Not me... but it was a GREAT experience overall! The final standings on Thursday Night were as follows:
4th Runner Up - Mrs. Virginia, Lisa Lutz
3rd Runner Up - Mrs. Minnesota, Melissa Hall Young
2nd Runner Up - Mrs. Mississippi, Melisa Zwilling
1st Runner Up - Mrs. North Carolina, Nicole Hinson (my roommate)
Winner - Mrs. South Carolina, Gariane Phillips Gunter, M.D. (Awesome Lady!!!)
I've had an opportunity to speak to the pageant judges and organizers afterwards, and they have been nothing but kind, complimentary and gracious to me and my husband Tony. Apparently I scored VERY well and was impressive to many... I know now I needed to spend a bit more on my wardrobe and get the fitness aspect covered to get into the top 10 at least, but I was VERY close at 13th place. Oiy! ;)
Friday, July 25, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Pageant Week update - Judging Part 1
Today started off with an EARLY morning Photo Shoot at the pool in our swimsuits. The photographer did a WONDERFUL job on my pics, I can't wait to share them with everyone at home. One hard part about rehearsing all day and then going to Photo Ops and appearances, I'm not always able to get my personal camera into someone's hands to catch the moment. Thankfully we have WONDERFUL photographers following us around EVERYWHERE so I'll be able to look back and 'remember' those moments better. ;-)
Monday Night we had a night on the town in Vegas and all 52 of us ladies stopping into the Planet Hollywood Casino to do some photos and also stroll the Promenade Shopping Mall and meet all of our 'adoring' state tourists. it was great fun as lots and lots of folks made a game of finding their respective states throughout the HUGE complex. ;-)
Tonight was the all important Judges Interview – I had 4 minutes in front of 5 judges and it went VERY well. They were well informed and prepared to talk to each delegate individually and ask specific questions about them, their platform and their bios. I then went to the penthouse level to answer the all important question of “What does the Title of Mrs. United States mean to you” on camera, took some more photos in front of a screen in my interview dress and sash, then finally at 7:30 got to return to the room, change and go get in some minimal cardio before my upper body free weights workout… (arms and Shoulders baby!) It’s getting LATE as it’s 2 hours ahead in Chicago and 3 in Cincinnati, so I just wanted to post this link to my Pageant Week album into the Blog post so you can see the photos and captions as I add them.
Thanks for all the kind thoughts and well wishes! I’ll post more picture tomorrow night after Preliminaries and FINALLY getting to see my Husband, my family and our friends who have come to town. ;-)
God Bless!
- Laurie Faith
Monday Night we had a night on the town in Vegas and all 52 of us ladies stopping into the Planet Hollywood Casino to do some photos and also stroll the Promenade Shopping Mall and meet all of our 'adoring' state tourists. it was great fun as lots and lots of folks made a game of finding their respective states throughout the HUGE complex. ;-)
Tonight was the all important Judges Interview – I had 4 minutes in front of 5 judges and it went VERY well. They were well informed and prepared to talk to each delegate individually and ask specific questions about them, their platform and their bios. I then went to the penthouse level to answer the all important question of “What does the Title of Mrs. United States mean to you” on camera, took some more photos in front of a screen in my interview dress and sash, then finally at 7:30 got to return to the room, change and go get in some minimal cardio before my upper body free weights workout… (arms and Shoulders baby!) It’s getting LATE as it’s 2 hours ahead in Chicago and 3 in Cincinnati, so I just wanted to post this link to my Pageant Week album into the Blog post so you can see the photos and captions as I add them.
Thanks for all the kind thoughts and well wishes! I’ll post more picture tomorrow night after Preliminaries and FINALLY getting to see my Husband, my family and our friends who have come to town. ;-)
God Bless!
- Laurie Faith
Saturday, July 19, 2008
A short note before I leave to the Family and Readers...
Vegas is coming baby! I apoligizing to not updating the Blog more often... The last 6 weeks I've been traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio for my weekdays on a long-hours IT Implementation project, and home only on the weekends for 48 hours or so. Lots and lots of driving through Indiana for me! ;-)
On the news front, My mom, Laurel Nadine Gibson suffered a heart attack on Friday and won’t be able to attend the pageant in Vegas. It’s pretty scary of an event for a young 63-year old woman, but such a warning that she needs to cut out the Chinese Buffet down in Atlanta. Mom is doing well, they are medicating her and scanning her and doing the by-pass thing. Luckily she walked into a Health Food Store while having the heart attack, so the clerks actually knew what to do and who to call, so she got to the ER and later OR in plenty of time to help cease the attack and fix the damages. We’re all PRAYING for you Mom!!!! And I promise to drive out to Hot-lanta as soon as the pageant is over and we all get back home. I am so thankful that my Dad has the aide and support of my sister Mary Anne and her family to aide in mom’s recovery and also help take care of my 92-year old grandma too. I wish you could join us all in Vegas, but I’ll get yah a DVD.. I promise, and I’ll come in visit in PERSON to spend more time… perhaps in my pageant heels too. LOL
Right now, In the middle of the night/morning... I feel not as prepared as I can be in the packing field for the Pageant Travels on Sunday – but I’m getting there… just not enough time in the day to work, travel, be a wife and mom when home and also do my community commitments, etc. I’ve had trouble getting the local media sources to cover the Pageant news (hint!). I’m trying for one more blast tomorrow as I leave for the airport and Vegas. This Mrs. Illinois is on a budget, and unfortunately traveling for work just didn’t allow me to get out there and find more sponsors, and I was a little too charitable with my initial funds trying to educate the kids in U-46 and at the YMCA about Living Healthy and Stronger… ‘doh! Ah, well – it’s late, but I think I have EVERYTHING I need, and I didn’t have to spend and arm-and-a-leg out of our family budget to do so either. I’ll just have to wear it and sell it confidently, right?
My husband Tony has been WONDERFUL taking care of things at home with the kids, and also mentoring our 17-year old nephew Nick and my 23-year old brother Jake. It's a FULL house in the Aiello homestead. Today we celebrate our 1-year wedding anniversary. No longer newlywed status, but onward for more adventures! :) In the last 2 years or so we’ve survived purchasing our first home, transferring the kids into new schools and taking on residency, getting married with LOTS of family and friends and kids to plan for, switching up jobs right before Christmas, dealing with sick pets, winning a title of Mrs. Illinois (surprise!) discovering the joys of re-landscaping and removing interior walls, getting more involved with district U-46 and Chicago Public Schools to be an advocate for their kids fit programs, Jimmy successfully losing weight to get removed from the Morbidly Obese status before age 10, and both kids continue to grow taller and stronger and smarter… it’s just amazing! In all this time, Tony has continued to keep up his physical and mental prowess, all while taking care of the family and our friends/relatives too. 
He’s SUCH an amazing person, why isn’t there a Mr. Illinois…? Oh wait, he IS Mr. Illinois. LOL I just want to say to the world how much I continue to grow and Love Tony more and more and more, and am in awe at his ability and capacity to continue to creatively and proactively lead us as a family. I can’t WAIT to get him out in Vegas with me… and it will be hard to be away yet another 4 days, this time not at work, but my OTHER work… but this next week and weekend will turn into one wonderful anniversary trip to Vegas. I mean who else get to go out for their anniversary in a beautiful gown and he in a tux… I’m talking on Finals night of course…. With any luck, I’ll be wearing a bigger crown too… LOL
LOVE YOU BABY! Thanks for the Ride to the airport and EVERYTHING up until this point to get me here, and I’ll see yah in VEGAS!!!!
Right now, In the middle of the night/morning... I feel not as prepared as I can be in the packing field for the Pageant Travels on Sunday – but I’m getting there… just not enough time in the day to work, travel, be a wife and mom when home and also do my community commitments, etc. I’ve had trouble getting the local media sources to cover the Pageant news (hint!). I’m trying for one more blast tomorrow as I leave for the airport and Vegas. This Mrs. Illinois is on a budget, and unfortunately traveling for work just didn’t allow me to get out there and find more sponsors, and I was a little too charitable with my initial funds trying to educate the kids in U-46 and at the YMCA about Living Healthy and Stronger… ‘doh! Ah, well – it’s late, but I think I have EVERYTHING I need, and I didn’t have to spend and arm-and-a-leg out of our family budget to do so either. I’ll just have to wear it and sell it confidently, right?My husband Tony has been WONDERFUL taking care of things at home with the kids, and also mentoring our 17-year old nephew Nick and my 23-year old brother Jake. It's a FULL house in the Aiello homestead. Today we celebrate our 1-year wedding anniversary. No longer newlywed status, but onward for more adventures! :) In the last 2 years or so we’ve survived purchasing our first home, transferring the kids into new schools and taking on residency, getting married with LOTS of family and friends and kids to plan for, switching up jobs right before Christmas, dealing with sick pets, winning a title of Mrs. Illinois (surprise!) discovering the joys of re-landscaping and removing interior walls, getting more involved with district U-46 and Chicago Public Schools to be an advocate for their kids fit programs, Jimmy successfully losing weight to get removed from the Morbidly Obese status before age 10, and both kids continue to grow taller and stronger and smarter… it’s just amazing! In all this time, Tony has continued to keep up his physical and mental prowess, all while taking care of the family and our friends/relatives too. He’s SUCH an amazing person, why isn’t there a Mr. Illinois…? Oh wait, he IS Mr. Illinois. LOL I just want to say to the world how much I continue to grow and Love Tony more and more and more, and am in awe at his ability and capacity to continue to creatively and proactively lead us as a family. I can’t WAIT to get him out in Vegas with me… and it will be hard to be away yet another 4 days, this time not at work, but my OTHER work… but this next week and weekend will turn into one wonderful anniversary trip to Vegas. I mean who else get to go out for their anniversary in a beautiful gown and he in a tux… I’m talking on Finals night of course…. With any luck, I’ll be wearing a bigger crown too… LOLLOVE YOU BABY! Thanks for the Ride to the airport and EVERYTHING up until this point to get me here, and I’ll see yah in VEGAS!!!!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Independence Joys
The Kids and Tony and I got up early to prepare for the Elgin "Rockin' Abe" 4th of July parade. The parade was over 2.5 hours long and WONDERFUL!!! Richard Bennett and his wonderful 1957 Ice Blue Cadillac Convertible were my escort, as #31 in the parade. Right after Dick Durbin, the Illinois Senator and before Ronald McDonald! LOL 
We had 5 queens overall in the parade and lots and lots of fantastic organizations, persons and schools within our community. After our 2 mile ride on the parade course, Richard was kind enough to drop me back at the house and I was able to enjoy the parade with the family, my Cousin Sue and her kids plus our good friends Trish and Paul. After the parade Ali and I went to the judges ground and city hall to hang out free Freeze-Pops to the crowds and give away the Parade Float awards.
We had 5 queens overall in the parade and lots and lots of fantastic organizations, persons and schools within our community. After our 2 mile ride on the parade course, Richard was kind enough to drop me back at the house and I was able to enjoy the parade with the family, my Cousin Sue and her kids plus our good friends Trish and Paul. After the parade Ali and I went to the judges ground and city hall to hang out free Freeze-Pops to the crowds and give away the Parade Float awards.
The Blues Brother band played and we shortly left for home to join our family and friends for a cook-out and fireworks at our house. It was nice to take off the heels, crown and gown and just relax and play with the kids and adults alike for a few hours. The end of the evening was a hosting of our Fireworks display... a little more popular this year as the Elgin fireworks misfired and lasted only 10 minutes... we go the added company of neighbors and their children to enjoy the free "Mortar and Roman Candle" display by Tony, Nephew Nick and helper Paul. ;)
We had a great night sleep, and spent Saturday with Family at the Arlington Heights Frontier Days and enjoyed a kick-awesome concert with Dennis DeYoung of Styx in the evening. Nice guy, and FANTASTIC voice, even at age 61. ;)
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