There are so many people that I need to thank in the upcoming days.
I've been blessed with an amazing network of people, some who have helped tirelessly or in amazing ways, and some who wish to remain anonymous but have become friends and cherished "helpers".
I am so incredibly grateful to you all, especially those of you stepping up when I am sick!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Being sick...
It's so heartbreaking to be sick a week before Miss Virginia. I think it was really smart on my and my director's part to have worked so hard before this! Now we are just packing and putting together final details. I think we have almost everything we need except for the last minute running out (pantyhose, my own makeup, etc).
Yesterday we started putting everything together and I have to say again that I am truly excited about my wardrobe and my chance to compete for Miss Virginia. Yesterday I was really sick beginning in the morning and thanks to some special "pageant friends" was able to go see a doctor, even on a Saturday. This past year, and especially since Miss Commonwealth, I have truly felt supported by so many people not just on my pageant journey, but whenever I needed it. There are so many people who have chipped in to help me, encourage me, or make this somewhat stressful time a little bit easier.
I was relieved to hear that I do not have strep throat, although I do have laryngitis. I have never had this before, but I have to admit my throat has never hurt so much. As I type, I have lost my voice beyond whispering. I am taking doctor's orders extremely seriously. He told me I should feel better within a week and I joked with him that I'd give him six days to make it better so that I was great for Miss Virginia! He said it was a good thing I was a dancer and not a singer, but I assured him that whispering through my interview was not going to result in a high score! So fingers crossed and prayers sent that this sickness gets better in a few days. I'm getting a lot of sleep and limiting how often I need to talk.
Ever since I was little, I always examined every difficult situation and tried to pump myself up by 1) coming up with one or two positives about the situation and 2) thinking of one way it could be worse. So, all the peace and quiet and lack of phone calls allows me to truly focus my mind on Miss Virginia. And at least I don't have strep or meningitis!
I know that if I have the determination to pull off this in just two months, once I arrive at Miss Virginia it's just the icing on the cake. I think it will be so much fun and the payoff for almost a year of hard work. My director seems more nervous than I do! He keeps checking in to see how my packing is going (fine). We are finally down to only buying last minute things! I'm so thrilled about my swimsuits, too. They fit well and I really like the colors.
Keeping the positive thoughts rolling all the way through Miss Virginia!
Yesterday we started putting everything together and I have to say again that I am truly excited about my wardrobe and my chance to compete for Miss Virginia. Yesterday I was really sick beginning in the morning and thanks to some special "pageant friends" was able to go see a doctor, even on a Saturday. This past year, and especially since Miss Commonwealth, I have truly felt supported by so many people not just on my pageant journey, but whenever I needed it. There are so many people who have chipped in to help me, encourage me, or make this somewhat stressful time a little bit easier.
I was relieved to hear that I do not have strep throat, although I do have laryngitis. I have never had this before, but I have to admit my throat has never hurt so much. As I type, I have lost my voice beyond whispering. I am taking doctor's orders extremely seriously. He told me I should feel better within a week and I joked with him that I'd give him six days to make it better so that I was great for Miss Virginia! He said it was a good thing I was a dancer and not a singer, but I assured him that whispering through my interview was not going to result in a high score! So fingers crossed and prayers sent that this sickness gets better in a few days. I'm getting a lot of sleep and limiting how often I need to talk.
Ever since I was little, I always examined every difficult situation and tried to pump myself up by 1) coming up with one or two positives about the situation and 2) thinking of one way it could be worse. So, all the peace and quiet and lack of phone calls allows me to truly focus my mind on Miss Virginia. And at least I don't have strep or meningitis!
I know that if I have the determination to pull off this in just two months, once I arrive at Miss Virginia it's just the icing on the cake. I think it will be so much fun and the payoff for almost a year of hard work. My director seems more nervous than I do! He keeps checking in to see how my packing is going (fine). We are finally down to only buying last minute things! I'm so thrilled about my swimsuits, too. They fit well and I really like the colors.
Keeping the positive thoughts rolling all the way through Miss Virginia!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
asking for prayers...
Please pray for me. The last few days I haven't felt quite myself, but today it escalated into something even worse. I am losing my voice, afflicted by a pounding headache, and can't keep any food down. This seems the most inopportune time to be sick, especially since I am religious about Lysol/hand washing and taking my vitamins. I just hope that this will all be gone by Sunday, June 22, so I can check into Miss Virginia fully healthy.
I'm not sure how I got sick, but I have been pushing myself really hard lately and perhaps was system was just a little perceptible to illness. I'll be spending this Friday night in bed trying to get back to normal.
Fingers crossed that I feel better soon!
I'm not sure how I got sick, but I have been pushing myself really hard lately and perhaps was system was just a little perceptible to illness. I'll be spending this Friday night in bed trying to get back to normal.
Fingers crossed that I feel better soon!
Good news!
The Miss Virginia People's Choice voting has begun!
Please vote for me, Laura Pennington-Miss Commonwealth!
CLICK HERE TO VOTE
Please vote for me, Laura Pennington-Miss Commonwealth!
CLICK HERE TO VOTE
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
A night for newbies part 2
Miss Kansas
Miss South DakotaI woke up this morning to find out that rookies also took the Miss Kansas and Miss South Dakota titles! Wow!
19 year old Emily Deaver, Miss Augusta, took the Miss Kansas title last night. Earlier in the week, she won talent, evening gown, and swimsuit!
Alexandra Hoffman, a former USA titleholder, won Miss South Dakota after winning talent and swimsuit preliminaries earlier in the week.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
A night for newbies
Miss Alabama, Amanda Tapley
Miss Oklahoma, Kelsey CartwrightWhile I chatted online with a friend, I was following to see the results of the state pageants tonight. Two rookies (at least as far as I can tell) won two powerhouse states, Alabama and Oklahoma. Oklahoma City University student Kelsey Cartwright took Oklahoma (I almost went to OCU-great school with lots of pageant background!) She held the title of Miss Keystone Lake and it seems like this was her first time at the state level.
Unconfirmed results for Alabama have Amanda Tapley as the winner. I just checked the Miss AL website and Amanda is indeed the winner!
Way to go, ladies!
Many people know, especially those who have been involved in pageants before, that pageants can be expensive. The payback, however, are skills, memories, and friendships that last a lifetime, among other things.
I have hesitated to post about the financial stress that pageants can cause because it seems to personal.
I won my pageant on April 4, 2008. I knew winning the pageant that it would be a challenge to come up with everything that Miss Virginia requires as far as paperwork in addition to acquiring all the outfits in such a short period of time. Somehow, we have managed to accomplish a great deal while maintaining really good attitudes about any setbacks. Finding evening gowns long enough for someone almost six feet tall is a nightmare, and somehow we managed to do it, thanks to my patient directors and two wonderful women who helped us.
Since April 4, money has flown out the window. In addition to preparing for Miss Virginia, I work two jobs- one on campus and one off campus. I work between 60-80 hours a week in a regular week. If I have a lot of Miss Virginia appointments that week, sometimes I work a little less. For the most part, however, I work all the time. My downtime is devoted to dance lessons, personal trainer sessions, practicing for interview, and exercise on my own time. Every spare second has been devoted to Miss Virginia- and I love that. I have the determination to make the most of the Miss Commonwealth title, and I have taken that personal challenge on from the moment I won that crown.
That said, those who know my closely know my financial situation. I come from a family of extremely modest means. My mother and I frequently work multiple jobs to make ends meet. I funded my college education on my own, via grants and numerous scholarships that always seemed to come at just the right time. I worked two jobs through all college every single year and balanced that with a full course load every semester. In short, I worked hard. One of the first terms I would use to describe myself would be "hard worker". I will give my all to something if I really put my mind to it.
It is so hard to prepare for the Miss Virginia pageant without the help of sponsors. For those who have given and helped me achieve this accomplishment of competing on that stage in Roanoke in two weeks, I thank you.
This last week has been particularly challenging because we are nearing the end. It seems as though the expenses are rolling in much more quickly than my paychecks are, and I would appreciate any help from people willing to donate towards my cause. All my blog readers know that this has been a dream of mine for a very long time, and something that I worked very hard for over the course of this last year. If there is anything I know something about, it's perseverance.
As we near my arrival date in Roanoke, I wanted to publicly put it out there that I could use your help. Whatever you have to give would be welcomed. I feel so confident about all my clothing choices and myself, and all I need at this point is that final financial push to get me there. Any help that any of you can provide would be such a wonderful gift.
If you are interested in helping me or know of someone else, please email me:
annelaura04@yahoo.com
Thanks to all of my sponsors so far, I could not have done this without you!
I have hesitated to post about the financial stress that pageants can cause because it seems to personal.
I won my pageant on April 4, 2008. I knew winning the pageant that it would be a challenge to come up with everything that Miss Virginia requires as far as paperwork in addition to acquiring all the outfits in such a short period of time. Somehow, we have managed to accomplish a great deal while maintaining really good attitudes about any setbacks. Finding evening gowns long enough for someone almost six feet tall is a nightmare, and somehow we managed to do it, thanks to my patient directors and two wonderful women who helped us.
Since April 4, money has flown out the window. In addition to preparing for Miss Virginia, I work two jobs- one on campus and one off campus. I work between 60-80 hours a week in a regular week. If I have a lot of Miss Virginia appointments that week, sometimes I work a little less. For the most part, however, I work all the time. My downtime is devoted to dance lessons, personal trainer sessions, practicing for interview, and exercise on my own time. Every spare second has been devoted to Miss Virginia- and I love that. I have the determination to make the most of the Miss Commonwealth title, and I have taken that personal challenge on from the moment I won that crown.
That said, those who know my closely know my financial situation. I come from a family of extremely modest means. My mother and I frequently work multiple jobs to make ends meet. I funded my college education on my own, via grants and numerous scholarships that always seemed to come at just the right time. I worked two jobs through all college every single year and balanced that with a full course load every semester. In short, I worked hard. One of the first terms I would use to describe myself would be "hard worker". I will give my all to something if I really put my mind to it.
It is so hard to prepare for the Miss Virginia pageant without the help of sponsors. For those who have given and helped me achieve this accomplishment of competing on that stage in Roanoke in two weeks, I thank you.
This last week has been particularly challenging because we are nearing the end. It seems as though the expenses are rolling in much more quickly than my paychecks are, and I would appreciate any help from people willing to donate towards my cause. All my blog readers know that this has been a dream of mine for a very long time, and something that I worked very hard for over the course of this last year. If there is anything I know something about, it's perseverance.
As we near my arrival date in Roanoke, I wanted to publicly put it out there that I could use your help. Whatever you have to give would be welcomed. I feel so confident about all my clothing choices and myself, and all I need at this point is that final financial push to get me there. Any help that any of you can provide would be such a wonderful gift.
If you are interested in helping me or know of someone else, please email me:
annelaura04@yahoo.com
Thanks to all of my sponsors so far, I could not have done this without you!
Update
There isn't too much to report on, because I'm spending all of my free time getting ready to arrive at Miss Virginia in just two short weeks! I'm enjoying getting ready for that and we have certainly entered 'crunch time'. I'm going to be so excited to arrive there because I have never worked this hard in such a short period of time. What myself and my directors have managed to pull off since April 4, 2008, is a major accomplishment. During the interviews at Miss Commonwealth, I spoke about my ability to take a major task and run with it. My determination is what pushes me to keep going to do my best, and I know that I will enjoy Miss Virginia week because of all the hard work I have put into it.
I intend to write a detailed post (at least one!) before heading off to Miss Virginia. I am so grateful for the support I have received from friends around the county (and the world!) as I head out on this crazy adventure. I'm so blessed to be working towards two of my major goals at the same time- going to graduate school and competing for Miss Virginia. I have such great determination and I know that however the cards fall in Roanoke in three weeks, I will go on to whatever is next with excitement and pride.
My faith in myself has really been renewed since winning Miss Commonwealth and graduating college. If you had asked me four years ago as a high school graduate whether I ever thought I could afford college, I would have told you "no". I was so blessed to receive over a dozen outside scholarships in addition to scholarships from RMWC that made my education possible. I know that I can relate to so many people who are questioning reaching for their dreams, because I questioned that, too. But here I stand a graduate of a wonderful private college, about to head for my masters. Yesterday I even received a phone call from an Assistant Dean at another university and she encouraged me to consider this school for my PHD, even though that is two years away!
I'm so proud of the amazing opportunities I have been given and I know that I am making the most of them!
I intend to write a detailed post (at least one!) before heading off to Miss Virginia. I am so grateful for the support I have received from friends around the county (and the world!) as I head out on this crazy adventure. I'm so blessed to be working towards two of my major goals at the same time- going to graduate school and competing for Miss Virginia. I have such great determination and I know that however the cards fall in Roanoke in three weeks, I will go on to whatever is next with excitement and pride.
My faith in myself has really been renewed since winning Miss Commonwealth and graduating college. If you had asked me four years ago as a high school graduate whether I ever thought I could afford college, I would have told you "no". I was so blessed to receive over a dozen outside scholarships in addition to scholarships from RMWC that made my education possible. I know that I can relate to so many people who are questioning reaching for their dreams, because I questioned that, too. But here I stand a graduate of a wonderful private college, about to head for my masters. Yesterday I even received a phone call from an Assistant Dean at another university and she encouraged me to consider this school for my PHD, even though that is two years away!
I'm so proud of the amazing opportunities I have been given and I know that I am making the most of them!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Proud to be an RMWC Alum
A huge thank you to Elizabeth, an outstanding R-MWC alum who has given me time, help with my senior paper, flowers, and donations towards my fundraising for Children's Miracle Network. With your help, I have reached my goal of raising $650 for CMN this year!
You and your family are truly a treasure and I am so thankful for all your support throughout this past year. You exemplify the term "Randolph Macon Woman."
Monday, June 2, 2008
I'm updating!
It has been really busy lately, but I thought I'd check in and update.
All of my time is either spent working or preparing for Miss Virginia. I really wouldn't have it any other way. As we get closer to that week in Roanoke, I feel a mix of excitement and nerves. This is the first time I'm competing at a state pageant like this. I am, however, really excited about all of my competition wear. We are almost finished shopping, and I think this is a good thing! Both myself and my directors are a little worn down from the constant clothes-seeking.
Everything looks really sharp though and flatters my personal style. We lucked out working with some great people to help us find gowns, and we actually located all the gowns within two weekends! It seemed like whenever I was ready to give up looking for something in particular, it would jump out at me! That happened with the competition gown and my interview suit.
I've been really busy meeting with all the people who are helping me be at my "most prepared" for Miss Virginia. I think I'm really going to enjoy the week, and I'm really excited about my Miss Virginia roommate, Miss Virginia Beach Shannon Oliver, because she seems like SUCH a sweet girl and I think we will get along really well and enjoy the week together.
This whole experience has been such a blessing because I really feel like I have some really great people behind me. I have felt so grateful because every time I hit an obstacle someone has stepped forward and been really helpful or offered up something to make the situation a little better.
This last weekend was alumnae reunion on campus. It was really neat to meet some alums from the Class of 1958 as well as all years. They had some really neat events on campus and I really enjoyed hearing two comedians that graduated from here. I also got to spend the weekend at the beach enjoying myself. I wont get a day off again until the week after Miss Virginia, and I think that's just the right timing- I'm going to need a break!
I want to thank everyone for the supportive emails, letters, and phone calls over the last few weeks. It really makes this experience that much more special.
Keep an eye out soon for my new website!
All of my time is either spent working or preparing for Miss Virginia. I really wouldn't have it any other way. As we get closer to that week in Roanoke, I feel a mix of excitement and nerves. This is the first time I'm competing at a state pageant like this. I am, however, really excited about all of my competition wear. We are almost finished shopping, and I think this is a good thing! Both myself and my directors are a little worn down from the constant clothes-seeking.
Everything looks really sharp though and flatters my personal style. We lucked out working with some great people to help us find gowns, and we actually located all the gowns within two weekends! It seemed like whenever I was ready to give up looking for something in particular, it would jump out at me! That happened with the competition gown and my interview suit.
I've been really busy meeting with all the people who are helping me be at my "most prepared" for Miss Virginia. I think I'm really going to enjoy the week, and I'm really excited about my Miss Virginia roommate, Miss Virginia Beach Shannon Oliver, because she seems like SUCH a sweet girl and I think we will get along really well and enjoy the week together.
This whole experience has been such a blessing because I really feel like I have some really great people behind me. I have felt so grateful because every time I hit an obstacle someone has stepped forward and been really helpful or offered up something to make the situation a little better.
This last weekend was alumnae reunion on campus. It was really neat to meet some alums from the Class of 1958 as well as all years. They had some really neat events on campus and I really enjoyed hearing two comedians that graduated from here. I also got to spend the weekend at the beach enjoying myself. I wont get a day off again until the week after Miss Virginia, and I think that's just the right timing- I'm going to need a break!
I want to thank everyone for the supportive emails, letters, and phone calls over the last few weeks. It really makes this experience that much more special.
Keep an eye out soon for my new website!
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