Whew! I finally have a moment to catch my breath, sit down and share all the details of my last couple of weeks. It has been a whirlwind...but a super exciting one!
     I have met with Dr. Bapna, at Ohio Face, who is an official sponsor of the Mrs. Ohio pageant. What a great visit! He provided consultation on how to get my skin ready for the national stage, and then his aesthetician, Olivia, gave me my first ever chemical peel. My skin feels amazing, and I can't wait to go back and see what else they have in store for me.
     I have also met with my costume designer, Josie Wills, a couple of times to brainstorm and sketch out my costume and then to get measurements so she can start sewing. I cannot wait to see the finished project. I can't tell you what it is going to look like, but I can tell you that it is going to rock!
     This week I traveled all over the state in search of the perfect nationals gown. My first stop was at the Ritz in Portsmouth. Wow! Those ladies were incredible! They have a whole room downstairs just dedicated to pageant gowns, with a platform and stage lights. They were incredibly attentive. I have never had such great customer service. they even helped me take my shoes off! :) There were so many beautiful gowns there, and I had a very hard time

choosing. My next stop was at She Said Yes Bridal and Formal in Chillicothe. The store is owned by my dear friend, Cyndi Newman who competed with me this year at Mrs. Ohio. She generously offered to sponsor my national gown. Her new shop is beautiful, with a platform for modeling your dress, complete with mirrors at every angle. She had many beautiful pieces there, and I chose my gown for Mrs.America. In other words, I said "Yes" to the dress! I also met with Dr. Levy in Gahanna, another official sponsor of the pageant. He is providing teeth whitening, so his staff took my impressions for the bleaching trays and sent me home with everything I will need for a beautifully white smile.
     This week, I will be photographed by the talented Rick Martinez at RM Studio. He will be providing my crown photos. He also created my ad page for the Mrs. America program book. It is amazing and I can't wait to share it with you all. But, right now it's under wraps. Rick was also the photographer for my Mrs.. Ohio headshot, which helped me win the Mrs. Photogenic award.
     Many of you follow me on Facebook. Thank you for that! If you don't, you should! :) Follow my page, Mrs. Ohio America 2013, and the Mrs. Ohio America Pageant page to keep updated on all the happenings.
     I am having such an amazing time! If you are thinking about competing, do it! You won't regret it.