Miss Delaware Weekend

For those of you who don't know, I competed in the National Sweetheart Pageant last summer, which is a "mock Miss America" for all of the state 1st or 2nd Runners Up. It is the best week....ever. Held in Hoopeston, IL literally in the middle of the cornfields, Sweetheart will forever be one of my favorite weeks, and the beginning of some new, wonderful friendships. Since I moved to NY the day after Sweetheart, it seemed to be just fate that I happened to be roommates with Miss Delaware, Julie Fuller, and carpoolers with Miss New Jersey, Ashleigh Udalovas, and Miss DC, Jen Corey. BTW I really mean....corn.


Saturday, Miss Delaware Finals, I made the trip out to support Julie. Miss Brooklyn, Keelie Sheridan, and I (so very very very thankfully) borrowed my friend Ilan's car (pretty sweet ride) and cruised over the Delaware Memorial Bridget to the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. I have to give a shout out to Keelie for pretty rockin' conversation all the way there & back (well almost...) :-) The 2009 Pageant featured Galen Giaccone, Miss DE 2008, who shared her Miss America Prelim Talent winning piano piece along with other special performances. Another very special guest was our own Miss America, Katie Stam, looking S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G in a yellow one-shouldered dress. We definitely put up a fight for best cheering section for Julie, especially when she rocked it in swimsuit with a gold bengal :) Julie was named 4th Runner Up to the new Miss Delaware (and clearly fantastic interviewer) Heather Lehman. Congratulations!!

A big highlight for me was seeing Katie. So awesome to be able to hug her -- it's been since April -- and store up for my Miss NY week without her. The last state pageant I was in, unbeknownst to us at the time, I had Miss America by my side all along, and someone to pray with before the curtain dropped each night.


PHOTOS FROM MISS DELAWARE

As if time with one Miss America wasn't satisfying enough, I woke up Sunday morning to eat brunch with Kirsten Haglund, Miss America 2008 and her mother, Iora. They are two fantastic ladies and it was so great to finally meet in person. I am working with them to help develop the brand of The Kirsten Haglund Foundation with logos, t-shirts, stationery and more! If you haven't met a Miss America, I think the most important thing for you to realize, and keep in mind when meeting her, or when [perhaps subconsciously] judging her in the public eye: These girls are just regular girls....twenty-somethings who are someone's daughter, sister, college roommate, and friend...all special, nonetheless. WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND!! And it wasn't even close to over.... segue to the next post.