Brunch with Santa at the Pine Knob Mansion in Clarkston!!

                              What a wonderful day being able to spend it with Santa Clause!!

Each table was an outstanding presentation of food! I have never seen so much food in my life, at one place, other than a grocery store! And it was an 'all you can eat' buffet!!

                    Little Mallory loved my crown because she kept staring at it!! She is so adorable!!

This is her very first Christmas and she loved Santa, it was a moment that just took all of our breaths away! Such a good baby!!

Keeping warm by the fire during a quick break!!

We were discussing Miss America! This little girl wants to be one someday!! Me too! We had alot in common!! :)

Handing out delicious candy canes after the little ones told Santa what they wanted for Christmas!!

She said that she wanted earrings just like mine!! I told her to ask Santa for some earrings and "he might be able to give them to you for Christmas." I overheard her asking him for some sparkly earrings ; ) I also had a chance to tell her all about the Miss America program because she saw the label on my sash! She was a doll and I loved being able to talk to her!!

She had so many wonderful things to tell me!! I told her" one day you could be Miss Oakland County and have a crown just like this! It takes a lot of hard work, but I know you can do it!!" I think she'll be hooked . . . once she's a little bit older! ;)

This little 9 year old girl is AMAZING at playing the piano! She is considering competing in a pageant in a couple of years and my goodness does she have the talent!! And she learned how to do 'pretty feet!'

 Today was this little girl's birthday!! She also made sure to give us a big hug before we left the Mansion! How cute!!

 Stacy was so kind to let me be involved in this volunteer opportunity! It was a blast being Santa's little helper!

Today Santa kissed me under the mistletoe!!

Sunday, December 12th was a perfect day!! I had such a blast spending the entire day with Santa Clause!! I was his little helper for the day as he told me his elves are still busy making all the toys for all the good little girls and boys!! It was great seeing how all the kids just hung on his every word!! We captured some precious moments on film that brought tears to our eyes!! It was fun being able to see little babies just stare at him, contemplating what to do with him!! Yet not one pulled his beard or even cried! I saw smiles all the way around!

This was my first time in the beautiful Pine Knob Mansion which is located in Clarkston ~ my hometown!! While I was invited to go back next week, I am already scheduled  for another event, but I have already been invited back to be a part of it again for next year!!! It was an incredible opportunity for me to speak about my platform to the couple dozens of kids that came through to see Santa!! I think I've also rounded up some future Miss Oakland County's and possibly future Miss America's!! I even heard some of the children play piano which just blew me away with how skilled they were at such a young age!!

To make this special day even better, it was snowing like CRAZY!!! I haven't seen this much snow in a couple of years and it was at the perfect time ~ while everyone was visiting Santa!!

I'm sure all of you are wondering . . . yes, his beard is real!!!  ; )

Clarkston Christmas Parade!!

Calvin Bordine let me ride on his winning float!! What an honor for me to be the hometown queen riding the hometown float!!

On December 11th I was in my hometown for the annual Clarkston Lighted Christmas Parade!! I was blessed with the opportunity to be on the winning float, the Boardines Nursery float! It was beautiful!!! It was great weather too! Quite warm considering the past few parades ; )

I had the opportunity to meet and greet so many wonderful Clarkston residents and parade people before the parade even began in the 'warming room.' I wore a big poofy ball gown all white so that I looked like a Snow Queen!! It was a hit! Young and old alike loved the gown and the whole evening was magical!!

I had to have three people help me up a ladder, into a truck, to climb up on the flaot!! It was hysterically funny as my gown was so 'poofy' I couldn't see steps or anything for that matter!! But once I sat in the chair my gown was 'fluffed' and I was ready to wave with joy and enthusiasm to the excited crowd!! I have seen plenty of lighted parades while interning at the Walt Disney World Company, but this was my first time in a lighted parade and I wouldn't have missed it for the world!!

Rochester Holiday Parade!!!

                                   Some of the contestants from the Lady of the Lakes pageant, and me, pose for a                                photo with our guitars!!

                             This takes me back to when I was stilling living at Disney!!

                                                          'Nala' from the Lion King and me!

                                          On the 'Autism Rocks' float! Dancing and greeting the            
                                                   crowd with lots of Holiday cheer!

                                                        With Woody and Mrs Michigan!!

What a spectacular parade!! It was such an honor to be in the Rochester Holiday Parade themed 'Candy lane on Main' on December 5th!! We were even aired on Channel 7!! Some of the contestants from the Lady of the Lakes pageant and I were on the 'Autism Rocks' float where I was one of the celebrities with all of the Disney characters!!

As some of you may know, I will be the titleholder for the first Miss Lady of the Lakes pageant since there isn't a reigning titleholder right now! The director, Jeanette, judged me at Miss Oakland County this year and asked me to crown her new girl!! She is a wonderful person and I know this pageant will be a huge success!! I am very excited to be crowning the very first 'Miss Lady of the Lakes' on February 19th! I hope you will come out to join us!!

Now let me tell you, it was FREEZING that day!!! I had 13 shirts on (I could barely move!) and 5 layers under my jeans! While it didn't really snow it was VERY cold out. The parade lasted about 2 hours and was a huge hit! On our float we had fun music playing which I danced to while the float was in park, but when it moved we were all laughing at how unsteady we were, not to mentioon the wind too!! ! It was fun to see the crowd start to dance too!! I think Woody was the biggest hit of them all!! The children yelled for him so he could give a big smile and wave their way!! It was precious!!

Overall it was a fantastic day full of wonderful people and the Holiday spirit in the air, what more could you ask for!?!?