Working title in progess

I must confess..I'm not that photogenic in my opinion. I have taken a mini class with Kim of Exquisite Coaching and learned what was my best angle to not look like a 12 year old (hint hint..that's why I try to stay towards the center and have full on frontal photos). I say this to state that late last year and before my bout of influenza I participated in a tv commercial on a whim. I did it more so to say that I had done something and check it off my list. I also learned through my pageant career that I am not the focus of the commercial and merely a seller of a product. Below is a photo and video from the same shoot, you be the judge. Here is another promo I did last year for Miss Florida USA sponsorship package. I really had to mentally prepare for the fact that this was not about me and more so about the product. So all in all I think this post was more about remember that everything is not about you.

One of the many benefits of competing is that a pageant contestant must stay up with current events. More importantly they must know where they stand on certain issues. Now we all know that everyone does not agree on every issue and that is what makes America great. If everyone was the same it would be boring. So whether you are a liberal, conservative, or honestly don't care. As a pageant contestant you must be ready to answer the hard hitting questions. I myself am a political junkie and I proudly say so. I like to know what is going on in Washington so that unlike those who only get there information from television or family. I can put together my own opinion on the subject and be comfortable about it. I believe everyone should come to their own opinion and not let others decide for you. I was lucky and my parents never talked about their political affiliations while I was growing up and we do vary on what we believe. Had they chosen for me when I was younger my views would b...

To those who are not invested into pageantry or no the workings behind the scene the fitness aspect of pageants can usually be the most daunting. Depending on the current fitness level of the prospective contestant, getting into pageant shape can be a mountain or a molehill. What does it involve? Sacrifice and lots of it; many contestant will give up certain foods depending on how much time they have. The gym or fitness trainer will become the new best friend of the contestant seeing how most of their time is spent there sweating it out. What enters the body is more important than every before. Figuring out exactly what needs to change on the body to have a more symmetrical look is crucial to have a pleasing look to the judges. But more important the contestant and anyone really needs to know that the competition is won from the neck up. You body is a complement but in the case of not getting to where you would like to be there are some cheat tips that many pageant contestants ...

Where have I been....sorry for the delay I need to update a bunch so this might be one massive post or I'll get lazy and one short one with a bunch on photos. First off, back from Florida USA I really had a great time this and loved just being myself even if it may be a tad bit snarky and sarcastic but I love it. I will say I did try to take more photos so then last year and that was a success I carried my phone with me everywhere. I was attached at the hip with Miss South Florida USA and Miss St. Pete it was fun they are awesome girls. I also got to know Miss Tampa and Miss Pensacola a lot better. If you are wondering who they are please check out the Miss Florida website and click Miss Contestants to see all of the girls. I very much excited for the time to come but I don't want to relay too much without knowing enough. Enough about me here are some photos. xoxo Amina

This past weekend I had the opportunity to travel down to Hollywood, FL for the Miss Florida USA official pre-taping and seminar weekend. 80 of the 82 contestants were there and we all received our lovely opening number by Elan International and filmed promo spots for the sponsors over the course of the weekend. I taped on Friday which was for the swimsuit sponsor Desiree Nercessian and for the Roberto Cavalli sunglasses sponsorship. It was a lot of fun and I got to meet a decent size portion on the girls competing. For lunch we got to go to Pollo Tropical and have a very nutritious and filling lunch. They sponsor the meals while we are at Bailey Concert Hall during the competition. After that we were free for the day in which I passed out from utter exhaustion and later that evening I got ready for the delegate dinner at Mama Mia’s Ristorante which I had never had the chance to attend. The food was amazing and I ate pasta for the last time until after the competition. Seminar Da...

So I traveled to Vegas for the Miss USA pageant that showed live June 3rd. It was an awesome experience. This was my second time going the first was when Megan Clementi was competing for the title of Miss USA 2010 that year Rima Fakih was crowned instead. Being at the live show is an amazing experience, you get to see all the behind the scenes action; from the makeup artists touching up the contestants to a gentleman who was almost like the promoter during the show keeping everyone excited even after the girl they may have been cheering for has been eliminated. We were sitting pretty far back and they don't allow cameras in the auditorium so the photos I do have were taken before they told me I couldn't take any. Miss Florida USA Karina Brez looked amazing on stage and I loved the dress she had on. Since I watched prelims I had a list and I'm proud to state that I got nine of the top sixteen right and two of the top five correct I had Ohio as my winner and Rhode Island a...

So I haven't been keeping up with my blog which equals epic fail. My birthday is coming up shortly and I need to document as much as possible. So what has been happening as of late. I've competed in both Miss Daytona USA and Miss Orlando USA, I did not win either title so I've decided to go at large this year. It is my last year competing even with another year of eligibility per se. I'm graduating this year and want to focus on getting situated in a new state (hint hint) and my career. I'm getting ready for Vegas or more so I'm starting to pack..something that I'm not crazy good at. I'll make a list and post it in all its crazy weird code name glory. I've made a schedule for the next month of everything I need to get done and when. I'm going to finish another post about pageant girls and I'm even tempted to do a fun make-up tutorial..maybe a Vegas inspired one for the pageant. We will see what way these next couple of weeks go. I'm no...

Much catching up is needed. This past February I competed in the Miss Jacksonville USA pageant. It was my first competition this season and I was rusty. The directors were awesome and I had a wonderful time. The format they use is a 4 minute interview the day before and swimsuit and evening gown the next day. I had a great interview and had tons of fun on stage the next day. Unfortunately the stars were not aligned in my favor that night and Ashley Conley was crowned the new Miss Jacksonville USA. I know she will do great at Miss Florida this upcoming July. Here are some pictures from that weekend.

Better late than never. A couple of weeks ago myself and Nicole Kelley Miss Earth Untied States attended the Miss St. Petersburg pageant across the state to cheer on our friend Collins Medlin who was competing. It was an excellent pageant and I'm happy to say that Collins won! Collins will go on to compete at the Miss Florida USA pageant this July in Hollywood, Florida. Congrats Collins and here are some photos from the pageant. Enjoy! Amina

Do you think you can do it? This blog is prompted by recent experiences but hopefully it rings true with my fellow queens and contestants out there. There needs to be a how-to guide for men as to what to expect at the beginning when you first meet to crowning and everything in between. 1: First time meeting- whether it’s out with friends or a blind date. There are things you should expect to see/signs one should notice about the girl at hand. And that’s depending on whether or not you have been told she does pageants. First and foremost, she is going to look very well put together. Image is EVERYTHING in the pageant world, from perfect hair and make-up to tailored clothing. This woman has spent a lot of time and effort (not forgetting money) making sure she steals the spotlight in some way or how good and/or bad. Her goal is unknown but what usual happens is she makes men stare and women become jealous or lesbians. You might be blown off your feet the first time you meet her and ca...

Hey everyone, It's taken awhile to write this post I meant to do so before my vacation but I figured now or never. I had such a wonderful time as Miss West Volusia, I did my part to get out there in my community and make my voice heard. Could I have done more, of course I could, you always can. But what I accomplished I was very proud of. On December fourth, my sister queen Emily and myself hosted our pageant in Ormond Beach. It was a tough competition and 3 girls now have the chance to compete for the title of Miss Florida USA and Miss Florida Teen USA this upcoming July and October in Hollywood, FL. Here are some photos from the event including my very determined face to place the crowns correctly on Lauren and Marissa's head.

Thanksgiving day I participated in the 28th annual Thanksgiving run in Deland, FL. This was my second time running. If you recall in a post one year ago I came up with my platform after running that race cold and on a whim. I'm proud to say I beat my time last year 34:31 to 33:08 and I could not be prouder of myself. I feel this is a great way to end the year as Miss West Volusia USA and I cannot wait to see what is in store for me later on. Waiting to get more photos, I do plan on putting together a list of some of my memorable moments as Miss West Volusia USA 2012.

On December 4th I pass on my title to a very lucky young lady. Getting excited for what the future holds. Click Here For Details

This past Thursday I was invited to help out at a benefit for autism in Orlando. I went across system lines and worked with some amazing girls from the Earth System. They were all amazing and sweet and I love that we get along. I look forward to working with them again in the future. I'm proud to say we raised over $1500 dollars for the cause!!

Well, it's that season again, the road to Miss Florida USA 2013 starts today with the crowning of the new Miss Capital City USA up in Tallahassee. One of my good pageant friends and dance partner, Kristen Ledlow will be passing on her title to a young woman today who will vie for the title next July.

For every pageant girl, picking her gown is the best part of the pageant experience. This is where she lets the judges in on her type of style and in my opinion what type of title holder she is trying to be. Here are some of my favorite gowns and what I believe they say to the judges. 1) Greek Goddess This look screams care free and fun. As a title holder I will be a dream and love every aspect of the year. 2) DIVA For me this says I'm a little high maintenance but I also know when to be humble. I plan to push my year in terms of what I can accomplish and at the end I want everyone to remember me. 3) Classic Queen As your next titleholder I plan to smile harder and longer than any other person here. I genuinely love everyone and want world piece. I am a retro beauty through and through. 4) Sex Sells These types of gowns are not my personal favorite, they are a little to revealing and even though the girl is fully "covered" there is little left to the i...

Last weekend I drove down to Hollywood, FL for the Miss Florida Teen USA pageant to support my little's: Rachel and Emily. I had a blast. I was lucky enough to obtain front row seats for the pageant and had the opportunity to see ther pageant from the judges perspective, it does truly make the difference. While I was there I ran into a couple alumni for the Miss pageant back in July Even though my two favorites did not succed Mikyle with the crown thay both made TOP 16!! Here's a link to the teen photo album Its was for sure an experiance I will not forget any time soon as I contemplate returning next year. xoxo Amina