Ok ok, I know what you're thinking...was I really a Beauty Queen? Yep! Sure was! And it was the experience of a lifetime! Before entering the Mrs. Idaho America pageant, my perception of "beauty queens" was that they wore a lot of make up and a pretty dress to prance around on stage and that was it. That was my view from the outside.
How many things in life do we have a "view from the outside" and we really think we know what it's about? That's another topic for another day though. ; )
I had a couple friends who were competing in the Mrs. Idaho America competition and they kept trying to get me to join. I politely declined because I didn't think it was for me. Later that year, I was at the point in my life where I was ready for something new...a new challenge to jump into and surround myself with other incredible women and so I thought about the pageant again. I began to give myself all of the reasons why not to do it..."I'm not a pageant girl." "I'm not pretty enough." "I don't know anybody." "I am scared to be on stage." You get the point. I caught myself in my mental downward spiral and changed my thinking. I started to ask myself a different question. Instead of asking myself "why" and talking myself out of it, I began to ask myself, "why not me?" (yet another topic for another day) ; )
I realized that all of the reasons I was saying no to this new opportunity were based on fear and insecurities. Because I knew that, I jumped in! Was I afraid? Heck yeah! Did I do it anyways? Yep! I dove in, researched online, met with other girls and went to workshops. I tried on dresses, learned what colors looked best on me and got my body in the best shape of my life. You know what else happened? I grew mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. Guess what else happened? I WON! It was quite the year (check out my journey on my Mrs. Idaho FB Page). I volunteered and served in my community and all over the state. I competed in the Mrs. America competition and had a blast! I met other incredible women from all over the country who were making a difference in their communities. We filled an entire semi-truck full of shoes for orphans in Africa. We were a community. We were a tribe. We still are and they are some of the best friends i could ever ask for.
So, needless to say, in my experience with Mrs. Idaho and competing in Mrs. America, besides all of the public speaking growth that happened, the increase in my network, gaining amazing friends, the volunteering, and the fun I had, I also picked up some tips and tricks about hair, make-up and fashion. Yes, I absolutely believe that beauty comes from the inside...but it doesn't hurt to know what color looks best on you, now, does it? I like to call it accentuating our strengths and assets =) Be sure to check out the resources below!
For your viewing pleasure (and because I'm a total dork), I included this fun little video of the Mrs. Idaho ladies and me during my last weekend as Mrs. Idaho America =)
Enjoy! ; )
FOR PAGEANT COMPETITORS, HERE ARE DOZENS OF PRACTICE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE RECORDED (AND HAVE BEEN ASKED AT A STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL).
THE RECORDING CAN BE PURCHASED, DOWNLOADED, AND USED FOR PRACTICE WHEREVER YOU ARE AT!
IT WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION FOLLOWED BY A 30-SECOND "BLANK AIR-SPACE" FOR YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. IN THE RECORDING, I GIVE SOME INTERVIEW TIPS SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A CONFIDENT INTERVIEW.
Welcome to your pageant interview practice resource! This digital download is a recording that includes dozens of pageant questions that will challenge you and help you grow into the best interviewer you can be. These questions are sure to help you be clear and concise with your answers and help improve communication with your message! On the recording, each question is asked, followed by 30-seconds of "blank space" for you to answer the question. Whether in the car, at the gym, while getting ready, because this recording is a digital download, you can practice with this recording anywhere!
This recording and download is intended to be used by the purchaser. The greatest compliment you can give is a referral and the opportunity for someone else to invest in themselves by purchasing this practice session. Please do not share this private download once downloaded, but feel free to share this page with others!
Visit CharityMajors.com for more details on further resources.
Believe it or not, your skin tone, eyes and hair (yes, your natural hair, not your bottled color and hey, I don't judge...I get bottle blonde, but it's right for my skin tone) ALL MATTER...
CLICK HERE AND CHECK OUT THIS BLOG FOR WAYS TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT COLORS FIT YOU BEST!
Araza Natural Beauty Makeup is My ALL TIME FAVORITE make-up line...it's organic, it has great coverage, it is perfection for your face.
Trust me. I'm a Beauty Queen ; )
Need a little guide on how and where to contour? This helped me a ton! Check out this quick and easy 1-page guide to help you bring out your best features!