Noontime Optimist Club Camarillo Visit and Presentation!

Speaking to the Club Members!

 On December 3, I drove to Camarillo and visited with the Noontime Optimist Club a second time; this time, however, I was their honorary speaker! I gave a presentation and talked to the club about my year as Miss Ventura County, competing at Miss California, and the wonderful organizations I represent: the Ventura/Santa Barbara County Scholarship Association- and, of course, Miss America!
Overall, the afternoon was a LOT of fun! All of the members were so warm and welcoming!
The club's annual Youth Walk is coming up on January 26! To get involved as a volunteer or sponsor, click here for their contact information!

With President Ada Lee Sullivan!

Ventura Chamber of Commerce 16th Annual Poinsettia Awards

The Poinsettia Award Winners!

To further network for the pageant and to branch out into the community of Ventura, Nancy Gruttemeyer, my Executive Director, and I attended the Ventura Chamber of Commerce 16th Annual Poinsettia Awards. Held at the Marriott Ventura, the annual luncheon honored members of the Ventura community, awarding awards such as Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Educator of the Year, Students of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Police Officer of the Year, Firefighter of the Year, and many more! I had the pleasure of meeting several members of the Ventura Chamber, including president and CEO Ed Summers, and also the Ventura Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Trudy T. Arriaga!

Overall it was a wonderful luncheon; everyone was very welcoming, and I got to meet some pretty inspirational people! =)

The View of the Ceremony from My Seat!

With My Other Wonderful Chaperone,
Alison Carlson! =)

With VUSD Superintendent & Citizen of the Year
Dr. Trudy T. Arriaga

With the Pretty Christmas Tree! =)

With My Wonderful ED, Nancy Gruttemeyer!

Ventura County BNI Holiday Mixer!

On December 9, the Ventura County Chapter of Business Networking International (BNI) held its annual holiday mixer at Sugar Beets Restaurant in Oxnard! I was invited to attend the event and network for the pageant; it was a LOT of fun venturing outside of Moorpark to another area of Ventura County I am not so familiar with. The restaurant had a great environment and a wonderful selection of delicious food; and the people there were very welcoming and kind! I hope I made some new friends for the organization; I know I made at least one in Sonic the Hedgehog! LoL =)

Making Their Marks: Morgan and Chloe for CHLA!

On December 9, Amanda and I ventured to the Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks and volunteered our time to help out two outstanding young ladies in their mission to raise funds for Children's Hospital Los Angeles: Morgan and Chloe! Both are junior ambassadors for CHLA; Morgan is "making her mark" by selling handmade bookmarks to raise money for the Literally Healing Program at the hospital, while Chloe is selling handmade bottle cap bracelets to raise money for the general hospital fund! Throughout the day, it was wonderful to see these girls in action selling their handmade products! Both truly exemplify hearts for service; I felt honored to come help them in their causes! =)
To help Morgan and Chloe in their mission to raise funds for CHLA, check out Morgan's website and Chloe's Facebook page!

Amanda Picking Out Her Own Bracelet!

Amanda and I Selling Bracelets and Bookmarks!

With Morgan (left) and Chloe (right);
We were clearly having too much fun to take
a serious photo...!  =P

Amanda Talking with a Fan =)

Amanda and Me Modeling Our Awesome
Bracelets with Two Adorable Customers!

Christmas Celebration at the Moorpark City Library!

With My Decorating Committee! =)

Following my final parade as Miss VC, I headed down to the Moorpark City Library for their Christmas Celebration! I sang carols with the kids while creating ornaments and decorating the library Christmas tree with them! I was only there for about two hours, but it was a lot of fun! It was also very enjoyable because one of our Miss VC 2013 contestants, Carly Paul, shadowed me! I find it very important for our contestants to see what I do and what she will possibly do should she win the 2013 title. Overall it was a very fun afternoon filled with fun, Christmas spirit- and lots of glitter!! =)

Coloring in my Candy Cane Ornament!

Putting it on the Tree! =)

Helping One of the Kids Put His Ornament
on the Tree!

With Two Library Volunteers! They drove all the way from
Agoura to help out... now THAT'S service! =)

51st Annual Camarillo Christmas Parade!

Miss America Girls
+
Cars
=
PARADE!!

On December 8, Amanda and I suited up and represented the Miss America Organization in the 51st Annual Camarillo Christmas Parade! For this holiday parade, visiting pageant titleholders were encouraged to decorate their cars; Amanda and I transformed our car into a "snowy Rudolph" for the day! He was a big hit in the parade! =)
Good news: Amanda and I had an absolute BLAST!
Bad news: this was my very last parade...!! =(
Parades have been such a fun way for Amanda and I to get out into the community. The kids really love it too; there were several groups of young girls that were watching the parade, and when Amanda and I drove by, they screamed extra loud for us!! I remember doing the very same thing when I was a little girl: my parents would take me to a parade, find a good spot to sit, and then I'd watch and wait for the "queens" to come down the parade route... they were so beautiful and elegant! I'd cheer extra loud when they drove by, and I remember thinking how wonderful it would be to be like them one day; I looked up to those girls! They weren't just pretty girls in fancy cars; they were role models! Now that my final parade as Miss Ventura County is complete, I can only hope that I was able to be that role model for the kids of Ventura County! =)

With THE CUTEST little elf!! =)

My Awesome Gown!!

The Queens and Princesses By the Best
Decorated Float of the Parade!

Our Amazing Parade Car!!

A Giant Gingerbread Man!!

My Incredibly Beautiful Teen <3

Amanda and Me with Patti!

Our Last Parade as Miss and Teen!!
Aww... <3

Ventura County Learning Center Opening Ceremony

With the VCLC Mascot! =)

While networking at the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce December Mixer, I was invited to attend the opening celebration of the Ventura County Learning Center on December 6! Located on Los Angeles Avenue above Lamppost Pizza, I socialized with the staff and other members of the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce in attendance. In addition, I was given a tour of their brand new facility; as you'll see in some photos below, it is an absolutely beautiful facility that is going to do so much good for the students of Ventura County! =)

The facility has informed me that they are in need of books; if you have any reading books appropriate for grades k-12 to donate, please drop them off at the center! Click here for more information! =)

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...!! =)

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony!

One of the Beautiful Classrooms!

A Lovely Playroom for the Younger Kids!

Me with the VCLC Mascot! =)

Moorpark Chamber of Commerce December Mixer

With Contestants Erica Ruiz & Kara Smoot! =)

On December 4, I took several of our Miss VC 2013 contestants to the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce Mixer at Me'n'Eds Pizzeria in Moorpark to get the ladies acquainted with the Moorpark business community and to give them the opportunity to gain some experience socializing in a professional environment. The more you practice handling yourself in a professional environment, the better you get at it! And it gradually feels easier too =)  I am proud to say the girls did fantastic!
I also went to the mixer to further promote the pageant's need for business sponsors; without them, we have no scholarship awards to give to our fantastic contestants! I am very grateful to Abigail Sichmeller, Director of Operations for the Chamber, and Shawn McCartney with BNI for letting me speak for a moment to everyone in attendance about our pageant! A special shout-out as well to Blush Boutique for donating a $20 gift card for me to take as a door prize! =)
Overall it was a very fun evening!

Talking with Miss VC Contestant Kara Smoot =)

With Contestants Erica Ruiz, Kara Smoot,
& BNI Executive Director Lisa McCartney

With Kim Simons of Kiwanis &
Abigail Sichmeller of the Chamber

Thanksgiving Reading Day @ The Moorpark City Library

Showin' Off Our Awesome Turkey Placemats!

On November 21, I was invited to come to the Moorpark City Library and read a Thanksgiving story to the kids! It was great fun! My story was titled Knuffle Bunny Too- a case of mistaken identity! =)
Following the reading, Mrs. T and I assisted with arts and crafts: the kids had the opportunity to make turkey placemats- I even made one for myself! =)
Overall it was a very fun morning filled with holiday spirit! <3

My Welcome Sign! =)

About to Read to the Kids!

Making Turkey Placemats!

Miss City of Orange 2013 Pageant!

Avoiding Sinking Heels in the Grass! Haha =)

On November 17, Amanda, Olivia, Patti and I drove down to the City of Orange in Orange County to watch our beautiful friend (and my predecessor!), Megan Wisler, say farewell and crown her successor, Miss City of Orange 2013! It was a lovely pageant with great entertainment and some tough competition... but at the end of the night, former Miss South Coast Stephanie Patterson took the title!! Congratulations, Stephanie! =)
Here are the final results:
First Runner-Up: Miss Orange County 2012 (and fellow Miss CA '12 contestant and friend) Katie Waylaid
Second Runner-Up: Amanda Starrantino
Third Runner-Up: Rachel Panchal
Talent Award: Rachel Olson
Miss Congeniality: Rachel Panchal
To follow Stephanie on her journey as Miss City of Orange 2013, click here!
<3

With Miss Garden Grove 2013

(and dress twin!)

Missy Mendoza

With Miss CA '12 Leah Cecil
& The SoCal Titleholders!

With My Dear Friend Leah!
Every time I see her we take a
black and white together!!
<3 

With Former Miss City of Orange
Megan Wisler and Miss CCOT
Olivia Sichmeller <3

All Visiting Titleholders with the Newly Crowned
Miss City of Orange 2013 Stephanie Patterson!

VC and Fullerton Families Collide!
<3 XXOO <3