The Night Before I Was Crowned Mrs. West Virginia International

Today, I am sharing a personal story.

As pageant girls know, the weeks leading up to a big pageant, things get a little crazy. Extra time is filled with those extra workouts, manicures, pedicures, alterations and finalization of wardrobe, modeling practice and interview practice. Then, as the days come before the pageant, here comes the spray tan...And coming from a redhead, I can promise you that this is an important piece of the pageantry preparation puzzle.

Two days before the Mrs. West Virginia International Pageant, I headed to Glow on the Go in Hurricane, WV for my showtime spray tan. I got my first few coats with plans to come back the next day for a final coat for that perfect stage tan. 

The night before Mrs. WV International, WVU had a baseball game at Power Park in Charleston and my nephew, Gage, had been selected to throw out the first pitch. He was so excited for the event and my whole family was going to go watch him.

Usually, the night before the pageant, we're packing and preparing and a nervous wreck. And in this case, I was thinking about my final spray tan, so I didn't plan on attending the game.

I had a total change of heart the day of the game, though. Thinking about missing his big first pitch broke my heart and I decided that I had worked so hard for this title...If it was my year, it was going to be my year to win regardless of whether or not I had a final coat of spray tan or not.

I threw on clothes and met my Hubby at the game and we had the most incredible time with family and friends and watching Gage on his big night. The usual nervous jitters were eliminated because I wasn't focused on the next day, I was focused on something far more important than any title, any crown, any sash...I was focused on my family.

I learned a very important lesson that weekend, as I was crowned Mrs. West Virginia International the next day. Don't ever take things for granted. Spend time with your family and remember that everything happens for a reason. Those important moments with your family only happen once...don't let anything take you away from the things that matter most. :)

(PS: My spray tan was still rocking, regardless of the final coat. Thank you, Misty McMinn at Glow On The Go for always making me look like a rockstar!)

West Virginia Association of Fairs & Festivals Pageant....Good Luck and Sending My Love to the Current Titleholder, Nichole Greene!

Throughout my year as Mrs. West Virginia International, I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet pageant girls throughout the state. I have judged, emceed and helped with pageants, so I've made a whole new pageant family of directors, competitors, families and friends. 

One of the biggest opportunities for West Virginia titleholders begins tomorrow: The West Virginia Association of Fairs & Festivals Pageant. Miss Division competitors from fairs and festivals all over our state come together (totaling over 90 girls) to compete for the reign over the West Virginia State Fair.

I am blessed to say that the current Miss WV Association of Fairs & Festivals, Miss Nichole Greene and her mom have both become close friends of mine this year. I remember judging her when she won the Golden Delicious Festival Pageant and thinking that she was seriously one of the cutest things I had ever seen in my life. Any girl who talks about Beauty & The Beast and being a bookworm gets an A+ from me, haha. Getting to know her family and spending time with them at events all over our state has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and let me tell you why:

1. Nichole is a true example of being beautiful on the outside and the inside. She cares about others and she is genuine. Those are two things that are so important when it comes to a titleholder.

2. She competed to win Miss WVAFF for many years before capturing the crown. She worked very hard, competed many times and continued to try until she made her dream come true. It proves that hard work and dedication really do pay off! 

3. She truly embraces pageantry and has developed strong friendships through it. She is always kind and she is a humble winner. She is a true role model for other competitors.

4. She embraced her year as Miss WVAFF and traveled miles and miles and spent so much time taking it all in all year long. It's such a joy to see someone take this title and represent our state to beautifully. The girls who win this title are always such classy girls who love the state of West Virginia and she truly continued the tradition and made it a year she will never forget.

5. She continues encouraging future competitors by serving as a role model and always offering kind advice and words of wisdom along the way. She knows the hard work it takes and she shares that wisdom to make an impact on the lives of others.


As she begins preparing for her final days as Miss West Virginia Association of Fairs & Festivals, I hope she is proud of the year she has had. She has been an incredible representative and I cannot wait to see where her journey takes her next. 

And to ALL of the amazing girls competing this weekend. Embrace this time! You have a few days to spend time with girls from all over the state who have represented and who truly do want to make a difference. Talk to them, get to know them, make friends and be remembered. You each have worked hard to win your title - now it's time to rock it! :)

Love you all!

Happy New Year!

2013 has blessed me in more ways than I can explain!
















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10 Resolutions for the Arthritis Warriors

It's that time again...a new year is rapidly approaching and as I sat down to decide on my resolution as I enter 2014, I thought about a few things we can all think about as individuals with arthritis. Maybe one of these will help keep you positive and will decrease your pain a little bit, too! Fight On, Arthritis Warriors!

10 Resolutions for the Arthritis Warriors

1. I will exercise!  
2. I will follow a diet that I know is better for my arthritis
3. Even when I am in pain, I will still get moving...even if it is limited
4. I will share my arthritis story with others and talk to them about signs & symptoms
5. I will not let arthritis control my life
6. I will try different pain relieving techniques
7. I will listen to my body
8. I will think about my arthritis and plan accordingly - Car trips, long days, etc.
9. I will always bring a pair of flat shoes with me...wherever I go
10. I will continue promoting The Arthritis Foundation

Merry Christmas!

Sending a warm Merry Christmas wish to all from my Hubby & I! This year has been one I will never forget and I could not feel more blessed or thankful for the wonderful opportunity I've had as Mrs. West Virginia International!

Thankful Thinking

As I sit here in the Christmas Spirit with Pandora Holiday Music playing, I'm trying to figure out how to write a blog about things I am thankful for without it taking someone 15 years to read. I'll be honest...it's a long list this year.

I'll start with the obvious. I am SO thankful for my family. Not just my immediate family, either. I mean my Hubby, Mom, Dad, my two brothers, my mother-in-law, both of my sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, my nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins....the list goes on. I'm thankful for every darn one of you. And, to all of my friends who have truly become family, too.

This year I've had the opportunity of a lifetime as Mrs. West Virginia International and I want to say how EXTREMELY thankful I am to have had this opportunity. This includes The Arthritis Foundation, my official platform - I have had such a wonderful time with this organization all year and I have met some of the most outstanding people who have pain, just like me.

I'm thankful for my home, my pets and my neighbors, too.  They all make my world a better place.

We are at a point when times are hard. I am thankful to have a career that I love and enjoy.

I'm thankful for the many organizations I am a part of - this includes, but is not limited to Leadership WV, The Arthritis Foundation, WV International Pageants, Alzheimer's Association, Jackson County Animal Shelter, WEXCR, Read Aloud WV....I feel like I am forgetting something. Anyway - not just the organizations that I am a part of, but also the volunteers and people who take the time to be involved in something they care about. It's so important. Volunteers are role models...and you should be proud of what you do.

New babies this year, too. Leeann and Sean, I'm so thankful for your happy and healthy baby boy and Jessica and Jarrod, I'm so thankful for a Kennedy on her way!

Thank you to those who may not be able to be with their families because they are fighting for our freedom and thank you to those who are lucky enough to be back.

Thank you to Sephora for coming to the Charleston Town Center, too. That really has been a highlight of my year - and a hit on my paycheck each month.

While my list can go on and on, I will stop here, but there's one final thing I want to list. Thank you to everyone for supporting my year as Mrs. West Virginia International. The year has changed my life, it has inspired me to do more, be more and help more and more importantly, it's given me the opportunity to meet people across our state, nation and the world. I am blessed.

Charleston Veteran's Day Parade

On Veteran's Day, I had the incredible opportunity to ride as the final car in the parade with Arthur The Elf (The official mascot of the Jingle Bell Run) and my tiny hero, Ayla! 

Ayla is a child living with juvenile arthritis who keeps a smile on her face every single day. I am so thankful she has become a part of my life. She had the perfect beauty queen wave, too...I see a future Miss WV ;)

Arthur The Elf joined us to promote our upcoming Jingle Bell Run (December 7th in Charleston, WV - Join now. I'll include a link at the bottom of this article.)

This was such a special event because arthritis is the number one cause of disability among our Veterans. So, what better way to honor them than to hopefully raise awareness for something that directly affects them.

It was an honor to ride with you. It's an honor to be the granddaughter of veterans and I thank my  lucky stars EVERY day that we have men and women serving our country for our freedom.

God Bless America!
2013 Jingle Bell Run