SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
TRUNK SHOW AT THE PAGEANT SHOP BY MICHAEL'S

Well, it's officially "back to being Mrs. Minnesota" time! The first week home from Mrs. America, of course I came down with a nasty cold. From what I gather from the other contestants, it sounds like many other ladies are in the same boat! Ava got a cold as well...not fun! Ah, back to reality! :) But kidding aside, it is wonderful to be home (even with the cold!).

My good friend Sarah Moses had a trunk show at her store, The Pageant Shop by Michael's (check out her website at http://www.thepageantshop.net ). Seriously, if you are in need of any pageant clothes, this is THE place to go! I've been competing in pageants since I was 16 (and I LOOOOOOVE to shop, as any of my friends can and will attest), and I can honestly say that this is the best pageant store I have ever shopped at. Sarah goes to market in NYC & Chicago a number of times per year and carries the top designers in the industry. But the great thing is that she can make you look like a million bucks without having to SPEND a million bucks! It was good to catch up with my pageant friends and I also had the pleasure of seeing Paula Folkers, the newly crowned National Mrs. 2006 winner (she was in town for a photo shoot with photographer Paula Preston). My daughter Ava had a GREAT time trying on some of the "little girl" pageant dresses along with Gianna Haseman (the daughter of Angela Haseman, Mrs. MN Int'l 2006). For fun, we took a photo of our little ones as "future" Mrs. Minnesota's! And for the record, NO I am not entering Ava in any pageants! These photos were just for FUN (I have to admit I am not a big fan of kiddie pageants--IF and when Ava wants to do a pageant, she would have to be at least a teenager). Anyway, we had a fun afternoon and the gowns were GORGEOUS!

PHOTOS:
1) With Paula Folkers (National Mrs. 2006)
2) Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int'l 2006) and myself
3) L to R: me, Sarah Moses (The Pageant Shop Owner), Paula Folkers (Nat'l Mrs. 2006), pageant coach Cheri Kennedy, Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int'l 2006)
4) My daughter Ava and Angela Haseman's daughter Gianna having fun playing "dress up" in their mom's banners (NOTE: Ava was NOT happy with me when I took the banner away, which I admit was pretty funny).