This Is It.........No Turning Back Now

There were a lot of final preparations this week I had leading up to my departure. On Wednesday was my final track practice with St. Clement. I was sad to be leaving and to be missing their championship meet but they all worked very hard and knew they would be fine without me. I also had a Saks 5th runway show with a bunch of my New View friends. I was so happy to see them before I left and to hear them all wish me good luck.

That leaves me to today. I now have 2 days till I leave and I had much going on. I woke up this morning to head up to Catan's in northern Ohio to pick up my finished Miss USA gown! I was so happy to finally have it! It was that moment I truly realized this was all really happening; I was competing for Miss USA!!!!!!! I had to hurry back home to meet Deb, Melissa, Chester, and others at Deb's studio for a final farewell and to go through Deb's clothes and accessoriesto take with me to Vegas! Deb gave me so much cool stuff (about 5 different outfits) and a ton of jewelry. But my favorite were these multi colored boots! I also modeled both my evening gowns for everyone and they just took everyone's breath away!

Finally Melissa had a pretty cool surprise for me. I came out after changing and there on the table was a Barbie made to look like me with a crown on her head (her hair was pulled back in a ponytail too!) Found out the crown was actually a ring each of us-Bridget, Rima, and Catherine- were given. Also the Rima, Bridget, and Catherine barbies were there also! I absolutley loved it! It was so nice seeing my training team one last time! Melissa, Chester, and Deb- I love you so much, you've really transformed me! I can't wait to go and compete for all of us!!!!

Things Are Falling In Place

I saw my director Melissa for the final time today before leaving for nationals. We met up at the Cheesecake Factory in Kenwood for a nice lunch. While eating Melissa had a surprise for me. My Stefanie Somers earrings had come in! But Stefanie didn't just make me one pair- but 2! (One for Evening gown and the other for interview) They are just breathtaking! After lunch it was time to do some final shopping for Vegas inside the mall. Melissa took me to several of her favorite shops. I was most disappointed with Lucky Brand Jeans because they didn't even have jeans long enough for me! (a pair of awesome jeans were one of the things Melissa really wanted me to get) We then went to J. Crew but weren't really successful. After that we went to the Limited where we did find quite a few things! I got my Miss USA registration outfit there (a teal romper and white blazer jacket). I also got a nice rehearsal outfit too! I was having so much fun shopping with Melissa! We quickly stopped at Aldo to pick up my Miss USA gown competition shoes and buy a nice high heel strappy sandal for all my new outfits.

When I finally said goodbye to Melissa (I'd see her in Vegas soon enough!), it was time to pick up my alternate Miss USA gown from the alterations shop. Everything is starting to come together!

The Women's Luncheon

I was honored with being the special guest at the St. Bernard Women's Club luncheon and fashion show. My great aunt Gertie is a member and I brought along with me my Mom, Grandma, Adria, great aunt Rose, great aunt Kitty, and many other relatives. I arrived to sign a bunch of autographs and take many pictures. I quickly had to eat lunch and then change for the show. There were also a bunch of other ladies in the show- some member, others were daughters and granddaughters of members. While getting ready a lady came and stopped by to accessorise us with some jewelry that she sold. She found out that I was Miss Ohio USA and immediately told me she would love for me to pick out one of her pieces to take and wear at Miss USA. I was so shocked and excited! I picked out a beautiful long necklace.

I was the final lady to hit the runway (the finale) and when my name was called all the ladies stood up and clapped for me! I truly felt like a star! At the end of my walk I was given a gorgeous bouquet! It was my final appearance as Miss Ohio USA before Miss USA. And also one of my favorites!

Final Touch Ups

This is now day 2 of my final training weekend with Melissa and my sisters. We woke up bright and early to meet at New View to work with Chester, Joe, and Deb on final touch ups on walking and a practice run through with interviews. Walking went very good (Thanks Kent!) and now it was time for interview. We actually had a real panel of 5 judges (Deb and Joe being 2 of them) and we did two 4 minute interviews, just like how it would be at Miss USA. I must say I was a bit nervous and I was the 1st one to go. All in all it went rather well and I was happy my turn was over and I could just sit back and relax with Rima, Bridget, and Catherine took their turn.
Afterwards Rima and I had a last minute refresher on American history and law. It felt like we were being asked questions from the show "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" I must say we did a pretty good job answering the questions!

It was now 3pm and I had to hurry up and leave to get back home and get ready for my Miss USA send off party at St. Bernard City Hall. St. Bernard businesses sponsored the event and put the word out to the whole city to be invited to come down and wish me luck. I arrived at the Municipal Building that was decorated with flowers and right away noticed my very own lifelike cardboard cut out of myself after winning the Miss Ohio crown. I must say it is the coolest thing ever! There was also a buffet of food and 2 different cakes- 1 Vegas themed with a tiara on top and the other a St. Bernard colored cake. I was so excited to see my friends amd family come down and support me! I was given countless cards wishing me luck and my track team even put a shirt together saying "Amanda RUNS for the crown!" Several politicians came to- Steve Driehaus, Steve Chabot, and Alicia Reese. They each gave me Proclamations congradulating me on my success thus far.

We ended the night of course none other than watching my state pageant video. Right before it was time to go Channel 5 stopped by and even interviewed me! After that night I truly felt like going and capturing that crown for my beautiful state and my wonderful city of St. Bernard!

PAR-TAY!

I woke up this morning to have my hair trimmed one last time before Miss USA. I went to go see Michael at Salon Bastille and he did a wonderful job as always! Later on I had to go get ready for my sponsor going away party at Hugo's. Rima, Bridget, and Catherine had come down for our final training week with Melissa. Lots of people came to our little party including Kim, Chester, Joe, Rob Williams, Judge Mallory, and several former Miss Ohio judges. We had a great time mingling with all the guests but the queens started to feel just a little hungry...

Once the party was over we headed back to Melissa's to go over some videos and eat! We watched a couple behind the scenes at Miss USA videos and Miss Teen USA 2008. But by far the coolest thing we saw was Melissa's office with all the former Miss Ohio and Michigan pictures and trophies. It was pretty crazy seeing our pictures hanging up!!!!!!! It was now 1am and time to head home to get some rest for tomorrow's long training day!

Work That Hair!

Dancing with Bootsy!

Judging!

I took my Mom with me tonight to the Paul Mitchell Academy Fashion Show and benefit where I had been asked to judge. I arrived at the the Oakley Theatre and met my fellow judges. Also saw Deb and did a couple photo ops with her. The place was becoming packed and soon thw show was about to start. The emcee was Bootsy Collins and his wife and they did a fantastic job! The actually competition was fierce as well and it was so hard to pick a favorite hairstyle and performance. The theme was around the world and there were about 50 different models. The hair literally looked like pieces of art (one was Austraila's Opera House!) But the 3 winners were 3 of my favorites- 1st place was an Amazon flower, 2nd was an American Flag, and 3rd was an Army soldier. I had an absolute blast- especially getting up and dancing with Bootsy!!! "FUNK YEAH!"

A Day With My Mommy!

Today I had a full schedule with an early workout with Adam and then I went to Kenzie's Closet to volunteer once again. We met up with Deb who took a few photos of me helping the girls. My mom and I were set up at the jewelry station to help accessorize the girls for their prom. It was a blast and my mom had a great time!

Right after that I had to go straight to TJ Maxx to be fitted and pick out my outfit for the St. Bernard Women's Club Luncheon and Fashion Show. It was a lot of fun picking out what I wanted to wear and it was so inexpensive, I decided to buy it! Finally mu mom and I were so hungry we stopped at Ruby Tuesday's for a quick meal before heading home from a very long day!!

Billy Jean

I modeled early this morning with Smartbargains.com for their website. I shot in several different suits, dresses, and even a cute Juicy Couture nightie. Its funny because the pictures will only be from my chin down, so you won't see my face. It was a fun shoot- the photographer and stylist were awesome! We listened to Michael Jackson hits and I was only there for 2 hours. Not to bad!

We are RB!

I had a fun day today with my Mom and Adria because we went to Florence Mall and did a little bit of shopping! I got several things at JC Penny, I saved over $150! We then got some lunch and went to the Donkey T's t-shirt shop that sells really funny T's. I got 3 for Vegas (One saying "Free Pete", the other "Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground!", and the other of a St. Bernard dog that says "Never Forget")

We had to head back home early because I had an event tonight. It was for Roger Bacon's Evening for Excellence and I was asked to greet people and mingle with the guests. The theme was the Kentucky Derby and I wore one of the outfits I bought today with a big black sun hat. I thought I looked perfect for the part and ready to go to the Derby! It was a fun night and great seeing all my fellow alumni's!

Shoot with Robin!

Today I got to test shoot with my friend Robin Mckerrell! She is an amazing photographer and has been working with New View for a little while as a teacher. I have modeled with her several times also! New View is coming out with their summer promotions and wanted me to be in the ads. Robin shoots very natural and so I wore little to no makeup with my hair pulled back. We shot 3 different looks: one being a black oversized sweatshirt (unzipped to show my 6 pack haha) and black leggings, then a leopard bathing suit with oversized gray knit, and finally a black beater with jean shorts. It was an interesting shoot and hope the pics turn out amazing! I honestly can't wait to see them and hope I can add them to my book!

A Cincinnati Tradition

Today MLB officially begins! It's the Cincinnati Red's Opening Day! I actually have the honor of walking out the game ball to the pitching mound and I can't believe this is really happening. Today was suppose to be a long, stressful day a lot of rushing around. I woke up at 6am to put on my Miss Ohio Red's jersey and get ready for my first interview at 8am at Gameworks for ESPN 1530. It was a 14 minute interview and a lot of fun! We had to rush out of there to get to the ballpark for another interview with FOX19.

I then had to hurry up to get ready for the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade. I met up with George Grande and Bronson Arroyo and we took a limo to the starting line of the parade. As soon as we stepped out, masses of people were around us and all of them wanted Bronson's autograph. It was pretty funny! They took us into the market, inside a shop where security surrounded us and people weren't allowed in. It was nice to get to know George and Bronson, and both of them were really great guys! We then were told we needed to get to our cars and line up for the parade. I had a pretty red Ford convertible and was right behind Bronson in the lineup. A lot of kids came up to me before we started and had me sign baseballs and take pictures. Darla (a fellow Cracker Barrel employee) and her 2 granddaughters were waiting for me by my car. It was so great to see her! The parade soon began and I had a ton of fun!

Mu family then met me at Gate 3 and it was time to head up and get our seats. I was given 4 tickets by the 3rd baseline and 4 rows away from the field. My mom, Bubba, and John sat with me and my Dad and Uncle Eddie sat in the season ticket seats. It soon was time to go onto the field for the opening ceremonies and I was allowed to take 3 other people, so I took my Mom, Bubba, and John with me (They had been with me all day through this stress). I met several people down on the field: Bill Ultect, Ted Strickland, and Bob Castellini. All of them were great!

When it was my turn to deliver the ball I stood with Gapper, Mr. Redlegs, and Rosie Red and then it was my turn to strut my stuff to the mound! The rush was amazing! My heart was beating fast and the stands were packed! It was pretty cool to be that close to the players and seeing my face on the scoreboard! Now I had time to enjoy myself and watch the game! People right away recognized me in the stands and would talk to me automatically. I had such a great time! Even though my Red's lost... The day was beautiful and very relaxing. I must say I needed that!

Easter- Spring Has Sprung!

Happy Easter everyone!!!!!! I can't believe spring is already here and Miss USA is right around the corner. I celebrated this morning by helping my niece Adria find Easter eggs in the backyard hidden by the Easter Bunny. Later on my Mom made a delicious early dinner of ham, pork loin, corn, green beans, pasta, and toast. The day seemed to just to go by, as do most days on my Road to Vegas!

Lady in Red

I met Melissa early at New View on Friday to check up on my progress with my body. We also went over so many things pretaining to Miss USA. She could definitly see a change in my body but there are always things that could still need to be worked on. :) Melissa also gave me the most beautiful red Jovani gown from David Lang from Regalia (one of my judges from Miss Ohio). When I put on the dress, it felt like it was meant for me! We then went over my interview outfit, which Melissa picked out and she loved it! She really has an eye for this!



It was a really productive morning and I was so happy with the suggestions and comments. Later that night I went to the Cincinnati Cyclones game with my Dad, Bubba, and John. It was my 1st game this season (I've been so busy and haven't had time to see any others) and they won!!



Today was another hockey day and the guys (Dad, Bubba, and John) and I headed up to Columbus early in the morning to meet a couple players. We had the priviledge to go back to the locker room to meet Mike Commodore and Steve Mason. My brother actually plays goalie and was so excited to meet Mason! Mason even gave him on of his sticks! Commodore came out later. My family has been following his career for about 8 years when he use to play for the AHL as a Cincinnati Mighty Duck. It was great to talk to him for awhile and he gave us not one, but 3 of his sticks! While we were there we even got to watch the Capitals and Oveckin's private practice. It was pretty awesome!!



My family then headed to Polaris to do a bit of shopping and soon it was time to leave for the Bluejacket's game! I wore my Miss Ohio jersey and during a period intermission I went to the Blueline Shop and picked out a Commodore hat for Vegas. The game was intense and we ended up losing. But the Bluejackets had a great season and I can't wait to watch and root them on next year! Thanks again Mason and Commodore!

Extra Practice in Interview

Early this morning I left with my mom on our way to Detroit. It was for interview training and I was meeting with Lowell from Rubicon Management. I passed out on our drive up but soon woke up to find myself at Birch Run Outlet Stores. We had to go into BCBG and see if there was anything on sale- guess what, it was my lucky day! It seemed like hundreds of dresses were marked down from $400 to just $60! I probably tried on about 30 different things when I settled with 3 cocktail dresses and a bracelet. I wanted to take the whole store with me though! :(

We then hurried on over to Rue21 and I quickly bought a chain necklace and flower braclet. It was time now to head over to work with Lowell. When we got there we found Catherine's mom and I finally met Lowell. He told me that he was going to right away throw me in with a panel of judges and critique me after every question. Boy was it hard! Interview has always been something I knew I could use a little work on. But I learned a lot from Lowell and know now what I must found out before I am to to be ready to become Miss USA.

After the long and hard interview sessions, we were on our way back home. Not before stopping to eat though! At that point my mom and I were starving! All day we had been snacking on turkey lunch meat, banana, trail mix, and pickles. It was now time to eat some real food. Bring it on!!

God, Flag, and Country

I was asked today to help judge the District God, Flag, and Country Speech competition in my very own city of St. Bernard. I myself competed in this competition years ago at the school level and was so excited to be able to judge it! There were 3 different age groups: 10-11, 12-13, and 14-15. We were judging on originality, presentation, memorization, poise, knowledge, etc. It was a tough competition needless to say. All the kids did a great job and I was truly impressed. I couldn't help but smile during all the speeches! It is great to see the youth of today with such brillant minds. Congradulations to everyone and best of luck to the ones who move onto Regionals- Savannah, Amber, and Jacob. You all are winners in my book!

Doing What It Takes To Be Miss USA

My weekend of training has finally come to an end. Saturday I met with Aisha Berry, Miss Ohio USA 2005, and worked on walking with her for 3 hours. It went pretty good, but it's hard to get out of walking like a model to walking like a pageant queen. I then left Sunday morning to head up to Pittsburgh to meet with Don Baker and work on interview. I met up there with Rima and Bridget arrived alittle bit later. We first went into a group discussion with Don and then had individual 1 hour sessions. I would be staying the night at the Hyatt at the Pittsburgh Airport, but Rima and Bridget were not. I said my goodbyes to the girls and quickly had to get to bed.

I woke up early this morning to get my workout in and then had to travel to West Virginia to go to Oliverio's. Olivero's is another sponsor for the Miss Ohio USA pageant and they sponsored the winners this year with a choice of a cocktail dress. I met Angela there and we immediately pulled a bunch of dresses to try on. It was so hard picking one because I absolutely loved them all! When I finally settled on one, it was time to hit the road! I had an extremely long drive home but this weekend was a very productive one to say the least!

Divine Chic, SO CHIC!

This coming weekend will be a crazy one for me with a lot of appearances and training. Yesterday I had to go down to the WCPO Studio at 10am to shoot my West Chester Dental Associates commercial. They just had me on a green screen and there was no written out script. I was just asked questions about my experience at the dentist office and with Dr. Goel. It seemed so long ago! I was also under the weather with a runny nose and felt stuffed up. That didn't help at all. We went through the questions a couple times- there were a ton of them! But soon it was all over and I was finished.

Then today my mom and I drove over to Indianapolis to meet Janit from Divine Chic. Divine Chic is an official sponsor of the Miss Ohio USA pageant and the winners get a shopping spree there (Top 5- 20% off and Top 15-10% off). Right away when met Janit, I loved her! She was absolutely a blast to work with and was such a sweet lady! Ahe had some beautiful gowns- but I feel in love with this Jovani cocktail that I'm taking with me to Vegas. But the one thing that I loved was all the jewelry she had! Man oh man did she have some gorgeous jewelry! It was so hard to choose from her awesome selection. We even thought that maybe next year at Miss Ohio USA 2011, we will have Janit bring her jewelry and sell it to the contestants who may need something last minute. I ended up picking a pair of sunglasses, a ring, necklace, and earrings. My mom was so excited she got to do this with me! I was happy too! Thank you Janit once again for everything! I will look fab in Vegas!

A Day at Kenzie's Closet

It was yet again another early morning as I made my way to the FOX19 studio. I had to be there by 7am and went straight into hair and makeup. This morning I would be modeling Macy's spring fashions, styled by UC DAAP students. My outfit was a black military style romper with gold earrings, necklace, and ring. I had on these cute nude shoes with a nude clutch. I loved, loved the outfit! (Maybe for Vegas?)

After I was off the air, I went straight home to pass out! Then I woke up to get ready to volunteer at Kenzie's Closet. I was so excited to get to do this and had been looking forward to it all day! My job today was to watch and observe the other volunteers and how they worked with the girls. It would be hopefully one of my many visits there. I was even able to donate my sophomore year Homecoming dress. I hope it becomes some girls dream gown!

Seiler's and the Home and Garden Show

I had an early fitting this morning at Macy's for a FOX19 morning show segment that will air later this week. I can't say what I'll be wearing! :) Don't want to spoil the fun! After that I had to get home to leave for the Cincinnati Home and Garden Show at Duke Convention Center. Seiler's Landscaping had asked me if I would make a small appearance there and of course I said yes!

When I arrived to the Convention Center, it was like I had never seen it before! There were gardens, water fountains, and even a water mill. It was truly beautiful! I found Seiler's and was stopped by a sign welcoming me to the show and wishing me the best of luck at Miss USA (I got to keep the sign!) It was the sweetest thing! I greeted people while I hung out at the Seiler's booth. I took many pictures with all the kids and signed lots of autographs. I had lots of fun of course and it was nice to see flowers for a change too. :)

Another Show for David's

Today is another exciting day of David's Bridal runway shows. They were held at the Manor House in Mason, where it was an absolute gorgeous set up! I hahd to model 2 bridal gowns and several bridesmaids. It was a blast, like always! But I hated seeing all the wedding cake samples! Thats the last thing I need to see on my road to the crown! :)

The True Test

Right after work I had my official first workout with my trainer Adam Rankin! I must say it was not an easy one! I spent all day at work and was ready to pass out. But that wasn't going to stop me! Adam never let me quit when I felt like giving up! This session made me realize that my body wasn't 100% ready for Miss USA. Now its time to kick it into overdrive and worker harder than I've ever before! "Success only comes before work in the dictionary"

Here comes the Bride!

It is finally Bridalrama weekend! I always look forward to working with Bridal and Formal and doing these fashion shows. Every summer and winter they have these Bridal Expos at the Duke Energy Center in Downtown Cincinnati. John and I are always in the show together which makes it so much fun! We had rehearsals on Friday night and then Saturday I had to be there at the crack of dawn to get my hair and makeup done. I love hanging out with my fellow lady models- Robin and Kara I love you girls so much! The shows went by so fast!

It was soon Sunday and time seemed to be flying by. I love all my dresses- they were gorgeous! I was the finale girl for each song and at the end of the Cheetah Girls song "Cinderella", they wanted me to wear a huge tiara, so they had me wear my Miss Ohio crown! At the end of the shows they introduced me to the audience as Miss Ohio USA 2010 and I received so many congradulations. Deb Knoske was even there taking photos, so Robin, Kara, and myself had to do a mini photo shoot in our beautiful gowns! I had an absolute blast this weekend and can't wait till the summer shows!

Kenzie's Closet and The Purse Vault

I was invited this Wednesday to the Kenzie's Closet "In the Bag" fundraiser. I brought along my mom for a much needed girls night out. We arrived at the Hyde Park Country Club and didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into. I was sort of familiar with the charity and didn't realize how involved it was. I always believed that Kenzie's Closet was a place fr high school girls to pick up a prom dress if you couldn't afford one. Boy was I wrong! Kenzie's Closet helps these girls out be putting their whole look together. From shoes to jewelry, from gloves to purses, from shaws to alterations! This charity is a great one to get involved with! Brynne, the founder, asked if I would like to come help out the girls get ready for prom. I thought it was an excellent idea and an offer I must take her up on!

The building for the party was decorated in hot pink and black and they had candy layouts with tiara shaped cookies! I soon met Deb Knoske there, who was the photographer for the evening. LOVE HER!!! :) One of the big fundraisers that night was called The Purse Vault. You could buy a ticket for $25 and go in the "vault" and pick out a gently used designer handbag. You could even buy a $100 ticket and pick up a highend designer purse (I saw a Louis Vuitton and so wanted it!!) I decided there was no way I could pass that up and ended up picking out a dark brown leather Furla satchel with a $10 Starbucks gift card, jewelry cleaner, and a $100 off coupn for plastic surgery (which I will not be using).

The night was very eventful and I got to meet some awesome women! At the end of the night I drew the winners name for the Grand Prize-A Naples Trip. Congrats Sandra!!!!

More Traveling and Training...And My Photo Shoot With Carter Studios!

It was another fun weekend on the road and in a new city. Friday afternoon I left for Pittsburgh for some more training with my little sis, Miss Michigan, and the West Virginia ladies. I arrived later that night at the Hyatt in the Pittsburgh airport and immediately Rima and I got situated in our room. We then met with Melissa and Randy (director of PA, WV, and IN) and went over the weekend and everything that would be happening. We then watched a fun film with the behind the scenes of Miss USA 2006. It was soon time to go to bed (Bridget finally arrived later).

I woke up Saturday to help Bridget get her things together for her Carter Studios shoot and we had a quick breakfast at the hotel restaurant. It was YUMMY! After helping Bridget carry her things, it was time to get my workout in. I now had to get ready for the day, eat lunch while watching Miss USA 2009, and then at noon it was my turn to shoot with Carter Studios. Heather did an amazing job on my hair and makeup. Jonathan was a ton of fun to work with too! (Pants on the ground, looking like a fool with your pants on the ground!)

It then was time to meet with Melissa on a one on one session. She was able to give me that extra boost of confidence and really helped me put things into perspective. Now it was time for the most memorable part of the weekend- walking the airport lobby with our swimsuits on! I really didn't feel uncomfortableat 1st until several older men started taking pictures on their phone! But it was a funny experience.

We then walked back to Randy's room, watched Susie Castillo's year at Miss USA and then we were dismissed for the night. We were all starving so Bridget and I decided to go ahead and order Italian, since nothing else was open. (Kim caught us though lol) It had been a long day and I was so happy to hit the sack, even though I had to share my bed with a certain little sister. haha

We woke up pretty late Sunday morning and scrambled to get ready to meet Melissa for breakfast and say our goodbyes. I stayed behind a little while longer to get my workout in and when I was done it was back off to Cincinnati. Home Sweet Home!!!

My Dream Gown

My one day dress shopping trip turned into a 3 day adventure! I was suppose to go up to Catan's in Strongsville with Melissa on Monday the 15th early in the morning and come back home later that night. But the weather report was saying that there would be a very bad snow storm on Monday (the day we needed to come up there on). We had no choice because time was running out to pick out my gown. Melissa then called me up to ask if it would be alright to leave on Sunday night and spend the night up close to Catan's. (I got to spend Valentine's Day night with my Director :) I agreed and once I got done with work, I went back home packed and was ready for our little trip.

On our way up there, Melissa and I were talking about literally everything! But mostly about the pageant. She and I both had so many questions for each other! When we finally arrived up at Strongsville we found the hotel and crashed for the night. I woke up early in the morning to work out and then met Melissa at the hotel's restaurant for a quick breakfast. It was now time to go dress exploring! (But not before Melissa got her Starbucks!)

We arrived at this huge dress store , I mean HUGE!! We immediately met Patrice, who was phenomenal! Everyone pulled lots of dresses to try on but there was this one that kept catching my eye. I would go through looking at the dresses and keep coming back to this one, there was just something about it. For me I loved all the dresses but Melissa knew what she liked and what she thought I should wear. One of the last dresses was this Tony Bowls and Melissa loved it! It was very sparkly and had chiffon. It was the perfect pageant dress! But for me I knew it just wasn't the one... There was just a voice inside my head that said "NO. NO. NO." That same voice that told me once before when I was looking for my gown for Miss Ohio that told me not to wear the gold dress.

I still had one dress left to try on, the one that I kept going back to. When I put it on and looked in the mirror I just knew it was the one! (I didn't even care what Melissa would say at the moment) I came out though and she was blown away! She looked at me up and down and said "That's your dress!" I was in LOVE with it! It was totally me and fit my style and personality. I literally felt this dress was made for me. After only 2 hours of looking through dresses, I was all set. Patrice then would order it in my size and length (I'm a tall girl so I would need it a bit longer). She then would add her own personal touches and alterations. I'm so excited and can't wait to see the finished product!

Bridget later came and met up with us after her classes. We wanted her to try on a few dresses and get ideas for Miss Teen USA. Of course she looked beautiful in anything she tried on but her last dress was drop dead gorgeous! She loved it to, which is all that really matters. We then all had a quick lunch and soon it was time for Melissa and I to head back home. But first we had to stop at Starbucks one last time.

As we drove back south, the snow was getting heavier and heavier. After only an hour and half of driving we came to a complete stop on 71 south. There had been a 4o car pile up just North of Columbus and the roads were absolutely terrible! We were stuck in that same spot for 6 hours (I'm not lying either!). We weren't moving and there were no exits for miles. It was funny though because all the Starbucks Melissa drank went right through her and she was dying for a bathroom! I couldn't help but laugh! We were starving also! We had nothing to eat for dinner and all we had was water on us. But at the same time it was fun and that moment really bonded Melissa and I.

It was now midnight when we finally arrived at Polaris just North of Columbus and we decided to get Arby's and stay at a hotel. We both were just dying to get home! Melissa had a presentation the next day and I had work. The roads were just way to bad for anybody to be driving on. We woke up the next day to the roads completely cleared and salted. We made a quick stop to Tim Horton's for breakfast and were back on the road. We soon arrived back home in Cincinnati. It was a fun trip and a memory I will never forget!

Deb Knoske ROCKS!

It is the day I have been looking forward to for awhile!! The day I shoot with Deb Knoske!!!!!!!!! I was so excited when I woke up this morning. Bridget was coming down to Cincinnati to shoot with me and I was so happy to see her! We met at the Hyatt in Blue Ash at 10:30am to find Melissa and Deb going through wardrobe and pulling together different looks. Salon Bastille even showed up to do our hair and makeup! They did a wonderful job and I looked amazing. Our 1st look we shot in was winter white where Bridget and I shot together in the snow (it was about 30 degrees out, no big deal!). Then we posed together lying down on a couch and finally seperately.
I my seperate shot would be for the Miss USA website.

I then changed into a red/burgundy outfit and after that shot into a brown dress that I wore with my crown. Finally it was time for the fun shot! Bridal and Formal let us borrow these insanely beautiful gowns for us to shoot in! Bridget's was red and mine green. We went outside once again and had to hold up the dresses to avoid getting anything on them. It was a blast!

When we finally wrapped up and finished I went back to New View to look at some of the pictures (we even ended up taking several more!). Thank you Deb for everything! I'm sure the pictures will turn out amazing! You are truly gifted!

My Beautiful New Smile :)

It was my final day of dental work from the wonderful West Chester Dental Group. I have gone there several times now and my smile keeps looking better and better. Today they wanted to check up on a few things and see how everything is going. My smile transformation is now complete and I'm so happy about it! Later on today I had to meet with Melissa and my personal trainer Adam Rankin with Top Tier Training, at New View Agency to check on how my body is looking. Rima even showed up later for them to check on her too. So far I'm looking alright but now it is time to kick it up a notch. I need a national winner body. I'm going to keep working hard and I will get there!!

First Day of Gown Shopping

At the Jeff Dunham Show

With the LaRichi designers!!!!

One of my favorite dresses I tried one- but not the one I chose :)

This morning I headed up to Bridal and Formal to meet with LaRichi Couture to talk and look at gowns. I tried on some beautiful dresses of theirs and loved where they were going with the idea of my gown for Miss USA! We shall see how it turns out!

Later that night I was able to go to the Jeff Dunham Show with my sis Kynna at Northern Kentucky University. We had an absolute blast and it was nice to relax and have someone really make me laugh! It was a great girl's night out!

Standout Productions Retreat with Chelsea Cooley!!!

This weekend was a long one for sure! On Thursday I left early in the morning for Lynchburg, VA. I was on my way to the Standout Productions Retreat with Chelsea Cooley, Miss USA 2005, and AT Dunn. I had a very long 8 hour drive and I couldn't wait to finally arrive and meet all the girls. I was told to meet at the airport and someone would be there waiting. When I got there though it was a complete ghost town. I called Rima to see where she was and she had told me that she was being driven with a whole bunch of the other girls to the campsite. I was then given directions to the Master's Inn (my GPS didn't pick up the address) and I was ready to just pass out! When I finally arrived to the site, I got out of my car and was approached by none other than Chelsea Cooley herself. She gave me a great big hug and shortly after AT Dunn was there asking about my trip. They both were very worried about me and if I would be able to find the campground. I immediately threw my bags in my room, made my name tag, and walked to the dinner hall which was filled with about 50 girls from all over the country. I saw Bridget and Rima and ran to them to give them all hugs! I have not seen Bridget since our crowning.!! Right after dinner all the girls went to a roller rink to skate and then play a game of in line hockey. The Misses kicked the Teen's butt! I even scored a goal! I love hockey but I am absolutely terrible with skating (I fell several times, but had a blast doing it!). When the long day was finally over we went back to the lodge to talk about what would be happening the next couple of days and then we were off to bed. I roomed with Miss Arizona (my bunk buddy), Wyoming, and Rhode Island. They were some amazing ladies! Our heater was on the fritz the 1st couple of nights and we all kept waking up because it was literally about 100 degrees in our room (I was right next to the heater of course).

The next day was a lot of fun! The Miss and Teen did a little paintball competition in the morning (once again the Miss slaughtered the Teens). Then we had to separate into our groups. Rima, Bridget, and Catherine were in a group together and I was left on my lonesome. But I got to make friends with a bunch of the girls in my group! :)We 1st went horseback riding (of course I had the crazy one who just wanted to do his own thing). We then got to do some lassoing and bull riding. No not a real bull! Once that was done we switched activities with the other group and went and did some rope courses. We did a rock climbing wall and once you hit the top, you had to stand up and zip line down. We made it into a competition with a Miss vs. a Teen. Who do you think won again?? :) When it was my turn, I went head to head with Miss Wisconsin (all the teens were done). Let's just say your Miss Ohio kicked some butt!!! It was such an awesome feeling zip lining down. It really was a rush! After everyone was done, we went to do what is called "The Leap of Faith". The name of it says a lot about what we had to do! We had to climb up a telephone poll, stand at the top, turn around, and then jump to catch on to the hanging bar. The entire time the poll was shaking, probably because my legs were shaking! I was able to do it and it felt amazing holding onto the bar and then letting go.

Later that evening it was time to get down to business! We had a walking class with Chelsea, a nutrition and exercise class with AT, and then a mock interview. We later ended the night with a bonfire with all the Misses. "What happens at the bonfire, stays at the bonfire." Finally after a very long day, it was time to go to bed. Sunday many girls were getting ready to leave, even Rima :(. But Bridget and I stayed behind till Monday. Sunday was a really relaxing day where we did some interviewing with Standout Productions. Later at night we went to Church with AT and Chelsea. I loved the message that AT left us with! When Church was let out, we went to a Skiing Lodge where we could do tubing, snowboarding, or skiing. Not to many of us did it because it was raining. So we stayed in the lodge watching football playoffs. Bridget, Arizona, Utah, and I had the great idea of ordering pizza! We ran it by Chelsea, who was fine with it (she even had a couple slices herself) and Bridget called in the order. We had so much fun just sitting on the couch with all of us eating pizza and laughing. AT finally came in and was shocked with what we were doing, he even blamed it on Chelsea. We had so much fun that night though!

I woke up that next morning, getting ready to make my 8 hour drive home. I said goodbye to everyone (can't wait to see them again in Vegas!). I gave Bridget a BIG hug and thanked Chelsea and AT for this awesome weekend. I will never forget it!!! This weekend we also had a surprise baby shower for Chelsea. I bought her all Ohio State stuff (a onesie, dress, pacifier, booties, and sippie cup). She loved it!!

Driving Miss Rima :)

Rima and I getting ready to leave for Nashville! Adria loved Rima!!!!

Behind the Scenes! :)

We'll make 2 beautiful brides one day!

This past weekend was so much fun! Rima and I had to travel to Nashville to see Kent and work on our walk. Rima drove to my house on Friday afternoon and I drove both of us down to Nashville in my little PT Cruiser, Delilah. :) We had an absolute blast on the way down there, talking and catching up. We even sang "Barbie Girl" a few times. (Rima is an amazing singer! We're going to enter a Karaoke contest one day) We stopped for dinner at none other than Cracker Barrel, where it was Rima's first time there. While there we signed a couple autographs and Rima played dress up with this beautiful wrap that she later bought for her grandma.

When we finally arrived at our hotel, the Hyatt, we unpacked and quickly got ready for our 1st lesson with Kent (Little did we know that we were 1 hour behind down there). That lesson was pretty rough and our minds were starting to spin with learning and processing all this new information. After the 3 hours of walking training, Rima and I decided to go to Kroger to pick up some healthy food for the weekend. When we finally got back to our room, we both passed out! It was one long and tiring day.

We woke up the next morning to eat a delicious and healthy breakfast and then worked out in the hotel's gym. I of course didn't think to bring my gym shoes, and decided to bike in my clogs. After the workout we had plenty of time until our next walking lesson (which was at 6pm) and we decided it was time to do some shopping! We ended up going to the Opry Mills and it was every shopper's dream! It was a huge and beautiful mall with outlet stores in it. It even had a Rainforest Cafe and an AMC Theatre. Rima and I found tons of bargains that we truly could not pass up! We took a break at Barnes and Noble, where we were looking through workout books while sipping Starbuck's coffee. We then had to leave to get ready to see Kent, but not before stopping in a few shops while heading out. :)

We finally arrived at the studio and met Miss Tennessee, Miss Teen Tennessee, Miss Georgia, Miss Teen Georgia, and our very own Catherine, Miss Teen Michigan. All the ladies were so lovely and sweet. That session was a refresher course on everything we had learned last night, and it seemed everything was starting to click together for me. We left after only a 1 and half hours of training because we had to go to bed super early because we needed to wake up at 5:30 in the morning the following day!

Sunday was the day that we had to put everything we learned form Kent into action on the stage. We had 3 different bridal shows to do and we had to do our own hair and makeup. It was going to be a long day! Kent taught us the different stage patterns and before we would walk the catwalk, he shouted out the name of the one we were suppose to do. I had a lot of fun working the stage and hanging out with the other girls. But soon it was time to go home.

We said our goodbyes and headed out on the road. For dinner Rima and I stopped at Subway (still trying to eat as healthy as possible) and we were soon back home in no time or at least I was. I then had to say goodbye to Rima; I would get to see her in 5 days, so it wouldn't be a long goodbye. When I walked through my garage door, my whole family was watching the Miss Ohio USA pageant. The DVD had finally arrived and I couldn't wait to watch it!