Since June…Where’s Claire?

6:27 AM JilinTour.Com 0 Comments

After Miss New York, I traveled for about six weeks, doing just a few things:

Photographed Miss Virginia week
Special guest at Miss North Carolina
Judge at Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen
Was accepted to Georgetown University for my Master’s (hello…moving…ah!)
Spent time as a sister/daughter/friend in Indianapolis
Bridesmaid in Hannah (Wright) Neeleman’s wedding (2^nd RU NY ’10, ‘11)
Moved to Washington, DC for grad school
Bridesmaid in Ashley (Casterline) Schacht’s wedding (3^rd RU IN ’08, 4^th RU ’09, 2^nd RU ’11)
Bridesmaid in Hannah (Buffie) Dale’s wedding (little sister!!!)
Settled in grad school at Georgetown studying Public Relations and Corporate communications
PFLAG NYC Fall Dinner
Spoke at Out & Equal in Dallas, TX with UBS
Named UBS Pride Americas Advocate of the Year

So yeah! I’ve been a little busy! It’s been such a great experience post-Miss New York. The bridesmaid thing shows you how the women in this organization become your best friends (Hannah W. and Ashley were my 4^th and 5^th pageant brides). After much needed family time, I jumped right back into the busy lifestyle that I do best in, just this time in Washington, DC where I’m using my $16,000 in scholarship money at Georgetown. School is fantastic—it truly is a perfect extension of the work I did last year in marketing, brand development and social media—and definitely challenging, but so worth it. I’ll graduate in December 2012 or May 2013 with a Master’s in Public Relations and Corporate Communications. (Shout out to Kaitlin Davis for introducing the program to me!)

I’m still photographing A LOT through my own business (www.clairebuffie.com) dabbling in event planning with Paradigm Event Management through Teri Galvez (Miss DC Exec Director). I’m undergoing new website development and expanding my business a bit to include some of the marketing and public relations skills I’m developing in class. Toying around with Clarity Branding by Claire Buffie.

And I’m enjoying lots of time with my Miss America sisters who are here in DC – Miss DC Steph Williams, VA Katie Uze, TX Ashley Melnick, DE Kayla Martell! Love being here with them—so lucky!

After holidays with my family and my very handsome man in Indianapolis (plus a trip to the Dominican Republic-yay!) and an awesome trip to Miss America 2012, I’m back in school for my second semester at Georgetown. I hope you are off to a wonderful start in 2012!

* * *

Since I have finally put up my farewell video that I wanted to share with you all and celebrated Miss America one year later, this will most likely be my final blog post. I want to once again express my deepest and sincere thanks for the support you have given me throughout my year as Miss New York, our fight for equality, and continued encouragement following. I’ll keep fighting if you promise to keep fighting. Peace.

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7:37 PM JilinTour.Com 0 Comments

Hello, everyone!! It has been a little over a week since I have returned from my Miss America trip. I would like to say that I am back in prime shape, but every night I have slept almost 13 hours.....no, that is not at all normal. Yes, I am still on Vegas time, apparently.

The trip was a once in a lifetime experience (literally) and it will definitely stay in my books as one of the greatest experiences of my life. For those of you that want to know the ins and outs of the Miss America experience, I am here to tell you some of the highlights, lowlight, interview questions, what the new Miss America is like and everything in between!!!

The trip to get to Vegas was one for the books! Although I had to leave for the airport at 4am, thus giving me 3 hours of sleep, I met up with Miss Colorado, the beautiful Diana, and got VIP service on the plane! We were escorted on and off, got to meet all the pilots, and even got to sit in the cockpit! (#32 on my bucket list!!)

After getting to Vegas, we met up with other Miss States, as well as our security team (WE LOVE YOU!!!). We were brought to our limos (heck yeah, first limo ride!) and were driven to Planet Hollywood. Once there, I received the best text ever!!! Jennifer Sedler, Miss Arizona, was assigned to be my roommate!!!!! I was so excited, especially since we were praying to the Big Man months prior that we would be roomies!

After arriving at Planet Hollywood, we had to sign in, put our million suitcases in our rooms, then go right to our Express fitting. I got to meet with Express stylists, whom I LOVED and bonded with over our love of everything fashion, filmed a promo, was fitted with my onstage question dress, and interviewed!! Once all the fittings were done, we all had a SUPER quick change to get ready for the Arrival Ceremony, emceed by the FABULOUS Josh Strickland from Holly's World. After introducing ourselves to the world, we had a quick meeting with the Miss America Board, then off to our rooms for the night!!!

SIDENOTE : I am messy. Sorry. I like to blame it on the fact that I am still relatively young.....but I think that it is just because I am too lazy to put everything away. So a HUGE shoutout to Jennifer for putting up with my not-so-clean ways :)

Other highlights of the week?
- We got to flip pancakes at an IHOP that was brought right to us at the Planet Hollywood and meet some of the Miracle Children from the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals!
- We got to watch Phantom of the Opera on the Vegas Strip and have a "meet and greet" with the cast on the stage after the show was over!
- I celebrated my 21st birthday at P.F. Changs with all of my Miss America sisters!
- I got to film with Chaz Dean (and Miss Arizona) for a Wen Haircare commercial and he liked me so much that it looks like I might get the opportunity to work with him at QVC!! No final word yet, but that is on my bucket list too, so my fingers are crossed!
- I had the chance to meet and film Artistry interviews and talk makeup, hair and fashion (I believe I know more about these 3 things than anything else, so I LOVED it!)
- my first club experiences happened in Vegas!! I got to be a part of a music video style filming in 2 different clubs! SUPER COOL! (tons of cameras, crew, lights, smoke......it was AWESOME!)
- Yes, I may have had to sit/lay down during hours and hours and HOURS of rehearsals, but if you just remember the reason why you are there, it doesn't even matter!.....although....I was soooo tired I think I could have slept on rocks. No rest for the weary!!
- THE GIRLS!!!! If I were placed in a room with 52 other girls, 9 times out of 10, I would want to run the other way. That one time exception would be these 52 girls. I suppose when the girls are all incredibly talented, beautiful, intelligent and have the same purpose of community service and love of others, the cattiness disappears. A huge shoutout to Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, West Virginia and so many other girls for being AWESOME (!!!) and for making my time in Vegas a blast!! :)

MISS AMERICA INTERVIEW -
This phase of competition is one that most people are always dying to know about! Let me tell you firsthand....it was awesome!!!

Some of the questions that I remember getting -
- Were you popular in high school?
- Who do you think will be the GOP nominee?
- You seem very well spoken and confident - what is the one thing you would change about yourself?
- If you could tell President Obama anything, what would it be?
- Why do you want your own talk show?
- Should we take the troops home?
- How did you first get involved in Irish Dance?
- You have had a lot of accomplishments - is there anything you have started, but then quit?
- How would plan on spreading the message of safe driving to teens?
- What is your guilty pleasure?
- If Vanessa Williams- type pictures came out of you if you won Miss America, what do you think should happen to you?
- Did you learn about politics for this interview or have you always been interested in them?

I believe I got a couple more questions, I just cannot remember them off the top of my head.

Not too many political question, just ones to get to know me! I don't know if I was more excited that my 21st birthday was the day of my interview, or that I was standing 5 feet away from Lara Spenser and Kris Jenner! I felt really good coming out of my interview, which was the only birthday present I wanted!

ONSTAGE COMPETITION -

A BLAST!!!! No other way to describe it! To be honest, I am not sure if it has really sunk in that I was on the Miss America stage, yet......hopefully it will.....who knows....
I will say, however, that watching the pageant on tv and actually walking and performing on it are two totally different feelings.

TALENT: As some of you know, I have not danced competitively in four years......

SIDENOTE: Something that no one really knows is the reason why I have not competed in so long. Yes, I took time off to strictly teach Irish Dance classes at the Ryan-Kilcoyne School of Irish Dance, but there was one other reason why, which I talked about in my interview. I was a great Irish Dancer for a long time, winning championships and doing extremely well. At 16, I went through a major growth spurt and all of a sudden my dancing was not as good as it used to be. I had all this pressure on myself to continue doing well and, in all honesty, at that age, I was totally unable to handle all that pressure. My way out was to start dancing just for fun - sad, I know. I knew that at Miss America, I would have the chance to work to finally redeem myself for the "quit" in the 16 year old me, in what I told myself was the ultimate dance competition!!

Not only did I feel the best that I have ever felt after dancing on preliminary night, but it was so emotional after I walked off because I knew that my first time back competing on a national stage was at Miss America. Yes, there was a lot of emotion all week! Winning non-finalist talent Saturday night was the cherry on top of the 6 months of work cake. Knowing that the judges saw something in my Irish Dance that I had been working so hard to get back after all that time off was truly incredible.

SWIMSUIT AND GOWN- Yes, I was excited to worrrkkkkkk my Komplique swimsuit. I had also been working out with a trainer for the first time in my life. Paul Timmons, of Rehoboth Beach's The Firm, dedicated months (3 days a week) INTENSE sessions to get me into the best shape of my entire life. I have never been so happy to see muscles after all the calluses and bruises and pulled muscles. I was truly proud to walk on that stage. I was also pumped to rock my Mac Duggal gown! Yes, it may have weighed as much as a small elephant, but I really did feel like a million bucks, which is all I wanted!

annndddd...you all know that I LOVE anything runway related :)

The final night, I was completely at peace with whatever happened. I knew that I had done the best that I possibly could. Coming into this entire Miss America experience, my entire goal was to come out with NO regrets and I accomplished just that.

For anyone that saw the broadcast, you could probably see me rocking out to "Tonight, Tonight," and having a great time. I was so excited for my friends that had made the top 15 that I could only focus on the AWESOME competition that was happening in front of me!

SIDENOTE: YES, the "save a contestant" portion after swimsuit was completely unrehearsed and kind of sad. We loved every single one of those girls!

MISS AMERICA - our new Miss America is AMAZING. Hands down. She was quieter, but sooooooo incredibly kind, nice and absolutely gorgeous! She is the most wonderful person to represent the organization that meant so much to all 53 of us. I do not have one single negative thing to say about Laura. I am so happy for her and will support her whole-heartedly throughout her year!

I am a firm believer that God has a plan for each and every single one of us. I know that I have been put on an incredible, life changing journey and each and every moment that I have and have had has changed me and made me a better person in some way. No, I was not meant to be Miss America, but this ride has made me want to become the best Miss Delaware for the next six months and the best person I can be for the rest of my life! I am excited to continue on with the next chapter of my life. Thank you to Debi, the rest of my board, my family, and the rest of those that continue to inspire me each and every day.

XOXO,

Maria

PHILIPPIANS 4:13

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Miss America 2012

8:54 AM JilinTour.Com 0 Comments

Wow!! What a week (err…few days)!?! I’m just going to jump right in and say

CONGRATULATIONS to Kaitlin Monte, Miss New York,

2^nd Runner Up to Miss America 2012!

I arrived in Vegas on Thursday in time to visit with tons of friends and finally see the Miss New York board again—it had been too long. I loved walking through the casino, spotting contestants going to rehearsal, seeing people from so many different states who have been such supportive friends of both the organization, and me and of course, turning the corner and seeing MY Miss America girls.

I had quite a few nostalgic moments, but perhaps none that compared to arriving to the Planet Hollywood, having just missed the girls in rehearsal, to find the PH theatre empty, black, but with the Miss America stage lit up. I was the only one in the auditorium and it.was.awesome. Then my stomach turned to knots.

Thursday prelims, with amazing seats with Paul and Kenny on either side was a blast and to top it off, Kaitlin won swimsuit!! So incredibly exciting! I got to see Teresa after the show and she really looked great. Hearing her speak on stage, and afterwards in person, I was so happy to recognize her growth throughout the year. She really did make our class proud.

Friday, we lazed around all day in our awesomely ridiculous Miss A 2011 suite with Miss CA Arianna Afsar, VA Katie Uze, NV Cris Crotz and AZ Katy Bulkley with visits from OK Emoly West and WI Kim Sawyer. We had so much fun at our formers dinner, sponsored by TMG Pageant Network, where 13 of us had a fantastic dinner at LAVO in the Palazzo (the only time I left Planet Hollywood haha). Afterwards, we went to a reception for Teresa where we developed our inside “cupcake” joke that Teresa was able to carry out on stage on the live broadcast as her cued shout out to our class J Then it was back to the suite for all sorts of fun with our class, boyfriends and fiancés and friends!

Saturday, we had another reunion lunch (we’re obsessed with each other), and then headed off to the show. It all felt normal until we walked backstage through the hotel in the same hallway I stood in after the pageant last year, awaiting the announcement of our class into visitation. Cue chills. Throughout the show, I was so proud to cheer on so many friends, old and new, and in sitting with VA, CA, AZ from last year, all of our girls made it in Top 15 and 3 of our girls into the Top 5!

Kaitlin did a fantastic job throughout the entire show, and overall, the Top 15 was just so incredibly solid with one of the most beautiful Top 5s I have ever seen. I got a cute text from my sister saying “Team Betty” referring to the 1^st RU Miss Oklahoma, whose Irish Step Dancing talent brought the house to their feet. Kaitlin was so great after the show in visitation, coming away with $21,000 in scholarships, and with the right attitude of excitement to return to New York and continue the amazing work she has done. As much as we would have LOVED for her to win Miss America, we sure are lucky to keep her in New York!

Miss America 2012, Laura Kaeppler, from Wisconsin is a stunning beauty and talented singer with a motivating story and platform that will tie in so well with Miss America’s strong initiatives of emphasizing education. According to Cris Crotz, Miss NV 2011 who was in the press conference, “She’s just COOOL,” and Kim Sawyer, Miss WI 2011 (to whom Laura was 2^nd RU last year) vouches that Laura is going to be an amazing Miss America, with a great head on her shoulders and humility to keep it all in perspective. Huge congratulations to Laura, Wisconsin, and the Miss America Organization!!

Some of the results:

Miss DC Ashley Boalch – Non-Finalist Interview

Miss HI Lauren Cheape – Prelim Talent, NF Talent, Quality of Life Finalist

Miss KY Ann-Blair Thornton – Quality of Life Winner

Miss NE Kayla Batt – NF Talent, Miss Congeniality

Miss OH Ellen Bryan – Quality of Life Finalist, raised over $35,000 for CMN

Miss UT Danica Olsen – Prelim Swimsuit

Miss WA Brittany Henry – NF Talent

Top 15

Miss AL Courtney Porter

Miss NC Hailey Best – CMN Miracle Maker (raised over $40,000)

Miss VA Elizabeth Crot

Top 12

Miss FL Christina Janolo

Miss SC Bree Boyce

Top 10

Miss IA Jessica Pray

Miss IL Hannah Smith

Miss LA Hope Anderson

Miss TN Erin Hartley

Miss TX Kendall Morris – Prelim Swimsuit

Top 5

Miss CA Noelle Freeman - 4^th Runner Up

Miss AZ Jennifer Feldman – 3^rd Runner Up

Miss NY Kaitlin Monte – 2^nd Runner Up, Prelim Swimsuit, Quality of Life Finalist

Miss OK Betty Thompson – 1^st Runner Up, Prelim Talent

Miss WI Laura Kaeppler – Miss America 2012, Prelim Talent

www.missamerica.org

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Farewell Miss New York.

9:56 PM JilinTour.Com 0 Comments

Can you say “Farewell” six months later? Well I am.

So what happened? How come my blog just stopped after my last appearance?

Things got a little busy.

As I finished up my year of appearances as Miss New York, I jumped right into the crazy Miss New York week, working hard to help prepare the contestants as much as possible, keep the website updated with photos, write and create my farewell speech and video, all the while keeping some sort of emotional stability. Then after Miss New York week, life happened.

The week was incredible and a great way to end my year, knowing that I was going to pass on my title to someone very deserving. With a move to Staten Island, the pageant had a lot of unknowns. What we do know now is that moving was the best decision ever. We had incredible support from SI, fantastic appearances, a gorgeous theater and major promotion. The competition was very impressive with girls really stepping up to the plate.

Meanwhile, some other big things were happening in the state of New York—marriage equality was becoming a reality. On Friday night before I gave up my title, the House of Representatives passed marriage equality in NY. I was invited back to MSNBC with Thomas Roberts for a guest appearance to wrap up my year and share in the excitement of progress for LGBT people in NY.

On Saturday morning, the morning I gave up my title, the tears began. It was when I was describing to the girls what an incredible opportunity they all had in front of them. One was meant to be Miss New York 2011, others were meant to be doctors, teachers, students, wives and moms. It changed my life completely, and it was about to change one of theirs.

In true Claire Buffie fashion, I was so busy that I procrastinated on my farewell but of course wanted to make it PERFECT. Working up until the last minute (at the parade on Saturday), I finished it. In an empty theatre, I rehearsed my farewell: a short dance that included movements from each dance I’ve done in my five years in MAO, with photos of the four years before I won, followed by a slideshow and speech you’ll see below. It was all to the music of Scott Alan “The Distance You Have Come,” a song I almost danced to at Miss America, a song that Scott sang live at my send-off party and the song that perfectly sums up my journey in the Miss America Organization. Walking out in my evening gown for that final walk was an incredible moment (no tears in the real show!), thinking back over the last year of wonderful memories, opportunities, and moments in which I witnessed real and lasting change.

Kenny Mack presented me with a beautiful proclamation from Governor Andrew Cuomo recognizing my commitment to equality and I was later sent a proclamation from the City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. All of the legislators who wanted to be there to present it were in Albany, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. They were finishing up what all of our hard work was focused on. They finished what every child, every person, needs in order to be equal and fairly supported by our laws. The next week, one year after I was crowned Miss New York 2010, marriage equality passed in the state of New York. What. A. Year.

That night I crowned Kaitlin Monte, of Rochester, NY, and she has been knocking my socks off ever since. I write this blog on the plane to Las Vegas where I’ll cheer her on at Miss America 2012 and have a reunion with my Miss America sisters. Kaitlin has been an unbelievable Miss New York with a dedication to anti-bullying with her platform and a general mission to continue moving the Miss New York Organization forward.

I put all my words into my farewell letter and the slideshow/speech below. I hope that you enjoy.

Farewell Miss New York.
______________________________

My mom said when she enlarges the farewell letter, she still can't read it, so making the very long blogpost I was trying to avoid, here is what the letter says:

Saying goodbye is something I’ve never been very good at, but it is something I have done a few important times in my life in order to chase my dreams and take every opportunity to achieve them. It’s what brought me here—here to New York and here to this stage. This year, I accomplished so many goals because of the incredible opportunities I had as Miss New York. It has been a year of a lot of hard work and dedication, some stumbles and falls, life-defining experiences, times of gut-wrenching laughter, the same extreme of tears, and undeniable growth as a person, a friend, a communicator – both speaker and listener – a sister and daughter, and of course as an advocate. I have found my passion; I have found myself; I have found so many others; I have found my purpose.

All of these experiences and revelations could not have affected me to the extent that they did without the people who influenced me and impacted my year…

Over the last few years, I have kept a journal of random inspirational quotes. When I first open the first page, I see in large capitol letters, “I WON THE PARENT LOTTERY.” –Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture. Mom and Dad, (wow, cue tears…) I did. Thank you for your immeasurable gifts as leaders, as servants, as friends and as backbones. You have afforded me opportunity after opportunity, but more importantly, you have provided me with the freedom to be independent, the values and upbringing to be a confident leader, and you have held me accountable for my actions and their effect on the world around me, constantly challenging me to use them for positive change.

Sarah, you have been my inspiration. Thank you for being so confident in yourself and open such that I—we—could have the maximum effect this year and throughout continuing advocacy. I have been constantly motivated by your spirit and positive outlook on the world. Hannah, you have kept me grounded, reminding me that “Miss NY is not a title that guarantees great things or great change. It’s the person who does so.” Sean and Danielle, you have brought something else into my life – balance and normalcy. Pride and excitement aside, your dedication to your family in the midst of building your own is inspiring, and Logan makes me smile every time I get overwhelmed or frustrated.

To the Miss New York Board of Directors: you keep me busy. But in this, you have allowed me to give back in the way that you know I crave. You have given me incredible freedom to make this year the most personal and the best for me as an individual, encouraging my authenticity in preparation for Miss America and in helping to lead this organization forward. Paul, you just have a heart that is unmatched. Linda, you have a humor that never fails to entertain as well as such a sincere dedication to this organization. Kenny, you were able to give me continuity in a rebuilding and transitional year and grow this organization with its exciting move to SI, and I will never forget the Hamptons. Faith, I know I owe you a phone bill and a stress-releasing massage for the hundreds of conversations we have had together – Dreamweaver and Photoshop aside. Judy and Diane, thank you for your countless emails and phone calls back and forth with so many different organizations and schools to help me spread my message to the maximum amount of people. And to the number of other volunteers—Ken, Gene, Kelli, Barbara, Jim, Terry, Bill, Marylou, Jackie, Local Executive Directors and many more—you at times go seemingly unnoticed, but I am so thankful for the value that you bring to this organization and the support you weave into our sometimes tangled web.

Leigh-Taylor, you have truly covered the gamut from idol to friend, mentor, roommate and ‘sister.’ I am eternally grateful for your endless hours of support that went beyond interview preparation and back to our couch, day in and day out. You challenged me to go so far beyond the goals I had in sight and to be a voice on behalf of those who are smothered by stigma and stereotype.

Thank you to Kandice and Hannah – women who have understood the journey to Miss America and imparted their wisdom on my own…with fashion expertise (and champagne) along the way. And to my roommates Carlie and Matt, thank you for putting up with so much pageant, believing in me and supporting me pride from the beginning – literally since my very first pageant when I wore your dress, Carlie.

I received the advice to keep my “team” small, just to the people who had the most positive influence one, and I did. But my pageant family and my inspiration was large. From years of involvement in MAO, I have developed the most incredible cheering squad from New York, Indiana, DC, Tennessee, New Jersey, Michigan, Virginia and constantly increasing to more. I am so thankful for the light that you all bring into my life. What grew even more insanely large was my group of allies and support of my platform Straight for Equality: Let’s Talk. I cannot even begin to name all of the organizations and people with whom I have worked this year (see p. __)

but these numerous individuals and non-profits have been the foundation of my year and my channels for change, leadership and advocacy. Within the pageant world, so many said I should change my platform if I wanted to even think about winning, but every single one of the organizations I have worked with empowered me and reminded me of exactly why I could and should succeed with such a message of equality and fundamental respect and dignity.

To my Miss America sisters, Alyse, Katie U., Arianna, Adrienne, Emoly, Katie L., Cris, Pauli, Nicole, Loren R., Caroline & Ashleigh…we have experienced unbelievable things together, and I am forever grateful for our growing friendships. To my Miss Americas Katie Stam, Kirsten Haglund, Kate Shindle & Heather French Henry, thank you for being inspirations and giving invaluable insight into the realities of this ethereal yet seemingly attainable dream.

After reading countless emails and Facebook messages of thanks, sharing and inspiration, and beyond writing more than 115 blogs, I write my final farewell to a journey of actually five years: one I know is not ending but instead being redirected on a different path. I will never leave the Miss America Organization (sorry, you’re stuck with me!), because I want more than anything to empower every young woman to get everything out of this organization and experience that she can. It can and will change your life, but I believe the world is cyclical – you get out of it what you put into it. ‘Tis true about the job of Miss New York: “It’s not about how to achieve your dreams…it’s about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.”

“Wow, that is the epitome of a person appreciating this day and this moment.” BE THAT PERSON. This is how I challenged myself in my journal, and it is what sustained me throughout the year. Even with that effort, because of the magnitude of the experiences I have had this year, I still do not think I have or perhaps ever will comprehend what and whom I encountered. I may never realize the effect I had on others, but they will most certainly never realize the effect they have had on me. The legacy I hope to leave behind, holding authenticity in highest regard, is not because the stand I took this year in my advocacy was “groundbreaking” but instead because those actions, the compassion, the drive was all part of “the right thing to do.”

As Miss Southeast NY, in my interview for MNY 2010, I said “Regardless of whether or not I win Miss New York, I will continue in my advocacy with or without the crown.” That is exactly what I plan to do by pursuing a Master’s degree and career path that will continually challenge my growth and strength as a leader in this fight for equality, riding on the momentum created by this sparkly headpiece that has taken me beyond what I thought I was capable of this year and into the hearts and minds of so many people beyond this place I call home, placing me at “the national dinner table” because after all, “Nothing was taboo at the Buffie dinner table.”

Peace,

Claire Buffie

Miss New York 2010

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3:07 PM JilinTour.Com 0 Comments

My 25 pound GORGEOUS MacDuggal Couture gown :)

Komplique Swimwear!!! A HUGGEEE thankout to Paul Timmons at The Firm for pushing me non-stop!! So proud to see my months of hard work pay off :)

At Visitation!! LOVEEEE my Sherri Hill mini!!....and my parents, of course :)

My talent - Irish Dance - I won non-finaist talent and part of it was even featured in a clip on GMA!

Express Fashion Show - one of the coolest experiences of my life - check out http://vimeo.com/34833298 for clip of me WERKKING it!

FILMING FOR OPENING NUMBER :)

Meeting former Miss America, Katie Stam, on my 21st birthday!! :)

With my FABULOUS wardrobe sponsor!! Wearing my new necklace from Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011!

FINAL NIGHT - after winning non-finalist talent!

End of my talent piece!!!

My girl, Jennifer!!! SOOOOO proud of her top 5 placement!!!!! <3

I am sooooooo proud of this entire 11 day experience!!! Although I did not win, I know that God has big things in store for me. Laura, the new Miss America, is PERFECT!!! She is so incredibly kind, generous and absolutely stunning. She will be an INCREDIBLE Miss America. I am so proud to call her a friend and look forward to following her year :) Thank you to every single person, espeically the Miss America Organization, for the best experience of my entire life. I look forward to being the best Miss Delaware I can be for the next 6 months!!

Make sure to follow the rest of my journey on the Almighty Twitter @MissDelaware11!!!!

With love,
Maria

'For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'
Jeremiah 29:11

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Miss America 2012 is Miss Wisconsin, LAURA KAEPPELER!!!!

9:10 PM JilinTour.Com 0 Comments

Whoooooooooo Hooooooooooooo!!!! Time for a wrap-up summary of Miss America 2012 and a few final thoughts as this year's event closes one chapter for Teresa Scanlan and opens a new chapter for Miss America 2012, Laura Kaeppeler!

Here's what we know! From Kenosha, WI, Laura is a graduate of Carthage University - a Vocal Performance Major. Her platform is "Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents" as her father was convicted of a white collar crime when she was younger. Now, she wants to go to law school and become a family law attorney representing and defending children of incarcerated parents.

During the Press Conference, Laura shared about their family's decision to change her platform issue - knowing that they needed to all be 'on board' with the decision (she finished as the 2nd Runner Up in Wisconsin in 2010 with a platform of promoting the arts in schools). She called her Dad her 'best friend' and that the two of them grew deeper in their faith during the journey.

She's elegant, classy and articulate. Earlier in the week, I posted that she has a 'calm, inner strength' about her and it shows. Her experience will allow her to be such a mentor to the 2 million children in the US who have a parent in prison. I don't yet know if Laura has a connection to one of my favorite prison ministries, Angel Tree/Prison Fellowship

http://www.prisonfellowship.org/why-pf/history-of-pf

but if so, I'm even more impressed. I've actually been involved in this ministry for years and thoroughly believe in its redemptive, healing message of reconciliation and hope. Sounds like there may be a connection, but no confirmation yet.

Her vocal abilities should open doors for her to sing all across the country (Star Spangled Banner and/or God Bless America at sporting events and other appearances), her age allows her to sign all of her own paperwork (Teresa's parents actually had to approve her contracts prior to her turning 18), and I can see her being a Queen who comes back and is a part of Miss America for years and years to come.

Beyond the Queen herself, here are a few other random thoughts about the show... in random order...

1. I ended up with 11 of the Top 15, 7 out of the Top 10, and 4 out of the Top 5 (see previous post). Not a bad year - even though I didn't originally pick the winner.

2. I wanted to 'go on record' that I would be more than happy to see Wisconsin as the Winner (again, see previous post)... but frankly, I just didn't think the judges would crown her. Not because she didn't deserve it (she most certainly does deserve it) - but because of the 'bold, new direction' everyone kept talking about. Laura is EXACTLY the kind of Queen who we will love to follow... She fits in with the Miss America sisterhood beautifully --- I just kept believing Miss America wanted something different this year (and obviously, they did not).

3. Next year, I'm going out for more preliminaries. I usually catch the Thursday night prelims and then the final show, but that leaves me unable to accurately assess everyone. Had I heard New York and Wisconsin sing, I think I would've recognized Laura's Talent was stronger than New York's and picked accordingly. Gotta see prelims to get a good feel for who really has 'it' vs. who looks like they have 'it' in the pictures!

4. Honestly, I hated the opening number. I appreciate what they were trying to do, but I wasn't impressed. I think it played a role in the audience being a bit more 'laid back' and not as 'excited' to begin the live broadcast. Additionally, natural lighting isn't that great for girls who are used to 'stage makeup' (and I mean that in the nicest way possible). My vote for 2013 is to go back to a regular opening number... glamorous, spunky and fun!

5. Group #3 (Sigma) was the clear winner in the judges books... Group #1 (Mu) only had 2 girls make the Top 15!!! ONLY 2!!! Group #3 had 7 girls advance... That RARELY happens. Usually it's much more balanced.

Otherwise, once again, I'm happy with the judges decision. Laura may not be the 'quirky' girl, or the 'bold' girl, or the 'girl with a colorful personality', but I thoroughly believe she is the right girl. I look forward to becoming more familiar with her as the year goes on...

Speaking of - she'll be on the TV circuit tomorrow morning (Good Morning America, of course) and on Fox and Friends with Gretchen Carlson on Tuesday. My DVR is already set! :)

Special Thanks to those "New Junkies" who joined me this year in my Miss America obsession... it's a pleasure to know I'm not alone! (lol) :) We're already thinking of ways to expand Miss America Junkies - and who knows where we may be by the time we crown Miss America 2013??? One thing I can guarantee... it's bound to be a fun ride!

Until next year... when we all gather around again to play... I'll be humming that famous tune in my head and practicing my pageant wave...

Hugs and Kisses to all my new Junkie Friends!!! Junkies Unite!!! :)

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Thursday Results and PICKS FOR THE WINNER!!!

7:58 AM JilinTour.Com 0 Comments

Junkies - oh Junkies. How I have let you down... I apologize for not getting a post up yesterday. Just one of those days when one thing turned into another and it didn't happen. My Bad.

In summary, what I would've said yesterday - is that I have redeemed myself and went 2 for 2 on Thursday night preliminary picks, allowing me to finish 4/6 this year! All is not lost after all!!! Here are the results!

Swimsuit = New York.
If my theory holds true about final night swimsuit winners (see previous post), you'll see New York finish in the Top 5 tonight. Frankly, she looked good enough to win it all Thursday night!

Talent = Hawaii.
This means 3 girls who were first in their preliminary group all won Preliminary awards this year (Hawaii, Wisconsin, Utah). I've never seen that happen before - but I can't say for sure that this is THE FIRST time. The routine itself was pretty entertaining... jumping to 'Hawaii 5.0' in the background. Certainly impressive - I'm guessing you'll get to see it for yourself on TV tonight.

That leads us to today... and my additional thoughts before the show tonight...

1. You won't see a full-on opening number. Yes, there's some dancing and such, but the girls will all be introducing themselves from various locations around Vegas including the Hoover Dam as well as The Strip. I kinda miss it, personally.

2. These judges are torn (in my humble opinion). By this point, you can usually see someone emerging as the front runner, but I really think it's more 'open' this year and several girls have a viable shot at the crown. I think half the judges want someone's who's genuine, relate-able, touchable, and real (Teri Polo, Lara Spencer, Chris Powell). I think the other half want someone who's Hot, who's 'got it' and is a little more Holly-wood, camera ready, grab-your-attention-when-you-walk-in-the-door gorgeous and aren't really sure how talented she needs to be (Kris Jenner, Mike Fleiss, Mark Ballas. And for the record, I have no idea who Raul Molina wants). Let's be honest - these 2 ideals are REALLY difficult to find in the same person. I'm not sure which of these theories is going to win out.

3. Since 2005, someone who won a preliminary has won Miss America. 2005 was the last queen crowned in Atlantic City, Deidra Downs. If you remember, that was the year they competed in every category and at the very end had a Talent-Off. In theory, the girl with the best Talent would win. In reality, 2 very poor Talents were shown on National TV and they never tried it again. Normally, I'd be VERY SURPRISED if we crown a non-preliminary winner tonight, but given this group of judges (again, who have no direction from a former Miss America within their group), nothing's impossible.

Ok - here's how I see it.

Favorites to Win = New York, Wisconsin.

Potential Dark Horses out of Nowhere = Missouri, Washington, California

Girls who should still do well = Oklahoma, South Carolina, Hawaii, Arizona, Texas.

And there you have my Top 10. I'm not saying the first 5 names will all be in the Top 5... I think it's closer to NY, WI, OK, CA, SC... but we shall see.

Finally, I see NY and Wisconsin as the favorites for the crown - and the epitome of these 'deuling beliefs'. WI beat NY on Talent night, but it's entirely possible NY beat WI in interview. I see WI as the 'relate-able, genuine girl' and NY as the 'Hot Mama'. Conventional wisdom tells me NY will win it this year (given Claire Buffie's success paving the way in 2011... see Brittany Jeffers in 2010 paving the way for Teresa in 2011...see Hanna Kiefer in 2008 paving the way for Caressa Cameron in 2010)... but let me go on record that I would more than happy to have Wisconsin named the winner as well.

As always, we shall see!!! Pictures are on the Miss America Junkies Facebook page! Promise to update you with final thoughts after a new queen is crowned TONIGHT!!!

In the meantime, tell me who's in your Top 10! I'd love to compare notes!!! :)

Good Luck Everyone!!!