My Miss USA 2011 Experience Part One- Chop it Off!!

I am finally back in the CO after an unexpected extended stay in Las Vegas. Post pageant, my mom had to be hospitalized in Vegas. When her blood work was done, they discovered that her level that shows if you are susceptible to blood clots was over 1000, when it should be under 399. So they kept my mom for two days, but she is doing great now. We are just trying to get her in with a doctor to see why her levels are so off! Fortunately, my family and friends were still in Vegas, so I was able to spend time with them! Though a stressful conclusion, we are now all back home, and I have some time to write about my Miss USA experience. First up, Part One: CHI PHOTOSHOOT

On my way to VEGAS!!!!

I was excited when I found out that I was one of the girls who would be a part of the Chi Photoshoot prior to the pageant. That meant that I had to be in Vegas June 1st as opposed to June 4th. When I first got to Vegas on June 1st, I was overwhelmed with excitement for the weeks to come. I had been pumped up preflight when I arrived to the gate, being greeted by a group of girlfriends all wearing neon colored bras heading to Vegas to party. I couldn't help but think to myself, "This is what Vegas will be like!" I flew in with one of my sister states Wyoming, who is an absolute hoot. When we arrived, I was astonished to see an airport full of slot machines and full of people. Vegas is literally like no other place I had ever been to! And so the Miss USA experience began, with drivers meeting us at baggage claim, there to help us with all of our bags ( a huge thank you to all of the guys who were there to help us out, especially Mr. USA!) We arrived at The Planet Hollywood, where we checked in and then it was up to us to decide what to do with are few days of freedom. The only point those first few days we had to have a chaperon was when we were going to and from the Chi shoot, otherwise, we could do whatever we wanted until June 4th. That first night, Wyoming, DC and I decided to venture out on the strip to get some dinner, and find a pharmacy to get some snacks and other much needed Miss USA items. 

Again, I had to say to myself, "This is what Vegas is like." People everywhere, questionable flyers scattered across the streets, weird guys trying to attach wristbands to you so you could come to their clubs, and waitresses wearing crop tops and chaps as they serve you food. Now I had been to Vegas once before, when I was 7, though, so I definitely did not remember it being like this! But it was still so exciting to know that I had finally made it to Vegas, after 4 years of wanting this moment so bad! That first night, my roomie DC, aka Heather, aka Selena Gomez, aka unidentified Disney Cartoon Character, aka, new best friend, talked about our excitement for the weeks to come.

Creeper=)

Roomies!!

My Chi shoot was on June 2nd. I was in the 10 am group to head over to the shoot. We were immediately glammed up from head to toe. The stylist thought that I would have longer hair then what I did have, so I spent about an hour getting extensions clipped and taped into my hair. The end result was this long curly, big voluminous hair with bangs. I was dressed in a red Sherri Hill Bandage dress with turquoise jewelry to accent. After a few hours, it was my turn to shoot with the one and only Fadil. I was super excited and ready to strike a pose. Feeling fierce, I started hitting my best poses. We were about one minute into the shoot when Fadil decided he hated the longer hair, and wanted them to pin it up into a faux bob. So back to hair I went, transformed into a very Dorthy Dandrige look. And it was love all around. Fadil loved the hair shorter, the stylist loved the hair shorter, I loved my hair shorter. I was so inspired by the faux bob look, that I decided to go find someone to chop off my hair in Vegas. So Day 3, my mom and I spent all day long trying to find someone who would do it. Here is my mom in Denver calling all these hair salons in Vegas explaining my situation and me anxiously waiting to here if someone would do it. Finally at around 6 pm, I made my way to Miykael Parrish Hair Salon. It was a shock to them to here I was in a beauty pageant and wanted to chop my hair off short, but agreed to do it! I was there until midnight getting my hair cut and transformed. And I loved the end results. I headed back to the hotel with my new slick and short bob hair cut, still full of so much excited. Going to bed that night, I could barely contain myself. Tomorrow would be the day Miss USA officially started. And that in 2 weeks, someone would be crowned Miss USA 2011 So Amazing!!

COULD IT BE ME????

<3 Blair