Mrs. Utah United States Pageant Training: Chapter 2 (Mentoring by Mrs. America 2002, Energy Therapy, Wardrobe Miracles, Eyelash Extensions, Meeting the Contenstants, Isagenix, and Losing my Mind)

Here we are again, Startup Princess Friends! I really do enjoy writing this post each week as a mental release of all the intensity and to download my thoughts and feelings about this time of my life… it really has been a whirlwind of planning, appointments and events and it’s not going to stop anytime soon but I’m up for it, if I can just get myself disciplined to be in bed early…that is my major weakness right now, forget sugar addictions, it’s the time after my kids are in bed, I really should just hop in bed too, but there’s emails to answer, etc. so it’s so tempting to stay up but then I’m dead at 5:30am when my alarm rings to exercise… wish me luck on conquering my staying up late addiction. (Any advice?)

Here’s the recap of last week’s highlights:

My online friend and BYU alum introduced me to his famous mom, Laurett Ellsworth Ardez, mother of 7, whom is so stunning and charismatic that she won not only her state title, but Mrs. United States 1997 and Mrs. America 2002 (the latest one was when her oldest was in college) titles! I had the privilege of chatting with Laurett and she’s agreed to assist me with my preparations. She’s wonderful. I’ll be meeting her in person in Vegas in a couple of weeks for training.

This week I also had the opportunity to have an Energy and Rapid Eye Therapy session with Karey Williams, whom also competed in Mrs. Utah (last year and was 7th overall, she had a great attitude and was absolutely adorable on the DVD I watched last night, she is so full of light and confidence, I love it). I met Karey at Cherie Burton’s Women Emergence conference last Fall where I was her “guinea pig” to demonstrate what energy therapy was and I had a great breakthrough in front of the conference attendees so I knew that I’d be able to get even more work done in a one on one session. I went to her specifically to release all negative energy and thought processes from my teen years when I felt unattractive and had self-doubts, fears about my body and skin breakouts, dating/not dating, etc. We had an awesome session and I highly recommend this type of work! I felt like I had lost weight energetically afterwards and genuinely more happy about myself and my appearance, life mission, and the pageant in general.

Ever since I decided to do the pageant I’ve been very nervous about the wardrobe. Cherie Burton, my pageant mentor/friend and I have been emailing each other back and forth possibilities, but it’s been pretty depressing! I knew I needed an absolutely radiant wardrobe, however, I’m petite and it’s challenging to find clothes for my size, and I’m also very determined to be modestly dressed, even in the competition I’ve chosen to wear clothes that cover my shoulders and not too revealing or low cut, etc. I had started shopping a little but was discouraged. I asked God to bring me my wardrobe and He did this week (minus the swimsuit, I am having that made). At the pageant workshop on Saturday Leeja Gammil our pageant wardrobe resource brought several stunning dresses and interview suits that we could rent from her and I was able to find a gorgeous Jovani $900 dress in deep purple that fit my exact needs (plus it was already worn in a national pageant for Miss America and the girl won top 10 with it, so it has already proven it’s a winning dress!), and I get to rent it for only $200. I also found a beautiful coral suit from Paris that I can rent for $100. Both outfits will be custom tailored to fit me better. I also found my black cocktail dress, modest and hip at Macey’s this week for only $29, 90% off the retail price. Love it! I felt God’s tender mercies in hearing and answering my prayers to find wonderful clothes that wouldn’t compromise my values or standards.

Startup Princess Linda Bledsoe of Absolutely Fab-u-lash in Provo/Lehi, Utah sponsored me this week to get a full set of eyelash extensions and I love them! They took 3 hours for her to individually glue each new black mink hair onto my own lashes, but it’s a great effect. No mascara, no glued in fake ones needed for the event! They will look great for my pageant photos and then I’ll keep them up for the pageant in May. I love waking up and feeling beautiful (without the dark mascara smudge residue that sometimes happens when you wake up).

On Saturday we held our first Mrs. Utah pageant workshop where we met the other contestants and heard a few speakers and saw the fashion show of pageant gowns (where I found mine!) We have 11 contestants this year, much lower than last year’s 20, so I guess everyone will make the top 10? I can’t imagine they’ll cut one person. Three of the girls who made top 10 last year are in this year’s event and one is even having a baby next week, amazing (she won the fitness/swimsuit category last year, so I think she’ll do fine getting back in shape). The best part of the event was the speakers. Cherie Burton spoke about her own experience and tips, this year’s Mrs. Utah, Tiffany Berg spoke about how to develop your platform, and Rock Crawler Racer, Clay Egan taught us how to get sponsors. I set a goal of securing $6000 in sponsorship funds to cover my expenses and have enough should I win for nationals 6 weeks following the competition.

Matt bought Isagenix all-natural 9-day cleanse for us both and I agreed to try it because he wanted a diet buddy however, really I was against it because I don’t like liquid cleanses, I generally feel faint and I’m anemic so its hard for me. I got through the first two days where there was shake morning/night and a low calorie lunch of 600 calories, but today’s was all liquid and I really had a hard time with it. I felt so weak and unhealthy. I took a 3 hour nap because of the hard, long week, but in general I had no energy and it was very difficult emotionally and mentally. I’ve decided not to continue with the all liquid days, I’ll do the two shakes/1 meal for a few more days, but I really want to get back to my veggie/protein diet that was going really well for me, then I felt vibrant, healthy, happy, and full of life.

I enjoyed all of my weight training sessions last week with Liz, I did a few Billy Blanks DVD sessions too…those really are a challenge, wow!

I lost my mind a bit because of all of the activity going on… so much to think about and remember, etc. I’m an advisor for the home-based business plan competition/center for entrerpeneurship and we’re in the midst of that, I helped with a charity event last week for African orphans, my son’s in a school play, the pageant activities, and my day to day home maintenance, laundry, kids, etc. as a result I lost my keys, misplaced my wallet one day, and locked my spare keys inside my car while in SLC at a tradeshow last Saturday and the kids and I were stuck there for a few hours until we could get some help breaking into the car with a slimjim….ugh. So, yeah, I need more sleep.

Cure for reclaiming my mind? Read this scripture from 2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind

Today’s Magic Wand: SLEEP. Seriously how much do YOU get a night? I’m aiming for 7 hours at least 5 times this week. Join me in this goal and comment below!

Mrs. Utah Pageant Training: Chapter 1 (Reactions, My Core, Hair Extensions, and Zermatt Resort)

Here’s me after I got my Hair Extensions (Do I look like Ariel? Anne of Green Gables? Hit or Miss? Hmmm…) Keep reading below about why I got extensions, how it feels and what I think about them…

Reactions to My Decision to Compete in the Mrs. Utah Competition in May

After Monday’s 6am workout was over I broke the news that I was going to compete. I decided that I needed to “own” the experience in every way, so I announced it here, on Twitter (and yes, traffic has increased because of it), by email, by calling friends and family, and told a few neighbors. There were some raised eyebrows for sure and I’ve discovered “pageant” is a very loaded word filled with mixed emotions and opinions. I admit that I have reservations about it as well… (why must there be a swimsuit competition and what does that prove? etc.) but since I KNOW I’m supposed to do it, I’m putting my doubts and questions about it aside and moving forward with confidence and preparing seriously for it. In general my best friends have been overwhelmingly supportive and awesome about it, that makes me so grateful. Startup Princess readers and members have also been so wonderful and sent me many emails and comments which calmed my nerves and have encouraged me to keep moving forward. For those who don’t understand my decision, well, they’ve been respectful or silent, so that’s been good too… phew!

Sponsors

I was so excited when Startup Princesses Shabby Apple, Lemon Leopard, Today’s Mama, and Fabulash (eyelash extensions, so chic!), and Beth Graham Photography agreed to sponsor me for the pageant… we’re really trying to demonstrate that we have a supportive base of women entrepreneurs since my platform will be centered around that, so this is a great place to start. I’ll be contacting many more companies in the upcoming weeks… if you’re interested in trading advertising for product or for cash sponsorship, please let me know.

My Core

My pageant trainer and Startup Princess Fairy Godmother (Mrs. Utah 2004) Cherie Burton says that what makes you light up a room isn’t your dress, your make up, your hair, or any of that.. it’s your “core”, it’s who you are when you walk into that room. You are a walking advertisement for your life’s mission… It’s your confidence, it’s your feminine power and the way you can dominate with your passion, your joy, your love… it’s your REAL beauty. I’ve been thinking a lot about my core lately and writing about it in my journal, feeling and connecting to that inner beauty, my fears about my outer beauty/what I have perceived as flaws, and embracing the gifts inside and out that God blessed me with. I’ve enjoyed reflecting on this famous quote by Marianne Williamson:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Read more