August 2- August 13th

Hello Friends!

The beginning of August was relatively calm, and I was able to catch up on some well-needed rest. I had a phone interview with Women's World Magazine and the Beauty Bean Blog which was followed by a dentist appointment at Webster Cosmetic Dentistry in Dover! Tuesday, August 3rd, I travelled to New York City with my mother and my Executive Director to meet with my favorite gown designer to find the perfect gown for the Miss America pageant! We met Ronnie and Deborah Weaver from the Bridal Suite at Johnstown just before the appointment, and they helped in the selection process. Thank you, Ronnie for making the appointment and for allowing my mother to accompany me on this special day! She and I will never forget this experience and it would not have been the same without her there! But I know I could not have made my choice without your help! Thank you, again, for supporting me.

Wednesday morning I recorded a Public Service Announcement for the Huntington's Disease Foundation and met with the Paul Timmons at The Firm in Rehoboth Beach for my consultation. On Thursday, I was at the Dairy Queen in Camden to celebrate Miracle Day and fundraise for the Children's Miracle Network! I am so pleased that my favorite ice cream spot donates thousands of dollars to such a wonderful cause. While at Dairy Queen, I learned how to make a Blizzard!!!! AND I discovered the newest menu item- a mini Blizzard- which is a pageant girl's best friend! The mini Blizzard is a smaller option and therefore a more calorie-conscious one as well! I was told by the manager that you can only know if you made a Blizzard properly if you turn it upside down, and nothing falls out! I am not usually very timid, but I was petrified to try this with fear it would spill everywhere! I decided to just go for it and come to find out--- I made it correctly! And to celebrate- I ate it correctly :) My father even trusted me to make his Blizzard as well!

Friday I worked out and attended the first part of Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen, Katelynn Mayers' send off party. Katelynn looked beautiful in every piece of wardrobe, and I could tell she was ready to conquer the world! Or at least the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant. I was only able to stay a few minutes because I was then off to Dover Downs Hotel & Casino (where I was crowned Miss Delaware less than two months before) to judge the first night of the Elvis Competition! I had such a great time, and the contestants were all incredible. I gained such respect for the Miss Delaware judges that night, because it was very stressful to judge these talent men! Later that night, while I was still at the Elvis Competition, the 20/20 feature with Deborah Roberts aired on ABC. When I returned home I was able to see the piece and was beyond pleased with what the 20/20 crew produced. I cannot thank Ruth Chenetz, and Deborah Roberts enough for contacting me and highlighting me in such a positive way. They were so kind and helpful throughout the whole process!

Saturday I attended a fundraiser in Greenwood to raise money for a local family who lost everything when their home caught fire recently. It was my pleasure to be there, and help support a local family. The young daughter was just so excited to meet Miss Delaware and take lots of photos with me. Those moments really made me appreciate this opportunity, and I know I will never forget her. Thank you to everyone who attended the event and for spending the afternoon with me!

I left the fundraiser and rushed to the Possum Point Theatre in Georgetown to spend time with the Miss Tri-County contestants. Can you believe they are already trying to take my job-- and I just became Miss Delaware two months ago!!! Just kidding :) It excites me to think that one of those young women may have the opportunity to experience what I have in the past two months! I emceed the first part of the pageant, but was on the road once again to judge the final night of the Elvis Competition! Thankfully I was given the update later that evening that Erin Magnin became the new Miss Tri-County!!! Congratulations to Erin, and I cannot wait to see her compete in the Miss Delaware 2011 pageant next June!

The final night of the Elvis competition was lots of fun! Each of the ten finalists was able to sing three of their favorite Elvis songs- and boy, were they impressive! They sound, look and dance just like 'The King'! Even though I was not alive during Elvis' time, I have a great appreciation for his music, and luckily I am well-versed in his dancing style! Thank you, to Dover Downs Hotel & Casino for inviting me to judge!

Sunday morning rounded out the week for me with a fun, small-town parade. Donald Tatman, Miss Delaware's driver, escorted me in the Big Thursday Parade (ironically held on a Sunday) in Bowers Beach! I had a terrific time in spite of the heat, and enjoyed a fried oyster sandwich and homemade ice cream from my favorite local spot- Vitale's!

Monday was a day spent catching up on correspondence, blogging, phone calls, and organizing! Tuesday morning I met a young lady for lunch at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. She has Alopecia Areata, just like me! She flew in from California, and was brought by her aunt from Pennsylvania, who was equally as sweet. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and were able to talk about everything from how we lost our hair, to our favorite movies! We even had a mini photo shoot with the crown!

That night I attended the Delaware Electric Coop.'s Annual Meeting at the Delaware State Fair Grounds with my Business Manager, Susan, and her husband, Gene. This was a huge event with so many Kent and Sussex Countians in attendance! Dinner was provided by Mills Bros. (a deli down the street from my parent's home), and there were all kinds of free goodies including dessert- which you probably know by now, is the way to my heart! Thank you to the Delaware Electric Coop. for including me in this wonderful opportunity to meet so many Delawareans!

Thank you for being a part of my year as your Miss Delaware! Stay tuned for the many exciting things to come!

With Love, Kayla