A Great Loss To The World - December 28, 2007

Today we lost one of the most amazing people - my Mother-In-Law, Lynda. She was a joy to be around and beautiful inside and out. She was a great friend to many - including me. She was a loving Stepmother, Grammy and friend. She was brave and strong and fought the cancer - that eventually took her life - for so long. We will all miss her very, very much. This is the last picture of us on Thanksgiving.

If this lesson can teach us anything, it is that you never skip a Doctor's appointment - all she missed was one year - and always remember to tell someone that you love them and how much they mean to you. I'm glad I had that chance. I love you and will miss you so much Lynda!

A Painful Experience - December 20, 2007

This is all I have to say about VOY boards. These are weak attempts by insecure people to bring others down and to make others - that may have never met you - think that you are a bad person. I found out through a friend, that someone has been posting awful untrue things about me for the last week. Many people that DO know me defended me. I am eternally grateful that I have true friends like that. The lies that were posted about me included accusations that I was writing horrible things about people I didn't even know and some that I did know and have the utmost respect for. All of this I supposedly am doing while with my husband and family at the hospital for 24 hour periods while my Mother-In-Law is fighting for her life. I rue the day I ever found those boards. I thought they were for fun and support of one another. I guess I now know otherwise. How sad.

Miss Wolcott & Cheshire's Outstanding Teen Pageant - All American Ms. Talent 2008 - November 30, 2007

On November 30th, I served as judges chair for the Miss Outstanding Teen Wolcott and Miss Outstanding Teen Cheshire pageant. Here I am with one of the emcees, Miss Southington 2008, Sharalynn Kuziak. With my friend, Laurye Natale, Mrs. Northeast U.S. Earth and CT's Outstanding Pre-Teen, after the pageant.

NYC Veteran's Day Parade - The Glory Girls/All American Ms. Talent 2008 - November 11, 2007

With the New York City fire department's antique division.

With Miss Empire Royalty.




With the New York American Coed Royalty.
With Laurye Natale, Mrs. Northeast U.S. Earth on the float that I performed on as part of THE GLORY GIRLS in the New York City Veteran's Day Parade.

NYC Veteran's Day Mayor's Breakfast - The Glory Girls/All American Ms. Talent 2008 - November 11, 2007

It is November 11th, Veteran's Day, and I am in New York City with my Veteran's performance troupe, The Glory Girls. We have been invited to breakfast at the Mayor's Mansion. Here we are with the Honorable Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

This is my first official appearance (outside of the pageant) as All American Ms. Talent 2008!

With The Glory Girls, inside of the New York City's Mayor's Mansion before the New York City Veteran's Day Parade on November 11th. Here we are with some gentlemen from the NYC Navy office. Glory Girls L-R: Jillian, me and Stacy.

I invited my friend, Laurye Natale, Mrs. Northeast U.S. Earth along. Here we are outside of the New York City's Mayor's Mansion.

My Beautiful Little Mermaid - October 28, 2007

All American Pageant - October 6, 2007 - Pageant Socastee High School

By the end of Saturday night, I had also placed as 1st Runner-Up to All American Ms., Melissa Hagen. Melissa and I had competed together in 2003 in the Ms. American United States Pageant in Florida.

With Dina Orr, Mrs. All American 2008.

With Lauren Wanger, Ms. United States 2007.

With Melissa Hooks - our pageant director!

All American Pageant - October 6, 2007 - Rehearsal Socastee High School

Next, we quickly headed over to Socastee High School for our Saturday rehearsal.Miss Holly is our producer and the emcee - as well as a major hoot! Michele and I hamming it up again! New England's in the house!

All American Ms. Talent - October 6, 2007 - Surfside Beach Festival

After photos on the beach, we quickly changed and made our way to the Surfside Beach Festival. We were able to introduce ourselves on the stage to the festival goers.

I was happy to meet Elizabeth from my part of the country. She is from New York! I was also pleased to catch up with Michele. We competed at Mrs. International this past July. We were happy to repeat our titles of Mrs. CT and Mrs. MA! We also had a great time catching up with one of the pageant assistants, Mrs. SC Int'l - Janine!

Delilah and I had a blast meeting one of the Renaissance performers!

The whole group headed over to the fire department display where they let us take these great photos!

Delilah had to at least get in one photo with Mommy!

All American Ms. Talent - October 6, 2007 - Beach Photo Shoot

We had to get up early the next morning for our photo shoot on the beach. Maria and I are sharing early morning greetings before we head outside.

Afif is a terrific photographer and he makes the shoot so much fun.

Here are some of the great photos he took of us.

It was also an opportunity to take photos with my new Florida friends - Kaia and Chris. Also, Maria and I got in one last photo.

Mrs. All American Pageant - October 5, 2007 - Pageant at Socastee High School

The pageant was great fun and I had the chance to compete in the Mrs. All American Pageant as well as for the All American Ms. Talent title. I sang Linda Eder's "I'm Afraid This Must Be Love." I was very happy that my performance was enjoyed by so many!

By the end of the night, I had won the Mrs. Community Service Award, the Ms. Community Service Award, 2nd Runner-Up in the Mrs. Pageant and the title of All American Ms. Talent for 2008!

Here is the new All American Mrs. Court. Here we are from Left to Right: Pam Bolter, Mrs. All American Ambassador; Maria Beall, Mrs. All American Woman; Dina Orr, Mrs. All American; Erika Watkins Echavarria, Mrs. All American Classic; Kimberly White-Geremia, All American Ms. Talent; Janice Oulton, Mrs. All American Supermodel With Style.

Mrs. All American Pageant - October 5, 2007 - Rehearsal

Here are some photos from Friday's early morning rehearsal.

Being the "All American" girl that I am, I just had to take a photo with this carousel horse in front of the Caravelle Hotel.

Mrs. All American/All American Pageant - October 4-7, 2007 - Myrtle Beach, SC

I've been having such a great time and I want to keep competing. Someone told me about the All American pageant and so I decided to give it a try! It was a great "girls" weekend as my mom, my sister and my daughter came along to Myrtle Beach. I was also excited that I was going to see a few old friends at the pageant! Michele Sharpe from Massachusetts. She and I had just competed in the Mrs. International Pageant in July. The pageant weekend was in Myrtle Beach October 4 - 7, 2007.

Here are some pictures from Thursday night's orientation. Holly talks to us about what to expect at rehearsal tomorrow morning. They also had vendors set up and we got to mingle and get to know each other. Melissa Hooks, the Director, also spoke to us about the pageant and what to expect for the weekend. (Yes, the date on the camera is set wrong!)

115th Annual DAR State Fall Meeting - "Salute To Our Troops" - The Glory Girls - September 28, 2007

Jillian and Kimberly were joined by their newest Glory Girl, Amy for this spectacular evening at the Hartford Marriot.

America's Liberty Miss Pageant - Mrs. Connecticut International 2007 - September 22, 2007

September 22nd, I attended the America's Liberty Miss Pageant. Here I am congratulating the new America's Liberty Ms., Jennifer Downey.

My daughter, Delilah, also competed in her very first pageant and was named Baby Princess (First Runner-Up)! Yes, the date on the camera is set wrong! Tee Hee)
I was very disappointed that I wasn't able to finish out my year as I had other appearances booked. The national office had awarded another title for a new Mrs. Connecticut. Good thing I had a friend that let me know! ;-) All in all, I had a terrific "mini-year" as Mrs. Connecticut International.

Atlantic Shores Pageant - Mrs. Atlantic Shores 2007 - September 16, 2007

I have had such a wonderful year as Mrs. Atlantic Shores! I was so pleased that Autumn also let me emcee and sing at this year's show.
Here are the winners!

Beauties of America national winner from Virginia.

Runner-Up, Jennifer Hoke and I have a laugh together!
With Darlene Deeben, Mrs. Galaxy.

Premeire of Ken Burn's WWII Documentary - Mattatuck Museum - The Glory Girls - September 6, 2007

Jillian and Kimberly entertained the guests during this event.

Meeting The Smithereens - Again! - August 18, 2007

The Smithereens were playing the Milford Oyster Festival. But, they still had time for autographs and pictures. They played on the main stage to a packed audience. (The Milford Oyster Festival is a HUGE event that I actually performed at as a Glamour Girl - see August, 2003.)

Mustang vs. Mustang! - Waterbury Car Show - August 12, 2007

Mommy entered her car in the big car show in Waterbury! It was a very hot day.
Daddy wouldn't enter his car because he "didn't want to beat Mommy's car" but I think he was just chicken. Mommy also took me over to meet some lady. She said she was Cindy Williams from some TV show called "Laverne & Shirley" and also from some movie "American Graffitti." I don't know what that means, so I am bored. Oh well, it was a very fun day for all of us!