It's Break Time!

Have you heard? I'm sure you have.....that sometimes, you just have to take a break and recharge your batteries!

That's exactly what I am about to do - I have been busy blogging and traveling for the last 2 years as an advocate for IH2G and now it's time for a little bit of a break - admittedly it won't be long, but any break at all is warmly welcomed.

I appreciate all my readers, who are many, just know that a little sabbatical is necessary as I embark on a great new opportunity for IH2G. Stay tuned for updates in November and in the meantime, keep saving lives through blood donation and I will see you soon!

We need you.......to donate!

As the fall weather has us dreaming of caramel apples and autumn leaves, we should also be reminded that the closer we are to winter, the lower the current blood supply is.

As the temperatures begin to dip so does the average daily supply. Summer presents it's own host of issues with maintaining an adequate supply but the winter poses even more. The inclement weather, holiday shopping, and family traveling truly impact each aspect of blood collection.

I am already starting the coordination process of a drive in February, so for every drive you see, people have been working for months to save lives. Whether it's 1 donor or 100 donors, I would gladly coordinate any drive. Let's hope it's 100 though in order to save 300 lives. I hope that the next blood drive you see or hear about, you attend so that you can help increase the current blood supply in your location. Remember, if you can't donate, be an advocate/voice/volunteer for the cause.

Visit the links to the right to find a donor site near you and get out there and donate!

The Last Hoorah!

Last weekend came and went just as fast as I had anticipated but with fewer tears and more smiles than I expected.

Saying farewell is never easy and giving up the title of Mrs. Virginia International 2011 was expected but I am glad to see Jennifer Williams, Mrs. VA International 2012 already well on her way to a successful trip down the glittered road.

I was bittersweet to say goodbye to friends that I won't see for a while, to let go of something that I had worked extremely hard to achieve, and bidding farewell to a portion of the pageant world that has been a part of my life for so long.

Having accomplished everything, and more, of what I had set out to do, I am very proud of the job I did as a titleholder. I stretched my wings farther than I thought possible and will continue to advocate and be a voice for donors without a crown.

Here are a few photos from the weekend, unfortunately, I wasn't able to snap many. Please stay tuned for amazing things to come in the next few months. And for those that are curious, no, I'm not competing again and if you know me well, you know why and it's all for good reasons.

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Caring and Revealing

I am in my last week as Mrs. Virginia International 2011 and the schedule is just as full as the first week!

Short on time, I wanted to at least share some photos from the last couple of days. I had the joy of sharing in the memorial blood drive for Kelsey Orndorff - a beautiful young teen who lost her life too soon in a car accident. Her father is the Pastor of a local church. The drive was held at her former church since she grew up in Front Royal - it was a lovely display of love and appreciation for her short life. I was humbled to be a part of the day.

To learn more about Kelsey's beautiful life, please visit: www.kelseyorndorff.org

A free photo collage by Smilebox

Then, to kick off fall, I was a guest judge at Les Fabrique in Charlottesville for the 2nd Annual Project Reveal. Before I share more about the experience, let's back up to July. When I received my opening number dress for nationals, I was a little taken with the length of the dress. You see, being a certain age, a mom, and TALL, length is VERY important to me. Most importantly, I wasn't willing to sacrifice my dignity or compromise my personal values for a few minutes on stage. Well, it seems that this dress came in one length - SHORT. Unable to just afford a second dress to take fabric from, I remembered seeing Les Fabrique on one of my many travels.

I drove the 45 minutes to see if they had anything to match the specialty fabric. If I had actually had more than a week to make the adjustment, they would have been able to order fabric, but I didn't. They were kind enough to work me with me and find the best possible match for my mom to fix while we were in Chicago, hence the reason she brought the sewing machine! While there they asked if I would help judge this event. I jumped at the chance since they were so kind to help in a pinch.

All of the contestants in project REVEAL were students and it was time to show off their work. The designs were fabulous and the winner is extremely talented and I am positive that we will be seeing more of his work in the future.

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