Monday, April 17, 2017

Hot of the Press: Journalist turned Pageant Queen

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Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Top 5 Miss America Talents

State pageant season is coming up and many local titleholders are making their talent selections. Since the talent portion of the competition is worth 35% of your final score, picking your talent performance is one of the most important decisions. You want to do soemthing that will showcase you, you are the STAR!! If you are a singer, stay within your range and sing something you beleive in. If you are a dancer, make sure your dancing is strong and showcases your best genre, and finally, if you are playing an instrument make sure your routine is differnt. It not a recital, it is a performance!

 1. Miss America herself- Savvy Shields! Her talent was killer on the Miss America Stage. She performed a Jazz number to "They Just Keep Moving the Line" from SMASH! Her smile was infectious, you could tell she loved the song and loved to perform it. Check it out above!

2. Miss Mississippi Laura Lee Lewis wowed the judge with her rendition of "A Piece of Sky" first performed by Barbara Streisand. her passion was evident and her voice was enchanting!   

3. I love a great twirling routine and Miss Texas Caroline Carothers wowed my socks off!! Her talent was performed to "Hot Honey Rag" from the Musical Chicago. Her routine was fast and exciting. The main problem with twirling routines is when the twirler is not strong in dance and can only do the twirling tricks. I love how Caroline combined her strong background in dancing with her amazing twirling capabilities to spin her way to the top 5!
 4. I was so pleasantly surprised by Miss Tennessee Grace Burgess's performance of Desperado. Yes, she performed an old Eagles song at Miss AMERICA! This is unheard of, but she killed it! She made the words into her own and really performed the song. Theres that word again. The beautiful sparkling dress brought the pageant feel to the song and ultimately won her the preliminary Talent Award!


5. While this video above is not Miss South Carolina's MAO performance, it is a great example of her dance prowess. She is an amazing dancer. Her moved flow and her whole look compliments the song and choreography. She is an amazingly emotional dancers and it shows. Her performance was break taking and ultimately won her 1st Runner Up to Miss America
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Monday, April 10, 2017

How to Style Red Hair for a Pageant

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Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Knowing the Difference: Miss USA versus Miss America

DeShauna Barber, Miss USA 2016 
Savvy Shields, Miss America 2017 
As both the Miss America and Miss USA pageants prepare for their state preliminaries, I thought it would be good idea to clear up one of the most common misconceptions. Miss USA versus Miss America. These two pageants have coexisted for decades, but many people often get them mixed up.                                                                                                     At their core, the two pageants share similar goals. To empower young women and help them earn scholarship dollars, volunteer in the community, and develop leadership skills that can help them in their future careers.                                                                                                                                Both pageants begin with with pageants at the local level and then progress to the state and then national level.                                                                                                                                       Where it All Began                                                                                                                              Miss America was the first continuous women pageant in the US. It began in the 1920s in Atlantic City, N.J.  The event was officially called the Miss America Organization in 1940.                                                  Miss USA began in 1952 as on offshoot of the Miss America Pageant. It was started as a marketing project for former Miss America sponsor Catalina Swimsuits after a Miss America refused to wear a Catalina bikini in a  photoshoot. Since the Miss USA started after Miss America, all titleholder will have the words USA after their title. Example: Miss Florida USA versus Miss Florida.                                                                                                        Phases of Competition                                                                                                                        While the two pageants are very similar, there are some key differences in the phases of competition. They both feature a swimsuit and evening gown and an onstage question. The difference: Miss America contestants also compete in talent, and a longer interview during preliminaries.                                             What Comes Next                                                                                                                                  The Miss America pageant finishes completion at the National level. this is because the Miss America system is devoted to community service in the United State. In the Miss USA competition, the winner goes on to compete in the Miss Universe Pageant.  
No matter which pageant system you choose to compete in, know that it will be an awesome experience! Good Luck!!    
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Monday, April 3, 2017

How to Conquer the Fitness Competition: 360 view of the Gym


Fitness is a huge part of every pageant system. While at one time pageant were focused on stick-thin model- esque figures, now they are all (mostly) calling for a fit girl. No longer will stick thin cut it, the judges want to see muscle, strenth and a dedication to overall health. For some this is easy, for others, like myself, this is the most daunting task. Growing up as a dancer, I was always fairly thin and fit. I didnt run, or play conventional sports, I had never lifted a weight or ran on a treadmill, I lived and breathed dance. I was fit and happy, until my world came crashing down. 
A reoccuring dance injury led me to retire my shoes and leotards, no longer was I spending countless hours a week dancing. My body went into shock, within three monthes my muscles had atrofied and I gained 20 pounds. It happened so fast, I didnt know what hit me. At 20 years old, I had never even been inside a gym and I was terrified. All I could imagine were big muscle men in wife beater shirts pumping iron while grunting loudly. I wanted nothing to do with it. Luckily, I wasnt fat- but I wasnt fit either. I didnt gain anymore than the 20 pounds and for me, at 5'9, it wasnt that bad. 
 Yet, I would comb through instagram, enthralled with this new wave of ultra fit women. I am naturally very competative- and I wanted to be one. I was ready to get fit, but I didnt beleive I could do it on my own. I worked for a summer and then hired myself a personal trainer. I was determined to get fit, and fast, and I needed someone to hold my hand. 
Boy was I wrong! While I prepared for Miss Florida 2016, I was met with an obstacle. I was spending countless hours in the gym and eating super healthy- but I wasnt seeing any results. 
I was so frustrated! 
I actually gained weight and looked larger. Yes, I could lift much more than I ever could in the past, but I didnt look the way I wanted. So what does any self-respecting 21st century girl do, I took to the internet! I spent days, weeks even, scouring fitness cites, read article after article, and do you know what I found? I found that I had been training all wrong for my body type, I hadnt even known there were different body types (It seemed my trainer didnt either). I learned what I needed to do and found the confidence to do it on my own. 
 Pictured above is the gym at my apartment complex. What used to be the last place you would ever find me, is now my favorite place to go. While I will always miss dancing at the intensity I used to, I can still get the same addrenaline rush at the gym. I love the hard work and the immediate payoff in my energy and mood. I've learned that fitness is not just a look, it is a mindset. It a devotion to your physical and mental well being, and it takes constant work. 
 My advice to my pageant friends: 
 1. Dont be scared. In the words of Nike, Just Do It. 
 2. Please dont starve yourself, a girls gotta eat!! Put in the hard work, you will look healthy and be so much happier. 
 3. Be patient, but dont always trust "the experts." You know your own body better than anyone else 4. If you still dont think you can do it alone, find a partner! Share your gym time with a friend, I gaurantee you will both benfit and become closer in the process. Friends who sweat together stay together!! 
5. Have fun, dont make it a chore. Play good music, watch netflix, or do your workouts outside. Anything that keeps you motivated!!
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Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Three words: On- Stage Question

Watch this video. Study this Video. Now FORGET IT. This is how not to answer a pageant onstage question. 

While the shortest phase of the competition, these twenty seconds ultimately decide a contestant’s fate. A source of many…interesting…answers in past years, it is important to always prepare and educate yourself on world events and issues because anything can be asked on the stage. In the Miss America system, on-stage question used to be worth 5%, now its worth a whopping 20% of your total score. The 20 seconds are worth more than evening gown and swimsuit!

While many girls take to studying the news incessantly: reading papers, browsing news websites, reading blog and keeping an eye on twitter. Yet despite all this dedication, there is only so much you can know. You can walk on stage, pull your question from the fishbowl and hand it to the emcee only to find out it is that one issue you didn't study, that one fact you knew nothing about.
There are no do-overs, no phone-a-friends. Just you, a mic, and a crowd of people anticipating your answer.
DO NOT PANIC!
That is the worst thing you can do in this phase of competition. You need to keep your mind clear and composed, you can do this!
Admitting you do not know the answer may sound like the worst option. You may be scared it could hurt your score if you acknowledge there is an issue you did not study. After all, you do not want to seem unprepared to the judges. However, this is actually not true. You are only human! You cannot expect yourself to know every single thing about every event and issue in the world. It takes a lot of courage to admit you do not know the answer to a question. Use the same tone, inflection and grace when you talk as if you do know the answer. Admitting you do not know with confidence, instead of rambling, will leave a positive impression on the judges and should not affect your overall score. Especially if you have done well in all other areas of the competition.

However, while this answer may work for a local pageant, it won't cut it on the Miss Florida stage.  If you are competing at that high of level, you really have to at least attempt to answer the question. Staying positive and possibly adding some humor shows that your personable. It also shows that you can think on your feet. Mostly importantly, being comfortable with who you are enough to poke fun at yourself will radiate confidence on stage.

1.  Avoid Rambling Never, never, never, I will say it again, never ramble. There are tons of examples in recent years of why this is a horrible idea. Rambling never ends well. Take a minute, well more like 5 seconds, and compose yourself and your answer. Its better to keep the answer short and concise, rather than drone on and on about a topic you know very little about.
2. Answer with what you know. I recently received an on-stage question about dredging in Port Everglades. I can tell you one thing, I am no dredging expert. I was asked to compare the economic advantages with the environmental harm. I used what I knew to answer the question with confidence. I talked how how vital the everglades are to the Florida and world ecosystem and spoke about how it is our job to protect this vital resource. While I did not offer incite into the economic and environmental impact of the process, I offered my own incite into the importance of protecting that resource. I went on to win that pageant and received many compliments for my answer, people had no idea I didn't know what it was! They thought I was a dredging expert.
3. The most important thing to remain composed and answer with confidence and grace! As long as you keep a smile on your face and choose your words wisely, you will do just fine!

Regardless of how you choose to handle the question, remember that the key to winning any pageant is confidence. As long as you are sure in what you say and how you say it, you will do well.
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Monday, March 27, 2017

Looking Forward to Miss Earth Florida with Miss Miami Earth Amber Butler

Amber Dawn Butler is a 24-year-old Masters student pursuing a degree in Marine Science and Society with a focus on Aquaculture at the University of Miami and she happens to be the reigning Miss Miami Earth. 
 Amber is no stranger to pageants, she used to compete in the Miss America system in both Maryland and Florida before she aged out last year. 
She held the titles of Miss Homestead 2013, Miss University of Miami 2014, Miss Western Maryland 2015, and Miss Florida Everglades 2016. 
Amber enjoyed great succes in the system, raising more than $5,000 for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and establishing her own Non-Profit R.E.D. (Responsible Educated Drivers). 
 It was her work with R.E.D. that made her want to continue her work in pageants. "Starting RED was the greatest thing to come out from my particpiation with the Miss America system and I cant imagine stopping just because I am no longer competing." Amber says that continuing her work with a platfrom is what made her decide to continue her journey in a pageant system that also strongly advoaces for a platform. The Miss Earth organization was established in 2001 as a international environmenal based pageant system. It has since becme one of the three alrgest international pageant systems. The reigning titleholder will dedidcate their year to promote specific projects and often address issues concerning environmental and global resource issues. Miss Earth will serve as a spokesperson for Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Foundation. The Miss Earth competitions consists of 4 phases each weighed 25% of the final score, swimsuit, runway, interview, and evening wear. Unlike the Miss America systme there is no judged Talent portion, but participants are encoruaged to have some kind of talent ability. Amber did not have to compete in a local compeition to win her title but applied for it. She was awarded the title of Miss Miami Earth on MArch 10th after being interviewed based on her resume and grades for the honor. She will compete for the title of Miss Florida Earth on May 7th in South Beach in Miami, Florida. "The Miss Earth Pageant gives me a great opportunity to continue to persue my platfrom, but also my work with the environment. As a marine scientists, I cant think of a better way to combine my love for marine life with my love of pageants.
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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

6 Quick Tips for Pageant Perfect Skin

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Monday, March 20, 2017

Interview with Miss University of Florida: Jenai Ferguson

The Reigning Queen of my University, here is a casual interview with one of my favorite Miss Florida titleholders! 
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Monday, March 13, 2017

LIVE! from Miss Homestead 2017

I will be going LIVE! to the Miss Homestead pageant tonight 3/25 at 7 P.M! Visit Twitter and follow @Pageant_Diary to get the latest updates! If you missed the live tweeting, here is a recap! 
 Amanda Shoopman (previous Miss Florida Everglades Outstanding Teen) made her trasition into the Miss Division, capturing the judges hearts and taking the title of Miss Homestead. She also won the Interview portion of competition, bringing her scholarship earning up to $2,100 for the night. She also recieved $2,000 worth of other prizes and expenses. 
 Roseangela Tiza placed 1st Runner up and won the talent portion of the competition, winning a total of $1,550 in scholarhips money. 
 Katelyn Bourke placed 2nd Runner up and had the highest GPA among all contestants, she took away $1,200 in scholarships. 
 Here are the live tweets:











Congratulations to all the girls who competed tonight!
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Monday, March 6, 2017

Hit or Miss: Miss America 2017 Evening Gowns

Miss America, its the pinncale of the Miss America Organization experience. Its the next level and some contestants spend upwards of $5,000 on their evening gown, but sometimes their money is not well spent! 
Here are a few of the most notworthy  (and always not in a good way) Miss America Evening Gowns

5.  For me the is a HIT in capital letters. Most girls tend to stick with classic colors, black, dark blue, and the famous white. Ther's this saying that "white always wins," but I am not a beleiver. This fushia nember is a total win in my book. The bold color with the simple cut and understated details make her bronzed skin glow. She looked phenominal and definietly stood out in a sea of white and black. 



4. I love Miss South Carolina Rachel Wyatt, I mean she is a perfect human being, but her dress was a MISS.  While I love the color and the flow of the dress, I think that this lace overskirt consummed her. She has a tiny figure and the dress made her appear larger. I also was not a fan of how low the neckline was, especially because she talked about modesty in the interview playing as she walked. While,I am not one to judge modesty, this dress is not what I would consider the most "modest" and it is not what I picture Miss America wearing, this dress might have been what cost her the overall title. 


3. Miss America herself Savvy Shields! Her classes cut black dress was a HIT in my books!! While it was not my favorite dress of the night, she rocked it. I loved how the simplicity of the dress allowed her to shine. All I could see was her beautiful smile and charming personality. The pointed neckline, helps to widen her straight figure, causing her to look curvatious. The gown was the perfect combo of sexy and sweet! 




2. This Dress was another Miss for me. There is just too much going on. Miss Illonois was a beautiful contestant but the combination of a halter neckline, key hole cutout, and ruffled mermaid shirt was just too overwhelming in that blue color. I might have liked the dress in a black or white, but the dress as is was just too distracting to the eye. 

1.  While this is not her Miss America Dress Hannah Brewer's Miss Maryland Crowning Dress was stunning. She looked amazing in this bright yellow halter dress!! The color paired with her dark hair and tan skin was a hit. this 17-year-old rocked a pair of beautiful custom pageant earrings that put the finishing touches on the look. All time Favorite!! 
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Monday, February 27, 2017

Social Media: Friend or Foe?


Social media has become such an integral part of our lives. We love to post, tweet, snap and hashtag every moment of our day and share with friends, family and followers. As a titleholder, however, your social media has a greater impact than others. Everything you do is judged by a different standard as you serve as a role model for your outer community. Heres some key tips!

What Should Your Social Media Accounts Look Like as a Titleholder? 
Many pageant titleholders create separate social media accounts for the duration of their reign, or, now, as social media become more prevalent, some titles come with an already established social media page and set of accounts. While having a separate account for your reign can help increase brand awareness of the pageant, this does not mean that your personal account has escaped the judges eye. Your personal social media account should be reflective of you as a titleholder just as much as your titleholder account.

 Privacy
Just because your account is private doesn't mean it can't be viewed. The pageant world is small along with the college world. You never know who knows who and how that could impact your pageant future. 
Avoid posting pictures of partying, drinking, extremely controversial issues or behavior that some may find inappropriate. While these are things to avoid, you should stay true to yourself. Social media is not about creating a perfect world and image, its about being you and sharing that with your followers. 
 “Just as we encourage them to be their true selves during their reign, we encourage them to have their own voice on social media,” said Josh Randle, Chief operating officer for the Miss America Organization, in an interview with the Press of Atlantic City in 2016. 

Keep it Clean
 Coming back to the idea of keeping your social media clean. Let's do some Spring Cleaning!
Go back to the beginning of all of your social media accounts and comb through them.  Even they re from your pre pageant era, it is still important to go and take a look at them. Ask yourself: is the appropriate, is this how I want to be viewed?
"Clean” your social media accounts before taking on the position of a titleholder so you don't run into any problems. It's always better to be safe than sorry. Think: what would Miss America do? 
Although you may only be a local titleholder, or even just considering pageantry, there is no time like the present to make sure your social media is sending the right message. 

Build a Brand People Can stand Behind 
 Social media is a tool used to promote the system and beliefs of the pageant that you represent. Most importantly, it is brand recognition for yourself as well as the pageant. Your social media accounts should reflect the brand you have been chosen to represent. As a titleholder, you have to be conscious of the items you post and how they represent the system as a whole. Make sure that your personal brand, the pageant’s brand and the brand messages you convey via social media are consistent. 

Going Forward 
 Social media has become a huge part of pageantry and sometimes is even mentioned in the titleholder contract. As a titleholder or a potential titleholder, it is important that your social media look accordingly. As you move forward in your reign, be sure that your social media align with who you are. Monitor your social media closely and make sure they portray a positive image at all time. Although you may not always be a titleholder, it is likely that society will always view you as one, so make sure your social media accounts are a reflection of that!
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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Top 5 Interview Outfit Trends

 5. The Jumpsuit- This is the hottest trend in Miss America style Interview wear. In more conservative state like Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi this might not be acceptable just yet, but in state like Florida, California, and New York- Go for it!! Miss America is rebranding, they are looking for a modern classy woman. Jumpsuits are stylish and so in. I love this jumsuit worn by Miss Tennessee 2016 for her Miss America interview.
 
 4. Now this is not my favorite choice for an interview dress, but this smart look could work for some girls. This is a more conservative dress with a structured neck. I would have paired this dress with a differnt pari of shoes. I do like her choice to wear her hair up in a coiffed ponytail.           
 3. Peplum Stuctured Dress This is a classic example of a great Mao interview, but the peplum adds a modern flare. A peplum dress is universally flatering. Go with a color that compliments your hair color and skin tone. Just be careful becuase there might be quite a few other girls rocking this style. But it classic, it fits, and it wins.
   
 2. An A-line dress with a flare A-line is another one of those universally flattering dresses. I love this tiered dress worn by Miss New Jersey 2016. I love that she chose a white dress in stark contrast to her dark hair. Pair this with a pair of spicy heels and you are set!
 
 1. I am in love with Miss South Carolina 2016 Rachel Wyatt's interview look. While I am usually a fan of bright colors, this jumsuit coordinated perfectly with her reddish- blonde hair. This jupsuit was crisp and classic. I loved how she paired it with a simly show and classic curls.
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Monday, February 20, 2017

Miss Daytona Beach in Photos

Photo from the recent Miss Daytona Beach/St. Augustine/Ponte Vedra Pageant. This pageant serves as a prelim to the Miss Florida pageant in the Miss America system.

The Pageant kicked off with Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen Angelica Jones reading opening remarks and wishing the girsl good luck!


After completing the Swimsuit phase of competition, the girls moved on to compete in the Talent portion. Talents are one minute thirty seconds long and are worth 35% of the judges scores. Above Lexie George is picked playing her rendition of White Water Chopped Sticks.


Before competing in the Evening Gown segment, the girls took to the stage for a parade of contestants! Lexie George stood out in white alongside Arianna Genovese in a Gold see through gown.


And the Crowning has began! Pictured above is Lexie Geogre, crowned as Miss Daytona Beach!

And thats a wrap! The competition crowned three lovely ladies with Lindsey Bettis taking the top title of Miss St. Augustine, Lexie George as Miss Daytona Beach, and Arianna Genovese as Miss Ponte Vedra. All three will move on to compete at the Miss Florida competition in June!

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Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Miss Universe Iris Mitteneare facing backlash in France

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Monday, February 13, 2017

Miss Universe Crowned

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Monday, February 6, 2017

Top Five Reasons to Compete in a Pageant

I can say with complete certainty that my time as a Miss America Titleholder has been the most memorable nad impactful time of my life. I will always remember the first time I stepped foot on a Miss America local stage, the joy, the anticipation, and the confidence. I encourage everyone to give it a try, even if its only once. Here are my top five reasons for entering a pageant. 1. Pageant are Fun!! Let's face it, most women love to dress up! When you compete in a pageant you get to wear beautiful dresses and sparkly jewelery. You basically get to be a princess! What little girl doesn't dream of that growing up? Its a dream come true! 2. Friendships Another big piece of the fun are the friendships you make behind the scenes. When you enter a MAO local, you ahve lots of down time during the day. This is time where you get to interact with the other competiors. Picture 12 to 20 girls running around in curlers and singing at the top of their lungs to Justin Beiber. Most people think that pageants are full of caddy backstabbing girls. This could not be further from the truth! While you will always have a few bad seeds, you are ost likely going to be surrounded by sweet, geniune, and smart girls. 3. Memories that last forever Those memories that your making behind the scenes will stay with you forever. When you compete at the state level, you will have a whole different experience! This is the time that these girls will become your sisters! You spend nearly 24 hours a day for 7 days with you state queens, and emotions are running high. There is nothing to describe the sisterhood that forms during this week. By the time of finals night, everyone will be cheering the finalist just as if they were up there on stage competing. 4. Boosts Confidence What better way to boost confidence that have 50 other girls cheering you on? Your Miss State sisters will be with you cheering you on well past the state pageant. Having so many strong, smart and beautiful grisl cheering you on is empowering! But also just getting up on stage and putting yourself is the best way to figure out who you are unlock your inner diva. There something about getting on stage dowsed in Sally hansen spray tanner, tippy top heels, and a sparkly swimsuit that can make anyone a victoria secret model. That confidence will bleed into your every activity. You will bring a newfound confidence in your school, work and social life. 5. It Opens Doors Speaking of newfound confidence. Beauty pageants are so much more than just a pretty face! The skills, confidence, and connections that you develop while ocmpeting in pageant are vital to future. Many former MAO competitiors go on to have successful careers. Look at Gretchen Carlson, former Television host at Fox News, actress Vanessa Williams and Miss Florida 2007 Laura Rutledge who seres as host for ESPN.
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Monday, January 30, 2017

Welcome to the Pageant Diaries!


Hey Ya'll!!

Welcome to my blog! My name is Danielle Ball and I'm your neighborhood pageant girl. Despite my love of all things glitter and glam, I never expected to fall into the pageant world. But here I am, the reigning Miss Palm Beach County! 

This blog will be devoted to all things pageant; the ins, the outs and all the in betweens. From workouts to beauty tips to community service projects, this will be your one stop shop for the best advice.

Stay KIND, 
Danielle B. 

Check out my personal website to read about my platform and resume! 


               

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