Proud Momma

 

Bring your puppy to work day

Everyone at work was begging me to meet Chanel before session started and before she grew out of her cute puppiness. So, I brought her to work one day. By the time she was done meeting everyone she was ready to pucker out under my desk for the rest of the day.

Look! I'm peeing in the snow!!

Chanel's first experience with snow of any kind...of course it has to be while she is peeing.

What is this stuff?!?!?

No worries though, because after that she was completely ready to investigate and figure out what this stuff is exactly.

Footprints in the snow

This is me being a cute momma and capturing a picture of my footprints with her paw prints in the snow. Wherever she goes, I go. I love this little pup!

This is a typical evening...and yes, I do love this

Many times Chanel will have one ear flopped over funny. Puppy don't care, puppy just accepts it and moves on. This happens a lot at night, but I still wish it would happen more often.

Favorite couch position

Makes you wonder how she could possibly weigh 30 lbs don't it.

This is the life...and I did have to be right smack in the middle

While Franni came to visit, Chanel decided that her spot was not going to be taken over by some stranger. So what does she do? She finds a spot right in the middle and forces her way into the bed.

Morning everyone!

So cute all snuggled up! Ready to start my day Mommy!

Christmastime!

With the holidays comes joy and happiness..along with a little stress. Before I go talking about my adventures with Chanel to PA, I must take the time to share with you all about the gift exchange Jonathan and I had. He and I are very set in our families' Christmas traditions, so we do not spend Christmas together. Therefore, we exchange gifts early with the rest of his family in Dover. He got me a 32" Panasonic flat screen TV, a $90 gift card so we can go get our nails done (be jealous ladies...my boyfriend is going to the salon with me), and a car part that somehow fell off of my car and needed to be replaced. Kudos to me for putting it on all by myself, if I lose it again we will know why. I had his favorite panoramic photo that he took of the Las Vegas skyline blown up to a 12"x7' print. And yes I mean 7 FEET. Then I cut a piece of wood and stained it for the backing. I had my grandpa laminate it, and then finally, I cut and stained wooden trim to nail around the photo as a frame. It was interesting trying to fit that, my puppy, other gifts, and myself into my Milan, but I did it! One more piece of information...on Christmas day I woke up to let Chanel out and was sitting in the living room when my mom gave me a card that Jonathan sent up with her for me to open on Christmas day. It was complete with a list of 101 reasons why he loves me (yet another reason why I think I am the luckiest girl in the world). Of course I cried and looked like a fool but I didn't care. What a great start to an awesome day!

My snow jacket!

Now I get to be a proud momma and tell you about how GREAT Chanel did on our trip up to PA. I was so nervous about how this was all going to go down. Chanel had never been on a trip over 2 hours long, and we have never attempted to stay at someone's house for three days. But, to my surprise, she was fantastic. We started off the day bright and early Saturday morning. I took her for a nice long walk to try and tire her out. Then I packed up all of our things. And I thought I had a lot of luggage...we had to bring the kennel, the baby gate, her food, her water, her leash, her clothes, and her toys. Make fun all you want, but Chanel is a cutie when it comes to her little clothes and she likes them so back off! Plus, she gets cold very easy and starts to shiver so she needs a coat when she is outside. Once we packed everything up in the car, we put her bed in and she hopped up and laid next to me for the trip. She would doze off every now and again but any bump, turn, or stop caused her to sit up and look around. She only had to stop twice on the way up and once on the way back during a 5-6 hour car ride. I think that is great when you compare it to when she needed/wanted to stop ever 20 mins when she was younger.

during the car ride

My grandparents live on the side of a mountain so there is not much grass around. Chanel had one patch of grass next to my grandparent's house, that is about as big as my office, to do her business on. I can't get her to pee when we visit Josh and Carrie in Wilmington to save my life so I was not looking forward to trying to get her to go in this tiny spot for three days. I figured that eventually she would have to cave in and except that this is her area. By golly she got it right away! Of course, she wanted to check out what was on the side of the mountain so she would constantly try to walk down the side, but other than that she was awesome. I had to take her out every few hours which isn't unusual for her, especially in a new place. When you compare that to the fact that when she is at Jonathan's house she wants out every 10 minutes, I will take every few hours any day.

My Christmas outfit!

To make the weekend even more of a success, she never made a mess in the house! I brought spot remover and a whole roll of paper towels just in case and I didn't have to use them once! I think she is finally getting the hang of this peeing outside thing. She was also privileged to be graced by the presence of one of my grandparent's two cats. The other cat is smart enough to stay away. But Buffy, the cat, could not resist the temptation of seeing what this new creature is. Buffy did not have a positive first encounter with a dog...Chanel. Chanel is terrified of cats. We know this from her experience with Josh and Carrie's cat, Christmas Cat...yes that is its name. That explanation is for another time. When Chanel saw Buffy she growled like I have never heard her growl before and you would have thought she instantly grew a mohawk with all the hair she has down the center of her back. I mean it was straight up! ^^^^^^^^^ (that is my attempt at a visual). So of course, Buffy ran away. Well, Chanel decided to walk back down the hall and look down the little hole (the cat door) that led to the basement. To her surprise, and terror, this cat was looking back at her and she darted off. For the rest of the weekend, Chanel was terrified to walk down that hallway by herself. She would not go unless someone else was walking through as well. And every time she passed that door she stared at it intently.

My new collar from Aunt Allison!

On the way home I misread her pathetic whimper for "I need to pee" when it was really "I want to stretch/move" So, my mom graciously and quickly pulls over to the side of the road where we thought there was a strip of grass next to the mountain. O no no no...it was a strip of bristles and whatever other pointer thorny weeds you can think of. Thankful Chanel had her schweater on and all of the prickles attached to that instead of cutting up her belly. Lucky me, I had to pick prickles off my sweat pants for the next half hour because they were all of me. Guess that's what I get for not knowing what she wanted and assuming PA has grass on the sides of their roads. Don't even get me started on the fact that less than 2 mins down the road there was a pull off section with lovely green grass next to it.

Chanel taking up the whole couch

We made it home safe and sound and my stress and worry of bringing my puppy on vacation could subside. I just couldn't seem to relax during our trip because I assumed that as soon as I let my guard down she would prove me wrong and do something she shouldn't. Maybe next time I can calm down a little. I think this post is getting a little lengthy so I will cut myself off here and fill you in on more another time.

Until next time...

Chanel's Diary

I have been thinking lately about life from my puppy, Chanel's perspective. I decided that I would attempt to write as though Chanel was writing in her diary. This is just a taste of what I am compiling. Please let me know your thoughts. If I have completely fallen off the wagon, then I will stop myself before I completely go off the deep end. But if you find this somewhat funny, easy to relate to, and maybe even educational please tell me. That's what I am going for.

Dear Diary,
Today mommy left me all alone while I was eating dinner. No crate, no baby gate, totally open! Now who does that to someone?! I am only 7 months old for crying out loud! What did I do to deserve this kind of punishment?? And who up and leaves in the middle of a meal? She thought leaving this big box with talking humans on it would make me feel better...well it didn't. Where did she go? Is she going to come back? Why does it always seem that when I get comfortable in a home, they up and leave me? As you know, I was stranded in New Jersey when I was just a wee pup. Then a nice human brought me to another place to stay where there were lots of other dogs like me. This human took me in for a little bit, and then gave me away to the human I am with now. It is hard to move around so much.
Well, let me try to keep my mind off of this. Oo! A toy! Ok, this will work, I'll just throw it up in the air and run and catch it and then do it again. That will make the time go by...weeeeee toys...yay....ok why isn't she back yet? There is soooo much space. Where can I hide? Oh, look, an little cave next to the couch. I think I have heard this called an end table before. Tonight, it is my safety cove. I will sit and wait. One hour later...
Mommy's home!!!!! Oh my goodness!!! And she brought Daddy!!! This is the best moment of my life! I wish I could wiggle my butt faster because I can't even begin to show just how happy I am. I thought they left me for good. But they didn't! What an exhausting experience. Now I can sleep in peace.
Little does she know...I'll get her back in the morning...

Dear Diary,
Today Mommy is bringing me to her Mommy's house. To start, I think I will have to go pee every 15 minutes. I am going to whine incessantly while she has me out on the cord. I don't care how much she hits me with the paper, I will keep whining. You can't hold me down, Mommy! Haha, it is working. She thinks that she can sit on the couch and rest? Think again! Mommy, Mommy, Mom, Mom, Momma...I have to pee. We do this for quite some time and now I think she has caught on to my tricks. You think you can just sit there and tell me no, and that is going to stop me? Think twice before you make that decision...I will just go pee...right...here! In your face Mom!! I'll show you! O boy...she is not happy...dang it.
Yay! We are going for another car ride...I love car rides. Everything moves so fast and air comes out of this slotted hole in the car, and I just love the smell of it. I love to stick my nose as far into the vent as I can. Phew, we are home. Finally. Oh no, Mommy is leaving again. Thanks for putting up the babygate this time!!! Gosh, was that so hard? She thinks I have calmed down, but I haven't.
So it's, the next day. You think playing with me is going to make me forget how you left me all by myself in this big scary place??? Nope. Sure didn't. Thanks for the playtime Mommy. I think I will walk over to this random spot, look at you, and pee. How do you like that one? Dang it. She is really mad. Hello crate. It has been so long since we last saw each other. I guess I won't pee in the house anymore. But it sure felt good to stick it to the wo-man.

Now, there are some edits to be made, but this will give you a feel for what I am trying to accomplish. It will talk about the ups and downs, along with the funny and not so funny moments of living in an apartment with just me and the pup.

Chanel!!!! not the designer, the puppy

Hello everyone,

look at her little white socks!

So, once again it has been forever since I have posted. I am going to try and be better about it now, so keep checking in after this post. I am officially graduated now, and I have my bachelor's degree in Political Science. Pictures from graduation will be posted soon.

Chanel at 3 months old

Upon graduating, I moved into my new apartment. Yup! That's right! I am living all by myself now...well not quite by myself. I have adopted a puppy named Chanel. She came from the SPCA in Vineland, NJ, and we think she is a black lab/beagle mix. But who knows. Jonathan and I drove over to meet her on September 11, 2011 and he bought her for me that day. She is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

enjoying the car ride

Chanel is 6 months old now, and lives in luxury at my apartment. Well, maybe not luxury, but it sure beats the street she was found on during Hurricane Irene. It took her a little while to adjust, but now she is really getting the hang of things. Jonathan bought me a dog training DVD by The DogFather. Cheesy name, I know, but the man knows what he is talking about! She is doing so well with sitting, staying, laying down, walking without pulling on the leash, not peeing in people's houses, not barking hysterically when I leave, and lately even walking without me hanging on to a leash!! It is remarkable how quickly she is learning these things.

she did this all on her own

One of my favorite things to do is snuggle, and by golly she is finally starting to understand that. Now, when I get home from work we play a little then have a snuggle fest on the couch and watch Friends. What a great way to spend the night, right?! I am so thankful that Jonathan helped me find and get a puppy of my own. I do not know what I would do without her now...except maybe go on vacations and not have to find a dog sitter. I completely agree with those who say puppies are just like children. Boy is this preparation for the future!

snuggle time on the floor, Lady is on the couch

Two key points to remember, though, when transitioning from having puppies to having children: 1) you cannot leave a child in a crate for 8 hours while you go to work and 2) you have to clean up a child's mess regardless of if they "go" outside or inside. Heed these words of wisdom as you make the great transition through life.

Chanel in one of her sweaters

Until next time....

It's been a while...

Hello everyone!

Clearly it has been quite some time since I have posted. Seems as though fall and winter semester got the best of me. But I am back in action, ready for the spring!! A lot has happened since my last post so I will try to fill you in on as much as possible without taking up your entire day.

Well, to start, I made it out alive from my fall semester at UD. I took six classes and it was rough to say the least. However, it managed to be one of my best semesters GPA-wise. I guess I got in the groove of things and just went on auto pilot till it was over. The winter was very similar in that I was so busy that I didn't have time to slack off on my school work. I finished my first graduate course as well and managed to come out with a B+! I can't complain. I am hoping to graduate with above a 3.7 overall GPA...keep your fingers crossed!

My entire immediate family has celebrated their birthdays since my last post: Dad and Josh in November, Mom in December, and Carrie, Allison and me in January. Add Christmas into that and it was quite the gift giving time. So, I am finally 22. The other day a gentleman asked me how old I was, and it was the first time I got to say that I am 22. My mother informed me later that I made it sound so old, as though I had been 22 for a while, meanwhile I have only been 22 for 2 weeks. She kept my secret for me though and let it slide!

I had the pleasure of singing at my friend Dana's wedding in the beginning of December. She asked me to sing a french song by Josh Groban. It ended up being a huge success, and it was the perfect touch to her walking down the isle. Thank you so much to Phil Doucette, who taught me how to pronounce all of the French words, and helped me create a cheat sheet of all the sounds so I could sing the song and sound French.

The Meludees, the a capella group I am a part of at UD, had our winter concert in December as well. The theme: Candyland!! It was amazing!! Everyone dressed up as different characters and my good friend Neil and I were the dice! Now, you may be thinking, "There are no dice in Candyland.." Well, you are correct. However, it took everyone a long time to figure that out, so then we were supposed to be the cards...ummm yeah. So, we petitioned the group and declared victory as dice! So, we sent ourselves out on a journey to build cardboard dice using a box, scissors, spray paint, and construction paper. The perfect touch to all of it....black and white unitards!! Classic! If you missed that concert stay tuned to hear about our spring concert in May...

January was an exciting month, even beyond all the birthdays. The first weekend was Dancing with the Delaware Stars. I was honored to be one of the stars and dance with Bill Mitchell of Ballroom by Bill. We danced a tango that would knock your socks off! At least, I think so :)
It was a night filled with dinner, cocktails, and dancing. What could be better?? Although we did not win, I was so proud of what we performed and I am incredibly grateful to Bill and Alex for teaching me how to Ballroom dance. I also started my internship at Legislative Hall in January. Three days a week I go down to Dover to work for the Senate Republicans in Legislative Hall. The internship is through the University of Delaware and goes through the month of June. It has been incredible, and I am so excited to be working there. The Senators I work with are phenomenal!! Everyone there is soooo nice. I do research for bills, write letters to constituents, find co-sponsors for bills, and I am sure there will be even more things yet to come! They also allowed me to be the primary creator of the Senate Republican Redistricting map for the state of Delaware. Each caucus has one or two people work on maps using the latest census information to redistrict the current senatorial districts. Hopefully by June both the House and Senate, along with the Republicans and Democrats, will have a map they can agree on to present. I get to be a key player in this process!! This internship has got to be one of the most rewarding jobs I've held. It's running a tight race with my year as Miss Delaware. I think it just goes to show that even after you hold a title, there are other things in life that can make you feel important and like you are giving back to your community.

I also bought a new car in December! Bye bye Mustang, and hello Milan. I traded in my Ford Mustang for a 2007 Mercury Milan. It is all wheel drive and has heated leather seats, auto dimming rear-view mirror, side mirrors that defrost, a sunroof, and (my favorite) a built in GPS system for a head unit! No more sticking my GPS on my windshield only to have it fall off two seconds later.

So, I am back in the swing of things at school and starting off my final semester as a University of Delaware Undergraduate student. I graduate May 28th with my Political Science Degree, and I simply cannot wait. Last weekend I sang the National Anthem for the Kent County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner, and a few weeks ago I sang it for a local Miss Delaware pageant. I already have several other events that I will be singing at in the next few months, too. So, if people try to say that titleholders are washed up after they give up their title tell them they are wrong. I am still constantly doing appearances, while finishing my degree. It's the best of both worlds, and I couldn't be happier!

Until next time...

150th Governor Ross Plantation Celebration

For those of you who may not have seen or heard, I have indeed dyed my hair yet again. I guess once you start changing it's hard to stop. I feel as though the sky is the limit. But I'm actually really liking my new hair color so it may stick around for longer than 5 months unlike the blonde. Nonetheless, this was my first appearance with my new deep auburn hair. It had just been dyed so it ended up looking black for a while. It has since calmed down, but the pictures from this event make it look incredibly dark. I kind of like it though...hmmm... anyway that's for another day.

I was asked by the wonderful Ron Breeding of Nemours to sing the National Anthem at the 150th celebration of the Governor Ross Mansion and Plantation. It was a great day filled with various vendors, exhibits, and even a corn maze! Unfortunately, I did not have the time to get lost in the corn maze so I figured I wouldn't even try to start it. Several people spoke at the opening ceremony about the impact agriculture has on our state. Our Secretary of Education, Dr. Lillian Lowery, and 39th District Representative, Dan Short, were in attendance. The handsome fellow in the middle's name is Caeden, and he was generous enough to give me his Governor Ross pin that you see me wearing in the picture below. Thanks bud!

It was great to see the excitement of the audience as I sang. One thing that topped off the whole experience was the true Sussex County flyover....a crop duster! After I was done singing, we looked towards the sky to see a crop duster give the National Anthem a proper ending. I guess there is a first time for everything. I can't say that I have ever experienced a crop duster flyover before. Definitely one to add to the books.

Of course, in true pageant queen fashion, I wore heals to the event. Poor decision! The entire event was in the grass and I punctured little holes everywhere I went. When I got in the van to go home, I realized I had a collection of leaves on my stiletto heal like a shishcabob! Gotta love the good ol' country. It was great to spend time in the fresh air and learn all about how agriculture benefits the state of Delaware and people everywhere. Thanks Ron for inviting me to such a lovely event!

Voting

So yesterday I voted and worked the polls all day in Dover. It was a crazy day, but I was thrilled to see that so many people turned out for a midterm election. Although not every race went the way I had hoped it would, I am still thrilled that people came out to let their voices be heard. One can only pray that they were educated about the candidates they were choosing.

It's a difficult dilemma, voting, because we always say that people should go out and vote, but what if they are uneducated about the candidates? I think the bigger message should be vote educated. Don't just vote because you remember someone's name or you are a part of a particular party. Vote because that person stands for something that you agree with and would be satisfied if they pushed legislation for it. I cannot stand people who complain but never vote, and I equally cannot stand people who complain after it was because of them that the particular person is in office.

It's tough to see so many campaigns walk away defeated, but I think so many wonderful lessons are simply in the journey alone. Great things come out of the worst of times and a light is able to shine its brightest in complete darkness. So although this is a rough time now for some candidates, I hope they know that it will just make their future victory that much sweeter in the end. Everything happens for a reason and I fully believe that. Congratulations to everyone who won and to every citizen that went out and voted! I'll see everyone at the polls in 2012!

Magnolia Heritage Day

So, a couple of weekends ago, on October 2nd, I had the opportunity to take part in the first annual Magnolia Heritage Day. Magnolia, DE is my hometown and my dad is the Vice Mayor. It was a great day filled with a parade (which I started off by singing the National Anthem), a brief history of the town, food, a dunking booth, tours of the fire company, and tons of fun! Plus, I was able to do a bit of entertaining for the afternoon. I performed Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood, Hot N' Cold by Katy Perry, Need You Now by Lady Antebellum, Love Song by Sara Bareilles, and My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson. All songs I love!

It was great to give back to my community. It was the perfect day for an outdoor event! I am certain over half of the town was there. Granted our town population is around 250 people. But overall, I think it was a great success. I cannot wait till next year!

Miss NCC and Miss Diamond State 2011 Pageant

This past Saturday was the 2011 Miss New Castle County and Miss Diamond State local pageant. It is a preliminary to the Miss Delaware Pageant through the Miss America Scholarship Organization. As many of you know, I am both a former Miss NCC and Miss Diamond State, so this pageant is especially dear to my heart. I had the pleasure of spending the evening emceeing with the lovely Miss Delaware 2008 Galen Giaccone and getting to know 10 lovely ladies competing for one of these two titles.

It is always nerve wracking to watch everyone compete and wait for the results. However, soon enough they came and we introduced Jessica Tilley as Miss Diamond State and Steffi Holmes as Miss NCC 2011! Marcie Smith and Stephanie Bailey were the first runner ups.

In addition, I had the privilege of giving away a $100 talent scholarship to whomever received the highest talent score. Boy, was it a stiff competition for that one. The judges certainly had a lot to choose from in regards to fantastic talents! It was my honor to present the first ever Heather Lehman Talent Award to Stephanie Bailey!!

My new blonde-haired look confused some people, but in the end I think it was a success. I am still getting used to looking at pictures of me with blonde hair, but before I get too comfortable with it, it will be turning auburn for the fall and winter (so stay tuned!). It is definitely nice living a semi normal life once again, but I always enjoy the times I get to return to the Miss Delaware arena and help out the organization. Dineen and Tom, the executive directors for this local, have two awesome young ladies to work with this year. I know they will send them to states feeling nothing less than fully prepared for whatever comes their way in June. Good Luck at Miss Delaware 2011 Steffi and Jessica!

All my love...

Women of Faith

Last weekend I went to a conference called Women of Faith (WoF) with almost all of the women in my family and members of their churches. It was an incredible time filled with fellowship, learning, laughing and crying.

Unfortunately, I had to crop the weekend together due to an appearance I had accidentally scheduled that same weekend down in Dover for the Amish Country Bike Tour. But it was still a moving weekend nonetheless. This was the 4th year the women in my family had attended, and my second year going. There was praise and worship, comedy routines, skits, and lectures. Now, most people would think that an event like this may be boring with speaker after speaker. But it is completely different than anything you are assuming. The speakers there are witty, clever, and funny and they are some of the best orators I have ever listened too. They know how to tie in the funny little stories in life to a strong message about God's grace and mercy that really hits home. We bought so many books and CD's that weekend from the presenters it was unreal! I have never enjoyed learning about God so much in my life. They just really make it enjoyable, not the stuffy churchy stuff most people would expect.

Like I said, I also had an appearance as the former Miss Delaware at the Amish Country Bike Tour in Dover. I have never seen so many bicyclists in my life all in one place. Some of them were going to be riding 100 miles!!! Are they crazy?? I get tired driving 100 miles. I wish I was in that kind of shape. I had the honor of being asked to sing the National Anthem to kick off the event. Before Mayor Carey shot the starting gun they had a tribute to the victims of 9/11. It is nice to see that so many people still remember the magnitude of that event and how it still effects us today. It is so easy to forget sometimes with as busy as our lives can get. After that, the bikers were off, and I was off to Philadelphia for more WoF. Thank you Linda Kurtz for asking me to participate in such a great event. It is nice to know people still remember me. It is still a little weird to hear myself called the "former" Miss Delaware.

The whole weekend was a time of self searching for me. Who am I? What is God calling me to do with my life? How do I deal with this change from being Miss Delaware to a college student? Just when it seemed like the world was crashing in on me, I was pulled to safety thanks to this weekend. This conference can really change your life. I encourage every woman to look it up and see when it is coming near you. You won't regret that you went!

I also had the opportunity to help the life of a child in need thanks to an organization called World Vision. They have partnered up with WoF, and have cards of several children in need available to choose from if you are able to help. During the conference, they had mentioned that some children are called "Last Chance" children. That really intrigued my mother and me. At the age of 13 these children can no longer be in the program due to the magnitude of need throughout the world. So for the group of kids who are 12 years old, this is their last chance to get a sponsor. So we went down to the booth to look at the Last Chance pile of cards. She took one to sponsor and I took one to sponsor. Jonathan has graciously decided to sponsor my child with me. Our child's name is Haominlen, but I like to call him Hao. He is from India and has 5 siblings and only a mother to take care of all of them. He loves playing soccer, which I love too, and looks like he has so much more to give to the world if he only had the chance. So, for $35 a month we can give him health care, food, water, education, and opportunities to benefit his community. We are so excited to share the love of God with this child and impact his life forever.

The Wandering Traveler

Hello everyone!

What a crazy week I have had this past week. I traveled to Palmyra, NY for 4 days, then up to Long Island for 3 days, and then to Johnstown, PA for 3 days. I guess that makes it a little over a week.

Jonathan and I drove almost 7 hours up to Palmyra, NY two Fridays ago to visit his extended family. We stayed at PopPop's house, and we visited Grandma, Aunt Cathy and Adrienne, Uncle Walter and Aunt Signa, cousins Ilan and Braden, Aunt Helen, Uncle Fred and Aunt Joan, and I think I may have missed a few. Nonetheless, there was a lot of us. Friday we met up with some of the family for dinner and ice cream at A's (Uncle Walt and Aunt Signa's ice cream parlor/candy shop/restaurant). After that we went to visit Grandma for a little bit at like 11pm! That's even past my bed time!

Saturday we had breakfast with PopPop, picked up some groceries for Grandma, hung out with Aunt Cathy and Adrienne, went to the Wayne County Fair with PopPop and Aunt Helen, went to Grandma's for dinner, visited with Aunt Cathy and Adrienne some more, and rounded out the evening looking at old pictures with PopPop. Sunday we met up with Uncle Fred and Aunt Joan for breakfast with PopPop, checked out the lock on the canal and watched a boat pass through, went to pick up Aunt Helen and check out the lake and some of the local area, then had dinner again at A's with the family.

Finally, on Monday we packed up and headed over to Grandma's for breakfast then hit the road for another 7 hour drive back. On the way back we saw a billboard for the Hartford Fair. So we decided to go on a search for it and ended up finding it somewhere off the back roads. We stopped in for a look and let me tell you it was interesting. We had to head out early though because it started to rain, and Jonathan had to park down a grassy hill so we wanted to make sure we could get out.

Tuesday I took the train at the crack of dawn to Penn Station to visit Franni. Upon arriving at Penn Station I walked around in five circles and eventually called Franni to get directions on how to find the LIRR train station. I took the Ronkonkoma train to Deer Park and met up with Franni. Now, don't get me started on how crazy the names of some of the places in NY are...there is anywhere from Ronkonkoma to Skaneatles. There is even a place called Hicksville...and they make fun of Delaware. We may have hicks but at least we don't advertise it with a place called Hicksville. Anyway, we stopped by Dunkin Donuts and split a sandwich for breakfast. Then we went to her pool to tan with Ashley and Alyssa. After that we stopped by GNP to visit the people behind the company. I finally got to meet Keith who assisted me in created the banner that was hung up at my Send Off and at Miss America as Miss Delaware. They even let me take a few goodies home! After that we stopped by McDonald's for a quick bite then off to get Franni's hair cut. It took maybe a total of 10 minutes! I think it takes me at least an hour just to have my hair cut. That doesn't include styling or anything. Good grief do I have a lot of hair. I met George her hairstylist. He was really nice. Later that night we went to a BBQ place for dinner with the family and then hit up the karaoke bar with Ashley, Alyssa and Shayna.

I lost my voice I sang so much! We had a blast! We sang a little Spice Girls, some Carrie Underwood, a little Kelly Clarkson, and a touch of Kesha. I am pretty sure we stole the stage! Wednesday, we went to get our nails done, did a little shopping at Forever 21, and watched some One Tree Hill until dinner. Then we went out to celebrate Ariel's 21st birthday.

Thursday, we packed up and headed down to Newark, DE for Kelly's 21st birthday celebration. We tanned by the pool for a little then met up with Becky, Shannon, and Kelly at Kildaire's for dinner. After that we hung out at their house and then headed out to Kildaire's for Kelly's first bar experience. Friday we tanned some more, and then my family picked me up to drive to Johnstown, PA.

We finally made to Johnstown and met up with my grandparents. Saturday morning I went down to their church to practice a couple songs with Joel that I would end up singing Sunday morning. My Aunt Brenda and mom came with me. After that we went to Walmart to print out a couple of pictures for the Bridal Suite. Who knew it could be so complicated to print 3 pictures, I hate the new photo print system at Walmart! Eventually we got them and stopped by to say hi to Ronnie and Debbie at the Bridal Suite.

For those of you who may not know, the Bridal Suite graciously sponsored about 90% of my Miss America wardrobe! So I wanted to stop by and give them a couple of pictures of me in my Miss America competition gown. After that we met up with my family to go out to Ponderosa in celebration of my grandpa's birthday. Sunday, I sang at both morning services at my grandparent's church. It was a rewarding experience. It is always a joy to share the gospel of Jesus through the gift of music. The whole weekend my grandma was a trooper. She had recently had hip replacement surgery and she kept up with us the whole weekend. She never ceases to amaze me. Sunday afternoon we drove back home, and thus ended my traveling excursions for now.

I only have one more week before Fall Semester starts and then it is full speed ahead until May when I graduate! Until next time...

Image is everything

I was given the honor of speaking to two different Mary Kay units this week about the importance of image. Being a Mary Kay consultant for over two years now, as well as a former Miss Delaware, I have grown an increasing awareness of the importance of one's image. What messages are you sending? How do you want people to perceive you? What is the goal that you want to accomplish?

I thought this was an interesting topic that could use further discussion. What makes up a person's image? Is it just how they look or is it more than that? I am here to share the theory of the Whole Body Concept of Image. A person's image is comprised of a bidirectional equilateral triangle: one corner is cognitive, one corner is physical, and one corner is social/emotional. For those of you who have taken Dr. Wilgen's Human Sexualities course, you may recognize this triangle in respect to the topic of one's sexuality. However, I am not going to touch that topic during this post. I just feel that it is a magnificent way of explaining a particular aspect of a person.

1. Cognitive
Your image begins with how you view yourself. It is your confidence that is going to get you places. You can dress and say whatever you want, but if you are not confident it will not make a difference. You need to understand that you are human and it is ok to make mistakes. Finally, you need to approach every situation with an open mind. Never assume a stereotype to be true. I have learned this in both Mary Kay and pageants. As a consultant, I could never assume that a certain type of person would be interested in a certain type of look. As a titleholder, I worked hard to disprove the stereotype of pageant girls being fake, dumb, and stuck up bimbos. Go into every situation within your life excited to learn something new. If your brain is stimulated in a positive way you are more like to act in a positive way and receive a positive outcome.
2. Physical
Yes, image is about appearance as well. BUT let me mention a huge disclaimer: IT IS NOT ABOUT CONFORMING TO WHAT THE LATEST MAGAZINE SAYS YOU SHOULD LOOK LIKE. It is about presenting yourself in a manner that exudes respect. Show not only that you want to be respected but that you respect yourself. Take the time to care about what you are expressing. If you are looking to be taken professionally, make sure you are well tailored and groomed. If you are looking to be seen as a role model, make sure you are proud of what you are wearing. As Miss Delaware, it was my job to be a role model for every person I came in contact with. Do I want young girls to see me plastered with make up on or do I want them to see how make up has simply enhanced my beauty. Negative connotations are given to beauty products or just wanting to dress nice. It is not about covering up or being attractive. It is about sending out the right message when you go out the door. Enhance the wonderful image you have been given. Figure out what makes you feel good about yourself and do it.
3. Social/Emotional
How to speak to someone can make all the difference, and how you act is just as important. I always promote the Golden Rule - "Treat others the way you want to be treated". That is a good place to start. Act in a way that you would appreciate if you were in the other person's shoes. Your posture and poise is another key aspect to your image. As Don Baker would say, be open and outward not inward and closed. Have you shoulders back, don't cross your arms when speaking to someone, stand tall and proud. The non-verbal message should correlate with the verbal message. Never generalize or assume. Speak clearly and with a purpose. When you converse with someone keep an open mind. Present yourself in a warm way that produces discussions rather than arguments. As Miss Delaware, I always had to watch what I said and how I acted. I needed to relate to all age groups and all backgrounds. I was the face of the Miss Delaware and Miss America Organization to many people. My image reflects their image. Make sure you work to lift people up rather than tear them down. Image includes how you make someone feel about themselves and about you. So be sure to act and speak in a way that reflects who you truly are.

I have learned this over the years in my experience in modeling, pageants, and beauty consulting. For those of you out there who are struggling with your image and figuring out who you are, search deep within and find what is important to you. What do you want to do with your life? I have dedicated my life to serving others and making the world a better place. Now, I just have to make sure that everyday I work towards that goal. It all starts with your image. How you see yourself is how the rest of the world will see you. So be proud of who you are and embrace what the world has to offer!

"Be the change you want to see in the world."-Mahatma Gandhi

Got it!!

I was officially offered a job at Hollywood Tans on Main Street in Newark today. I start training next week, and then start working there on the 23rd. I am excited to be working so close to campus. I could walk to work if I needed to!

I will keep everyone posted about specials and sales they have in case anyone is interested. It is a clean environment and a relaxing atmosphere. Frank seems like he will be a blast to work for!

If anyone in the pageant world in Delaware is interested in experiencing indoor tanning please let me know!

It's going to be crazy adjusting to a regular work schedule after the up-in-the-air one I had last year. Back to the real world I guess...

Interview

I got a call yesterday from the manager at Hollywood Tans and he asked me to come in for an interview! So, after my first class, and before my second class, I am going to stop by for an interview. Hopefully I'm not too rusty since I've been Miss Delaware haha. If nothing else my pageant experience has certainly made me confident in my interviewing capabilities. That is just one of many great skills I am going to take away from my years of involvement.

I'm feeling pretty good about this, so pray that it all works out how it should! It'd be nice to have some income flowing in :)

Wish me luck! I'll twitter to let everyone know if I find anything out today! Just click on the icon in the bottom right hand corner of this page and you can start following me.

Ocean City

This past weekend was the best! I got to spend Friday night going to the Delaware State Fair with my boyfriend, Jonathan, and his best friend Tim. We walked around, watched a little bit of the hypnotic comedy show, rode some rides, and played some games. Jonathan and Tim won me a little stuffed puppy that I named Chucky, but then after walking around and seeing people with bigger puppies than mine, Jonathan went back and won me an even bigger puppy that I named Wilbur. We met up with my sister Allison and our friend Anna to ride some rides, including the terrifying pirate ship! I promise you we were vertical in the air looking down several feet above the ground....of course I latched on to Jonathan and Anna for safety. If I was going, so were they!

Saturday morning we drove down to Ocean City, MD with Jonathan's brother Aaron and sister in law Alex for a mini vacation. Jonathan's birthday was July 9th, but we were not able to celebrate it until this past weekend. Alex and I slept on the beach while Jonathan and Aaron threw the football around. After that we cleaned up and headed out in search of dinner. Let me tell you, it is not easy finding a place for dinner at 7pm in Ocean City. We ended up at a place called Hall's seafood buffet. It was delicious, and the best part was there was NO wait! After we were all completely and utterly stuffed we went back to the room to digest a little before going out. We partied it up at Seacrets that night, and ended the evening with a trip to the nearby ice cream shop that was open until 2:30am! All types of characters come out at 2:30 in the morning haha. Then we got up early on Sunday to check out and head back home. We initially planned to hang out at the beach for a short amount of time, however we were too tired and had enough sun for one weekend. So, I spent most of my Sunday traveling and napping. Before I headed back up to campus, I was able to enjoy a fantastic home cooked meal courtesy of my momma! That sure beats dining hall food and Hormel microwave dinners!! Thanks mom :)
Now it's back to the grind of school for two more weeks. Had an exam today in one class, and thankfully my other class was canceled. Now I get to enjoy a nice relaxing day of resting and TV. I applied for a part time job at a tanning salon on Main Street today as well. Here's to getting a call for an interview!
until next time...

Judging my very first National Pageant

So it hit me when I was leaving Philadelphia after a weekend of judging...I should let people know all of the neat things I get to do as a former Miss Delaware! Hence, the creation of this blog. Unfortunately, life after the crown also includes school still. Therefore, this past week I have been a little preoccupied with exams and papers for my summer courses. Thankfully it is almost over, at least for the summer.

Anyway, I was invited to judge the America's National Teenager Scholarship Organization's Preteen Sweetheart pageant. It was a wonderful experience. A little history about myself:
the very first title I ever held was Delaware's
Junior National Teenager in 2004

It was amazing being able to go full circle and end up judging a national pageant for the same organization that granted me the opportunity to compete in my first national pageant. When I competed in the pageant, nationals were held in Nashville, TN. This year was their first year out of Nashville, and it was the start of their journey all over the country. Each year, the ANTSO pageant is going to be held in a different city. It just so happened to luck out in that this year it was in Philadelphia. What an incredible opportunity! I got my first judge's bio and head shot in a national program book, too! One of the best parts was getting to know the girls competing and getting to know my fellow judges. Debbie and Linda Lee were phenomenal to work with. It was rewarding to know that I was going to dramatically change a girl's life forever!!! It was not a job that I took lightly and one that I will always remember. I look forward to judging more pageants in the future. I'll take any excuse to travel!
Thank you very much Gerald Odom, judges coordinator, for giving me this opportunity. I had a spectacular time getting to know you and all of the others involved in this great organization.