Mrs. Texas 2005 and Why My Husband is Cool . . . January 19, 2011
Posted by Emily in : Beauty, My Handsome Husband, My Previous Life , 7commentsMy husband is cool. Really cool.
I could name a million reasons why he rocks, but for now, I’ll just mention reasons 27,834 through 27,847:
#27,834: He voluntarily watched Miss America with me this weekend even though watching it was the equivelant of drilling a hole in his head.
#27,835: When the GPS on the iPhone crapped out on my way to a baby shower, I called him in a panic while I was on the freeway. He pulled up google maps and talked me through the directions turn by turn for about 40 minutes until I reached my destination. That’s love I tell you. :)
#27,836: He always knows when I need a little bit of raspberry sherbet, and a bowl magically appears in front of me when I need it most. :)
#27,837: He supported me when I wanted to compete in the Mrs. Texas Pageant in 2005 even though he HATES pageants.
After my post on Miss America, I decided to dig up my Mrs. Texas pics in my archives. This pageant happened like 100 years ago. Gosh, this pageant happened before David started and finished medical school, before we moved out of the country, before we sold our house and our business, before I birthed two kids, before we moved like 35 times, before I knew ANYTING about photography (I had never heard the term SLR before!) and twenty pounds ago.
THAT DOES FEEL LIKE ANOTHER LIFETIME.
Here is my previous life; the one where I worked like 100 hours a week, and suffered from unexplained infertility.
This was the opening number. As I recall, the opening number was quite a complex dance number and even one of my competitors, who was a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, commented on how complex the dance number was to learn in one evening! (OK, so the pics only show us walking, but trust me, I got my dance on!)
Evening gown portion . . .
I designed this dress specifically for this pageant while I was in Taiwan on a business trip. It’s sort of hard to tell from these teeny tiny pics (sorry, I don’t have bigger ones to upload) but the dress has like a million beads and sequins on it. I won the evening gown competition, but received first runner-up to Mrs. Texas 2005.
Ah, look at David . . . we are so young! We’re both still in our twenties!
OK, note to self, gold/ivory washes me out. END OF STORY.
Turquoise, is MUCH better.
This was the interview portion.
See? GOLD is not my best color. UGH.
This was rehearsal for the opening number. Seriously, it was a little more advanced than many of us expected.
When I look at this picture I think, “What the heck happened to that purse? I love that over priced Louis Viutton knock off bag I picked up in Hong Kong!”
Too many moves I tell you. Maybe I still have it in storage . . . who knows!
And did I mention this pageant took place in San Antonio, which was about five hours away from our house in Dallas? My sister and two of my employees came to support me, as well as our BFF’s, Daniel and Lydia. I felt so supported. :) (Especially when I could hear one of my employees screaming my name over the entire audience. AWESOME.)
Immediately following the crowning, I packed up my things and we drove five hours through the night in order to catch my early morning flight out of Dallas to Taiwan. We got home safely, and with just a few minutes to spare for me to pack my bags and drive to the airport in time to catch my flight.
That last paragraph would be reason #27838.
Take the Dress and Run January 14, 2010
Posted by Emily in : My Previous Life, Thoughts , 2commentsI’m selling some BRAND SPANKING NEW wedding gowns on KSL and Craigslist. (I bought them for personal use from my bridal store, but never wore them. Pageant stuff.) Anyway, an interested bride came by the other night and tried on one of the gowns. SHE LOVED IT. IT WAS THE GOWN.
Now comes the part that reminded my why I hate selling wedding gowns . . .
This is an older bride, who is getting married for the second time. She wanted her two daughters (ages 20 and 21) to SEE HER IN THE GOWN before buying it.
The kicker? HER WEDDING WAS NINE DAYS AWAY! HELLO! What kills me, is that no matter how old you are, or how many times you get married, you still seek approval from everyone around you when the only opinion that matters it YOURS!
Did I mention this gown can be found on the rack at a very popular bridal store in town for $400 more than I’m selling mine?!
Let’s fast forward to SIX WHOLE DAYS before her wedding.
She comes back to my house to try on the dress again. This time she brings her daughter, and lucky for the bride, her daughter LOVES the dress too.
Fantastic right?
The bride then offers a lower price than I’m asking for the dress.
As I quietly bit my tongue, I politely remind her that she can drive right on down the road and buy this exact dress ON THE RACK (insert popular bridal store name here) for more than TWICE what I’m asking.
My dress was brand new . . . with tags. I told her (in not so many words) to take it and run, or go spend $400 more down the street.
She bought the dress.
I hope she’s not shocked to find out how long alterations take and how expensive they are. YIKES.
Brides can be crazy I tell you. Just watch the show, “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC and you’ll know what I’m talking about!
In Way Over My Head November 24, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Family, My Previous Life, Photography, Princess Hannah , 1 comment so farI have a handful formal dresses (I used them when I was Mrs. Dallas to MC fashion shows) and brand new wedding gowns (with tags still!) that I’ve listed on Craigslist. I had my neice, Jess, come over to my house and wear them to I could take some pictures.
Hannah thought this was a serious photo shoot . . . like, “magazine cover” worthy.
She wanted to be in every shot.
EVERY ONE.
When I had her scoot to the side so I could just photograph Jess in the dress, she got a bit ticked and said, “MOMMY! BUT NOW I’M NOT IN THE PICTURE!”
What the heck? How does a three year old know when she’s in the frame or not?
SERIOUSLY?
Many of the pictures are of Jess in a dress with Hannah clinging to her. (That should up the dress value, right?)
This is the little ham who wanted me to take her picture in the outfit she picked out.
Look at this pose.
Seriously, she is THREE, not a tween.
What have I gotten myself into?
My Gorgeous Friend Gave Birth November 20, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Friends, My Previous Life, Texas, Thoughts, Utah , 1 comment so farThis is my good friend Sheri who is so obviously GORGEOUS.
She even looks good 12 hours after popping out a baby.
We first met in Dallas when David and I had our bridal store and she was just a young 17 year old who did runway shows for our store. We then hired her to sell wedding gowns. Sheri and I have had many fun and crazy adventures together modeling at Dallas Market Hall (which mostly included both of us running late and applying our make up as fast as possible in our small dressing room before our first Vera Wang clothing call). We modeled formal wear together a few times for some Texas news stations and did other print work. Needless to say, we have had a lot of fun together. Our lives have been so interwoven over the last seven years, she’s practically family.
We must have been in favor with the Universe because we both currently live in Utah right now. We always get together whenever we have a chance (either in Texas or Utah, or anywhere in between) and I was so happy to see her and meet her new little guy.
He smelled so good . . . I could just sniff a newborn head all day long.
From time to time, I know I complain about picking up my life, and moving cross country for the 500th time . . . but it’s because of these moves that I meet so many wonderful people.
Congratulations Sheri!
When My Past Haunts Me May 21, 2009
Posted by Emily in : My Previous Life , 4commentsIn my previous life, (the one before I was a mom and got paid to work all the time) I taught skincare and makeup classes at modeling conferences.
I was a skin care freak and makeup lover.
I never missed a day of caring for my skin or applying makeup. EVER.
I know those of you who met me after I moved to the Caribbean are scratchin’ your heads right now, trying to figure out if I’m telling the truth.
Well, I am.
A girl who attended one of the many modeling conferences I taught at sent me this message on facebook:
So this is kind of a random thing, but I remember your classes at the little Allyse’s boot camps of death, and I always felt super guilty because I always did everything you said NOT to do. But I thought of you this month, for 8 weeks I have officially been good to my face with the right kind of soap AND moisturizer. (I’ve never used moisturizer really) And thought to myself how proud you would be.
I know… Kind of silly.
After I read this, I felt like I was reading a note sent to me in another lifetime. One where I was qualified to know about this sort of thing because I actually did this sort of thing.
In my response, I hope I didn’t turn her world upside down:
I am SO PROUD OF YOU! I was always so jealous of your beautiful skin that needed no upkeep! So on to my confessional . . . (Please don’t tell the real Emily you knew a few years ago . . . she would die if she knew this . . .) After moving to the Caribbean, I stopped putting makeup on.
Like right now? Makeup free. Will be all day, and won’t even think about it until Sunday. (the only day I get ready) Allyse (my old business partner) couldn’t believe it when she saw me, all natural and stuff. Still makes me laugh.
But, here’s the scary part, I got out of the habit of washing my face every night. Yep. You read that right. Me. GOING TO BED with NASTY ALL DAY FACE.
When you don’t wear makeup, it’s easy to forget to wash off the nothingness on your skin.
I’m a crock. What can I say?
I hope I haven’t turned your world upside down after reading this.
