Miss USA

The Miss USA pageant is now history, and my drop-dead gorgeous cousin, Miss Lindsay Hill (Miss Oklahoma USA) has now made our family history, by placing 3rd Runner Up in the competition!

She was absolutely elegant and poised throughout the event, and considering her age (*19* which may explain the Justin Timberlake/dinner answer) and the fact that it was just her 2nd pageant, we’re so very proud of her! Some of those young women have had a lot of pageant experience.

It was televised live in Los Angeles and we were there rooting her on! The energy in the Kodak Theatre was incredible as the contestants had friends and family attending from all around the United States. It was as if each young lady had a cheering section, complete with colorful signs, banners and 8x10 photos of the candidate with tongue depressors attached for handles!

Lindsay had her fans too, but we just weren’t prepared like the others. We’d yell, hoop and holler, and stand up and cheer until we didn’t have a voice left! I really think toward the end, she was the audience’s favorite too!

I’m sure that she had an adventure of a lifetime and that if she chooses, this experience will open doors in modeling and possibly television.

It was an adventure for Ab and I as well, and I took full advantage of the opportunity to get her dressed up all girly-like for the event! Most of the time, she’s very content in a pair of baggy Dickies, slung low on her hips and a pull-over hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with some rock band’s logo.

We have an agreement that she can dress like that at home or when she’s hanging out with friends. But, when she’s out with the family or with me for a girl’s night out, or shopping trip, she must dress in a manner that I think looks appropriate. It saves lots of grief between us and it works pretty darn good.

So, for the Miss USA show, I suggested that she wear a very pretty, dark green velvet dress that’s been hanging in her closet for sometime. With some sparkly jewelry and a little tiny bit of make-up, I just knew she’d look and feel like a beautiful princess! She won’t admit it, but I think secretly, she really likes to get dressed up!

Ab made it clear she wanted no part of the velvety princess look, saying "MAA-UUUUMMMM" it looks "like something a 7 year old would wear!"

After all, she’s 12!

I ended up running her to KMart at the last minute, to find something suitable to wear. Our trip to the store turned into a shopping spree that netted her everything new, right down to the unmentionables.

My little princess was a quite looker in a designer label J (Jaclyn Smith) slinky black skirt with a matching black and white striped top, which made her look, at least….oh, 14 or so!

You know, I think I’ve got a future Miss USA on my hands!

(Pssst…over here!.....Smile for the camera darlin’)