"..and if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans."

I cut my hair on Friday! Well...Sal cut my hair on Friday. It's not too short, don't be alarmed. Right after that, I went to the Meals with the Masters event at the Chase Center at the Riverfront. It was a lot of fun chatting with people and selling guesses for the Cork Challenge. Only five bucks to guess the number of corks in the display! The winner took home a huge "Barrel of Cheer!" Would you believe the number of corks was 1124!! Whew!! That whole challenge took hours! All the while, I'm standing in the same spot, smiling, and inviting people to hand me their five dollars. I had the chance to break away for a few minutes though, to grab some food and sorbet! I even got a free cook book from Big Fish!! Not bad, eh?

As you can imagine, I didn't get much sleep Friday night since I had to drive home from Wilmington and get things together for....MISS DELAWARE ORIENTATION. Yes, it's true...orientations are already starting (which means my year as Miss Delaware is officially coming to an end). I woke up early Saturday morning on very little sleep, got my things together and started my hour-long drive down to Georgetown. Well I left a few minutes later than I had planned..so I guess I was traveling a little faster than normal. All I can say is, THANK YOUUUUU Officer Gallagher! Thank you. I had a nice little chat with the Trooper about my appearance with Troop 4 in December, and was on my way...at a slower annnnd safer speed :) Orientation was fun, but I really started getting tired once my RedBull began wearing off. That stuff doesn't last forever!

I had Church on Sunday then went to the mall to waste the 1.5hours that I had between Church and my appearance. Remember that I will soon be a college student again..I decided to swing into American Eagle. This is one store I have not shopped in this year because the clothes are not what I wear to appearances. Boy did it feel good to get some "campus clothing!" Then I went over to the Duncan Center for the Downtown Dover event..including a fashion show! I modeled a really cute dress and beautiful jewelry from Belle Boutique and Forney's. It was a fun event, however getting onto the runway that had no steps, in a short (not too short though!) dress was a bit challenging. I made it though!..with the help of two very nice escorts.





Miss USA was on Sunday night! We were well-represented by Kate! and I kept seeing her backstage!! I'm sure she had a blast out there and can't wait to hear about it!..if we ever have an appearance together hehe.

I was in the dental office all day today. It started going much better once I had my RockStar drink!..took my headache away. Then Jen and I went to get pedicures and manicures. It was a relaxing end to a raaaainy Monday.

April Showers....isn't it May yet??

After days of constant rain, I am ready for the sunshine..and an opportunity to wash my car! Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the rain we get because I'm sure that we need it...but nothing beats the sun!!

Let's back up a week..orrrr two. On April Fools Day (AKA Trish's birthday!) I went down south to a fellow Methodist Church to perform and speak at a Bible Study. Being Methodist myself, I already had the correct hymnal and played a few hymns to get the group warmed up! I spoke a bit about my year, my medical mission trip to Guatemala, Miss America, why I started competed, etc..then proceeded to perform a classical piece as well as El Cumbanchero, my Miss America talent piece. I loaded up my things and traveled up to Philadelphia, barely beating the rain! I was interviewed on Comcast SportsNet about my involvement with the Children's Miracle Network and about CHOP's (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) affiliation with CMN as well. Seeing as the Children's Miracle Network is the national platform for the Miss America Org, I was pretttty familiar with it!

The next day, I got my butt kicked in the gym by Trainer Dan. The day after my workout with Dan, I got a text from Bob and Melanie, the coordinators of the Miss Delaware Golf Tournament. They asked me how it went at the gym (meaning, did you get a hole sponsorship), and I proceeded to text them back: "it went well, but I am SORE!" haha not exactly the answer they were looking for.

I joined Bill Yoast, the coach from Remember the Titans, down in Laurel for their Community Walk event on Saturday. He was such a nice man! and I really enjoyed sitting next to him to sign autographs all morning. He even called Herman Boone on the phone so that I could talk to him! Apparently he was relaxing in Florida while Bill and I tried our hardest to shield ourselves from the unrelenting wind!

The next week (last week), I forgot I was Miss Delaware and felt like I was a teacher! I was in schools all day most of the days. The first day of "teaching" was at Towne Point Elementary right in Dover for Dental Presentations. They were having a Science and Math Day. A couple of the kids and I were caught on video and shown later that night on the news, but as usual, I missed it and heard about it later haha.

Lord Baltimore Elementary was the next destination..and as promised..I've posted a picture of one of the classes (funny faces and all!). This school had some of the most well-behaved students I have ever seen, so kudos to them! I had a great day with the kids presenting for Right Decisions Right Now. They even convinced me to eat lunch with them in the cafeteria..and it just so happened to be their Easter Dinner lunch special that day. It made me miss the dining hall at UofD hah..well...maybe just UD. I could do without ever eating in a dining hall again.

Thursday came and I was visiting North Georgetown Elementary School for their Tobacco Fair. I had a Tobacco Exhibit set up with experiments ranging from tar build-up, to restricted breathing. Every seven minutes, I would get a new group of kids to present too. We did this for a couple hours and then I got to speak with the exhibitors next to me! I took a break, set up my Character Counts presentation material, and then spoke about good character to the entire 3rd grade.

The Mr. DE 2009 "Mangeant" was held on Saturday night. I arrived a few hours early to help, rehearse, and visit. I was one of the judges and also performed that night! The pageant was so funny, and the talent was incredible!! Judging it was a tough job, but I had fun with my fellow judges panel members. Congrats to Andrew Knopf, our new Mr. DE. It was a very late night, which required a 20oz coffee for the way home. Great minds think alike, because I saw Mandie (MDOT 08) and her parents in wawa afterwards too hehe.

Oh, and Ashley FINALLY had her baby!!!! Little Madalynn!! 7lbs 2oz.

Sunday was Easter so I started the day off in church. It was a little more crowded than usual, and since I was busy visiting in fellowship hall beforehand, I got to the sanctuary late and almost ended up without a seat!..oops! The service went well and reminded us all of the true meaning of Easter. Afterwards, I went to the hospital to see Ashley and baby Madalynn. She is too cute! and so tiny! I got to hold her and shared the visit with Kirsten, her husband Jeff, and her two sons Brighton and Ben. It was great to see Ashley, but I must say, I was far more fascinated by the size of the baby's fingernails!!..incredible.

That afternoon, we had a FULL HOUSE at home! Some of my mom's side, some of my dad's side..all together for Easter. It was so nice to see everyone!

Monday was another day of Golf Tournament work with Melanie and Bob. These are all-day affairs!! We were a little less successful that day than we had been in the past, but we still came out with more donations and sponsorships than we started with, so overall...success!! I learn more about those two (Bob and Melanie) when we take the Golf Tourney outings than any other time..they are too funny! Melanie even made me an Easter Basket!! She's too sweet =D

I was working in the dental office yesterday and met three young boys who's mom knew I was Miss Delaware...she told them that she had a surprise for them at the dental office hehe I was their surprise! The one guy, Nick has spoken to and seen me a couple times in the past, but would never believe his mom that I was Miss Delaware! Here are the incidents:
He came into the dental office in the past and his mom said, "You know who checked you in, right? Nick answered, "no, who?" She said, "That was Miss Delaware." He responded with a cool "Yeah right mom."

Then in church one Sunday just after the service, a little guy (Nick) came up to me and complimented me on my coat. Of course I thanked him and we chatted for a little while. Afterwards his mom again said, "You know who you were talking to, right?" and proceeded to tell him that I was Miss Delaware, but again, Nick told his mom that he didn't believe her.

Well, a few weeks later in church, I was asked to perform the prelude on the piano. In the middle of me playing, Nick got up from his seat and walked out of the sanctuary. After the service his mom, AGAIN, said.."you know who was playing the piano, right? That was Miss Delaware." He still, still didn't believe her!

When he came into the dental office yesterday, his mom told him that I was his surprise, so I signed him a photo hoping that he would finally believe her! haha He did! We even had a picture taken of the two of us on his phone and he kept coming to the front desk to visit throughout their appointments and as his mom checked them out. I guess he'll believe his mom next time hehe.

Last night, I was presented with a Tribute in Levy Court. They were very kind and wanted to honor me for my success this year. I also watched as Madison was honored for her incredible community service accomplishments through her involvement with Diabetes awareness, research, and fundraising. She is such an inspiration to young kids, teens, and even adults! She has been working with this cause since the age of five!..FIVE! She's now in eighth grade and has been presented with the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. to join other honorary community members. She certainly has a bright future ahead of her!

Tomorrow I'll be trying on outfits in Belle Boutique to get ready for the Fashion Show this weekend. There will be pictures of the event to follow, but if you're interested..it will be held at the Duncan Center in Dover on Sunday at 2:30pm!

I officially have less than two months until I crown my successor and pass on the JOB of Miss Delaware! Someone's life will be changing dramatically in two short months!!


Here are a couple plugs for upcoming Miss Delaware events!!!!

MAY 3RD - "AN AFTERNOON WITH MISS DELAWARE" CELEBRATING GOD AND COUNTRY
FEATURING: GERALD HOCKER AND THE JAMBOREE BOYS
ALL 4 HIM
MISS DELAWARE (ME)
CHELSEA BETTS (MDOT 07)
2PM
GEORGETOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL, GEORGETOWN, DE
CONTACT SUSAN COLLINS (302.732.9366) FOR TICKET INFO


MAY 31 - MISS DELAWARE GALA
DUNCAN CENTER, DOVER, DE
11AM-2PM BRUNCH


Talk to you soon!! :)

Picking up from where I left off last week, I was able to visit North Dover Elementary School in Dover for their Super Science Day! Being a Biology major and science nerd, I was really excited to have fun with the kids for an event like Super Science Day. My duties for the day revolved mainly around my Dental Presentations, something I absolutely love doing. I was presenting to the kindergarteners and the 2nd grade! The classes were great audiences and the kids seemed to have a good time.

The following day, I embarked on countless stops around Kent County with Bob. We were looking for Door Prize donations and Hole Sponsors for our Miss Delaware Golf Tournament, and were very successful! If you're a golfer, or know one, we are having a Miss Delaware Golf Tournament on May 20 at Jonathans Landing in Magnolia. All proceeds benefit our scholarship fund!!! I might even be playing (oh boy..). Sadly, I worked at a golf course for years and still don't know how to golf! I'm working on it though..

This past weekend brought a whole slew of pageant outings! I was at the Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen (AKA my little sister :D ) rehearsal in the afternoon, and then shot up to Philadelphia with George to attend the Miss Philadelphia pageant! Their director, Kevin, was one of my judges at Miss Delaware so I must say, I'm a fan!! Congratulations to Ryan, the new Miss Philadelphia! She and the other 15 contestants did a great job and offered a high level of entertainment with their talent presentations!! I was also able to reunite with Kendria, Miss Pennsylvania, and Julia Rae, Miss Pennsylvania's Outstanding Teen! Both are beautiful ladies and I always enjoy bumping into them!! We got to sit next to eachother down in the front row and updated eachother on our travels. Kendria had just been vacationing in Florida!..SO jealous!!!

I also got to meet John Bolaris!! He is a four-time Emmy Award Winner for his work as a Meteorologist and show host! He was very friendly, and was kind enough to take a picture with me. Along with John is the owner of Bec-Fin, the epitome of "fine dining." The restaurant is located in Philadelphia and holds long-standing awards from Mobil Five Star and AAA’s Five Diamond. Georges Perrier was very nice and invited me to come dine at his well-known Bec-Fin. Hopefully I'll be able to head up there sometime soon!!!

Sunday morning came way to soon!..seeing as I got home very late the night before from the Miss Philadelphia pageant. Regardless, I was up early, loaded up my car with gowns and cocktail dress, curling irons, hairspray, various lipsticks, jewelry to match each dress, my crown and sash, and many other "necessities" for the evening, stopped for the usual Some Guy's whole-wheat-double-toasted-with-a-little-bit-of-butter-bagel, and was on my way down to Georgetown for the Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen 2009 pageant!..the crowning of my new little sister!

The morning was much less stressful for me than for the 19 contestants, as they had interviews very early, and anticipation of the pageant all day! I was so excited for them! and to perform with MY teen, Mandie Debus. I performed the "Feather Theme" from Forest Gump as she danced effortlessly across the stage. I can't wait to see the dvd of the performance! However, I must admit that my desire to never watch the dvd of the rest of the night may prevent me from ever seeing our joint performance. I will explain. Aimee and I were co-emcees for the evening and in our dressing room beforehand, we talked about how we always plan our filler when we have to emcee. We both stated that we always prepare more filler than we could ever need and then we proceeded to coordinate our filler so we would have seamless transitions if time needed to be (bought?) purchased? hah. The whole pageant went very smoothly with filler being needed only when the piano had to be moved on and off the stage. Later in the evening, I came back-stage early after a dress-change and heard Aimee talking about something semi-random, will you. I asked Kyle if she was buying time and he said "Yes, I think the computer crashed." I decided to help a Miss Delaware Sister out and go buy time with her..trying to keep the attention of the audience as they anxiously awaited the results of the entire competition, all the while the contestants smiling (probably painfully at this point) endlessly on stage. Aimee and I were blowing through our planned filler topics pretty quickly, and then noticed that the contestants were now exiting the stage (not supposed to happen since we were supposed to be announcing the Top 5). Time was passing ever so slowing as the audiences eyes stared into ours, the spot light shining down like a heated beam illuminating only the two of us, and the auditors scrambling down below the stage as they tried to resolve whatever problem/glitch had occured. Well as you know, the pageant community is very tight-knit and so talking about myself or my platform is almost like playing a broken record..they've already heard it!! I just kept thinking..calm, cool, and collective..just chat with Aimee..but we continued to run out of things to talk about. Mandie joined us, but again, we had already used our fillers, talked about Miss Delaware, Miss America, Countdown to the Crown, couldn't think of any jokes, advertised for our upcoming events, recognized the titleholders in the audience, announced the 50/50 winner, announced the Silent Auction Winners..and still..STILL, no Top 5!
Finally, at some point, I saw someone walking toward the stage with what appeared to be an envelope, so we talked for a couple more mintues while the contestants came back out onto the stage and..ON WITH THE SHOW! Whew!! Do you see why I may never watch that dvd?..my most dreadful and embarassing emceeing job. At least I wasn't alone, I suppose.
The end result?..Danielle Marshall is my new Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!

So after a very long weekend, and nightmare of an emceeing situation, I got to sleep in on Monday!..ha ha ha NOT!!! hehe I was down in Georgetown by 9am to travel all around Sussex County with Melanie collecting more Hole Sponsors for our Golf Tournament. We were very successful, but Sussex County is much more spread out than the other two counties in Delaware, so it took longer to reach less businesses. It was so much fun getting to know her though!..oh the stories!!

Today? Very similar to yesterday. I was with Bob traveling all over Kent County again getting my sponsors for the Golf Tournament. As usual, we started getting pretty tired after lunch but continued until we had reached all 35-40 businesses that we had planned on approaching today!

I'm just getting ready for a busy day tomorrow. Piano performances and Children's Miracle Network Telecasts..should be fun!