Judging National American Miss

This past weekend, I was asked to be a judge for the National American Miss pageant in Houston. It was actually my first time judging, & I was nervous! I did the overall competition for the Princess, Jr Preteen, & Jr Teen divisions & the optional contests for the Teen division. SO MUCH FUN! I really enjoyed being on the other side of the table, & I think it is really going to help me in my upcoming competition J I got to see a lot of pageant ladies that I hadn't seen in a while, which was nice. Alyssa gave me some great tips!

Rachel was 1st Runner-up in the Teen Division

Alyssa was Miss TX Int'l 2 years before me

& is a current title holder for NAM

One of my favorite parts was hanging out with the other judges though - they were really great!! NAM is a great pageant system for younger girls whether they are experienced or not. Thanks to Mr & Mrs Mayes for letting me be a part of the special weekend! It got me even MORE excited for Miss International!!

XOXO

Summer Time

The weather here in Houston is so yucky! Rain rain rain. I thought we could use some summery flower pictures to brighten the mood! Enjoy :)

The Magic Bullet

So my Magic Bullet just came in the mail!! I am so excited. I have wanted one of these things ever since my sophomore year of college! My roommate & I basically had the infomercial memorized. So this morning after my workout, I decided to give it a whirl (get it - it's a BLENDER! Ha). I made a Strawberry Banana Smoothie. Here are my ingredients:

• 1 Cup of Ice
• Splash of orange juice
• Handful of strawberries
• 1 Banana

I ended up taking out about 1/4 of the banana & adding more strawberries & orange juice than what is shown in the second picture. I still think it could have been more strawberry-y, so next time I'll put even more! I also like my smoothies pretty thin so I made sure to blend it really well, but that only took about 20 seconds!! SO EASY. And I made it right in the cup I was going to drink out of, so I just washed the blade & that's it! I already know this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship for me & my Magic Bullet :)

**Watch the informercial (here) & just try & tell me you don't want one! The characters are so funny, & it really made me believe I would use it for EVERY SINGLE meal. We shall see!

Under Construction

As my blog is getting older, she feels she needs to have some work done. I've told her many times that getting older is just a part of life, but she insists on having cosmetic changes. Please excuse the mid-life crisis while I try to find what I like best :) Happy Wednesday!

Pinot & Picasso

You should try Pinot & Picasso if:
1. You feel that if you just had extra time in your super busy life, you would be a fabulous painter! Seriously…you are so creative
2. You want to try something new for a date night
3. You will try anything if you can have a glass of wine while you do it
4. You are looking for a fun night out with the girls
5. You have been to an art gallery and thought “Ummm that’s ART?? I could totally paint that!”
6. You want to display your painting in your house/apartment & have someone say – “Oh that is just gorgeous! Where did you get it??” So you can say “Oh that? I painted it. No big deal” J

Ok so there are LOTS more reasons to try Pinot & Picasso all of which include one underlying factor: It’s so much fun!

This is how is works: about 3 ½ or 4 weeks before the beginning of each month, a calendar for that month is posted on their website (or sent by email if you’re a VIP, ahem – me!). It shows the painting that will be taught that night, so just click on it & sign up! But you have to do it QUICKLY because they sell out fast. When you show up for the class, you can bring your own drinks & bites (whatever you please) and that’s it! They provide glasses, plates, silverware, corkscrews, ice buckets, napkins, aprons, paint, brushes, canvas, & instructions on how to create your masterpiece!

Sebastien & I tried a class one night for a special date, and it really was a lot of fun. We did the “Cosmo” class because I thought that was fairly masculine (I guess? Really I just thought it would be something cute to put in my kitchen J)

This was our guideline done by the instructor

When we arrived, our names were at our painting stations so we could sit together, & our canvases were already taped off so we knew where to paint!

Our instructor walked us through step-by-step while letting us choose our own colors & taking a break every 15 minutes or so to refresh our glasses J

This is where I was thinking...this is easy!

Not bad! Mine's on the right & Sebastien's is on the left

I loved how mine turned out!! I was afraid to stray at all from the original painting

Et, Voila!! Magnifique!

Here’s their website. (They’ve actually changed the name to Pinot’s Palette, but I don’t like it as well) Now go & be creative!

Travelin' Thursday - The Palace & Gardens of Versailles

Palace of Versailles

Versailles is a place that every girl MUST visit at least once in her lifetime! The Palace is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. I went on a tour with my mom back a few years ago, & I literally could have stayed all day & gone back again. I’m fully aware that I will have to keep this post short & sweet because I could go on for days, so I will tell y’all my favorite part about the inside of the Palace & leave it at that: the beds. OMG! They are all so ornate & so gorgeous!!! I don’t have any pictures I took when I was with my mom, but I found a few on the internet to post, so here they are!!

Are they not just fabulous? I would love to sleep in one. I’d have to bring in my own mattress though – I’m sure those are a little thin J 

I feel compelled to post a picture of the Hall of Mirrors because it is a staple of the Palace. There are SO many beautiful rooms though - here is a glimpse!

Gardens of Versailles

As if a beautiful interior wasn’t enough, the gardens are the most gorgeous I have ever seen!! And so expansive - I’ve been three different times now, & each time I find new things to see! The view when you are looking out the back windows of the Palace is just incredible!

And here is a view from a ways down into the Gardens looking back up at the Palace

A new part of the garden I found on my latest visit was Trianon. Just look at this fairytale land!

I could definitely see myself living there!! There are so many other beautiful parts of this Garden, so please go explore it for yourself!!

**Travel Tip: Touring the Palace costs money, but visiting the Garden is free!!

When you go to the Palace, the audio tour (LONG one) is definitely worth it! The history is so awesome, & it really helps you to appreciate the different paintings in each room, etc., which is something I would not have known about had I not gotten that audio guide!

Also, the Gardens have paddle boats & I believe kayaks for rent! I wasn’t able to do it when I was there, but it looked like a lot of fun! Because you will be spending the ENTIRE day in this gorgeous garden, there are restaurants and places to eat while you’re exploring. However, as I’m sure you can imagine, the prices are not quite as appealing as the scenery! I suggest bringing your own picnic & finding a cozy spot to people watch while you listen to the beautiful French being spoken around you and imagine yourself living in one of the rooms you just explored at the Palace J

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Back in May, I was asked to be a Celebrity Judge at the annual North Dallas Lock-Up event for MDA - I got a gavel & everything!!

It was a Jail & Bail themed fundraiser where local business leaders are asked to raise a “bail” of $1600 leading up to the event. On the day of the “hearing,” MDA sent out volunteers as Sheriffs with an arrest warrant for each of these leaders. They were brought to the III Forks restaurant in Dallas where I was waiting to sentence them! 

Here I am with a local business leader

I charged them all with having a kind heart & sentenced them to time unless they had made their bail. If they had yet to raise all $1600 before they came, I told them they were to be shackled to a cell phone for an hour calling everyone they know to help bail them out of jail! 

Here I am laying down the LAW!

The participants even had their pictures taken behind bars. Such a cute idea & the event raised over $100,000!! 

I even got to do a TV interview regarding the event & my title of Miss Texas International. 

You can see the "jailbirds" in the background

Even though my platform is breast cancer awareness, I love doing other events in my community too! This was one was a LOT of fun! The MDA is a great organization. Part of the money raised will go toward summer camps for children. Each year, the MDA sends more than 4,000 children with muscular dystrophy to an MDA summer camp. The cost of sending just one child is $800, but none of that is put on the families! All the children are sent to camp with the funds raised by the organization & people like you!! For more information on the organization, please visit their website.

**Side note: This event was held at III Forks Restaurant in Dallas. The decor was really neat & different, & the food was so yummy! I would definitely recommend it J