Bosworth Garden Residential Open House

            Two days after the Walk for Life, my mom and I drove down to El Cajon for an event with the East County Chamber of Commerce. I was a bit unsure about this event because I have never had an event that was actually located in a residential home. Usually I have events at stores, restaurants or offices-so having it in a home was unusual. But then once I walked in-I realized that it was an open house for an assisted living home. The nurses and owner of the open house were so kind and excited to have me there and take me on a tour of the home. The elderly people that were sitting on the couch, watching TV and taking walks through the backyard with their walkers were also very happy to have us there. Some were quiet and didn’t say much and were observant. Others were spunkier and wanted to crack jokes which were just funny to listen to. Later on, more of the chamber members and new Miss El Cajon, Miss El Cajon Teen, Miss Rancho San Diego, and Miss Rancho San Diego Teen arrived. All of the 4 pageant queens, seeing as this was one of their first events, were a little nervous at first but once they saw me working the room and talking to the residents and staff, they began to emerge slowly from their shy bubble. They were the nicest and most beautiful girls and I really hope to be able to see them at the last few events that I do with the chamber. It was nice to see the next and new generation of queens that will be taking over after I am gone. I hope that my new queen, Miss California Teen Achieve 2011, will have a year like I did-and bond with queens from all over the county. Because once you make relationships as queen, they can last for a lifetime.

Sears Outlet Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting

            Yesterday morning, my mom and I went to Oceanside for the grand opening and ribbon cutting of Sears Outlet. It was one of the earliest I have done, it was around 8:30 am, wet and a bit, so I wasn’t extremely motivated to get out of the car because the ribbon cutting wasn’t till 8:45. However, then I saw Lauryn Moses, Miss Oceanside, walking up to the door and I knew that it was time to spring up and get to work. I quickly put on my crown and sash and walked into Sears Outlet where I found myself approaching a circle of employees, and Lauryn, where the manager was talking about how thankful he was too have such a fabulous staff, store location, and supportive city. Even the mayor of Oceanside, Jim Wood, was there to help support the new store and bring a huge welcome and thank you from the city. But because the store opened at 9 am, the manager and team quickly hurried out to the front to take the few pictures with the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, Lauryn and I. We all just had a lot of fun laughing under the balloon arch, taking pictures and then afterwards going into the store to see all of the merchandise on sale. There were clothes and appliances, as well as exercise equipment, TV’s, and Kitchen equipment. My mom, Lauryn, myself and Lauryn’s sister and mother ended up talking for a little bit in the store-about pageantry, dresses, our plans for the future, and events we’ve done in the past. Once again, my mind flooded back to the remembrance of the sad fact this would be one of my last ribbon cuttings. Looking back, I cherish every moment of every ribbon cutting and event because it something I would have never had the opportunity to do this anytime else.

What we wear to the gym...:) hahah



With the beautiful Lauryn Moses, Miss Oceanside 2010!



With Jim Wood, the Mayor of Oceanside

The Miss Carlsbad 2011 Pageant

            As the beginning of April rolls in, so do the majority of the pageants. My close friends on the Oceanside court have only about a month left of their reign (their pageant being the first event I ever did), and the Miss Carlsbad pageant came on this last passed Saturday evening. For those of you that have been following my blog from the beginning, you might remember that the Miss Carlsbad pageant was the first and only other pageant I competed in and now here I was going to it not as a contestant but as a visiting queen. It was strange for me, at first, to watch all my friends/past competitors up on that stage and remembering how it had felt to me to be up on that stage, afraid but excited and hoping with all my heart that I would be queen. Here I am, almost a year later, Miss California Teen Achieve, and not even close to being the same person that I was a year ago. From the day I set foot on that Carlsbad stage, it has been a huge journey for me and in becoming the person I am today. For all of you girls out there who are choosing to be in a pageant I give you all my utmost support. It has been one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me and trust me when I say-you have no idea of how amazing the experience will be. Just competing and going through the entire experience of being in a pageant, gives you a ray of confidence that you never could have gotten from anywhere else. You see yourself in a different light and begin to challenge yourself in ways you never once thought possible. I am so thankful for every moment of my pageant experience and it has undoubtedly been the most life changing event in my life. It is what you make it-so make it great.

American Red Cross Appreciation Lunch

            On Saturday, the 26^th of March, my mother and I were invited by Jacquie Dutchover the volunteer recruiter and manager for the Southern California American Red Cross to come to the key volunteer appreciation lunch at the Charthouse in La Jolla. They were having a contest for the biggest and craziest hat and so my mom put together a giant Shamrock hat, made from the leftovers and scraps from our car decorations in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It was quite outlandish and a bit difficult to balance on her head once she was finished. When we arrived, my mom in her giant shamrock hat and me in my crown and sash, there were probably only around 10 volunteers that arrived before us and were taking their seats on a long dinner table that was right in front of a giant window with a crystal clear view of the ocean. We signed in at the front and were given our nametags and a raffle ticket for the prize drawings that would be going on later. Because the theme of the dinner was “races”, all of the seats were given a colored card that correlated with the name of a “horse” on a list. For example, if I was given a red card I would be on the team of the horse “ChargeNurse” for a particular race. For each race there were “jockeys”, and these were chosen by certain guests finding blue cards under their seats telling them what race they would be in and which horse they would be representing. Turns out, both my mom and I were jockeys for two different races and discovered that our “race” consisted of us lining with the other red cross “jockeys” with a horse on a stick that represented our “racehorse”. With all of us laughing, and moving forward based on the number called off a dice, we competed to see who would win the race. Ironically enough, my mom and I both won! When lunch was finally served, all of us volunteers sat back down at the tables and ate as the numbers were read off the raffle tickets to see who would win the prizes. Jacquie had kindly made it to where every volunteer would win a prize! I won tickets to the San Diego Symphony and my mother won tickets to a Harbor Cruise! There was not a dull moment the entire afternoon and by the time it was over, we had had the best time. It was so kind of the American Red Cross to thank all of the volunteers in such a lavish way and make it so fun at the same time! All of those early morning blood drives, or drives out in the hot sun for hours on end were definitely worth it. There is always a reward for hard work.

LionHeart Fencing Academy Ribbon Cutting

            Yesterday evening, my mother and I went to La Mesa for the grand opening and ribbon cutting for LionHeart Fencing Academy. Originally, when first hearing about the ribbon cutting for a “fencing” company-we thought it was literally just that-a fencing company that sold fences for the city and people’s backyards.. But when we pulled up in front of the establishment we realized that it was not that at all. Once I walked in, one of the fencing dads introduced himself and his son and had his son teach me how to do three basic fencing techniques: the salute, the stance and the lunge. In heels, I felt very delicate jumping around with the sword in my hand, and although I wasn’t really able to fight like the normal fencing student-I still was proud of myself for what I had learned. Who knows-maybe Ill become the next Olympic fencer? Dare to dream. After my fencing lesson, I was excited to see that the Mother Goose court had arrived! They are all the sweetest girls and I was so happy to have some fellow queens to share my time with. Taylor Woolrich, the Mother Goose Queen, is a good friend of mine and she ended up telling me that she is considering doing another pageant soon. This is pageant season, and I am excited to help support all my friends at the pageants they are going to compete in. Also, it turns out that the first runner up to the Mother Goose Queen, Amy Newell, is actually interested in doing the Miss California Teen Achieve pageant which is going to be in about 2 months. So soon, it seems. One neat thing about the end of my reign coming along though is I get to recruit girls for the pageant and have an idea of what next years queen will be like. I am so thrilled for her-because she will have the best year of her life, and it has only just begun.