me a few minutes to correct my sounds, but it’s really nice to have the opportunity to better my skills.
Our tap teacher is like a character out of a book. With just a handful of “adults” (more like young college students) in the class, he often peppers his teaching with anecdotes of shows he was in or tales of famous performers. We dance to songs from “Pink Martini” and classic Broadway shows, never anything dating past 1980! At the end of every class, though the students always ask if we can do a wing combination, he insists we must end with buffalos. After class, I tend to stay for a while and run my talent selection for Miss Oklahoma since the studio allows a lot more space than my living room!
I met with Brian of Results Fitness USA again last week, and he gave me a new full body workout and increased my cardio. He took measurements to see the change in my body and I was really pleased with the results. Brian is very supportive and I’ll be back in three weeks to check in and change it up! Though I’m not much of a morning person, I’ve been waking up early to add in the changes and continuing to stay on top of my diet plan. It’s amazing how good chocolate protein bars begin to taste when you forget what real chocolate is like! He also sent me home with chocolate chip protein cookies which are just about the best things I’ve ever had in my life. Kimberly, my future roommate and former competitor, also gave me an awesome (though cheesy) idea. She said I’ll feel a little ridiculous, but I made a chart and get to put a sticker on the chart every time I complete my work outs, a healthy day of eating, and my weight routine. I LOVE stickers, so it’s just another way I’m trying to hold myself accountable!
I have had such great fortune in terms of sponsorship and ad sales for Miss Oklahoma and could not feel more supported by family and friends. Many people have contributed to making my journey successful and I can only hope to make them proud! I have to turn in ad sales next Saturday and have started designing the pages so I won’t be up all night like last year. I had no idea what to do or expect when making the ads in my rookie year, but I think I’ve got it down now! Also, ticket orders are due Saturday so if you would like to purchase a package which includes Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday prelims and Saturday finals, let me know! The prices are: $100 Bronze, $200 Silver, $300 Gold. Individual tickets are also available for $30 or $50, or if you’d prefer to wait, you can buy them at the door.
I’ve also met with my dance teacher a few times in the past week and am feeling wonderful about the changes we’ve made! She’s so much fun, and I appreciate that I am able to tell her what I like or don’t like, or what isn’t working for me. I got caught up on a cramp roll turn at tap class last week and had a scary twist of my ankle. It’s just a little sore, but mostly it just scared the pants off of me!
I’m working with several schools to schedule a date/time to speak to their students, but am still pursuing many other schools as well. Persistence pays off!! I have a great and timely message to share and am hoping to include schools outside of Norman too! Please let me know if you have a friend who is a counselor or principal at ANY elementary/middle school in Oklahoma and I will find a time to make it to their part of the state! I am determined to increase awareness of RA and help students suppress it within their schools.
Saturday is Miss Oklahoma contestant’s day! I’m not exactly sure how this weekend will all pan out, mostly due to my class schedule. I’m taking a Strategic Fashion Communication course and in addition to meeting every other week, our professor flies in from Hong Kong to teach us for an entire weekend. Friday I have class from 2:30-9:30, I’m missing Saturday for contestant’s day, and Sunday I have class again from 8:30-6:30. It will be a VERY exhausting weekend to say the least!
Contestant’s day is a lot of fun, even though it is a full day of pageant-related activities. In the morning, each contestant showcases her talent selection for approval and submits more paperwork plus the ad pages I have been working on. Somehow, I have the fortune of landing in the early group and will perform my talent fourth. The first group begins at 9 am and the second begins at 10 am. Afterwards, we are given information about the pageant, judges, and learn part of the opening number dance. Last year we learned about the theme during Winter Meeting, but this year Kent has kept it a secret. I’m really excited to hear about what he has in store for us! Later we will have lunch and draw for placement (the order we will compete in).
I’m most excited to see my pageant friends, particularly since we are all so busy and rarely get to spend time together. I’ll also be able to meet other contestant’s I didn’t get to meet at Winter Meeting. ALSO! Selby will be in town! YAY!!!! On a side note, my gown should be in within the next two weeks…I just can’t wait to get my hands on it! This coming weekend will be tough, but the job of Miss Oklahoma is just as time consuming and exhausting. Since Miss Oklahoma is the goal in sight, I’m looking at this weekend as another challenge to conquer in preparation for the crown. Let’s just hope I can catch a little sleep somewhere in there!
Miss South OKC 