Okay, I have wonderful sponsors! This evening I got home from a busy day to find a box of goodies from Arbonne. Thank you Linda Loveless!! Linda's website is www.lindaloveless.com
I also had a fabulous talk tonight with Valerie Hayes, The Pageant Coach. She spent time with all of us at the Vanbros weekend and met with me tonight over the phone. Working with Valerie is so helpful, so reassuring, so valuable!! Thank you Valerie!! Valerie's website is www.valeriehayes.com
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The National Pageant
I am so honored to be headed to Vegas soon to represent Missouri at the Mrs. United States Pageant. The purpose of the pageant is to "honor and pay tribute to the married woman." We all arrive in Vegas on Sunday, July 31st. Interviews take place on Tuesday. The preliminary competition is Wednesday and the final night and crowning of the new Mrs. United States will be Thursday, August 4th. This fabulous week will take place at the Las Vegas Hilton. I am so excited!!
Many friends have asked if the pageant will be televised or webcast. As of now, the answer is no. However, there may be future television broadcast of the pageant. I will keep everyone posted!
Please check out the website for the pageant at www.mrsunitedstates.com
I am honored to be a part of this event!
Many friends have asked if the pageant will be televised or webcast. As of now, the answer is no. However, there may be future television broadcast of the pageant. I will keep everyone posted!
Please check out the website for the pageant at www.mrsunitedstates.com
I am honored to be a part of this event!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Ad Page !!
Jason Vannatta designed my ad page for Mrs. United States in Vegas! The Vanbros team is amazing. Thank you Jason! drumroll...
photo by Will Patterson, makeup by Lisa Proctor, hair by Brent Peterson and Kelsey Miller of Envy Salon
photo by Will Patterson, makeup by Lisa Proctor, hair by Brent Peterson and Kelsey Miller of Envy Salon
Monday, July 11, 2011
Stop Diabetes!
I absolutely LOVE it when people ask me why I am competing for the title of Mrs. United States. Well, my husband and children play a huge role. They are the biggest cheering section and my greatest fans for sure! There is also my mom. She has taken on the name MOMM. This stands for Mother of Mrs. Missouri. They have each encouraged me to compete and think I am a superwoman!
There is a super message I have to spread. It is the real reason why I am competing and would love to be Mrs. United States. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in America. It's huge. It affects so many lives in so many ways. As an optometrist, I talk to people daily about their diabetes, lifestyle, blood sugar control, and the importance of dilated retinal examinations to detect changes to the retina from diabetes. This change to the retina is known as diabetic retinopathy. I want people to know that eye exams for those living with diabetes are SO important. Early detection of diabetic retinopathy saves vision. Diabetes does not have to be the leading cause of blindness in our country.
As the American Diabetes Association says... Join the Movement! Find out more about diabetes at
diabetes.org
There is a super message I have to spread. It is the real reason why I am competing and would love to be Mrs. United States. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in America. It's huge. It affects so many lives in so many ways. As an optometrist, I talk to people daily about their diabetes, lifestyle, blood sugar control, and the importance of dilated retinal examinations to detect changes to the retina from diabetes. This change to the retina is known as diabetic retinopathy. I want people to know that eye exams for those living with diabetes are SO important. Early detection of diabetic retinopathy saves vision. Diabetes does not have to be the leading cause of blindness in our country.
As the American Diabetes Association says... Join the Movement! Find out more about diabetes at
diabetes.org
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Bootcamp!
We had a fantastic time at the VANBROS boot camp to help with preparation for competing at Mrs. United States. "We" refers to Mrs. Kansas, Mrs. Texas, Mrs. Tennessee, Mrs. Arkansas and me! Bootcamp consisted of interview training, walking and stage presence training and girl time! We ate out, talked alot, and had tons of fun getting to know each other before our trip to Vegas. We also got to spend some of our time with the amazing young women who will be competing for the Miss Teen USA title on July 16th. They are so poised and so mature!
Valerie Hayes, The Pageant Coach, (http://www.valeriehayes.com/) is fantastic! She drilled us on interview and I know we'll be ready for Vegas! Kim Forsyth is the most darling pregnant woman ever! She worked with us on swimsuit and gown walking. There is definitely a skill set required to walk in 6 inch heels!
Valerie Hayes, The Pageant Coach, (http://www.valeriehayes.com/) is fantastic! She drilled us on interview and I know we'll be ready for Vegas! Kim Forsyth is the most darling pregnant woman ever! She worked with us on swimsuit and gown walking. There is definitely a skill set required to walk in 6 inch heels!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Miss USA mania!
Miss USA was televised live last night from Vegas. The show was fantastic!! Of course I watched to cheer on Miss Missouri, Miss Kansas, Miss Arkansas, Miss Nebraska, and Miss Oklahoma. They are all Vanbros girls. This means that they have the same directors as me! You can check out more about Vanbros at
www.vanbros.com
Before too long I will be headed to Vegas myself to compete for Mrs. United States!! The final competition is August 4th. I have been excited since winning the Mrs. Missouri United States crown but now I am even more excited!!! I will get to meet my Mrs. United States group of sisters and know a woman from every state. How cool is that?
Our new Miss USA is Alyssa Campanella, Miss California. Congratulations Alyssa!
www.vanbros.com
Before too long I will be headed to Vegas myself to compete for Mrs. United States!! The final competition is August 4th. I have been excited since winning the Mrs. Missouri United States crown but now I am even more excited!!! I will get to meet my Mrs. United States group of sisters and know a woman from every state. How cool is that?
Our new Miss USA is Alyssa Campanella, Miss California. Congratulations Alyssa!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Cicadas & Rain
Well, there has certainly been a ton of rain and a TON of cicadas in Missouri! Last night I drove to Mexico, Missouri to see the Outstanding Teen finals and the final night of preliminary competition for Miss Missouri America. Wow! It was a GREAT show. I was thrilled to cheer on my friend, Charlee Bisch, Miss Gateway Outstanding Teen. Charlee looked amazing and lit up the stage! Her mom, MeriLyn, is a friend of mine. I am so so tickled to know this great family. Here's a picture of me and Charlee. Keep in mind... rain... dodging cicadas as I ran to my car over intermission!
McKensie Garber captured the title of Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen 2011. Her dance performance to "I Can Hear the Bells" from Hairspray was flawless. She was amazing and had the BEST cheering section ever! Her mom, Denise, is so so proud and I am sure they are well into preparations for nationals! Good Luck McKensie!
Me and Charlee after the Oustanding Teen competition.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Photoshoot!!
What a fun photo shoot!! I was showered with clothing from my director, John Vannatta. This fantastic wardrobe is part of my prize package. Each dress you see is now hanging in my closet! Thank you Vanbros!!
Will Patterson is an amazing photographer. Who else could say, "oh, that brick wall will be gorgeous or those wood chips make a perfect contrast with the outfit"... Will is amazing. Really amazing. And, super nice to boot!!
Lisa Proctor is an amazing artist. She lives in Nashville and does makeup for the stars! I could not believe that I was getting this star treatment on my first day in this new Mrs. Missouri adventure. Lisa does her magic and makes you feel fabulous.
Hairstyles were created by Brent Peterson and Kelsey Miller of Envy Salon. They were awesome! Each outfit required a certain look and Brent and Kelsey would create it so effortlessly!
Thank you John, Will, Lisa, Brent, and Kelsey!!
Will Patterson is an amazing photographer. Who else could say, "oh, that brick wall will be gorgeous or those wood chips make a perfect contrast with the outfit"... Will is amazing. Really amazing. And, super nice to boot!!
Lisa Proctor is an amazing artist. She lives in Nashville and does makeup for the stars! I could not believe that I was getting this star treatment on my first day in this new Mrs. Missouri adventure. Lisa does her magic and makes you feel fabulous.
Hairstyles were created by Brent Peterson and Kelsey Miller of Envy Salon. They were awesome! Each outfit required a certain look and Brent and Kelsey would create it so effortlessly!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The drive home...
Monday morning we started bright and early with a photo shoot. It was a great day with my new director, John Vannatta, the amazingly talented photographer Will Patterson, airbrush makeup artist extraordinaire Lisa Proctor, and Salon Envy hair stylists Brent Peterson and Kelsey Miller. Pictures will be posted soon!
My mom spent the day with me and we started the drive back to St. Louis in the early afternoon. As fun as the morning had been, there was something weighing heavy on my mind. How could I be celebrating when something so horrific had happened the night before. Just over an hour before we went on the stage for the pageant, Joplin had been struck by a horrendous tornado. The devastation was already thought to be of unbelievable magnitude. This sick feeling sat in my chest. How could I celebrate when such loss had hit our state? I held the people, the town, the state in my heart and in my prayers.
My mom and I were in two cars for the drive home since she had joined me and George in St. Joseph to watch the pageant. About one hour in to driving we stopped for lunch at a Panera. My mom was having trouble with her phone (we won't go in to what was wrong with it... very very funny!) and one of the nice gentlemen who worked at Panera helped her "fix" it. He noticed my new Mrs. Missouri ring and commented on how pretty it is. I told him that I'd won it just the night before. I am thinking that the photo shoot makeup was a tip off of some sort. Not many people wear this type of amazing airbrush makeup in to get a you-pick-two at Panera! So, he was super nice and very excited to meet us and I posed for my first un-official Mrs. Missouri appearance picture at Panera!
We continued down the road and began to see hundreds of flags lining the freeway. It took me a while to catch on to what was happening. Ok, sleep-deprived Carrie didn't ever figure it out. I called my mom who was just behind me on the freeway and she pointed out the obvious. All of the flags were shortly accompanied by tons of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. It was the Patriot Guard giving a soldier a proper arrival back home. My heart sank to think of this person, this man or woman, who gave their life for our country. Wow. I gave thanks for their sacrifice and for the Americans who stand up for our service people who lose their lives in service.
Within a few miles of the Patriot Guard flags and supporters I passed the first white van. Again, at first I missed it. I saw the van but missed what it was and where it was going. A few minutes later it dawned on me. The Red Cross. The Red Cross van is going to Joplin to help. Wow. Then I passed another and before too long another. It was like when an ambulance passes and I stop to pray and think of whom they are going to help. With these vans I just couldn't imagine what they were going to face.
My mom spent the day with me and we started the drive back to St. Louis in the early afternoon. As fun as the morning had been, there was something weighing heavy on my mind. How could I be celebrating when something so horrific had happened the night before. Just over an hour before we went on the stage for the pageant, Joplin had been struck by a horrendous tornado. The devastation was already thought to be of unbelievable magnitude. This sick feeling sat in my chest. How could I celebrate when such loss had hit our state? I held the people, the town, the state in my heart and in my prayers.
My mom and I were in two cars for the drive home since she had joined me and George in St. Joseph to watch the pageant. About one hour in to driving we stopped for lunch at a Panera. My mom was having trouble with her phone (we won't go in to what was wrong with it... very very funny!) and one of the nice gentlemen who worked at Panera helped her "fix" it. He noticed my new Mrs. Missouri ring and commented on how pretty it is. I told him that I'd won it just the night before. I am thinking that the photo shoot makeup was a tip off of some sort. Not many people wear this type of amazing airbrush makeup in to get a you-pick-two at Panera! So, he was super nice and very excited to meet us and I posed for my first un-official Mrs. Missouri appearance picture at Panera!
We continued down the road and began to see hundreds of flags lining the freeway. It took me a while to catch on to what was happening. Ok, sleep-deprived Carrie didn't ever figure it out. I called my mom who was just behind me on the freeway and she pointed out the obvious. All of the flags were shortly accompanied by tons of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. It was the Patriot Guard giving a soldier a proper arrival back home. My heart sank to think of this person, this man or woman, who gave their life for our country. Wow. I gave thanks for their sacrifice and for the Americans who stand up for our service people who lose their lives in service.
Within a few miles of the Patriot Guard flags and supporters I passed the first white van. Again, at first I missed it. I saw the van but missed what it was and where it was going. A few minutes later it dawned on me. The Red Cross. The Red Cross van is going to Joplin to help. Wow. Then I passed another and before too long another. It was like when an ambulance passes and I stop to pray and think of whom they are going to help. With these vans I just couldn't imagine what they were going to face.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
What a weekend!
The Mrs. Missouri United States 2011 pageant was held May 21-22, 2011 in St. Joseph, Missouri. We all checked in Saturday, met our new pageant family, had orientation, took photos, and started rehearsing! The pageant is held along side the Mrs. Kansas United States pageant so we got to spend time with the Kansas contestants as well. What a great, inspiring, beautiful group of women! http://www.vanbros.com/unitedstates/mo_contestants.html
The day started early on Sunday with the interview portion of the pageant. I think all the contestants came out smiling! After a break for lunch we all headed to the Historic Missouri Theater for rehearsals. Before we knew it... It was show time!!
I am truly, truly honored to be the new Mrs. Missouri United States! The pageant weekend was so much fun. The prize package is out of the world! My adventure continued bright and early Monday morning with a fashion photo shoot fit for a queen! Wow, it was SO fun. John Vannatta, Will Patterson, Lisa Proctor, Brent Peterson, and Kelsey Miller had every single detail covered! What a way to start my year as Mrs. Missouri United States!
The day started early on Sunday with the interview portion of the pageant. I think all the contestants came out smiling! After a break for lunch we all headed to the Historic Missouri Theater for rehearsals. Before we knew it... It was show time!!
I am truly, truly honored to be the new Mrs. Missouri United States! The pageant weekend was so much fun. The prize package is out of the world! My adventure continued bright and early Monday morning with a fashion photo shoot fit for a queen! Wow, it was SO fun. John Vannatta, Will Patterson, Lisa Proctor, Brent Peterson, and Kelsey Miller had every single detail covered! What a way to start my year as Mrs. Missouri United States!
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