Congratulations Susan Huntley - Mrs. Pennsylvania America 2012

To Continue all the wonderful photos: Here are the photos from Saturday!

Congratulations to Susan for winning Interview, Swimsuit, and Gown Competitions - and the title of Mrs. Pennsylvania America 2012!

Congratulations to Andrea Graham for being first-runner-up.

Congratulations to Robin Vitale for winning the gown and swimsuit awards as well as the title of Mrs. New Jersey America 2012!!!

Congratulations to the first runner up - Michelle (we need to be facebook friends so I can learn your whole name!).

I can't list the other runners-up because I don't have a program book, so I don't know their names (and I prefer to NOT spell them wrong).

Mrs Pennsylvania America and Mrs. New Jersey America Pageants

My close friend, Susan Huntley, competed for the title of Mrs. Pennsylvania America this weekend and WON!!!  The pageant weekend commenced on Friday with a very classy dinner for the contestants, families, and friends.  Since Susan's husband is a chef (so Friday nights off are NOT part of his regular schedule), Danielle and I were Susan's date for the dinner!  We had a terrific time and really enjoyed our table mates.  You really do meet some of the nicest people in pageantry!!!!

On Saturday, we woke up to a nice room service breakfast (who wants to put on hair/makeup to leave the hotel room).  Danielle and I had a great opportunity to wait with Susan before her interview and talk with all the contestants.  Susan mentioned in her on stage evening gown speech that PA/NJ's greatest resource is their married women - and after meeting the women of this pageant - that statement was proven so true! 

Everyone was incredibly friendly (and this was before they went into their private interviews - so even a bit of nerves didn't stop these women from being their lovely, classy selves).

Enjoy the photos!

See my next post for all the photos from Saturday Night!

Crown Wall Decor

As a pageant girl, I am OBSESSED with crowns.  I love (almost) anything crown, especially when decorating my office.  I work from home for the most part as an attorney, so I want my environment to be something that I love - and I love crowns!

Recently, I purchased two wall crowns from Kirklands in Wilmington, DE.  They were $9.99 a piece! When I posted them on facebook, several people commented.  This got to thinking about crown decor in my home (really my office).  So here are a few photos of my home office. 

Purchased at Kirklands for $9.99 per crown

The Crown Frame was purchased at Hobby Lobby - again - about $10

 
My crown case

Crown Frame - I am pretty sure I bought this from www.allthingscrowned.com

Awareness Angel - Prize from the American Renaissance Pageant

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And here are more than several crown decor items that I found on sale online.  Click the photo to be taken to the retailer.

I have this in my family room - it is not bad, but not great.  For the $10 that I paid for it - it is terrific!!!

Armed Forces Foundation - Volunteer Work

Thank you to Joe and Monika, who graciously invited me to their home to spend the night so that I could volunteer with them at two hospital dinners - one in Bethesda, MD and the other in Richmond, VA.

I forgot my camera card, so there are no pictures from Bethesda :-(

But I bought a camera card before the dinner in Richmond.  We had a great time.  Dessert was TERRIFIC - OH MY GOSH WERE THOSE CUPCAKES GOOD!

And the dancing - the dancing photos just don't show you how much fun we were having!

 What I love about the photo below of Jennifer and me is that she was there to volunteer during September 2007 - the first time that the "beauty queens" volunteered for a dinner at McGuire Hospital.  It was terrific to see Jennifer again (she even brought her husband and children to help!).  This is proof that beauty queens actually do volunteer work when we are not even competing ;-)

Jewelry

To say that I have an obsession with jewelry is a minor statement.  Even my pageant girlfriends (who have their own large collections) say that my collection is over the top.  In my obsession to always find cool things, I spend a lot of time shopping for deals on the internet, at the mall, and/or on ebay.

Clearly, from my "What I Wore" posts, you can see that my new obsession includes rhinestone tennis necklaces (like Sabika)!

Here are some of my recent interesting finds.


Cool Purple Rhinestone Earrings

 

 Very Pretty Crown Pin

 

And of course, I love Sabika.  Pictures can be found in my previous posts.  Sabika jewelry is an in-home line of jewelry; message me for the name of my local Sabika supplier ;-)

What are you favorite jewels?  And where are your favorite spots to shop?

What I Wore

Sunday (January 29, 2012).  I went casual for church wear but had fun with my new jewelry!

Twinset - Double U - my mom bought this twinset from a local Newtown shop and decided that she didn't like it.  I LOVE it because it is slightly different and very soft.
Pants: Eddie Bauer - severely altered - not a brand recommended for petite girls
Shoes: Michael Kors
Jewelry: Sabika Necklace and Earrings (see photos from their catalog)
Longer necklace I won in a raffle - I have no idea where it came from.

The beaded necklace from the classics catalog

Her outfit was the inspiration for my slightly casual Sunday wear

Heart Pendant

These earrings were a last minute purchase - they were 50% and I am so happy that I bought them