Then it was time for my makeup, which included a heavy regimen of MAC foundation, Rimmel London lip and eye products, and my go-to Ardell false lashes. I always feel weird wearing this much makeup during the daytime, but I have to get used to it I suppose. Miss Florida USA seminar weekend was this past Friday-Saturday, and it looks like I have no makeup on in all of my pictures. Yep, I looked real good. At least I’ll be going into Miss Florida USA as a dark horse (so you wanna play with magic?)! I opted for my old royal blue competition gown, purchased for under $150 at Dillard’s and bedazzled like a boss by Jeanette. I’ll always be attached to this gown; it has such sentimental value, which is why I wanted to wear it. Plus, royal blue=royal color=princess color. Duh.

Before the actual event started, I got together with a few of my favorite beauty queens to take some glamour shots. We managed to find our own personal prince charmings; mine, of course, was Peter Pan. I tend to stray from the nice, normal, and chivalrous ones, so it was between Peter and Captain Hook, who was also in attendance.

And then it was showtime! I can’t even express how touched I was to see the looks on the little princesses’ faces. Can you imagine the excitement you’d feel at 8 years old walking through these doors? Even I was elated, and I’m almost 26!

Low and behold, all the little girls ended up asking for our autographs, as well, and my heart literally melted when one said I was her favorite princess. It’s those little things that make my year and validate my personal mission. I will never ever forget that moment!

 
I can’t show any pictures of the little girls enjoying themselves for known privacy reasons, but I can assure you… they had the time of their lives! The DJ was blasting a playlist of straight up awesome positive music, there were dance contests materializing all over the dance floor, there were horse and carriage rides going all around the property, the Russian Ballet Academy performed, and (most awe-inspired feature) a team of Orlando philanthropists, known as Guys with Ties, escorted a group of just under 25 underprivileged girls to the ball for free. In one word, the evening was perfection. The best part is that all the proceeds from this year’s ball benefited Florida Hospital for Children.
 
I literally cannot wait for next year’s event! I may or may not be in pageants still, but regardless, I will be involved in some major capacity. This is an evening I wish I had the opportunity to experience with my dad, and I’m so honored to have been a part of it. More updates soon on my adventures at Miss Florida USA seminar weekend! As of Wednesday, I’m off to Denver for an Operations Summit. Bracing myself!