Before/After

Just finished my final session with Jason, so I thought I'd share some before and after pics.

Hopefully you can tell that before is on the left and after is on the right.

The Competition

See all the contestants here.

4 Days

4 days until crowning, 3 days until preliminary competition, and 2 days until I drive up to Port Huron!  I feel so ready, I have been pageant strutting all around Lansing.  I have also been downing water like CRAZY!  It's time to hydrate so I'm not retaining any water for the swimsuit competition.  Tonight I have to get everything I need organized/steamed/packed/purchased. 

Tomorrow is my last workout with Jason before the pageant (I'll probably still workout with him regularly after the competition).  Also, tomorrow, I need to make sure I have all the makeup I need.   I typically don't wear very much and everything I have right now is old, dried up and the wrong colors...

So, I am also pretty excited about Pulaski Days!  It's coming up next weekend.  Here's Sarah and I in 2009 at the Pulaski Day Parade.

Also, here's what I looked like when I made the top 15 at Miss Michigan Teen 2003!

10 Days Until Pageant Time

Only ten days left.  Tomorrow I have my LAST meeting with my pageant coach and the second to last workout with Jason.  I can't believe that it's almost HERE. 

I have been pushing myself really hard in the gym lately.  I love the Nike Women videos on youtube and have been doing 100 of these every day.  Jason showed me that if you tip your hands forward as if you are pouring a pitcher, it targets your back rather than your shoulders - much easier.

Miss Lansing USA

12 days until the pageant and I am officially Miss Lansing USA!  I am finally starting to feel like things are coming together and I'm ready to get this show on the road.  I feel really prepared and I can't wait!  I was also excited to see that my evening gown looks a lot like Jennifer Carpenter's Emmy Gown.

Hers is Tony Ward, mine's MacDuggal.  Still on the agenda for today - class and gym.

The Meaning of a Dream

Yesterday was my workout with Jason.  It was tough as usual.  Today, my biceps and butt are burning!  Only 2 more workouts with Jason until PAGEANT DAY!  My schedule is packed from now until the pageant.  I have absolutely NO free time. 

My strict diet and workout plan has worked its way into my subconscious.  Last night, I dreamt I was binging on french fries.  I was eating and eating and eating them!  They were delicious.  There wasn't anything more to the dream... just eating tons and tons of french fries!  I really consumed a lot in my dream, I apparently had an endless supply of them. 

So, I decided to check into the meaning of dreams and I learned that "dreaming of consuming salt or lard is a sign of a serious argument."  Hmmmm, doubt it - I think my dream just means that I really want some FRENCH FRIES! 

Tutoring, working out and relaxing tonight.

17 Days!

 

Tonight is my workout with Jason!  After today, I'll only meet with Jason 2 more times before the BIG DAY! 

 

Sadly, I didn't make it to the gym yesterday.  I was feeling sort of crappy all day, plus the cholesterol test incident... I got home and pretty much just fell asleep.  On the plus side, I woke up this morning feeling rested and amazing!  :)

 

Hopefully my Boston Proper order will be delivered today.  I need to know if I have something usable for interview!

Congratulations Miss Angola!

Last night, Miss Angola won the title of Miss Universe.  My mom had her picked from the top 10, but I really thought Miss Philippines had a good chance.  Here are the top 5's questions:

• Nude beaches are common in some parts of the world. Is public nudity appropriate or inappropriate and why?
• If you could change one of your physical characteristics, which one would it be and why?
• If you could trade lives with anyone in history, who would it be and why?
• Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person you love? Why and why not?
• What would you do to avoid fighting a war that you did not agree with it?

It got me super excited for Miss Michigan coming up in just a few more weeks!

169

No, not the number of days until the pageant.  That is my total cholesterol level!  I have never gotten it checked before and the MI Pharmacists were offering free screenings.  So, I thought it would be nice to know how I'm doing. 

I knew that this would likely involve some blood being removed from my body and I thought I could handle that if I had a cookie and water on hand.  I was wrong.  Very very wrong.  I passed out and need 2 more cookies and one more bottle of water before I could go back to my office.  Embarrassing. 

I am glad, however, that I got it checked.  I know now that I am in the desirable cholesterol level range!  WooHoo!  Oh yeah, here is the pic of the nearly fatal wound...

Yes, embarrassing. 



Monday Night Football vs. Miss Universe

Tonight we may have an answer to THIS chicken/egg, half full/empty question... Which do men love more - women or football?  Well, the Miss Universe Pageant is on NBC tonight at 9pm!  You can see all of the contestants here.  Some of my favorites are:

Bahamas
Brazil
Chile
China
Curacao
Dominican Republic
Egypt
Finland
France
Kosovo
Puerto Rico
Russia
Ukraine
And of course USA!

I'll be watching from my treadmill. :-)

YES to the Dress!

I found a gown!  Finally.  A little over budget, but I could NOT say no.  It's perfect.  I'm so excited to wear it.  It's a MacDuggal, nude, sequined and feathered!  All I need now is something for interview and hopefully one of the dresses I ordered from Boston Proper will work. 

Only 19 days left so it's all business and a LITTLE fun.

Yesterday I spent the day at Cedar Point, after a good morning strength workout.  I skipped cardio at the gym since I spent about 8 hours walking the park.  It was such a perfect day, 7 times on Millennium Force and 10 rounds of Top Thrill Dragster!

Back to reality today - work, class, gym.

22 Days Left

I finished The Help!  What a great book.  I can't WAIT to see the movie.  My favorite character from the book was Celia Foote, I'm excited to see her in the film.

I got in a good workout yesterday -  arms and abs, plus a 2 mile run.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to find a gown!  Then I have a pageant coach meeting.  So much to do!

Baby Got Back

 

Last night was my torture session with Jason.  My entire body is sore, but mostly I am sore from doing this booty exercise...

 

 

Yes, it is much more horrible than it looks.  However, it is effective!  Jason and I also had a discussion about the other things I am required to do for my pageant - eg. interview, evening gown, on stage question - and we decided that I would not be reducing my carbs.  Jason usually trains people for body building and fitness competitions where the contestants do not need to speak.  To prepare for the competition, they cut carbs in the last couple of weeks.  Carbs, however, are essential in brain function.  Since I will have to be speaking to judges throughout the competition, brain function is going to be crucial.  (Oh, um also, I'll still be in law school, so it'd be nice to have a little brain function in class.)

 

Tonight will be tutoring and a hard workout, then hopefully I can finish The Help - so addicted to this book!

Day 24

24 DAYS!  I can't believe it!  The next 24 days are going to be intense.  I have set up my final meetings with my pageant coach and training with Jason.  Classes have started up again and work has gotten back into a regular schedule.  I'm going to order two possible interview dresses from Boston Proper today.  Hopefully one of them will work out!