Mrs. Indiana 2016 {The End}

April 28, 2017

Mrs. Indiana 2016 {The End}

It was my absolute pleasure to serve the Hoosier state as Mrs. Indiana 2016. I ended the year with a bang, squeezing in a few last appearances before passing on the crown to the beautiful Mekayla Eppers, Mrs. Indiana 2017. On Thursday, April 20, I started the day with a T.V. appearance on WNDU. My wonderful director Julie and I shared information about the pageant and I got to chat a bit about my reign. Thank you for having us, WNDU and Tricia Sloma!

That evening, I co-emceed the Elkhart Humane Society's fashion show fundraiser, Rescued on the Runway. This was so cute! Owners, dressed by Stephenson's, walked the runway with their pets. I loved being a part of this furry event. Thank you Lana for having me. I was able to read the bios of these cute pets and their great parents. My co-emcee was Danny, owner of Stephenson's. Danny, thank you for sharing the stage with me and dressing me for the night. I felt awesome in my gorgeous black gown from Stephenson's (@stephensonsofelkhart). No hem needed- amazing.

Walking into The Lerner Center, I was immediately surrounded by dogs- my dream come true. I was so impressed by these beautiful dogs and how well behaved they were. They all walked the runway and did a great job. I enjoyed learning about their owners and the stories behind how puppy and puppy parent came together. The evening consisted of a wonderful dinner, fun at the silent auction, chocolate cake, and thousands of dollars raised for the Humane Society. It was a perfect last event as Mrs. Indiana.

Friday began with a last spray tan from sponsor Get Bronzed Spray Tanning(@getbronzedspraytanning). Thank you Brandy for giving me a glow for the weekend. You are a fabulous Mrs. Indiana sponsor! I want to thank Kellie, from Rock Paper Scissors salon and a great friend, for doing my hair all weekend. I felt awesome and you played a big role in that. THANK YOU.

Pageant weekend officially started Friday night with the contestant cocktail party. All of the contestants plus their husbands gathered for a fun evening topped with wine and cheese. Is there anything better? I enjoyed this part of pageant weekend last year, because it is so nice to get to meet all the ladies and chat before competition starts. Adding the husbands to the mix made it even better. I briefly spoke to the women about what I believe it means to be Mrs. Indiana- there isn't a magic age, height, or look- if you have a Mrs. Indiana heart, the judges will find you. I wanted the women to know how special this year has been to me and how it will always be one of the best years of my life. I encouraged them to soak up these moments and enjoy this ride. Crown or no crown, competing is a chance to grow. I truly believe that each woman walks away with a better sense of self and a stronger confidence to showcase their strengths as a married woman, as a role model, and as a person after going through this process. I hope all of the contestants had a great experience. It was a blast to have some familiar faces around! I enjoyed meeting or spending more time with every single one of them. My cocktail dress was from sponsor B.Loved Boutique (@blovedboutique) in Seymour, Indiana.

I loved having my Mr. Indiana by my side as I spoke to the ladies and got to know them each a bit better. I also got an amazing surprise from Julie; a gorgeous canvas photo to commemorate my reign! I love it. It is so special and a perfect way to not only remember the year, but to remember Julie and how much we were able to grow as friends over the course of my time as her "girl". Thank you Julie. I absolutely love it and I am so thankful. Daniel even lucked out, as Julie's kind husband gifted him a cigar and Maker's Mark! He was a happy man.

Photos by Meagan Gilbert Photography (@meagangilbertphoto)

Saturday was a blur of interviews, rehearsals, and the show. I did my best to capture moments on the Mrs. Indiana social media pages and I had so much fun with that. My morning began bright and early with a treat; I want to thank Ashley Troxel (@ashleytmakeup) for doing my makeup. I couldn't stop looking at myself, she was absolutely amazing! I posted Instagram stories and videos all day. One of my biggest goals this year was to promote the heck out of this pageant and get as many people as possible to compete. I LOVE that I have gotten so many texts, messages, and people coming up to me, asking about Mrs. Indiana and what it takes to be a part of it all. I love that so many newly engaged or recently married friends of mine have shown interest and let me know that they'll compete in the next few years. I want to see this grow and grow and I am beyond touched to see that my reign has helped prompt this growth. I am at peace knowing I achieved my goal.

I enjoyed helping run interviews and it was a pleasure to host the judges for lunch. I think that they were a very knowledgable panel with diverse and impressive backgrounds. Judgin' ain't easy and they did an excellent job. What an outstanding Top 6! I loved the responses to the Top 6 questions. Just more proof positive that married women are one of the most vital resources in America today. These contestants do it all- They raise families, they teach, they support charities, they survive tragedy, they work, they volunteer. I'm blown away and more proud than ever to have been a representative of married women in Indiana. Each and every contestant was a pleasure to watch on stage.

The night starts and suddenly it ends. I greeted guests at the door, then boom it was opening number time. I was granted the opportunity to speak about my year on stage and share a bit of insight as to what it means to take on this job. I owe a special thank you to Ashley Rene's (@ashleyrenes) for the Cinderella dress I wore during my chat. It was the most beautiful blue and I can't stop thinking about it. The show goes on and then I'm handing out awards for finalist and non-finalist category winners. Runners up are called one by one and then that's it! Mekayla is announced as the winner and it is the unique moment afforded to outgoing queens- the honor of crowning your successor.

I owe a huge congratulations to Mekayla Eppers, the new Mrs. Indiana! I am excited to watch her reign and cheer her on. I will cherish this journey forever and always and it is such a nice feeling to know that I am part of this sisterhood. I left the Century Center with such a full heart knowing that this opportunity was one that changed me for the better. I want to share my farewell thank you's from the program book in a separate post, so be on the lookout for that. Below, you'll see some of my favorite pictures from the pageant. I hope you enjoy!