Monday, October 18, 2010

Fall Break

Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend - I know I did! At Ithaca College, we don't get Columbus Day off but we do get a long weekend called Fall Break. It's always such a nice break after the craziness of midterms (waiting to see my grades still!!!). As most of you know, I always seem to be busy, with school or work or other obligations, so as you can imagine, my break was not necessarily relaxing, but still very fun! Over the weekend I had my photo shoot with April McClintock (sneak peek to follow below!!!), added some pink to my blonde hair for a great cause, and spent quality time with family, friends, and Tony, on my downtime.

The Photo Shoot

I was so anxious for this appointment - excited, but a little nervous. I spent all of Thursday night consulting with Shelby, and packing outfits, shoes, and accessories for the big day. By the end of my packing spree, I had stuffed at least 30 dresses, including evening, cocktail, and casual 'shopping' dresses, into two garment bags, and everything else into the largest suitcase I could find (so big that I bet I could fit inside of it, when it is empty of course). And I still felt like I was forgetting something. Anyway, I woke up early on Friday for a hair and make-up appointment with Rosie at the Ritz Spa and Salon in Watertown, one of our sponsors. Rosie has done work for some of April's other clients before and I typically go to Rosie for my regular hair appointments, so I felt confident that she would make me look and feel my very best. I headed to April's studio located in the Paddock Arcade on the Square in Watertown, and lugged my suitcase and garment bags in, in the rain, all while wearing heels, to her beautifully unique and creative studio. Luckily, my hair only suffered a little from the rain, and I put my trust in April and her assistant to assure that I looked great in the photos. My mom was unable to be at the photo shoot, and fortunately, Shelby was able to come from Binghamton to the studio to be with me and help with everything. All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend April as a photographer for anyone looking for portraits or photographs to be done. She is so creative and very fun to be around. She made me feel so special and this truly helped the success of the shoot. Thanks again to April McClintock, our photo sponsor for Miss Thousand Islands! Visit her website at http://www.aprilmacphoto.com/
or on Facebook. FINALLY, below is a sneak peak of the photo shoot! I can't wait to see the rest on November 6! Enjoy!





Didn't she do a beautiful job???

Saturday was also very exciting for the Miss Thousand Islands family! Kaili, Miss Thousand Islands Outstanding Teen, and I had pink streak extensions put in our hair at the Ritz Spa and Salon to support Breast Cancer Awareness and Research. This is something that the Ritz has been doing since September, and it has been a huge hit! So far, they have raised over $34,000 for the American Cancer Society. As much fun as it is to have pink in our hair, it is important to remember why the pink is there in the first place! So many people are affected by breast cancer, and cancer in general, and I applaud the ladies at the Ritz Salon for what they are doing to help! Check out their website for more information - http://www.theritzdayspa.com/.



Shelby crowns Sherri Munson, one of the owners of the Ritz!



Sherri puts the pink extension in - only takes a few minutes!



Voilá! Sherri and me with the pink streak!



Me and Cindy, the other owner of the Ritz!



Kaili and me!



Kaili and I pose with Sherri and Cindy, owners of the Ritz, one of our sponsors. :-)

Pretty in Pink at the Ritz!

Other highlights included lunch at a new franchise restaurant in Watertown, the Tilted Kilt, with Shelby, where I got to take part in her food review for her blog, and enjoyed a delicious French (they mean Irish) Dip Sandwich, one of my favorites! I was able to attend my younger brother Sky's last in-season soccer game - their team is #1 in their league, and 4th in their section! This is really exciting because when I was in high school, my soccer team took the title of State Champs for our Division, so it would be really cool if Sky's team went that far as well! Good luck, boys! I also supported Sky at the First Frost AIDS Walk at Thompson Park in Watertown on Sunday. Sky was there walking as a part of a health class he takes, and it was really neat to see how excited the walkers and runners were to be part of such a powerful event! If I had known about this event in advance, I would have liked to run! Other than that, I enjoyed Mom-cooked meals, a few new movies, being able to see my friends and boyfriend, and of course, ZUMBA!

Upcoming happenings...

November 6, as I mentioned earlier, is the day I go to see the rest of my photos, and also my first interview practice session at the Clubhouse. Also, I have been asked to speak on the Importance of the Arts in Community at a North Country Arts Council event! This is really exciting as I have never had this kind of opportunity before and I am looking forward to talking about my platform, which involves the importance of the arts, and about my involvement in the Lyme Community Theatre.

On November 13, we have the Care and Share Event at the Bon-Ton as a part of their Community Days. This also sounds like it will be a fun day and a great fundraiser for the Miss Thousand Islands Pageant!

And finally, on November 19, I will be traveling home for Thanksgiving Break! I absolutely love Thanksgiving - the food, the start of the holiday season (still debating whether I will try Black Friday again this year...), and a break from school! This year, I have decided to run in the Turkey Day Run, aka the Turkey Trot! I will be doing the 5K race with my brother and friend Terra. I hope some of you will consider joining me! I enjoy running and I think that this will be a great motivator and help me in my journey to the Miss New York State Pageant, not to mention, I won't feel as guilty for eating seconds, I mean thirds, at Thanksgiving dinner!

That's all for now - thanks for reading!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Monday, Monday, Monday.

TGIM?! It’s another rainy Monday in Ithaca, and I’m battling sleepiness with Pumpkin Spice coffee, and trying to focus on my classes despite being extremely distracted by my excitement for this weekend! I would like to remind everyone that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and to support research, Miss Thousand Islands Outstanding Teen, Kaili Schindler, and I will be having pink extensions put in our hair Saturday, October 16, at 9:30am (we have had a few date mix-ups, but as far as I know, this is correct) at the Ritz Day Spa and Salon. We are both very much looking forward to this experience not only because we will get to have pink in our hair, but also because the proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. So many of us have been effected in some way by this disease and it is important to do our part and work towards a cure. Last Wednesday, two of my best friends lost their mother after a three-year battle with cancer. Although her particular case was not breast cancer, I will be thinking of her and her family while I get my pink streaks. I invite you to join Kaili and I on Saturday the 16th , or any time this month in the fight against cancer. Below is a link to a video from WWNYTV 7 News with more information.

http://www.wwnytv.com/news/local/Use-Your-Head-And-Think-Pink-103944514.html

After ‘going pink’, I will be attending the Fall Festival at the Copley House in Chaumont. The annual celebration of autumn is hosted by the Lyme Community Foundation and began about a decade ago, shortly after my mom founded the not for profit organization. For me, the fall festival has become a tradition and I am very excited to attend this year as Miss Thousand Islands 2011, especially because I am the first Miss Thousand Islands from Chaumont. Another Chaumont titleholder, Miss Ireland 2010, Brittany Sharlow, may also be in attendance. There will be food and games, and much more – I hope to see you there!

The series of events doesn’t stop there, though. Saturday afternoon is my high school cheerleading coach’s wedding! I’m really looking forward to seeing old friends and celebrating Coach Mo’s special day. Congratulations to her and her soon-to-be husband! ☺

After the wedding, I’ll be heading to IHC to watch my younger brother, Sky, in his under the lights soccer game against IHC. My brother is so very dedicated to his team and to the sport, and is one of the most driven players I have seen. This is his first year on varsity, and because I am away at school, it isn’t very often that I get to see him play. He definitely was blessed with the athletic gene! Go Lyme!

The busy weekend will end with a relaxing Sunday, a drive back to Ithaca, only to turn around and come back for Fall Break on Wednesday. That’s all for now!