Cinderella's First Ball

I know it's a bit presumptuous comparing myself to Cinderella, but honestly I felt so much  like her this past weekend that I just couldn't help it. The weekend started off awesomely because I made a 100 on a physics quiz. I mean c'mon guys, success in anything math makes me want to do a happy dance. Going home that day, I stopped by Ikea picked up some final things for the apartment and made my way back my place in the big city. Putting together a Swedish desk is harder than one would think when the holes for the screws are the size of pinheads. Suffice it to say... it was a struggle. My boyfriend came up that morning and as I was struggling to get my desk together, he pulled in the parking deck and we unloaded the FINAL parts of my furniture and appliances. There are some things in life that you are just super grateful for and I am unashamed to say that my printer is one of them.

Early birthday deserts. Never a bad choice.

Mom came up after school that day and we sneakily arranged to take Doug out for an early birthday celebration without him knowing.Thankfully, my awesome boyfriend was fixing my router. (AKA he was fixing things that I don't even know the units for). With him distracted we got the presents to the car and I interrupted his conversation with the nice Comcast man to make him start looking up restaurants. Little to his knowledge, he chose his own birthday spot. After dinner and presents, we were driving back and spotted the "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign and naturally my car just got a mind of its own and turned in. Birthday deserts of doughnuts was so delicious!

Notice Doug's Pink Ribbon Pin! 

The next day was the beginning of the festivities. Up and early Saturday, Doug and I attended an info session for him and I was so entertained even if it wasn't my grad school. We wasted an afternoon and when we realized we needed to get ready, it was almost too late. Doug became the timer and helped me keep tabs of when we needed to leave. On our way to the Ball I realize I don't have my mascara! Now let me tell you what love is folks, he went back into my apartment got the RIGHT mascara and brought it down for me as I finished my make-up in the car. You know you've got a good one when he gets the mascara. Walking into the ball, I was immediately hit with how colorful and fun the event was! There were jugglers, ladies wearing tables, and cakes that looked like toys! Susan and Wayne walked with me and showed me the ropes of the silent auction all while introducing me to fantastic people.  

I was so honored to be celebrating 40 years of fighting cancer with the American Cancer Society. The emcee embarked on a story about his children and I never could have guessed what would follow. His little boy was hit with cancer of the brain and it was not supposed to bother him until 25 but at 17 it began acting up again. Hearing his voice crack and stumble as he talked about his son brought me to tears. He then continued to present a survivors video and at the end of the clip, the survivors walked out. Each story of that night touched my heart and gave me a little more motivation to keep my eyes on the prize of my year as Miss Cobb County and hopefully my future in raising awareness for cancer and cancer research.

The night was not over yet! After the presentation, I was whisked away by my wonderful driver and chaperone (Doug and Susan, respectively) and we went to Miss Atlanta! I watched as a sweet friend of mine got First Runner-Up in her very first MAO pageant EVER! I'm pretty sure I squealed loud enough for every one in the metro-area to hear!

By the end of the night, I was laughing with my board until late and thanking the Lord I was surrounded by amazing people. Appearances and pageants are nice, but focusing on relationships still remains to be my number one goal. Let's hope I achieve it. 


Love Today.

Last Day, First Speech, and A Cast Dinner

"Show Your Bra" contest.

I'm sure that even by just reading the title you can guess that my weekend was a busy one. I feel like I'm constantly in a state of traveling from here to there, but I pray and hope that the feeling will only last for a couple of more days seeing as I don't have anything to do this week but school.

It seems weird to me that I'm a senior in college and will be graduating in under 200 days. That makes the world spin a lot faster than planned and also makes me feel a lot older than I'd like to feel. However, the time has come that I'm supposed to "grow up" and get out of undergrad. Thankfully my time in college has been one of the most enjoyable yet stressful experiences of my life. One that I look back on fondly but am okay to not ever repeat. Well, at least class wise. Looking at my class schedule for this semester, the academic load is heavy but the schedule times are forgiving. HALLELUJAH!

Notice the man laughing in the background.
So glad he thought I was funny!

Women in Pink!

Friday started off with physics at 8 am followed by meeting up with two wonderful chaperones to whisk me away to Acworth, Georgia to speak at the Diva Dessert Luncheon for GTC Give Back 2013. The event was focused and fundraising for breast cancer and breast health, so naturally I was all OVER it. After curling the hair, zipping the dress, and pinning in the crown, I went to the clubhouse and began the "meet and greet" aspect of the event. All of the women were flushed in pink, playing tennis, laughing, and having a great time! At check in, I asked if I could have a pink ribbon to pin to my sash. Even if the ribbon was only a conversation starter, it stood for so much more. I told the ladies about my tumor and they asked questions and I was glad to answer them. After milling around for forty-five minutes, a woman comes running up to me and hands me a corsage and says, "Pin this on!" with no explanation and runs off. I like flowers, so I followed her instructions. Right before my speech, I learned that the flowers symbolized a woman that had been affected by breast cancer. I was so appreciative for their thinking of me. When I stood to speak, you could hear whispers across the room wondering if my flowers were for show or for real. Finding out they were for real, the women were so attentive and responsive to my message. However the most impacting moment came after my speech. Women came to tell me that I had inspired them to go get themselves checked and to get their daughters to take their risk seriously. In that moment, I was humbled and knew that this was my purpose. 

On the left, Leo Bloom. On the right, Max Bialystock!

After the speech, we went to get a haircut from one of my sponsors followed by going to watch The Producers! The play is a Class A+ production and it feels like you are genuinely on Broadway! During Max Bialystock's jail monologue, he does the long pause for intermission and stage whispers, "I heard Miss Cobb County is in the audience tonight.... Ya think I can get her to be a showgirl?!" Needless to say I was laughing so loud and squealing like a little girl! The cast dinner was on Sunday and I was so honored to be able to tell the cast how much I enjoyed their play and genuinely appreciated the hard work they put in. Such a dynamic group in a room together made for a loud and raucous time but those traits made for an even better night!



Live Today.

My Dream Journey

Well, the pageant is over and I am still on cloud 9! It hits me every now and then that I am Miss Cobb County. But at the same time, it still feels very much like a dream. 

Friday night, everyone had arrived. We went to go find jewelry for my interview the next morning and just talked, laughed, and had a really wonderful time. Saturday morning came far too early and after mulling around with a cup of coffee, the hair was rolled and after finishing my make up, we were off to the interview. This was the first interview that I was genuinely excited about. I knew my direction, I knew myself, and I knew what I wanted to accomplish. Walking into the interview, I immediately felt the warmth of the judges and loved talking with them. The ten minutes flew by and then it was over. 

Getting a nap in the middle of the day was definitely needed since the nerves were starting to kick into my system. Thankfully, I slept and had a generally lazy day before having to redo my hair and make up for the last time. All of us back stage were excited and ready to get the night going. Whenever I walked out in my opening number, I felt the adrenaline kick-in and realized that I was going to have the time of my life. Swim suit was rocking and rolling before I knew it. (Shout out to Casey Walker for that turn prep.) Walking out on stage for talent, I knew what emotions I wanted to convey and I just let loose. Walking away from that microphone, I looked over at one of my best friends and just began smiling from ear to ear. Win or lose I knew I had left everything on that stage. I showed my heart and emotions to the judges. When evening gown came, I put on the most beautiful dress I've ever worn in my life and just smiled like Kate Middleton after she got married. 

Being named the talent winner was something I could never expect. I had never won talent in my life and I knew that with the high caliber of girls that were competing there was a high chance that I wouldn't win it. So when my name called I thought it was a joke! I went running down to Anna and was a blubbering mess when I received the award. 

Waiting those minutes after the talent presentation, I just kept saying out loud to myself, "I can't believe I won talent!" Apparently Leighton caught my conversation to myself. Whoops.

As they called the runners up, I was still talking to myself and hardly paying attention. Naturally when I heard my name called I thought it was for a runner up, and then I looked down and saw four other girls. In that moment I realized I had won! I looked at Maggie and we both started crying. At that moment, all the hard work, multiple tanning appointments, make up practices, sprints, and sacrifices of Chick-Fil-A milkshakes were worth it. 

I didn't exactly know what to do after Maggie crowned me, so I looked around and asked. My new director said, "You just won! Go walk!!" I did and thinking about that moment still makes me smile. There are simply no words to describe how on top of the world you feel. Thankfully I had people to pull me back down to Earth and remind me that I still had millions of pictures to take and hugs to give. 

 Being crowned Miss Cobb County has already been a dream come true. I know that my year will be one that is beyond my imagination. I thank God for this wonderful opportunity and the reminder that I received Sunday morning. Jesus was being rushed to a man's house to heal the man's daughter when a dying woman touched the robe of Jesus and was healed. Jesus turned around and said "Who touched me?" Instead of rushing on with the crowd and letting the woman disappear, he wanted her to know him personally. Being a title holder, it's easy to be rushed in the every day life but I genuinely hope to take the time to stop and talk with people so they know me personally. I want to reach and impact others, not simply be a fleeting moment in their lives.

And so my dream journey begins.

Live Today.