Last night, the finals for the Miss USA 2014 Pageant kicked off in lively Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and oh my– what an absolutely fabulous evening. Not to be cocky, but I called Nevada the winner as soon as she was called in the Top 20. Not only is she breathtakingly gorgeous, but she’s a friggin’ 4th degree black belt… and she makes me want to learn how to kick some serious creeper butt. Confession: I’m actually a Deputy Black Belt in Tae Kwon Doe, primarily because my dad demanded I learn self defense as a 6-year-old, but I’ve always kept is as my embarrassing little secret. I adore her unabashed pride, and I pity the fool who tries to mess with her during her year.

Also, Florida made it in the Top 5 for the first time in…10 years? What an absolutely beautiful and well spoken woman. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Brittany yet, as I just started competing in the Miss USA system in November, but I can’t wait to pick her brain about her experience. Whoever takes her crown, and fingers crossed it’s me, has some gorgeous shoes to fill. You did us proud, girl!

As always, my favorite part about the pageant is evening gown, so I wanted to share my two favorites with you. As soon as I saw Nevada’s gown, my mouth dropped. I don’t normally love mod mermaid gowns, but this was stunning. From the color to the cut to the way she worked it, this is perfection. I tried to take notes, but I think I need to grow about 4 inches before this gown is even a possibility.

I actually wasn’t wild about North Dakota because of some of the things she said on stage and in her clips, but this green dress… ugh. You very rarely see girls don green; I’m not sure why. There’s been a stigma around the color since some study claimed it’s the least appealing hue for consumers (have they seen brown?). She looked like an emerald angel, and I was blown away by how she moved in it. Perfection.

My other two favorites, who didn’t make it into the Top 10 unfortunately, were Miss Virginia USA and Miss Pennsylvania USA. I love the fact that Miss Virginia is a proud wrestler with a rockin’ athletic body, and Miss Pennsylvania’s story actually made me tear up. Her mother was viciously attacked twenty-something years ago and was almost killed before she managed to get away. Well, Miss Pennsylvania was the product of that attack. How can you not be moved by that? Instead of living in shame or regret, she uses her story to inspire others to achieve their dreams. She could’ve easily taken the crown in my eyes, just from her amazing mission alone.

This was actually the first year in…forever… where my favorites all made it into the Top 20! I’m obsessed with our new Miss USA 2014, and I couldn’t be happier to have her represent us at Miss Universe. Who were you rooting for?