A Visit with General Yasumasa Nagamine

Time for a quick photo during the evening. General Nagamine and his wife were very gracious and welcomed all 160 of us into their home for the evening.


Our dinner consisted of authenic Japanese cuisine including beautiful sushi, all displayed very artistically for the teachers. We took lots of pictures....even of the food!

This stained glass wall curved with the curve of the stairway which was at the front entrance of General Nagamine's home. It was quite striking and very large, all with great lighting that really enhanced all of the details of the stained glass.

While in San Fransisco, California I had the wonderful opportunity to represent my state and nation at the Japanese Consul, home of General Yasamasa Nagamine. He and his wife hosted a dinner party for the Fulbright Scholarship participants. What a rare treat to see such a beautiful area of San Fransisco. His home overlooked the bay where we could see the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz and was filled with beautiful artwork, stained glass and architectural details that were incredible. The evening was great for all of us as we enjoyed Japanese food, meeting all of the other teachers from across the United States and talking about our follow on plans when we return from our trip.

My trip to Japan was an amazing opportunity to immerse myself into another culture. It was so surreal to wake up and look out my window to see Tokyo at sunrise, or overlook the mountains of Mt. Aso at sunset. Guys, it was good to get back to South Carolina but I admit I will miss Japan tremendously.

Back from Japan!

Three weeks in Japan and back to South Carolina! It feels great to be back home. I have missed everyone, but I have so many special memories to share with all of you. I will be posting photos and video on this blog next week so check back soon. Just wanted all of you to know that I am home and ready to continue my work with many of you on the DARLA program, see all of you during upcoming appearances and during presentations that have been booked. If you would like to see the blog I kept while in Japan, you can visit at http://www.kimsullivaninjapan.blogspot.com/

Until next time...

It's Great to be back in South Carolina!

My trip to Arizona was amazing. Thanks again to all of you for your support! I can honestly say that the experience will be one that I will never forget. I am sending you a few photos, but will be working on a short little video that I hope to upload when I return from Japan.

Once I returned from Arizona I attended the fall SC Alliance for Arts Education Conference in Charleston, SC. It was great seeing all of the artists and arts educators from all across the state. The Francis Marion did a fantastic job hosting our group. I presented two sessions, both using SMART technology and had the opportunity to introduce a few of our other presenters during the conference. Thanks Valerie for hosting our Wednesday evening get together with the board. Just the drive into her home off the coast was so beautiful. As I drove in I saw the marsh area at sunset. What an amazing thing to see after my long drive from school!

Saturday, September 27 I rode in the Irmo Okra Strut Parade. Sully and I enjoyed seeing all of the people, especially students from District Five. Our kids chose to walk the route and I think they even had a chance to look at the vendors by the time we finished the parade route.

Saturday, October 4 I was Grand Marshall for the Newberry College Homecoming Parade held in Newberry. Mr. Arnold was my driver in the Chrysler Sebring that was provided by our Chrysler dealership in Newberry. Thanks! It was so special talking with the students from Newberry College before the parade started because it brought back lots of memories for me from my Newberry College days. A special thanks to the Tri Sigma girls for letting me hang out with them for a while as we waited for my car to arrive. They were a great group. After the parade started I was first in line going down the street into the football stadium area. I saw many people who I remembered from Newberry College. After the parade the kids and I enjoyed the game. WE WON! 33 - 14 and the best part was seeing some of the great friends I had been there with including Keith Ringer and Pastor John Derrick and his family.

Now, I am in the final week before the trip to Japan. This is going to be a life changing experience for me as I travel to see another part of the world on another continent! I have been reading a lot of stuff to prepare! My flight will be leaving at 6am on Sunday October 12 for Dulles Airport in Washington DC where I will then catch my connector flight to San Fransisco, CA. All of the teachers will be meeting in San Fransisco for our orientation and dinner at the General Consul's home. Can you believe he is hosting 160 of us? That's a lot of people! We all fly out to Tokyo on Monday, October 13, but we will be split into two flights. Mine is the second flight out. We will arrive in Tokyo on Tuesday, October 14. Our three week itinerary is packed with only one day of free time. We will be in seminars and classes during our Tokyo visit and the remaining time is spent traveling around to schools, seeing points of interest in Japan and of course our homestay with a family. My host city will be Uki, Kumamoto. It is an island in the southern area of Japan. We will conclude our visit back in Tokyo with our "Siyanara" evening, an authenic Japanese evening at our hotel. I plan to leave all of you updates through my blog site. Just check it out at http://www.kimsullivaninjapan.blogspot.com/ I will miss all of you. Pray for my family as I am going to be gone for these weeks. I will miss all of you and look forward to coming back with lots of pictures and great memories~

Final Days at Mrs. America

I apologize for the delay in posts. Each day seemed to be so busy and hectic! After breakfast we had our usual rehearsals and it seemed that our days became much longer as time drew near for the final production day on September 2. During our last few days we took a little "field trip" into Tucson and had dinner together at a wonderful mexican restaurant in town. Preliminaries began on Saturday with interview and then Sunday with swimsuit and gown. Swimsuits were one piece red, designed for our group by Carol Wior. They were beautiful! We had group photos taken in them by the pool early one morning and they looked really great on everyone. During the opening for our prelim night I cannot describe the feeling of enthusiasm I felt when I walked into the room wearing that swimsuit. There were hundreds of people with signs, screaming for their delegate. It was an amazing night that I will never forget! I felt really good about all of the prelims and hoped that the Tuesday show would give me an opportunity to be named as one of the finalists. We all worked so hard to get our show number perfectly for Frit and Frat, our choreographers.

Tuesday evening during the final show I was named in the top 12. It was so exciting to hear them call my name. As I walked down I hugged some of the contestants and slapped their hands as I walked through. It was a feeling of excitement, but very surreal, like a dream almost. I mean we had all done so much to get to that one moment of time and they really called out my name! But then you realize that there are others left behind that you just wanted to be with you so much! Many of us became so close during our time in Arizona and will be friends for life.

Once top twelve were named, we rushed back into the dressing area to select a new swimsuit, a purple one or two piece. Decisions had to be made quickly and of course it was important that it look great since we were "starting over" with scores in swimsuit and gown. Once we modeled in swimsuit and gown, they were ready to announce top 6. Once again I was elated to hear my name called! My obvious thought was "OK, now comes the on stage question". Of course you wonder what it will be? There was no way to know. Once we walked off stage many of the delegates came up and hugged me, telling me they just knew I was going to win, hoping that I would. It really meant a lot to me and I won't ever forget the feeling of knowing that no matter what, I was really there in the final 6. I hoped for the title, but wanted to stay calm for question.

When it was time, we were asked to come back on stage for our question. I was the third person to hear a question. Mine was "Where do you see yourself in twenty years?" I was 45 and I got that question...hmmm well I was going to be a lot older than MOST of the contestants since most of them were in their twenties. In fact four of the six finalists were in their twenties. But I wasn't nervous at all about my answer, in fact I felt good about how I answered the question. Later I was told by many people that I answered it best of any of the other 5. That was a good feeling. While I was answering I was thinking of my Daddy. I just knew he was watching over me. I felt calm. It was over. I had completed my question. Now I just had to wait for the final three ladies to answer theirs.

Once runner ups were announced I was disappointed to be named third, but of course thankful also. Thankful that I had the opportunity to be there and represent my state in a national pageant. THE national pageant for married women. Being named third was not what I had hoped for, but was an honor, as well. I met incredible women from every state and Washington, DC! The staff were wonderful and the Loew's Ventana Canyon Resort...impressive and very cordial and warm! I can't speak highly enough about the experience. Best of luck to Maureen McDonald, Mrs. North Carolina who won the title. I wish her the best and to all of the other women from America...my best wishes to each of you as you finish your reign in your state as I will finish mine. I look forward to continuing my role as Mrs. SC America, promoting arts advocacy and DARLA, my work with the arts and foster children.

Now...on to Japan in October. I have another blog set up if you would like to visit with me. Lets Go To Japan is the name of the blog and I will begin posting the week prior to my trip on October 12. Thanks to all of you for your continued support with my Mrs. America journey. I love you all!

TOP 6 in photo above from left to right: Mrs. Connecticut, 5th runner up; Me, 3rd runner up; Mrs. Florida, 1st runner up; Mrs. North Carolina (winner); Mrs. Alabama, 2nd runner up; Mrs. Nebraska, 4th runner up.

Day 4 at Mrs. America

Today was another great day with all of the Mrs. America ladies! This morning after breakfast we learned our modeling routine for evening gown and after lunch had some time before going out for our afternoon in Tucson. We all got a great pink cowboy hat before loading the travel bus. Dinner was at a Italian restaurant in Tucson. The music on the patio was wonderful and some was even from "my high school years". But, the rain came in quickly and soon we were all inside again. Once we got back to the hotel, most of us were so tired. I wanted to add some more stones to my costume tonight, but instead I was on the phone catching up with everyone back home. I can't wait for my family to arrive this weekend! I really miss them. Enjoy the photos. I'll send some more updates on Friday. Hope you guys have a great weekend!

Until next time...

Day Three at Mrs. America

Hey Ya'll! It is 11:30pm here and Taryn and I are just getting settled in. Yesterday and today were busy with rehearsals for the preliminaries and show. On Tuesday we received our opening number dresses and shoes. There were several colors to choose from, but I got pink, one of my favorite colors! The morning and afternoon were spent working with our choreographers Frit and Frat, two amazing guys! They are so professional, but fun. They have taken 51 ladies and turned us all into dancers somehow. I have a new appreciation for dancing and I can certainly see how important it is to know how to count and stay on beat with the music! After the morning today, we completed our first choreographed routine which will be the opening for the show. This afternoon we were fitted with our swimsuits. They are all one piece red and are beautiful! They came with a sarong wrap, but we still don't know if we'll be wearing those. We practiced our swimsuit modeling this afternoon and tomorrow morning we have a big group photo shot by the pool in our swimsuits. We all have to look AMAZING at 6:15 am! Our photographer is so cool and takes lots of photos each day. I've been taking lots of candid snapshots during our events.

Last night we had a dinner party hosted by the President of the Mrs. America Organization Mr. David Marmel. He and his staff have been so wonderful in helping each of us feel welcomed. He presented each of us a Vera Bradley bag AND sang a song to each of us that represented our state.

Tonight we had a formal dinner hosted at the resort to honor Mr. Brian Johnson, President of Loew's Ventana Canyon Resort. We each presented him a gift from our state. I was very fortunate that Carter and Holmes Orchids shipped a beautiful orchid to the resort for my presentation. We had a wonderful meal (all of our meals are great!), talked a while and then headed back to the hotel.

I will send another e-mail on Thursday to keep you all updated. Thanks for all the cards, phone calls and messages you have sent. You have no idea how special they all are and how they keep me feeling "up" and positive each day. I am so thankful to represent such an amazing state!

Until next time...

In Arizona!

I arrived late last night in Tucson, Arizona. I finally saw my first cactus and now I've seen thousands! It is so breathtaking and beautiful here! The landscape and colors are so different from home, but it is simply amazing. I will write back again a little later, but I wanted to send a photo of one of the saguaro cactus, one of the largest. It takes 40 or 50 years to grow one arm and they can grow many. Some only grow one or none at all. They live for over 150 years! Talk about being patient!

I met my roommate today. She is Mrs. Oregon. Her name is Taryn Stastny. We have had a lot of fun getting to know each other. She also has a background in the arts. Today we worked out at the gym together along with some of the other ladies. There are so many people here, but it is a very quiet place. I love it! Tonight we are all meeting each other for the first time at a dinner party for an orientation. Tomorrow morning we will all be up bright and early for a 7o'clock breakfast! Until next time...I miss you all!

Final Preparation

Well, it is almost here! I will be flying out of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport on Sunday afternoon for Tucson Arizona! The past few weeks have been the most hectic I have ever experienced and it's not over yet, but I feel ready to go out there and represent my state!
I am planning to post a new blog each day that I am there, but it may not be possible due to schedule issues. I know that according to our last correspondence from the National office, we will have some long days, starting at 7am and ending around 11 in the evening. My family will be coming out on August 30 right before the preliminaries begin. I will be so happy to have them safely there!

I want to say a big thank you to some very special people who have helped me get ready for Nationals and most importantly given me constant support and encouragement.
To my beautiful family...How could I ever make this without you? I love you all so much for your support. This has been a huge committment for our family. I know you realize how much DARLA means to me and knowing you are a part of this means everything to me.
Friends and Family...You are all awesome! Thanks for all you do to make my life so special.
Newberry College and the Publications/Alumni office...Thank you so much for the ad page sponsorship! I know that any student coming into your program will get years of great memories, an unbelievable education and a fantastic start to their career, whatever it may be. I am proud to say I am a Newberry College alum!
Dr. Daley and his entire staff...You guys are amazing! Thanks for giving me a beautiful smile! If everyone knew how fabulous your office was, no one would ever worry about going to a dentist again!
Genesis...I tell everyone how fantastic all of you are in Florence, SC! I can see why so many previous Mrs. South Carolina America ladies continue to see all of you. Your willingness to help people look and feel their best is so obvious from the moment you walk into your salon. What all of you do in that office is so much more than just skin and beauty on the outside. It is obvious that you bring out the best in people from the inside!
Kathy Cobb Communications...You have helped me throughout the journey to Mrs. America and through the process I have found a new friend.
Lancome Cosmetics/Belk...The fragrance you have provided for delegate gifts is great! Thank you for taking the time to make each of your customers feel special. Your continued service to helping me look good in Lancome makeup is greatly appreciated. I tell everyone to come visit your counter because of your service and smiles!
Barbara Graham, Mrs. SC America 2007... Your friendship is so special to me and throughout this process you have been a great person to talk with. Thank you for sponsoring the jewelry bags for delegates. They are beautiful and will be an actual gift that I know they will enjoy for years to come.
Representative Walt McLeod and Mrs. Rosemary...Once again you are always there for the people of Newberry County! The pins and booklets you provided for the delegate gift bags are great and give all of those ladies a peek into our beautiful state of South Carolina.
Stokes Trainor, Griffin Pools and Spas, Debra Smith/Newberry Opera House...Thank you for your financial sponsorship and helping make my trip to Tucson Arizona a reality for me and my family!
Brandi/Salon V...As always you make my hair look amazing. Your color and cut are going to help me feel my best on stage. Thanks for taking the time to show me cool things I can do with my hair, especially if I'm having a "bad hair day".
Jonathan and Heather Carter/ Carter Studios...Your photos are always amazing! They have won me a state photogenic award. Let's see what will happen in Arizona! Thanks for making the photo shoot so much fun!
Mike Goff...Your "crown and gown" shot will travel with me during this year as I have many opportunities to visit with people in our state and autograph those photos.
CATZ Formal Wear / Tammy Newton...How do I begin to thank you for all you have done to help? You always have a smile when I arrive in your shop and you take the time to help me find just the right dresses. I thank you so much for that and all that you do for the girls! I will think of you as I wear all of the dresses throughout my reign and in Arizona.
Elegant Image / Teresa Phibbs... Visiting your shop in my home county of Newberry is a treat! I want to thank you for the beautiful gowns that will travel with me to Arizona. You went above and beyond to make sure I was able to get the gowns that I really loved. Sully really appreciated that too!
Jamie Ingram and Dr. Ed Bull...Back in Shape Gym and Lake Murray Chiropractic have changed my life! Your guidance and training during the past months have given me not only a great eating routine, but a body that feels fit! No matter what happens in Arizona, I know that I feel better today than I have in my entire life thanks to your training and support!
Wayne and Mary Ellisor, First Impressions...You are always there to help with anything! Thanks for keeping me looking good and helping my family during this road to Nationals. I am happy to know you will be there cheering me on! I think back to the start of this and how you went the extra mile to make sure I had the gown I truly wanted. You are there to assist, be a listening ear, make me laugh and encourage. For that I am truly thankful!
And to Rhonda Woods, Director of the Mrs. SC America pageant...How can I ever thank you enough for all you have done to help me prepare for this national pageant? You are an amazing person who is so organized and helpful, all to give me an opportunity to enjoy this journey and have fun in the process. Your friendship will forever be treasured along after this pageant is over!

So...I am going to Arizona with no expectations except this...
I will do my personal best to make sure that I represent our state well. I truly want to win the title of Mrs. America, if God has this in His plan. But no matter what happens I know that I am representing the best state of the United States and will proudly and humbly respresent my little town of Pomaria.

Kim Sullivan, Mrs. SC America with Congressman John Spratt during 2008 Little Mountain Reunion Parade

DARLA

Since my last post, amazing things have been happening with DARLA, Developing Arts Resources and Literature for Adoptees. This is a program I have dreamed about starting for over five years and now I can see that it is going to happen thanks to a lot of people who have a passion for arts and children just as I do. The DARLA program will be specifically for foster kids and children waiting for placement in an adoptive home. Artists and studios across the state will provide their arts services free of charge or at a reduced rate to these children while they are in foster care. This will be a great opportunity for the children to use the arts to build on their own interests in dance, music, theatre or visual arts while at the same time building their self esteem.
There are over 5000 foster children in South Carolina who have been through many different situations of abuse, neglect, or challenges within their own families. We all know how the arts can empower and help us find who we truly are on the inside. While as an art teacher I believe that we all need the arts in our lives, I know these children need it even more as they try to get their life together. So, with that said let me just tell you that the conversations I have had with our state's arts leaders through e-mails and now the conversations I am having with our state's DSS offices are truly exciting. DARLA is becoming a reality and I just know that the children and teachers who participate in this program will truly be blessed from it. Thanks to all of you who are helping make this dream a reality!

Update and Thank You's to Sponsors

This week I had a great time meeting with a few folks from the Newberry area about sponsorships for the Mrs. America pageant. I met with my friend Rev. John Derrick, a classmate from my days at Newberry back in the 80's who is now serving as our new alumni director. He took the time to introduce me to Mr. Chuck Wendt and the great staff in his publications office. What a great group of people! Thank you so much for their generous sponsorship at Newberry College! I am looking forward to an interview with WIS Radio on Monday, August 4 during their weekly Newberry College radio broadcast. And can I just tell you that the campus is amazing! It is obvious that a lot of dedicated people are working hard to make sure that Newberry is recognized for their fantastic curricular and athletic programs.

Another big thank you to Mr. Joe Trainor at Stokes-Trainor Car Dealership in Newberry for his sponsorship. He met with me during a very busy time in his day and still took the time to talk about the giant fish I asked about on his office wall. There was quite an interesting story behind that fish. It is obvious that he has helped so many local and national organizations through his generous donations and time. We are all very blessed to have this group in Newberry County!

The Newberry Opera House was host to the state pageant again this year. Deborah Smith, the director of the Newberry Opera House is an amazing person who is always so organized and such a huge supporter of the arts. Thank you to Deborah for her kind sponsorship and for her kind words of support!

This week coming up will be another busy one as I continue to prepare for the travel out to Tucson. I will be working on my costume and delegate gifts. I need 50 gifts, one for each of the other delegates and also two dignitary gifts. I will also continue to look for sponsorships. I am so appreciative to everyone for their encouragement and outpouring of support. It really means a lot to me and my family!

Upcoming events...

Rotary Club Speaking Engagement on Wednesday in Batesburg-Leesville

Little Mountain Reunion Parade on Saturday

My Mom's Family Reunion on Sunday at St. Phillips Lutheran Church in Newberry

Until next time.

Nutrition and Exercise

Over the last few months I have had a lot of questions about my workout routine. I started working out in January of 2008 at Back in Shape Gym, but did not change my eating habits (which at the time were not great). I have learned that while working out and exercise are very important to a healthy lifestyle, so is eating correctly. And I mean really EATING. Most of us are so busy and on the go that we either eat junk food or skip the meal. Women especially feel that the less we eat, the thinner we can be. But it is a fact that eating poorly,(in other words less calories with no exercise) will only starve our bodies, making it think we literally need to hold on to fat. If you are seriously considering a new eating routine, please eat AND exercise! In February I changed my eating patterns totally, beginning to eat higher protein with 5-6 smaller meals per day rather than my usual one big meal and a few snacks here and there.

My workouts included three days of strength training and weight lifting with cardio three days per week. I also did treadmill or elliptical every day for at least 20 minutes. Once I attained my goal I now just eat what I need to feed my body and keep it strong and healthy while working out 5 days per week.

My tip...have a goal! See the visual. Mine was just knowing I had to wear that swimsuit in front of judges during the state pageant, but your goal could be a family reunion, class reunion or maybe you're going on a special trip? Whatever your goal is, just remember to be consistent!

Thanks to my personal trainers Dr. Ed Bull and Jamie Ingram from BACK IN SHAPE GYM! Without their help and dedication I would still be struggling to figure it all out. Now, I feel better than ever and no matter what happens at nationals, I still get to keep my figure and better eating habits. That is a change in my lifestyle that I will have forever!

Interviews and Photo Shoots

This state has a great group of writers and photographers! I had a great photo shoot with Jonathan Carter prior to the pageant and one of his head shot photos won me a photogenic award during the pageant. (Thanks Jonathan!) But since the win I have had the opportunity to meet so many talented writers and photographers along the way who have taken the time to make me feel special.

On Friday I had a great time during an interview with Mr. Rush Workman from Dutch Fork Chronicle. His office, located on Main Street in Prosperity, had charm and character and some items of interest like clocks that gave the times in other places of the world including Los Angeles and Tokyo. There were also some great pieces of art, even an alligator sculpture that was quite eye catching. But what stood out most was Mr. Workman's honest and fun approach to the interview which I found really refreshing! During my time there I also met with Mr. Josh Thompson, who took some great shots, all very different and fun. Josh used some unusual lighting effects during the photo shoot. It was obvious to me that these two fellows worked well together.

I just have to think about all of the people out there who run papers, create photos, give us something visual to look at each week as we turn the pages over coffee or juice. These are artists in their own right. Thanks to all of the media and press who help make our days a little more interesting and a lot more informative. And to the Dutch Fork Chronicle, thanks for the afternoon and conversation. The article is to run in the next issue.

Thank you for all of your support...

Getting ready for this upcoming national pageant is so much fun, but certainly requires a lot of preparation. I just want to thank all of you who have contacted me through this site, cards and letters, e-mails and phone calls. It is an honor to represent a state that has such wonderful people. I am working hard to get ready for the event, but knowing that with all of your love and support and prayers I will truly make it. No matter what happens in Tucson, Arizona I have all of you as special friends. Thank you so much for your continued support. Please continue to pray for me and our family as we embark on this fabulous adventure!

Getting ready for nationals...

Today I handled all of the airline info. I will be flying out of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport on Sunday, August 24 around 5:00 in the afternoon. I will have a short stay in Charlotte and switch planes for the final flight into Tucson. I will be arriving that night around 9:15. So...if any of you would like to see me off that afternoon, I would love to see you at the airport! My family will be flying out on Friday, August 30 so they can be there for preliminaries which begin the next day.

The final pageant with top 12 will be on Tuesday, September 2. I am going to miss seeing everyone during Labor Day, but I will have lots to keep me busy.

Friday you are all invited to the Peach Festival Parade. I will be making an appearance in the parade and after will have lunch with many of the dignitaries. I am so excited about that opportunity to talk with them about my platform, arts advocacy and also funding for DSS and other agencies that support foster care in SC. I look forward to all of these opportunities. I see them as a wonderful way to speak out on these issues!

Until next time...

Events of the week

This has truly been an amazing and busy first week of my reign. Time to get ready with all of the paperwork, interviews and activities. This week I was interviewed by several newspapers and also by Mayor Stan Shealy on Saturday, June 28 for a video he produced for the local Chapin cable network. Saturday afternoon I judged the Wee Miss Peach Festival pageant at Gilbert High School. Mrs. Harriet ran a great pageant and I met some wonderful people. Sully and I had a fun time there and ate at SUBWAY after. I'm still being good with my eating regimen, so I had turkey on wheat TOASTED! That always makes it taste great!

Saturday after the pageant I found a dress to wear in the upcoming Peach Festival Parade in Gilbert. It was purchased through First Impressions in Lexington. Wayne and Mary Ellisor are awesome and always seem to know just what to do to dress a gal for any event! The dress is beautiful in white and gold. Ms. Eartha will certainly work her magic and fit it to a T! I'm looking forward to wearing it on Friday for the parade, but also in Arizona during Nationals!

Since the fourth of July falls on a Friday this year, Sully will have that day off in addition to the weekend days. So a short week will be great for him. Once we pick up the car from Ben Satcher Ford (A HUGE THANK YOU to them for providing us the convertible for the parade) on Thursday afternoon, Sully will drive me in for the parade and then we'll enjoy a BBQ lunch with the politicians/dignitaries in Gilbert. It is going to be a great opportunity for me to catch a few photos, but hopefully talk with a few of them about working with me on arts advocacy and promoting funding for DSS / foster care programs. I'm all about finding those little windows of time that I can advocate for kids and the arts!

So as my first week comes to a close, let me just say that I am having a wonderful time as Mrs. SC America! If my first week is any indication of how much fun I'm going to have this year, I am so looking forward to each and every event! Until later...

Friday, June 26, 2008

As I write my first posting on this site, I am thinking about how quickly this week has gone by. There is a lot of preparation that goes into getting ready for a pageant, but wow is it a whirlwind after! A lot of exciting things have happened already since being crowned on Saturday evening.

On Sunday morning I had a fantastic breakfast with the judges and the director. It was hosted at a beautiful bed and breakfast in Newberry. The table was set with lovely crisp white linens and china. The crystal compotes were filled with colorful seasonal fruit and there were homemade breads. We had such great conversation. They totally got me excited about going to The Mrs. America pageant in August! I am going to do my best to bring home that crown and put South Carolina on the map for the Mrs. America system!

After our quiche and bacon were served we talked about some of the things I truly believe in, my interests and passions. I even autographed a few of their program books and then we said our goodbyes. I left there feeling more confident and with some great new connections and friends.

During the week, I have begun interviews and press releases have been sent out by our director, Rhonda Woods. I will be interviewed by Mayor Stan on Saturday and judging a pageant Saturday afternoon. Paperwork and photos have been sent to Nationals and now the work begins as I plan my costume. Of course, I was at Back in Shape Gym bright and early Monday morning (and every day this week) working with my trainer Jamie! She is awesome! Today she read to me while I worked out to keep my mind on positive, she said. Isn't that incredible? And all week I have been teaching at my studio. Friday is my first official day off! I'm going to spend it with my kids doing something fun...having a picnic!

Getting ready for this pageant is all about getting me physically and mentally ready. I want to do my personal best! I am excited about where this new journey is going to lead me! Until next time...