Pageant Mom Recap----------------- Miss USA 2013

One of the things I LOVE is guest bloggers!!!  I REALLY love it, when it's from a mom, one of my favorite pageant moms!   Jennifer Horvath is the quintessential pageant mom.

Her daughter, Kailee, has competed in pageants for years!!  When I first met Kailee, she was the sweetest, happy, little, blond preteen I'd ever met!

Now, she's just as sweet, happy and blond - but not so little!  She's a 5'10" dancing force to be reckoned with - I suggest the ladies in Virginia's MAOT look out (but then again, I am biased)!  She's held the titles of National American Miss Virginia Junior Preteen 2009, Miss Preteen Virginia International 2010, International Junior Miss Preteen Virginia 2011, Miss Preteen Winter Snow Queen 2011 and National American Miss Virginia Preteen 2012

So when it comes to "watching", Jennifer knows EXACTLY what she's talking about.  Have fun reading her recap of Miss USA 2013!  I did!!

Watching the 2013 Miss USA pageant in a room full of seasoned pageant friends is sort of like watching the Superbowl with ex-football players.   While our food and drink choices were more in line with a trendy cocktail party than the traditional beer and wings, the rest of the night was just as rowdie as any major televised sporting event. We had score sheets, we knew our stats and had experts from every pageant system imaginable - and we had our hometown favorites.  

   

The evening was kicked off by each contestant modeling an outfit of their choice, rather than a procession with each contestant in  a costume representing their state.  While I can see the merits of trying to steer clear of the stereotypes that are often conveyed with the state costumes, this year's opening number felt awkward, rather than fashion forward.  It did however give the viewers a first look at each contestant's style,  ability to walk, and capture our attention. Fifteen women would advance to the swimsuit round where they danced on stage while being serenaded by the Jonas Brothers.  We thought that was just wrong and waited for a wardrobe malfunction that thankfully never happened.  I am sorry, but no matter how fit you are, dancing in a bikini and heels is just asking too much.  And these girls are fit, some more so than others.  This viewer was not a fan of the string bikini that was chosen, nor the use of the sarong.  Give me a well fitting competition suit on a contestant any day, they do so much more for the body!  At this point Miss Utah was announced as Miss Photogenic and the competition was narrowed further to a Top 10 for evening gown - my personal favorite.  

Giuliana Rancic told the viewers it's not about the design or the price tag, rather how the contestant presents herself.  I couldn't agree more. I have always said you can put an expensive gown on a so-so contestant and it won't help, but you can put an outstanding contestant in any gown and she can make it work.  The gowns this year were above average with Miss Alabama's black mermaid gown paired with emerald earrings being my personal favorite and Miss North Carolina's white gown that had a skirt over a bodysuit being my least favorite.  I also have to say I was not a fan of the nude platform pump many of the contestants chose to wear under the gown.  Looking at the stats I did notice that none of the girls in the Top 10 were over 5' 8" and I suppose this shoe choice was to give the appearance of a longer leg.  Our big surprise this year was the ability to Tweet a contestant in to the final round.  We were shown a screen with  #TheNextMissUSA  hashtag followed by a two letter abbreviation for each state to Tweet during the evening gown competition.  Great marketing tool, but next time an advance warning so more viewers can sign up for Twitter might be nice.  Anyhow this lead to a Top 6 where five of the contestants were chosen by the judges and one more was chosen via the most Tweets. 

During the final look we were finally at the "getting to know you" phase of the night where we get to hear how well the contestants communicate.  The first round was just chit chat about things from their bio, it did not get interesting until the dreaded "on stage question".  Much has been said already about Miss Utah's blunder, and in my opinion she had the pageant in the bag up until this point.  Unfortunately, she made the mistake of speaking before gathering her thoughts. Pageant girls are often criticized as being airheads and I can tell you this is far from the truth.  Most pageant girls are bright, intelligent women, but you put anyone on the spot, on national television and ask them to answer a loaded question the result is not going to be pretty.  There were no powder puff questions about  "world peace", they were all well thought out questions, relevant to current events.  In the end Miss Alabama and Miss Connecticut stood out and Miss Connecticut was crowned.  If you had asked me earlier in the evening if I thought either would have made it that far and my answer would have been no.  But then several of us at the party  remembered the "Kyle Haggerty Rule" - if there is a contestant who is not a front runner who continually makes the cut, that contestant is winning over the judges and will win.  So, while Miss Connecticut was never my first choice to win, she did win over the judges.

All in all, it was a fun night.  Spending time with pageant friends, arguing the merits of gowns, hair and all the other pageant stuff was truly the epitome of a great evening.  It was our Superbowl - only the uniforms were cuter, the bodies more buff and instead of a football and yardage - everyone was vying for a sparkly, new crown.

Thanks again Jennifer!!!  I can't wait to read your next review! Feel free to e-mail her, by clicking on her name!

Congratulations........ Miss USA 2013

Congratulations to Erin Brady of Connecticut, the new Miss USA 2013!!!!

Tonight was a wonderful contest and she should be very excited to follow Olivia & Nana!  Off to Russia you go.  This is the first year that a Miss USA from Connecticut has been crowned!

Congratulations to the other top 5 ladies:

Miss Utah - Marissa Powell (3rd runner up)

Miss Alabama - Mary Margaret McCord (1st RU)

Miss Illinois - Stacie Juris (2nd runner up)

Miss South Carolina - Megan Picnkney (5th runner-up)

People's Choice - Top Finalist, Miss Texas - Ali Nugent (4th runner up)

I must admit that I was a little saddened that Miss Maryland, Kasey Staniszewski, didn't make it past top 15!

I mean, hello, she is a former Miss Teen Maryland USA 2009 (3rd runner).

Hurricanes, Sunshine and Crowns!!!!!

As you can imagine, here in the Mid-Atlantic region, we are bracing for Hurricane Irene.  After an earthquake earlier this week, no one is really looking forward to yet another "mean" act of nature. But in scouring the internet to make sure that I am all prepared - reading about what Floridians do when the threat of hurricanes arise, imagine my surprise this morning when I realized that three of the major Mrs. crowns won in this year have all gone to women from the Sunshine state :-)  Coincidence???

No seriously! Clearly something is going on down there in beautiful Florida, the sun, the water, the beaches.  Look at the list below to see the lovely beauties.

Mrs. America 2011 - April Lufriu from Tampa, crowned at the national pageant in April (the irony right?) at the Greenbriar Resort in West Virginia.

Mrs. United States 2011 - Shannon Ford of Miami/South Florida, crowned August 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mrs. Galaxy International 2012 - Kellie Lightbourn, who competed as Mrs. North America Galaxy in the pageant although she is from Florida, won her title on August 6th in Chicago, Illinois.

I wonder if another state can pick up this dynasty and run with it.  Whatever works, pageant peeps, whatever works!

Mrs. United States...........Mrs. U.S.A.??

Congratulations to the new Mrs. United States 2011, Shannon Ford (Florida)

From the Mrs. United States Website:

"A graduate of Florida International University with a B.A. in Psychology, Mrs. Florida, Shannon Ford, is the Human Resources Manager for RBC Wealth Management. She also serves as a Miami Dolphins Ambassador (a select group of former Cheerleaders that represent the organization & advocate community service).

Two years ago Shannon was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, an illness that will require her to maintain a gluten-free diet for the rest of her life. Bringing more attention to this illness through her platform, “1 in 133 – Raising Awareness for Celiac Disease” and her website, www.mylifeglutenfree.com, is how Shannon advocates for better labeling of our nation’s food supply.
Last year Shannon married her best friend, Ray, fifteen years after they first met. Mr. & Mrs. Florida enjoy boating, travelling, visiting theme parks, or simply spending the day at the park with their pug, Honey Bear. Both are avid runners and Shannon has completed both a Half & Full Marathon!"

Ironically, Shannon is a former Miss Florida USA (2002). 

 

Does the crowning of a former Miss USA state titleholder as the new Mrs. United States give any validity to the rumors that Mr. Pageants himself - The Donald - will be acquiring the Mrs. US pageant to add it to the Miss Universe/Miss USA franchise?  I guess we will find out in due time.

Fire Engine Red and Emerald Green

Congratulations to the new Miss USA 2011.......{folks on the west coast, close this post now)

..................................................................Allysa Campenella !!!

 

I am so excited and pleasantly surprised, that for a chance, I was wrong :-) !!  Once the top four were announced, I picked Allysa to win, but deduced (based upon the past few years of watching and following Miss USA pageants) that she was too intelligent to win and would instead be first runner up.  However, after her interesting answer to her on-stage question, I figured Miss Texas would move into the first runner-up spot, with the feisty Miss Tennessee capturing the crown, moving Miss CA to a undeserved 2nd Runner Up.  Miss Alabama in the final four was definitely a surprise, she just didn't seem to pop - not Miss Universe ready.

But if you want to talk about irony, I find it hilarious that I was concerned that Miss California was too intelligent to win, yet she and Miss Tennessee gave the WORST on stage answers tonight and were left standing as the final two to vie for the crown. LOL, I guess the phrase "any given Sunday" definitely applied here.

As far as I am concerned, Alyssa and my hometown favorite, Miss Maryland Allyn Rose, totally owned the evening gown competition - a total return to Hollywood glamor.  They were absolutely stunning and I loved seeing the deep, deep color.  In my opinion, Maryland should have been in the finals, but that's neither here nor there now.  The former Miss California is definitely an acceptable choice to were the beautiful crown.

I've always been a fan of red heads and Allysa definitely does them justice.  I am excited to see how they will outfit her for the Miss Universe pageant, how they will highlight her fire engine red hair and beautiful green eyes.  I sure hopes she makes a good showing.   She is definitely in for a fun adventure and year, as she gears up for Brazil!!!  

Now that the pageant is over, maybe someone can explain to us pageant heads, what was with the group announcements moving throughout the finals......that I didn't like!   What happened to the ladies having their moments of walking out after their name is announced.  Donald Trump, that practice should be fired!!!  Let's return to pageant norms next year please.

How do I choose THE ONE?

One of the great things about pageantry is you have the opportunity to meet women and girls from all over the world, literally!  Pageantry is also one of those industries where the reach is "six degrees of separation".  A month ago, I received an e-mail from one of my sorority sisters asking if she could put me in touch with another sorority sister who is now living in the Virgin Islands and will be competing for Mrs. Virgin Islands United States in a few weeks. 

Since connecting, one of the things that we've discussed is "how do I choose the right evening gown?"  The biggest challenge for her is that she has to search for her evening gown primarily online with very little time between purchasing it and the pageant to try it on and get any alterations made.  Because evening gowns are a tricky thing and you have to be very, very careful.   The fact that she is having a hard time finding something in person and is now looking online makes it even more stress.  There are so many things to take into account and think about when making the selection.  What looks good on your friend may not look the same on you.  For women of color, it's even more challenging because most designer evening gown models are don't "look like us", so we have to take extra steps to envision ourselves in a gown.  Most of all, you have to remember that the evening gown should be perfect for YOU, regardless of how the model or another contestant may have looked in it.  

Sampling of evening gowns from the Miss Universe 2007 pageant

Sampling of evening gowns from the Miss Universe 2008 pageant

Sampling of evening gowns from the Miss USA 2008 pageant

There are tons of tutorials out there that instruct on how to choose an evening gown.  But I'd like to add, that when considering your dress, there are few "out of the ordinary" things you should take into consideration like color, weight of the dress, your height, stage set up for your pageant, ease of movement and the peek a boo factor.  Now I know you may be wondering what I mean by peek a boo factor.  Have you ever seen someone on stage in a beautiful plunging gown or a backless gown and they look completely uncomfortable?  Perhaps they didn't purchase the correct double sided tape, or they didn't realize the backless bra they purchased wouldn't truly hold them.

Sassybax: Very Bare Backless Bra by Bare Necessities

These factors, when thought about separately may not be a big deal, but when you combine them - if not addressed properly, they could spell disaster.   If you're a size 2, weighing 99 pounds - that gorgeously adorned Tony Bowls may be too much for your frame.  Instead of gliding and showcasing your gown beautifully, you could wind up looking weighted and worried.

One Shoulder Beaded Tony Bowls Collection Pageant Dress 110C02

You may have dreamed of wearing a orange, lavender, blue or pink gown for your evening gown competition in your pageant.  However, if you plan on tanning (lotion, spray, tanning bed or natural) be sure to take how colors look with different shades of skin into account when selecting your dress.  Will the pale yellow tint you envisioned work if you are three shades darker in early spring as opposed to late summer?

  Spray tanning prevents one from the ill and harmful effects of the ultra violet rays of the sun.

What works in the selection of an evening gown is as unique as the pattern of a snow flake.  As long as you are picking something that works for your body, your comfort level, enhances your confidence and makes you feel like the best you on stage - you can be sure you've chosen the right one!

Any Given Sunday

Well the fat lady has sung, at least for the Jets and the Vikings. Yesterday's AFC and NFC championship games were AWESOME, for lack of a better or more intellectual term! LOL. In any event, the Saints - Vikings game goes to show that ANYTHING can happen on any given day. All it takes is a slip up, a missed catch, a bad drive or a great block for things to go in the opposite direction for a competitor.

Pageantry is no different, no matter how great you THINK you are or how wonderful you MAY have been in your last pageant. All it takes is a slip up, a misconstrued interview statement, a bad hair day or great newcomer to turn your dream day into a nightmare. Just ask former Miss USA's Rachel Smith & Crystal Stewart. Two beautiful women who simply had unfortunate, uncontrollable mishaps in the Miss Universe pageant.

Lesson here good people - Bring your "A" game and compete to the best of your ability. Remain confident, but not too cocky (cough *Brett Farvre*) and finally, remember your fate may not always be in your own hands. Anything can happen-----ANYTHING!