Pageant Double Header!

This weekend I had the honor of judging one pageant and emceeing another. The pageants were for local girls and boys to gain confidence and speaking skills onstage in a natural pageant. The two pageants were held in the same place, only a couple hours seperated them from one another. The first pageant was pageant Finals, this means that girls who had won in one of Princess Royal's (the name of the store that puts these pageants on) earlier pageants got to compete against the other girls who had won at earlier pageants. So, in a way, it is kind of like state.                     

The second pageant was titled Fairy Tale Princess Pageant. The girls in this pageant were new to pageants and would all get to compete in next year's finals. I got to ask them questions and watch them think on their feet, and read off their fact sheets. I had a great time telling the crowd about my platform, Make Your Mark: Teen Volunteerism. I also got to speak to them about the Miss America Organization and how local pageants, like this one, got me to where I am today.                                                               

Strides for Education

Today, I got to participate in a 5K fundraiser that helps provide student incentives for tests like MAP. The fundraiser wasn't for my school district either, but it is a district in my Conference. I improved my time from my last 5K, placed 6 overall, and 3rd in 19 and under boy's and girl's age group.

Helping CMN

 

Each year we do a garage sale the weekend closest to April 1, A No April Foolin' Sale. Well, this year orientation is on April 1, so we did our sale a weekend early. I have drinks and snacks there that are available with a donation to CMN. We also have doll clothes and items available, with flyers for the museum doll club. So we tell customers about a lot of things at our sale! It started tonight, and someone even said they learned so much at our garage sale. I hadn't thought about learning at a garage sale, but my mom always says no matter how old you are, you learn something everyday. You have to recognize it, and retain it for it to really count. But a garage sale is one more way to help CMN, help doll club, and promote my own platform, Make Your Mark, Teen Volunteerism!

Don't Forget to Support CMN Today!

This is the CMN Radioathon Day, Mix 93.3 in KC! Call in and pledge for CMN.
http://www.facebook.com/cmnkc

Cookies for a Cause

Today is St Joseph's Day, so there is a special bake sale to benefit the food pantry. I decorated some cookies like shoes, evening gowns, crowns with four points, and of course hearts for my title, to donate. And I donated a few doll aprons because it is anything for your table!

Hope it helps to raise lots of funds.

Happy Camper Scamper

http://www.active.com/running/st-joseph-mo/gregg-and-bjs-happy-camper-scamper-5k-run-or-walk-to-benefit-camp-quality-2012?SSFEAT=214ActivePurchCNFMRSVP-1295915596190&SREF=FBShare&SFBState=Unknown&cmp=23-12I almost forgot, today is the last day to save when you sign up for the Happy Camper Scamper, benefits Camp Quality, April 7, 5K run or walk...



You can still sign up after today, it just costs a little more, but goes to a great cause!

Helping with Confidence Classes

Girls locally have a wonderful opportunity to gain confidence. As part of the pageants Princess Royal puts on, girls (and boys) can practice walking and answering on stage questions.

I got to help out on March 17, which was a pretty day to use the outdoor gazebo at Coleman Hawkins Park.
Here are some pictures of the girls, aged toddler to 15, who were working on their skills. Some of them I first met this summer, and I can see the confidence grow. I hope I have improved as much this past year.

Amanda does a great job helping the girls, and boys, she will help you, too! Just ask! Here are pictures of a few of the girls who came out.

Volunteer During Your Spring Break

If you are lucky enough to have this week off for spring break, here is a listing of volunteer opportunities in the KC area!
http://www.yvckc.org/

Snake Saturday!

Last weekend, I had a blast getting together with some of the other local title holders in support of raising money for Children's Miracle Network.

We got to walk in the parade and hand out beads and other goodies! We also got to meet up with some of the other people who were in the parade. It was so fun visiting with little girls and boys who came to watch the parade.

Doll Club

Last Friday I got to get together with one of my favorite group of girls: Doll Club! Together we enjoyed hand sewing an apron for their American Girl dolls, playing with the dolls, and learning about being a Domestic Goddess. The museum curator brought out kitchen utensil artifacts that we could see up close. The girls giggled over seeing the funny-looking coffee pots. We had such a fun time together, that I didn't get any pictures until the end when I was helping to clean up.

In the top photo, you see my sister pulling the doll suitcases and trunks out of the conference room. Each meeting, Sarah, the curator, in the background there making sure my sister doesn't run into the doorway, brings all this and part of another cart down from storage and arranges it for play time. At the end of the evening, we sort it back into suitcase by doll/historical era, then it gets loaded on the cart and takes a trip up the elevator, back to storage. It's kind of erie feeling in the elevator late at night when everyone is gone.  I'm not even sure how many dolls the museum has, but they are lots of fun. We also try to leave the space looking like we were never there. Imagine 20 to 30 girls, making some messy crafts and dining on pizza, grapes and carrots, and sometimes cupcakes! The museum recently got a new vacuum and we were excited, clean-up goes much faster!

Chicago!

Last weekend I traveled to Chicago to visit one of the Miss Heartland's board members! What a trip: I got to bond with the board members and my sister queen, Emily, and do mock interviews on the way up! While we were there we enjoyed eating deep dish pizza and sight seeing. One of the famous sights we saw was the Marilyn Monroe statue.

Emceeing a Midwest Angels Sweetheart pageant!

See my crown inside the tiara?

The last weekend of February I had the chance to emcee the Midwest Angels Sweetheart pageant. Perfect when you are Miss Heartland's OT! WOW, those tiaras were awesome. I meet a lot of girls who were interested in Miss America, and I explained to them about the Young Miss program, so I hope we will see some of them in our system.

Fish Fry

The first friday of lent is really, a fry day! As in frying 122 pounds of fish. That's how much fish was fried at the annual St James Fish Fry. My whole family helps out, including my grandparents.

Angels and Aviators Fashion show!

One of my all-time favorite appearances this year was the Angels and Aviators Watercolors High Fashion Show held during KC Fashion Week. Kensie also modeled and was named the Top Model, earning a cruise. We both are wearing Sherri Hill. Kensie modeled a dress she wore to Miss America. It was exciting to see how the hairdressers would style us, and our make-up, too. It was a benefit for Angel Flight. Learn more about Angel Flight here: http://www.angelflightcentral.org/index.php