August 7^th, 2009

What a fun day! We first got registered and signed about 70 program books! The highlight of my day came next. All the contestants had a photo shoot with Tony Bowls. Tony is so awesome but not as cool as Rod. I even got my picture taken with him! I tried on beautiful gowns and had my hair and makeup done. It was a great time and I felt like a true STAR!

We also had an audio recording today for talent introductions and extra things. We had to stand in front of a green screen. I’ll be honest; it was a little awkward. I had to shake my head and turn it from the wall to the camera and still look graceful without laughing. Acting is definitely not my strong suit.

While waiting for my turn for the audio recording, I had a chance to talk with a few of the other contestants because I was waiting for about two hours. I also had the opportunity to meet my roommate, Miss Louisiana’s Outstanding Teen, for the first time. Let me tell you, her accent was so strong. In our room, we would always be laughing at each other and how we talked.

Common words by Kelly:

Ø “Hey y’all”

Ø “Yes, ma’am” (She was very polite.)

Ø “Mama and Daddy” (I just say Mom and Dad.

Having a great roommate made the ten days in Florida more fun and less stressful. We spent our nights talking over the day, looking through the program book, and sharing interesting facts and what we learned about the other contestants.