MISS & TEEN MINNESOTA USA 2008 PAGEANT - BLOOMINGTON, MN

The 2008 Miss and Teen Minnesota USA pageants took place over the weekend of Nov. 24 & 25th and as usual, it was a tightly contested pageant. Prelims were Saturday evening and I have to say that Future Productions really does a fantastic job of running this pageant. It was great to catch up with pageant friends and watch a good old fashioned beauty pageant. I was thrilled to have my client Brittini Nelemans place in the Top 15 and strongly felt she deserved a spot in the Top 5, but it was not meant to be. I am SO proud of her regardless!






Catching up with Vanessa VonBehren - Miss MN Teen USA 2007 and Alla Illushka - Miss MN USA 2007...two terrific titleholders!





Moments after the preliminary pageant finished, I was able to congratulate my client Brittini Nelemans on a rock solid performance. GORGEOUS!!!








Sarah Moses and I grab a bite after the pageant at TGI Fridays...we were FAMISHED! Pageant-ing is hard work!










Saying “hi” to my client and friend Sarah Tichich - Mrs. MN United States 2007.




Kaylee Unverzagt (L) is crowned Miss MN USA 2008 and Sarah Sprayberry (R) is crowned Miss MN Teen USA 2008. Congratulations to both!





Official pageant clothier Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael’s) and I congratulate Brittini on her Top 15 placement. Brittini is wearing a STUNNING Stephen Yearick gown from Sarah’s store.








Catching up with my successor as Mrs. MN America, Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. MN America 2007) after the pageant.





My silver dress strikes again! Congratulations Kaylee, you were stunning!

JWF REP FOR WORLD DAY TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE - MINNEAPOLIS, MN

As the most senior-ranking member of the Jacob Wetterling Foundation Speaker's Bureau, I helped represent JWF at the World Day to Prevent Child Abuse ceremonies in Minneapolis. Also in attendance were Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int'l 2007) and my client Angeline Gard - Mrs. Stillwater Int'l 2008. It was great to see so much community support for a truly worthy cause.




Donnell and I at the JWF booth with my pride and joy, my daughter Ava.








L to R: Hanging out at the Jacob Wetterling Foundation booth...

HOSTING A “PAGEANT GARAGE SALE” W/ DONNELL RANK - NORTH OAKS, MN

My close friend Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int’l 2007) and I decided we had WAAAAAY too many pageant clothes so we set up a “pageant” garage sale to try and make some room in our closets. We had a great time and were able to sell some of our gently used pageant wardrobe at greatly reduced prices.





Donnell Rank - Mrs. MN Int’l 2007 and I after finally getting everything set up! WOW, who knew how many clothes we really had!








Let the shopping begin!







A number of my clients came to find some bargains (clockwise from L to R): Denise Wellik-Peterson, Molly Nicholson, Donnell, Tamara Jett, me, Angeline Gard, and Natalie Hagemo









Two more of my clients (Leisha Gust - far L) and Wendi Russo (in purple) came after they got off work. We are girls who love to shop!

EMCEEING THE CHLOE T FOUNDATION GALA - BLOOMINGTON, MN

I was honored to be asked to be the “celebrity emcee” for the 6th annual Chloe T Foundation Gala in Bloomington, MN. This wonderful event “The Power of a Teddy Bear” was held to raise funding for this incredible organization named in honor of Chloe Karline, who passed away at just after turning 2 years old after battling a number of severe conditions she was born with. After Chloe passed away, her parents John & Jenny Karline asked family and friends to bring a teddy bear to her funeral, and the response was overwhelming. John & Jenny took all of the teddy bears and donated them to area hospitals and NICU facilities. Children and parents alike were so appreciative of the gift of a teddy bear, which made the Karlines think that it would be wonderful to continue donating teddy bears on an annual basis, and thus the Chloe T. Foundation was born.








My husband Matt (far right) and I with the founders of the Chloe T. Foundation, John & Jenny Karline.




When I first heard the mission of this organization, I thought to myself “Oh, that is such a nice thing to do,” but didn’t think of just how meaningful that could be. Jenny was telling me about how she was not allowed in the room for Chloe’s MRI treatments, and I realized how scary that could be for a small child. So having a treasured stuffed animal for the child to take with them during these treatments can be very reassuring when the parent is unable to be there (FYI, no metal is used in the Chloe T stuffed animals for this very reason). It made me really stop and think about how incredibly lucky we are to have been blessed with such a healthy little girl, and gave me just a glimpse of the heartache these parents, families, and children endure. I was also so impressed with my friend Shonna Ochu, who is a volunteer for this organization and was a guest speaker during the event. Shonna’s daughter was hospitalized and received a Chloe T stuffed animal, and Shonna spoke of what that meant to her daughter and how instrumental it was in the healing process. It was incredibly moving and I was truly honored to be part of such a special evening.





With my friend Shonna Ochu, who is one amazing lady!














With my parents Bonnie & Rick Henderson

MRS. MN INT'L 2007 ANGELA HASEMAN'S BABY SHOWER - GOLDEN VALLEY, MN

Today was Angela Haseman’s baby shower, and it was great to see some of my MN International pageant friends and catch up with Angela, who incidentally looks GREAT! Angela did not find out what the sex of the baby was at the shower, but I can report that she gave birth to a little girl in November 2007! So now she and her husband Lee are proud parents to three girls! Congratulations!




Enjoying the festivities at Angela Haseman’s baby shower are (L to R): Becky Ringen (Miss MN Int’l 2006), Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int’l 2006), me, and Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int’l 2007)






In this photo, we are holding these really cute party favors (they are little “pregnant” dresses that were part of a shower game). Angela’s mom and mother-in-law are so creative!

TRUNK SHOW @ THE PAGEANT SHOP BY MICHAEL'S - NEW BRIGHTON, MN

My good friend Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael’s) hosted a terrific trunk show at her store, bringing in incredible gowns & suits from designers such as Stephen Yearick, Claire’s Collection, Sherri Hill, Tony Bowls, and Jennifer Roberts. I was pleased to see so many of my clients in attendance and can confidently say that they made awesome wardrobe choices!






L to R: Owner Sarah Moses, Tamara Jett (Mrs. Ham Lake Int'l 2008), Natalie Hagemo (Mrs. Excelsior Int'l 2008), and me








Sarah Moses and I pose with our clients and Donnell Rank - Mrs. MN Int’l 2007 (L to R): Angeline Gard - Mrs. Stillwater Int’l 2008, Denise Wellik-Peterson - Mrs. Anoka County Int’l 2008, Donnell Rank - Mrs. MN Int’l 2007, me, Wendi Russo - Mrs. Eden Prairie America 2008, Molly Nicholson - Mrs. Minneapolis Int’l 2008, and Sarah Moses - Owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael’s.

JACOB WETTERLING FOUNDATION SPEAKING EVENT - MAPLE LAKE, MN

Today I had the pleasure of speaking to a great group, Wright County Child Protection Service. As Mrs. Minnesota International 2003, I promoted my platform “Keeping Our Children Safe,” which deals with child safety education & abduction prevention. Although I am not Mrs. MN Int’l anymore, I continue to promote this worthy cause as a Board Member with JWF. I also am the most senior-ranking member of the JWF Speaker’s Bureau (something I am very proud of--this “title” is more important than any pageant title ever could be!). My friend and fellow 2006 Mrs. MN America contestant Shonna Ochu asked me to come and speak at their annual retreat, which of course I was happy to do! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again...the responsibility of child safety belongs not just to parents and caregivers, but to entire COMMUNITIES as well.




Posing with some of the terrific people who work for Wright County Child Protection Services.

MRS. AMERICA 2007 - TUCSON, AZ

A number of my fellow contestants from the Mrs. America pageant last year made the trek out to Tucson as well. A big shout out and thank you to Liz Amar (Mrs. Idaho 2006 and one of my closest pals from last year) for setting up a “reunion” dinner at Firebirds restaurant. It was SO MUCH FUN to see everyone again...Jennifer Bradley (Mrs. NE) and Liz were both preggo and looked INCREDIBLE. I sure love pageantry, but it absolutely PALES in comparison to being a mom, that is for sure! :) We all had a blast and time just seemed to fly we were having so much fun. Great company and lots of laughter and reminiscing! After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and continued our chat fest and ran into even more friendly faces. The night went WAY too fast and I felt like I didn’t get to spend enough time with everyone. But it was a WONDERFUL night!




Arriving at the Tucson airport...HELLOOOO hot weather!











Stopping by Crown Chic Boutique & The Royal Image to do some SHOPPING of course! L to R: Amy Nugent (owner of Crown Chic), me, and Raeann Duca (owner of Royal Image)







Meeting up w/ my successor Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. MN 2007) and being joined by Laura Loveberry (Mrs. Michigan 2007)






Some of the “Mrs. America Class of 2006” meet at dinner L to R: Jennifer Bradley (NE), Jody Bernhardt (MI), Victoria Broz (NV), Diane Tucker (AZ, Mrs. America/Mrs. World 2006), Marney Duckworth (CO, assumed Mrs. A title), Liz Amar (ID), me (MN), Jill Putzier (KS), and Julie Rinehart (IL)


A number of my fellow contestants from the Mrs. America pageant last year made the trek out to Tucson as well. A big shout out and thank you to Liz Amar (Mrs. Idaho 2006 and one of my closest pals from last year) for setting up a “reunion” dinner at Firebirds restaurant. It was SO MUCH FUN to see everyone again...Jennifer Bradley (Mrs. NE) and Liz were both preggo and looked INCREDIBLE. I sure love pageantry, but it absolutely PALES in comparison to being a mom, that is for sure! :) We all had a blast and time just seemed to fly we were having so much fun. Great company and lots of laughter and reminiscing! After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and continued our chat fest and ran into even more friendly faces. The night went WAY too fast and I felt like I didn’t get to spend enough time with everyone. But it was a WONDERFUL night!




With the lovely Diane Tucker (Mrs. America/Mrs. World 2006) and Marney Duckworth (Mrs. CO/Mrs. America 2006) at dinner. These are two of the nicest people you will ever meet!






More reminiscing when we meet up with Aimee McWilliams (Mrs. WY 2006) back at the hotel. Aimee recently moved to Alaska so it was fun hearing about that!








Catching up with Bessie and her husband Sam after her rehearsal. I have to say it was a lot more fun this year getting to socialize than it was last year being in that long rehearsal, ha ha!







Catching up with Omarosa...she and I competed together at Mrs. United States in 2002 (she was Mrs. District of Columbia). Despite what you see on TV, she has always been super pleasant to me!






Yes, this really IS a tarantula! It was on our hotel balcony floor. YIKES! And I thought dealing with Minnesota mosquitos was bad...





Wednesday brought a full day of what else...SHOPPING. And of course being pageant gals, we had to stop at Cache!



We did a lot of shopping on Wednesday, hitting the local malls and finding some deals. We had to head back early in order to get ready for the pageant finals and TV taping, but as it turned out, we made it just in time because it started to DOWNPOUR. I was wondering how they were even going to pull off the pageant (the stage is all outside and there is NO sort of ceiling whatsoever). Luckily, the storm passed and they were able to wipe down the stage and start the show, albeit a bit late which of course was totally understandable. Not a great night for good hair with all that humidity though! On the way down, Jill, Julie, and I happened to run into actor Alan Thicke, who was hosting the pageant along with Omarosa. He was very gracious and did a great job hosting the show. Anticipation was in the air as we crossed our fingers that the weather would hold, and luckily it did! I sat with the girls and also Bessie’s husband Sam and Mrs. Georgia’s husband, whose family was kind enough to save me a seat (my former state directors Faith & Carl Schway also direct the Georgia pageant).





Julie Rinehart (Mrs. IL 2006), me, and Jill Putzier (Mrs. KS 2006) pose by a really big cactus on our way to the pageant finals.








With actor and pageant host Alan Thicke just before the start of the show.










Marney Duckworth (Mrs. CO/Mrs. America 2006) gives her farewell speech.









Mrs. Wyoming Kelly McBee is crowned as the new Mrs. America 2007. I felt she was a great choice for the title.





The pageant had many of the same reality elements as last year’s show, however, this year they added some twists (some of which I have to admit I was not a huge fan). It made it really confusing in my opinion. The stage was beautiful and the show opened with the ladies in their opening number (this looked great!), followed by the State Costume parade. Then the Top 10 were announced, and unfortunately Bessie was not named. They then were going to announce the two additional finalists, but as it turned out, there was a five-way tie for those two spots, so they turned it into a “Top 15” instead of a Top 12. The Top 15 recompeted in Swimsuit, and then they were separated into three groups. The group with the lowest scores was eliminated, and the “new” Top 10 then competed in Evening Gown. Confused yet? I am confused just writing this blog! THEN they announced the Top 3 vote getters to vote a contestant back “into” the competition, and my successor Bessie Giannakakis was one of those three ladies. I really thought she would get the nod, especially because it was now well-known that she was pregnant. I thought it would be cool to have a pregnant contestant make it back in, but it turned out that Mrs. California was the top vote-getter. The Top 5 was officially now a “Top 6.” Again, very confusing. Anyway, the Top 5 were called and they answered their final question, and I felt that Mrs. Wyoming was the winner in my book...and as it turned out, she was! She is stunning and from what I have seen is a real sweetheart to boot. And best of all, the rain held off! One really annoying thing was that my right eye was watering TERRIBLY throughout the show...I think I must be allergic to some pollen in the desert air or something. And of course I didn’t have a Kleenex. Ah, the perils of a pageant in the desert! HA! It was great to see Marney (Mrs. CO/Mrs. America 2006) give her farewell speech and to see Diane Tucker looking so fantastic as Mrs. World 2006. We sure had a terrific”Class of 2006”! I hope this year’s batch of contestants had as much fun as we did!





After the pageant, Julie (far R) and I ran into Heather Clark - Mrs. Maine 2006 (far L). Heather is a DOLL!









After the show with Robin Duffney (Mrs. MN 1995) and Minnesota State Directors Carl & Faith Schway








The “Class of 2006” celebrating after the pageant. L to R: Julie Rinehart (IL), Aimee McWilliams (WY), Jennifer Bradley (NE), Diane Tucker (AZ), Marney Duckworth (CO), me (MN), Victoria Broz (NV), and Liz Amar (ID)









Giving Bessie an after-pageant baby gift to celebrate her baby news! I told her the title of MOM is the most important title of all! I found these adorable frog shoes that have crowns on them (they are great for a girl OR a boy). Congrats Bessie & Sam!






Running into two amazing pageant friends, Nicole Brink (Mrs. America/Mrs. World 2001) and Rosalie Michaels (Mrs. AZ 2000). These two are a BLAST!






With Jayne Black (Mrs. Wisconsin America 2007)








Jill Putzier (Mrs. KS 2006) and I chat with Omarosa after the pageant.

MRS. MN AMERICA 2007 SEND-OFF PARTY - EDEN PRAIRIE, MN

Today was the Send-Off Party for my successor Bessie Giannakakis - Mrs. MN America 2007 held at Bessie and her husband Sam's home in Eden Prairie. It was hard to believe that one whole year had already passed--it seemed like yesterday that I was getting ready to leave for Mrs. America! I know it's a cliche, but sometimes I seriously cannot believe how quickly time flies!

My friend Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop by Michael's) and I had spent the hot afternoon floating around in my pool...my hubby Matt was fishing (surprise surprise) and my mom & dad babysat Ava for the day, so I enjoyed a rare day "off!" Got a little sunburned but was no worse for the wear. However, the weather did not hold, and as we drove to Eden Prairie, the sky started to look VERY ominous. Luckily it was mostly just rain showers, but for awhile there it looked quite scary.

It was fun to see so many pageant people gather to send Bessie off with their best, and I enjoyed meeting the newly crowned Mrs. Georgia America 2007, Suzette Bryan. Bessie had a table full of gifts, and I gave her a personalized frame and a robe with her title "Mrs. Minnesota America 2007" and the Mrs. MN logo embroidered on the back. I had found that very useful when I competed at Mrs. America, especially when waiting around backstage in between outfit changes. I hope she liked it!

Good luck Bessie, you are doing a FABULOUS job as Mrs. MN America 2007, and I know you will make Minnesota VERY proud!






Catching up with Sarah Tichich (Mrs. MN United States 2007). Sarah recently competed in the Mrs. United States pageant in Las Vegas and I am hoping she tries again for Mrs. MN America some day!













Former Mrs. Minnesotas support Bessie and wish her the best! L to R: Kim Dorn (Mrs. MN 2005), me (2006), Bessie Giannakakis (Mrs. MN 2007), Tami Krause (Mrs. MN 2003), and Charity McClung (Mrs. MN 2002)








Party goers include (L to R): Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie America 2007 & Mrs. Eden Prairie Int'l 2008), Bessie (Mrs. MN 2007), Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop), me, and Anne Marie Moore (Miss MN USA 2001)









Sarah Moses (L) and I meet Suzette Bryan - Mrs. Georgia America 2007 at the party.












Having fun with my former State Directors, Carl & Faith Schway.

MRS. INTERNATIONAL 2007 - CHICAGO, IL

I apologize for the tardiness of this post...after all, Mrs. International was over a month ago! I have just been CRAZY busy trying to get everything together for my new pageant coaching business, so I've been putting a lot of energy into that. My motto is "do it right or don't do it at all," so hopefully everything will come together SOON.

Enough about that. In July, I headed down to the Mrs. International Pageant in Skokie, IL to support my dear friend Donnell Rank, Mrs. MN Int'l 2007. It is always great to attend pageants because it is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends from across the country. I was able to see a number of my fellow contestants from 2003: Cindy Harwood (Mrs. AK), Rebecca Chandler (Mrs. AR), Lacey Mervine (Mrs. IN), Jodi Cessna (Mrs. PA), Mary Snipes-Phillips (Mrs. SC), and of course Michelle Fryatt (Mrs. NV/Mrs. International 2003). It was great to finally meet Lauri Rottmayer (OK State Director), who I've "known" via the internet but had never actually met in person. I really enjoyed seeing Suzy Bootz, the outgoing Mrs. International 2006. Suzy and I competed at Mrs. United States in 2002 and have stayed in touch ever since. Again, one of the many friendships I have made as a result of this hobby!






Some members of the "Class of 2003" reunite (L to R): Cindy Harwood (AK), me (MN), Jodi Cessna (PA), Rebecca Chandler (AR), and Mary Snipes-Phillips (SC)











L to R: With photographer "extraordinaire" Paula Preston and Mrs. MN Int'l State Director Allison Stavrakis before Prelims













Suzy Bootz (Mrs. Int'l 2006) and I catch up before Prelims start. Suzy and I competed together at Mrs. United States 2002 and have stayed in touch ever since. A great lady who did a great job this past year!









Friday night was Prelims, and the contestants looked great in turquoise cocktail dresses from Tony Bowls--these were the cutest opening number dresses I have seen in years in ANY Mrs. pageant system! Donnell did an awesome job and I was so proud of her. For those who don't know, Donnell and I met in 2003 when we were both contestants in the 2003 Mrs. MN Int'l pageant, and we've been close friends ever since.








In fact, my favorite photo from when that year is not my crowning shots, but rather Donnell running from the far side of the stage with her arms outstretched to congratulate me (see photo to left). And when I say she ran from the far side of the stage, I really mean it--she was the furthest contestant from me, yet sprinted over to me before the crown was even placed on my head. I distinctly remember her saying "You won! You really did it!" and I KNEW that she really was happy for me, which meant the world to me. It just shows what true friendships were born out of that pageant, and what a CLASS ACT Donnell truly is. Love ya sista! :)










Donnell is escorted during preliminary Evening Gown competition by her husband Glen. You look awesome girlfriend!








The contestants all competed in Aerobicwear and Evening Gown, and the only preliminary award that was announced was the Photogenic Award, which went to a very deserving Mrs. New Mexico. In the past, the Prelim Award (Evening Gown & Aerobicwear) Winners were announced on Prelim Night, but this year they decided to announce them at the Coronation Party instead, which is a change I was VERY happy to see. I have just seen so many women get dejected after not winning a Preliminary Award and then they are not as "ON" for Finals Night. Plus, I feel like it is more suspenseful and encourages more people to go to the Afterparty, so it is a change I TOTALLY agree with. FYI, I'd like to point out that the eventual winner of the pageant (Mrs. CA) did not win ANY preliminary awards, which just goes to prove that you don't have to win any individual awards to win the pageant, but you DO have to score well in all categories!







MN Int'l State Director (my former director & dear friend) Allison Stavrakis and I congratulate Donnell on a job well done after Preliminary Competition.












Catching up with the lovely Robin Fleming (Mrs. Florida International 2007) after Prelims.







Friday & Saturday were full of shopping, and as usual I managed to get my fair share in. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE LOVE LOVE to shop! My friend & client Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie Int'l 2008) came down to watch the pageant, so I went to pick her up at the airport and we managed to squeeze in a few more hours of shopping before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the pageant. I was so excited to reunite with my fellow Mrs. America pageant "sister" Julie Rhinehart (Mrs. IL America 2006), and it was great to meet Janice McQueen-Ward (Mrs. United States 1999) and Amy Gregorio (Mrs. IL US 2007). I also was VERY excited Terrianne Small (Mrs. MD Int'l 2007) when she placed as 2nd runner-up! This was Terrianne's second time competing at Mrs. International...she and I were roommates when we competed together at Mrs. Int'l in 2003 (she was Mrs. Trinidad & Tobago, and I of course represented MN). We had a great time together and it was great to see her do so well. Unfortunately, Donnell did not make the Top 10 but she looked incredible and definitely should have been in there in MY opinion! Ah, pageants! Mrs. CA Rebekah Negrete was the eventual winner, and she truly shined on stage and I was not at all surprised to hear her name called as the new Mrs. International 2007. I COMPLETELY agreed with the choice and she will do a fabulous job this year. Donnell told me that Rebekah was well liked by the contestants so that is always nice to hear.







Reuniting with my "pageant sister" from Mrs. America 2006, Julie Rhinehart (Mrs. IL-America 2006). Julie and I spent two weeks in Tucson together last summer when we competed for Mrs. America. Julie is one of the nicest people I have ever met!










The Blonde Ambition Tour! L to R: Amy Gregorio (Mrs. IL US 2007...LOVE her dress!), Janice McQueen-Ward (Mrs. United States 1999 & 1st RU to Mrs. CA Int'l 2007 and 2008), Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie Int'l 2008), and me. It was fun meeting Amy & Janice--they are both stunning AND funny!








The new Mrs. International 2007 is...Rebekah Negrete of California! CONGRATULATIONS!









Mrs. Minnesota's old and new support their pageant sisters! L to R: Jennifer Sanneman (Mrs. MN Int'l 2005), Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int'l 2007), Cheri Kennedy, me (Mrs. MN Int'l 2003), and Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int'l 2006). FYI, Angela is expecting Baby #3 in November! She looks great!



After the pageant, we attended the Coronation Party and there was plenty of conversation, laughs, and dancing. It was a fun time but getting up that next morning at 4:45 AM was not NEARLY as fun. I can't wait to see everyone next year! Congrats to all!







The "Golden Girls" (L to R): Kellie Deese (Mrs. KY Int'l 2007), Terrianne Small (Mrs. MD Int'l 2007 & 2nd RU to Mrs. Int'l 2007), and me. Terrianne was my roommate when we competed at Mrs. Int'l in 2003! What a great reunion!








Reuniting with pageant friends (L to R): Bernee Thurow (Arkansas State Director), Michelle Fryatt (Mrs. International 2003), Rebecca Chandler (Mrs. AR Int'l 2003), and me.










L to R: With Leisha Gust (Mrs. Burnsville Int'l 2008) and Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie Int'l 2008) at the Coronation Party. Leisha and I also met in 2003 when we were contestants together, and she was 1st RU to Mrs. MN Int'l in 2006 & 2007!








Wendi Russo (Mrs. Eden Prairie Int'l 2008) and I say hello to Mary Richardson (Exec. Director of the Mrs. International Pageant) at the Coronation Party.