The time has officially come to fly out to Chicago to represent the great state of Virginia at the Mrs. International Pageant. Our director Deshawn Shepard has been..well more than words can say…phenomenal. Today, she held a farewell party for myself, Tina and Sarah, the Virginia trio, in Fredricksburg at the quaint Caroline Street Cafe. It was incredible to be surrounded by friends and family as we received gifts of good luck and treasures we will cherish. I look back today to the state pageant, and realize, as I do everyday, how truly lucky I am to be representing the beautiful state of Virginia at the Mrs. International pageant. I pray that we all have a safe and healthy trip and that we all, no matter the outcome, inspire others and come home with new friendships to cherish for a lifetime.
Thank you Deshawn

Joy Pfister: Virginia is off to Chicago! The Virginia Farewell party!

M E N O R A H: Photos: Miss Universe Pagent, Sunday on NBC 7:00 P.M. ET

57th Annual Miss Universe Pageant, will air live this Sunday, July 13th at 9:00 PM ET (delayed PT) on NBC (simulcast on Telemundo).

This years pageant will be held at the Crown Convention Center in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. Jerry Springer and Mel B will host the live competition. Pop star Lady GaGa will be performing her hit “Just Dance” during the show.

The 2008 judges are: Donald Trump Jr., Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization; fashion designer and entrepreneur Roberto Cavalli; Nadine Velazquez, international cover girl and star of NBC’s “My Name Is Earl”; Jennifer Hawkins, television presenter and Miss Universe 2004; Louis Licari, celebrity colorist and “Today Show” ambush makeover expert and John Nguyen, Vice Chairman of Hoan Cau, LTD Investment and Construction.

Japan native, Riyo Mori (photo from missuniverse.com), Miss Universe 2007 will crown her successor at the conclusion of the telecast. Hopefully, the crown will go to Miss USA Crystle Stewart. I wish Pageant Place would have been picked up for another season on MTV. I would love to see some of Crystle’s Miss USA reign and more of how the pageant organization runs throughout the year.

SPOIL THE ENDING BLOG: Set Your TiVo – 57th Annual Miss Universe Pageant

RED GROUP
Sunday AM – Interview
Tuesday – Evening Wear & Question
Wednesday – Sportswear
Thursday – Talent

District of Columbia – Latin Ballroom Dance
Maine – Vocal
California – Ballet en pointe
Louisiana – Classical Vocal
Kansas – Lyrical Jazz Dance
Virgin Islands – Musical Theatre
Mississippi – Dance
West Virginia – Tap Dance
Michigan – Character Dance
South Dakota – Piano
Connecticut – Lyrical Dance
Delaware – Dance Twirl
Indiana – Jazz Dance
New Jersey – Dance
Texas – Vocal
New Hampshire – Tap Dance
Pennsylvania – TBD

WHITE GROUP
Sunday PM – Interview
Tuesday – Talent
Wednesday – Evening Wear & Question
Thursday – Sportswear

Illinois – Piano
Missouri – Lyrical Dance
Tennessee – Ballet en Pointe
North Dakota – Jazz Dance
Georgia – Dance
Vermont – Piano
North Carolina – Vocal
Arizona – Show Twirl
Montana – Celtic Harp Player
Alaska – TBD
Iowa – Lyrical Dance
Washington – Vocal
Virginia – Ballet en pointe
Hawaii – Piano Vocal
Oklahoma – Tap Dance
Utah – Vocal
Oregon – Lyrical Dance

BLUE GROUP
Monday PM – Interview
Tuesday – Sportswear
Wednesday – Talent
Thursday – Evening Wear & Question

Kentucky – Dance
Alabama – Vocal
Minnesota – Musical Theatre Dance
New York – Vocal
Rhode Island – Martial Arts
Wyoming – Vocal
Arkansas – Tap Dance
Nevada – Piano
Maryland – Vocal
Wisconsin – Irish Step Dance
New Mexico – Vocal
Idaho – Dance Tumbling
Massachusetts – Gymnastics
Ohio – Vocal
Colorado – Character Jazz Dance
Florida – Dance
Nebraska – Baton Twirling
South Carolina – Musical Theater

Pageantude: Pageants With Attitude!: Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Performance Order

 

Aussie hopeful … Laura, left, with Miss New Zealand, Miss Ecuador and Miss Puerto Rico / AP

AUSTRALIA’S Miss Universe contestant Laura Dundovic will have sympathetic heart in her corner when the beauty pageant reaches its climax in Vietnam on Monday.

The 80 contestants from around the world have spent the week being interviewed by preliminary judges before the main event begins at 8am local time to chime with US prime time.

But only Dundovic will have a Miss-Universe-winning judge from her home country, with 2004 winner Jennifer Hawkins one of the six judges led by pageant producer Donald Trump.

She’ll also have to impress My Name Is Earl star Nadine Velazquez and fashion designer Robert Cavalli.

Trump is also one of the judges.

Our Miss Universe has Jen on side | NEWS.com.au Entertainment

RED GROUP
Sunday AM – Interview
Tuesday – Evening Wear & Question
Wednesday – Sportswear
Thursday – Talent

District of Columbia – Latin Ballroom Dance
Maine – Vocal
California – Ballet en pointe
Louisiana – Classical Vocal
Kansas – Lyrical Jazz Dance
Virgin Islands – Musical Theatre
Mississippi – Dance
West Virginia – Tap Dance
Michigan – Character Dance
South Dakota – Piano
Connecticut – Lyrical Dance
Delaware – Dance Twirl
Indiana – Jazz Dance
New Jersey – Dance
Texas – Vocal
New Hampshire – Tap Dance
Pennsylvania – TBD

WHITE GROUP
Sunday PM – Interview
Tuesday – Talent
Wednesday – Evening Wear & Question
Thursday – Sportswear

Illinois – Piano
Missouri – Lyrical Dance
Tennessee – Ballet en Pointe
North Dakota – Jazz Dance
Georgia – Dance
Vermont – Piano
North Carolina – Vocal
Arizona – Show Twirl
Montana – Celtic Harp Player
Alaska – TBD
Iowa – Lyrical Dance
Washington – Vocal
Virginia – Ballet en pointe
Hawaii – Piano Vocal
Oklahoma – Tap Dance
Utah – Vocal
Oregon – Lyrical Dance

BLUE GROUP
Monday PM – Interview
Tuesday – Sportswear
Wednesday – Talent
Thursday – Evening Wear & Question

Kentucky – Dance
Alabama – Vocal
Minnesota – Musical Theatre Dance
New York – Vocal
Rhode Island – Martial Arts
Wyoming – Vocal
Arkansas – Tap Dance
Nevada – Piano
Maryland – Vocal
Wisconsin – Irish Step Dance
New Mexico – Vocal
Idaho – Dance Tumbling
Massachusetts – Gymnastics
Ohio – Vocal
Colorado – Character Jazz Dance
Florida – Dance
Nebraska – Baton Twirling
South Carolina – Musical Theater

Pageantude: Pageants With Attitude!: Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Performance Order

Miss Universe Underway
NBC TODAY
ShowExcerpt |02:34 |July 10:
TODAY hosts talk to Miss USA Crystle Stewart and the hosts of the Miss Universe pageant, Spice Girl Mel B. and Jerry Springer about the start of the competition.

Hulu – Miss Universe Underway: NBC TODAY Show
video available only on the website, not on e-mail

As many of you know, Jason completed Race Across AMerica (RAAM) as part of 8-man RAAM/Team Donate Life last summer, cycling across America for Organ Donation Awareness. During our trip to California we had the chance to meet two amazing individuals. Jason & Kristen Weckworth. Jason Weckworth was part of a 4-man team and I remember him as “the Jason who donated a kidney to his father”. Jason W. was extremely helpful when Jason Devine became a living donor for Scott last September.

Kristen and I talked about various things leading up to the start of the race….and I remember the feeling I felt when she told me, “I want to be a donor for a complete stranger and give someone out there a second chance at life!” I was incredibly touched!!

Today, July 8th, that “someone out there” received the gift of life because of Kristen. If you don’t have goose bumps now, go back and read the last few sentences!
WOW!!!

“DONATE LIFE” JASON & SHANNON DEVINE: The Gift of Life: an amazing story of friendship that started between total strangers.

A handful of unflattering and foolish photos of me have recently been posted in various places on the internet. I deeply regret the negative publicity that has fallen on the Miss Washington and Miss America Organizations. The dedicated volunteers who run these programs are above reproach and I am so proud to be associated with them. People have jumped to a lot of conclusions and and a great deal of misinformation circling.

MISScellanea: Miss Washington’s Apology

Lady GaGa to Perform Her Hit Song “Just Dance”

During the 2008 Miss Universe Pageant

Telecast Live from Vietnam Sunday, July 13, on NBC

The sensational pop star Lady GaGa will be performing her hit “Just Dance” on the the 2008 Miss UNIVERSE® Pageant, which airs live on NBC from the Crown Convention Center in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam on Sunday, July 13th at 9:00 p.m. EST. Lady GaGa’s dance-pop, electro-pop and disco sound has rocked venues around the world and is expected to bring the same excitement to Vietnam. Her debut album, The Fame will be released this fall.

Up All Night: Lady GaGa to perform at Miss Universe 2008