The Sweetheart Post.

First of all, GOOD LUCK to Inga Schlingmann , who is the current Miss New York at National Sweetheart! For those who don't understand how there are 2 Miss New Yorks, it's easy. Miss New York, Alyse Zwick, goes to Miss America. THEN, as a bonus, the first available runner up from the state - ie: Inga, 1st RU to MNY - goes to National Sweetheart where she competes against all (40 this year) of the other state runners up in order to have the experience of meeting girls from all over the country and competing at a national level (without the pressure of Miss America). Basically it is a week of incredible fun, laughter, insight and memories. I went last year and it was amazing.

Segue...last year at Sweetheart, I was so incredibly lucky to meet the people I did. It's just kind of fate that I was moving to New York and happened to be in the carpool consisting of Delaware, New Jersey and DC, right? I talk to these girls often and we are all big time members of each others' fan clubs :) Since Jen won Miss DC this year, I have created her website, blog, autograph cards, business cards etc and it is so fun to be able to support her in that way in her experience as Miss DC and perhaps Miss America!

And then there was Tennessee. Brooke Waddell. Not an east coaster, but one of the most fantastic people I've ever met...ok as you can tell by the entire post I wrote about her. She's the one I went to watch in Miss TN right before Miss NY this year. We both went through the preparation, dedication and disappointment of not winning our states and we were really there for each other through that process, good and bad. Even though Brooke has one more year of eligibility, she's chasing another title instead. Well, not chasing. Brooke's next title won't be Miss Tennessee; it will be Mrs. Pancratz. This chica is engaged, folks, and I'm "gonna be wearin' a bridesmaids' dress." Going to Miss TN was worth more than supporting Brooke, it gave me the opportunity to meet Mark - this amazing man who is head over heels in love with her and will be forever. and vice versa.


See the benefit of this organization? You meet some of your best and closest friends. I know I have, and I never expected to. I remember sitting at a breakfast my first year at a state pageant and a girl (probably teary-eyed) said, "I've met by best friends...my bridesmaids in my wedding through MAO," and I think I chuckled inside -- jeeez, it's a paaaageant. Even then I didn't get it. But you fast-forward a year+ from then and I'm standing up in a yellow bridesmaids dress for Kaleena (Dale) McCormick as she wed her husband Eli. And I was there with her just days before she gave birth to their new son, Carson this July. So I'll be there standing next to Brooke as she marries Mark, and I'm sure she won't be the last. (Am I Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses?) I'm clearly no where near marriage, but I know that my bridesmaids will be quite comfortable in 4 inch heels...AND they'll have great makeup :)


Photo by Megelaine