The Princesses go to Madame Tussaud's

Today I went to the Madame Tussaud's wax museum with the DC International Princesses. It was my first visit to the museum and I had a blast. The wax figures were amazing, and they had different rooms for different types of famous figures. There were a few rooms dedicated to our Presidents and major events in government such as Watergate, and Cold War air raid alarms. There was a room dedicated to the civil rights era. They had the entertainment celebrities true to size like Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Madona, Micheal Jackson, and sports figures including Gilbert Arenas (LOL). There was also a section dedicated to the Obamas and an interactive replica of the oval office and the press room. We had fun posing with the figures and with each other.

Princess Tea Party

Today we had a TEA PARTY!!! Today was a great day. I got to meet our 2010 Princesses and we had a tea party. The District of Columbia International Princesses are young ladies ages 5 through 9. On the menu was Pink lemonade, chicken bites, pizza bagels, cupcakes, and self decorated cookies. We discussed dresses, shoes, and favorite subjects in school. Miss Titi former Miss DC International is the coordinator of the princess program and set up the whole things. After the formal tea party we had story time where I read them a story about what it is to be a princess. I asked them questions about what they learned and we found what we already knew, that they were all well on their way to being great princesses. After they were all crowned and received a jewel for their crowns.

Thomas Circle Living Center

Saturday April 10th I got to mingle with the residents of the Thomas Circle Living Center and lead a sing along. This was the second of the 2010 contestant tour events and the contestants learned a lot about the many hats a title holder will wear at any given time. I told them when we arrived be prepared to sing. I think they didn't understand exactly how serious I was, but I must say, when we did Mony Mony they certainly rose to the occasion. That day we were also celebrating the birthdays of four of the residents. After the sing along portion we all sang happy birthday, took photo's and then the music came back on and it turned into an all out party. Yes there was dancing too. I had an absolute blast.

Cherry Blossom Festival Fireworks

April 3rd marked the first Contestant Tour events for the 2010 Miss DC and Miss Teen DC International contestants. Through the month of April the contestants have the chance to follow me as I make appearances, and see what it's like to be Miss DC International. This particular event gave us a chance to have some girl time, and watch fireworks. There were vendors, and lots of tourists. We managed to find an amazing location on the water with a great view of the fireworks. We also met lots of different people, residents and out of towners who all came to see the blossoms. There is nothing more beautiful than DC when the blossoms are in full bloom.

Blue Jeans Ball

Tonight I had the pleasure of appearing as a guest chef with Mr. Dean of Sangam restaurant at the 7th annual Blue Jeans Ball. This a fundraiser for the Capital Area Food bank which raises money so they can continue to provide food and nutrition information for the thousands of needy families all over the Capital area. The Ball includes silent and live auctions, live entertainment, and amazing menu, and of course the main attraction, participating chefs from all over the Capital area giving there food and time to provide samples for the those that donated there money to attend the event. I made sure I took advantage and sampled amazing dishes with food combinations I never would have thought of.

Epilepsy Foundation

March was another great month. After almost four weeks without too much activity it all came at one. I had the great pleasure of meeting Kimberli Meadows at the Health Expo where I appeared in January. Kimberli invited me to work with the National Walk for Epilepsy which took place March 27th on the National Mall. It started as me appearing, then having me sing the National Anthem for the walk, then I was invited to perform and dine at the VIP reception kickoff event which took place the night before at the Ronald Reagan building. Present were volunteers, directors and other vip guests including Craig Melvin a well known sports anchor who emceed both events, Geoff Pope of the Philadelphia Eagle, Jason Snelling of the Atlanta Falcons, Alan Faneca of the Jets and Greg Grunberg of the hit tv show Heros's. Grunberg's eldest son has epilepsy, as do Snelling and Faneca and Faneca's adorable daughter. Pope's grandmother got epilepsy after having brain surgery. Happily through the efforts of this amazing foundation and all it's volunteers, those living with the condition have a voice and can feel less alone. I've learned the importance of understanding seizures and learning to recognize them and take action. Through Kimberli's efforts I was also invited to a lunch on March 11 at the foundation headquarters where I met Bob Madigan, the WTOP Man About Town. This amazing gentleman has been a force in getting support for the Epilepsy Foundation and the National Walk for Epilepsy. He did interviews with all in attendance at the lunch and was honored as the man of the year at the VIP reception for the National Walk.

Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services

March 23 I visited the Youth Services Center with the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. This will definitely be one of my most memorable appearances. Visiting a juvenile detention center was very important to me. I feel I need to make it a point to visit and have a presence in places where they wouldn't necessarily expect to see me. I've learned throughout my year as Miss DC International how important a queen can be to the youth, and how important it is for them to have a role model who genuinely cares. I met with about 15 teenage girls ranging from 14 to 17. I didn't ask what they had done to be there. For and hour and a half we talked about overcoming life's obstacles, the importance of surrounding oneself with positive people, what they can learn from the experience of being in the rehabilitation center where they were locked up. I also asked all the teens where they saw themselves in 5 years and was open with them about obstacles I'd faced in my life and how and why I continued to push forward. They all gave me a hug at the end and I signed autograph cards for them with personalized messages. I don't know how much of a difference I made but they did at least express gratitude in my coming to visit them. They told me no one visits except church people and judges, and of course their lawyers. I had never been to a jail before, and it was intimidating to have that heavy door close behind me, locking me in. I can't imagine what it must be like to walk into a place knowing you have no choice in which side of the door you are on. That thing shuts behind you .....

DC Gaels Open Field Day

Sunday March 21st was an awesome day. I attended the DC Gaels open field day. The DC Gaels is part of an organization which promotes traditional Gaelic sports. They are part of a national league of mens and womens football and mens hurling and womens camogie. I learned hurling/camogie and as you see am pictured with a hurl, which is used to shoot or push the ball or sliotar. I arrived in full makeup and hair (of course) which I promptly placed in a bun on top of my head. We started with warm up exercises: running a lap around the field and calisthenics. Then we divided into coed groups, one for football and one for hurling. They were really great about taking the time to teach everyone the basics of the sport and make us all newcomers feel at ease. It was definitely one of my more fun and social events. It was also an event that reminded me of how amazing it is to be Miss District of Columbia and all the opportunities I've had to learn more of what DC has to offer.

1/25 Childrens Coat Drive

On Monday January 25th The Childrens Charities Foundation in conjunction with other DC childrens organizations including the DC Childrens Trust Fund handed out over 300 brand new coats to the needy children of the District. Lord and Taylor made deep discounts and through grants children were given brand new top of the line coats. It was great to know that so many young people were receiving gifts they needed that never belonged to anyone else.

MLK Day of Service

Yesterday 1/18 the nation celebrated the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, and the District celebrated his birthday as an official day of service. There were over a thousand service activities happening all over the city. I participated in the the We Feed Our People event which has been an MLK tradition for over 20 year. Happily this was my third time working with this event. The brothers of Omega Psi Phi along with Serve DC with mayors office came together to make this event really special. Headed by volunteers in the fraternity, people get together over the weekend and cook all the food that is to be served to the homeless community. I helped with the cooking which is always fun because you get a chance to hang out with the other volunteers in a very chill setting. Monday morning there is an opening ceremony where the volunteers hear speeches by representatives from Omega Psi Phi, the mayors office and the presidents office who remind us of why we are all gathered together to make life better for all people. After the opening remarks everyone goes out to serve, listen to music and fellowship.

NBC 4 Health and Fitness Expo

Sunday 1/17 was my first appearance of the new year. I volunteered with the American Heart Association for the health and fitness expo. It's a free event where people get to come and learn about ways to stay healthy, and activities the entire family can get involved in to stay in shape. There were food demonstrations, sports demonstrations and doctors and experts on hand to give screenings and advice. I was there to get people signed up to get information about being heart healthy and involved in some of the activities sponsored by the American Heart Association. I walked around the expo a little bit and talked to women about the Go Red for women Red Dress campaign and shockingly most had never heard of it. Heart disease is a silent deadly killer and I hope more women became informed.

12/13 DC International Holiday brunch

Filomena Restaurant in Georgetown has one of the best and most beautiful brunches, especially during the holiday season. Our friends and supporters joined Juliana, Rita and I to celebrate the season and our fabulous year thus far. The food was amazing and the decorations were some of the best I've ever seen. Some of our guests included Mrs. DC International Erika Parkhurst, Miss Maryland Galaxy Nicole Almodovar and our former Mrs. DC International 2009 Diane Lebson.

12/07 Pearl Harbor Day Wreath Laying Ceremony

Pearl Harbor Day is a very important Day in our history. Every year at the Navy Memorial there is a ceremony performed by the US Navy in observance of the lives lost that fateful day. It is short but definitely worth viewing. After the ceremony everyone was invited into the memorial museum. There is nice room there with portraits of all our US presidents that served in the Navy, the directors are very engaging and the exhibits are interesting well put together. There are also rooms that can be used for events. This was another District jewel that I was able to enjoy.

12/03 Mayors Annual Turkey Giveaway and Union Station Christmas Tree lighting ceremony

12/03 was a busy day for me. That afternoon I volunteered at the Mayors Turkey Giveaway. Thankfully that was a fairly mild day with the occasional wind gust. The giveaway was designed to assist the needy and elderly of the District during the holiday season. People were lined up in side and in several lines outside the DC armory. I got the chance to talk to some of the people that came out, and tried to encourage them through the long wait. The volunteers with the Mayors office are amazing people and always have a need for more.

That evening I switched gears and got dressed up for the Union Station Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. The Norwegian Embassy has been decorating Union Station for the holidays for 13 years. This is Norway's way of thanking DC for it's assistance during World War 2 and to acknowledge the participation of Norwegian Americans in the war and how they aided the US army and stopped a potential ambush by the German army. Present were representatives from the Army and the Norwegian Embassy as well as the Mayors office. Special Guest General Casey, Secretary of the Army was present to give awards and highlight the importance of the occasion.

Fresh Cupcake Social

September 24th My dear friend Kim had a fun and delicious cupcake social at her Georgetown boutique called Fresh. I have been shopping at fresh for at least 5 years, and almost always do my seasonal shopping there. The cute and chic cocktail dress I wore to the couture show was purchased at this store. As a favor to a friend (and of course a fun opportunity for me) I attended the event and modeled some of the new merchandise. This social was in part sponsored by Red Velvet Cupcakery which has a location in Georgetown and offered it's support to a community friend. There was a dj, an open champagne bar, and dozens of bite sized cupcakes. This social in particular was to celebrate the opening of the purse/bag room. All the vegan bags you could ever want in all colors and different styles, and of course I own one of the first bags she sold in her store, and have been carrying it for years. There were photo ops in front of the Fresh sign and on the "pink carpet". It was an amazing.

Miss DC USA Pageant

November 25 I attended the Miss DC USA pageant. One of the great things about being a title holder is being able to support other DC systems. We really are one big family and it is fun and important for us to encourage each others purposes and goals. The pageant was great to watch. All the teen and miss contestants did a great job. Lots of smiles and personality. In the end two wonderful young women took home the crowns. Jennifer Lopez is the new Teen and Mackenzie Greene will be representing us in the Miss USA competition. The were both wonderful and very deserving. One special treat for me was watching my good friend Ciara Famble compete in her first state level pageant. She made top 5 and of course looked gorgeous. So proud of her.

11/14 Greater Washington Heart Walk

I got to be a celebrity guest and mc at this years National Heart Walk for the American Heart Association. Working with the AHA is always so much fun. Roxana one of the coordinators is one of the nicest sweetest women you'll ever meet. I got to see Anita Brickman who was there to mc and Lou Katz from 97.1 a station I have listened to for years. I got to greet walkers and dance to the great music provided by the dj. I also got to meet a young girl and her family. This beautiful little girl and her equally pretty and sweet older sister danced the Macarena with me. I found out later from their mother the youngest had had a heart transplant when she was just two years old. It was a bit sobering but amazing to see her dance and be a normal five year old, able to live her life. It was also a reminder of why this organization is so important.

Young Womens National Conference, Queens Reunion Lunch

October 24th was a busy day for me. That morning at 11:00 am I attended the Young Womens National Conference. This conference is designed to help young women gain brighter futures by teaching them how to improve on everything from grooming and hygiene to life after high school. I was honored to be asked by Mrs. Erica Parkhurst, the founder of The Young Womens National Conference to be a penelist at this years event. I along with two other amazing women was asked to speak to a group of young women about goal setting and planning for the future. Events like this are always a challenge because you want to offer sound advice and you need to be careful to offer a delicate balance of encouraging and candid examples and advice. My message to the young women was that life won't always turn like you though/planned, but continue to push yourself to improve in all areas of your life, follow your heart and your faith and the future will always be bright. To support this amazing organization you can visit the website of join the group on facebook.

Later that day I joined Rita Sinha (Miss DC International 2007), Titi Williams-Davies (Miss DC International 2008), and Mrs. DC International Diane Lebson who was our gracious host for a queens lunch at her house. We had a delicious pasta salad, cupcakes from Red Velvet Cupcakery provided by the Diane's husband, and were given a tour of the house, which is beautiful. We had such a great time talking about everything from relationships, pageantry, and our goals for the year and future. It was such a nice reminder of how important it is for us to come together and share ideas and experiences as queens and women. Diane ended the afternoon with books for each of us. I received "Manners" by Kate Spade. Diane made sure to tell me she didn't necessarily think I needed the book, but she though I would enjoy it, and I have very much. It doesn't hurt that Kate Spade is one of my favorite designers, and a lady who's style I admire. Thanks Diane :)

Miss Teen DC cities of America pageant

October 17th I attended the Miss Teen DC Cities of America pageant. It's a pageant that I hadn't heard of before and has four categories. Miss junior pre-teen, Miss Pre-teen, Miss Junior teen and Miss Teen. My official hair stylist and good friend entered her daughter into this pageant and I gladly came to offer my support. It was fun to see so many young girls and teens participating and having fun. Annaya was in the Miss Pre-teen category and did a great job, and it was her first pageant. I was so proud of her. There was also another young lady who entered. Her name is Bethany and she did not place but was so poised and gave a very articulate and intelligent answer onstage. She sent me a picture she took with me. I got to meet a lot of the contestants and it was nice that they were so excited I was there.

DC Fashion Week International Couture Fashion Show

This past Sunday, September 20th I was a VIP guest at the DC fashion week International Couture show held at the French Embassy. I was able to sit in the front row at the top of the runway. I also was presented during the opening scene and got to model on the runway. It was such a thrill and an opportunity someone who is only 5'2" rarely gets. All the designs were amazing and the designers were from all over. Many of the fashions shown could be bought in boutiques around DC. I chose to wear a dress I bought from one of my favorite boutiques in Georgetown called Fresh. My friend Kim, also the owner helped dress me for the event and plan my over all look. It was my first time attending a show of that nature. It's nice to see DC embracing all genres of art. I'm sure next year DC fashion week will be even bigger and better.