Miss Delaware Wrap-up

Shew...I think I'm finally starting to recover from Miss Delaware Week.  I have been sleeping like it's my job! I apologize to those of you who were looking for a Miss Delaware Blog on Thurs, Friday, and Saturday.  I was getting about four hours of sleep each night and literally could not gather up the energy to miss another hour of sleep to blog.  I literally didn't have 5 minutes to myself during any of those days to catch up.

The week was crazy, frustrating, amazing and overwhelming and at the end of the day, I was reminded why I continue to volunteer year after year for this wonderful organization.  The 23 contestants who competed this year were outstanding.  I am so happy that I have had the opportunity to go through this experience with them and see the growth in each of them.  This group of contestants have huge hearts and are seriously going to change our state for the better.  I loved seeing lasting friendships develop and I also enjoyed seeing the way they handled the pressure, lack of sleep and nerves.  I think that those circumstances often bring out the true nature of person and I was overwhelmingly impressed.  For the most part, the contestants are just good souls through and through.  I am so very excited for the future of the Miss Delaware Program.

As always I enjoyed spending time with my Miss Delaware Sisters.  Every single time I find myself among I group of them I am just in awe!  I can't believe I get to be a part of that group!!!! I swear they all grow more impressive with each passing year.  Many of my "Big Sisters" have no idea how much of a role model that they have and continue to be to me.  I can only hope that some of my Little Sisters look at me the same way.

Congratulations to the entire Miss Delaware Board!  We did it again and even more sucessfully I might add:)

I want to give a huge thanks to the entire tech crew.  Gino, John, Kevin and Austin are a dream to work with.  I can honestly say that I look forward to our time together each and every year.  And of course...Kenney Workman...you know I adore you and I'm looking forward do our next adventure together.  I hope everyone will attend Les Mis in the fall to see us do our thing!

I also owe a huge thanks to Susan Powell.  I seriously love this woman!  Thanks for all you do and for loving this organization like it's your own:)

I am so proud of Miss Delaware 2011, Alyssa Murray.  What an amazing year of service she has had!  Alyssa won both a non-finalist interview award and was a quality of life finalist at Miss America but I would still be willing to bet that her lasting legacy will be the pure love and adoration she shared with the children of Delaware.  I think that says a ton about who Alyssa really is.  Welcome to the family of formers Alyssa!  You are going to love and treasure the relationships you will develop with your sisters!

And of course you already know this but the newest Miss Delaware is Becca Jackson.    When I last spoke with Becca she was just completely overwhelmed and in awe of this amazing opportunity she has been given.  Watch out Delaware....this one is ready to go and I predict big things for her!

To my four little dancers who performed in finale, Juliana, Alyana, Olivia and Ari.   I LOVE YOU!  You were just beautiful and I loved having you there with me.  It made the whole thing so much more special.  You are each so talented and I look forward to the day that I will see you competing on that stage:)

A huge thanks to my girls Carie and Misty:  I love you!  Thanks for all of your help this week.  It was so fun having you both there this year!!

To my very own super-nanny Tori:  It was so amazing to watch you compete in your first Miss Delaware pageant.  It made the week more exciting...and stressful. What a rookie season you had!  Congrats on everything and especially my favorite award...Aimee Voshell Rookie of the Year:)

Rookie of the Year

Finally, I want to give a huge shout out Dan, Brynn and Colton.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for your endless support.  Miss Delaware week wouldn't be nearly as fun if I didn't get to share it with you.  Dan you always end up with the wrath of "sleep-deprived/stressed Aimee" and you don't even complain (well...not a ton anyway).  Brynn and Colton have attended more Miss Delaware rehearsal than most humans will ever attend in their lifetime.  You two are always my biggest fans and helpers.  I love you all tons!

Here are some pageant results and pics:

Spirit Award Winners

Preliminary Talent Winners

Preliminary Swimsuit Winners

Preliminary Evening Gown Winners

Victoria Brown-O'Brien (4RU), Angelica Nardi (2RU), Becca Jackson (Miss DE), Alix Gardner (1RU), Brittany Lewis (3RU)

Other Awards Include:

Semi-Finalists:  Rebecca Lusk, Alix Gardner, Jamilia Mustafa, Angelica Nardi, Victoria Brown-O'Brien, Jacki Wahlquist, Stephanie Bailey, Brittany Lewis, Erin Magnin, Renee Bull, Becca Jackson

Non-Finalist Talent Awards:  Amanda Debus and Rosa Yancey
Judges Award of Distinction:  Rosa Yancey
Artistry Spirit Award: Angelica Nardi
Miss Congeniality:  Jamila Mustafa  (This girl is hysterical and such a pleasure to work with!  Well deserved Mila!)
Audience Favorite:  Janey Covel
Miss America Community Service Award:  Brittany Lewis
CMN Miracle Maker Award:  Amanda Debus
Miss America Academic Award:  Rebecca Lusk

Carol Maclary Excellence in Education Award:  Alix Gardner (3rd), Becky Albini (2nd), Victoria Brown-O'Brien (1st)
Miss Delaware Community Service Award:  Kaitlin Repella (3rd), Sarah Timmons (2nd), Rebecca Lusk (1st)

Miss Delaware Wednesday

LONGEST. DAY. EVER. It’s truly amazing how much stuff you can fit into a single day…

Somewhere around the crack of dawn, we all met and went to the Festival Buffet for Dinner.  This is usually the morning that the exhaustion kicks in but I have to say that our contestants are still on it.  They were all chipper, on-time, and ready to rock.  Breakfast was delicious as alwaysJ

At 7:45 am we began talent rehearsals.  Every contestant has the opportunity to perform their talent two times on the stage in costume. This is also when our tech crew is busily working out any kinks with microphones and/or volume levels and when out lighting tech, John, designs the lighting for their performance.  Rehearsals went well.  I was literally blown away by the difference I have seen from the first time they performed their talent (two months ago) until now.  These young ladies have been working and it shows!

In between working on talent, the contestants also had some arts and crafts time.  They were busily making cards for Veterans which we deliver to them on Friday. We are all really looking forward to this event. 

Following a morning of talent rehearsal we were able to squeeze in a much-needed mini production rehearsal where we worked on the opening of the second half of the show.  We only had about 30 mins to work on it but we were able to make at least a little progress. Starting to freak out a little…

Before we knew it, it was time to load up the cars and head to Dover Air Force Base.  The contestants were able to join some lucky Airmen (hope that is the right terminology) for lunch and they went on a tour of Dover Air Base including a chance to check out some aircraft.  The contestants loved this event!  They really enjoyed just getting to know the Airmen and swapping stories.

Once we returned to Dover Downs, we went straight back into another short production rehearsal.  The production numbers are still a little rough.  They are not going to be where I would like them to be for dress rehearsal but I think we will be good by show time (this is a great time for prayers everyone).

We were also able to squeeze a mini birthday party.  Becky Albini is celebrating her 21^st birthday today. We all enjoyed some yummy cupcakes served in plastic margarita glasses as a nod to her 21^st.  She was truly touched and it was a nice little break for all of us.  Happy birthday Becky!  There is no doubt that this is one you will never forget!

After a quick (and I do mean quick) dinner at the festival buffet it was time to get beautified for dress rehearsal.  I’m not even going to lie…I was NERVOUS!  I really wanted every single girl to do their best because it’s nice for them to have that last minute boost of confidence.  They did not disappoint!  The gowns, swimsuit bods and talents….WOWZA!  They are bringing it!  I’m in awe and so unbelievably proud!!!  Following rehearsal, Robert of Pinnacle Photography took the official Class of 2013 pictures and then the contestants had a few precious moments with their local directors for a last minute pep talk.

We awarded two Miss Spirit Awards last night…we have a lot of spiritJ  Congratulations to Rebecca Lusk and Sarah Timmons.  Both of these young ladies are just as sweet as can be and always give 110%.  Well deserved gals!

I just want to give a huge shout out to my husband.  Happy anniversary Daniel!  You know it’s true love when your husband is willing to spend your wedding anniversary attending Miss Delaware Dress rehearsal with you.  Thanks for the endless support that you give me during Miss Delaware Week and always.  I love you more than you will ever know!

Miss Delaware Tuesday

Pageant Tuesday kicked off early with the first meal at The Festival Buffet at Dover Downs.  During pageant week we enjoy quite a few opportunities to chow down at the buffet.  The buffet is pretty darn awesome and changes all the time so there are about a million choices as to what you can eat.  I always feel a little sorry for the contestants though.  Let’s face it, a buffet and swimsuit competition doesn’t exactly go hand in hand.  Good thing there are also lots of healthy choices to choose from as well.

The contestants then spent the rest of the morning in production rehearsal with Kenney learning the ins and outs of the show.  Things like swimsuit competition walk and evening gown walk are all carefully choreographed and timed into the show.  You would be amazed at all of the things a contestant has to think about while on-stage. 

Our tech crew is starting to arrive.  We had John (our lighting designer) with us last night getting set and everyone else will arrive tomorrow and everyone else will arrive tomorrow morning. You may be surprised to know that even our tech crew is a part of the Miss Delaware Family as they have been with us for YEARS.  I literally LOVE working with these people.  You would not believe the chaos that is going on behind the scenes sometimes and the audience sees none of it.  The people are an amazing group of professionals. Did you know that the person responsible for fluffing trains, perfectly placing mics and managing any backstage meltdowns is actually a man?  Kevin, world class train fluffer and our stage manager, does it all and can talk pageant with the best of us (though I’m sure he would be mortified if his friends knew that).  I can’t leave out Gino, our sound technician.  This man has saved my butt over and over again.  He edits music on the spot and works with each and every contestant individually to make sure their music is show perfect.  Anyway, I digress…

After rehearsal, it was time for everyone to clean up and head to lunch.  Today’s lunch was provided the Lone Star Steakhouse in Camden, DE.  Lone Star has been sponsoring the Miss Delaware Organization for years and this meal is always anticipated and appreciated.

Unfortunately, lunch was over way to soon and it was then time to head to Legislative hall where the contestants were given the opportunity to present themselves in front of the house and senate.  What a great opportunity for each of the contestants to get to know their legislators a little bit. After all… one of them will be spending quite a bit of time with their legislators in the very near future as Miss Delaware.  Thanks to the hard work of generations of Miss Delaware’s, the Miss Delaware title is well respected among our Delaware legislature.  Miss Delaware’s have been on the forefront of a lot of ground breaking legislation and advocacy.  Being from a small state does have its perks!  Another cool thing is that at this event Miss Delaware presents her portrait to the legislature and then for the entire week of Miss Delaware the portrait is proudly displayed in Legislative Hall.  I wasn't able to attend this event but Mrs. Soucek did so check facebook for pictures tomorrow.

Upon returning to Dover Downs it was time for one of the highlights of the entire week…the Miss Delaware Little Sister pizza party and rehearsal.  We were so pleased to have 46…yes 46…young ladies between the ages of 5 and 13 join us this year.  Both Big and Little Sisters had a blast!  We worked the runway, took tons of pictures, ate pizza, laughed a lot and even managed to fit in a little bit of rehearsal.  Mark my words people…we have more than one future Miss Delaware in this group of Little Sisters.  A huge thanks to all of the volunteers who helped out tonight…especially Bliss Soucek for tackling the choreography!  I can’t wait for you to see all of this cuteness on the stage at Thursday and Friday’s preliminary competitions.    Here are a few pics but I’ll post more on the Miss DE facebook page tomorrow.

And just when we all became so exhausted that we thought we would drop it was time to START production rehearsal.  First up, we learned the entire finale. Sounds like a ton but it’s mostly just walking.  I’ll tell you a little more about this on a day when the blog isn’t quite so huge.   I may or may not have thrown a huge hissy fit in the middle of this because the contestants were not paying attention.  We then went straight into the opening number and finished that one up and then rehearsed the production number as well.  So…everything is a hot mess but at least they are finished.  We do have a little bit of time to rehearse during the day tomorrow before the big dress rehearsal so fingers crossed I can get it looking much better before then.  I’m not in a total panic yet but definitely concerned.

In an unprecedented move Tuesday’s Miss Spirit was actually awarded to four beautiful and talented young ladies.  These young ladies worked their tails off tonight even though it meant that they were up waaaaayyy past their bedtime.  I should also mention that the young ladies are not contestants but entertainers who will be featured in the finale.  A huge congratulations to Ariana Knowles, Juliana Warnock, Olivia Carabello and Alyana DeBaca for earning the coveted golden sash before they are even old enough to compete!

Miss Delaware Monday

In the words of my dear friend Alison, "Oh holy rhinestones, fake lashes and butt glue"...it's Miss Delaware Week! 

The contestants arrived at Dover Downs today at 1:00.  I wasn't there but I heard that was quite an adventure.  Apparently Dover Downs underestimated the obscene amount of luggage that 23 pageant girls are capable of packing and there was only one bellhop available to help out.  I'm told he is currently resting comfortably in the hospital...Just kidding!  As always Dover Downs made the best out of the situation and got all of the contestants and all 5,000 bags safely into the ballroom and even into our actual rooms.  IT'S A PAGEANT MIRACLE PEOPLE!!

Miss Capital, Tori Brown-O'Brien checking in

Miss Milford Erin Magnin, Checking in

Next up on the agenda was the Miss Delaware Annual Golf Tournament.  The tournament was in full swing (hehe) by the time the contestants arrived but it was also the hottest part of the day!  The contestants reported that they had a great time getting to know each other and having a fun day.  I didn't even hear a single complaint about the heat.  A few of the girls were pretty excited to get to try out their swing.

Following the golf tournament there is always a nice dinner and live auction.  I didn't really get to chat with the ladies much about this event other than that my husband made an honest attempt to win me some anniversary presents. I was also told that dinner was super yummy.   All in all the golf tournament was a HUGE success and we raised a large sum of money for scholarships.  Can I get a WOOT WOOT???  A huge thanks to everyone who made this event such a success especially Kenney Workman and Susan Collins.

Once everyone had eaten their fill and snagged some great steals, it was time to head back to Dover Downs.  You would think that this is the time when everyone gets to sit around make friends, have pillow fights and sing Kumbaya but that's not true for these ladies.  After a quick change into some comfy clothes, it was time to head to the ballroom for production rehearsal.  On tonight's schedule was to finish both the opening number and production number.  It's kind of a lofty goal but makes the rest of the week so much easier if it can actually be accomplished.  It didn't happen...EEEK!  We got through the big production number but we didn't make it through all of the opening number.  I like to be "show ready" at the end of Tuesday night so I'm expecting tomorrow to be a VERY long night.  We need to polish the production number, finish the opening and learn the entire finale...gulp!  I think we can, I think we can, I think we can!

We wrapped up rehearsal at 11:00ish with a few announcements and the first Miss Spirit Winner.  Miss Spirit is awarded every night during pageant week.  It goes to someone who has really "stood out" during the day and exemplified what it means to be Miss Delaware. Monday's Miss Spirit Award went to Jamila Mustafa.  All of the contestants were asked to mingle and work the crowd at the golf tournament as though they were already Miss Delaware.  Jamila  was a pro and went above and beyond what was expected of her.  Congrats Jamila!

We ended the night with a really special moment. Our Executive Director, Debi Wilson is celebrating 30 years as a volunteer with the Miss Delaware Organization.  As a special surprise Miss Delaware 2012-Alyssa Murray, Miss Delaware 2011 Maria Cahill, and all of the 2013 contestants purchased a really fabulous Michael Kors bag for Debi.  It was a such a sweet gesture and really nice moment. Debi was speechless...for once:)  Congratulations on 30 years Debi!!! 

All in all...I'll call day 1 a success!  Everyone is tired but really excited.  I can't wait to see what this week brings!!!

PS.  Sorry if there are tons of spelling errors.  I'm a horrific speller and my spell check button is missing on the blog.  Too tired to figure it out tonight...

Twas' the Night Before Miss Delaware...

Twas’ the night before Miss Delaware and I was not sleeping.

Over bags, clothes, boxes and tiaras I was leaping.

Still trying to pack and finding so much to do.

Big Sister gift, ironing and choreography notes to review.

My camera is dead and the charger is missing

My children’s sweet cheeks need lots of extra kissing.

Will the contestants remember their dance?

And where the heck are my favorite black pants?

Sparkles, tiaras, umbrellas and hairspray

I can’t fit it all in, let me try it another way.

Will my computer be able to get on-line?

Maybe I should pack an extra bottle of wine!

Is 20 pair of shoes going to be enough?

My husband stood there with his mouth open staring at all of the stuff.

Do you think I have it all?, I tiredly said.

All he could do was shake his head.

Bring on the costumes and gowns

It’s time for another girl to earn the crown.

I know that this makes me a huge pageant geek…

But I don’t care because “IT’S MISS DELAWARE WEEK!!!!!!”

I expect to post the day 1 rundown at about midnight.  Til then...

Miss Delaware 2013

It's so hard to believe that Miss Delaware Week is 13 days away!  Because it's so close, I've started to get a couple of e-mails about whether or not I planned to blog about Miss Delaware Week.  The answer is a hesitant yes.  Lol...I promise to do my very best.  It's gotten a little trickier these days balancing my job responsibilities, Miss Delaware stuff and of course my two beautiful and very demanding children.  And just to throw in some extra fun this year, Dan and I will celebrate our wedding anniversary during Miss DE week.  Nothing says "I love you" quite like hanging out at Miss DE dress rehearsal:)

Sorry I didn't catch you up after the Miss DE orientations but here is the scoop...

We have 23 contestants this year!  Wowee Zowee!  This is the most in Miss DE history.  They are a pretty impressive group of young ladies....funny, smart, beautiful and just really kind.  I can also reveal that they love to chat and are horrible about deadlines (you know it's true ladies!!!).  I think we are going to have a LOT of fun!  About half of the girls are newbies (at least to Delaware...a couple have competed in other states).  I honestly don't know all of them as well as I would like to at this point but am genuinely excited to learn more about them over the next few weeks.

Production numbers are going well. We learned the Opening Number at the First Orientation and that went well but to be honest it's super basic.  I  upped the anty quite a bit at the Second Orientation and went for a much more complicated Production number (I couldn't help myself....there is no one with two left feet this year and I may have gotten a bit excited about that).  There is just a ton going on in this one and it could either be really amazing or a total disaster...gulp!  I'm going for a tear-jerker with finale this year.  I swear next year I'm going to go upbeat again.  Lol!

I have picked my winner already (the person who I think will win).  I should also mention that every single time I have picked the winner this early, I have been wrong.  We shall see...

So excited!!!

My Babies are Growing Up

I have waited my whole life to be a Mama.  I don't know if it's the same for all future Mama's of the world but while I changed my mind often about what I wanted to be when I grew up (dancer, president, lawyer, actress, hair dresser) I always knew I would be a Mama first.  I am so grateful that God has blessed me with two beautiful children.  I had no idea how much they would complete my life.  I had no idea how all encompassing a mother's love truly is.   

As I sit here and type today it is with a full heart but also with the certain knowledge that it is all going so fast...too fast.  I want to slow down time.  The past 6 year's have gone by in a blink.  When I look back at pictures from just a year ago, I'm literally stunned by the changes I see in them...

Brynn graduated from Kindergarten this week.  Can she really be a first grader now???

Our graduate with her Teacher

Brynn's first and last day of Kindergarten

Class of 2025

Colton finished up his second year of pre-pre-K (lol).  He will move up to Pre-K next year but will spend two years there due to his age:)

Colton and his "buddies"

First and last day of school

Celebrating the end of the year with a pony ride

I am so SO grateful for these moments...