Pageant Season...

Well, it's that time of the year....PAGEANT SEASON! This next weekend our tour begins and I couldn't be more excited. I love being able to spend the weekend working with my besties and getting to see my mom too! But I also love being around a hobby that I am so passionate about and love helping little girls achieve their dreams. It feels like just yesterday I was in their little high heels! 

I've worked for NAM for the past few years and I still am involved in it because pageants have done so much for me. When I entered my first pageant at the age of 7 (and no, my parents NEVER forced me into it like you see on tv-it was completely my decision!), I was so excited to perform on stage because I was a dancer, but was petrified to talk to someone else in an interview. I look at how far I've come over the past 16 years in pageantry and can not believe that I was that little girl!

And with that said, it's off to the races! This weekend, it's off to Iowa. The following weekend is Nebraska and after that, off to my home state of Wisconsin. Then I'm home for less than 36 hours before it's a LOOOONNNNNNGGGG (but enjoyable) drive to Arizona with Brandon and Gia.

Rounding out the end of July, I'm off to Missouri follow by Minnesota and ending the season in Illinois. It's tiring to work everyday in 4 inch heels, but it's a job I wouldn't give up for anything in the world!

Pen Pals

Growing up, did you have a pen pal? I had two that I can remember. I think I was in third grade when our class got pen pals at another local grade school. We wrote letters to each other about school and got to meet our pen pal at a special lunch at the end of the school year. Being 9 years old at the time, I thought that was pretty cool.

I also remember having another pen pal that I got through American Girl magazine. You told them what your interests were and they paired you up with another girl who had the same interests. Apparently that pen pal didn't make much of an impact on me as I don't even remember where she was from!

Of course times have changed and snail mail and letters changed to e-mails and e-cards. But, I for one have always LOVED to send cards. It doesn't have to even be a holiday or special occasion; I just love finding cute cards that pertain to my friends or family and sending them out.

One of my best friends from college, Kelly, also loves to send cards. We chat daily online and also text message quite often too. Quite frankly, I'd be lost without her. One day we were talking about cards and pen pals and randomly decided to become each other's pen pals. No, we don't write long letters and mail them to each other. We just find fun cards to send to each other.

Although we talk everyday, it's nice to receive a little love in the mail amongst bills and junk mail. It always puts a smile on my face.

I challenge you to do the same. You don't have to necessarily find a pen pal, but take more time to send cards and letters to the ones you love. It may be a bit old-fashioned, but nothing beats a handwritten note from someone to brighten their day. 

Cupcake Wars

Anyone who knows me knows that I have the world's biggest sweet tooth. If I could, I would eat cupcakes, cookies and chocolate all day everyday. In fact, it's my dream to one day open a cupcake cafe/bakery. I can only make cupcakes out of a box though..ha!

I also will tell you that I LOVE to wind down and watch tv...mindless tv at that. One of my new favorite shows is Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. It always makes me hungry when I watch it now!