Just in case you haven't heard..... Medeline Yowane will be there!

Linda Francis' translator in the Miss Deaf World beauty pageant, Medeline Yowane has finally secured sponsorship from a private sponsor to enable her to travel with the model to Czech Republic.

Kiri Davies a cosmetologist will also assist with Francis' facials while, Joyce Chimanye of Zuva Ecowear Fashions would provide a dress for the contest.

"I am excited about what our sponsors did, now we are able to continue with our journey, without any problems," said Medeline.

She added that Francis was geared up for the contest and will certainly bring the title home.

"We are promising the people of Zimbabwe to fly the flag high, we will emerge as victors," she said.

Audrey Chakara, who represented the country last year and is now based is the Czech Republic came eighth out of 19 countries worldwide, while attaining the fifth position in the continent. The pageant will take place on July 12 and the pair is expected back home on the 15th.

Brittany Akers was "Explosive" at Miss NC

Brittany Akers Top 10 performance at Miss NC 2008 included a dynamic flute presentation to the song "Explosive". Despite Akers commanding performance, many in the pageant community still question the use of background instrumental usage with instrumental performances.

What's you opinion? Do background tracks artificially enhance instrumental performances or perhaps does it do the opposite and distract the judges from the quality of play of the contestant?? Comment below!

Amanda Watson crowned Miss North Carolina 2008

Mya Hipps crowned Miss NC Outstanding Teen 2008

And the new Miss NC is.....

Amanda Watson - Miss Garner, is the new Miss North Carolina 2008!!!

Top 5 ( Amanda Watson, Jamee Hunt, Kailin Cook, Katherine Southard, and Rasheeda Waddell ) prepare to answer questions from the judges. Thankfully none of them about "Cartography"!

Final results
Amanda Watson - Miss North Carolina 20008
1st RU - Jamee Hunt, Miss UNC-P
2nd RU - Katherine Southard, Miss Mt. Holly
3rd RU - Rasheeda Waddell, Miss Central Carolina's
4th RU - Kailin Cook, Miss Statesville

Remainder of Top Ten:
Bridget Mooring - Miss Wilson
Lisa Mace - Miss Goldsboro
Erica Dellinger - Miss Forsyth County
Brittany Akers - Miss Spivey's Corner
Sarah Portela - Miss Gaston County

Non-Finalist Interview Award
Laura Puleo - Miss Moore County

Non-Finalist Talent Awards
Laura Puleo - Miss Moore County
Kinsie Howell - Miss Johnston County
Ashley Kotz - Miss Western Carolina
Brittany Lowery - Miss Greater Wilmington
Jill Ayscue - Miss Hendersonville

Community Service Award
Amanda Watson - Miss Garner

Academic Award
Jenna Kindley - Miss Thomasville

Congeniality
Kaitlin Cook - Miss Statesville

Thanks Catfish!

BrieAnna,
You have always said that Kerr Lake has catfish big as men.
Well, now you got one that's at least as big as you!

Thanks for all your hard work for the past year graciously volunteering and representing our state as Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen.



BrieAnna with Caitlyn Brunell - Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2008

Miss North Carolina Outstanding Teen 2008 - Mya Hipps

Mya Hipps - Evening Gown competition

Mya Hipps - Lifestyle & Fitness competition

Mya Hipps - Vocal Performance

Mya Hipps crowned by Caitlyn Brunell Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2008 and BrieAnna Hester Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen 2007

Stage Walk

Top Five

Lenn's Picks for Top 5 at Miss NC

5. Miss South of the Border - This is a controversial pick. Most people think she is actually from South Carolina and she's using a relatives address on our side of the state line.

4. Miss Hatteras Island - One look at that black and white liquid beaded evening gown and I knew this girl was in it to win it!

3. Miss R.J. Reynolds - What can I say... This girl is smokin' hot!

2. Miss Blue Ridge Parkway - With curves like this girl, she is bound to make a mountainous impression on the judges.

And my number one pick for Miss NC 2008....
Miss Climax, NC - I have never seen a girl that smiled as much as her!

OK here's your chance...
Comment below with your posts for honorable mentions that I should have considered...

Miss NC Thursday Night Prelim Winners

Rasheeda Waddell - Miss Talent Award

Bridgett Mooring - Miss Swimsuit Award

Via Patrick - Teen Fitness Award

Mya Hipps - Teen Talent Award

Miss NC Wednesday Night Prelim Winners

Erica Dellinger - Miss Swimsuit Award (3 way tie )

Meaghan Perrigo - Miss Swimsuit Award ( 3 way tie )

Rasheeda Waddell - Miss Swimsuit Award ( 3 way tie )

Brittany Akers - Miss Talent Award

Chasity Chapman - Teen Fitness Award (Tie)

Shane McCaleb - Teen Fitness Award (Tie)

Victoria VanDyke - Teen Talent Award

Miss NC Tuesday Night Prelim Winners

Jamee Hunt - Miss Talent Award

Amanda Watson - Miss Swimsuit Award

Victoria VanDyke - Teen Fitness Award (Tie)

Kacy Lee - Teen Fitness Award (Tie)

Jessica Carter - Teen Talent Award

Hey there Miss Teen SC

Thanks to Paige!!! Good stuff....

New MAO Partnership enough to make you cry

The Miss America Organization announced today that it had entered into a formal partnership with Dalena Farms. What does Dalena Farms grow??? ONIONS.
Yep, I said it, Onions. In another great marketing move Miss America will be formally associated with product that will leave you crying in tears. Although now that I mention it, after watching talent the last couple years, this might be quite appropriate....

As part of Miss America's personal platform of promoting healthy lifestyles with good nutrition, Kirsten, will support and promote Sweet D Brand Onions as an essential ingredient to eating healthy. Kirsten will act as spokesperson for Dalena Farms, promoting their onions during her travels across the country. Now there's a promo T-shirt and Beer Koosie I haven't seen.

"Having Kirsten as our spokesperson is a wonderful opportunity to educate people of all ages about the many health benefits onions have to offer," said Lisa Dalena, of Dalena Farms. "Her presence on our packaging, and her personal appearances supporting our onions make people aware of Sweet D Brand Onions and increase the overall consumption of onions.

Hmmm, maybe I should start working as a marketing rep for Miss America. What else would be a good product? How about prunes. Lots of Miss America supporters probably need alittle extra fiber in their diets to stay regular. And while I'm at it, I think I am gonna get in touch with the people that make SCOPE mouthwash. All these onions are gonna leave Kirsten with some serious bad breath. Now great breath and a sparkling smile is a great sponsorship....

OK so I thought I would check out the Dalena Farms website to see what all the stink was about. Well looks like they employ a lot of hard working Americans.... in the office. Take a look at the pics. I'm not gonna say a word. (Mainly because here in NC our state is loaded with tobacco farms that employ tons of illegal aliens as workers....) I'm not saying Dalena employs illegal aliens as workers.... In fact I didn't see a single spaceship in any of the photos, although I did see a lot of Latin Americans...
: )

ONIONS... You guys kill me!!! I couldn't make this crap up. Well yeah I could, but the sad thing is I don't have too....

"Slushie" bodies and Chickens-on-a-stick need not apply

It's not just Pakistani beauties who are sweating it out on treadmills to win a pageant or two -- the men too are keeping busy shaping their biceps and showing them off it at local and international pageants.

While Pakistani beauty queens usually have to fly out of the country to take part in pageants, men are luckier, with the number of body building events going up by the year.

With photographers ferociously clicking pictures and local TV channels beaming events live, at least a dozen men walking the ramp flaunting their well chiseled bodies is not an uncommon sight in Pakistan's metropolises anymore.

Not surprisingly then that the annual 'Mr Pakistan' event is not the only title the men are eyeing. There are national-level titles like Pakistan National Champion and Pakistan Olympia, apart from many local titles such as 'Mr Sindh' and 'Mr Karachi'. There are also some international events in which national title-holders take part.

Unfortunately, the remuneration for the hard work that the men put in is little. Except for a certificate and a trophy, there is little that the men can look forward to. Yet the cheering crowds and the extensive media coverage are enough to give these men an adrenaline rush.

No word on if Osama Bin Laden has been pumpin the irons out in his rural cave and plans to enter the Mr. Islamabad Contest or not.

Say Bye Bye to MAO Platforms

The Miss America Organization announced this week that Miss America's Outstanding Teen has joined their big sisters by entering into an agreement with CMN - The Children's Miracle Network as the official philanthropic charity of the OT Organization. This move brings the organization one step closer to doing away with individual charity involvement and instead focuses the organizations participants towards a single goal.
Not to mention the additional dollars that will be funneled back into the Organization as CMN will make charitable donations back to Miss America. No I didnt say kick-back. I said charitable donations.

What do you think? Is a more focused effort good for Miss America or is it just another idea that proves the Miss America Pageant is out of touch with the youth of today??
Comments below!

Being Miss America can lead to Bad Habits

Current Miss America, Kirsten Haglund, stopped by Our Lady of BeJeweled Crown, which is an asylum for recovering pageant Queens to visit Lee Meriweather, Miss America 1955. Queen Meriweather was committed to the facility after a long bout of addiction to all things bejeweled! Ironically in the past few years Queen Meriweather has selected to portray roles in shows titled "Twisted Faith", "Going Postal", "Touched By An Angel", and "Jonathan Winters - On the Ledge".

Apparently Queen Meriweather thinks she is one of the nuns at the "Monastery" and Kirsten played right along and even brought "the nun" some roses. Representatives from the Miss America Organization were overheard telling Kirsten just prior to meeting Queen Meriweather to "just go along with it".

Seriously folks, last week Kirsten made an appearance at Rochester Michigan's Meadow Brook Theatre, where 1955's Miss America (and frequent Nunsense star) Lee Meriwether is performing in Nunsense Jamboree.

"Nunsense" is the creation of Catholic-school-educated author/composer Dan Goggin, and follows a fictitious order of merry nuns, the 'Little Sisters of Hoboken,' as they put on a fund-raising show at their school, Mt. St. Helen’s which is home of the Volcanoes. "Nunsense" first premiered in New York City at the Duplex Cabaret in 1983 where it grew into a full-fledged off-Broadway musical and moved to the Cherry Lane Theater winning four Outer Critics' Circle Awards, including 'Best off-Broadway Musical.' It later transferred to the Douglas Fairbanks Theater on 42nd Street, where it ran for over 10 years. "Nunsense" became the second longest running musical in off-Broadway history, eclipsed only by legendary "The Fantasticks".

Floyd Wilkins speaks and EF Hutton listens... NOT

Each year before Miss NC, a Voyboard poster by the name of Floyd Wilkins comes out from under some rock he/she hides under throughout the year to make a prediction about the results of Miss NC. Well occasionally boards get wiped, so this year I thought it would be my civic duty to make sure that Floyd's picks are put in stone.

Will he/she be right? Well ask me again June 22nd. Its Miss NC, personally I don't count anyone out until then.

Below reposted from Voy 52319 6/7/08
Author - Floyd Wilkins

Well it's that time of year again!
Time for me to make my top ten ,Top Five ,Runners up & Miss North Carolina predictions. Now i know in the past a lot of people have accused me of flip flopping back and forward but this year has been extremely difficult to narrow 23 contestants down to a top 10, It was even harder to narrow my top ten down to a top 5 finalist , and even harder to come up with final placements for runners up and The New Miss North Carolina. You may or may not agree with me and yes i know i have critics who will respond to this post later. But after much Deliberation on the contestants platforms and talents this is my top ten , top five predictions as well as my runner ups and winner for Miss North Carolina 2008

My Top Ten

Central Carolina -Rasheeda Waddell
Forsyth County -Erica Dellinger
Garner-Amanda Watson
Gastonia-Aryn Ward
Goldsboro-Lisa Mace
Johnston County-Kinsie Howell
Mecklenburg County-Meaghan Perrigo
Moore County -Laura Puleo
Piedmont Triad-Emmy McLean
Spivey's Corner-Brittany Akers

My Top Five Finalist
Central Carolina-Rasheeda Waddell
Goldsboro-Lisa Mace
Mecklenburg County-Meaghan Perrigo
Piedmont Triad-Emmy Mclean
Spivey's Corner-Brittany Akers

Fourth Runner up-Mecklenburg County Meaghan Perrigo
Third Runner Up -Central Carolina Rasheeda Waddell
Second Runner Up-Spivey's Corner Brittany Akers
First Runner up -Piedmont Triad Emmy McLean


Miss North Carolina 2008 Miss Goldsboro
Lisa Mace

This is my final predictions annd i must say it was a tough decission i was on the fence about the first runner up and the new Miss North Carolina Emmy was not my first choice as first runner up and Lisa was not my first choice for Miss North Carolina , In fact Lisa was going to be my choice for first runner up and my choice for the winner was going to be Meaghan Perrigo,Mecklenburg County . However the minute the pictures went up on the website Lisa changed my mind. So as you can see i am not flip flopping this year i made my final predictions before i posted them on the board. I look forward to seeing you all this year at the pageant On Saturday June 21st when one of these 23 young ladies will get the oppertunity to represent our state as Miss North Carolina 2008.

Comments???

Not one, but two Miss White Trash America's!!

Now here is something that you probably won't see on the Civitan's sign heading into the town of Kalama, Washington. The town host not just one, but two former Miss White Trash America's.

This little tidbit came to life during a recent taping of the Style Networks Reality TV show "Split Ends". A show where two hairdressers switch salons to see how the other one works. Yes at the surface it doesnt seem that interesting, but trust me when you take a high end Manhattan hairdresser and put her in some Po-Dunk Country salon it does make for some good TV watchin'. On the most recent episode of "Split Ends" it was revealed that the Kalama, a town of 1,700 is home to not one, but two Miss White Trash USA winners -- Dawn Hindman, the reigning queen, and 2005 title holder Amberleigh (no last name, "like Madonna," she explained).

Amberleigh, who appears in the "Split Ends" episode working at the Stage West barbershop/antique store in downtown Kalama, proudly spilled the beans about her title to horrified high end Philadelphia stylist Mary Lamb. Then Amberleigh introduced Lamb to Hindman, who stopped by the one-chair shop for a haircut and talk about the fact that she plans to sell her big 'ol truck that she won at the pageant.

The annual Miss White Trash Pageant was founded in 1999 in Portland by the Rev. Tony Hughes to celebrate "women who proudly represent the large and looming underbelly of middle Americana." Contestants are judged in categories including makeup, hair, outfit, talent and overall trashiness. Leave it to a Reverend to come up with this!
If only we had such greatness here in North Carolina. This is the pageant I wanna shoot!!!

Hindman took the 2008 title in September's beer-fueled pageant at a Portland bar. Amberleigh had encouraged her to enter after seeing Hindman join the "redneck rodeo" at last summer's Kalama fair, telling her, "I know white trash, and you're gonna win."

"I said I'll try anything once," said Hindman, who recently got divorced and wanted some fun. "I've always been a goofball, always joke around and stuff, but nothing like this."

For her pageant outfit, Hindman wore a glittery bikini top borrowed from Amberleigh with a pair of ripped-up construction shorts. She beat out dozens of other scantily-clad contestants, winning a 1973 GMC pickup truck with "Miss White Trash 2008" painted on its camper shell, meat products, a tattoo and a check for $29.99.

Sadly, she has since sold the truck to a Longview man for $100 after her landlord told her she couldn't park it at her apartment.

"It's just a joke, really. I'm just your basic country girl, is all I am," said 42-year-old Hindman, a mother of two who works for Cleaning with TLC. "It was the best time I ever had in my life, and I didn't have to be trashy to do it. I was just myself."

Amberleigh, however, says she takes her title seriously and strives to live up to her responsibilities.

"It's a great honor. I feel that I'm representing a good portion of our population. ... I come from a long line of rednecks," Amberleigh said Friday, rocking her newborn baby, Jameson, while 17-month-old Tennessee played on the floor of the family's new modular home in rural Kalama's hills. Yes, both sons' names are references to whiskey, she grins.

With Amberleigh, 29, it's hard to tell whether her embrace of white trash ideals is an authentic lifestyle or a smart young woman being campy and ironic. Her dad's family is from the Kentucky/Southern Ohio region. She keeps it on the down-low that her mom's from San Diego, where Amberleigh grew up before moving to Portland. She's lived in Kalama for a year.

Adding to the mystique is the bullet tattooed inside her right bicep.

"My gun is always loaded," she said, flexing her muscle, causing much of her ample bosom to spill out the top of the cut-out neck of her Motley Crue T-shirt. Her left tricep is tattooed with "Honky," which goes with a friend's tattoo that says "Tonk."

When her Portland co-workers at Big Daddy's barbecue pit suggested Amberleigh was perfect for the Miss White Trash 2005 contest, naturally, she was all over it.

"I said I'll win it for sure. ... I wanted to win that truck," said Amberleigh, a former honky-tonk music roadie. She put on a fake pregnant belly, battered high heels, opened a beer, lit a cigarette and took home the crown.

In addition to the truck, she won a recording contract with Jesus Presley records, a lifetime supply of Spam and a year's supply of Camel cigarettes. Radio shock jock Howard Stern called. She appeared in a Camel ad.

While driving the eye-catching truck, she learned how large a fan-base Miss White Trash has. Gas station employees filled her tank for free. Men wanted to pose for pictures with her. People waved at her at stoplights (and in turn, she'd give them the one-finger salute).

"Every time I started that truck, I'd peel out," she said. The tires were bald when she sold it after a year for $1,000 to federal Drug Enforcement Agents looking for a truck for undercover meth work, she said.

The tacky allure of the "Miss White Trash Pageant" is catching on. The Style Network is looking at filming a "Miss White Trash" reality show, pitting pageant winners from different states against each other.

But some locals don't get it.

"A lot of people are mad at me in town," Amberleigh said. However, she added, "It's not degrading by any means. It's fun. There's no harm."

Miss White Trash

This ugly girl needs make-up tips and to learn how to clean her room

Don't F with former Miss Shad Festival Queens

These are the Days of Our Lives

The quaint little town of Salem will soon welcome yet another stunner, when Miss USA Crystle Stewart drops in this month. Stewart was crowned Miss USA 2008 in ceremonies held last April 11 in Las Vegas.

The 26-year old, who originally hails from Missouri, guest-stars on NBC's long-running "Days of Our Lives" soap opera on June 20.

Stewart, who finally bagged the title of Miss Texas USA on her fifth try, plays an Alpha Chi Theta adviser to Rachel Melvin's Chelsea Brady and Kristen Renton's Morgan Hollingsworth. In the coming Days of Our Lives episode, Stewart catches Chelsea and Morgan's attention while the two are working out at the Salem Health Club.

Morgan tells Chelsea that Stewart is one of their sorority's national chapter advisers and was responsible for putting together the previous year's Breast Cancer Awareness Walkathon at Salem University. The three of them get into a brief conversation about this year's edition of the same walkathon, with Chelsea and Morgan also wishing Stewart the best of luck at the Miss Universe tilt on July 13.

Now if we could just get her to hide a file in her crown and drop by "All My Children". Maybe she could help Susan Lucci break outta jail!!!

Miss Virginia USA will be comin round the mountain again

After a two-year absence, the Miss Virginia USA and Miss Teen Virginia beauty pageants are returning to Bristol, Virginia.

The pageants are preliminary events for the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA contests that are owned by Donald Trump. They moved to Norfolk in 2006 and then to Lynchburg last year, after being held for more than a decade in Bristol. This year’s pageants are scheduled for Oct. 24-25 at Virginia Intermont College’s Harrison-Jones Auditorium.

“We’re excited to bring the state pageants back to Bristol,” Kim Johnson, the event’s executive director “We’re excited to be bringing people from all over the state of Virginia to Bristol and Virginia Intermont, to show off all the special qualities Bristol and the college has to offer.”

"The pageants were moved in an attempt to attract more entrants", Johnson said.
“I thought somewhere more centrally located might attract more contestants, but the numbers really stayed about the same,” she said. “And last year we had a large number of entrants from Southwest Virginia.”

Recent pageants have averaged about 50 contestants between the ages of 14 and 26, but Johnson said she hopes to attract as many as 75 to this year’s events.
She said her organization is actively recruiting contestants and sponsors. Another reason she gave in 2006 for moving the pageants was a lack of financial support from area businesses. “We hope to get a lot of sponsorship in the area, and we hope to recruit lots of special young women,” Johnson said.

Like most things these days, the economic slowdown has affected pageant support and participation, she said. One factor that could attract contestant interest is a scholarship offer from the host school. VI plans to offer $2,500 annual scholarships – $10,000 over four years – to all pageant entrants who choose to attend the college, Virginia Intermont President Michael Puglisi said.

“People will be coming from all over the state who may not realize this corner of the state exists,” Puglisi said. “We hope the students will come to our campus, see our specialized programs and the quality of our programs across the board.”
It is the first time the host school has offered scholarships, Johnson said.
The pageant, which is expected to draw hundreds, coincides with the school’s new tourism management program, Puglisi said. “Tourism is an important, growing industry in our region and we will be educating people who will be the leaders in this area for years to come,” he said, adding that the tourism program and college will do everything possible to support the pageants.

Miss America is a sellout

No, I am not talking about the seats in the auditorium. I am talking about the new website that they rolled out today. What originally was a great resource for everything Miss America, is now a commercial beast. The new homepage is loaded with ads including a banner for VistaPrint, 7Up, Diet Rite Soda, Snapple, AT&T, and lets not forget the Children's Miracle Network.

At some point the Miss America Organization is gonna look back and realize that they started to look like a homeless person on the street corner beggin' for change. And somehow I don't think we have seen the worst yet. When they make her start talking like a Nascar driver and thanking sponsors every time she has a microphone in her face we know she will have hit rock bottom.
Miss America Website

Catching up with Chelsea Cooley

Chelsea Cooley is the beautiful local girl who did great – she won the title of Miss USA in 2005 and then went on to finish 10th in the Miss Universe pageant. The Charlotte native, 24, now lives in Wilmington.

Charlotte Observer Staff writer Jennifer Rothacker recently spoke with her.

Q. What are you doing in Wilmington?

I'm president of StandOut Productions, Inc., which does image consulting and leadership building. We do a lot of retreats and seminars. My business partner is a fitness guru and retired Command Sergeant Major of the Army Dr. A.T. Dunn. We do seminars on personal fitness and nutrition to public speaking, confidence-building, goal setting and wardrobe consultations.

Q. Do you work with pageant contestants?

Right now our big client base is women in pageantry, of course. That's what I know. We worked with 16 girls at Miss USA (this spring). They are all incredible women; eight were in the top 15. Leah Laviano, Miss Mississippi USA, was first runner up, so we were thrilled.

There are a lot of pageant coaches, but I've been there and I know what it's like to be a contesants. I know I can provide a lot more than anyone else can. And, I've loved it.

I'm currently writing a book, “Beatuy Pageant Confidential,” which has all my techniques and secrets combined into one big story, and I have some tidbits from other national titleholders. It's almost like a tell-all, not in a bad or gossipy way. I have several publishers interested, and I want to pick the right one.

Q. Who else do you consult for?

We just recently started with NASCAR. We work with Stacy Compton and his team. We do motivational team-building with them. We want to branch off to a lot of other race teams out there. Even the Speed Network has been following us

Q. After your reign, you took a stab at acting. How did that end up?

I realized I don't know anything about acting. I wasn't any good at it. I haven't taken any classes, wasn't getting booked on any jobs. Hosting, though, is more my forte. I'm good off the cuff. I just did “Top 10 Beaches in America” for Lifetime, which will air July 4.

There are two shows I'm looking at with my agent for E and Bravo. I can't go into details right now. Another possibility is to do a national travel show with the Travel Network.

Q. Did you complete your degree at the Art Institute of Charlotte?

I didn't. I had to put everything on hold. I'm getting ready to start online classes at the American Leadership Institute in Georgia. I really want to grow in leadership.

Q. What do you hope to do with that?

I think it will keep evolving; I don't want to keep static. I was doing consulting because it's so personal, but I love motivational speaking as well. I want to do more on a corporate level.

On a personal level, I want to get married and have a family. And I think I can do all of that at the same time.

Q. So are you dating anyone?

I do have a boyfriend I met through mutual friends. I just knew he was something different. We've been together for 1 1/2 years.

For more info on StandOut Productions, Inc.
Please visit StandOut Productions.

Special thanks to The Charlotte Observer