Fundraising Ideas

I can't sleep, as usual, so I decided to look up some fundraising ideas so that I can raise money for the Gift of Life and the Children's Miracle Network Hospital.

Here are my few ideas

S'mores bar
Kissing Booth
Flowers made of suckers
Selling Hot chocolate
Possible Raffle
Silver Statue
Rent a puppy

The list keeps growing

What a "Sweet" Day

Today I really got to see how small the world really is. I was visiting my friend in Grand Rapids today and I decided since I was up there, I would make a visit to Stiletto Sweets in down town. Stiletto Sweets is owned by none other than Miss Noddea Moore Skidmore, aka Momma Spirit, the executive director of Miss Spirit of the State.

She had mentioned it a few times during the pageant weekend and now that she hasn't had do plan a bunch of stuff for the pageant, she has been posting away on Facebook. I looked at all of the different flavors that she had.... There were seriously like 40 (well maybe not 40) different kinds of cupcakes that all sounded so wonderful. I decided on the Warm Fuzzy (a chai flavored cupcake with butter cream frosting), and my friend wanted to try the red velvet (a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese butter cream frosting filled with what I could assume was chocolate). We had to trade bites just to get a taste of both. They were both extremely delicious. I would definitely get them again!

This was my Warm Fuzzy! Yumm-Oh!

Anyways, back to the small world. I was expecting to see Noddea when I came in there, but there was another employee instead. Her name was Morgan. We made small talk as she was putting our cupcakes into boxes. Turns out, she is a former Spirit title holder and was at Miss Spirit of the State when I competed. She asked me my talent, and she said that she remembered me. I was really shocked that she did. She also shared that she is the current Miss Hartland and she was giving up her title this year.

As my friend stared at his cupcake (probably drooling), Morgan and I talked a little bit and she shared her advice and referred me to a website where I could look for different dresses and swimsuits. We also talked a little more about how addicting pageants could be!

After I had paid for our cupcakes and we were starting to walk out, a man I recognized walked in. We didn't say, "Hi," but I did figure out how I knew him. He was also involved with Miss Spirit of the State.

This whole experience made me realize how close knit the pageant community is. Morgan was on a first name basis with nearly all of the executive directors and was even working for one!

This is why I am so lucky to be a part of the MAO pageantry community.

Hmmm

Well, I'm trying to choreograph my tap routine... without tap shoes. Hmmm We'll see how this goes.

Also, I've been scouring the internet to find myself a costume to go with this 30's style dance.

Houston 2014 it is

I just received an email that said the Transplant Games of America will be held in Huston, Texas. Better start saving money for a plane ticket and some new cowboy boots.

Needs to be Post-dated

I finally got all of my paperwork done and CDs burned to send into Miss Stateline. I never thought I would be so close to the deadline... Just kidding, I usually am. Oh well, I make it work. In other big news... I got to try on my new gown today... Oh my lord, it is beautiful. I wanted to cry when I put it on. I think my family might cry when I surprise them in it. My mom wouldn't let me take pictures because she knows that I will show everyone (and maybe because I didn't have my hair done or any makeup on. Oops)

Finals Week

I have so much stuff to do with school and final exams, but I also have a ton of stuff to do for pageants. I have to choreograph a new dance, fill out all of my paper work for Miss Stateline, and get a new gown. Ughh how am I supposed to find time for everything.

Dress of My Dreams

I can't believe that I actually get to have the dress of my dreams. My grandparents are dead set on making my dream a reality. I really don't want them to spend money on one single dress, but I honestly couldn't convince them otherwise. They told my whole family that they were going to get me that dress before they told me the other night. I think half of my family was in shock that they were going to spend so much money on something for my pageant competitions. I want them to know that even if I don't win, wearing this dress will make me feel like a queen.

Where's My Money Tree?

I'm looking at getting a new gown for Miss Stateline just because I think the one I have now looks too much like a prom dress (which it is). So I went to look at Jovani dresses, Sherri Hill, Faviana, Terrani... and Holy Cow! These dresses were averaging $700. I am a broke (well not completely broke) college student, how am I supposed to afford one of these magnificent gowns?

I know that the judges are not supposed to look at the gown and how expensive it is, but don't you think a girl shines a lot more when her dress does?

I guess I'll be saving up! But I did a few calculations, and if everyone on my friends list on Facebook would donate $2, I could have any of those dresses in no time.

But if somehow I could convince every person on my friends list to donate, I think I would rather donate it to the Children's Miracle Network Hospital, than spend that money on a dress.

A Common Myth

A lot of people think that girls who compete in pageants starve themselves. While that may be true for other pageants and other girls, I would never do it. Mostly I couldn't do it... food is just too much of a temptation. But what I'm starting to find out is that working out really does make you feel good about yourself physically and mentally. I feel good because I am gaining muscle and losing weight, but I also feel good because I am sticking to a routine that not many people do. I hope that by the time February 2nd rolls around, the judges notice what hard work I've put in. If not, I have until prelims of Rose to really get back into shape.

This winter I may get pale, but I will not get chubby!

Volunteering More

As my first semester at the University of Michigan comes close to an end, I've started to realize that I have more time to focus on volunteering with the gift of life. It's crazy that the home base is right in Ann Arbor.

Also, to anyone reading this, please comment some ideas for fundraisers and things I can do to raise awareness to the need for organ donors. I am at a loss of ideas for what to do.

Maybe over winter break I can think of some ideas and start making them happen... hopefully

My Inspiration for the Moment

Seeing Erin Jenkinson win Miss Sanilac County really inspires me. It seems puzzling that I would choose this one person from who won a county no one really knows how to pronounce, but this one person really showed me what being involved in pageants was about.

Erin attends GVSU and has done her rounds in Miss Outstanding Teen and is now on to the Miss competitions. When I met her at Miss Spirit of the State, she told me that she has been competing for two years in Miss programs and has never placed. I was really shocked because she was so poised and seemed to fit what they wanted for a title holder. But later on that night she placed 4th runner up. I honestly think that all of the girls were more excited for Erin placing than Lauren actually winning (I think that the same goes for Lauren, she was more excited for Erin than for herself).

That evening I was on Facebook and I saw one wall post that stood out to me. I don't know who this person is, or how they know Erin, but they said that they expected great things from her this year and they could foresee her winning a title in 2012/2013.

No more than 3 weeks later did this person's prophecy come true... Erin won Miss Sanilac County. When I saw her pictures on Facebook I literally squealed with joy for her. I had only known her for a few weeks, but I could tell how much this really meant to her. Every girl that I had met in a pageant that knew Erin was bombing her wall with congratulatory messages. We all could not be more excited for her.

She is a great inspiration to me because being dedicated to a program for two years that you haven't placed in is very hard. During those years leading up to her win she has done so much for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals around her, and she has shown her bright personality to the pageantry community.

She really does inspire me and I hope that I can inspire others the way she does.

Pageant Crack

My mother was right when she said that this business is like crack... Once you start, you wont stop. I was lucky enough to find out that I will be a part of the Miss Stateline pageant in February. I thought that I was done for this year... I guess not. I am really excited to get another chance for a crown, and I'm also really excited to start fundraising. I just recently found a table of people who were trying to sign up donors. This also reminds me that I need to get in contact with Kim from the Gift of Life Michigan right here in Ann Arbor. Hopefully being very close to the epicenter for this organization will help me to get more experience and become more involved.

Getting Re-Re-focused

After not placing in Miss Washtenaw County last weekend, I feel that it's time for me to get re-focused on what is important. I have been trying to spread myself too thin working on homework, pageant work, studying for midterms, and having a social life. With all of that going on, I barely have time to sleep... literally. So I had myself a 20 minute pity party and then I jumped back on the horse. I am now focusing most of my time on taking notes and finishing homework in class, and working on my interview questions for the pageant.
Speaking of the pageant, Quinn looked gorgeous and said that she had dropped a lot of weight (not like she ever really needed to) so she inspired me to start working out more. I am 2 for 2 on days I have worked out this week. So far so good!
But anyways, I am channeling my time into interview because my interview this past weekend did not do me justice. I kept getting asked serious questions that delved a lot deeper than I thought they would. A lot of them were asking about my platform, which is nice, but they kept asking about it in such a serious tone, that I felt like we were having this sorrow conversation.
The one question that they asked that I really had never thought about was:

How old is your grandfather and how does he feel about you becoming a donor to him?

This one really threw me for a curve ball because I never really thought about it from his perspective. Now that I have thought about this question for a couple of days, I can definitely answer it better than I did last week.

My grandfather is 65 years old and up until about 3 years ago, he was always very healthy. I think after he was diagnosed with kidney failure, he had to rethink his life goals and what they things surrounding him in his life meant to him. I do not exactly know what he thinks about me donating, but I know if I was in his shoes, I would not want my only granddaughter to go through a very risky surgery to donate a kidney to me with the chances of it rejecting. I can assume that these are similar to the thoughts running through his head.

Now why couldn't I have answered it like that last saturday? Ughhh I just get so nervous under pressure, but honestly, who doesn't.

My next pageant is November 10-11... Hopefully that's enough time to get my poop in a group.

XOXO, Emily

I knew I would forget

With all of the pageant stuff and midterms going on, I knew I would forget to post.
I promise I'll do better!

Avoiding my English paper... Again

It was really cool to see that my page has had over 80 views in the last two days. I hope that number keeps growing! I even had my Aunt Jessie tell me that she likes my blog.

Hearing this makes me really want to stay committed to blogging regularly.

Anyways, I'm getting my hair done right now so that it will look good for the Miss Washtenaw County pageant on the 27th. Red hair, Red dress, Red lipstick... BOOM. There's no way that I'll fade into the background with that combination.

Another thing about the pageant... other than bringing my costumes up to my dorm with me, I haven't really practiced my talent. (Uhhhh I might be in some trouble there!) But It's typical me to leave everything to the last second, It's what I'm good at.

FOR ANYONE READING THIS: please leave some good interview/current event questions so that I can brush up on my interview skills.

I do this for Vienna

This is Vienna. She is 8 years old. She received a liver transplant before she was even a year old. This young lady is such an inspiration to me because she raised over $3,000 last year to help others in her community that have had or are in need of an organ transplant.

It's crazy how someone can have such an impact at such a young age. I'm going to have to work my butt off to even catch up to her. I think she has an advantage because she is so cute and has such a bubbly personality.

I do this for Vienna

I'm totally slacking

I talk so much about being an advocate for organ donation, but what have I really done to sign people up? I feel like I'm lying when I say I'm really involved in the Gift of Life or Donate Life. I met a little girl named Vienna who raised over $3,000 for the transplant community and she is only 8. I really need to step up my game but I'm not sure how to even get started.

I think the main reason that I haven't done much is because I'm afraid I'll be embarrassed and ignored by the people I'm trying to talk to. I have so much I want to tell people, but I just dont know how to put it into words.

If there is anyone out there who has ideas... PLEASE share.

This is the message that I look at every day before I leave my apartment. If anyone asked my right now if I felt like I deserved to be Miss Michigan, I would say no. I promise to be honest with myself everyday and when I finally feel like I deserve it, I will be the best candidate for the job.

October 15th, 2012

I was assigned to write my midterm paper in psych 211 on a medical topic that we hadn't covered. It's no surprise that I chose organ donation. I can literally list off statistics in my sleep. Luckily, it's become such a part of my life that I am cruising on this 6 page paper due in 3 days... procrastinate much? One thing that I'm learning more about while doing this research, is the statistics of transplants in other nations. Maybe we should use the opt-out system like they do in Europe. They seem to be doing very well on transplants. Even if Miss America really only represents America, maybe I could become one who can collaborate across the oceans.

Well... back to this paper! wish me luck.