Mrs. Ohio America 2013 - Teri Grothaus

Congratulations to Teri Grothaus who has captured the title of Mrs. Ohio America 2013!

2013 Mrs. Ohio America Talent

Morgan Maranto is a 18 year singer from Dublin, Ohio and her greatest passion is singing. Morgan has been singing since she was seven.  She loves to sing Country, Rockabilly, Jazz, and Broadway. Morgan performs throughout Ohio and has been the entertainer for the Mrs. Ohio America Pageant since she was eight years old.  Morgan loves to play guitar and has recently started writing lyrics. Morgan would love to be a female singer in a country band.  Morgan plans to major in Musical Theater in college this fall.  She also would like to be a Country recording artist. She is just excited to see what God has in store because she knows his plan for her will be great.

Melanie Miller - A singer, dancer and inspirational speaker, Melanie has spent the last several years criss-crossing the state of Ohio sharing her talents with people of all ages. A former professional NBA dancer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Melanie was crowned Miss Ohio 2006, and represented Ohio at the 2007 Miss America Pageant. In 2011, Melanie was crowned Mrs. Ohio.  Melanie currently serves as the Youth Ministries Director for The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Ashland where she works with teens as they navigate the challenges of adolescence.  Melanie has a B.A. in Digital Media & Film Production and a minor in Journalism from Cleveland State University. Melanie and her husband Matt live in Ashland, Ohio. Melanie's personal motto is "Never Settle for Less Than Your Best."

Blessid Union of Souls - From meteoric rise on the radio throughout the 1990s, through the subsequent decade of thought-provoking songwriting and amassing an extremely dedicated fan base on tour, Blessid Union of Souls has become amongst the most beloved, meaningful and musically consistent acts of this generation.  Thanks to the seamless merger of contagious pop, rock and soul from singer Eliot Sloan, coupled with his ability to continuously write socially conscious and spiritually inspiring songs, it’s no surprise to see gold records, chart-cruising singles and a slew of soundtrack appearances.  Sloan’s remarkably humble demeanor is rare for someone who’s shared the stage with superstar acts like Bon Jovi, Goo Goo Dolls, Third Eye Blind and Mike & the Mechanics (not to mention headlined major venues all across the globe), but the attitude stems from a lifelong Christian faith that’s repeatedly made its way into Blessid Union of Souls’ songwriting.  And when he speaks of hitting the studio and road these days, it’s all revolving around the brand new CD The Mission Field, which takes a spiritually overt direction while retaining the signature qualities that have literally attracted millions of fans over the years.  The next single, “Pray for You’ will be released on July 15.

Sponsors, Sponsors and Sponsors

 As we get closer to crowning the next Mrs. Ohio America later this month, we would like to take this opportunity to thank some of our sponsors.

Tickets On Sale

From amazing music, dancers, and celebrity judges - we are truly excited for the upcoming pageant.  If you are thinking of joining in as a state finalist, now is the time to hop in as there is still time to comfortablely join us.

Mrs. Ohio America 2013 Host Hotel - Crowne Plaza Dublin

Incredible Theater - Abbey Theater

 

 

Are you coming to capture the crown and represent the married women of Ohio at the Mrs. America Pageant in August!

Do you have your tickets to watch it live?
http://mrsohio.eventbrite.com/#

Happy Valentines

The history of Valentine's Day--and the story of its patron saint--is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and--most importantly--romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Valentine's Day: A Day of Romance

Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity and but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”--at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine's Day should be a day for romance.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

Typical Valentine's Day Greetings

In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings.

Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap." Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.

Taken from History Channel Website

Mrs. America 2013

 

It's official Mrs. America delegates will arrive in Tucson, AZ on August 20 to begin this incredible experience at the amazing Loews Ventana Canyon Resort! The schedule is as follows: August 25 interview competition, August 26 preliminary show and Crowning of Mrs. America on August 28.

From Arizona, Mrs. America will go on to compete in Guangzhon, China.  Who will be the lucky lady to represent America at the Mrs. World Pageant in China?

Program Book Cover Shoot

As I reflect on my magical year as Mrs. Colorado in 2002, one of the most incredible memories was photographing the cover for the Mrs. Colorado program book.  It felt surreal, my hair in a ornate up-do created perfectly around my sparkly crown, make up that created a flawless face, and wearing an elaborate evening gown that made me feel like a queen from the inside out. I truly felt like Cinderella as she entered the ball on that enchanted evening. What was even more incredible was seeing my picture on the cover of the program book pageant weekend.

 

We shot the program cover for DeAnna Holiday, Mrs. Ohio 2013 this past week. It was full of glamour, dreams and surprise. DeAnna started her day of glamour by getting her make up done with the fabulous and talented, Muchion Hughes from the Make Up Store.

 

 

 

Mrs. Colorado Courtney Graham and roommate at Mrs. America came to be part of the day. 

 

 

Then we headed to Timothy D’s, A Salon where the incredible DJ created a beautiful hairdo only fit for a queen.

 

 

 

Then we had to find the Mrs. Ohio banner and crown in the rental car.

 

Our final stop was the photography studio – Graphique Fine Art Photography with Megan Anderson. It was so fun to watch DeAnna work her magic in front of the camera, it brought back so many wonderful memories for me.

 

The beautiful evening gown was provided by the Raeanne Smith with the Royal Image Boutique. 

 

 

The ultimate cover will be revealed pageant weekend.  One thing I do know for certain, the cover will be unbelievable as DeAnna’s words to us at the photo shoot were, “I have faith in you all.”