If you were lucky enough to be in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the “Show us Your Shoes” parade, you saw Cara McCollum, Miss New Jersey in her mermaid costume, kicking her feet back and forth, back and forth, back and forth… It was the CUTEST flipper kick The Junkies have EVER SEEN!  And boy oh boy – was she having FUN!  If you’re ever in Atlantic City for Miss America – don’t miss the parade!  It’s fantastic!

Ok – now, back to NJ… Cara, who is originally from Arkansas, attends Princeton University and captured the crown on her very first trip to the state competition.  Even though she was a rookie, The Junkies were taken with her headshot and resume which caused us to list her on our ‘Here’s Who to Watch List”.  Truth is, with beauty, brains and talent like hers, EVERYONE should be watching what Cara does in the coming years!  

Our favorite quote of Cara’s was given to the contestants at their orientation a few months ago…

 “You have to look at it (Miss New Jersey) as a job. If you want a crown, you can go buy one at Dollar Tree for a buck. This is an opportunity to pursue your passion,” she said.

Who will be the next person to represent New Jersey?  It’s not easy to pick a winner here… but…

Junkies Say Here’s Who to Watch:

Brenna Weick – 1st runner up ’13, NJ OT ’09, 1st runner up at Nationals
Cierra Kayler-Jones – 3rd runner up ’13, Prelim Talent ’11 and ’12, overall Interview winner ’13
Kaitlyn Schoeffel – 4th runner up ’13, 1st runner up ’12, Prelim SS ’13, Prelim Talent and Gown ’12, NJ OT ’07
Anna Negron – 4th runner up ’11, Top 10 ’12, Prelim SS ’11 and ’12, Prelim Talent ’13
Lindsey Giannini – 2nd runner up ’13
Ayla Gentiletti – Top 10 ’13, Prelim Talent ’13
Courtney Fairfield – Top 10 ’13, Prelim Gown ’13
Ellen Chu – Top 10 ’12 and ’13

BEST OF LUCK JERSEY GIRLS!  JUNKIES LOVE YOU!!! 🙂

MAJ

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to an Alabama Football Game… But Founding Junkie has  (thanks to awesome friends who have season tickets!).  And let me tell you… When I stepped foot into Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and saw the ‘Million Dollar Band’ in all of it’s glory, the first thing I did was count the insane number of baton twirlers!!!  LOL!  Seriously – People thought I was crazy – but I’d never seen THAT MANY twirlers in one band!  It was absolutely amazing!

That’s why – when we found out Miss Michigan 2013, Haley Williams was an Alabama Crimsonette who had also served as an Outstanding Teen, we knew she was an easy pick for our “Here’s Who to Watch” list in 2013.

Haley certainly did not disappoint us.  At Miss America, she was named the winner of the coveted Quality of Life award for her outstanding work helping children conquer childhood grief after the loss of a loved one.  The Quality of Life award reminds us that it’s not just about a girl in a crown… it’s about the contributions she makes in her community and the impact she makes on others.  Haley’s Quality of Life win is certainly something to celebrate – and emulate in our own lives.

And now – who has the chance to do the same from the state of Michigan???

Junkies Say Here’s Who to Watch:

KT Maviglia – 1st runner up ’13
Sarah Suydam – 3rd runner up ’12 and ’13
Shelby Gardiner – 1st runner up ’12 , Top 10 ’13
Carliegh Rowley – MI OT ’08
Emily Kieliszewski – 2nd runner up ’11, Top 10 ’13
Malllory Rivard – 3rd runner up MI Teen USA ’12
Victoria Lines – Top 10 ’13
Cameron Learman – ’11 Prelim SS, 1st runner up MI Teen USA ’08

GOOD LUCK LADIES!  WE’RE SMITTEN WITH THE MITTEN!!! 🙂

MAJ

I’m sorry… but how can you NOT love Rebecca Yeh???

Especially – when you read this article from the Brainerd Dispatch.com…

“Miss Minnesota Rebecca Yeh — working on about 2 1/2 hours of sleep when she woke up Monday morning — was still on cloud nine when thinking about her experience with the Miss America pageant.  Yeh, 20, the daughter of Tim and Kathy Yeh of Nisswa, Sunday was named the fourth runner-up in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, N.J.
          “I am ready to come home,” Yeh said in a telephone interview with the Dispatch as she waited for her flight at the airport. Yeh said the pageant was exciting and when it was done no one could sleep. She went to bed at 5 a.m. Monday and woke up at 7:30 a.m. She had to wake up to pack all of her personal belongings and get ready to fly back home.
          “It was an amazing experience and I am so fortunate to have made it that far. I couldn’t have done anything better. I did my best with everything I was in control of.”

Seriously.  Staying up with your fellow contestants that long after the most draining 2 weeks of your life?  And to be able to say you’re completely fine with the outcome after only 2 1/2 hours of sleep?  I’m pretty sure I might’ve started spontaneously crying from exhaustion shortly just after saying ‘hello’!

Everyone could see how beautiful Becca is… and once you heard her outstanding talent, you could easily see why she was given the Preliminary Talent award for her night!  Real Junkies know the significance of Becca’s journey… it was nearly a mirror image of another famous Miss MN!  In fact, 25 years earlier, Gretchen Carlson was named a Preliminary Talent winner for playing the violin as well!  Fans of Miss Minnesota hoped Becca would be following in the same footsteps as Miss America 1989 – and she came oh so close… In fact, Becca was the first Miss Minnesota to even make the Top 15 since Gretchen did in ’89.  We say, BRAVO!!! 🙂

PS – The Junkies were at the special Miss America luncheon where Gretchen Carlson was honored for her 25th anniversary… AND SHE WORE HER EVENING GOWN!!!  It was AMAZING to see her in that fabulous Stephen Yearick gown TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER!!!!   Super-Duper Impressive to say the least (click on the photo to see it larger!) 🙂

And now – Who will follow in Rebecca Yeh’s footsteps???  There is a considerable amount of interest and excitement in this year’s Miss Minnesota pageant… Mainly because of the amount of veterans returning to the stage and the strength of this year’s contestants!  However – we’re also excited because…

THE JUNKIES ARE GONG TO MINNESOTA!!!!!  WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

We Can’t Wait to see prelims on Thursday night, attend the Gala on Friday night, and witness the crowning on Saturday night!!!  The Junkies have already been welcomed with open arms by the Miss Minnesota team and we’re SO EXCITED to meet you all in person!!!  YAY!!! 🙂

Obviously, our picks can all change once we arrive – but because we look at every state “on paper” first, we gotta do the same thing for you! 🙂  Here we go!!!

Junkies Say Here’s Who to Watch:

Chantal Wilson – MN OT 07
Savannah Cole – 1st runner up ’13, Prelim Talent ’13
Lauren Johnson – 1st runner up ’11, 3rd runner up ’10, 4th runner up ’13
Emily Kallis – 3rd runner up ’13
Kate Wilson – 3rd runner up ND USA, competitor at ND
Kayla Brown – ice skater – Disney on Ice performer, Top 10 ’13
Bailey Wachholz – MN OT ’12
Rachel Latuff – Junkie Dark Horse

GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!  CAN’T WAIT TO SEE EVERYONE SHINE ON STAGE!!! 🙂

MAJ

Sometimes… our greatest accomplishments come after our greatest struggles.

Miss Illinois 2013, Brittany Smith shattered her hip bone just before her freshman year of high school.  That’s when Brittany had a choice to make.  From an online article from Purdue University…

          “Many people told me to retire and hang up my shoes. Those comments made me work really hard to achieve my goals. They made me stronger in the end.”

Ummm… It’s one thing to break an arm or a leg… but your hip???  Breaking your hip-bone is crazy!  And she was only 13 when it happened!  After the accident, Brittany went through intense rehab – and by the time she was 17, she competed and placed in the World Finals in Irish Step Dancing!  THAT’S the story of an over-comer if we ever heard one!  And that tells us all we need to know about Brittany Smith… she’ll be more than fine in the years to come after Miss Illinois – and we look forward to watching her succeed in whatever she chooses to do.  🙂

So – Who’s going to be able to fill Brittany’s shoes?  Ummm… Well… To be honest… We don’t really know.  Although there are several ladies who have experience returning to the stage, it feels like a pretty wide-open race this year…

Junkies Say Here’s Who to Watch:

Emily Travis – Top 10 ’11, IL OT ’08
Marisa Buchheit – 3rd runner up ’13, Top 10 12, 2nd runner up OH ’10
Natalie Swieca – NAM IL ’12, Top 10 at Nationals 
Amanda Goerlitz – 4th RU ’13
Audra Ferguson – Top 10 ’12 and ’13
Kaitlin Wehr – IL OT ’10, Top 10 ’13
Rayni Lasley – Prelim SS ’13, IL USA Top 15 ’13 and ’12,
Caitlin Robb – Interview award ’13
Not one, not two, but THREE Junkie Dark Horses in this race…
     – Rebecca Palmer
     – Ariel Beverly
     – Natalie Schmidt

GOOD LUCK LADIES FROM THE LAND OF LINCOLN!!! 🙂  JUNKIES LOVE YA!!! 🙂

MAJ

So – in nearly every one of these blogs, we take the time to tell you about “Miss State” and give you all the reasons why we think she’s so lovely/fabulous/awesome.  But it’s a heck of a lot more fun to find someone who’s written a ‘little ditty’ about Miss State – and let them tell you about her instead!

Enter Charissa Lauren and her “Monday Muse” blog… as she talks about Miss Pennsylvania 2013, Annie Rosellini…

          “When meeting Annie, you are immediately graced with her contagious personality. Annie is one of those girls that holds an inner light and shines the moment she speaks to anyone! With a smile that sticks with you and an even bigger heart, Annie has represented our state these last few months with the utmost charm and grace.”

WOWZERS!  If you’re trying to win your state pageant, may we kindly suggest memorizing that paragraph?  What a ringing endorsement!  If you wanna be Miss America, that’s the kind of impression you should have on each and every person you meet! 🙂

Annie could’ve easily become someone less than the delightful description above… Just before her High School graduation, she lost her father to heart disease.  But instead of getting lost in the pain, she decided to make it her mission to tell others about the dangers of heart disease.  Annie traveled the state as Miss Pennsylvania, talking to children and adults about ways to keep your heart healthy allowing you to ‘stick around’ longer for the ones you love.

Kudos Annie!  Junkies think you’re lovely/fabulous/awesome. 🙂

Who could possibly fill Annie’s shoes in 2014?  GOOD QUESTION!  Pennsylvania is LOADED with potential this year – lots of experience – and this level of competition means PA could be a player in the near future!  Pay Attention!  Anyone can win this thing!

Junkies Say Here’s Who to Watch:

Caroline Collins – 2nd runner up ’13, 1st runner up PA OT ’10, NAM PA Teen ’10
Kaitlynne Kline – PA OT ’11
Jocelyn Gruber – PA OT ’09
Cassie Cerulli – Top 11 ’13 and ’12, 2nd runner up PA OT ’10
Holly Harrar – Top 15 PA Teen USA ’11 and ’12, NAM PA Jr. Teen ’08
Alex Taylor-Dietz – Top 11 ’13, 1st runner up PA Teen USA ’12, ’13 and ’14
Jessica McCullough – OT and State competitor at TN, 1st time at PA
Laura Traub – Top 11 ’13
Francesca Rusio – Top 11 ’13
Melessie Clark – Non-finalist Talent and Interview ’13, Prelim Talent ’13
Bryn Harvey – Prelim Talent ’10 and ’11, Top 10 ’11

LOTS OF NEWBIES COULD MAKE WAVES TOO!!!  GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!

MAJ