HAPPY NEW YEAR JUNKIES!!!

Once again, we’ve made it to “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”…  That’s right – The way rednecks feel about Nascar, the way hippies feel about 4/20, the way the Kardashian’s feel about the media spotlight, that’s the way JUNKIES feel about Miss America Week!  It’s Finally Here!!!! 🙂

And here’s the good news…
You thought your love of, and dare I say near-obsession with, all things Miss America was just an unusual quirk… Perhaps even a genetic mutation… But now, between our Twitter Feed and our Facebook Page, you’ve just discovered 2000 other people who feel the exact same way!  Congratulations – You are not alone!

Here’s the bad news…
If there’s anything important you’re supposed to do over the next 12 days, you might as well throw in the towel right now.  Tell your boss or your teachers or your mother-in-law that you’re sorry, because nobody can deny the fact that your attention has shifted.  There’s only one thing on your mind for the next 12 days… And that’s the question of “Who will be Miss America 2013?”

For those of you who haven’t experienced a Miss America week through the eyes of Miss America Junkies – let me give you a little background…

Miss America Junkies began 8 years ago as daily emails that I sent to about a dozen of my friends and family who knew of my obsession, and would essentially humor me as I kept everyone up-to-speed on the latest happenings at Miss America.  Before I knew it, people were forwarding those emails to their friends and asking me to add new names to the distribution list.  That’s when I officially named the distribution list “Miss America Junkies” and the name stuck.  If you go through the archives of this blog, you’ll find those original emails that date back to 2008 (afraid everything written prior to ‘08 has been lost in email cyber-space and only Al Gore knows how to find them).  So – feel free to enjoy the archives of this blog if you wish… Just remember, these were originally emails, not blog posts.

A couple of years ago the Facebook page and Twitter feed were both added – and a National movement was born!

So – for those of you who are new this year… Here’s how it works!  The Junkies are headed to Vegas to watch Miss America 2013 and will do our best to keep you updated along the way.  Just to make it fun, we list our predictions for each preliminary winner as well as who we think will make the semi-finals, Top 5, and winner (and for the record, we went 4/5 in the Top 5 last year!) 🙂  Would love to have as many of you contribute to the blog with your own predictions as well for 2013!

SO HERE WE GO!!!  Contestants are off to Vegas as we speak – with the official ‘arrival ceremony’ as Thursday, January 3rd.  We’ll have lots of different blog posts between now and the final night – but in the meantime, make sure you’re connected to both our Facebook page (Miss America Junkies) and Twitter feed (MAJunkies on Twitter) that way you don’t miss a minute (btw –we’ve been featuring Christmas Carol lyrics with a Miss America twist on our Twitter Feed… Silly and yet, lots of fun!) 🙂

Don’t forget to forward this info to any other “Closet Junkies” in your life as well!  Wouldn’t want anyone to miss a minute! 🙂

JUNKIES UNITE!!! 🙂

MAJ

For the record, this is about to be a really short post.

Not because we don’t like Puerto Rico, but because the Junkies are still kicking themselves for not taking that immersion internship to Mexico in college.  After a zillion credits in Spanish Language and too many years later, we are seriously inept at doing the adequate amount research on a contestant because everything we find is in Spanish!  Including Facebook pages!  Who knew Miss Puerto Rico and this blog would be yet another reason why we should’ve given up Christmas vacation???  Ugh!  But I digress…

Here’s Laura Ramierez, Miss Puerto Rico 2011… isn’t she lovely?

Puerto Rico has an outstanding Miss Universe track record and lots of girls know how to look glamorous!  If Miss America can tap into some of those contestants who are interested in the scholarship opportunities offered by MAO, they’ll be in great shape!

Miss Puerto Rico History:  Miss Puerto Rico returned to Miss America in 2010 – after nearly a 50 year hiatus!  Mimi Pabon won Swimsuit in 10, but nothing else of note.

Best Junkie Research Tool: The Miss America Website has all the contestants here…

Who To Watch:  Ummm…. we have no idea.  Based on our research, it appears that all 14 of the contests are brand new this year.. which doesn’t give us much to go on.  Admittedly, we’re really stretching it here… but if you gotta take a shot in the dark, here’s who we’re picking..

Kiara Liz Medina – She’s on Twitter, has a Facebook page for her local pageant and she’s a Flamenco Dancer

Valerie Trinidad – Former Miss Kissimmee Florida Latina competed at Miss Florida Latina, Jazz Dancer

Amanda Morel – Martial Arts Talent

Gonna be just as surprised as you are when we crown Miss Puerto Rico tonight! 🙂  Junkie Love!!! 🙂

MAJ

Ann Blair Thornton, Miss Kentucky 2011 did Kentucky proud by bringing home this year’s Quality of Life award from Miss America.  And while I desperately wish they’d come up with a better name for this award (as evidenced in this blog we posted back in January), I can’t argue with the ‘heart’ of the award.  Ann Blair lived her platform every day and as she shares, her ‘platform journey’ and her ‘pageant journey’ go hand in hand…

If you didn’t get the chance to see Ann Blair’s finalist video for the QoL, check it out here!  We LOVED the “little reminder” she reveals near the end of this video regarding so many important people she met throughout her journey with her platform.

Here’s wishing Ann Blair all the best in the future!

Miss Kentucky History:  The one and only Heather French, Miss America 2000 is the only Miss America from Kentucky.

Best Junkie Research Tool:  You can still vote for your favorite contestant at the Miss Kentucky Website and see each contestant’s pertinent information right here…

Who to Watch:  
Jeffra Bland – KY Teen USA 09 & 4th runner up at Teen USA, 3rd runner up in 10, 2nd runner up in 11

Jenna Day – 1st runner up in 11, Prelim Talent winner, poli-sci major, Top 10 at Miss Sweetheart

Ashley Ferry – Miss KYOT 08, 4th runner up in 11

Annie Franklin – 4th runner up in 10, Top 10 last year, daughter of Miss KY 88

Olivia Henken – Semifinalist in ’11, lead singer in a band, already has a couple of albums produced

Ramsey Carpenter – Non-Finalist Talent and Non-Finalist Interview in ’11

Person of Interest! Melissa Cox is the sister of the new Miss Indiana 2012, Merriebeth Cox!  They’re both Baton Twirlers and both adorable blondes!  We’ve seen lots of sisters compete in the same year at the same state pageant, but different states are certainly more rare!

All the Best to Miss Kentucky!  Good Luck to Everyone in the Bluegrass State!!! 🙂

MAJ

Kristen Glover, Miss Arkansas 2011 wins the ‘Super Smarty Sexy Scientist’ award of this year’s class.  The girl graduated Magna Cume Laude from Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in Chemistry (For the record, the last time the Junkies even took a Chemistry Class was at the age of 16!).  Her future plans include Pharmacy School at the University of Arkansas… like we said, Super Smarty Pants! 🙂 

There were scores of photos of Ms. Glover which were Fabulous…

 

Bree Boyce was pretty darn impressive as Miss South Carolina 2011…

Besides gracing the covers of People Magazine and being featured in Southern Living, she was also a guest on The View, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Extra and other programs.  Truthfully, Bree received more on-camera promotion and publicity than a few of our own Miss Americas have!  And let’s face it – if you weighed 234 pounds, wore size 18 jeans and you lost 112 pounds to compete at Miss America, I’d put you on the cover of “Junkie~Love” Magazine too (ummm – don’t steal that idea, we may just have to do that!)!  Bree stated in a recent interview that she’s headed to Hollywood a couple of weeks after Miss South Carolina… No doubt we haven’t seen the end of her yet!