Weekend in Dothan!

Traveling to Dothan, Alabama for the trunk show at The Competitive Image will definitely be one of the highlights of my year! I am so glad that I decided to go!

The first day in Dothan I got to spend to quality time with Kathy and Allison, my state directors, and Grace, my teen queen! It was a lot of fun doing some shopping and talking over dinner. I just love these ladies!

The next day was a very busy and exciting one for me. Arriving at The Competitive Image & The Clay Spann Photography Studio was so exciting- it is like a little pageant heaven inside! Right away I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with photographer extraordinaire, Clay Spann! Clay is truly a triple threat- he does hair, make-up, and is an amazing photographer. He made me feel so at ease during my photo shoot. He and his assistant Terri kept me laughing the whole time with their witty banter! The only downside of shooting with Clay- I had such a hard time picking out the photographs I wanted! Thank you Clay!

After my photo shoot, I headed to the other side of the studio, which houses The Competitive Image. I immediately began trying on beautiful gowns! Joey knew just which dresses would flatter my body, skin, & hair color. With the help of his expertise, I said yes to the dress pageant style! Once I put my gown on, I did not want to take it off! Thank you Joey!

One of the most exciting parts of my trip was that I had the opportunity to meet the designer of my gown, Sherri Hill! She was at The Competitive Image specifically for the trunk show. It was inspiring to see her creative juices flow as she sketched out designs for clients! I had the opportunity to get to talk to her on a more personal level while waiting for our flight at the Dothan Airport. Grace and I had a wonderful time speaking with Sherri about our titles and lives in general. She is so sweet and humble, and it was an honor to meet her.

I met so many more new and wonderful people while in Dothan- current and former titleholders, Miss Teen International 2012 Caroline Crowley and her mom Denise, and of course, the national director of the International Pageants, Mary Richardson. I am so thankful to Mary for running such a wonderful pageant and for giving all of us women this amazing opportunity! 

It was great to see Mrs. International 2012 Sarah Bazey again!

With my teen queen Grace and photographer Clay Spann and Wardrobe Consultant Joey Rutherford

With the International Pageants Executive Director, Mary Richardson and photographer Clay Spann