July Outtakes

7.31.2013

The Good
Adam showing up for a surprise!
And spending 5 straight days with that husband of mine.
Spending time with family on the 4th.
A week in Idaho with my mom and my pageant peeps.
My nephew got baptized.
Adam was featured in the Missoula newspaper.

The Bad
Being in a long distance relationship.
And then shutting the door on Adam when he surprised me... oops.
Sitting at home with nothing to do.
Lots of headaches.
Being impatient when crafting and then it turned out not the best.
And getting blue spray paint on my ring. Oops again.
Looking up Mrs. pageants... they are expensive.

The Outtakes
I made the mistake of giving you a lot of my this month's outtakes last month...
So you get just two outtakes. And then some random photos found on my phone.
Because two photos are boring and my readers deserve to see more of my awkwardness!
Don't forget to enter the Style Lately jewelry giveaway.
And don't forget about the giveaway for $250!
Oh. And did I mention that you need to go follow me on bloglovin'?!

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Pretty Little Bloggers

7.30.2013

Well party people. You know what time it is. It is PLL time. The big day for more epsisodes that confuse to no end. And what better way to celebrate than to make up our own endings? I am teaming up with Autumn from The Unreal Life and Sam from All Sorts of Virgin to present:
Yes. Pretty Little Bloggers. We're here to present our theories as to how PLL will end. We may not know how we got to this point in the plot, how Spenser forgot Toby slept with his step sister or who A is, but we do have some pretty good ideas of how this series might end. So, without further ado, we present Pretty Little Bloggers: Alternate Endings to PLL. 

Toby is mercilessly killed off by Melissa (as part of the A Team). After a sufficient one week period of mourning, Spenser realizes that Melissa really did her a favor. She regains her appetite, spine, sass and self-esteem. Inspired by her new sense of self worth, Spenser goes on the ultimate revenge spree against A to get her friend's love lives back in order. 

A kills off Maggie, the baby mama with an uncanny ability to forgive disappearing father figures. Aria and Ezra are finally reconnected and there is much rejoicing. But then...Ezra is contacted by A, who threatens to kill the love of his life, Aria, if Ezra doesn't do exactly as A says. The mission: wed and bed Aria's mom. 

A poses the ultimate question to Aria and audiences alike: is it better to have the love of your life alive and with another woman...or dead? In typical A fashion, the answer is...dead. Ezra dies in a tragic poisoned chalkboard dust incident. Amidst her grief, Aria learns that Ezra has left her the most precious piece of his heart even after death, sole custody of his son Malcolm. 

It all comes to light. Jenna has never been blind, and her surgery didn't work. Because she didn't have surgery. But while she was pretending she got her pilots license, multiple wigs, and incredible makeup disguise classes. So not only is she Jenna, but she is also Cece Drake, Red Coat, fake Ali, and the little scary girl from Halloween. Impressive, I know. And the only reason she is caught is because she tries to sleep with Toby again (gross.) when she is Cece, and he is like, what? You look like Jenna, and he rips off her mask and then finds her cell phone full of A messages.

Even with all of that. Melissa did kill Wildon and Caleb - spoiler alert. Hannah's mom is set free just in time to keep her from starving to death from depression. Hannah uses her trials to make success and becomes Miss America. Emily gets an incredible surgery and go to swim at Stanford on a full ride. Spencer realizes Toby is a weirdo for ever having slept with his sister in the first place. She dumps him and starts dating that British guy and demands acceptance to her family's dream school, which they give her. And Aria and Ezra are back together and get married in the season finale.

It's a nice sunny day outside, the birds are chirping, the camera rolls in on the PLL's asleep in Spencer's backyard barn, you, the faithful viewer thinks, wait a minute… isn't that supposed to be Melissa's apartment now? the camera rolls over all four liars and lands on Hanna's face, she looks a little pudgier than when we last saw her… and then Snap! Her eyes open, she sits bolt-up and looks around… she sees Spencer, Emily, Aria, and then right next to her, Ali…

Hannah: "What the?" She shakes Spencer awake, the closest liar to her… "Spencer, what the hell is going on?!"
Spencer: " Hannah, it's too early! Go back to bed, we'll go out for breakfast later!"
Hannah: "Spencer, something's wrong!"
Spencer: "Go back to bed Hannah"

Hanna looks around again and seems to remember where she is, she lays back down and giggles.
Ali rolls over and looks at Hannah.

Ali: "What's so funny?"
Hannah: "I had the weirdest dream…"
Ali: "All about me I suppose…" (she says only half awake but still as self centered as always)
Hannah: "Sort of, anyway, I'll tell you about it later, I'm going back to bed."
Ali: "Kisses"

So, how do you think PLL will end?
Who is A? Who dies next? Tell me everything.

Free Money || Giveaway

Well. First things first. I know it is Tuesday and you all came here (if you didn't, pretend you did because I like to think that Tuesdays are popular for my awesome mixed jams) for the Mixed Tape Tuesday. But, sadly. It is not here today! Due to collaborations and promised made, I didn't want to over-blog and it will reconvene next week. But also, NOT sadly... you get two, that's right, two awesome posts today. Starting with a $250 GIVEAWAY! Say whhhhhhhha? And then later today you can come back and here all about Pretty Little Liars from the Pretty Little Bloggers. You won't wanna miss our alternate endings. So let's kick things off with some free money! Just in time for all the summer sales and fall fashion filling up all the stores. I could easier spend $250 in one afternoon right now... but it is you who gets the opportunity to win it, so get to entering!



Chambray Three Way || Day One

7.29.2013

I feel like the chambray is the most versatile item in my closet. Which makes me slightly regret - okay majorly regret - that I waited so long to buy one. When everyone first started snatching them up from Madewell and J Crew I told myself... don't get one, they will probs be out of style soon. Well. Awesome. I was wrong. And by the time I realized I was wrong no one had the exact shade I wanted in stock anymore. Finally, after all that searching I found one that fit my needs. And today, I am starting off a few options of how to wear it. And you can vote for my one item three ways over at Reality Blogger. This is one of my favorite chambray styles. Tied up high over a summer sundress.

Dress: Soel Boutique \\ Chambray: H&M \\ Jewelry: Color By Amber

Check back next week Monday for day two of chambray three way! Oh. And don't forget to vote at Reality Blogger and enter the awesome jewelry giveaway from Style Lately.
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Linked up: Style Elixer || Plane Pretty || Yolo Mondays || WWIW || Monday Mingle || My Thrifty Chic 

Splurge and Save || Outfit 9

7.27.2013

Splurge and Save || White Tee


I am all about comfort. And then I am all about hats. This outfit it the perfect combination of style and comfort - all brought together for a simple chic outfit. I love the bleached jeans - I have been looking for a pair all over town. Fedoras are my new favorite item to collect. And who doesn't love a simple white tee? Spice up the outfit with some heels, a clutch, and a chunky statement piece.

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Famous Adam

7.26.2013

I know I already talked about Adam this week... but I am just so darn proud of him! Yesterday he was featured in The Missoulian, which is the newspaper where his current team is located. This baseball road has been a long and bumpy one. We've had awesome games, we've had mediocre games, we've had games we wish would just disappear, we've been angry, sad, and happy, we've had moments of success and failure, we've had more tears - from me - than I ever thought possible in baseball, and most of all we've had a great time learning from everything we have encountered.

Adam has come a long way in baseball. After a two year mission, two years without even seeing a baseball, he came back ready to play but had a more difficult time getting his control back than we thought. From 2012 at BYU to 2013 at BYU to 2013 with the Missoula Osprey he has worked hard and he has improved. I am so proud of him. I'm not only proud of Adam for his hard work in baseball, but I admire him for making a choice to turn down the draft in high school to go to on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Miller knew he wanted to serve as a Mormon missionary even before professional baseball became a possibility. But a two-year rite of passage in the LDS community meant walking away from the game just as scouts starting taking notice of the California native.

Unfortunate timing perhaps, Miller thought, but his path was never in doubt.

“I’d kind of made a commitment before I left to completely dedicate myself to what I was going to do down there, and I knew I’d receive blessings for doing so,” said Miller, who left school following his freshman year. “Baseball is something that I loved, but I knew if I completely cut myself loose from baseball, when I came back it was going to be there in greater abundance for me. And it’s definitely turned out that way.”
Read the whole article here.

And I appreciate him for turning down the draft last year to come back to BYU to improve and be with his team. And on top of that, I appreciate him turning it down last year so we could get married. Because I really love him. Adam is the epitome of dedication and hard work, in everything he does. He makes me a better person. He is a wonderful example of the gospel to everyone he meets. He makes whoever he is around feel comfortable and he is always making people laugh. He is a gentleman and knows the importance of respect. He is my other half... in fact, he is my better half.

Highly Bedazzled

7.25.2013

High heels. High heels. Really high heels. That is me and that is who I am. The guys at work always ask how I wear my heels every single day? Especially the day that I volunteered the entire day in the kitchen. But I have an easy explanation. It is the pageant girl in me. And to show you just how much the pageant girl is me, I paired my most bedazzled heels with my Miss America tee. 
Tee: Miss America Organization \\ Jeans: Gap \\ Shoes: Shoelovin'
Sunglasses: Cotton On \\ Earrings: Maurices \\ Bangles: Gifted

Have you voted for my outfit at Reality Blogger? Well what are you waiting for!?

Beautify Your Blog || Deleting the Photo Shadow

7.24.2013

A few weeks ago I helped host a blogger round table all about blog design. There seemed to be a lot of the same questions from bloggers - they all wanted a simple fix for similar problems. Rather than just share it with the few ladies at the round table, I wanted to share it with all of you. Because we all deserve a pretty blog, even if we don't have the funds to purchase one. So here we are with my new mini-series beautify your blog. Today's topic? Deleting the Shadow Box Around Your Photos.
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The default for most layouts puts a pesky little shadow border around every photo. Today I am going to give you a few simple steps to get rid of that irritating border.

1. In the left sidebar of your blogger dashboard click "Template".
2. Under the Live on Blog thumbnail click "Edit HTML".
3. Use Ctrl F to open finder and type in the following: .post-body img
4. That search will pull up the following code
.post-body img, .post-body .tr-caption-container, .Profile img, .Image img,
.BlogList .item-thumbnail img {
padding: $(image.border.small.size);
background: $(image.background.color);
border: 1px solid $(image.border.color);
-moz-box-shadow: 1px 1px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, .1);
-webkit-box-shadow: 1px 1px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, .1);
box-shadow: 1px 1px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, .1);
}
 
5. Replace the bolded lines with:
-moz-box-shadow: 0px0px0pxtransparent!important;
-webkit-box-shadow: 0px0px0pxtransparent!important;
box-shadow: 0px0px0pxtransparent!important;
}
6. Click "Preview Template".
7. If it looks good click "Save Template".
8. You're good to go! Have a happy day!

What tutorial would you like next?
Anything you want to learn to beautify your blog?

Oh Boy, Oh Boy

7.23.2013

After a week with the man of my dreams I am the happiest girl alive. And because of that twitterpated and happy feeling that is still flying around my body, it is time to pay tribute to the first guys that won not only my heart, but the hearts of once girls and women across the nation. The guys that we bought TigerBeat for, we entered countless contests for a chance to meet them, we waiting all day for TRL to play their video... Boy Bands. Those guys that sang DIRECTLY to us (and every other girl in the world)... this playlist is a tribute to our first boy band crushes.


Side A
It's Gonna Be Me - N'Sync
I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys
MmmBop - Hanson
Burnin' Up - Jonas Brothers
She Is Love - Parachute
Give Me Just One Night - 98 Degrees
Summer Girls - LFO
Step By Step - New Kids On The Block

Side B
Peaches and Cream - 112
I Swear - All-4-One
Tearing Up - N'Sync
Summertime - New Kids On The Block
I Do - 98 Degrees
Everybody - Backstreet Boys
Back Here - BBMak

*I am not endorsing the videos for these songs. I am endorsing that the songs listed above make me want to sing and dance. I do not own the rights to any of these songs.*
Oh Boy. by Deidre Miller on Grooveshark

"What are you doing here?"

7.22.2013

For the last 30-some-odd days I have been waiting for the chance to see my sweetheart. You see, he was drafted by the Diamondbacks and three days later left on an adventure (by himself... how rude! Just kidding. Someone has to make the money around here!) to play baseball in Montana. Three days after the big call I dropped him off at the airport, and that is where the countdown begins. The countdown in text messages looked a little something like this....
A picture of the number of days left until the BIG DAY! When Adam would finally be in Utah again. Sadly not in our home, but in Ogden. Which is just one Hogwarts Express (we like to pretend we are students at Hogwarts when we ride the Front Runner - I keep trying to get Adam to ask the security guard if they have any chocolate frogs on their cart) ride away. 2 hours on the train. Or 1 hour by car. And I am there! At last. And the most exciting part? The first day I would see Adam I would also see him pitch! Sweeeet. So his bus rolls into Ogden Tuesday night and then in just 24 hours I get to see him. I'm sitting at home waiting for PLL to start and I hear a knock knock knock... and then this happened.
So the video looks a little messed up - that is what his teammates told me - but let me explain. I am sitting at my house texting my husband in anticipation of seeing him the following day. I go to open the door. No one is there. And then this crazy guy pops out from around the corner. It took me a solid 3 seconds to register that the crazy guy was in fact my HUSBAND! And all I could say is,  "What are you doing here?" To which he said, "I'm here! Surprising you!" And I am about to cry. And then I look up and see good ol' Madison filming the whole thing. And I was confused and embarrassed... and I shut the door! For some reason that was the only thing my brain would let me do. Yeah... obviously you can see why Adam married me, I am so charming and welcoming. 

And then the tears started flowing. I missed him. A lot. And then there he was right in front of me. And all I could do was hug him and say how much I had missed him. And cry... of course, because I am a female. And then I wanted a photo together to share with everyone that he is HOME! Didn't matter if I had just cried for a good 5 minutes.
And that started the best week in a long time. 5 days with Skinny Mill. Train rides, lots of sandwiches, too much baseball, a trip to Idaho, cupcakes... all of it. But really the best best best best best best BEST part was just time with my honey. Because I missed him (in case you didn't already here that?) and I got to be with him basically non stop for 5 days. 

It was really exciting for me to see Adam pitch again. And this time I got to see him coming out of the bullpen, which is where that kid really shows up. He faced eleven batters and struck out FIVE! Say whhhat? That is pretty impressive if you ask me. Also. The radar gone showed he hit 99 MPH. But he said it was wrong. But I say... let's roll with it, okay? It was so fun being there watching him with our friends Jeff and Nicole Davis, Drew and Madison Dennis, and Adam's brother Mike. And what would a game be without a picture after the game, our first professional baseball couple picture that is.
Lucky for us, there is that awesome Hogwarts Express I told you about.. so Adam got to come home to Provo every single night. I brought him home and the next day he would catch the train up. And then on Friday we headed up to Idaho following the team bus for more games in Idaho Falls. Those games were great because Adam was charting and so I got to sit one chair away (seriously... one away, I wasn't allowed to sit next to him per team rules) from him in the stands. Which is way better than sitting alone and making funny faces at him in the dugout. But all good things must come to an end.... 
Yesterday after their game and some dinner with Adam I headed back to Provo for work today. Which is a double bummer since Adam is starting the game today. My parents are heading up to watch him so he can have some of that Edmunds love. And the countdown begins again. This time only 25 sleeps until I see Adam! And this time it is triple special. One special because I see Adam. Two special because I get to see his home for this summer in Missoula. Three special because I get there the day of our one year anniversary to celebrate! I can't wait to see Skinny again, but after being with him this past week the wait is worth it. Adam is doing something he loves and I am supporting him. And it just makes our time together that much more valuable. 

And hey Adam - thanks for the surprise. Even though I cried. I loved it. And I love you. And you are the best-est-est. Thanks for an awesome 5 days. Only 25 more sleeps!

Splurge and Save || Outfit 8

7.20.2013

Splurge and Save || Red Pants

Splurge and Save || Red Pants by lovetheskinnys featuring mulberry handbags

Red pants have always been a favorite of mine. But since I am a BYU girl I have to be careful when I wear them... Can't be seen around town in Ute red - especially when baseball is going on. I love to pair my red jeans up with a black tee. And then when I need a little more I go all metallic with my accessories for that rockstar feeling. Head over to my Polyvore profile for details on where to get these items.

*All outfits are built on Polyvore.com. Styling is built to suite my personal taste and dress standards.*

Best Hair Straighteners

7.18.2013

Remember a long, long time ago when I posted this on Instagram?
If you don't follow me on Insta you won't remember. But you should be following me.  
Well. The caption was, "Look what just came in the mail! Watch for a review in the next couple week!" A couple weeks turned into a couple months... with moving, the draft, and me being sick and too lazy to get ready I just didn't do my hair. So here I am now for a review. Missiko has a ton of different hair products. Dryers, curling irons, straighteners... you name it. They got it. They even have some awesome beauty products. But today I am here to talk to you about the Hana Salon Hair Straightener. It is the best hair straightener I have ever used. But I will get to that in a second.

Let's start with the packaging. Missiko spares no detail. They are all about the aesthetics of the packaging. My box was purple themed and was full of all sorts of fun. The package alone would make you happy, even if the product didn't rock. But let me tell you something... the product totally rocks!

I put my hair into a bun riiiiiight after my shower. Then straight to bed. Then I sort of fixed my bun for work - just to make it a little more presentable. When I got home from work I let my hair down. And here we are at before. Lots of kinks and waves. And very flat.

So I went to work on my hair. I turned the straightener to about 350 and let it heat up for about ten minutes. I straightened my hair in three different layers - my hair is thin so it worked perfect. The top layer got volume as I straightened it away from my scalp. All in all - it took me about 10 minutes to go from the before to after.
The product works so fast and well. You can see on the close up it got the kinks out, but my hair is a little dry, which is why it isn't model shiny. The product kept my hair straighter longer as well. Usually I will get a new kink in my hair after ten minutes up in a pony tail. I threw my hair in a bun for about two hours that evening - and after I could just brush out the kink. Some other products that I love over at Missiko are Enzo Milano Clipless CurlingModel in a BottleMoroccan Oil, and Hana Shineshield

Want more Missiko reviews? Check out these blogs:

Long Distance Love

7.17.2013

If you remember, Adam has been in Arizona and Montana living his baseball dream. And while he is there I have been in Utah and Idaho working my dream job and volunteering for Miss Idaho. We aren't in the typcial long distance relationship because we aren't just dating... we are married. But the same rules and feelings apply. Time apart is hard, but it doesn't have to be impossible. Here are some tips from our relationship that has made the time apart easier. We are keeping the spark alive through our long distance dating. And I truly believe our relationship will only be stronger when he comes back.
1. Save your conversation.
Don't text all day, every day. Save your conversation for a nightly phone call. When you spend all day texting each other you will have nothing to say at night. During the day we will text each other questions, funny things that come up, quick snippets or a story that needs to be told while talking, and quick I love yous... but we are careful to share EVERY detail of our day throughout the day. We want to have meaningful conversation at night, not just a phone call because it "should happen".

2. Use technology to your advantage.
There are so many options to talk these days. It isn't just a letter or in person conversation. We have cell phones, text messaging, but - best of all - we have video chat. Whether you Skype, Facetime, or use Google+ - use technology to your advantage. It stinks not seeing my husband every day at home, but I can see him every day through the advances in technology. We have our very own Google Hangout every single night.

3. Pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.
Pictures of what you are doing. Pictures of things going on around you. Pictures of yourself. Adam and I are the King and Queen of selfies. On an average day we spend anywhere from 20-30 photos... but sometimes when I know that Adam wont be at his phone for awhile, I will send him about 20-30 over a ten minute period. I like to see what Adam is up to. I like to see the field he is playing at. I like to see his new hat. I like to see his face. So we send photos. It is like I am there without being there.

4. Take advantage of time apart.
Obviously you are sad to be apart... but when you get sad think of all the things you have listed that you want to do when you "have some time"... then DO it! Take advantage of your time apart by doing things you have put off. Learn a new skill. Get a new hobby. Visit friends. Watch movies you know your significant other wont want to watch. Time apart doesn't have to be bad... it can be a time to grow more as an individual to make yourself better for when you are a couple together again.

5. Do things "together".
To do something together you don't have to be together. Your significant other is watching a show on TV? Sit down and watch the same show. You are watching a YouTube clip? Send them the link and then watch it at the same time over the phone. You can always find similar things to do in your different location... it helps put you on the same field.

6. Talk about the good times. And then look to the future.
We all have those moments that will always be special in our relationships. Take the time to talk about those moments. First date, a funny story, first conversation, a roadtrip, the list goes on and on. When you talk about the good times you prepare for more good times. One memory can lead to a plan for the future. When you think about good memories you think about the opportunities for the future, and not the time apart. It brings excitement to the next time you see each other.

7. Be positive.
Obviously you miss each other. Obviously you want to see each other. But crying on the phone, saying "I miss you" a million times, and talking about how difficult the distance is will only make the time apart harder. Be positive. You can easily make an I miss you positive - say I miss you and I cant wait to see you or I miss you, but we will have so much fun when I come out there... When you say "I miss you," don't make it a focal point of the conversation.

8. Make them a priority.
We are all busy. And we make ourselves more busy when we want time to move faster. But ALWAYS make time for your significant other - no matter how busy you are. Everyone has time to text message. And if you have time to text, chances are you have time for a phone call. Not all phone calls need to be an hour long. But waiting to go to bed, or stepping out of a movie for a few seconds, or walking away from your girlfriends shows they are a priority and it shows you want to talk to them.

9. Make the time seem shorter.
When talking timeline, what sounds more appealing, "Soon" or "5 Weeks"? If you said 5 weeks, good on you.. but I think soon sounds better. This one is big in my relationship with Adam. Over his 3 months away we will only see each other twice. Whenever we talk we discuss when we get to see each other next... we have found that saying soon or the number of days makes the time seem shorter than saying one month or five weeks. Find out what timeline sounds more appealing to you and make sure you take your significant other's feelings into account.

10. Say I LOVE YOU.
If you are in love, say it. If you are in like, say it. Anything you think, say it. There is nothing better than a few kind words to get through a hard time. And even though I miss Adam, hearing him say "I love you" or "I appreciate you" makes it easier. Because even though we are apart I can focus on the most important thing... we are in love. And that isn't going to change.

11. Fly, drive, or crawl.
And of course the last and most important. The only way to make long distance work is to MAKE SURE you see each other. Time apart is hard. But time together makes it worth it. No matter how long you are apart, make time to see each other at least once while you are apart. And if you can, take turns doing the visiting. And when you go visit them, plan out your trip. Don't just spend time holed in a hotel "catching up"... go out, explore, and have adventure! That will make the departure a lot easier. Because you aren't so sad to be apart after 24 hours a day of looking into each other's eyes, you have memories to build on for all your future conversations.

Have you ever experience a long distance relationship? What advice do you have? What made the time apart easier for you?

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

7.16.2013

I almost had today's post be called "The Day The Music Died"... because I have been too scrambly and too scattered to take time to put together a playlist. Miss Idaho week really drained me. Which is especially lame since I wasn't even competing. Just playing den mother. And then yesterday I experienced what I think was my very first migraine? Maybe? Gross. So yeah, I wasn't going to create a playlist for you. But then I realized... THAT was a bad idea. It was especially a bad idea because I have MAJOR reason for celebration and a roadtrip playlist this week. Because tomorrow, after thirty-five days of waiting, I get to see Adam! So here is a lovey dovey playlist all about happiness and love.


Side A
I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
No Air - Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown
Be My Escape - Relient K
Love On Top - Beyonce
World Spins Madly On - The Weepies
Bruises - Chairlift
If It Kills Me - Jason Mraz
I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing  - Aerosmith

Side B
Realize - Colbi Caillat
Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer
Your Song - Elton John
Happy As The Sun - Tyrone Wells
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Crush - Mandy Moore
How To Love - Lil Wayne


*I am not endorsing the videos for these songs. I am endorsing that the songs listed above make me want to sing and dance. I do not own the rights to any of these songs.*

Miss Idaho 2013

7.15.2013

I am back from the dead. Actually I wasn't dead at all. Just off living the pageant dream. Hanging out backstage with 19 women that are too fit (seriously the best bodies I have ever seen in a class as a whole) for anyone not working out to feel good about themselves. Sleeping in a dorm room. Eating as if I was going to be on stage because I felt too weird to eat the chocolate. Hanging out with my mom. Realizing just how much hairspray you save if you aren't in pageants.... That is the life.

It was a great week with my mom. We drove up on Wednesday morning. Checked into the dorms to be the host ladies. Then we got to run around town with pageant girls.  
The week was nuts. Seriously nuts. It is so weird being on the opposite of pageantry. I'm not the one looking for butt glue and duct tape anymore. I'm not the one with 30 seconds to change from a dress to a swimsuit. Then one more minute to go from swimsuit into talent. This year I got to be the one coming backstage yelling, "YOU NEED TO BE ONSTAGE RIGHT NOW!!" So much adrenaline from being bossy.

Best of all... I didn't have to be there worrying about competition. I could focus on being a shoulder to cry on, words of comfort, and a quick pep talk before each portion of the interview. The relationships built through the Miss America organization are my favorite. That is why I kept competing, and now, that is why I have become a volunteer. I loved being there this week. I loved seeing familiar faces. I loved cheering for my sisters. It is a wonderful experience. The pageant world is so much more than high glitz, on stage answers, hairspray, spray tans... It is truly a family. And we all support whoever is crowned. We all cheer for her. iss Idaho 2013 is my friend, Sarah Downs. We both started competing together 5 years ago. And oh how times have changed. 
In our five years competing we have both had our failures and our success. We have spent a lot of time supporting each other through crazy diets, our emotional breakdowns, and, best of all, we have supported each other through times of achievement. We both started at the bottom of the pageant expertise. Our goals always aligned almost exactly... in our 4th year, we both had the goal to break top ten. Sarah far exceeded that goal over the weekend.
I am proud to call Sarah Miss Idaho. I am looking forward to seeing her grow throughout her year. She is a stunning individual. She has worked hard. And she is ready to represent Idaho at Miss America. And I am ready to be there to help in any way. Like I said, it is about the relationships. We all step in after the crazy moments backstage, the crying, running around, and fighting, to push our Miss Idaho and support her as she becomes the woman she wants to be.

Splurge and Save || Outfit 7

7.13.2013

Splurge and Save || Sequin Dress


In honor of Miss Idaho week I had to go with the sparkles today. If anyone knows me they know I have an obsession with sequins - it started at a VERY young age due to my dance teacher Willa Dean. She sequined everything for us. Every leo, every headband, even our socks. And then it carried right through into pageants. Every girl need a good sequin dress for a night on the town or going to a show. I paired the sequin dress with simple metallic and pale pinks so you don't get overwhelmed. I'll be wearing my lace and sequin dress to Miss Idaho tonight. So you can look forward to seeing my favorite sequin gown ever soon.

Miss Idaho Memories

7.12.2013

Last year I wrote this post... but I wanted to share it with you all today. Because everything I experienced one year ago, 18 beautiful Idaho woman will be going through TODAY and TOMORROW. Pageantry has forever changed my life. Some people say it is destroying women and some people say it makes women an object. I say it makes women strong, independent, and motivated...
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I am SO happy with how the pageant went this year. There were a lot of changes at the Miss Idaho program from housing and venue to the style of judges they pulled, but I loved every single moment. The girls were as wonderful as ever and I learned a lot this year. I am so glad I had the opportunity to compete one last time at Miss Idaho. I am happy I met the girls I did and made friends with so many. I am proud of our new Miss Idaho, Whitney Wood, she is seriously is SO incredible and deserved the win. I am proud to be part of a sisterhood where there is more love and support than anyone could ever hope for. I am honored to have been placed in the top ten and to have won two awards. And I know what you are saying now, enough of this Deidre, onto the pictures!

We all check in a few days before competition to do a few things. We did a service project, visited the Children's Hospital, and then rehearse, rehearse, and did I mention rehearse? We have to learn two dances and then our modeling patterns. This photo here is for, drum roll please..... Opening number! I make the faces I do because of my "special juice", also known as go-go juice. Which is really just water and zip fizz... but it makes me go crazy with energy. The girls backstage either thought I was really funny when I drank it or completely annoying... I choose to believe they all thought I was hilarious. Because clearly... I am.


The very moment I got called into the top ten. After four years of work in the pageant world I was clearly excited to be called into the top ten for the first time! And you can tell that the girls around me were excited too. They all knew how badly I wanted it, and I think they cheered more than the audience for me! That is what I mean by support.


"Thank your judges!"


The Miss Idaho 2012 top ten! 


Swimsuit. You only get to see one photo, embrace it!


Onstage question. My question was something like, "How do you feel about Obama coming out recently with his support for gay marriage?" I answered, "I admire President Obama for standing strong in what he believes, especially in an election year. He stood firm in an election year when he could lose votes for what he said. That is what we need in a President. Someone that stands for what they believe no matter what."


Now onto the talent portion. I performed my talent two and a half different times, prelims night and (one and a half times) finals night, which means I have a lot of photos I could share! Here are a few that I love from the bunch. I bet you are wondering what I mean by "half". On finals night I was about 8 eight counts into my music when the song just stopped. My mind was screaming at me, "What did Kim teach you to do!?" I finished my step, turned around, and reset in my starting position. It felt like an hour before my music started, and when it did start it picked up where it stopped... but I just held my pose and the audience started cheering! It was exhilarating so I gave a little wave. then the music restarted and I got a second chance to do my dance. Everyone said I handled it really well like nothing was wrong... but I could have sworn I made a really confused face. Apparently no one say it!





Evening Gown. We all have a little sister which comes out on stage with us. My little sister was adorable. I love her like a real sister. She is so cute and wants me to help her get into pageants in a few years. Of course I agreed. My evening gown was perfect. My director and Mom picked it out. I think they did a wonderful job! And so did everyone else.



Remember earlier when I mentioned learning two dances? Well one of them is evening gown production. A lot of arm movement and flowing of gowns. Pretty, pretty!



The top ten all lined up before the announcement of all the awards girls could win and the crowning of the new Miss Idaho.



First off, let me say I am a hideous crier. This was the first award I won. The Spirit of Miss Idaho, which is voted on by the contestants. It goes to the girl that the contestants thinks represents what the program is about the best and is comparable to Miss Congeniality. I honestly have never felt so honored in my life. I couldn't believe that all these women had voted me as their Spirit of Miss Idaho. It just reminds me what this program is all about. I am so happy I had Mikyla next to me during awards (and during the entire pageant pretty much) because I needed that little shove and love to move me to receive my award. I was in shock and she was so supportive giving me a huge hug when my name was called. P.S. I always voted for the girl that made me laugh the most the week of pageant, so if everyone else uses that criteria.... I am basically the funniest girl at Miss Idaho too.


I was trying to thank all the girls as I went to get my award. I am sure I looked like real idiot, but I honestly was SO honored and appreciative. Winners of the Spirit of Miss Idaho is a line of girls that I have looked up to and appreciated. And now I was one of them!



Being called for one more award. The Miss America Organization awards the Academic and Community Service awards to each state. To be eligible you must apply with transcripts, letters of recommendation, and an essay of what you have done in your community. This year the Miss America Organization selected me as the Community Service Award winner. After a year of promoting anti-bullying in the Magic Valley, I couldn't have been happier. My platform has been so important to me and I am proud to know that the Miss America Organization recognized that. After the pageant Tami told me, "The day that Miss America called to tell me who won the awards everyone at my work knew you had won! I was so excited that I just told everyone I saw!"

  

So there you have it, my last hoorah as a pageant girl... actually just as a pageant participant. I will always be a pageant girl. I am looking into becoming a pageant coach and a volunteer. You can take the girl out of the pageant but you can't take the pageant out of the girl. I have learned so much through competing and I want to share that knowledge with every girl that wants to compete. Please don't hesitate to ask me anything, this is a program I am passionate about and I can talk about it for days and days. The Miss America Organization is about more than just a beauty content. The four points of the crown are style, service, scholarship, and success. And they truly promote that. I know I am a more educated, confident, comfortable, and well rounded woman because of this program. 
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And now you know. Pageants are more than just swimsuits and poor onstage question answers. And when I said I would remain involved, I meant it. I am currently on the Miss Idaho Board as the PR Chair. I manage the blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for the Miss Idaho Organization. 

If you have any questions about Miss America, pageantry, what I do as a volunteer.. and so on and so on. Let me know! The Miss America Organization is a part of me now - and I am PROUD to be part of this organization. Good luck to all my Miss Idaho sisters competing tonight. 

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