Now what?

Now that I have crowned my successor, the question I hear most often from people is "Well, what's next for you, Holly?" The answer is....COACHING! I have wanted to coach for a number of years but frankly did not have the time while I was still competing (and of course also chasing after a busy toddler!). So this is something I have wanted to do for a LONG time now. And now that time has finally arrived! I decided on the name "Sparkle! with Holly Ernst" because that's what it's really all about...having that SPARKLE and standing out from the crowd. Plus I love anything shiny (must have been a crow in my past life or something, ha ha). If you are interested in following my coaching pursuits and travels in pageantland, please visit my website www.hollyernst.com and you can also follow my BLOG there as well. Thanks for your interest and thanks for joining me on this wild and crazy ride of pageantry!

JUNE 9, 2007 MRS. MINNESOTA AMERICA 2007 PAGEANT (ST. PAUL, MN)

WOW, I can't believe I actually have a few spare minutes to finally sit down and update my blog...whew! And I thought I was busy BEFORE the pageant!!! The day after I passed down my title, we left at 8:30 AM for a week in the Bahamas (I was DEAD tired as didn't get home from the Mrs. MN Coronation Party until about 1 AM). I was really excited for our trip but WOW was I exhausted. We had a great time in the Bahamas (stayed at the new Cove resort, which I highly recommend--it's fantastic) but since our return home, I swear we've not had a moment's rest! Anyway, if you are reading this you probably don't want to listen to me ramble on about how busy I've been--you probably want to know about this year's Mrs. Minnesota America pageant! So here goes...

Saturday started out with rehearsals at the Fitzgerald Theater with all of the MN, WI, and IA contestants running through their opening number, then of course practicing the various stages of competition. Everyone was looking great and as I watched in the audience, I seriously could not pick a winner because the level of competition was THAT tough! I was really glad I was not a judge! During one of the breaks, I presented a gift to this year's MN contestants. I designed a poster that had the Mrs. Minnesota logo on it, and then had each contestant autograph a poster to take home. A number of former Mrs. Minnesotas were at the rehearsal, so they all signed them, too (so each contestant took home an personalized poster with all 14 of the 2007 contestant signatures and former Mrs. MN autographs). I love personalized things, so I hope the contestants liked them as well. While rehearsals were going on, a few of us headed over to the infamous Mickey's Diner (it's an old train car and has been featured in many movies) for some lunch. I had never eaten there so that was fun as it really is a one-of-a-kind place.

After our late lunch, I headed back to start getting ready. It was fun chatting with Jennifer Kline (Mrs. Minnesota/Mrs. America 1988) while we were sitting next to one another getting our makeup done. She is GORGEOUS and funny and still looks like she could be Mrs. America today, eighteen years later! My family arrived and my husband Matt brought our two-and-a-half year old daughter Ava backstage so I could show her the stage and explain to her what this whole "farewell" thing was going to be like. She was so excited to be wearing her "pretty dress" and "Cinderella shoes" and she looked ADORABLE if I do say so myself (not that I'm biased or anything, ha ha).

Soon it was SHOWTIME and the pageant started off with a bang with an opening number set to the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack. The contestants were all dressed in white cocktail dresses with silver trim, while Shannon Martin (Mrs. WI) and I were in silver cocktail dresses (Katie Scott, Mrs. Iowa, was unfortunately unable to attend as she and her husband recently moved to Las Vegas). Our husbands escorted us on stage and as far as I could tell, all went well with the opening number and the ladies looked great!

I had a VERY quick wardrobe change right after the opening, and Matt was supposed to be waiting outside my dressing room while I changed (as we then were supposed to run up to the balcony for an interview with co-host Jennifer Kline on my year as Mrs. MN). Well, the wardrobe change went fine, but Matt was nowhere to be found! I was so confused because I had given him specific instructions to wait for me and then we had to sprint to the balcony for this interview. Time was running out, so finally I just had to go without him. I did the interview with Jennifer, but in my head all I could think about was "what happened to my husband?!?!?" Well, shortly thereafter I got my answer...as it turns out, our daughter Ava did just great sitting out in the audience watching the opening number, but when she saw me come out on stage, she went ballistic and wanted to be with Momma RIGHT THEN AND THERE and that was all there was to it. She started REALLY crying and got wound up to the point that my in-laws had to take her outside. Matt saw this (this was all happening as I was doing my quick wardrobe change), so he ran to hold her and calm her down, so THAT is where he was. A great reminder of what TRULY is important--and that FAMILY comes first. And that is what being a MRS (or "Mr" in this case) is all about...FAMILY.

After that, I was able to come out and get her and there was NO way she was letting Momma go. So she came backstage with us and hung out and was great, as long as I was within eyesight! She was so funny backstage...she went from being SOOOO upset to back to being Miss Happy Pants, chatting everyone up and telling the contestants how pretty they looked ("pretty dress" was said over and over), and from that point on she was an angel. We were able to watch a bit of the pageant and she was dancing and clapping SUPER loudly. She kept asking the contestants or whoever was standing nearby "I come with you on stage?" and then taking people by the hand and trying to get them to take her on stage. I guess it's in her blood, ha ha!

Robin Mason (Mrs. GA 2006 and my roommate at Nationals) was a judge this year, and so she, myself, and Shannon Martin (Mrs. WI 2006) and I all had a fun on-stage interview as well. Robin was nearly three months pregnant when we were at Mrs. America, and I had NO CLUE (so much for a mother's intuition--and she kept giving me these hints and I seriously was completely clueless). So we talked about that and had some laughs. The contestants then competed in the various areas of competition, and the Top 8 were named for Minnesota: Tressa Avestruz (Mrs. Rosemount), Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina), Tina Godes (Mrs. Eagan), Lindsey Kurhajetz (Mrs. Maple Grove), Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie), Katina Schroeder (Mrs. Savage), Nichoel Skramstad (Mrs. Minneapolis), and Katie Thiry (Mrs. Washington County). The Top 4 were named for Wisconsin: Jayne Black (Mrs. Green Bay), Penny Godbout (Mrs. Hudson), Jennifer Schluga (Mrs. Waukesha County), and Sarah White (Mrs. Kenosha County). The ladies recompeted in Swimsuit and Evening Gown, and a neat part of this year's pageant was that the contestants were escorted by "junior queens" (little girls between the ages of 5-10). It was very cute and the girls LOVED it.

The Top 5 were then named for Minnesota: Tina Godes, Bessie Giannakakis, Lindsey Kurhajetz, Nichoel Skramstad, and Katie Thiry. The Top 5 were all given headphones and answered the Final Question, and then the auditor got to work tabulating the scores. It was finally time for our farewell speeches, and Shannon gave hers first followed by the announcement of the special awards for Minnesota: COMMUNITY SERVICE-Janelle Zunker (Mrs. Hennepin County), PHOTOGENIC-Katina Schroeder (Mrs. Savage), CONGENIALITY-Katie Thiry (Mrs. Washington County), STATE COSTUME-Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina), SWIMSUIT-Lindsey Kurhajetz (Mrs. Maple Grove), EVENING GOWN-Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina). It was finally time for my farewell walk and speech...I didn't cry, as I felt like I had the most amazing year possible, and was totally at ease with "handing the reigns" over to the new queen, whoever she may be. My angel Ava walked out with a bouquet of flowers and she was SO DARN CUTE and then Daddy followed behind. Ava did such a great job and waved to the audience and I was so proud of her. It was funny because she did not really want to leave the stage...she would have been happy to hang out and stay a while! I said it all in my farewell speech, but it was an amazing year with amazing supporters, directors, friends, sponsors, you name it. Thank you for EVERYTHING, it was a blast! Did I mention it was AMAZING?

It was finally time for the announcement of the runners-up and new queens. Iowa was announced first: 1st RU-Bridie Sellers, and Winner-Winner-Taryn Schuler. Wisconsin was next: 2nd RU-Jennifer Schluga, 1st RU-Sarah White, and Winner-Jayne Black. Next it was on to Minnesota: 4th RU-Katie Thiry, 3rd RU-Nichoel Skramstad, 2nd RU-Tina Godes...and there were two left standing: Bessie Giannakasis and Lindsey Kurhajetz (who was my 1st RU last year). Lindsey's name was announced as the 1st runner-up, which meant that Bessie Giannakakis was the new Mrs. Minnesota America 2007!!! Congratulations! I am thrilled for Bessie and think she will do a great job, as will the other queens from Wisconsin and Iowa!

After the pageant, we headed over to the Embassy Suites for the Coronation Party, which was a great time. It felt GREAT to get out of my silver gown (it's my favorite dress in the world, but it weighs 33 pounds and as a result my feet were literally numb by the end of the night so it felt REALLY GOOD to change clothes). It was great to catch up with old friends and congratulate the new winners. A great time was had by all but I was SUPER tired and had to get up early for our flight, so I finally headed home around 1 a.m. As my head hit the pillow, I gave thanks for a truly blessed year...this pageant experience has been incredible, but at the end of the day it is not what is most important (but it sure was fun!). It's been a wonderful ride but now it is someone else's turn, and I can't wait to see what spectacular things lie ahead for Bessie!

Many people have asked me "what's next for Holly", and the answer is that as of now, I have no plans to compete again (but never say never, ha ha!). I plan on continuing my work with my child safety/abduction education platform and the Jacob Wetterling Foundation, and will be spearheading the education committee for the JWF Board of Directors. I am also FINALLY able to get into another passion of mine--pageant coaching! I am currently working on my website but if you are in need of a pageant coach, please feel free to contact me. Once I get my website up and running, I will post a link on this blog. I love helping others achieve their goals and I can't wait to start this new adventure!

In the meantime, thank you everyone for your support...it's been one heck of a ride! Signing off for now,
Holly Ernst
Mrs. Minnesota America 2006

PHOTOS:
(Crowning photo by Scott Hedblom)
1) Me with the newly crowned Mrs. Minnesota America 2007, Bessie Giannakakis
2) Shannon (Mrs. WI) and I in our "Team Schway" t-shirts that our State Directors Faith & Carl had made for us.
3) Shannon and I having lunch with Tami Theis (a fellow 2006 contestant and a SUPER cool chick!) at the famous Mickey's diner in St. Paul.
4) Me explaining to Ava what was going to happen during my farewell walk.
5) With my mom, parents-in-law, and Matt and Ava in the lobby before the pageant.
6) Matt, Ava, and I before the pageant.
7) Shannon & I in our silver "opening number" cocktail dresses.
8) With the MN contestants before the start of the Opening Number.
9) Backstage with some former Mrs. MN's: Tami Krause (2003), me, Robin Duffney (1995), Jennifer Kline (1988), and Faith Schway (1984)
10) Matt and I in the Opening Number
11) Shannon (Mrs. WI), me, and Robin (Mrs. GA) ready to go on-stage for our interview
12) Robin Mason (Mrs. GA) holding her new baby Evan and me holding Ava...Robin was pregnant when we were roommates at Mrs. America!
13) The contestants in Evening Gown
14) The contestants in Swimsuit
15) With Vanessa VonBehren (Miss MN Teen USA '07) & Alla Ilushka (Miss MN USA '07)
16) Backstage with some of the contestants (L to R): Katie Thiry, Tressa Avestruz, me, Tina Godes, and Bessie Giannakakis
17) My farewell as Mrs. Minnesota America 2006
18) Ava brings me some flowers during my farewell
19) The two most important people in my life, my husband Matt and daughter Ava
20) Crowning Bessie Giannakakis as Mrs. Minnesota America 2007--CONGRATS!
21) The "Top 5" for Mrs. Minnesota America 2007
22) Bessie and I pose with Sarah Moses, owner of the Pageant Shop by Michael's. Sarah has had the "Best Gown" winner in this pageant for the past 5 years in a row!
23) With the new queens (L to R): Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. MN 2007), Taryn Schuler (Mrs. IA 2007), me, and Jayne Black (Mrs. WI 2007). Congrats ladies!
24) With my dear friend Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int'l 2007)
25) Celebrating Bessie's win at the Coronation Party are (L to R): Anne Marie Moore, Sarah Moses, Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. MN 2007), and me
26) Catching up at the Coronation Party are (L to R): Kris Mohlin, Andrea Sabin, Angeline Gard (all former contestants), Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. MN 2007), Sarah Tichich (also a former contestant and the current Mrs. MN United States 2007), me, and Sonja Fisher (also a former contestant)
27) The "former Mrs. Minnesotas" take a photo (clockwise from left: Mary Beth Roe ('89), Robin Duffney ('95), Tawnja Zahradka ('94), me ('06), Kathy Thompson ('01), Jane O'Hern ('83), Faith Schway ('84), Bessie Giannakakis ('07), and Charity Kelly ('02)
28) With good friend and my "backstage helper" from last year Sue Jackson. Sue was Mrs. Wisconsin America 1996 as well!

JUNE 8, 2007 INTERVIEWS & PRELIMINARY SWIMSUIT COMPETITION (ST. PAUL, MN)

Today was the Interview competition as well as the Preliminary Swimsuit competition. Both events were held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown St. Paul. I arrived at 12:30 to meet this year's judges and we really have a terrific panel, including former Mrs. Minnesota 1989 and QVC shopping host Mary Beth Roe, former Mrs. Minnesota 1986 Grace Pridal-Peters, former Mrs. Oklahoma and Mrs. America 1990 Jennifer Bullard, reigning Mrs. Georgia Robin Mason, Dale Schmidt (CEO of Whittner & Company), and one more judge that is not listed in the program book (I can't remember her name but she is the owner of a local jewelry store). A great judging panel to be sure!

Interviews started right on time and the ladies looked terrific. I met up with Shannon Martin (Mrs. Wisconsin 2006) and we attended a brief orientation for the WI & IA contestants and then had to head out to the St. Paul cable television station where we had to record our farewell speeches. Shannon got a bit teary eyed as she read her speech, which took her by total surprise (I thought it was cute). Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel for a bite to eat while interviews finished up, and then went down for the Preliminary Swimsuit competition. The contestants looked fantastic and were ready to go! Competition wrapped up around 6:15 or so and I headed home to pack for our trip to the Bahamas (we leave first thing Sunday morning and I am far from ready!) Tomorrow is going to be a GREAT pageant and I hope to see you there! I will post photos and results from the Bahamas (provided my hubby's computer works!), so stay tuned...it has been a once-in-a-lifetime ride and I hope you've enjoyed taking it with me!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Danita Florance (Mrs. GA Assist. Director), Carl, Holly, and Faith just before Interviews start
2) Recording my farewell speech at the SPNN television studios
3) With contestants Tressa Avestruz, Deb Erpelding, and Jenn DeFoe after their interviews
4) Shannon Martin (Mrs. WI--far L) and I with contestants Katie Thiry and Nichoel Skramstad before their interviews.
5) Contestants before their interviews (L to R): Katina Schroeder, Barbara Kaiser, Shannon & I, Tina Godes, Lindsey Kurhajetz, and Bessie Giannakakis
6) Shannon & I pose with my dear friend Susan Jackson (Mrs. Wisconsin America 1996)...Sue is from my same hometown in northern Wisconsin and was my backstage helper last year!
7) With judge and former Mrs. America Jennifer Bullard...she looks like she could win today and she was Mrs. America 17 years ago! WOW!

JUNE 1, 2007 BLOCKING REHEARSAL FOR MRS. MN PAGEANT (RICHFIELD, MN)

Tonight was the blocking rehearsal for the pageant, which was held at the Richfield Community Center in Richfield, MN. It was a little weird coming back as the outgoing queen. In some ways, it seems like it was YEARS ago that Matt & I were arriving for OUR final rehearsal, yet in other ways it seems like it was just a few weeks ago. Time sure is a funny thing...it is obviously always constant, yet sometimes it seems absolutely FLY by and other times it just seems to CREEP along. Ah, the musings of a soon-to-be "has been" queen! Things have been super busy for me as of late trying to get ready not only for this pageant, but for our upcoming trip to the Bahamas (we leave the day after the pageant at 8:30 a.m.). While I'm super excited for pageant weekend, I am REALLY looking forward to a week on the beach and some SERIOUS relaxation!

This year's pageant theme is "Dreamgirls," and so Tami Krause (Mrs. MN 2003 & Head Coach of the MN Vikings Cheerleaders) and her sister Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN 2005 & MVC assistant) choreographed a SUPER cute opening number to "I'm Looking for Somethin'" from the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack. The contestants picked up the number quickly and I think it is going to look terrific! Each contestant brought a dish to pass for a potluck dinner and I was impressed to see a number of the ladies enjoying dessert! Girls after my own heart! After dinner, the ladies continued rehearsing and I have to compliment the husbands on how patient they were (they were there to rehearse the Evening Gown portion of competition).

After rehearsals, directors Faith & Carl talked a bit about what to expect on pageant weekend, along with how the scoring system works, what the schedule was, etc. An annual tradition is that Carl always presents the outgoing queen with the first copy of the program book, so that was neat to finally see (especially since I designed the cover--I hope people like it!). I talked a bit to the girls about what to expect, my experiences, etc., and have to say that this is going to be one of the toughest years yet! I really do not know how these judges are going to pick a winner--there are so many qualified ladies! A few of the contestants asked me if I was sad that my year was nearly done, and I can honestly say that while I am a bit melancholy, I definitely am not "sad." Being the "queen" for just one year is exactly WHY it is so special...the analogy I use is that if it were Christmas everyday, it wouldn't be quite so exciting now, would it? It is someone else's turn to enjoy this incredible ride, and I can't wait to see who it is! Hope to see you there!

PHOTOS:
1) Me with all 14 contestants for Mrs. Minnesota-America 2007
2) With Wisconsin contestants Ellen Sendelbach (Mrs. Onalaska) and Penny Godbout (Mrs. Hudson)
3) Taking a break during rehearsal are L to R: Lindsey Kurhajetz (Mrs. Maple Grove), Nichoel Skramstad (Mrs. Minneapolis), me, and Tina Godes (Mrs. Eagan)
4) Shonna Ochu (Mrs. Buffalo) and I were partners in last year's opening number...the tall and short of it! :)
5) The patient husbands waiting in the wings (no complaining, I swear!)
6) Tami Krause (Mrs. MN 2003), me, and Faith snap a quick photo during rehearsals
7) Reminiscing with Kathy Thompson and her husband Tom about when she was Mrs. Minnesota 2001!
8) Eating cheesecake (really!) with Deb Erpalding (Mrs. Golden Valley), Janelle Zunker (Mrs. Hennepin County), and Lindsey Kurhajetz (Mrs. Maple Grove)
9 & 10) Contestants learning the opening number under the direction of Tami Krause (Mrs. MN 2003)

MAY 28, 2007 MISS UNIVERSE PAGEANT VIEWING PARTY

Three days before the Miss Universe pageant aired, I decided to host a last minute pageant "viewing" party at our house. It is always much more fun to watch a pageant with a group of girlfriends! Everyone brought an appetizer/dessert/munchies and we all agreed that calories did not count on this night. Our 2 1/2 year old daughter Ava was SOOOOO excited to have all of the "girls" over at her house for a party, and greeted each guest at the door so that she could show off her "clapper" shoes (if you've been reading my blog, you might remember me mentioning her "clapper" shoes that she is so fond of...these are play/dress-up shoes that make a "clapping" noise as she walks along any hard floor, and she LOVES them and thinks she is very fancy in them). She was in her element, let me tell you! Miss Social Butterfly should be Ava's title (and I just can't figure out where she gets it--HA)! Wendi Russo (one of the contestants for Mrs. MN America 2007) arrived a bit later because her daughter was ill, and she had barely sat down when Ava came right over and plunked herself down in Wendi's lap, and then proceeded to dig through her purse in search of lip gloss. Go figure! Luckily, Wendi has a daughter the same age herself so she wasn't offended...ah, little girls! Ava was twirling and dancing for everyone and had the best time (and thank you to everyone for being so patient with her...it is hard to watch a pageant with an ankle-biter twirling and whirling in front of the television!). Others in attendance were my mom Bonnie, Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's), Bessie Giannakakis (another 2007 contestant for Mrs. MN America), Marcia & Brie Anderson, Laurie & Megan Ehlert (Miss MN Teen Int'l 2006), Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int'l 2007), Sarah Tichich (Mrs. MN United States 2007), Andrea Sabin, Kris Mohlin, and me of course. We all let out a collective GASP when Miss USA fell, but agreed that she handled it with as much style and grace as was humanly possible. My personal pick for the crown was Miss Venezuela, but that just goes to show you that in pageantry, you never know what can happen! Thanks everyone for coming, and we'll have to do it again soon...anyone up for Miss Teen USA in August?

PHOTOS:
1 & 2) Watching the pageant
3) L to R: Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina), me holding my daughter Ava (2 1/2), and Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie)
4) We grabbed some crowns out of my curio cabinet and had some fun (note that Sarah Moses pulled out the biggest crown, an old "Guy Rex" crown of mine from when I was Miss 1993 Wisconsin World America)...L to R: Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int'l '07), Sarah Tichich (Mrs. MN US '07), Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop), and me
5) Ava with her "Auntie Sarah"
6) Me with my mom Bonnie Henderson (thank you for all your help Mom, you rock!) and Sarah Moses
7) The group "reacts" to Miss USA taking a fall during evening gown (OK, this was TOTALLY a staged photo!)
8) Ava has fun being "one of the girls" with Brie Anderson (2nd RU to Miss MN USA 2007) and Megan Ehlert (Miss MN Teen Int'l '06)

MAY 19, 2007 THE 2ND ANNUAL "BIG PARTY" (ST. PAUL, MN)

The 2nd Annual "Big Party" was our last big hurrah in the series of pre-pageant parties and events for 2007. State Directors Faith & Carl rolled out the red carpet for us and I think everyone had been looking forward to this event for a long time. My husband Matt got super sick on Friday night with a really bad case of the stomach flu, and I was hoping he would be better by Saturday night but unfortunately that was not the case. My mom had made a special trip back from my parents' lake cabin to babysit for us, but she ended up being my date instead. I was really bummed not to have Matt along, but my mom was a great "fill-in"! Apparently Matt wasn't the only one who was sick...Jason Young (husband of Melissa Young - Mrs. MN 2004) of Youngquest Fitness stopped by solo because Melissa was home sick with the same thing.

I have a quick cute story...our 2 1/2 year old daughter Ava isn't attached to a stuffed animal, but INSTEAD is quite attached to her "scarfie" (she LOVES silk scarves and REALLY likes this one in particular...she calls it her "scarfie"). Well, I was getting ready and was in full hair and makeup, with these big sparkly chandelier earrings and wearing a dress where the skirt part was made up of a bunch of "scarf" looking pieces...Ava got a load of me in this dress and was ALL over the scarf-skirt part, working it between her fingers and saying "I hold you?" and "I wear a dress like Mommy?" She could not take her eyes off of me and was saying these things in the CUTEST and SOFT little voice and would not leave my side. It was SO touching and sweet. Well, all of a sudden she took off and was gone a few minutes, then came clomping down the hall wearing her "princess" dress and her "clapper" shoes (she has these play dress-up shoes that make clacking noise on the floor when she walks), and said "NOW I look just like Mommy!" It was really sweet. Needless to say she was NOT happy when we left for the party because she REALLY wanted to come, too.

Everyone looked GREAT at the party (including the husbands), and it was great to see everyone having such a wonderful time. Shannon Martin (Mrs. Wisconsin 2006) made the trip over and it was nice to see some of the Wisconsin contestants in attendance as well. A highlight of the evening were the great hors d'oeuvres and the chocolate fondue fountain. A number of former Mrs. Minnesotas and their husbands attended and it was fun to catch up with many of them. This is a wonderful pageant "family" and I am so excited to see who the new titleholder will be! There are SO many great contestants this year and I truly have no idea who is going to win, and I really feel like it is ANYONE'S game at this point! It is going to be a really fun pageant to watch, that's for sure! The next time I'll see the contestants is at our blocking rehearsal on June 1st...the countdown begins!

PHOTOS:
1) Ava being "just like Mommy" in her princess dress and "clapper" shoes
2) Group shot of the contestants with Shannon Martin (Mrs. WI 2006) and I
3) L to R: WI contestant Ellen Sendelbach, me, and my "date" (my mom Bonnie!)
4) L to R: Barbara Kaiser (Mrs. Woodbury), Tressa Avestruz (Mrs. Rosemount), me, Janelle Zunker (Mrs. Hennepin County), and Katina Schroeder (Mrs. Savage)
5) L to R: Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina), Tina Godes (Mrs. Eagan), Katie Thiry (Mrs. Washington County), Jenn DeFoe (Mrs. Wright County), me, Shonna Ochu (Mrs. Buffalo), and Dessi Urban (Mrs. Dakota County)
6) Former Mrs. MN's at the party (clockwise from L): Tami Krause (2003), Jane O'Hern (1983), Robin Duffney (1995), Faith Schway (1984), me, Mary Johnson (1982)
7) Faith and I have fun with a "wedding ring" balloon
8) Faith and Carl greet party guests
9) Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie), pageant sponsor Jason Young of Youngquest Fitness, and myself
10) Shannon Martin (Mrs. WI 2006) & I with our fantastic State Directors Faith & Carl Schway

MAY 17, 2007 XTENSION GENERATION PARTY FOR 2007 CONTESTANTS (MPLS, MN)

Originally this party was scheduled for May 1st, but the owner of the salon (Blair) got SUPER sick, so instead it was held last night, Thursday May 17th. The Xtension Generation provides a HUGE prize to Mrs. Minnesota each year in the form of FREE hair extensions for her entire year--a $5,000 value! Last year, I was too nervous to try it before the pageant (plus it was our very last party), so this year the party was a little earlier to allow the contestants ample time to "try out" the extensions before deciding if they want them or not. A number of the contestants had some FREE extensions put in, and guarantee you that they will love them! A HUGE thank you to Blair and Melissa and the other stylists at the Xtension Generation for hosting such a great party. I think everyone had a really good time and was very impressed that two husbands even attended ("Mr." Washington County and "Mr." Eagan--they were great sports and very funny!). I can't believe how quickly these pre-pageant parties are flying by! Our last event (besides the Blocking Rehearsal) is tomorrow night, and that is the 2nd annual "Big Party", which is THE big event of the pre-pageant season. It should be a great time and I know everyone is going to look fantastic in their cocktail attire! See you then!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Melissa (stylist), me, and Blair (owner & stylist of Xtension Generation)
2) Deb Erpelding (Mrs. Golden Valley) tries out some extensions
3) L to R: Katie Thiry (Mrs. Washington County), Nichoel Richards-Skramstad (Mrs. Mpls), me, and Tressa Avestruz (seated--Mrs. Rosemount)
4) Directors Faith & Carl listen to Blair talk about her salon
5) L to R: Katie Thiry (Mrs. Washington County), Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina), Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie), and Dessi Urban (Mrs. Dakota County)
6) Group shot
7) L to R: Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina), Shonna Ochu (Mrs. Buffalo), me, and Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie)
8) Chatting up a storm are L to R: Nichoel Richards-Skramstad (Mrs. Mpls), Tina Godes (Mrs. Eagan), and Jason & Katie Thiry ("Mr." & Mrs. Washington County)
9) Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie) gives the extensions a try
10) With State Directors Carl & Faith
11) Dessi Urban (Mrs. Dakota County) braves the chair! :)

MAY 13, 2007 RACE FOR THE CURE (BLOOMINGTON, MN - MALL OF AMERICA)

The Mrs. Minnesota America pageant has participated in the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for as many years as I can remember. This year it was again held at the Mall of America, and it was completely humbling to see roughly 50,000 people in attendance. It just shows how prevalent breast cancer really is, and how important it is to find a cure. The Mrs. America pageant partners with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization (what an obvious and natural partnership!), and when I was competing at Mrs. America we attended an informational meeting that left all of us completely inspired to combat this disease. It was fun to see a number of the contestants and their family members in support of this worthy cause. The weather was a bit chilly in the morning but it turned into a beautiful day...a great way to start my 3rd Mother's Day! I also ran into an old friend Paige Swenson (who was Miss MN USA 2000 and recently lost her mother to a long and courageous battle with cancer), so it was great to catch up with her if only for a few moments. There are so many personal stories like hers and it was a great way to reflect on how truly devastating this disease is. A big thank you to those who came to show their support, and see you next year!

PHOTOS:
1) "Team Mrs. Minnesota America" L to R: Janelle Zunker (Mrs. Rogers), Tressa Avestruz (Mrs. Rosemount), Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN 2005), me, Barbara Kaiser (Mrs. Woodbury), and Penny Godbout (Mrs. Hudson-WISCONSIN)
2) My husband Matt and I during the walk
3) Our team and some of their family members in front of the Mall of America sign
4) With pageant friend and Vikings Cheerleader Kristina Ferdig during the walk
5) "We made it!" At the finish line L to R: Carl Schway (State Co-director), Barbara Kaiser (Mrs. Woodbury), Tressa Avestruz (Mrs. Rosemount), me, Janelle Zunker (Mrs. Hennepin County), Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie), and Penny Godbout (Mrs. Hudson-WISCONSIN)

MAY 12, 2007 "MRS. MN AT THE TWINS GAME" (MPLS, MN)

MAY 12, 2007 (MINNEAPOLIS, MN - METRODOME)

An annual tradition in the Mrs. Minnesota pageant is the "Mrs. Minnesota at the Twins Game" event. All of the contestants and their families are invited to a Twins game (this year we played the Detroit Tigers) and the reigning queen (ME!) gets to throw out the first pitch. I had big plans on practicing in preparation for the big event, but alas never even threw a practice pitch. Luckily my arm came through and I got it about three feet from home plate. And it was a straight throw, which is good!

Prior to the game, my husband Matt had a big surprise waiting for me. My parents had met us at our house and we were all planning on driving down to the game together. Matt had been fishing for a few hours that morning, so his car was still hooked up to his boat (in addition to his real job, my husband fishes in professional walleye tournaments). I was confused as to why we weren't going out through the garage (where my car is), but then as I walked out the door, there was a big stretch limo waiting for us! How cute is HE!?!? He was so pleased with himself for pulling off the surprise, and we all enjoyed the ride down to the Metrodome. I got a kick out of how all the people milling around were craning their necks to see what "celebrity" was getting out of the limo (I think they were expecting someone a bit more "famous" than little 'ole me--ha ha!). Anyway, I was just really touched that Matt was so thoughtful and it will be a memory I will always remember.

It was great to see many of the contestants, husbands, and kids, and I think everyone had a great time, even though the Twins lost. And I didn't even embarrass myself too badly with my pitch! My dad said that since they lost the game, I am technically the "losing pitcher." Oh, well, I'll take it because we had a blast anyway! :)

PHOTOS:
1) Matt & I and our limo driver in our driveway with the stretch limousine surprise!
2) Matt & I enjoying the limo ride to the Metrodome
3) Me throwing out the first pitch (yes, it's a blurry photo but it's the only one I have)
4) Walking off the pitching mound with Twins mascot T.C. Bear on the Jumbotron
5) With T.C. Bear
6) My parents Bonnie & Rick Henderson with Matt & I just after the first pitch
7 & 8) Group shots of some of the contestants and their families
9) L to R: Barbara Kasier (Mrs. Woodbury), Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie), and I enjoying the game
10) Some of the Larkin Dads (who are a crowd favorite--they perform each year at the Mrs. MN pageant) worked at the Metrodome and recognized me from last year...they are the NICEST guys ever!
11) With my mom Bonnie
12) Matt and my dad Rick entertain "Mr." Eden Prairie

MAY 6, 2007
BRUNCH AT PANERA BREAD FOR 2007 MRS. MN CONTESTANTS (EAGAN, MN)

Many of the contestants vying for the title of Mrs. Minnesota America 2007 gathered for brunch at Panera Bread in Eagan, MN. It was great to meet many of the husbands as well, and good food and good times were enjoyed by all. As my husband Matt and I were driving down to the event, we both commented that it seemed like AGES ago that we were heading down there last year...it seems like SOOOO much longer than just one year! I guess that is what happens when you pack a lot into 365 days! State Directors Faith & Carl Schway greeted everyone and assistant director Robin Duffney (Mrs. MN 1995) was introduced as well. Robin was an incredible supporter during my time at Mrs. America and I hope she knows how much that meant to me! Two new pageant sponsors attended, one from Arbonne and another from Natural Hair Extensions who will be providing hair extensions to the WI & IA queens (the MN winner receives free hair extensions for one year from the Xtension Generation). A big thank you to Panera Bread for once again giving us the royal treatment, and to Faith & Carl for organizing such wonderful events for the contestants!

PHOTOS:
1) "Mr. Minnesota" (my husband Matt) and I
2) Group shot - thank you Panera Bread!
3) State Directors Carl & Faith Schway with my husband Matt & I
4) L to R: Tressa Avestruz (Mrs. Rosemount), me, and Nichoel Richards (Mrs. Mpls)
5) Former Mrs. Minnesotas (L to R): Robin Duffney (1995), me, Faith Schway (1985), and Kim Dorn (2005)
6) L to R: Jenn DeFoe (Mrs. Wright County), me, and Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie) holding her cutie patootie daughter Chloe.
7) Katina Schroeder (Mrs. Savage), Deb Erpalding (Mrs. Golden Valley), me, and Katie Thiry (Mrs. Washington County)
8) With Janelle Zunker (Mrs. Hennepin County)
9) Matt & I again

APRIL 28th, 2007
COCKTAIL PARTY AT THE PAGEANT SHOP BY MICHAEL'S (NEW BRIGHTON, MN)

It's heeerrrre...the Mrs. Minnesota pre-pageant festivities have officially begun! One of my favorite things about this system are the fun pre-pageant events leading up to pageant weekend. I attended all of the events last year and remember feeling so sad when they were all over. This year, we kicked it off with a super fun cocktail party at The Pageant Shop by Michael's, hosted by my dear friend (and store owner) Sarah Moses. Sarah provided a great cocktail dress for me to wear (thanks Sarah!) in my favorite color PINK! It was great to meet many of the contestants as I've been wondering who they are! Let me say that this is going to be a VERY competitive year, as all of the ladies looked fantastic and are very excited for the competition. Melissa Young (Mrs. MN 2004) and Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN 2005) came to show their support, and a highlight was getting to hold Baby Kayla, Kim's 3 1/2 week old baby girl who was an ANGEL. It is hard to remember that our little girl (now 2 1/2) was once that little, too! Kim is busy being a new mom and is obviously doing a wonderful job. Melissa is gorgeous as always and will be on the cover of next month's issue of Oxygen Magazine! How cool is that!?!

Sarah talked a bit about wardrobe, shoes, etc., while Faith and Carl introduced themselves and talked a bit about the pageant. The contestants were able to browse for gowns, interview suits, swimsuits, cocktail dresses, and jewelry. I purchased my entire competition wardrobe for the State and National pageants at The Pageant Shop for both Mrs. America and the other pageant that I won in 2003, and did so because Sarah truly carries the best of the best. I did not know Sarah before shopping at her store, and as a result not only did I walk away with a great wardrobe, but I also met one of my very best friends. See, there ARE perks to shopping! I had the good fortune of winning the Evening Gown Award at both of my state pageants and truly believe I would not have been able to do so without Sarah's help. She really knows her stuff and is totally on top of what's hot NOW, so I highly encourage you to check out her store if you haven't already (by the way, call first because it is by appointment only).

A wonderful time was had by all, and I look forward to seeing the contestants again at our next event on May 1st, a party at The Xtension Generation. See you next week!

PHOTOS:
1) Group shot
2) L to R: State Directors Carl & Faith Schway, Sarah Moses, me
3) L to R: Barbara Kaiser (Mrs. Woodbury), Deb Erpalding (Mrs. Golden Valley), me
4) Sarah Moses poses with some of my fellow contestants from last year who are competing again this year (L to R): Lindsey Kurhajetz (Mrs. Maple Grove), Katina Schroeder (Mrs. Savage), me, and Shonna Ochu (Mrs. Buffalo)
5) Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN 2005), Sarah Moses, me, and Melissa Young (Mrs. MN 2004)
6) L to R: Tina Godes (Mrs. Eagan), Janelle Zunker (Mrs. Rogers), Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina), me, and Dessi Urban (Mrs. Dakota County)
7) L to R: Linsdey Kurhajetz (Mrs. Maple Grove), me, Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina)
8) L to R: Shonna Ochu (Mrs. Buffalo), pageant staff member Cheryl Trainor, State Director Faith Schway, and me

APRIL 24, 2007
JUDGE FOR THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS CHEERLEADER TRYOUTS AT THE MALL OF AMERICA (BLOOMINGTON, MN)

OK, I admit it, I'm a Packers fan! Yes, you read correctly, your Mrs. Minnesota cheers for the "enemy" (but I have an excuse...my family moved to Wisconsin from California when I was 5 years old, and I graduated from the U of WI-Madison, so I'm a cheesehead at heart!). But my good friend (and fellow Mrs. Minnesota America 2003) Tami Krause, who happens to be the Head Coach of the squad, was able to look past this and asked me to be one of the judges for the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders final audition. I am always so impressed with Tami...she's a wife and mom (to three adorable little boys) and has done an INCREDIBLE job as the head coach (which is a very time consuming position). Two of my fellow judges were Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's and one of my best friends) and Shannon Devine (Mrs. United States 2006). Sarah and I of course managed to fit in some shopping before the auditions (I got a cute dress from Cache and some great earrings at Aldo)...my shopping habit unfortunately is not going away! It was fun to spend some more time with Shannon--she's a blast! I also got to see Kim Dorn's (Mrs. MN America 2005) new baby girl Kayla, who arrived two weeks early. I wish I would have looked as good as Kim two weeks after having a baby! Anyway, it was a REALLY tough decision narrowing the field of 54 contestants down to 34 who would make the 2007 squad. Tami ran a great show and there was a great audience turnout, and I hope to be asked back next year. Congrats to all of the girls who made the 2007 squad--this Packer fan thinks you ALL were great! :)

PHOTOS:
1) At the judges table (L to R): Sarah Moses, me, Shannon Devine (Mrs. US 2006)
2) The final 54 girls hoping to make the 2007 MN Vikings Cheerleader squad
3) L to R: Ellen Sendlebach (Mrs. MN US 2006), Shannon Devine (Mrs. US 2006), me, and Sarah Moses
4) Getting to meet Kim Dorn's adorable two-week-old baby girl Kayla! Kim was my predecessor as Mrs. Minnesota America 2005. CONGRATS!
5) Shannon Devine (Mrs. US 2006), Tami Krause (head coach of the MVC & Mrs. MN America 2003), and me

APRIL 23, 2007
MEET & GREET WITH SHANNON DEVINE (MRS. UNITED STATES 2006) & THE CROWNING OF SARAH TICHICH AS THE NEW MRS. MINNESOTA UNITED STATES 2007 (BLOOMINGTON, MN)

The reigning Mrs. United States Shannon Devine was a special guest at a Meet & Greet hosted in her honor by Ellen Sendelbach (Mrs. MN United States 2006) and Penny Wells (State Director for Mrs. MN US). This event also served as the crowning ceremony for my friend Sarah Tichich, who was crowned as the new Mrs. Minnesota United States 2007. Sarah and I competed together at Mrs. MN America last summer and she was one of my favorite contestants, so I am super happy for her and think she will make a FANTASTIC queen! Go Sarah!

It was great to meet Shannon as she is SUPER cool and smart with a great sense of humor. It was easy to see why she was chosen as the queen! Shannon was also Mrs. North Carolina America 2003 (I met her directors Wendy & Fred Galle, in Tucson during Mrs. America and enjoyed them so much--they are SUPER fun and run a great pageant). Everyone snacked on appetizers and mingled, and then Shannon spoke on her platform and her year as Mrs. United States. Some of the other attendees were Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's), Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int'l 2007), Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina America 2007), Jessi Mishler (1st RU to Mrs. WI United States 2007), Angeline Gard (2nd RU to Mrs. MN Int'l 2007 and a former competitor in the Mrs. MN America pageant), Tami Krause (Mrs. MN America 2003 & Head Coach of the MN Vikings Cheerleaders), pageant sponsor Jason Young (of YoungQuest Fitness), and photographer Dan Davis to name a few...sorry if I forgot anyone! A good time was had by all and I am so excited for Sarah and her new title! Congratulations Sarah, I know you will represent Minnesota well!

PHOTOS:
1) With Shannon Devine, Mrs. United States 2006
2) Sarah Tichich being crowned Mrs. Minnesota United States 2007
3) MN titleholders with Mrs. US (L to R): Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int'l 2007), Sarah Tichich (Mrs. MN US 2007), Shannon Devine (Mrs. US 2006), me
4) L to R: Angeline Gard, Sarah Tichich, Bessie Giannakakis, me
5) Sarah Moses poses with three of her clients (L to R): Sarah Tichich, Sarah Moses, Donnell Rank, me
6) Shannon Devine (Mrs. US 2006 & Mrs. NC America 2003), Tami Krause (Mrs. MN America 2003), and me. Shannon and Tami competed at Mrs. America together!
7) With Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. Edina America 2007).

APRIL 14, 2007
MISS MINNESOTA (MAO) FASHION GALA (BLOOMINGTON, MN)

What better way is there to welcome in spring than by getting together with good friends and watching a FASHION show? In my opinion, and being the clothes horse that I am, there isn't! HA! The Miss Minnesota Fashion Gala started out with a Silent Auction (I bid on and won a sweet Coach wallet), followed by a sit-down dinner. My friend Tiffany Ogle (Miss MN 2004 and a fellow volunteer with the Jacob Wetterling Foundation) hosted the evening's festivities and was her usual hilarious self. Go Tiff! This year's local contestants had a surprise for us, as they had created "Project Runway" outfits with a twist--they used everyday household items, such as bubble wrap, trash bags, you get the idea. I was very impressed with the creativity, and the "dresses" actually turned out cute! One of the contestants had a dress made out of bubble wrap, and of course got lots of laughs when she would "pop" her bubbles as she modeled. I enjoyed meeting Miss Minnesota Nicole Swanson, as we'd never met prior to this event. It was a great night and I encourage you to go next year if you haven't been before!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Nicole Swanson (Miss MN 2006), Dorothy Benham (Miss America 1977 and Miss MN 1976), Natalie Davis (Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2006), and me
2) L to R: With my good friends Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's), Paula Preston (of Paula Preston Photography), and Tiffany Ogle (Miss MN 2004)
3) Three of the 2007 Miss MN contestants model their Project Runway "creations"
4) With Nicole Swanson (Miss MN 2006)...and I thought I was tall (she's 5'11 and I'm 5'10)
5) With friends Cheri Kennedy and Kim Knuttila (former Exec. Director of Miss MN)

APRIL 10, 2007
MODELING FOR HOT MAMA BOUTIQUE (ST. PAUL, MN)

This morning I headed down to one of my VERY favorite stores in the Twin Cities, Hot Mama (with locations in St. Paul, Edina, and Maple Grove). They had asked me to model some tops for their new online store which I believe should be live as of May 1st (go to www.hotmamaonline.com and there will be a link for online shopping). This is a GREAT store with all of the hot denim lines, trendy/hip tops, and they even carry some maternity wear if you're expecting. And who wants to be a "frumpy mama"--the name says it all! I had a blast with the employees and photographer Wendy, and can't wait to do it again!

PHOTO:
Me with Kristina (one of the buyers for Hot Mama)

APRIL 9, 2007
SPECIAL GUEST FOR MARY KAY MEETING (BLOOMINGTON, MN)

I had the privilege of being a special guest and makeup model at a Mary Kay meeting hosted by Jane O'Hern, who represents the year 1983 for Mrs. Minnesota America. Jane is also a generous sponsor of the Mrs. Minnesota America pageant, and I loved picking out my $100 worth of products (part of the fantastic prize package each year). Jane treated me like royalty (pardon the pun) and I had my first ever Satin Hands treatment. Loved it! It was great to meet former Mrs. Minnesota America 1956 Edie Norquist, who also is an Independent Sales Representative for Mary Kay. Thank you Jane for the fun evening and the great prize!

PHOTO:
L to R: Jane O'Hern (representing Mrs. MN 1983), me, and Edie Norquist (Mrs. MN 1956)

MARCH 31, 2007
JUDGE FOR THE MRS. WISCONSIN UNITED STATES 2007 PAGEANT (FOND DU LAC, WI)

My good friend (and successor as Mrs. MN Int'l 2004) Nancy Paradeise and I were judges for the Mrs. Wisconsin United States 2007 pageant held in Fond du Lac, WI. I had the honor of representing Minnesota at the Mrs. United States pageant in 2002. Nancy picked me up at 6:00 a.m. (she'd been in Duluth the night prior for a Special Olympics event, so she had to get up at 3:00 a.m.!) Coffee in hand, we hit the road and it was great to catch up! We almost ran out of gas TWICE--once on the way there, once on the way home--because we were so busy talking and not paying attention to the gas gauge! People who know me are well aware that I am a chatterbox...I joked to Nancy that she was lucky to get a word in edgewise! HA!

Our fellow judges were Chiann Gibson (Mrs. United States 2005), Jerry & Sally Zorko (who are very active in the Miss WI-MAO program...I knew them from my days competing in WI--FUN people!), and Katie Hanacick (National Beauties of America Teen titleholder). It was great getting to meet Chiann--not only is she gorgeous, but also HILARIOUS and has one of the most infectious laughs I've ever heard. It was easy to see how she was chosen as Mrs. United States, that's for sure. We judged the 20 contestants in interview on Saturday afternoon, which is always my favorite part of competition from a judging standpoint.

The pageant is directed my dear friend Susan Jackson, who was Mrs. WI United States 2003 as well as Mrs. Wisconsin America. Susan was my "backstage helper" when I won Mrs. Minnesota America, so I was more than happy to help her out as a judge. She ran a wonderful pageant and it was REALLY tough to chose a winner out of so many qualified ladies. However, in the end the winner was Nicole Peterson, who I think will do a great job. I thoroughly enjoyed judging this pageant and hope to see many of the ladies again...they really were an outstanding group! Congratulations to the Nicole and good luck at Nationals!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Newly crowned Nicole Peterson (Mrs. WI US 2007), me, and outgoing queen Cassie Pinter (Mrs. WI US 2006)
2) The judging panel goes to dinner
3) With Chiann Gibson (Mrs. United States 2005). Chiann was also Mrs. District of Columbia America 2003 and was a runner-up to Mrs. America that same year!
4) Catching up with Sally and Jerry Zorko
5) L to R: Katie Hanacik (Beauties of America Teen winner), me, and Nancy Paradeise (Mrs. MN Int'l 2004 and Nat'l Mrs. MN 2006)
6) The judging panel with the new Mrs. WI US 2007, Nicole Peterson

MARCH 10 & 11, 2007
MRS/MISS/TEEN MINNESOTA INTERNATIONAL 2007 PAGEANTS (ST. CLOUD, MN)

Before I begin this post, I want to say a HUGE congratulations to the beautiful Diane Tucker, Mrs. America 2007 and now the NEWLY CROWNED Mrs. World 2007! Diane and I were fellow contestants at Mrs. America 2006. What an accomplishment! Way to go Diane, we are all so proud of you!!! Check her out at www.mrsworld.com

OK, back to THIS blog entry...this weekend was the Mrs/Miss/Teen Minnesota International pageants. In 2003, I had the privilege of being crowned as that year's queen and have remained actively involved ever since. Two of my good friends from the "class of 2003" were competing in the Mrs division (Leisha Gust and Donnell Rank), and I'm proud to say that Donnell won and Leisha was 1st runner-up! It was Donnell's 4th try for the title and Leisha's 5th, which just goes to show the power of perseverance! In addition, I met some other incredible contestants competing for the various titles and have to say that any one of them would have made fantastic titleholders. This system is very heavily based on "platform" and it was great to see the passion these ladies had for so many wonderful causes.

In addition, I coached an INCREDIBLE teen contestant Arielle Peterson. This was her third pageant ever (and her first with an emphasis on platform), and I am very proud to say that she placed as 4th runner-up AND won the Photogenic Award and Supermodel With Style award! A very deserving Giselle Ugarte (also a good friend) won the Teen title, with the adorable Megan Herickhoff placing as 1st runner-up (Megan is one of my favorite people--we affectionately have nicknamed her "Haircut" because when you say her last name fast, that is what it sounds like). Danielle Epps won the Miss title and I believe all three of the new titleholders have a great shot at their respective national titles.

My successor Nancy Paradeise (Mrs. MN Int'l 2004) hosted the pageant luncheon on Sunday and the audience was riveted by the presentation of Nathan, an incredible Special Olympian. It was also great to catch up with pageant friends and former titleholders, but of course the highlight of the night was seeing my dear friend Donnell capture the crown. I know she will be one of the best queens this system has ever seen and I hope she knows just how proud I am of her (and of course the other ladies as well). Congrats to all!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Newly crowned Mrs. MN Int'l 2007 Donnell Rank, Arielle Peterson, and me
2) With Becky Ringen (Miss MN Int'l 2006) on Prelim Night
3) L to R: me, Trixie Overcashier (Mrs. MN Intl '94), and dear friend Cheri Kennedy
4) Future and former Mrs. MN Internationals gather at the Pageant Luncheon (L to R): Donnell Rank (2007), Leisha Gust (SOON!), me (2003), Angela Haseman (2006), Nancy Paradeise (2004), and Jennifer Sanneman (2005)
5) With my 63-years-young mom and #1 cheerleader Bonnie Henderson
6) L to R: Lauren Demming (Miss South Central MAO), Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's), me, and Lacey Erickson (Miss MN Teen Int'l 2005)
7) I rented two of my "good luck" suits, one to Arielle Peterson and the other to Donnell Rank!
8) My current Mrs. MN America State Directors Faith and Carl Schway
9) Here she is...the new Mrs. MN Int'l 2007 Donnell Rank! yea!

FEBRUARY 25TH, 2007
BABY SHOWER FOR KIM DORN (MRS. MINNESOTA AMERICA 2005)

It figures that we would get our biggest snowstorm of the year on the day that Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop) and I threw a baby shower for our good friend Kim Dorn. Kim was my predecessor as Mrs. MN America 2005 and is due April 20th (and no, they are not finding out the sex of the baby). I hosted the shower at our home and Sarah was a terrific help. Kim looked adorable and is one of the cutest pregnant ladies I have ever seen! I was amazed that ANYONE was able to make it considering how much snow we got! A good time was had by all and I can't wait to meet Baby Dorn!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Mom-to-be Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN America 2005), Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop), Kim's sister Tami Krause (Head coach of the MN Vikings Cheerleaders and also Mrs. MN America 2003), and me
2) L to R: Another mom-to-be Dana Klohs (former Mrs. MN America contestant who is due in April), Josan Crawford (MN Vikings cheerleader), Kim, and Andrea sabin (former Mrs. MN America contestant)

FEBRUARY 16, 2007
JACOB WETTERLING FOUNDATION REP FOR HERBERGER'S COMMUNITY DAY

Today I represented the Jacob Wetterling Foundation selling $5 coupon books for Herberger's Community Day (100% of the proceeds from my sales go directly to JWF). This is a great program sponsored through Herbergers department store that benefits many local charitable organizations. On Saturday, March 3, you can redeem your coupons in the store (a $10 coupon came with each booklet, so you were getting your money back just by buying one, plus an additional $5 credit...you can still purchase the coupon books through Saturday in the store). After my "shift," I ran downstairs to Rhinestones & Ruffles (a Mrs. MN pageant sponsor) to say hi and catch up with owner Lori Barsness. Hope to see you on March 3rd!

PHOTOS:
1) Selling coupon books in Herberger's.
2) With Rhinestones & Ruffles owner Lori Barsness.

FEBRUARY 14, 2007
VALENTINE'S DAY VISIT TO MINNEAPOLIS VETERAN'S HOSPITAL

Today was "National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Day," where I was one of the visiting "royalty" who handed out Valentines to some of the veterans staying at the Minneapolis Veterans Hospital. A wonderful reception was held prior to our visit, and it was fun to catch up with other titleholders and dignitaries from the metro area. This was my third year participating in this program and as usual, it was a humbling experience that made me appreciate all that our Veterans have gone through to insure our freedom and safety. See you next year!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: With Donnell Rank (Mrs. Minneapolis Int'l 2007) and Angeline Gard (Mrs. Edina Int'l 2007), who are both competing for the title of Mrs. MN Int'l 2007 in March.
2) Donnell Rank (Mrs. Mpls Int'l 2007) and I having fun with the balloons.
3) Meeting the Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes and Princess of the Lakes.
4) With the Aquatennial Commodore (far L), some of the Veterans, and Steven Kleinglass (Mpls VA Medical Center Director - 2nd from right) after handing out Valentine cards.

FEBRUARY 10, 2007
MINNESOTA WILD "LET'S PLAY HOCKEY" CELEBRITY ANNOUNCER (ST. PAUL, MN)


Tonight was my #1-favorite-of-all-time-fun-appearance because tonight I was the featured celebrity "Let's Play Hockey!" announcer at the MN Wild professional hockey game against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. Just before the drop of the puck on game night, a local "celebrity" says "OK Minnesota hockey fans, it's time to drop the puck so everybody say it with me...LET'S PLAY HOCKEY!". Well, tonight I got to be that "celebrity"! FUN!

Wanna see how I did? You can see my actual "performance" by clicking HERE (then click "LPH 0210" to get the video to play).

My husband Matt came along and this was definitely his favorite appearance as well! We met good friend Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop) and her husband Curt for a quick bite at the St. Paul Hotel, then headed over to the Xcel Center where we were met by John Maher of the Wild. John presented me with a personalized Wild jersey that says "Mrs. MN 06" on it--how cool is THAT?!? We were then escorted up to the Press Box where we ran into local TV traffic & entertainment reporter Rusty Gatenby. We hung out for a bit until it was time for me to do my thing, and then John (a wonderful host by the way) took us down to the Owner's Suite to watch the game. We were truly treated like royalty (pardon the pun) and it was a memory we will cherish forever. One more fun thing that happened was that I ran into a girl I had competed with back in 1990 at the Miss U.S. Teen pageant in Atlanta, GA! She was Miss Minnesota U.S. Teen and I was Miss Wisconsin U.S. Teen...just goes to show that it really IS a small world! It was a great night and the best thing was that the Wild won by a score of 5 to 4! Go WILD!









PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Me, Curt Moses, Sarah Moses, and my husband Matt at the St. Paul Hotel before the game.
2) Up in the Fox Sports balcony saying "Let's Play Hockey!"
3) L to R: John Maher (MN Wild), me, my husband Matt
4) Up on the Jumbotron screen at center ice
5) Matt and I enjoying our time in the Owner's Suite
6) Sarah Moses and I checking out my "Mrs. MN" jersey

FEBRUARY 10, 2007
KIDS DAY MINNESOTA (GOLDEN VALLEY, MN)

My friend Becky Ringen - Miss Minnesota International 2006 coordinated a terrific event called Kids Day Minnesota, which is a day for kids to be celebrated and to have fun while in a positive and healthy environment. Some of the various activities included a reading room where Minnesota celebrities were guest readers, crafts, games, an open gym, live music, and many photo opportunities. I was one of the featured speakers and gave a presentation on Child Safety Education & Abduction Prevention (I am the most senior ranking member of the Jacob Wetterling Foundation Speaker's Bureau). A great time was had by all...congratulations to Becky for doing such a great job for this worthwhile cause!







PHOTOS:
1) With my 1st runner-up Lindsey Kurhajetz, who was an event volunteer
2) Signing autographs on an attendee's t-shirt
3) With Becky Ringen, Miss MN Int'l 2006 and Kids Day coordinator
4) TC Bear (the MN Twins mascot) and I give Kids Day a "thumbs up"!
5) With two members of the U of MN Gophers football team

FEBRUARY 4, 2007
JWF CHILD SAFETY PRESENTATION AT HOLY NAME OF JESUS CHURCH (WAYZATA, MN)

This COLD Sunday morning (it was -14 degrees this morning with a windchill of -31!) I was a featured child safety speaker at Holy Name of Jesus Church in Wayzata, MN. I was really impressed at the turnout considering how ridiculously cold it was outside! Nancy Sabin (Exec. Director of the Jacob Wetterling Foundation) and I gave child safety and internet safety presentations to kids in grades K-5. The information was very well received and I want to thank Kathy Gullo (wife of my fellow JWF Board Member Gary Gullo) for organizing this terrific event!




PHOTOS:
1) With Nancy Sabin (JWF Exec. Director) & Kathy Gullo of HNOJ Church
2) Speaking during one of my three presentations

JANUARY 27-30TH, 2007
MISS AMERICA PAGEANT, LAS VEGAS, NV

I headed out to the Miss America pageant held at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. I had the Mpls Women's Expo in the morning, then hopped on a flight Saturday afternoon which arrived just in time for Sarah Moses and I to grab a bite with former Miss MN State Director Kim Knuttila and her sister Kathryn (the current Miss Heart of the Lakes). We then headed to the Aladdin Theater to watch the last night of Preliminary Competition. It's always fun to see the girls compete in the talent competition, and as luck had it, we got to see Miss MN Nicole Swanson perform her talent (she plays the viola). WOW, that girl can play! We were pulling for her to win the talent award that night, but it went to Miss CA instead (an opera singer). I competed in the Miss Wisconsin MAO program back in college (I'm a '94 grad of the Univ. of WI-Madison...GO BUCKY!), and placed as 3rd RU in the 1994 Miss WI pageant, so I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this system. People (especially the ones who criticize pageants) are always surprised to learn that the Miss America Organization is the largest provider of scholarships for women in the WORLD! How cool is THAT!?!

After Prelims, we (myself, Sarah, Cheri Kennedy, and Sarah's fun sister Bridget Jaeger) headed to dinner at Tao located in the Venetian. We didn't eat until 11:30 Las Vegas time (which was 1:30 our time!), so of course we were starving! Great food in a fun atmosphere but WAAAAY too late! The next morning, Sarah & Cheri worked with some of their clients while Bridget and I went SHOPPING (my favorite pasttime, ha ha), and hit the Miss America Tradeshow. It was good to see friendly faces...I got to chat with Fred Abel of Pageantry Magazine and the always incredible Dale Smith Thomas of Winners By Choice. Later, I ran into the lovely Diane Tucker (Mrs. America 2007), who I competed with in Tucson, AZ (by the way, she looked prettier than ever!). She is doing a great job and I predict she will be the next Mrs. World! GO DIANE! That evening, we met up with good friends Robin Fleming (Mrs. FL Int'l 2007) and Melissa Hagan (Miss/Teen FL Int'l State Director and National Mrs. FL 2006) for dinner at N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms Hotel. That is the thing I love about pageantry--reuniting with friends from all over the country!

On Monday, we had a great lunch at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant in the Venetian, and then shopped for a bit (surprise, surprise) before heading back to our hotel to get ready (we had to be in our seats at 4:30 for the live television broadcast). Victoria Broz (Mrs. Nevada) came to our room to get ready, so it was great to see her as well! She was voted Mrs. Congeniality at Mrs. America and I am glad to say that I was one of the people who voted for her! The pageant was great and moved along quickly, but we were disappointed not to hear Miss MN's name called into the Top 10. I thought they picked a great Top 5 but have to admit that when it came down to Miss TX and Miss OK, I was pulling for Texas...I thought she had the beauty of a Miss Universe and thought her talent was in an entirely different league. But that is pageantry for you! You just never know what can happen...

After the pageant, we took a limo to a really fun and cool restaurant called Social House (located in Treasure Island) for dinner. Some of our "MN posse" had to head for the airport immediately following dinner as they were booked on the red-eye flight. As usual, lots of laughs were had and it was a fantastic trip! I can't wait for next year!















PHOTOS:
1) Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop) and I pose in front of the Miss America stage.
2) Gathering at Saturday night's Miss America prelim pageant are L to R: Cheri Kennedy, Kim Knuttila (former Miss MN MAO state director), Kathryn Knuttila (Miss Heart of the Lakes), Sarah Moses (The Pageant Shop), me, Jennifer Hudspeth (Miss Mankato)
3) Chatting with Fred Abel of Pageantry Magazine
4) Running into Mrs. America 2007 Diane Tucker while doing what else--SHOPPING!
5) Out for a fabulous dinner at N9NE Steakhouse are L to R: Melissa Hagan (Miss/Teen FL Int'l State Director & Nat'l Mrs. FL 2006), Cheri Kennedy, Robin Fleming (Mrs. FL Int'l 2007), Bridget Jaeger, Sarah Moses (Owner-The Pageant Shop), me!
6) With Tiffany Ogle, Miss MN (MAO) 2004 just before Miss America.
7) Enjoying a rooftop view at the Palms Hotel!
8) Sarah Moses and I run into Andrea Preuss, Mrs. America 2006. Andrea was the outgoing queen when I competed at Mrs. America--she also was Mrs. United States 2003 and is the only woman to have actually WON both titles! WOW!)
9) Victoria Broz (Mrs. NV 2006), Diane Tucker (Mrs. America 2007/Mrs. Arizona 2006), and I catch up after the pageant.
10) Comparing notes after the pageant are L to R: Melissa Hagan, Sarah Moses, Robin Fleming, myself, and Cheri Kennedy.
11) In the limo on the way to Social House restaurant L to R: Cheri Kennedy, me, Marcia Anderson
12) An after dinner snapshot L to R: Megan (a.k.a. "Haircut", our nickname for her) Herickhoff (Miss Teen Stearns County Int'l 2007), Marcia Anderson, Brie Anderson (Miss Ramsey County Int'l 2007), Cheri Kennedy, Sarah Moses, me

JANUARY 26 & 27, 2007
MINNEAPOLIS WOMEN'S EXPO

I attended the 15th annual Minneapolis Women's Expo held at the Convention Center. This is a 3-day event that features exhibits, seminars, celebrities, shopping (my personal favorite!), health info, food sampling, and lots of fun! I had a great time greeting attendees, meeting possible future contestants, and of course SHOPPING (I got the cutest black-and-white patent leather purse with a crown on it from Mainstream Fashion--SCORE!). My state directors Faith & Carl Schway had a booth and we were joined by Miss MN USA 2007 Alla Ilushka, Miss MN Teen USA 2007 Vanessa VonBehren (both Faith's clients), and my fellow pageant "sister" Mrs. WI America 2006 Shannon Martin. It was great to catch up with all of them, and if you haven't been to the Expo, I highly encourage you to go next year! See you there!









PHOTOS:
1) With auctioneer Karen Sorbo (former Mrs. MN America contestant and Mrs. MN Int'l 1991) and Alla Ilushka (Miss MN USA 2007)
2) Getting our first peek at Baby Pierce Byrne! L to R: Me, Kelly Jahner-Byrne (former Mrs. MN America contestant and Mrs. MN Int'l 2001), and Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int'l 2006)
3) The Mrs. MN America/Premiere Modeling School gang on Friday: Faith Schway (Director & Mrs. MN America 1985), Alla Ilushka (Miss MN USA 2007), me, Vanessa VonBehren (Miss MN Teen USA 2007), and Co-Director Carl Schway.
4) Catching up with pageant "sister" Shannon Martin (Mrs. WI America 2006)
5) With the 2006 International system queens, L to R: Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int'l), Megan Ehlert (Miss Teen MN Int'l), Becky Ringen (Miss MN Int'l), and me
6) With good friend and photographer Paula Preston
7) The Saturday gang at the Expo

JANUARY 20, 2007
JDRF (JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION) WALK TO CURE DIABETES

The 15th annual JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes was held today at the Mall of America where over 18,000 walkers braved
the early morning hour to show their support. I walked on team "Cody's Courage," in support of 5-year-old Cody Theis, who was diagnosed w/ Type 1 diabetes at the age of 18 months old. Cody is the son of Tami & Kevin Theis (Tami was a fellow competitor as Mrs. Shakopee this past summer at the Mrs. MN America pageant). When I first met Tami, the first thing we talked about was her son's diabetes, and I was so impressed with her (incidentally, Tami was the Interview winner at Mrs. MN, which was no surprise to me considering how well-spoken she is...and this was her very first pageant!). It was also great to catch up with another fellow contestant, Shonna Ochu, who is just a doll! In addition to Cody, the Theis's have two daughters, 7-yr-old Amber (Miss MN in the National American Miss pageant), and nearly 3-yr-old Grace (who has Down Syndrome and this past July was diagnosed with AML leukemia). Amber recently created a wonderful foundation called One Sister's Love to honor her siblings, and I highly encourage you to visit her website click on the "One Sister's Love" link to show your support by purchasing a rhinestone pin (the proceeds go directly to JDRF and the Children's Oncology Group).










PHOTOS:
1) Tami, myself, and Shonna Ochu (both fellow contestants from the 2006 Mrs. MN America pageant)
2) "Cody's Courage" team photo
3) With T.C. Bear, the MN Twins baseball team mascot
4) With Tami and Amber Theis

JANUARY 14, 2007
PREMIERE SCHOOL OF MODELING & SELF-IMPROVEMENT OPEN HOUSE

Today was an open house at Premiere School of Modeling & Self-Improvement in St. Louis Park, which is owned and operated b my State Director Faith Schway. We answered pageant questions and talked about the Teen and Miss MN Int'l pageants and a good time was had by all. Check it out on the web at http://www.premiere-modeling.com or call (952) 920-0681!

PHOTOS
1) Mrs. Minnesota America state director and good friend Faith Schway & I at Premiere.
2) L to R: Megan Ehlert (Miss Teen MN Int'l 2006), me, and Becky Ringen (Miss MN Int'l 2006).

JANUARY 11, 2007
MEET & GREET FOR MINNESOTA INTERNATIONAL PAGEANTS

Tonight I attended a "Meet & Greet" get-together for the MN International Pageants held at my good friend Paula Preston's photography studio in northeast Minneapolis ( http://www.paulapreston.com ). Due to Paula's talents, I was honored with the Mrs. Photogenic title this past summer at Mrs. MN...thanks, Paula! This event was also sponsored by The Pageant Shop by Michael's ( http://www.thepageantshop.net ) and pageant coach Cheri Kennedy ( http://www.cherikennedy.com). I actually attended this event not as Mrs. Minnesota America, but as a "former" Mrs. Minnesota International (a title I had the good fortune to win in 2003). It was great to see old friends and faces, and I was able to answer some questions from the current contestants as well. When I competed in the International system, there was only the MRS. division, however, now the system has grown to include MISS and TEEN divisions as well, which is really neat to see. In Minnesota, we are lucky to have AMAZING directors in BOTH the International and America systems, and what is especially great is how they support one another (in fact, my former Mrs. MN Int'l state director Allison Stavrakis even flew out to Tucson, AZ to cheer me on at Mrs. America--how cool is THAT!?!).

PHOTOS:
1) Catching up with pageant sponsors Sarah Moses (Owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's) and photographer Paula Preston.
2) Two "formers" with the current Mrs. MN Int'l: L to R Nancy Paradeise (Mrs. MN Int'l 2004), Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int'l 2006), and me (Mrs. MN Int'l 2003)
3) The "Class of 2003" (we have remained close friends!)...L to R: Nancy Paradeise, Donnell Rank, Leisha Gust, me

NOVEMBER 25 & 26, 2006
MISS MINNESOTA & MISS MINNESOTA TEEN USA PAGEANT (Bloomington, MN)

The Miss & Teen MN USA pageants were held this weekend at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington. As usual, Future Productions did a fantastic job of producing the two pageants. There were 56 young women in the Miss division and 72 in the Teen division. I've been working with a delightful young woman Arielle Peterson in preparation for this event (last year she placed as 2nd runner-up last out of 84 contestants!). She did an incredible job and I am SOOOOO proud of her--what an incredible young lady she is! This year, she placed in the Top 15 but did not have the good fortune of making Top 5 (which I have to admit I was disappointed about as I thought she'd be one of the last three standing). However, I've been involved in this industry for long enough (20 years--YIKES!) to know that ANYTHING can happen and that there are no guarantees. After all, this is subjective judging...not who crosses the finish line first! Regardless, she did her absolute best and one cannot ask for more than that. She was awesome! Unfortunately, I got a nasty bout of the stomach flu on the day of finals (suffice it to say that I did NOT make it through the pageant without a trip to visit the porcelain god--thankfully I just BARELY made it to the bathroom--I can only imagine how well a vomiting Mrs. Minnesota would have been received! YUCK!). I've never had the stomach flu before and let me say that I DO NOT want to have it again, that's for sure! But my girl Arielle was counting on me, so I stuck it out! The competition was TOUGH this year, especially in the Teen division. The Teen winner was a newcomer to pageantry named Vanessa VonBehren, and I wish her the best. Alla Illushka won the Miss division (she was Miss MN Teen USA a few years ago) and she looked absolutely gorgeous! She wore the same Sherri Hill gown I wore for a photo shoot earlier this summer, so of course she was my pick! Both of the new titleholders will do a great job this year and I look forward to seeing them both at many events in the future. Congratulations to the new titleholders! And see you there next year!


PHOTOS:
1) Arielle (in her opening number outfit) and I on Prelim Night
2) L to R: Becky Ringen (Miss MN Int'l 2006), Sarah Moses (Owner of The Pageant Shop), Suzie Heffernan (Miss SD USA 2007), and me
3) Arielle and I on Finals Night...I told ya she was gorgeous!
4) With Chelsea Cooley (Miss USA 2005), who was a pageant judge.
5) L to R: Sarah Moses, Alla Illushka (Miss MN USA 2007), and I
6) With Vanessa VonBehren (Miss MN Teen USA 2007)
7) With Angela Hasman (Mrs. MN Int'l 2006)
8) With Lindsey Kurhajetz (she was my 1st RU)

NOVEMBER 18, 2006
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION 57th ANNUAL BALL

Tonight was the CHA Ball that we have attended for the past 7 years (we missed last year's due to a friend's wedding--the only Ball we have missed since we met!). This event will always have a special place in my heart, as it is where my husband Matt & I went on our very first date. Exactly one year later, he proposed to me in a 1938 Packard limoseune on the way to the very same ball. My very own Cinderella story (except that I'm still looking for my fairy godmother and I thankfully never had to wear soot-covered clothes. Plus my size 10 feet are DEFINITELY too big for glass slippers! HA!). CHA is an amazing organization that I volunteered for as a member of the board for three years. Check them out at http://www.cha-stpaul.org/ I enjoyed running into my pageant "sister" Karen Sorbo, who was the event auctioneer and also Mrs. Minnesota International 1991. A great time was had by all!

PHOTOS
1) My husband Matt and I
2) With Karen Sorbo (Mrs. MN International 1991)

NOVEMBER 5, 2006
BABY SHOWER FOR KELLY JAHNER-BYRNE (former Mrs. MN-America contestant and Mrs. MN Int'l 2001)

Many of my pageant friends gathered for a baby shower to celebrate the impending arrival of good friend Kelly Jahner-Byrne's baby boy Pierce Mark Byrne. I was only able to stay for a bit as a pipe had burst at our house that morning (thank goodness we were home at the time!), so we had to deal with that (NOT fun!). It was also Ava's (our little girl) 2nd birthday! We had her party the night prior and celebrated with a pirate theme (she LOVES pirates...she crooks her arm and goes around saying "ARRRR"). She received a princess dress-up outfit so now she is into calling herself a "Princess" (she lisps the "cess" part of the word--very cute--not that I am biased or anything!). Back to the shower...it was great to see old friends and wish Kelly the best!

PHOTOS:
1) Gathering to wish Kelly the best are (L to R): Allison Stavrakis, Angela Haseman, Kelly Jahner-Byrne, Sarah Moses (owner of the Pageant Shop by Michael's), Ava & I, Leisha Gust, Cheri Kennedy
2) Former Mrs. Minnesota Internationals in attendance (we are holding our fingers up to represent our "year"): L to R Allison Stavrakis (1988), Angela Haseman (2006), Kelly Jahner-Byrne (2001), me (2003)

OCTOBER 26, 2006
TV INTERVIEW TAPING FOR "TALK OF THE TOWN" PROGRAM (NORTH OAKS, MN)

Today Shannon Hunter of CTV15 television came over to our home to interview me for a local cable show called "Talk of the Town," which focuses on news stories and the "goings-on" from ten cities located in the north metro suburban area. She asked me how I got involved in pageants, about my platform "Keeping Our Children Safe" and my work with the Jacob Wetterling Foundation, etc. It was a fun time and a great way to increase awareness on my platform! Thank you CTV15!

PHOTOS:
1) Just after being interviewed.
2) Standing by the CTV15 van.

OCTOBER 13, 2006
"DIVA DAY" AT PREMIERE MODELING SCHOOL

Today I was a special "surprise" guest at Diva Day held at Premiere Modeling School in St. Louis Park ( www.premiere-modeling.com ). A super fun group of women from Woodbury get together every few months to have a "Diva Day" for themselves (basically a day of fun for the ladies). One of their stops on this particular day was at Premiere Modeling for some "Diva" lessons in modeling from my State Director (and owner of Premiere) Faith Schway, who is a former Mrs. Minnesota herself! These lessons included modeling/walking practice, "how to accessorize", and just plain fun! One of the ladies involved is a cancer survivor, so it was particularly great to see her shine. They had decorated their car with sayings such as "Honk if your're fabulous!" written in soap...SO CUTE! If I wouldn't have been fighting a cold, I would have made them take me along! They had a fabulous time and it was an honor to be THEIR "guest of honor." YOU GO GIRLS!

PHOTOS:
1) With my State Director Faith Schway (owner of Premiere School of Modeling & former Mrs. Minnesota 1985)
2) A group shot of the DIVAS!
3) Faith and I again

SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
TELEVISION SHOW TAPING "ACCESS TO DEMOCRACY" (Eagan, MN)

Today I taped a TV interview for the television show "Access to Democracy" with host Alan Miller. We talked about my education, pageant experiences, being a mom, etc., but mostly talked about my platform "Keeping Our Kids Safe" and the work I do with the Jacob Wetterling Foundation (I'm a Sr. Level member of the JWF Speaker's Bureau and on the Board of Directors). I explained the key points that I teach to kids and parents, with the #1 thing being eliminating the "stranger danger" mentality (why you ask? because it doesn't work, it's confusing to kids, and most of all, because if/when a child IS in a dangerous situation, the likelihood is that they WOULD have to ask a stranger for help). People are under the misconception that it is "strangers" who abduct kids...but the reality is that 90% of the time, the abductor is someone the child knows and/or trusts! I think the interview went really well and hopefully you will catch it on TV!

PHOTOS:
1) On the set of "Access to Democracy"
2) With host Alan Miller
3) Meeting Jim Carlson, who is running for the MN State Senate

SEPTEMBER 23, 2006
MRS. AMERICA VIEWING PARTY AT OUR HOUSE

Tonight my family came over to watch the initial broadcast of the 2006 Mrs. America pageant, which was televised nationwide on the WE network. A reporter from our local newspaper came over to take pictures of me watching the pageant, and sure enough, the article and photos were on the front page the following week! So that was neat! I was very happy with how everything turned out, and I didn't say anything to embarrass myself or my family (just kidding!). It was surreal to watch us all compete...everyone looked so beautiful and it was neat to see the "finished product." The pageant was rebroadcast the following day, and will also be rebroadcast on Thursday, Oct. 5.

PHOTOS:
1) Watching the broadcast at home.
2) With my family!

SEPTEMBER 16, 2006
PETS & PICASSO FUNDRAISER FOR THE GREAT WEST METRO HUMANE SOCIETY (Hopkins, MN)

Tonight was a really fun appearance for a wonderful cause. The event was called "Pets & Picasso," and it was a fundraiser for the Great West Metro Humane Society ( http://www.gwmhs.org/ ). I am a HUGE animal lover myself, so this was an event I was particularly excited about. I was one of 22 "celebrity VIPs" who each walked a canine "model" down the runway in a dog fashion show with "fashions" from the pet boutique Lulu & Luigi. In addition to a cocktails & hors d'ouvres, a silent auction, a dog kissing booth, a pet psychic, & cariacature booth, the fashion show was the highlight of the evening. I had the honor of walking "Dakota", a German shepard mix who was up for adoption (her family had raised her since puppyhood and then had to move and for whatever reason, could not take her along--WHATEVER! I get so disgusted hearing things like that!!!). Anyway, by the end of the show, Dakota was starting to get antsy...let me tell you, it is not easy to handle an anxious 90 lb. dog while in a long gown and high heels! But she was a very good girl and I really enjoyed this appearance. I ran into an old friend Amy, whom I hadn't seen in years, so that was fun. My hubby Matt stayed home with our little girl, but I really wished he would have been there because that is the type of appearance he really would have enjoyed! What a fun night!

PHOTOS:
1) With Libby the poodle (a dog after my own heart--note the tiara!)
2) With Tammy Hauser (Interim Director of West Metro Humane Society)
3) With my friend Megan Ehlert (Miss Teen MN International 2006). Megan's platform is called "Tails of Independence" and she helps train service dogs for the disabled. Megan placed as 3rd RU at Miss Teen Int'l--way to go girlfriend!
4) Reassuring Dakota while on stage...what a good and patient dog she was!
5) Reuniting with my friend Amy.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
TRUNK SHOW AT THE PAGEANT SHOP BY MICHAEL'S

Well, it's officially "back to being Mrs. Minnesota" time! The first week home from Mrs. America, of course I came down with a nasty cold. From what I gather from the other contestants, it sounds like many other ladies are in the same boat! Ava got a cold as well...not fun! Ah, back to reality! :) But kidding aside, it is wonderful to be home (even with the cold!).

My good friend Sarah Moses had a trunk show at her store, The Pageant Shop by Michael's (check out her website at http://www.thepageantshop.net ). Seriously, if you are in need of any pageant clothes, this is THE place to go! I've been competing in pageants since I was 16 (and I LOOOOOOVE to shop, as any of my friends can and will attest), and I can honestly say that this is the best pageant store I have ever shopped at. Sarah goes to market in NYC & Chicago a number of times per year and carries the top designers in the industry. But the great thing is that she can make you look like a million bucks without having to SPEND a million bucks! It was good to catch up with my pageant friends and I also had the pleasure of seeing Paula Folkers, the newly crowned National Mrs. 2006 winner (she was in town for a photo shoot with photographer Paula Preston). My daughter Ava had a GREAT time trying on some of the "little girl" pageant dresses along with Gianna Haseman (the daughter of Angela Haseman, Mrs. MN Int'l 2006). For fun, we took a photo of our little ones as "future" Mrs. Minnesota's! And for the record, NO I am not entering Ava in any pageants! These photos were just for FUN (I have to admit I am not a big fan of kiddie pageants--IF and when Ava wants to do a pageant, she would have to be at least a teenager). Anyway, we had a fun afternoon and the gowns were GORGEOUS!

PHOTOS:
1) With Paula Folkers (National Mrs. 2006)
2) Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int'l 2006) and myself
3) L to R: me, Sarah Moses (The Pageant Shop Owner), Paula Folkers (Nat'l Mrs. 2006), pageant coach Cheri Kennedy, Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int'l 2006)
4) My daughter Ava and Angela Haseman's daughter Gianna having fun playing "dress up" in their mom's banners (NOTE: Ava was NOT happy with me when I took the banner away, which I admit was pretty funny).

SEPTEMBER 7, 2006
HEADING HOME TO OUR BABY GIRL AND LIFE AS I USED TO KNOW IT!

OOOOOH, I was soooooo tired this morning when I woke up! Exhausted is probably the correct word! I finished my last minute packing, said my goodbyes to my girlfriends & the hotel staff, and then we headed to the airport. Although I was super tired, I couldn't help but be excited at the fact that I would soon be reunited with our little one. I missed her SOOOOO MUCH! It was so hard to be away from her for that amount of time, and when I finally held her in my arms, I promised her that I would never be away for that long again. How she has changed! She is SO chatty and communicative! Luckily our flight was on time (big surprise, I slept almost the entire flight). When we walked in the door of my in-laws home, Ava spied me immediately and yelled "MOMMY!!!!!" and came running to me with outstretched arms. She was SOOO happy to see me, and of course I started crying right away. She kept stroking my face and saying, "Mama, Mommy" over and over. She would not let go of me for the next two days. We sang our songs and I was just so happy to be with her again. She is truly the biggest blessing in our lives and there is no crown that will ever compare to the love of a child. It was an amazing experience but I am SO GLAD TO BE HOME! I hope you've enjoyed the ride along with me...now it's back to being a mom and wife! And of course Mrs. Minnesota! Stay tuned for more...and thanks for visiting!

PHOTOS:
1) By the "Arrivals" sign at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport - I'm finally HOME!
2) Reunited with my "Sparky" (our nickname for our 22-month-old daughter Ava)
3) Singing "Did You Ever See A Lassie" with Ava (one of her favorite songs)
4) Ava wearing her "dressy shoes" before bedtime (a present from Grandma).

SEPTEMBER 6, 2006
FINAL COMPETITION IS HERE!

Wow, I can't believe it, my time here at Mrs. America is almost at an end! What an amazing experience this has been in every way! Today we had the morning off, which was MUCH appreciated! I slept in, finished packing, and then spent some time out by the pool with my girlfriends Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's) and Kim Falk (our maid of honor & my college roommate). My mom helped out a lot by taking four boxes to the UPS store and shipping them home. The packing/unpacking process is the one thing I definitely will not miss, ha ha! I treated myself to a cheeseburger for lunch, and I swear it was the best tasting burger of my life! YUM! We had our final rehearsal in the afternoon, and it was the hottest day yet! Practice was delayed a bit when ominous thunderclouds rolled in and lightning stuck, but they soon passed and we were released to get ready for the show. I had brought all of my clothes, hair & makeup stuff, etc., down to the dressing room (which is a HIKE from our hotel room) when I realized I'd forgotten to bring photos of our little girl (I tape them to my dressing room mirror to remind myself of what is TRULY important in life). So I made a special trip back to the room to get those--I felt naked without them if that makes sense. When you're competing in a pageant, it is easy to get caught up in the "fluff," and having her photos in front of me keeps me grounded. No matter what the outcome, the greatest prize of all was waiting for me at home!

As we prepared for the final pageant, it was just so surreal that we were finally about to compete. I remember looking around the room at all of these beautiful and talented women that I had become friends with during the past two weeks, and thinking that any one of them would make a great queen. I know it sounds like a cliche, but it was such an honor to be there in the first place! The pageant finally began with our opening number to "Pretty Woman," and we each carried our state flag. It was a gorgeous night and I could see my friends and family right away, waving their signs and light-up sticks. We then competed in our State Costumes and the one thing I wasn't crazy about in that portion was that the announcer only said our name and state (but never actually described our costume). It was obvious what some costumes were, but I felt that others needed explanation. Plus, so much time and effort went into the creation of these costumes that I felt they deserved more time. Maybe they will add that into the final telecast? I hope so. The winner of the costume event was Mrs. Alaska, and she definitely was the crowd favorite (including mine!). Her mom and husband helped her make her "igloo" skirt and it was just an amazing costume. I was glad to see her win...I think we all were pulling for her!

After costume, we changed into our Niki Wior swimsuits/sarongs and performed our opening number, which I think went pretty well. The Top Ten were then announced and they were: Georgia, Wyoming, Alaska, Washington, Arizona, Louisiana, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Iowa. Then they announced the additional two finalists (to make it a Top 12), who qualified based on their preliminary scores in addition to the extra competitions throughout the past two weeks. My name was announced along with Mrs. NY (who is hilarious - what you see is what you get with her - she is really awesome). So that was fun. I had a feeling I would get called as one of the two "extras" since I was the only delegate who "won" two of the competitions. They are really going for that reality spin on the pageant. Anyway, the Top 12 then competed in Swimsuit (we changed into brown & leopard print swimsuits), and then in Evening Gown. The Top 12 were then narrowed to a Top 5, and they were: Louisiana, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and Nebraska. I'd gotten to know each of these girls and they all were great picks. I have to admit I was surprised not to see Mrs. Wyoming in there...she is beautiful AND has a great personality. We the contestants were then able to vote one lady "back in" to the Top 5, therefore making it a Top 6. The three top vote getters were announced, and they were Mrs. South Carolina, Mrs. North Carolina, and Mrs. Maine...with Mrs. North Carolina being announced as the winner. So she went out for the final question (each contestant answered a different question). The scores were tabulated and the court was announced: 5th RU was Mrs. Nebraska, 4th RU was Mrs. North Carolina, 3rd RU was Mrs. Louisiana, 2nd RU was Mrs. Utah, 1st RU was Mrs. Colorado...which meant the new Mrs. America was Mrs. Arizona, Diane Tucker! She DEFINITELY deserved the win...I had her as one of my top picks from the moment I met her. She is classy, elegant and well-spoken and will make a great titleholder. I don't think there was one woman competing that had a problem with her winning. I wish her the best and know she will do a great job! On a side note, immediately after the crowing, two of the women announced they were pregnant! One was my roommate Mrs. Georgia, and I feel completely clueless that I didn't figure it out with all of the hints she gave me! So much for a woman's intuition, ha ha! The other is Mrs. Louisiana. The fact that two of the Top 12 were pregnant is SO COOL to me! They both looked radiant and now I know why! Congrats ladies, that is wonderful news!

After the pageant, we took tons of photos of course, and then packed up and headed back to the hotel to celebrate. My husband Matt and I headed up to the Ventana Room for the Coronation Party for the Top 12, and then back downstairs to celebrate with my family and friends. No matter what, they are the people who have been there for me through it all, and I could not have done it without their love and support. It was a long evening and when we headed back to our room, a bottle of champagne was waiting for us courtesy of Tami Krause (Mrs. MN 2003) & Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN 2005)...what a sweet thing to do! I was so touched! What an amazing day and night...I was exhausted but couldn't wait for morning to come because that meant I'd be on my way to see our little girl! WOW, this is an experience that I will NEVER forget! Thank you to my directors and the Mrs. America organization for providing the experience of a lifetime. You treated us all like queens and now it is time for me to go back to Minnesota and be the best Mrs. MN that I can be!

PHOTOS:
1) Mrs. Illinois, Mrs. Idaho, and I taking a break from the heat at our last rehearsal.
2) The ladies in silver gowns (Mrs. Arkansas, Mrs. Texas, and I)
3) With the reigning Mrs. World before she performed in the dance number.
4) Mrs. Georgia, Mrs. Iowa, and I waiting to compete in Evening Gown.
5) With Mrs. World again
6) With my directors, Carl & Faith Schway
7) "Team Schway" (Faith & Carl Schway direct the Mrs. IA, MN, GA, & WI pageants)
8) With Mrs. Idaho and Andrea Preuss (Mrs. America 2006) just after she passed her title on to the new winner.
9) My husband Matt & I.
10) My support gals - L to R: Kim Falk (longtime friend), Allison Stavrakis (State Director of Mrs/Miss/Teen MN Int'l), Paula Preston (photographer extraordinaire), me, Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's), and my mom Bonnie Henderson
11) Matt & I with my parents, Rick & Bonnie Henderson
12) With Nicole Brink (Mrs. America & Mrs. World 2002!)...thank you for your support!
13) With the NEW MRS. AMERICA 2007 Diane Tucker of Arizona! CONGRATULATIONS DIANE!

SEPTEMBER 5, 2006
REHEARSAL, REHEARSAL, & MORE REHEARSAL!

The first notable thing of the day is that our little girl turned 22 months old today! Just two more months to go until the big "2"! I am missing her like crazy...being away from her is BY FAR the hardest thing about these last two weeks. Thankfully they've kept us very busy but it hasn't stopped me from thinking about her all the time. I am counting the hours until I see her again!

Today we rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed some more. This was the first time we actually practiced on the outdoor stage, and fortunately everything went quite smoothly which meant we didn't have to rehearse until the wee hours of the night. We briefly met the reigning Mrs. World and she said a few words of welcome via her translator (she is Russian). She and Andrea (who are both professionally trained dancers) will be performing a dance number during the show. We've seen Andrea practicing and she is a great dancer. She was in the touring production of Cats and was a ballerina for many years. I didn't get to see Mrs. World dance but I have heard she is an amazing dancer as well. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product!

Some of my closest girlfriends arrived in the afternoon, so I was waiting in the lobby for them when they arrived. Kim Falk (maid of honor in our wedding), Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's), Allison Stavrakis (my former pageant director), and Paula Preston (my photographer) made the trip out to cheer me on and I cannot put into words how much that has meant to me! You ladies are the best! Paula had made up fun little lanyard necklaces w/ my photo on them, so they were all wearing them around the hotel. They've got signs and fun light-up sticks to hold in the audience so I'll know where they're sitting. I feel very blessed to have such wonderful friends & family--I could not do it without your love & support! :)

We learned our opening number (we'll each be carrying our state flag) and practiced our modeling for Top Twelve and the rest of the show. I enjoyed chatting with John & Lisa O'Hurley for a bit...they are an adorable couple and so friendly & down to earth. They graciously posed for photos with many of us and will do a great job hosting the show. One highlight was seeing an actual tarantula (not that I am a big fan of spiders, but it was neat to see one out here in the Sonoran Desert!). I am glad we don't have those back home in Minnesota, that's for sure!

This may be my last post until I return home on Thursday, since my husband mentioned he needs the laptop to try and get some work done while he's here (and I'll be too tied up w/ rehearsal and getting ready for anyway). I'll post photos of the final show and give a full report as soon as possible. So until then, it's been a BLAST and I hope you've enjoyed reading about my experience as much as I've enjoyed blogging it! This has been the experience of a lifetime and no matter what the outcome, I gave it my best shot and more than anything I'm walking away with 50 new friends and memories that I will never forget. Which is all a girl can ask for! Signing off for now...

PHOTOS:
1) Mrs. RI, NC, and I waiting for rehearsals to begin.
2) Posing with our flags that we'll use for the opening number.
3) My girlfriends/support team arrive! Yea!!!
4) My roommie & "sister queen" Mrs. GA catch up with our state directors Faith & Carl Schway between rehearsals.
5) With my husband Matt during the break between rehearsals.
6) Team Minnesota (my support team!)
7) With our gracious pageant hosts, John & Lisa O'Hurley.
8) Practicing on stage.
9) Mrs. NV and I pose with Peter (who is in charge of the TV production). Hopefully we weren't TOO difficult to work with! HA!
10) The stage starts to come together.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2006
REHEARSALS & MRS. AMERICA "QUIZ SHOW"

Today we mostly had rehearsals followed by our last "challenge" portion of the competition, the Mrs. America "Quiz Show." In the morning, we began the blocking for the final show. The outdoor set was in the process of being set up, and I can tell you that it is going to look fantastic. The stage floor is white and black checkerboard (which looks really cool), and the mountains in the background will provide a spectacular view! In between rehearsals, I was able to see my hubby & family for a bit, and then it was off to rehearsal again. Just before dinner we had the Mrs. America Quiz Show, which the reigning Mrs. America Andrea Preuss "hosted." Earlier in the week, we had taken a written quiz of roughly 20 questions pertaining to things such as the events we'd been participating in, Mrs. America trivia, hotel/resort trivia, etc. (i.e. who designed the golf course at the Loews resort, what is the name of the cactus so prevalently seen in Tucson, who is the President of Mrs. America Inc--you get the idea). The top ten quiz finalists were announced, and I was surprised to hear my name as one of the top two finishers (the other was Mrs. IL--we both tied for answering the least amount of wrong answers). We were given dry erase boards and then answered questions from our "host" Andrea. If you got one wrong answer, you were eliminated. After two rounds, I think there were 6 of us left, and the third question was "What contestant has an identical twin?" I had sat with Mrs. CA Sheryl Ellison (who is DELIGHTFUL by the way), and remembered her telling me she had an identical twin. Lo & behold, I was the only one who got it right, so I "won" the quiz show portion! Whoo hoo! We all had a good laugh and I was happy to get the extra points. I grabbed a quick bite with my family and we ran into pageant host John O'Hurley (of "Seinfeld" & "Dancing With the Stars" fame) and his beautiful wife Lisa, who is expecting in December. She looked RADIANT and is probably the cutest pregnant lady I've ever seen! I sure didn't look that cute when I was preggo! HA! After dinner, it was back to rehearsal and off to bed! Only two more days until the big show! WOW!

PHOTOS:
1) Morning rehearsal w/ the very deserving Super Smile winner, Pebblz Nakamoto - Mrs. Hawaii
2) With pageannt announcer John Harlan.
3) Waiting for the Quiz Show to start.
4) Holding my "winning" answer w/ Mrs. CA Sheryl Ellison (she's the only contestant who has an identical twin!)
5) With my parents Bonnie & Rick, husband Matt, & Robin Duffney (Mrs. MN '95) at dinner.
6) Matt and I enjoy a few minutes together at dinner.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2006
REHEARSAL FOR PRELIMS, GOLF PUTT-OFF, & PRELIMINARY PAGEANT

Prelim day is finally HERE! Yea! We had a rehearsal in the morning that ran a tad late, but that meant that they CANCELLED our afternoon rehearsal which of course we were all very excited about! More time to get ready! Just before eating lunch, my hubby Matt arrived, and I have to admit I got a bit emotional when I first saw him. This experience has been AMAZING, but it's hard to be away from the people you love! I was able to have lunch with him, and then I had to compete in the golf "putt-off" to determine the golf challenge individual winner. Our team (the Blonde Bombshells - Mrs. WV, VT, OR, & myself) had to putt three different holes and the person with the lowest score would be crowned as the winner and awarded an additional 25 points in addition to the 50 points we'd each earned as a team. It was a tough competition with a lot of smack talk (all in good fun of course!), and lo and behold I pulled off the win! So that was a lot of fun. Matt & my parents went to hit some golf balls and explore the resort while I headed upstairs to get ready for prelims and finish my state costume earrings (they turned out great but I am sick of glueing rhinestones!).

Prelims started at 7:00 with an opening number in our swimsuits and sarongs, followed by the announcement of some special awards. Mrs. Congeniality was Mrs. Nevada, Victoria Broz (I'm happy to say I voted for her!). She's been awesome all week...she generously loaned her car or drove people to the tanning salon, to the grocery store, to get their nails done, etc. and is always so sweet and friendly. PLUS she grew up about one mile from where we live in Minnesota! So she's a Minnesota girl at heart! The Super Smile winner was Mrs. Hawaii, Pebblz Nakamoto, who truly does have a beautiful smile and was very deserving. She won $2,500!!! We then competed in swimsuit and evening gown, followed by the state costume competition which was judged by a separate panel of judges. The costumes were spectacular! My costume was Minnesota's state flower, the ladyslipper (when I introduced myself, I said "364 days out of the year, Minnesota's state flower the ladyslipper is illegal to pick...but not tonight; you can PICK ME!" The crowd really laughed at that. My personal favorites are Mrs. Alaska's igloo skirt and my roommate Mrs. Georgia, who is a basket of peaches. The Top Ten costumes were announced and they were: Alaska (igloo), Georgia (peaches), Hawaii (Humuhumu fish), Kentucky (KY Derby), Maryland (Star Spangled Banner--her costume lights up!), North Carolina (dogwood flowers), South Carolina (Gamecocks/Tigers), Texas (Yellow rose of TX), Utah (state flower), & Washington (Seahawks). These girls all looked amazing!

I felt like I did the best job I could in competition, so I'll just cross my fingers and hope for the best. Everyone looked so beautiful and seemed to really be having a great time. I was thrilled to see my good friend Kathy Lauer who came to lend her support. Kathy now lives here in Tucson and we competed together in 2003 and have stayed in touch. Which just goes to show you what pageantry really is all about! Lynn DeJarnette (former Mrs. Arkansas & current State Director) came over to say a big hello...I met her in Atlanta when she was a judge for the Mrs. GA pageant and she is SO NICE and so pretty! It was a fantastic evening and I was STARVING by the end of the pageant, so after grabbing a burger (which was DELICIOUS by the way!), it was off to bed. A wonderful but exhausting day! WHEW!

PHOTOS:
1) My husband Matt finally arrives! I've missed him!!!
2) The Blonde Bomshells at the golf putt-off.
3) Just before swimsuit competition (Mrs. SC, GA, and I)
4) With my dressing room "neighbor" Mrs. MI
5) With the delightful Mrs. Utah (she is beautiful AND sweet!)
6) The "fabulous four" (we share the same directors)
7) The silver ladies (Mrs. Arkansas & I)
8) Mrs. ND & I wearing our gowns from The Pageant Shop by Michael's. Thank you Sarah Moses, your dresses are the best!
9) My state costume, the ladyslipper that is "legal" to be picked!
10) With Mrs. Alaska - I told you she had a great costume!
11) The "state flower" costumes.
12) With good friend Kathy Lauer after prelims.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2006
INTERVIEWS, MY PARENTS ARRIVE, NAT'L ANTHEM PROJECT SEMINAR, DANCING IN THE EVENING

The first phase of actual competition was finally HERE! YEA! We had our interviews which were 4 minute individual interviews with each judge. This year's judging panel is fantastic--they are an educated, creative, and well-rounded group of individuals. I feel like I had the best interview I could have hoped for...this is by far my favorite part of competition and I really enjoyed getting to give a glimpse of my personality to each judge. They were extremely friendly & open and if I don't do well, I certainly can't say it was because I had a bad interview. So that is all I can ask for! I had the rest of the afternoon off, and my parents and friend Robin Duffney (Mrs. Minnesota 1995) arrived around 2. It was great to see them! Robin has been a GREAT source of support not only while I've been out here (she's sent 3 cards just in the last two weeks!), but since I won the title. When I got back to my room, there were two bouquets of GORGEOUS flowers--one sent by dear friend Allison Stavrakis and the other by Leisha Gust. THANK YOU BOTH, they brighten up our room and smell so good!

PHOTOS:
1 & 2) Right after my interview
3) My parents arrive--YEA!
4) Flowers from friends were waiting in my room.
5) Contestants in red, white, & blue after the National Anthem Project semimar.
6) Mrs. IL & I get our picture taken.
7) With Mrs. America at the National Anthem Seminar.
8) L to R: My state director Faith Schway, me, & Robin Duffney (Mrs. MN 1995)
9) Dancing queens letting off some steam after a big day!
10) With Nicole Brink (Mrs. America & Mrs. World). She is so fun!

SEPTEMBER 1, 2006

SUSAN G. KOMEN FOUNDATION SEMINAR, SCAVENGER HUNT, REHEARSALS, & PRESIDENT'S DINNER W/ DAVID MARMEL

Today started out EARLY (we had to be ready in full hair & makeup at 6:15 am!) with a poolside swimsuit photo shoot in our Niki Wior swimsuits & San Diego Hat Company hats. We also took two photos wearing sponsor t-shirts. After breakfast, we had a seminar with Susan Carter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She shared a powerful message of hope and encouraged us to be ambassadors for the Foundation. After the seminar, we headed outside for a scavenger hunt which was based on time and how many tasks we completed (we had to take digital photos to prove we had completed the tasks). We were put in teams of three (I was paried w/ my roommate Mrs. GA and my "sister" queen Mrs. Iowa. Some of the tasks were things like "have one of your teammates go into the pool neck-deep", or "find the area in the hotel with the most panoramic view and take a photo." We had a good time and worked up a sweat, that's for sure! After the hunt, we had a few hours of free time so our director Carl Schway played chauffeur and drove us to the tanning salon, and then I waited while Mrs. GA & IA had their nails done (I used the time to get caught up on phone calls). The afternoon meant rehearsal again, this time with our state costumes so the choreographers could make sure everything looked good on stage. Hands down my favorite costume was Mrs. Alaska's. She is an igloo and while I don't want to give away too much, it is one of the most clever and funny costumes I've ever seen. I predict that she'll win the costume competition, although there are some other really fantastic ones as well. Dinner was held in the Presidential Suite and was hosted by the president of Mrs. America, Inc., Mr. David Marmel. He presented each of us with a Vera Bradley bag that had our state title embriodered on it, and we got our first look at the program books as well. I loved looking at everyone's wedding photos...the headshots are beautiful, but I feel like the wedding photos really capture each contestant's spirit & personality! We had rehearsal again after dinner and then OFF TO BED! Interviews are tomorrow and I need my rest!

PHOTOS:
1) Poolside w/ Mrs. IA & WI in our Niki Wior swimsuits and San Diego Hat company hats
2) At the Susan G. Komen seminar with Mrs. VA & WA
3) The reigning Mrs. America Andrea Preuss & I. Andrea shared an emotional & touching story about her mother-in-law's battle with breast cancer.
4) Our scavenger hunt team, "Finders Keepers" (Mrs. IA, me, Mrs. GA)
5) The fabulous four: Mrs. WI, GA, IA, MN (we all have the same state directors)
6) With Mr. David Marmel (President of Mrs. America, Inc.)
7) With the delightful Mrs. Utah at the President's Dinner
8) Mrs. IL and I in our pantsuits at the President's Dinner
9) A photo with Mrs. America
10) With Mrs. CA, NV, and SC at the President's Dinner
11) Posing in my University of Arizona t-shirt w/ Mrs. Arizona (her alma mater...I just thought the t-shirt was cute but I'm going to see if they have a University of Wiscosin one so I can give props to MY alma mater!)

AUGUST 31, 2006
BREAKFAST AT "NORTH" RESTAURANT FOLLOWED BY SHOPPING AT LA ENCANTADA MALL, TRIP TO MT. LEMMON SKI HILL, & DINNER AT EL CHARRO MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Today we started out early by taking the bus to the La Encantada outdoor mall, where we ate a wonderful breakfast at "North" restaurant (an upscale modern Italian eatery). They had my favorite caprese (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, & basil) and it was a fantastic way to start our shopping excursion. A few of us (myself included) were selected to film spots for TV, so the camera crew followed us around while we shopped (which was very appropriate as I consider myself an expert on this subject--HA!). After shopping, we headed back to the hotel for lunch and I saw my state directors Faith & Carl Schway for the first time (they arrived late last night). It was great to see a friendly faces! After lunch we went to the Mt. Lemmon ski area. We were at 9,000 feet and the view was SPECTACULAR. We could see all of Tucson, but what was really remarkable was the change in temperature. It was close to 100 degrees at our hotel, but it was easily 30 degrees cooler at the top of the mountain. Luckily we all brought sweaters! We took the chairlift up to the top of the mountain and saw some of the trees that had been burned in a forest fire three years ago. Most of us took a cat nap on the return trip home, and we then headed directly to the famed El Charro restaurant (many former US presidents and other dignitaries have eaten here--supposedly this was where the chimichanga was invented but I'm not 100% sure about that one). The meal was great and when I arrived back in my room, I was greeted by a huge "cookie bouquet" (the cookies are CROWNS!) sent by my dear friend Susan Jackson and her family. What a sweet thing for her to send, both literally & figuratively! I have been so touched by all of your cards, flowers, COOKIES, gifts, and well wishes and please know how much it has meant to me! Win or lose I am already the luckiest girl in the world to have such an incredible support system! I am missing my hubby and baby girl (the report from home is that Ava got into a blue magic marker today, which I actually thought was pretty funny), but Matt will be out here on Sunday and my parents arrive tomorrow. So only a few more days. I am now VERY ready for bed--we've got an early poolside swimsuit photo shoot tomorrow morning (6:15 a.m. to be exact!). So I bid you adieu & goodnight!

PHOTOS:
1) Mrs. NC and I waiting for the bus.
2) Some of us outside "North" restaurant where we ate breakfast.
3) By the Mt. Lemmon ski hill sign--who knew there was skiing in AZ?!?
4) L to R: Mrs. OK, MN, & FL at the top of the mountain.
5) L to R: Mrs. CO, MN, & GA at the charming El Charro restaurant.
6) When I arrived back in my room, I was greetemy dear friend Susan Jackson & family had

AUGUST 30, 2006
DAY OFF FOLLOWED BY EVENING REHEARSAL

Today some of the ladies (Mrs. GA, HI, ID, IL, & IN) headed to the Hyundai dealership to film TV promo spots, while the rest of us got to SLEEP IN! I had both the morning off (since I'd already filmed my TV spot interview), but some of the other ladies finished their interviews. I relaxed in my room, got organized, watched some morning television, and worked on making my earrings for my state costume (I'm gluing rhinestones on some cheap-o earrings I bought at Wal-Mart to match my state costume). We had a short meeting at noon followed by lunch, and then I had the afternoon off as well. I laid out by the pool until the rain clouds rolled in (yes, I said RAIN CLOUDS--it is monsoon season here--who knew?). We had rehearsal from 7-10 and our opening number dance really came together. It was a much needed day!

PHOTOS:
1) With Andrea Preuss, Mrs. America
2) Mrs. TX, NV, NY, and I at rehearsal.
3) Two of the "tall girls," Mrs. Maryland & I (she & Mrs. WV are both 6'1")

AUGUST 29, 2006
GOLF CHALLENGE, GIFT EXCHANGE, REHEARSAL, & BBQ AT HOTEL

First I want to begin today's blog by wishing my parents a Happy 42nd Anniversary! They were high school sweethearts (she was homecoming queen, he was captain of the football team) and are the best role models for a successful marriage that I know. I love you both and can't wait to see you in a few days!

Today began with those of us who were in the golf challenge heading out to the golf course at the Lodge at Ventana Canyon. We were put into three teams, and we named our team (consisting of Mrs. WV, VT, OR, & myself) the "Blonde Bombshells." We participated in three mini contests: closest to the middle of the fairway, closest to the pin, and a putting contest. My team won the first and second contests, and narrowly lost the third one. We won the overall challenge and were awarded 50 points each (the 2nd place team got 25 points each). The course was gorgeous but HOT! I hope my golf cart partner (Mrs. VA Erica Kirwan) wasn't too scared about my driving abilities (just kidding!).

After golf, we had a rehearsal but first did our gift exchange where each contestant brought a small gift representative of her state. My state gift actually had nothing to do with my state but I just thought it was cool...I gave everyone a poster with the Mrs. America logo on top that also said "30th Anniversary - Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Aug. 23-Sept. 6, 2006," which we all autographed (so each contestant got a poster with the 51 signatures of each contestant). These posters were generously provided by the fantastic people at Wholesale Printing Direct (www.wholesaleprintingdirect.com), and the ladies seemed to really like the gift. I know I'll be having mine matted and framed when I get home--it's a great memento of our adventure in Tucson! Another surprise was the arrival of the reigning Mrs. America, Andrea Preuss. What a DOLL! She is so down to earth and REAL (my kind of gal!), and we all enjoyed hearing from her and getting to know her a little bit.

After rehearsal, we had a BBQ provided by Texas Roadhouse which was wonderful (especially the bread w/ cinnamon butter)! We all wore our Tony Lama boots and our cowboy hats. After dinner, we received our opening number dresses, which are really cute! They are a pretty purple color with some beading, with an uneven, jagged hemline that will look really pretty in the evening breeze. After receiving our dresses, some of headed down to the pool amd jacuzzi to unwind. I really enjoyed getting to know some of the ladies in this more relaxed environment. There are some really funny gals here, let me tell you. On my way back to my room, I ran into some of the contestants and TV production people, and Joe (one of our camera guys) had his guitar out. We'd talked about playing earlier, so I sat down and played a few songs and the ladies sang along (thankfully we've got some country music fans in our contestants, YEE HAW!). We had a great time but then I started to lose my voice, which I decided was my cue that it was time for bed. It was a super fun and very busy day! I still can't believe this is all for real and that I am really here competing for the title of MRS. AMERICA!

PHOTOS:
1) Trying to get closest to the middle of the fairway (I got within 5 feet!)
2) The "Blonde Bombshells" winning golf team! Yea!
3) The ladies who participated in the golf challenge.
4) Hangin' out at rehearsal: CO, MD, AZ, MN, MO
5) With Mrs. MO & MS just prior to the gift exchange.
6) Chatting with Mrs. America Andrea Preuss. She is so REAL!
7) Mrs. SC & I check out these gorgeous red & orange desert flowers.
8) No, I don't normally have cheesy photos taken of myself but I thought this was a fun pose!
9) With Mr. Bob Mazza, VP of Marketing for Mrs. America, Inc.
10) In "jail" with Mrs. MD & AZ
11) Playing guitar in the hotel lobby. FUN!

AUGUST 28, 2006
VISIT "OLD TUCSON STUDIOS" & DESERT MUSEUM FOLLOWED BY REHEARSAL

Today we got an early start and headed out to Old Tucson Studios, which is a wild west themed attraction. The movie "Three Amigos" and the TV show "Little House on the Prairie" were filmed here. We watched a stunt show while some of the delegates learned the can can dance. We took a train ride around the park and were "robbed" by bandits looking for gold. After a lunch provided by the theme park, we enjoyed ice cream and then headed to the Desert Museum, which is essentially an outdoor wildlife museum. We saw many different varieties of cactus including the Saguaro cactus (pronounced Sah-WAR-o) which only grows about 1 inch per year (the "arms" of the cactus can take 75 years to grow). Our tour guide showed us otters (who knew?!?), coatchi (which are like a cross between a racoon, possum, & fox...odd little critters), and we even saw scorpions. It was 103 degrees outside which is a bit on the hot side for a girl from the north! We have rehearsal tonight after dinner from 7-10, and then it's off to bed! Another amazing day in the desert!

PHOTOS:
1) Mrs. Idaho & I waiting for the bus.
2) Mrs. Kentucky, Mrs. Wisconsin, & I in the hotel lobby.
3) Waiting to go into "Old Tucson Studios" (Mrs. ID, MS, MN, OR)
4) By the "Welcome Mrs. America" sign as we entered the park.
5) Mrs. Montana & I check out the "Saloon" (where the can can girls performed).
6) Mrs. Arkansas & I try out the can can dancer pose.
7) This is my "I'm scared!" face (luckily we didn't get too close to the scorpions!)
8) Mrs. IA, WI, & I at rehearsal.

AUGUST 27, 2006
MAYOR'S BREAKFAST, REHEARSAL, & SIDEWINDER'S MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME

This morning we had breakfast with the Mayor of Tucson, the personable Mr. Bob Walkup. We all presented our gifts to him, and in return received a copper plated personalized plaque naming us as honorary citizens of Tucson. My gift (a personalized hockey jersey) was generously donated by the Minnesota Wild hockey team since MN is known as the "State of Hockey." After breakfast, some of us had a few hours to ourselves before rehearsal with Frit & Frat (the other ladies had their TV spot interviews--I already did mine yesterday). After rehearsal, we headed to a Sidewinders minor league baseball game where we were the honored guests. I sat next to Mrs. CO, who I really enjoyed...we have a lot in common and she's really funny as well. After being introduced to the crowd, we were the featured national anthem singers! The National Anthem Project is closely affiliated with Mrs. America, so it was a perfect fit. We were then invited up to the Press Box where we enjoyed hotdogs, hamburgers, potato chips, etc. It was a beautiful evening and as we left we enjoyed a gorgeous desert sunset. Another fantastic day at Mrs. A!

PHOTOS:
1) The ladies in pink & green at the Mayor's Breakfast (L to R: AL, me, CO)
2) With Mrs. NC who led the Sunday morning worship service (she's an ordained minister!)
3) Hanging out in the lobby before boarding the bus.
4) On the field just prior to making our singing debut with the national anthem.
5) In the press box w/ sister queens Shannon (WI) and Robin (GA).
6) Enjoying the sunset with the super cool Mrs. Colorado Marney Duckworth.
7) Boarding the bus--time for bed!

AUGUST 26, 2006
TV INTERVIEWS & PRESIDENT'S DINNER AT HOTEL

Today some of us had short "get-to-know you" type interviews in front of the TV cameras where we answered questions like "What is it like being out here in Tucson for the Mrs. America Pageant?" and "What does Mrs. America mean to you?". These interviews will be cut into the broadcast at varying points and were a lot of fun (except that I kept swatting at the gnats and bugs that were all over us!). I sure hope they edit that out, ha ha! I was in the first group and after I was done, I headed up to get my Nikki Wior swimsuit, hat (from San Diego Hat Co.), and shoes (from Saugus Shoes), which were being handed out to everyone. I was a bit worried about how my swimsuit would fit b/c I have a long torso, but thankfully it fits perfectly and I even got the color I was hoping for--turquoise blue! The colors this year are blue, coral, and a light green. We had a rehearsal with Frit & Frat in the afternoon, followed by the always glamorous President's Dinner that evening. The dinner was top notch...it was held in the Ventana Room, which is one of the top restaurants in the country (5 star), and Mike Dominguez (the GM of the Lowes Resort) made us all feel so welcomed. We presented our state gifts to him and in return he presented us with a Loews CD and spa candle. All of the ladies looked GORGEOUS in beautiful evening gowns--it was like one big fashion show! Thank you to Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's) for the amazing Jovani gown that I wore--I felt like a princess!

A few neat things...I received a small rhinestone crown pin from my great aunt in the mail, which was totally unexpected and touching. I am wearing it as my good luck charm! I am missing my baby girl and hubby very much but luckily they keep us busy so that means less time to think about it. Everyone is really getting along well...this is just such a class act and I am SO enjoying my pageant "sisters" and also the pageant & hotel staff! THIS IS SO FUN!

PHOTOS:
1) Mrs. Arkansas, Mrs. Tennessee, & I at rehearsal.
2) Batsheva, President of Mrs. America, Inc. David Marmel, & I at the President's Dinner
3) Mrs. WI, IA, GA, & I (a.k.a. "Team Schway")
4) The ladies in blue & green
5) Mrs. Arizona & I
6) Mrs. Kansas & I
7) The ladies in print gowns.
8) Mrs. Kentucky & I

AUGUST 25, 2006
HORSEBACK RIDING AT TANQUE VERDE RANCH & WALKING THE RED CARPET AT THE HISTORIC FOX THEATRE/SCREENING OF "BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S"

Today we got up early and headed to the Tanque Verde Ranch where we went on a horseback ride. I grew up on a horse farm, so this was something I was really looking forward to. My horse was a big pinto Quarter horse named Apache, but he was a bit chubby and the ranch hands told me they affectionately call him "A-fat-che". The scenery was amazing--cactus EVERYWHERE and it was like something out of a movie set. We had an old-fashioned cowboy breakfast which we ate outside, and then we hopped back on our noble steeds for the return ride home. I really enjoyed getting to know Mrs. NC a little more--she's a riot and we've shared some good laughs! Mrs. ID is also super funny. I love these gals! The ladies who signed up for the horse racing challenge dueled it out, and the winner was Mrs. OK, who is a doll. We had the afternoon off and Mrs. NV generously loaned us her car so Mrs. IL (a total SWEETHEART) and I decided to go tanning. After dinner, we were taken by bus to the newly renovated historic Fox Theater for a cocktail reception followed by a screening of "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Prior to the movie, we were brought on stage to introduce ourselves. An amazing morning ride followed by an elegant and fun evening!

On a side note, it was a bit of a rough day for me as I found out that my 97-year-old grandmother had passed away, but she had led a very full life and it was definitely her "time" to go. It was just hard to hear that she had passed. Mrs. IL, Julie Rinehart, was with me when I got the news and I will never forget how Julie grabbed my hand while I cried. We said a prayer for my Grandma H and it was one of those moments when you realize what true friends we are making in this process. THANK YOU JULIE! And goodbye Grandma, I love you and can feel your hand on my shoulder as you watch over me...we know you are in a better place.

PHOTOS:
1) Mrs. IL Julie Rinehart and I enjoy our coffee on the bus ride to the ranch.
2) Some of the gorgeous varieties of cactus at the ranch.
3) Having fun w/ Mrs. TX and our new "cowboy" friend.
4) Having breakfast like the cowgirls we are!
5) Mrs. NM and I enjoying the trail ride.
6) Gathering in the lobby prior to leaving for the theatre.
7) Mrs. NV holding the scratch-off lottery tickets I gave her as a thank you for letting us borrow her car (she only won $1.00--bummer)
8) Mrs. IL and I outside the Fox Theatre marquee.
9) The cocktail and dessert reception at the Fox Theatre w/ Mrs. AL, AZ, me, & ID.

AUGUST 24, 2006
OUR FIRST DAY AT MRS. AMERICA
Today we started out with a rehearsal with choreographers extraordinaire Frit & Frat, who were super high energy and lots of fun. They wanted to get an idea of how we moved and danced, so we learned a short routine and got groovin'! After lunch, we received our cowboy boots generously donated by Tony Lama, as well as cowboy hats in preparation for our horseback riding adventure later on. In the afternoon, we had a fun "challenge" called the Diaper-Off, where we changed "babies" in a timed event. We were all cracking up and I came close to winning my heat, but Mrs. MD edged me out! It was a lot of fun and there will be more fun events to come. This year, Mrs. A is adding two additional spots in the Top 10 (which will now be a Top 12), with the two additional spots going to the two ladies with the highest challenge event scores. The other challenge events are horseback riding, golf, a cooking-related challenge, and margarita mixing. I picked #1 golf, #2 horseback riding, #3 margarita mixing, and #4 cooking (I'm a lousy cook! HA!). In the evening, we were the special guests of the Mayor's Conference, and we were welcomed by the Mayor of Tucson, Mr. Bob Walkup and his lovely wife. It was a great first official day!

PHOTOS:
1) Rehearsal w/ Mrs. GA & Mrs. NV
2) "Who has kids???"
3) The diaper challenge!
4) Chatting with Mrs. CA, KY, & SC after our challenge.
5) The "5'10 & Above Club" (i.e. the tall ladies)
6) Mrs. NC, me, & GA waiting for the bus.
7 & 8) The hilarious Mrs. ID & I grab some photos
9) Mrs. MS & I at the Mayor's Conference

AUGUST 23, 2006 DEPART FOR MRS. AMERICA IN TUCSON, AZ
Today was the big day that we all left for the Mrs. America pageant! I can't believe it is finally here! My flight was on time but I had so much stuff I had to pay an extra $100 in overweight baggage fees (OUCH!). Mrs. WI and Mrs. MI were on my flight, and while waiting at the airport for our luggage, I met Mrs. SD, IN, & OH. After getting settled in to the hotel, we had our orientation dinner. It was elegant and a wonderful meal. The pageant had beautiful black taffeta/satin photo albums embellished w/ a rhinestone crown on them at each place setting as a keepsake for each of us. If the rest of the two weeks are as top notch as this first event, we're in for an AMAZING time! WOW!

PHOTOS:
1) Meeting at the airport.
2) L to R: Mrs. NV (she grew up in MN one mile from my house!), KY, and me
3) A quick group photo in the lobby.
4) My roomie (the lovely Robin Mason, Mrs. GA) & I by a cactus.

AUGUST 17, 2006
MRS. MINNESOTA SEND-OFF PARTY AT CHAMPPS (NEW BRIGHTON, MN)

WOW, what a night! One of my best friends Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's) hosted a "Mrs. MN Send-Off Party" held at Champps in New Brighton. The decorations were all red/white/blue and she had fun little crowns on the table for people to wear, as well as a tasty cake with my photo superimposed on the frosting. Many of my closest friends and family attended, and I was so touched by the well-wishers who came to offer their support. Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN 2005) gave me the COOLEST scrapbook ever...it has a crown on the front that LIGHTS UP! Our daughter Ava is fascinated by it and won't stop pushing the button. Many thanks to Sarah, my husband & family, Tami Krause (Mrs. MN 2003), Kim & Kris Dorn (Mrs. & Mr. MN 2005), Faith & Carl Schway (my directors), Robin & Mark Duffney (Mrs. & Mr. MN 1995), Dennis & Cheryl Trainor, Danielle & Arielle Cezanne, Marcia & Bree Anderson, Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Intl 2006), Brenda Torre, Scott Hedblom, Trixie & Rod Overcashier (Mrs. & Mr. MN Intl 1998), Nancy, Francois, & David Paradeise (Natl Mrs. MN 2006), Allison Stavrakis (Mrs. MN Intl State Director), Donnell Rank (Natl Mrs. MN 2005), Laurie & Megan Ehlert (Miss Teen MN Intl 2006), Cheri Kennedy, Leisha Gust, Joanie Clausen, Jessica Dereschuck (Miss MN USA 2004), Becky Ringen (Miss MN Intl 2006), Sarah Wall (Miss International 2005), Bridget Jaeger...and anyone else that I may have forgotten! I could not do it without your love and support!

PHOTOS:
1) Matt being a good sport and wearing his "crown."
2) These photo cakes are so cool!
3) Matt & I w/ my awesome state directors Faith & Carl Schway
4) L to R: My mom, Matt, Ava, & I, Kathryn Ernst, Caroline Fortmeyer (my awesome mother & sister-in-law, respectively)
5) L to R: Dennis Trainor, Faith Schway, Cheryl Trainor, Robin & Mark Duffney (Mrs. & Mr. MN '95), Trixie Overcashier (Mrs. MN Intl '98), & Carl Schway enjoy the festivies.
6) The MRS queens of Minnesota! L to R: Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Intl 2006), Sarah Moses (who wardrobed all of us!), me, & Nancy Paradeise (Natl Mrs. MN 2006)
7) I have big shoes to fill! L to R: Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN 2005), Sarah Moses (we all bought our gowns from her), me, Tami Krause (Mrs. MN 2003)...she's expecting her 3rd baby ANY day! Thanks for coming!

AUGUST 10, 2006
JACOB WETTERLING FOUNDATION CHILD ID EVENT @ VIKINGS TRAINING CAMP (MANKATO, MN)

I was one of the "celebrity guests" at the JWF/Green Mill Pizza Child ID event held in conjunction with the MN Vikings Training Camp. I was asked to give a presentation on child safety, followed by an autograph signing session alongside football greats Chuck Foreman and Carl Eller. Over 500 kids went through the program (a huge success!), and we raised over $10,000 in donations, all of which goes directly to JWF. It was REALLY hot (you can practically "see" the humidity in the photos) but it was all worth it!

PHOTOS:
1) Chuck Foreman asked ME to take a photo with HIM...how cool is that?!?
2) Accepting a check from one of the many local businesses that helped JWF reach a goal of $10,000! THANK YOU!

JULY 25, 2006
JACOB WETTERLING FOUNDATION SPEAKER AT EDEN PARK (BROOKLYN PARK, MN)

I gave three child safety presentations to K-3rd grade, 4-6th grade, and 7-8th grade at the Eden Park Apartments in Brooklyn Park as part of their community education outreach progam. The kids were great and had some really good questions. Unfortunately, child sexual exploitation is the #1 reason why children are abducted in the first place, so it is a delicate but important subject to talk about. Many people think that "strangers" are who abduct kids, when in fact 90% of the time, it is someone that the child already knows at least casually and TRUSTS. The five main points I teach to kids are: 1) Each child is SPECIAL (kids w/ high self-esteem and confidence are less likely to be lured into a dangerous situation), 2) No one has the right to hurt them or touch them in a bad way (I talk about "good touch" versus "bad touch") , 3) If they are being hurt or abused, it is NEVER their fault (many times child predators will tell the child they did something to "deserve it"), 4) If they are being hurt or abused, they need to TELL SOMEONE, and keep on telling until someone listens, and 5) CHECK FIRST! My main advice to parents to talk about staying safe EARLY and OFTEN. If you're interested in learning more, please visit www.jwf.org or feel free to contact me.

PHOTOS:
1) Posing with the youngest group.
2) Acting silly with the kids!

JULY 22, 2006
CHILD ID & SAFETY EVENT SPONSORED BY THE JACOB WETTERLING FOUNDATION, GREEN MILL PIZZA, AND TOYS R US (ROCHESTER, MN)

I'm very involved with the Jacob Wetterling Foundation as a Board Member and Senior-Level Member of their Speaker's Bureau, and as a result, I help with things like Child ID events such as this one that was held in Rochester. The Green Mill generously donated pizza and members of the Byron (MN) Women of Today donated their time in helping with the Child ID portion of the event. We raised just over $10,000 and many children got their ID info, which is information that EVERY parent should have (NOTE: you need to update this info at least every year and keep it in a safe but easily accessible place in case you should ever need it).

PHOTOS:
1) In the Toys R Us lobby where I "directed traffic" out to our Child ID station.
2) With some of the the hardworking Byron Women of Today volunteers. Thanks ladies!

JULY 22, 2006
MRS. MINNESOTA "WELCOME DINNER"

My official "welcome dinner" was graciously organized by Jane O'Hearn and was attended by a number of former Mrs. Minnesotas and their husbands, including my State Directors Faith (Mrs. Minnesota 1985) & Carl Schway. My "sister" queens from Georgia, Iowa, and Wisconsin were in attendance as well. Jane had created a wonderful photo collage of the pageant weekend, and Dennis & Cheryl Trainor (pageant volunteers extraordinaire) had made a pageant photo DVD that played throughout the party. Many of the formers lent their advice (which was much appreciated!) and a special highlight was a personalized cake with my photo on it! I was honored and humbled to be welcomed in to such an amazing pageant "family." Thank you to Jane and everyone who made this a night to remember!

PHOTOS:
1) The personalized cake Faith brought.
2) My husband Matt & I.
3) Matt & I with State Directors Carl & Faith Schway.
4) Former Mrs. Minnesotas in attendance (L toR): Mary Johnson ('82), Faith Schway ('85), Cyndi Mack ('00), me, Jane O'Hearn, Tami Krause ('03), Kim Dorn ('05), Robin Duffney ('95)
5) L to R: Pageant staff members Dennis Trainor, Jane O'Hearn (Welcome Dinner organizer), me, and Cheryl Trainor. They are invaluable assets to the pageant! Thanks for all that you do!
6) "Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, and...???" L to R: Katie Scott (Mrs. IA), Robin Mason (Mrs. GA), me, and Shannon Martin (Mrs. WI) goofing around after dinner.
7) Robin (Mrs. GA) and I...future roommates!

JULY 20, 2006
PHOTO SHOOT WITH PHOTOGRAPHER PAULA PRESTON

I had my good friend Paula Preston take some fun photos. My hubby Matt brought our daughter Ava along later in the shoot for some fun family shots, which I think turned out great. Our little one was an angel and really turned on the charm when the camera was shooting. She sure is a ham! Thank you Paula for the great photos and thanks to Sarah Moses for the great clothes!

JULY 9, 2006
HAMEL RODEO DAYS PARADE (HAMEL, MN)

My hubby Matt, daughter Ava, and I headed to Hamel, MN for the Rodeo Days parade. The weather was perfect and all went well until my car drove by our daughter. At first she was fascinated by seeing "Mama" in the parade, but as my car moved on, she did NOT like that one bit and let us all know. Luckily it was toward the end of the route, so we were reunited shortly thereafter. SO CUTE! (not that I'm biased or anything...)

PHOTO: Just before the parade started...what a beautiful day!

JULY 6, 2006
NORTHSTAR MORGAN HORSE SHOW

My good friend Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop) asked me to sing the National Anthem at the Northstar Morgan Horse Show. I also handed out a few awards and we got to watch Sarah's new horse get shown in his driving class. Fun!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Sarah Moses, the ringmaster John Frye, and myself in the show ring.
2) L to R: My good friend Sue Brown, Sarah Moses, my then 20-month-old daughter Ava, and I enjoying the show.

JULY 4, 2006
FOURTH OF JULY PARADE (DELANO, MN)

I had the honor of riding in the largest 4th of July Parade in the state of Minnesota, held in Delano, MN. According to a parade official, there were over 20,000+ spectators! It was a REALLY hot day but spirits were high. My driver was the delightful Ellie Rux, whom I enjoyed chatting with during the parade route. Happy 4th of July!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Catching up with Megan Ehlert (Miss Teen MN Int'l 2006) & Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int'l 2006)
2) Ellie Rux generously donates her time and car for the parade
3) Talking with friend and US Congressional candidate Patty Wetterling

JUNE 23-25, 2006
MRS. GEORGIA AMERICA PAGEANT 2006 (ATLANTA, GA)

My state directors Faith & Carl Schway generously flew their three titleholders (Mrs. IA Katie Scott, Mrs. WI Shannon Martin, and myself) down to Atlanta for the weekend to attend the Mrs. GA America pageant. We arrived on Friday afternoon and attended a fabulous cocktail reception at Roy's Restaurant in Buckhead (one of my favorites--make sure to try the miso-marinated butterfish!), where the contestants met one another for the first time. Old friendships were renewed, as I got to catch up with my good friend Kim Vaughn (Mrs. GA 1995). The contestants had their interviews on Saturday, followed by the Preliminary Pageant that evening. After the pageant, we grabbed a late dinner at the Olive Garden, followed by a 1 a.m. raid on the local Synder's drugstore for "pageant necessities" (i.e. false eyelashes, shampoo, hairspray, candy bars, you get the idea!). Sunday meant SHOPPING with Shannon (Mrs. WI) and good friend and pageant volunteer Joanie Clausen, and shop we did! The pageant opened that evening with a high energy number performed by many of the former Mrs. Georgias, and Amanda Vogel (Mrs. GA 2005) looked radiant as she passed on her title to a lovely redhead, Robin Mason of Savannah. Robin and I will be roommates at Mrs. America, so I was glad to get to finally "meet" her! After the pageant, a Coronation Dinner was held at the trendy Aqua Blue restaurant, where we all celebrated a successful pageant and Robin's big win. What a fun weekend! Thanks Faith & Carl for truly treating us like royalty (yes, the pun WAS intended, ha ha!)

PHOTOS:
1) With my awesome State Directors Faith & Carl Schway at Roy's Restaurant.
2) Good friend Kim Vaughn (Mrs. GA America 1995) and I catch up at the cocktail reception.
3) L to R: Katie Scott (Mrs. IA), Shannon Martin (Mrs. WI), and I at the Preliminary Pageant.
4) L to R: Amanda Vogel (Mrs. GA America 2005), Lisa Wilson (Miss GA USA 2006), and I hanging out backstage.
5) L to R: Katie Scott (Mrs. IA 2006), Shannon Martin (Mrs. WI 2006), Tawnja Zahradka (Mrs. MN 1994), Lynn DeJarnette (Mrs. AR 1994 & Mrs. AR State Director), Denise Yates (2nd RU at Mrs. KY 2006), and myself just prior to the Pageant Finals.
6) Robin Mason is the new Mrs. Georgia-America 2006! Congrats Robin, we are going to have a blast at Mrs. A!
7) The "foursome" of queens is complete! L to R: WI, IA, GA, & MN

JUNE 14, 2006
PHOTO SHOOT WITH PHOTOGRAPHER SCOTT HEDBLOM

For my official headshots and crown & banner photos, photographer Scott Hedblom and makeup artist Brenda Torre transformed our living room into a photo studio! My hubby Matt was out of town on a fishing trip, so my good friend Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop) helped babysit our 21-month-old, who managed to get into mischief and take all of her clothes off and run around the house naked while we finished the shoot. Scott got a really funny photo of my little one and I that I will treasure forever! The photos turned out great--thanks Scott and Brenda for doing such a great job!

PHOTOS:
1) Getting a makeup touch-up from makeup artist extraordinaire Brenda Torre.
2) I guess I needed more blush!
3) Team Minnesota! L to R: Brenda (holding Ava), Me, Photographer Scott Hedblom celebrating a job well done.
4) Me holding my squirming daughter Ava (20 months), who had been running around the house like a little naked bandit!

JUNE 10, 2006
PAGEANT DAY ARRIVES!
Rehearsals began at 11:30 and we perfected our opening number and walking patterns. We were released late afternoon and had plenty of time to get ready. As I waited with the other ladies for the pageant to begin, I saw some of my closest girlfriends and my family arrive, which was a great boost! The opening number was performed with the live band Bella Diva, and they were awesome! We then competed in State Costume (I was Minnesota's state flower the ladyslipper), followed by Evening Gown and Swimsuit. The Top Ten were then named, and I was called out fifth. Whew! We recompeted in Evening Gown, and followed by the announcement of the Top Five. I was called last for that one, and yes I was pretty nervous! The Top Five then answered the same on-stage question, and while the scores were being tabulated, the reigning queens gave their farewell speeches. Some special awards were announced: Community Service-Sarah Tichich, Mrs. Congeniality-Debi Walter, Evening Gown-myself, Swimsuit-Lindsey Kurhajetz, Photogenic-myself. I was both humbled and thrilled to win these awards! Mrs. Iowa (Katie Scott) and her 1st RU (Laura Diers) were announced, followed by Mrs. WI (Shannon Martin) and her 1st RU (Tracy Steitz). Next up were the Minnesota ladies...4th RU-Sarah Tichich, 3rd RU-Katina Schroeder, 2nd RU-Debi Walter, which meant the last two ladies standing were Lindsey and myself. We both wished each other the best and clutched hands as we waited for the results. Faith Schway (state director and MC) announced Lindsey's name as the 1st runner-up and I realized I was the new Mrs. Minnesota! Shock and joy were the first emotions I recall feeling, then I looked up and saw my husband coming up onto the stage. What an incredible honor! We took many photos on stage and then packed up and headed to the Coronation Party at the Embassy Suites, which was incredible. A fabulous food buffet awaited everyone but I hardly got to eat because I was talking with so many well-wishers. When I finally laid my head on my pillow, I was exhausted but elated! WOW!

PHOTOS:
1) The ladies in blue wait backstage for our opening number (L to R: Chris Arnold, me, Tracy Steitz-a Mrs. WI contestant)
2) Wrapping up swimsuit competition
3) Answering my on-stage question
4) The Top Five await the judges' decision
5) Realization sinks in--we won!
6) With the new Mrs. Iowa (Katie Scott) and Mrs. Wisconsin (Shannon Martin)
7) MN Top Five (L to R): 4th RU-Sarah Tichich, 1st RU-Lindsey Kurhajetz, Me, 2nd RU-Debi Walter, 3rd RU Katina Schroeder
8) Mrs. Minnesota-America 2006...a dream come true!
9) Just before going to bed..."I can't believe I won!"

JUNE 9, 2006
PRELIMINARY PAGEANT COMPETITION BEGINS

I checked into the hotel on Thursday night with my good friend & "helper" Susan Jackson (we each were allowed one backstage "helper"). Interviews began at 1:30, and I was contestant #2. Interview was a panel style interview for 5 minutes. After interviews, I had my evening gown & swimsuit photos taken, and then had a few hours to relax while everyone finished their interviews. We changed back into our swimsuits for preliminary swimsuit competition, which I felt pretty good about. This year was the first year that two-pieces were allowed, which is what I opted for. Sue and I went out for a nice dinner at Palomino (my hubby was home with our little one). We went to sleep early...a big day was ahead!

PHOTOS:
1) My good friend & "backstage helper" Sue Jackson (Mrs. WI America 1996) just before my interview.
2) Lori Miller (Mrs. Rochester) waiting to have our "official" gown portraits taken.

JUNE 2, 2006
BLOCKING REHEARSAL
Tonight was our final get-together for pageant weekend. We ran through the entire production and learned our opening number (we'll be doing a choreographed walk to "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer while wearing pastel cocktail dresses). We enjoyed a potluck dinner and received our program books at the end of rehearsal. Savannah Leyde (Mrs. South St. Paul) made each of us adorable crown-themed gift bags...what a sweetheart!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Chris Arnold (Mrs. Grand Rapids), Sarah Tichich (Mrs. Wright County), me, & Lori Miller (Mrs. Rochester) goof around in between rehearsals.
2) Group Shot

MAY 22, 2006
EXTENSION GENERATION HAIR EXTENSION PARTY
Our last event before our blocking rehearsal was a fun "hair extension" party held at The Extension Generation. They are the pageant's biggest sponsor and award the new winner a year's worth of hair extensions valued at $5,000! We were able to get free hair extensions if we wanted them, and while I didn't get any myself, a number of the ladies did and they looked awesome! It was sad to realize that it was our last get-together and we all agreed it had gone way too fast!

PHOTOS:
1) Debbie Rapp (Mrs. Taylors Falls) gets some extensions!
2) Tami Theis (Mrs. Shakopee), Amy Stromberg (Mrs. Dakota County), Ashley Zornes (Mrs. Richfield), & Me
3) Group Shot

MAY 20, 2006
"THE BIG COCKTAIL PARTY"
The highlight of our contestant events was "The Big Party" held at the Embassy Suites in downtown St. Paul. This was a fabulous cocktail party hosted by directors Faith & Carl Schway and they truly rolled out the red carpet for us. We were all dressed to the nines and some of the contestants from Wisconsin were even able to make it, which made the event extra special. My camera completely finked out on me, but some of the other contestants graciously sent me photos of the event. What an amazing evening!

PHOTOS:
1) L to R: Katina Schroeder (Mrs. Savage), Lindsey Kurhajetz (Mrs. Minneapolis), Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN 2005), & Sarah Tichich (Mrs. Wright County)
2) Me with Lori Miller (Mrs. Rochester), one of the most fun girls I've ever met!
3) Group photo of all contestants

MAY 14, 2006
RACE FOR THE CURE

Race for the Cure was our next group event, which was held on Mother's Day at the Mall of America. My husband and I had been planning on bringing our 18-month-old Ava, but decided to let Gramma & Grandpa babysit b/c it was just too chilly outside. We enjoyed the walk and it was for a great cause. Sarah Tichich (Mrs. Wright County) walked with Matt & I for quite awhile and we discovered we had a number of friends in common. It was a great way to start out my second Mother's Day!

PHOTOS:
1) Tami Theis, Me, Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN 2005), Katina Schroeder
2) Standing outside IHOP after a successful walk!

MAY 10, 2006
GLITZ COCKTAIL PARTY
Our third event was a glamorous cocktail party held at the Glitz! store at the Mall of America. We dressed to the nines and were treated like royalty with champagne and hors d'oeuvres generously donated by Glitz management. Getting ready for the party was a bit tricky as we'd been moving into our new house all day and it was quite a chore even locating my hairdryer, much less getting all glammed up! We had a great time but I was exhausted after moving boxes all day!

PHOTOS (Top to Bottom):
1) Mrs. MN 2005 Kim Dorn & I
2) Me, Sarah Swenson (Mrs. Center City), Melissa Hursh (Mrs. St. Paul), & Katina Schroeder (Mrs. Savage)
3) Group Photo
4) Lindsey Kurhajetz (Mrs. Minneapolis) & I
5) Lori Miller (Mrs. Rochester), Me, Tammy Theis (Mrs. Shakopee)

MAY 7, 2006
PANERA BREAD BRUNCH
Our second event was the Panera Bread Brunch held in Eagan, MN. We learned more about what to expect on Pageant Weekend (this was the first time that Minnesota was hosting the Wisconsin & Iowa pageants), and many questions were answered by directors Faith & Carl Schway. We all got to know each other even better and the fun was just beginning!

PHOTOS (Top to Bottom:)
1) A few contestants & husbands pose for a photo
2) Thank you Panera Bread of Eagan!
3) With good friend Tami Krause (Mrs. MN America 2003)

MAY 6, 2006
Mrs. MN NIGHT @ THE TWINS GAME
Prior to the actual Mrs. Minnesota America 2006 pageant were a series of parties that allowed the contestants to get to know each other better. Many laughs were shared and new friendships made. Our first get-together was "Mrs. Minnesota Night" at a Twins professional baseball game, where each contestant's name and title were even displayed on the Jumbo-Tron screen at the Metrodome! The reigning Mrs. MN 2005 Kimberly Dorn threw out a perfect first pitch and a fun time was had by all.

PHOTOS (Top to Bottom):
1) My husband Matt & I sitting in the stands with Lori & Todd Miller (Mrs. & "Mr." Rochester).
2) Mrs. MN America 2005 Kimberly Dorn and myself
3) "Mrs. North Oaks 2006" on the Jumbo-Tron screen

Welcome! I'm a first-time "blogger", and look forward to sharing a photo and online journal of my year as Mrs. Minnesota America 2006. It is an honor and privilege to represent the married women of Minnesota, and I will do my best to make our state proud. I hope you enjoy the experience along with me.

(Photo by Scott Hedblom)