Music Hour at the Talbot House!

Right after my class this afternoon, I drove to Lakeland for the music hour at the Talbot House. I had visited the Talbot House several weeks ago to serve lunch to the homeless. If you scroll down through my previous posts you can read more about that wonderful experience.

Every friday, the Talbot House has a music hour which gives the homeless a chance to share their talents and to just have fun!

I was so pleasantly surprised by the amount of talent I witnessed today. There were guitar players, piano players, and singers. I was particularly taken away by a gentleman named Arthur who wrote a song about the importance of faith and trust in God. The lyrics to the song were so beautiful! He also had a beautiful voice! What a talented man! Below is a picture of Arthur.

After listening to everyone sing or play their instrument, I was given the opportunity to sing a few songs. Everyone was so attentive and they gave me the greatest applause! I had so much fun!

Presenting C.A.R.E. Cozies!!!

Hello All!

I'm so excited to share my new project with you! As most of you know, my platform is

C.A.R.E. -Commitment to Always Remember the Elderly. C.A.R.E. focuses on encouraging the youth to volunteer their time with the older generation. Every time I have spoken at schools and various organizations, I have had my audience create cards that were to be delivered to local nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

While speaking with a friend about advancements that I wanted to have made in my C.A.R.E. program the idea of lap blankets came up. If you have ever visited a nursing home you have probably noticed that many of the residents had blankets that fit perfectly across their laps. As we know, our elderly have a tendency to get cold a little quicker than those of younger generations. Blankets are always needed at nursing homes and other facilities geared towards the care of seniors.

Thanks to the genius mind of my friend, I had decided to take the idea of lap blankets by storm. So now I present to you...C.A.R.E. Cozies...lap blankets made or donated by someone of the younger generation for someone of the older. After the collection of these blankets, they will be delivered to all kinds of senior facilities. Whether the blanket is made or donated, it will be a wonderful gift that will provide warmth not only physically but also emotionally to the elder who owns it. This is a perfect way for the young to reach out to the old!

This past Wednesday, September 23rd, I had my youth group make C.A.R.E. Cozies. They had fun making the blankets and were so excited that they were making them for a great purpose! The blankets will be delivered next week to one of our local nursing homes.

I am so excited about my new project! I hope that it will take off and bring smiles to many faces!

Carpenter's House

Dear Friends,

This past weekend, Miss Florida Sunshine's Outstanding Teen, Siobhan Gale, and I visited the Carpenter's House in Lakeland. The Carpenter's House is an independent living facility for the elderly.

Siobhan and I took a tour of the facility. It was absolutely beautiful! We stopped and visited with a few of the residents and we even got to watch a few of them play Wii bowling! It was such a joy to watch them!

After the tour, Siobhan and I spoke to some of the residents about our platforms, our experiences as titleholders, our future goals, and about the Miss America System. We also sang for them.

Although my C.A.R.E. platform has taken me to various facilities, I had never been to an independent living facility. It was neat to learn about how they differ from others. The residents of the Carpenter's House were very welcoming! It was a wonderful experience.

Share the Care Gala and Mrs. Florida International

Hello All!

Last weekend, September 11-13, was a busy one! On Friday, the 11th, I attended the Share the Care Gala. Share the Care is an organization the provides aid to family caregivers. My director, Angela Harwell, volunteers a lot of her time to this organization and she invited me to attend the gala with her. The night was filled with a live auction, fabulous food, and dancing! I had a wonderful time.

The following day my family and I attended the Mrs. Florida International Pageant preliminaries. My sister and I were invited to sing for both preliminaries and the finals. My sister sang "Astonishing" from the Broadway Musical, Little Women, and I sang "Home" from The Wiz. We performed the same songs the following day for the finals. It was such an honor to be asked to come and perform for the Mrs. Florida International state pageant!

What a wonderful and productive weekend it was!

Oh and by the way, September 11th was my sister's 14th birthday!

Happy Birthday Samantha! I love you!

The National Sweetheart Pageant

Hello Friends!

The National Sweetheart Pageant was an amazing experience! I still cannot believe that I had the opportunity to represent the Miss Florida Organization at a national pageant.

Monday, August 31st, I took a flight from Orlando, Florida to Indianapolis. Now something that a lot of people do not know about me is that I had never flown on my own before then. Not only had I never flown on my own...but I had a fear of flying. I say that I "had a fear" because I believe that I conquered it while flying on my own to and from Indianapolis.

Once I arrived at the Indianapolis airport I was greeted by the board members of the Miss National Sweetheart Pageant and nine other contestants. We waited for the rest of the contestants to arrive.

After the rest of the girls arrived we made our way to Hoopeston, Illinois, where the pageant was to be held. We had a fabulous welcome dinner hosted by the board. Our place mats were maps of the United States with our names written in the states that we were representing!

After dinner we were brought to our host family's homes. My "host parents" were Monica and Billy Bruens and my "host siblings" were Leevi and Natalie. I roomed with Jenna (Miss California), Sarina (Miss New Mexico), and Alex (Miss Kansas).

The week was filled with many appearances...

My absolute favorite event of the week was the parade. Every single contestant was given the opportunity to ride in a Corvette and be a part of Hoopeston's annual parade! It was so cool to see my name and "Miss Florida" on the side of the car!

We also had an autograph signing!

I learned a lot during my experience at the Miss National Sweetheart Pageant and I made new friends. Now I can say that I know at least one person in every state! Hehe. What an incredible experience!

Congratulations to the Miss Virginia representative, Shannon Beam, on her outstanding performance and on becoming this year's Miss National Sweetheart!

Life After Miss Florida Week

Hello All!

Life after Miss Florida week has been a lot more relaxed, but I am still on-the-go! Next Monday, August 31st, I will be flying to Illinois for the Sweetheart Pageant. Every year, the first runners up of every state are invited to Illinois to compete for Miss National Sweetheart. I guess you could say, that it is like a "Mini Miss America." I am so excited about competing again and I get to be "Miss Florida" for a week! I have just received e-mails from my roommates for the Sweetheart Pageant week. I will be rooming with the girls from New Mexico, Kansas, and California! How cool is that?!

I have my fall semester at the University of Central Florida. It feels good to be back in school!

This past Sunday, August 23rd, I made an appearance at the Talbot House in Lakeland. The Talbot House provides meals for the homeless. I helped serve lunch to 258 people. Witnessing the amount of people there were, made me me realize how truly blessed I am. I was so thankful for the opportunity that was given to me to serve at the Talbot House.

First Runner Up!!!!!!!!!!

Hello Friends!

I have so much to tell you that I don't even know where to begin! Miss Florida week was the week of dreams!

I could barely sleep the night before I left for St. Petersburg. I was so anxious, excited, and nervous for the week to begin! I was asleep by 12:30 AM and up at 4:00 AM. As soon as the car was packed and ready to go, I remember my stomach making a giant leap. I could not believe that Miss Florida was finally here. Below is a picture of me before hopping into the car to St. Petersburg.

When I arrived in St. Petersburg, my mind began to shift gears. It had hit me at that very moment, that I was competing for the coveted title of Miss Florida...A preliminary to Miss America! I had always known that I wanted it, but this time, more than ever, I was determined to bring the title home.

My mom helped me move into my room. There was so much to move in!

The moment I met my roommate, Jenise Fernandez, Miss Miami, I knew that we would have a fabulous week together! She is one of the funniest and most real girls I have ever met and I was so blessed to have gotten her as a roommate. We had many laughs and were pretty much glued to each other's hips the entire week! Our friendship has truly grown, and we still talk just about every day.

Jenise and I

Before my mom left the USF dorms, she left me two posters that she had made with a quote on each. One quote stuck with me the entire week..."The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -Eleanor Roosevelt. It is one thing to be prepared for ANY competition or obstacle in your life, but nothing can be achieved without your own belief that you CAN do it.

That afternoon was filled with video taping for our live telecast. After a long afternoon of taping, we went to Sierra Minott's, Miss Florida 2008, host family's house for a party. It was nice to just relax and get to know the other contestants but as soon as the night was over, I went to bed knowing that competition was about to begin the next morning with interview.

I woke up the next morning excited for my interview and that excitement carried on throughout the entire interview. It was a tough interview, but I knew that I had done well. After my interview, I went to rehearsals. The following day was filled with rehearsals as well. Our opening number was absolutely AMAZING! It was my third time at Miss Florida but this opening number topped the other two!

That Wednesday, we went to the Vinoy for a "Black and White" luncheon. The Vinoy is a beautiful Resort in St. Petersburg. I was so lucky to be assigned to the same table as Jenise! The luncheon was delicious!

After the luncheon we went back to the dorms for some down time, then we headed to the Columbia restaurant located at the St. Petersburg Pier. Yet again, I sat with Jenise. Haha...

After the luncheon we made our way to the theater to watch the Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen Pageant. I was so nervous! I knew in my heart that my sister would do well, but I was still so nervous. The teens were going to compete in Lifestyle and Fitness, and in talent. Saying that my sister would do well was definitely an understatement...SHE WAS UNBELIEVABLE! I had always known my sister was talented...but I must say...she truly took my breath away that night.

My poster of my sister! Hehe

I was so caught up in my sister's competition, that I almost forgot that I was going to compete the very next day in talent and onstage question. But after a good night's sleep, I woke up ready to give it my all.

I remember that first night of preliminaries, I felt on top of the world. For the first time in my pageant career, I actually enjoyed answering my onstage question! When the talent portion began, I suddenly became very calm. I knew that I had done everything I could in terms of preparation for my song, it just came down to my two minutes of performance. When they announced my name and my title, a rush of emotions flowed through me. I can honestly say that I left my heart on that stage.

Once everyone was done competing in their phases of competition, preliminary awards were given. Andrea Apple, Miss Kumquat Festival, won talent. Rachael Todd, Miss Suncoast, won swimsuit...and guess who won evening wear?...Jenise! I was so thrilled for her! Every single one of those girls truly deserved those awards.

The following night I competed in evening wear and swimsuit. I had so much fun while I was on stage! Preliminary awards went to Katie Crews, Miss St. Petersburg, for evening wear; Brittany Wardell, Miss Pinellas County, for swimsuit; and Ashley Ramsey, Miss Zephyrhills, for talent. Once again, well deserved!

The next day, Saturday, July 11th, was the day that the top ten would be revealed and then ultimately a new Miss Florida would be crowned. I went to bed that night after all preliminaries were over knowing that I had done all that I could. Yes I was nervous and anxious for the results, but I knew in my heart, that whatever the outcome, I had done my best during preliminaries.

I woke up that Saturday morning surprisingly calm. After all of our stuff was together, we made our way to the theater for rehearsals. Rehearsals were intense. The production team was determined to have the show run as smoothly as possible for our live telecast.

After rehearsals, the teen finals took place. I had to watch from backstage. My sister competed in evening wear and onstage question. She answered her question eloquently and looked stunning in her gown. When they began calling the top ten for the teens, I began getting nervous again. My sister was the last called for the top 10! I was so proud of her that I began to cry. Jenise was standing right next to me and she gave me a big hug. She seemed to be just as proud as I was. Hehe. Then they began to call the runners up. I was already so proud of my sister's top ten accomplishment, that I forgot that someone was about to be crowned. They had called 4th, 3rd, and 2nd runner up...my heart was racing...then they announced my sister as FIRST RUNNER UP! Just when I thought my sister had finally ceased to amaze me...she proved me wrong. Knowing that this was her very FIRST pageant and to end up as first runner up was amazing! I am so proud of her!

After the teen pageant, I had to recollect myself and prepare for my own competition. My heart was racing as we were standing backstage waiting for the opening number music to start. As soon as I was onstage, I felt on top of the world...little did I know...that as soon as the opening number was finished...I would be the first of the top 10 called!!! There are not enough words to describe what that moment felt like. In all honesty...I don't even think I remember! It was such a blur. Oh and guess who else made top 10...Jenise! Yet again...we were together.

After the top ten was announced we competed once again in swimsuit, talent, and evening wear. My energy was through the roof...I had so much fun!

After competing, the top ten was brought on stage for the calling of the top five. While waiting for the commercial break, a rush of emotions came to me...I couldn't believe that I was standing amongst the top 10. I took it all in...I took instant snapshots of the crowd, the judges, the familiar faces, my family, my friends, and my mom all sitting in the audience. I felt so proud...

Then I heard the host say, "And our first top five finalist is...

Miss Florida Sunshine...Kristina Janolo!"

When I thought I had cried enough, a whole new rush of tears began to stream down my face. Top Five!!! I was in the top Five!!! All my hard work had paid off. After the calling of the other four, I suddenly became very peaceful. At that moment, it didn't matter if I won, because I already felt as if I did. I had worked so hard and out of 46 beautiful young ladies, I was one of the top 5. I felt fulfilled.

After about 15 minutes, they began to call the runners-up...

"Your Fourth Runner Up is Miss Florida Gator, Diana Kelly!"

Oh my gosh...oh my gosh...

"Your Third Runner Up is Miss St. Petersburg, Katie Crews!"

Oh my gosh...oh my gosh...is this really happening right now??

"Your Second Runner Up is Miss Pinellas County, Brittany Wardell!"

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I am one of the last two standing!!!

There is no way to describe what I was feeling at that moment when I was standing with Miss Suncoast, Rachael Todd. The world suddenly became so small. I forgot that there were about 50 other people on stage and over a thousand people in the theater. It was just Rachael and I.

I was then announced First Runner Up. I was so proud of myself and of Rachael! Rachael was crowned and I knew in my heart, that everything happened the way it was always meant to happen.

After the pageant, we made our way to the Miss Florida Gala. My sister was announced as the overall talent winner and winner of the scholastic award! Yet again...I was amazed. As I walked down the staircase and was announced as the First Runner Up...I was filled with so much happiness!

That night, Jenise and I tried to pull an all nighter...Needless to say...we weren't successful.

We moved out the next day. I was sad that Miss Florida week was over but happy and proud of my accomplishment.

Although I did not come home with the crown, I had accomplished what I had come to accomplish, which was true belief in my own ability. Without belief in myself, I would have never made it that far. That week was a life changing experience filled with memories and dreams come true...and yes...my dream of becoming Miss Florida still lives on...

Miss Florida 2010...here I come!