MISS AMERICA 2008 - LAS VEGAS, NV

A number of Minnesota pageant gals headed out to Las Vegas for the 2008 Miss America pageant to show our support for Jennifer Hudspeth Miss Minnesota 2008. We arrived on Thursday night and were able to attend the last evening of prelims. I am always so impressed by the level of talent and brains at this pageant! It was great to run into Andrea Preuss (Mrs. America 2005) and her SUPER fun hair and makeup stylist Sean, who I always get the hugest kick out of.






Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int'l 2007), Cheri Kennedy, and I on our way into the final night of prelims.






Andrea Preuss's good friend and stylist Sean, who is so fun!





L to R: Andrea Preuss (Mrs. America 2005/Mrs. United States 2003), me, Janice McQueen Ward (Mrs. United States 1999), and Janice's friend. I love running into fun pageant people!




Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop) and her sister Bridget decided to skip prelims and grab dinner at Koi while the rest of us attended prelims. During their dinner (and of course being the cute and charming ladies that they are), they got invited to the Rambo premiere held at Prive. I got a text from Sarah about it right as prelims were ending and so we were able to get in as well. It was SO FUN! Apparently we had just missed Sylvester Stallone by a few minutes, but it was a blast nonetheless.




L to R: Cheri Kennedy, Sarah Moses, Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int'l 2007), Bridget Jaeger (Sarah's super fun sister), and "moi" at the Rambo premiere party at Prive.




Friday morning, we got ready and headed down to the annual Miss America trade show, which is always a great excuse to buy some bling and crown-related items (anyone who knows me knows how much I love crown stuff!). It was great to run into some pageant buddies and old friends. After checking out the trade show, we shopped and shopped and shopped some more before getting ready for the evening's festivities.



At one of my favorite booths "Crown Chic Boutique" with my buddy Marney Duckworth (Mrs. Colorado/Mrs. America 2006). She is a blast and one of the things I particularly like about her is that she can quote "Dumb and Dumber" as well as I can!





Running into (L to R): Deanna Bebeau (Ms. United America 2007) and Kathy Lauer (Mrs. United America 2007). Kathy and I competed together at Mrs. International in 2003 and have remained friends ever since.






We happened to meet celebrity photographer Mark Liddell (one of the judges on "Miss America Reality Check") and chatted with him for a bit. Nice guy with a cool accent.






Famed pageant swimsuit designer Jamye Shaw and I at the tradeshow. Jamye designed the swimsuit I wore when I won Mrs. Minnesota America 2006.








Catching up with Janice McQueen Ward (Mrs. IN Int'l 2008/Mrs. United States 1999). Janice is one classy lady and is definitely someone I admire!




After a full day of shopping, we had dinner reservations at N9NE restaurant at The Palms Hotel & Casino. We met some of our most fun pageant friends, Robin Fleming (owner of La Casa Hermosa) and Melissa Hagan (Mrs. FL Int'l 2005). It was SOOOO much fun to catch up with these two and LOTS of laughs were had! As we were waiting for our table, the VIP hostess approached us and said that the hotel was going to take care of us for the rest of the night. It was fabulous because they really treated us like royalty (which of course we ARE, ha ha).




In the lobby at Planet Hollywood by their crystal floor-to-ceiling chandeliers on our way out to dinner.









L to R: Me, Robin Fleming (owner of La Casa Hermosa), and Melissa Hagan enjoying dinner and laughs at N9NE restaurant.










Donnell and I having a blast!








Saturday we mostly spent shopping as we had to get ready quite early due to the fact that we had to be in our seats by 4:30 (the Miss America telecast started at 5:00 west coast time). People watching the throngs of people entering the theater was great and it was a veritable "who's who" in pageant land.


Minnesota represents! L to R: Alexa Bruer (MN teen contestant), Brie Anderson (1st RU Miss MN USA 2008), Sarah Moses (owner of The Pageant Shop), Cheri Kennedy, Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int'l 2007), me, Tina Rosenthal (Miss MN Int'l 2008), and Megan Ehlert (Miss South Central MN-MAO 2007) before the pageant.





Former Mrs. Minnesota Internationals unite in Vegas! (L to R): Kelly Jahner-Byrne (2001), Nancy Paradeise (2004), me (2003), and Donnell Rank (2007)








L to R: Me, Sarah Moses, and her fun sister Bridger Jaeger after the pageant.










The Minnesota Contingency heads out to dinner after the pageant! WOW there are a lot of us!










L to R: Heading to dinner in our limo (L to R): me, Nancy Paradeise, & Kelly Jahner-Byrne







We went to an off-the-beaten-path Italian restaurant (can't remember the name) that was REALLY fun and there was this Frank Sinatra-type singer guy who strolled around the restaurant singing away. He LOVED Donnell, and I of course am cracking up!





Donnell's expression says it all! She got so annoyed with this guy because he would not sing to anyone else but her. It was really funny (not sure that Donnell thought so, but I sure did).







Sarah, Donnell, and I enjoying dinner.






When we found this crown sign, we OF COURSE had to have our photo taken in front of it!