Don't you just love when someone calls you by your name? How about after you've just met them? How about after you've just met them and you don't even know their name?! Yep, that makes me all warm & fuzzy inside too. For years I have tried method after method for mastering this skill. Thanks to many failed attempts & my sorority recruitment days I have finally come up with a foolproof plan that works for me. Before I share it I would like to say- just because this is my method does not mean it will work for you. You must try out different techniques until you have an
ah-hah!
moment when you discover how you are going to master the skill & spread some love, joy & magic through the art of name knowing.
Soooo.... all I simply do when I am first meeting someone is ask how they spell thier name, and sometimes provide two different spellings just to have the practice of saying their name a few times. For example:
new friend: "Hi, I'm Sarah!'
me: "Nice to meet you! Sarah with an 'h' or without?"
or
new friend: "My name is Chris"
me: "Ok! Chris with a 'ch' or just a 'c'?"
Since I am such a visual person this forces my brain to picture their name in my head. The only cautionary note to take is when you have really simple names (and trust me, I've done this a lot)...
new friend: "I'm Dave"
me: "Hi Dave... with a "ve" or... a... uh... just... a... 'v'?"
So what about my experience? I'll try to sum it up as best I can. First, wow, I must say how truly honored and humbled I was to have been selected as "America's Favorite" (if you will) and find a place in the Top 16 based off of the people's votes. I can't even wrap my brain around how many people spent time voting every day and spreading the word for lil' ole me. Not to mention how many people truly supported me and believed in my ambition to hold the role of Miss USA in the utmost honorable and purposeful way (yes babies, I wanted world peace!). For the first time ever the country was able to choose whom they wanted to be Miss USA and now there is a little piece of history with MY name on it thanks to you all. And to make it even sweeter, receiving the highest fan score in the swimsuit competition was just the cherry on top. I'll gladly be America's Sweetheart over Lil' Jon's sweetheart any ole day.... Oh yeah, Lil' Jon was one of the telecast judges, along with Tyson Chandler & Caroline Manzo to name a few.... mmmhmm, didn't you know?! These peeps are skilled titleholder selectors in their downtime. But seriously ya'll, thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart. I've always said that I am supported by the most incredible people and I would not be who I am without you. This honor was the most tangible evidence of such. What can I do with that? Well, I can say that there is so much to learn about the value of the relationships you make, maintain and enrich along with the life you lead. Thank you thank you thank you.
If you were following along you would have some pretty true insight about my experiences at Miss USA but one thing I never really got to magnify were the incredible women that I shared this adventure with. I know I mentioned a few of these women but in a future blog I will take the opportunity to really expand on them.
Boy, what a unique time to compete for the title of Miss USA. I'm confident that this year's Miss USA competition has got to be one of the most unique events in history.
Before the competition even started the organization's co owner Donald Trump began to express interest in becoming the President of the United States in 2012. As soon as that began two things happened... 1.) The media started to illuminate the Miss USA/Miss Universe Org (coincidence??! *scratches head*) & 2.) I knew that if this kept up surely this would be a HOT TOPIC during any interview round of the competition & I began studying Trump like a textbook. Not too long after that he ended up announcing that he would not be in the running after all. As you can probably imagine I'm really upset about this because my life was so much more enriched after the intense study of his inspirational life (**rolls eyes**). Oh, but in all seriousness the man knows his business so he gets some major props for that.
Also, the pageant itself was full of surprises. First there was the opportunity to let the public select a semi-finalist for the first time in history. Then there was the fact that this was the 60th anniversary of Miss USA. Along with all of that the telecast underwent quite a few changes ranging from the amount of finalists selected for each round to the new elimination procedures. With all of this at play it was really necessary for all of the contestants to be incredibly flexible and accept the fact that ultimately anything could happen.
"It's like you're Al Gore... you won the popular vote!" -Julia Risk
Ok, so now what the heck am I doing? Well the day right after Miss USA I packed up all of my junk and took the 2:15pm flight out to Philly to begin a new adventure. I'll be spending a total of 6 weeks here working as a corps member advisor (CMA). What's that?! As a CMA I will be working relentlessly to support the newest generation of Teach For America corps members in their first classroom experiences. I'll observe them weekly, review all of their lesson plans, provide tools and knowledge to help them lead transformational change and academic success and basically serve as a backbone for their development before entering their classrooms in the fall. I am so excited to continue my work with Teach For America in an effort to close the achievement gap. I will meet incredible leaders and also get to experience a new place of the world outside of New Mexico. This summer has great things in store, I can just feel it.
Additionally the telecast managed to generate some great "buzz" around my desire to write and illustrate my own collection of children's books (thanks to Kelly Osbourne & Susie Castillo) along with bringing attention to my blog. Given this amazing opportunity I'm going to strike while the iron is hot! I've already started receiving some great emails, and brainstorming some next steps so stay tuned.
I'm taking everything one day at a time. I have no idea where I'm off to next and while that's slightly terrifying it's also incredibly exciting. I can say that I'm glad to be back to Happy Brittany and this blog will be back to rockin' & rollin' with the good stuff in no time.
World Peace,
P.S- I'm sad to report that I can no longer accept friends on my personal Facebook page.... buuut... I've set up an additional page and will soon have it movin' just like my personal page so if you like what you see then like me.
It's tomorrow.
Holly smokes.
Is this for real?
How did it happen?
So fast?
Already?!
wow.
Today was my last day. Tomorrow is going to fly by and soon enough the world we be graced by a new Miss USA. One woman's life will change forever. It's all in the hands of destiny... what's meant to happen will. I have done my ultimate best and from here on out all I have to do is show up & "go." Tonight is my last blog post from this particular journey, thank you for following and enjoying.
It's funny. When I reflect on the girl I was back on June 4th I see something incredibly different from who I am now. On the surface it's all the same. Same hair, same height, same eye color... but on the inside, within my mind, heart & soul I find new feelings and growth that I never anticipated. Truth be told on the night of June 4th I wasn't sure what I was doing here. I thought that I had mentally prepared as much as I could but I still found tiny doubts cultivating within me. As the days have progressed I've become even more self-aware (something I thought I had already mastered). I have gotten to know myself better than I would have ever imagined. Never in a million years would I have been so proud of my efforts and accomplishments. As I've told others "I even managed to shock myself."
I am so happy and content with the feeling I hold within my heart. I have zero regrets. None. I've genuinely enjoyed every second of this experience while still carrying myself like the titleholder I strive to be (at the state or national level). I have made lasting friendships, learned about others, reflected on gratitude of my blessings (friends & family what! what!) and enjoyed truly unique experiences. I refined old skills and even developed new ones (getting on an escalator in 4 inch heels? or walking down a flight of stairs without looking down?). I can't say that I would have done a single thing differently.... honestly. So whatever happens tomorrow night I can rest my head tonight & every night knowing that I did everything I could within my control and destiny cannot be reconfigured.
I hope you all know how truly inspired you have made me. Your kind and genuine words have shown me that the human race is full of love and greatness. Every one of you has touched my heart in some way..... whether you sent me a card or wrote on my wall or even just added one more viewer to my blog counter. Thank you for being my motivation and for helping me challenge myself, grow, and discover life. I know that nothing in my life would have been possible without you and you and you.
I can't wait to hop back onto Happy Brittany and blog about my next chapter.... which is yet to be determined. Usually I'm 2-steps ahead of myself but I'm actually (&oddly) pretty excited about the unknown.
I hope you find time to tune into NBC tomorrow night at 6pm PST. The show is going to be insane. On top of that I hope that through the energy of you watching I can make you proud and "happy."
Oh no... I feel a cold comin' on. I'm going to make this my shortest blog ever, I need some Zzzzzs.
First off I must start with some serious gratitude. I can't even begin to express how blessed, humbled, and happy I feel when I walk into the hospitality suite to find an enormous stack of letters on a daily basis. We're talking cards, pictures, treats, letters, postcards, flowers.... from all across the country (& even a few from overseas). You all have truly spoiled me and shown me how powerful words and support can be. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all & carry your spirits & positive energy with me.
Today was a full day of rehearsal and all I have to say is woah. You better tune in for the telecast on Sunday (June 19th) because there are going to be some serious surprises. We went through most of the show and first off the production is phenomenal. Second there are some new things that have never been done before and some shocking surprises. Trust me, this is no plug for the show to build suspense, this is just my honest expression of what was revealed today. Wowowow. Now you have two reasons for tuning in, other than to cheer for lil' ole me.
On top of all these great surprises for the telecast this year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Miss USA competition. In celebration of that we had an event tonight with 30 of the former titleholders....
I've become so superstitious lately that I refuse to label this post with the number that it should be.... you know, 9+4= __. Since being here I have found 4 lucky pennies, which I have next to my bed. Last night my chaperone found a penny at our door and picked it up and said "Girls, there's a penny out here..." and Hawaii said "Oh, Brittany loves those!" I asked which way was facing up and our chaperone said "tails." I told Hawaii to put it down & get it out of here (in a matter-of-fact tone). She dropped it on the floor of our doorway.... where it still remains as I continue to hop over it. I want nothing to do with that rotten penny. I've got all of my good luck charms right where I want 'em... a blue morpho butterfly sticker, a jade bracelet, my vision board, my "pink blankie" and a horseshoe that one of my friends made for me in high school. On top of that, my mom will be wearing the same dress that she has worn to every pageant I have won. Oh, and I know that you will have your fingers crossed right? It would be wise for you to cross 'em for me because the odds are most in our favor, at least with regards to the 9.803% chance that the next Miss USA will be named "Brittany" (5 other girls are named Brittany & spell it the exact same way).
Tonight we had the night off to spend with our families! It was superb. I got to see my mom & her best friend Terri and both of my incredible state directors. I can't wait until the rest of my incredible friends and family begin to arrive for the weekend. Vegas is about to get loud.
One last thing I have to say before I go to sleep.... the 2011 Miss USA contestants are phenomenal. I adore these girls, they are so incredibly kind and fun. Rehearsals are wonderful because I get to spend time getting to know them more & more and I am so honored to be up on that stage with those women. Oh, and I really think that none of them mess with me because they know I would expose them on "Happy Brittany" (juuust kidddding!!).
Wow. Yep, it's starting to hit me. I have just two more days here & then the big night.
sticky bras & sugar free energy drinks..... (aka my shopping list for my mommy today)
Whew. Prelims are now over. Tonight the top 15 were chosen. I've got my fingers & toes crossed for good things this Sunday. At that point I would have an entirely new set of judges to "wow" over.... who's crossing their fingers with me?
Even though I woke up with anxiety and the feeling of being a "hot mess" those feelings slowly disintegrated as the day progressed. We had rehearsal all day as well as a full-on dress rehearsal before the actual preliminary competition. The dress rehearsal was the very first time I have worn my gown on stage (eek) and sometimes it likes to slip right on in under my shoe... sneaky thing.
Ahhh preliminary competition....
Our dressing room is a big white tent located behind the auditorium. Every girl is lined up and I get to sit right next to two of my favorite girls.... New York and New Jersey (my Zeta sister!). The tent was so warm that most of my makeup turned into puddles,but eventually it cooled down. We had plenty of time to get ready and relax, it was fantastic. After I chugged a (warm) 5 Hour Energy drink and sprayed butt glue in places that people shouldn't have glue I was ready to go. I certainly had some nerves but I have envisioned this day for years. I have been on my feet every waking second practicing my turns and poses and run through the moment in my head countless times. I completely trusted myself and the persistence I have given this endeavor.
Have I told you all that I love love love my gown? I'm freakishly obsessed with it. I sometimes find myself starring at it in the mirror.I am so thankful for the fabulous (and unique) Sherri Hill gown and for Sherri for putting it together. Also can't forget those brilliant former students of mine for picking the most dynamite color for me. Additionally, it wouldn't be mine if it weren't for my incredible state directors. I can't say that I have ever felt like a princess before, a real-life princess, up until now. Unreal. Oh, and man oh man am I in love with my earrings from First America Traders in Gallup, NM.
Right after prelims I went to do more filming with a few of the girls and the reigning Miss USA and Miss Universe. Oh my gosh they were both fabulous. Gorgeous and warm and fun. Look out for us during the telecast on June 19th.
Even though it's 2:12am and I'm incredibly sleepy, my feet are in major pain, and my head is pounding like a hammer- I've still got the biggest smile on my face and most incredible feeling in my heart. I cannot believe how much love I have received. The endless cards, letters, emails, wall posts, voicemail, texts and Tweets just light up my day. Thanks for tuning in, cheering on, and sending positive vibes... I felt 'em. I especially favored a Facebook note from one of my former student's mom that said: "We loved watching you in the prelims. Breanna says hi and you looked beautiful!" Melts my heart.....
I highly recommend you check out these beautiful women & this flawless production (we worked kinda hard so please do it!)
First of all I have to say thank you guys so much for the amazing questions you all sent. They helped me so much & I loved how reflective they were. If you think of any more please send 'em my way.
Today: Interview (dun dun dun)...
I woke up with a bit of an ill stomach, thankfully after breakfast it got a little bit better (anxiety or buffet food.... who will ever know?). We first started our day with swimsuit & evening gown preview. For preview all you do is present yourself solo in front of the judges in your swimsuit & then your evening gown. All it is is an opportunity to break the ice and let the judges see you.
My interview wasn't until 2pm so I was able to enjoy a relaxing morning lounging around in my bunny slippers and robe. I spoke on the phone to some former Miss New Mexico USAs and bounced some questions off of the most fabulous mock interview supporter. Finally it was time for me to head down for my interview.
It was amazing! Really, truly. I had the opportunity to share many of my stories along with my opinion on a few relevant issues. I spent 3 minutes with each of the two panels. The judges were magnificent and every girl testified that the judges made them feel good and interesting. The 3 minutes flew by and I was actually sad when it was all over.
P.S.- mom arrived today!
Directly following the interview we were taken to the OPI suite to get out nails painted in one of the new Miss Universe color collection colors. How freakin' sweet is that? My color was "It's My Year!" which is a beautiful gold and purple shimmer, kind of like the gems on the Miss Universe crown.
OPI is launching this new collection this summer and we were able to be a part of the launch. We even had a reveal party where we wore white gloves before revealing to the press the 4 new beautiful colors. Ooo la la....
I love the names: "Swimsuit.... Nailed It!" "Crown Me Now" "It's My Year!" "Congeniality is My Middle Name"
Tomorrow is presentation show, I hope you can find an opportunity to tune into the live web-cast. It will be up on the Miss USA website at 7pm EST.
Today was yet another magnificent day, but we did not have an evening event. Rather, we had the evening off. We spent our entire day rehearsing and then we had the night to do whatever we so chose. What was Miss New Mex up to? I fixed up my nails (you should have seen them after I wrecked them packing up my apartment two weeks ago), treated my feet to a pedicure (they earned it!), loaded up on current event magazines (hello world, it's been a while hasn't it?!), got "bronzed" & made a quick trip to CVS. Of all of the things I have done over the past week never have I felt more like a "beauty queen" then I did tonight. Ha ha.
Sorry to report on such a laaaaame day BUT, there is a purpose to this blog....
Tomorrow afternoon is my personality interview (OOoooo my favorite) & I just had a novel idea.... If you have time and a brilliant mind (which I am certain you all do otherwise you would not be here at happybrittany.com), how about sending me a few knock-out interview questions for me to ponder?? Glorious right? You can send me anything you think of, but current event or personal questions are most expected. Find me on Facebook and shoot me a message or email me at brittanytoll@live.com. Oh, and no sweat if you can't get to it tomorrow. Feel free to shoot me some practice Qs anytime this week because the top 5 (fingers crossed that's me!!) will be answering questions on stage while the world stops for 20 seconds to listen (woah). You know I would just love to hear your thoughts. Why not? Remember what I said.... "we are a team & you are my mates." I wouldn't have gotten this far alone and I certainly don't expect to excel alone either. I can't Wait to hear what ya'll come up with.
Soooo... Do you remember the students who I told you about last night? Well look at the adorable picture their teacher uploaded to Facebook for me. It made my day.
I have to wonder if any of those kids thought "Wow, when I grow up I want to be just like Miss New Mexico!" To me that's fame.... the magic that happens behind the cameras & curtains, 30 years later when someone still remembers the impact you had on their life, whether you know it or not. Love love love.
It seems as though every time I write I am so sleepy, and even at 9:20pm on a Sunday night I find myself in the same position. Thank you for excusing my poor grammar, spelling, type-os and lack of proper sentence structure. On top of this I think I'm getting sick. A lot of girls are sick so it would make sense. I definitely thought that I was immune to anything after being exposed to snot wiping & coughs right in may face as a teacher. No, seriously, I thought I was invincible ...turns out, I'm not that great. Right now I'm sippin' a tasty glass of Airborn with my eyelids half closed. Thank goodness I'm a little bit of a smarty pans for having prepared an emergency kit with literally every & anything I could possibly need. Brilliant & handy.
During rehearsals today we finalized the evening gown & swimsuit patterns. I am soooo excited, especially about the entertainment during the evening gown.... but my lips.are.sealed.Just know it's really really amazing and if you are one of the 78 magical gems coming to cheer for me then you are in for a major treat.
After rehearsals we had a fashion show at Fashion Show Mall followed by an autograph signing session. It was insanely amazing. Our entrance to the runway was on a platform that lifted from underground. Since the show was hosted by Rain Cosmetics (amazing stuff!) we all wore a turquoise Rain shirt and Chinese Laundry shoes.
As you can imagine it's very hard for "New Mexico" to stand out. In fact, I've learned that a handful of people aren't even sure about what or where New Mexico is. That's a problem to be solved another day (I hope my pre-kinders aren't like that when they grow up). So what's a girl to do when she is strutting a runway in the exact same outfit as every other state? Find a way to be a little bit different.... Yep. I was rocking a glam hippie headband. Sorry folks, Miss New Mexico USA is not a "pageant patty," I hope you can deal. I loved it & had so much fun.
....like such as....
Lately I have been answering lots of questions about my current living situation so I wanted to clarify, this is my home:
Yep, that's it. The 19th floor of the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The week before I needed to report to Vegas I moved everything out of my quaint little Gallup apartment after finishing my two-year-commitment with Teach For America. I'm ready to see where the wind takes me next, but as of yet this is my current residence. All of my belongings are stored happily in my parent's basement and I'll either fly to one of two places on June 20th- New York City as Miss USA (fingers crossed) or Philadelphia to work as a Corps Member Advisor for 6 weeks at Teach For America's summer institute. I really haven't invested much thought into my post Miss USA plan because that's not a place where I wanted my mind settling. I've got a short-term back up plan to buy time and that's comforting enough for me. There are so many avenues I want to take in my life & I'm confident what ever I end up doing next, Miss USA or not, will be the perfect opportunity for me. I wish I knew the best was to articulate my sheer & genuine excitement for life. All I know is that I am incredible blessed and eager for each day.
Before closing out I just wanted to share something uber cute & cool that I received in my Facebook inbox today:
"I teach pre- k near Washington DC. Watching the Miss USA pageant has been a lifetime joy of mine. It's one of my favorite memories that I shared with my grandmother. So every year I play a game with my class- I show them a picture of all of you and I tell them all a little something about each of you. Such as I show them the state that you are representing or the nice things you do for others.
Well after the votes were counted after the top ten....
You are the winner of our classroom- I think me telling them that you were a preschool teacher may have helped.
Good Luck!!!"
Between these 4-year-olds and my former students who picked the fabulous color of my evening gown I would say that the world is going to be one heck of a place when these little gems grow up. Don't you agree??
...two of my former students during our last week of school solidifying my confidence in the future state of our world (the week that I skipped out on the NYC media tour for Miss USA).
The days are flying by. As I reflect upon one short week behind me I see monumental growth in exponential measures. Growth in all of the right ways. I have learned so much about myself and I am so blessed to have had such a unique opportunity to do so. If anything, this experience has given me skills & knowledge that will outlast any crown. Fact.
Today felt like the busiest day yet. Because of day's pace & the activities we did, it just might be the best day I have had here yet.
Even though I was a bit sleepy this morning after staying up way too late to download all of our production songs along with some "feel good" jams (like "Good Life" by OneRepublic) I was still incredibly excited about our morning event with Best Buddies. What is Best Buddies you wonder?
"Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities."
How great is that? I was so eager to meet my Buddy, who of course was amazing. We spent the hours with the organic company of each other. It was amazing. There was no need to worry about filming or judgement, the only care in the world was to have fun and make my buddy, Scott, know how incredibly important and brilliant he is.
adore
We started off with a puzzle of the USA. Lemme tell you this boy knows his geography. He whizzed through the puzzle like a champ as I played 20 questions with him to get to know him better.
look how he managed to tackle the east coast!
Next we had breakfast, hula hopped (I can't get enough!), danced, played with beach balls, danced some more, watched some outstanding performances, danced again. We concluded the day by signing a pledge to "SPREAD THE WORD TO STOP THE WORD" to eliminate to use of the R word from our own vocabulary..
The hardest part was saying goodbye to Scott. Even more difficult was trying to say goodbye after he hugged me so tight and rested his head on my shoulder. I loved this event and how joyful it made me. From there on, my day was amazing. Sigh, if I could just start every day like that. I am so grateful to the Miss Universe Organization for this event and was once again reminded of why I am so deeply invested in my role as Miss NM USA.
Next up, 5 hours of rehearsal for the production. I remember really struggling with all of this stuff when I competed at miss Teen USA in 2005. Dancing and runway walking are not my forte. Thankfully, this time around we have the help of an incredible runway coach named Lu, who has given me all of the tools & knowledge I need to "werq" (as Alina Ogle, Miss NM USA 2004 would say) the runway. I literally absorbed everything she said and practiced all day long until my feet were swollen... but it paid off because I can feel the surge of confidence as I "strut" across the "stage" and imagine cameras, lights, judges and the audience (**shout out to the 78 incredible creatures coming in from all over the US for lil ole' New Mex**).
During rehearsals I got into an interesting discussion with one of my favorite girls here, Oklahoma. She mentioned stumbling on my blog once and that she had seen a post about body image. She said that she loved my perspective because it very much aligned with hers. I was so excited to hear that. I hadn't really talked to anyone here yet about "body image," so it was great to share thoughts with someone who shared my understanding of it. The way we see it is that Miss USA is not a body building competition. Additionally it's not a "skinny" competition. It's an interview for a role, a role that allows a woman to embody all women, by balancing personal life with a job, service endeavors, relationships and physical and emotional health. The body of a Miss USA should be attainable through healthy eating choices, exercise that makes her feel good, and a glow the exudes inner confidence and happiness. I love how Oklahoma gets it, and actually, a lot of the girls here do. The Miss USA class of 2011 knows what's up.
After rehearsals we were off to see the production of Australia's Human Nature. I never knew how much I enjoyed Motown music and how many of the songs I knew! At the end of the show we got to take pictures with the performers, too cool.
On the way back to the hotel I received one of the best compliments ever from Nevada when she determined that I have what she calls a "Tinkerbell" nose. Don't you love when you get compliments like that? So specific, genuine and humbling. I'm going to make sure I give those same compliments to other people more frequently.
And lastly I leave you with this. Aren't these girls fabulous? Stop it at 2:45 to see moi & a little glimpse of my infamous "cat dance."
Care to know if I would pose nude or what my thoughts are about teaching evolution in school? Or how about hearing my best interpretation of a cat purrrr? Then it's your lucky day:
Today we had our first rehearsal for the telecast & presentation show. It was fabulous and I'm so excited about this years 60th anniversary production (**chills**). Also super pumped about our musical performers (**wink**wink**). I hope (hope, hope, hope!) that you tune in to NBC on June 19th at 9pm EST to check it out.... be sure to look for "New Mex."
Perhaps one of the coolest & most unique events of my life took place today.... a hula hooping contest with Richard Simmons in the middle of the Miracle Mile Shops!! How cool is that? I knew Richard Simmons was great- but I never knew how great until I was face-to-face with him & lemme tell you he's friggin' great! I love.love.love him. Thanks to Vermont I have a fab video to show you my mad hooping skills. No, I did not win (surprised??). I was actually having so much fun that I didn't hear the directions that we were suppose transition to hooping from around our waists to around our arms and therefore I was disqualified. That's what you see at the end, I was mildly confused. Ummm but who cares, I got to hula hoop with Richard Simmons!! Not to many peeps get to say that. Ccccheck it out:
After all of that fab madness & hip thrusting we had a makeup tutorial party hosted by Rain Cosmetics. They showed us some great tips & I was able to convince one of the Miss Universe Org. photographers to let me put my skills to the test and put makeup on him. What a great sport. Oh, and we also got hooked up with a bag full of OPI products & Australian Gold products. Bliss, sheer bliss.
Well it's time for me to shower and tuck into bed, I've got quite an agenda for tomorrow. Thank you guys for the sweet notes and cards, it truly helps me smile from within. Please keep on with the votes, now more than ever, they have immensely. Tell your neighbor, your best friend Bo & your 2nd cousin 4 times removed from your aunt Birtha's side of the family.
