Instant Smile!

Hey guys, I don't know if any of y'all had the day form "you know where" like I did, but if you did then God bless. My advice is to look to the little things to brighten your day. Sometimes it's something as simple as seeing someone who makes you happy. I'm lucky enough to live with mt best friend, thank goodness, so she usually talks me down from my crazy. I also got to see an old friend today, Ashley, who is currently battling leukemia. She's just about the bravest person I know and it brings back old memories of getting kicked out of hotels in the 4th grade any time I visit her.

If you STILL need a little sunshine in your life, check out this link...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/animals/happiest-animals-in-the-world

If this link doesn't make you happy, I fear you are not human.

In general, look to people who inspire you and make you happy to get your out of your funk. If all else fails, cute animals always do the trick!

XOXOXOX

Alyssa

I Love Wednesdays!

Hey all! I know it's strange, but Wednesdays are my favorite days of the week for 2 reasons:

1) My favorite class is Wednesdays, Communications 200 with Dr. Scott Caplan, who is seriously the coolest professor alive. It's one of the few classes I've taken in college that I feel like I will use one day in my life. It is a study of how to have healthy relationships (marriages, friendships, etc.) and raise emotionally healthy children, and since I wanna be a mommy one day!

2) Most importantly, on Wednesdays I visit Marcellus Beasley, aka the best personal trainer at B-Fit Enterprises! I look forward to my workouts with "Big Dog" every week, and I am usually counting down to it every week!

So, if y'all didn't know, you need protein and carbs to fuel a healthy workout session. My favorite way to get this before a workout is a protein smoothie. Since Big Dog works my butt off every time I visit him, eating a heavy meal before a workout with him is NOT a good idea. So, instead of eating something to weigh me down, I mix up a smoothie in my little personal blender, a $19.99 steal from target. It makes one smoothie at a time and is perfect for when you're on the go! Here it's $29.99 but I got it on sale!

 http://www.target.com/p/Bella-Cucina-Rocket-Blender-10029/-/A-10391704

All I do, is throw in some strawberries, a half a banana, a serving of pasteurized egg whites (yes they're totally safe and full of protein!), fresh pineapple, a little pineapple juice, and spinach (you can't even taste it!) If you're short on time, yoplait makes smoothies in a bag, they're just frozen fruit and yogurt that your pour into the blender. I just keep fruit in my freezer to throw in when I'm ready to make one. 

I know the spinach and egg white thing sounds gross, but I promise you it's good. Last night I was drinking one and my roommate/best friend Shelby was skeptical until she tried it and loved it.

Anyway, I'm off to B Fit Enterprises to get my workout on with Big Dog. 

Keep calm and smoothie on.

XOXOXOXOXO 

Alyssa 

Check out Marcellus Beasley at

http://www.bfitenterprises.com/

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

James 3:2 

Top 10 Reasons I Love Yoga

So shout out to my Alpha Xi Delta sisters on having sisterhood yoga tonight! Brilliant idea for a healthy and fun sisterhood bonding event! I've always really liked yoga, and at the urging of my local director and fitness instructor/guru Jen Hayward, I've been getting more and more into yoga lately! So, for all of you that are still on the fence, I'm going to give you the top 10 reasons I enjoy yoga!

10. It can be a fun bonding activity. Bring your friend/sister/mom to try it out for the first time with you! If you're an experienced yogi bring a friend who's new to yoga to come try it out with you! It's a great way to get in shape and get closer to someone!

9. Working out without getting terribly gross and sweaty!

8. It's a great way to meet new people. Stop by your local yoga studio and take a class, you might meet some new friends.

7. Hot yoga! Bikram yoga is a great way to detox. Think about going through your vinyasa flow in a sauna, it's amazing. 

6. Yoga builds flexibility. As a dancer I always need to be more flexible.

5. Yoga really improves my sleep cycle. Sometimes juggling college, sorority life, Miss Delaware, and life in general leaves me up at night stressed out. Yoga helps me get my 8 hours in!

4. The meditation at the end. It's such a nice feeling laying down at the end and meditating, or even just relaxing. Yoga is just relaxing in general. It's almost a spiritual experience sometimes, and I just say a few quick prayers.

3. Yoga is a great emotional release. When you focus on your breathing, all of your other emotions melt away.

2. There is no goal in yoga. Just a direction and the opportunity to learn new poses.

1. Two words, lean muscle. What pageant girl/girl in general doesn't want more lean muscle tone?

Hallelu! These are my top 10 reasons to do yoga. It's a great mental and physical workout, and it's so calming. Next time you're super stressed out, instead of grabbing a bag of chips and whining about it, hit up a local yoga studio for a healthy stress busting alternative.

XOXOXO,

Alyssa

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Miss Delaware Week 2011

As I mentioned in my FIRST BLOG POST EVER, I competed for the title of Miss Delaware last year. Looking back, the entire week was a complete blur of laughter, tears, and hairspray.With very little preparation, a $200 evening gown, a dance costume bought off of pageantresale.com, A swimsuit I purchased offline, and a dream, I walked into a room and looked at 15 of the most beautiful, talented, incredible young women in the great state of Delaware. I remember feeling incredibly humbled and overwhelmed listening to the incredible things these young women had done in their lives. Every single woman was an entrepreneur, a genius, an artist, an activist, and a role model. To simply be in the same room with all of them was an unbelievable blessing. I was so lucky to have been randomly paired up with Steffi Holmes as my roommate. She is wise beyond her years, kind, and so helpful. We clicked immediately, and she helped calm my pre-pageant jitters all week. I won't harp on the activities of each individual day, and to be honest...I dont remember it all! I blame the hairspray fumes. 

Before leaving to go to Miss Delaware, my grandfather was working on the farm in a combine, when the combine overheated and a piece of barley caught on fire. The entire combine and part of the field went up in smoke (which I could see from my Dad's house in Ocean View, the farm is is Whaleyville, MD!) Luckily, my Pop pop was okay and no serious damage was done to the farm. We all counted our blessings, but I couldn't help but remember that "Bad things happen in 3s."

I was awarded the first Miss Spirit Award of the week, which was a huge honor, as Miss Spirit is chosen by the wonderful Miss Delaware Executive Board. These men and women are not paid for all the time and effort they put in. If it weren't for them, so many scholarships would not have been possible, and so many girls dreams' would have never been reached. There were a few contestants over the week that I became particularly close to, though every single girl in the pageant was amazing. Maria Cahill and I developed some kind of magnetic bond the second we met at the first orientation. We knew it was true love when I came back from the chocolate fountain at Kayla Martell's Gala, with a plate oozing over the edges with chocolatey goodness. Throughout our time at Miss Delaware, we became closer, and now I'm proud to say she is one of my best friends in the whole world. That's right, my best friend won Non-Finalist Talent at Miss America. Clearly mine is better than yours. ;)

Just being attractive...the usual.

There was one instance in particular where I realized Maria was the kind of friend I was so lucky to have, and I hope everyone one day has someone do something just as selfless and kind as this. On Wednesday night, we were all in the ballroom at Dover Downs rehearsing our talent routines. I'm a dancer with a background in gymnastics, and my talent was acrobatic jazz  to "It's About That Walk" by Prince (how ya derrn Miss Arizona? She used the same song for an INCREDIBLE acro routine at Miss America, and was Maria's roommate!) Anyway, I landed wrong out of a back handspring and my foot swelled up immediately. Needless to say I was instantly hysterical, with pain and fear that my trip to Miss Delaware might end with me not competing. As the volunteers loaded me into the car to take me to the hospital, Maria came running out and jumped in the car with us, not wanting to let me go alone. She thinks it wasn't a big deal, but leaving valuable rehearsal time to go sit with me through xrays is not something most girls would do for a competitor. Luckily it was just a bad sprain, and I had the doctor's blessing to dance through the pain. When we returned back to the hotel, neither of us looking too hot (well Maria is always hot), we met the judges, and had to tell them a fun fact. Mine was that I was terribly unlucky, but I was so blessed to have a new friend in my life, willing to sacrifice her time to help me through a hardship. Bad event #2? Check. Now where's number 3?

Still super attractive.

The most happy.

My interview on Thursday could not have gone any better. I walked out of the room knowing the judges had really gotten to know me for who I am. I spent much of the rest of the day praying and icing my foot, and I finally realized, God knew I was hurt, it was all in his plan. Whatever happened was all in his hands, and it was all for a purpose. I nailed my talent on the first night of preliminary competition, after being in the hospital just the day before. I was so incredibly proud, I remember running off stage and jumping into the arms of our stage manager, Kevin. I kept sobbing and repeating "I did it, I did it!." Evening gown went well, and when I went to bed that night I was so proud. Friday night was swimsuit (cue scary dramatic music), and onstage question. Swimsuit is definitely not my favorite event, but my onstage question went really well. Side note: I LOVE SUSAN POWELL, former Miss America and our emcee.

A partial leap during talent, thanks to Debbie Magnin for photos!

My swimsuit picture was in the Cape Gazette!

Fast forward to Saturday, I awoke a bundle of nervous jitters, and couldn't function all day. Saturday night in the dressing room I thought to myself, God is giving me these obstacles to overcome for a reason. He knew I was strong enough to handle the hardships I was facing, and He had a plan. I heard 8 names out of the top 10 announced, and I accepted the fact that neither of the last 2 names were mine. I was young and inexperienced, and it wasn't my time to be in that elite group yet. I was fully at peace with this, and then I heard my name called. I was shocked, excited, and overwhelmed. After falling out of a tumbling pass during my talent (Bad thing #3? Check), I was sure my run ended at the top 10 and I was so proud of how far I had made it. We returned on stage to anxiously await the announcement of the top 5. 4 names were called and my hope was deflated. I assured myself that God had a plan for me and not to dispair over this. Imagine my elation and hysteria when that 5th seat belonged to me. 

This just about sums it up.

I am so blessed to have been named 4th runner-up to a fabulous Miss Delaware. I can't express how proud, happy, and excited I was for Maria's journey. She is a beautiful person, inside and out, and it is an honor to be in her court. If you can't tell how I feel about Maria through this blog, seeing her crowning video and my reaction might help...follow this link and watch. Yes I'm the hysterical blonde in the gold.

http://www.delawareonline.com/videonetwork/991245863001/Newark-woman-crowned-Miss-Delaware

My experience at Miss Delaware last year has changed my life in so many ways. I have grown into a much more confident, self-assured, and better version of myself, and made some new lifelong friends. As it turns out, bad things do not happen in 3's, but 4's. My dad was unable to make it to Friday, or Saturday's shows because of a knee injury, and was instead in the hospital. The moral of the story is, things will go wrong sometimes. Life is not fair. Bad things happen to good people. BUT, God is great. He knows when we are suffering, and He knows when we need guidance. I am proof that with the knowledge of His love for you, and the willingness to accept the unexpected turns He throws in your life's path, you can achieve greatness.

Sorry this was a long one!

XOXOXO

Alyssa

 "fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" Isaiah 41:10
.


Special Thanks to:
Mama Sandy Soucek for convincing me to enter my first local, and all of your help/love/support
Lana and Aimee Parker for all of your love and support from DJM to MAO
My family, obviously. Especially you Mommy!
All the other contestants last year, Maria, Mikaila, Steffi, Tierra, EVERYONE! Love you all!
All of the volunteers, there are too many to name!

There's a First Time for Everything!

This is my very first blog attempt, so we'll see where this takes me. I decided that keeping a blog could be therapeutic for me while I juggle my college career, keeping active with the Skin Cancer Foundation and my Mela-No-More project, keeping active and in shape, and preparing for the big week in June! So, basically what you're going to be seeing on here is a lot of random stream-of-conscience writing, some health/diet tips, and a lot of my journey and anticipation building up. 

So, I suppose I should let you get to know me. My name is Alyssa and I'm a 20 year old student at the University of Delaware studying communications and Spanish, after college I hope to go on to law school and become a legal analyst for a major news network. I'm your average 20-year old, except I occasionally wear a sparkly crown and obscenely high heels. I'm from a teeny tiny town in southern Delaware, called Selbyville. My dad is a farmer, yes I can drive a tractor, no I've never milked a cow (he doesn't even have animals.) I say y'all, I cook some mean traditional southern farm food, and I tried hunting once, but cried the second a deer walked into my range of vision. My job is actually the coolest job in the world, I set up umbrellas in Bethany Beach, DE during the summers. I have a big brother, Cory, 2 step brothers, Ben and Zach, and a little sister, Remi, and the chillest cat in the world named Ziggy. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk pageants...

The Zig-man himself.

No I never did pageants as a child, I was not on Toddlers and Tiaras, my sister does not do pageants, and I will never put my child into glitz pageants. I'm 20 and I have never worn extensions in my whole life. Having said this, I absolutely love the show, even though it makes me cringe, and I call all my friends "Honey boo boo child." (I'm posting a video for those who did not get the reference...) 

I actually became involved in pageants/scholarship programs when I entered the Delaware's Junior Miss Scholarship Program as a Junior in high school. I ended up winning, a huge shock, and went on to compete in the national finals in Mobile Alabama. At nationals, I won a preliminary interview award,  and met some pretty special and amazing people. Through America's Junior Miss (now known as the Distinguished Young Women of America Program), I have been able to pay for all 4 years of my education at UD, and I will graduate 100% debt free! After Junior Miss I decided I was done with scholarship programs/pageants and I wanted to focus on school work. 

The pageant bug bit me when some directors from the Miss Delaware Organization started contacting me about competing in locals. After a few months of hesitation, my former Junior Miss directors, who are now like family to me, urged me to move on the the MAO level. I ended up winning Miss Sussex County 2011 last year, which earned me a bid to Miss Delaware. I walked away 4th Runner-Up, People's Choice Winner, and Rookie of the Year. Not too shabby for my first attempt if I do say so myself. The best part of my experience so far with this program, has been the new friends I've made, Shout out to Maria Cahill, Miss Delaware 2011! Miss Delaware week 2011 deserve's it's own blog post, and I will do just that later!

XOXOXOXO,

Alyssa

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 

John 1:1

Check out the Distinguished Young Women of America website!

www.ajm.org

Also check out the Miss Delaware official website and see what Maria is up to!

MissDE.org