Sugar Factory

Fadil Berisha Sneak Peeks

Disclaimer: These are NOT the final, edited photographs.

Dinner at Cafe Martorano's in Rio Vegas

Viva Las Vegas

We have officially finished the 2012 Miss USA Registration process. Let me start off by saying this is my very first time in Las Vegas and what a way to experience it! We are staying at one of the most popular resorts on the Strip, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Planet Hollywood provides guest with some of the best entertainment, dining and nightlife in Las Vegas. We are beyond excited to be a part of all the glamorous events that Las Vegas has planned for us.

Miss Oklahoma and I's new home

To kick off registration, I had a shoot with Farouk Systems Inc. for Chi Magazine shot by Colin Hornett from the Miss Universe Organization. It was shot in an amazing suite here at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Here is a sneak peek from the shoot:

Abel, my amazing Chi hair stylist for the Shoot.

The next day it was time for wardrobe, registration photos, and web videos. I am so excited for the  opening number of this years show. It is something totally new and never done before!! All the Sherri Hill wardrobe rocks. We also received our Official Chinese Laundry Competition Shoes! Also, we received Chinese Laundry Make My Day wedges (check them out, they are amazing) and were able to pick out another pair of our choice. I chose a black satin peep toe pump to go with my opening number outfit. Next, we headed over to Kooey Swimwear to get fitted for our competition suit and were able to pick out a couple of fun, appearance suits as well. Lastly, we were able to choose from racks of stunning Sherri Hill cocktail dresses! They are all absolutely beautiful but I ended up choosing a Hot Pink Bandage Dress (Sherri Hill 2765) which really resembles my personality and personal style.

After wardrobe, I went straight to hair and makeup for my official headshot, evening gown and swimsuit photoshoot! Rain Cosmetics and Farouk/Chi did a fabulous job on all of us. In my shoot, I rocked a brand new shade of Glam Lipstick called 'With the DJ". I cannot wait for the photos to debut on MissUSA.com.  Lastly, I filmed my UCAP (up close and personal) and web videos. Again, we were beautified by Rain Cosmetics and Chi experts.

Miss Missouri, Miss North Dakota, Miss Tennesse and Miss Rhode Island with Sadrina from Rain Cosemtics

I am truly thankful for all of our amazing sponsors: The city of Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood, Farouk Systems Inc, Rain Cosmetics, Kooey Swimwear, Chinese Laundry, Sherri Hill, Australian Gold, Diamond Nexus and the New York Film Academy.  Stay tuned for more exciting events coming up soon!

NYC Media Tour

My roomie Miss Oklahoma, Lauren Lundeen

May 7-9, 2012, 44 Miss USA contestants traveled around New York City to garner media coverage for the upcoming Miss USA 2012 pageant airing LIVE from Las Vegas on June 3, 2012 on NBC. We stayed at the beautfiul Helmsley hotel in Manhattan. I am official in love with this amazing city. The media tour was an incredible experience that I will never forget.

Live! With Kelly

Today Show

Mr. Tump

WPIX 11

Brother Jimmy's BBQ

Variety's Night of the Rising Stars

The Children’s Charity, Variety of St. Louis, has been a huge support for special needs kids of St. Louis for close to 80 years.  Variety has a strong bond and an exquisite history in this community, and St. Louis can rely on Variety to care for their children.  Over time Variety has advanced and has become a big part of the lives of St. Louis children.

Diana Ross

This year, Variety hosted their Dinner With the Stars and Night of the Rising Stars which featured Joe Buck and the amazing Diana Ross. The event raised over $3 million dollars which means 14,000 children a year are able to receive help from Variety. Incredible!

My mom was my date for the event

Thank you to Mollie Francis and the Variety for inviting me to be a apart of your special event. My mom and I had a great time meeting all the Variety members and dancing the night away to Diana Ross! "If I have someone who believes in me, I can move mountains." -Diana Ross

You don't need to spend a fortune to look like a million bucks

One thing I absolutely love is the joy of bargain shopping! Some of my favorite stores are H&M, Nordstrom Rack, and Marshals! I love the feeling of really getting a bang for my buck. With that being said, I recently discovered a (not-so-hidden) gem in St. Louis called Women's Closet Exchange. The store has built a reputation for making designer fashions available, and affordable, to everyone. They carry designer brands such as Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, St. John, Escada.. the list goes on! "We travel the country regularly in search of the hottest contemporary fashions typically found only in exclusive boutiques and high-end retailers, allowing us to offer you “now” style without the “ow” at the cash register. In fact, we have a saying around the store: “The Only Difference Is the Price!” -WCE

 

When I stumbled upon this store, I instantly fell in love! Not just with the store but the women too. Sue, Laura, Diana and everyone who works at the store are amazing. They are a fun group of ladies and nice as can be! (Fun fact: Rachel Zoe is a also a huge fan of WCE) So naturally, when they asked me to walk in their Spring Fling Fashion Show, I gladly agreed. I later found out that they would be filming for their upcoming reality show. Be sure to catch their show on the Style Network. The girls describe it as the "Pawn Stars" of resale clothing. I, for one, cannot wait to watch these wild women on their resale escapades!