Blog 4

For those of you who don't know, I am a member of the renowned A Capella group, Scattertones, at UCLA. It probably was one of the best decisions I ever made in college. I love all of the talented individuals I get to work with during my time at UCLA. The week of September 27^th we had our annual audition to find the newcomers for this year. We were able to add only five new talented members after four days of auditioning!

During this week I sang for the Angels game. I had SO much fun singing the National Anthem and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch. I had such a spectacular time watching the game especially since baseball is my favorite sport. I always joke and say that I like baseball because it is slow enough for me to actually follow the game and keep up with what is going on. Heather Capizzi, a former contestant in the Miss America organization, was extremely sweet and provided me an Angels jersey with my title "Miss California" embroidered on the back!!!

The same weekend Chelle Hyde—my new best friend—and I attended the Monrovia High school reunion on the USS Midway. Vangie and James Regan hosted this event and did a magnificent job! They literally thought of everything, from the green screen picture when you arrived to virtual rides before the dinner banquet, to four dinner buffet options to a carnation at your departure. I sang the National Anthem and enjoyed the night along with a Miss California sister, Rita Ng. It was such a treat to be able to spend my night on this monumental ship with more than twenty fighter jets aboard.

The following Monday morning Miss Northern California Regional, Marina Inserra, and Miss San Diego Cities, Saundra Combs, and I were on Fox 5 San Diego. Originally the reporter told us to do an etiquette segment, but I was able to present Fox 5 with a Public Speaking bit that they ended up loving! Look at that--I am a reporter in the making! Marina and Saundra spoke briefly about their platforms, and I critiqued them and pointed out common public speaking mistakes. Sounds mean, I know, but here's the secret: because both are such awesome public speakers on their own, before filming I had to tell them which mistakes to make! There’s reality television for you—totally planned!

The next day I went to my first Children's Hospital visit. I am going to keep up the goal that Kristy Cavinder and Bob Arnhym made last year: to visit every children's hospital in the state. My first stop was CHOC, Children's Hospital of Orange County. Breanna Weeks, an employee of CMN, gave us a tour of the beautiful, kid-friendly hospital. She also allowed me to visit the play room where we dressed up as Halloween characters and created pumpkin arts and crafts. Because I am no Van Gogh, I elicited help from several of the children on my pumpkin project. I met some remarkable kids; most of them were totally enamored with the crown. My rule is that whenever anyone tries on the crown, everyone in the room must applaud for the new princess/prince right when the crown touches his/her head. We enjoyed lots of applause and new royalty that day!

Then it was back to San Diego to attend the "Driving for Quality Care" campaign. This features a recreational vehicle that has traveled throughout the nation gathering signatures to explain to Congress that we MUST make sure that Seniors receive the quality care they need and deserve. It was such a wonderful event with seniors and local congressmen alike. Joe Diaz, regional director of California Association of Health Facilities, and Scott Trade, president of San Diego Health Care Association, attended, supported and spoke about how important this issue is regarding America's greatest generation. I had a great time singing “God Bless America,” speaking about the relevance of the issue and showing my support by signing the petition.

The next week I went to the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living national convention in Long Beach. I visited all the vendors in the expo who share the goal of improving seniors' quality of life. Later on was the presentation with various board members of the AHCA/NCAL, including the new president, Mark Parkinson, the governor of Kansas. It was such an eye-opening experience to listen to these professional speakers passionately discuss how we need to unite to make sure that Congress does not forget America's greatest generation. I have never been in a room with so many individuals that were enthusiastic about seniors' quality of life; I was able to get a glimpse of the other aspect of my platform. That night I attended their VIP gala where a Neil Diamond tribute band was the entertainment. I also held the winning ticket for a pair of diamond earrings (!!) and spent the night on the Queen Mary. A huge thank you to another Miss California sister, MaryAnne Sapio, for inviting me to this event.

On to San Jose, where I visited and performed for my grandmother's nursing home. The caregivers have watched me grow up since the age of 12 so they just absolutely went crazy over my title. One senior who danced throughout my entire sing of "I Will Survive" was actually able to show me up on several dance moves. Later I met one of my grandmother's fellow residents, Afsar! I love to spend time with my grandmother, the inspiration for my platform that I started five years ago.

The next week on October 20^th I visited Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. There I met a child who particularly stood out to me: Amari; She was in speech therapy when I met her. When I walked in she became so enthusiastic and she projected her voice strongly and let me know in no uncertain terms that I was a Queen. One of her teachers later told me that that she had never heard Amari project her voice so well and that it has made her better aware of Amari’s capabilities.

The following weekend I attended Memory Walk in San Diego as the representative of the San Diego Glenner Alzheimer Center. At the affair, I learned that the event planners were in need of a National Anthem singer, so I gladly volunteered! Miss a chance to perform? No way! Even though it was early and I hadn’t warmed up, it went fairly well, if I do say so myself!

Next up was a stop in Laguna Hills for the Total Women Day Gym and Spa’s 45th Anniversary celebration. The catered event had DJ entertainment and a jumper for the kids to enjoy. My job was to greet guests, give autographs and to explain my involvement with the gym. They are sponsoring Pilates classes and a massage/facial before I leave for Miss America. I also helped kick off the event by singing the National Anthem. Thank you Gina Cerato for introducing me to the world of Pilates, an extraordinary fitness program.

The next week I was able to have on October 26^th I enjoyed the most amazing experience at Sea World. I was kissed by a beluga whale, I held a penguin and I swam with the dolphins. Thank you Alexandra Kuty, a public relations manager at Sea World (and a former Miss San Diego and Miss Southland), for making this possible!! At Sea World, I learned that beluga whales are mostly made up of blubber; when one kissed my cheek it felt like a wet pillow was smashed against my face! Aluha, the whale I played with, was extremely intelligent. First she butted my hand while I was kneeling, but when I stood up and placed my hand above the water, she calculated the greater distance and swam deeper in the water to get enough momentum to reach me. It was quite fascinating. At the penguin encounter, all the penguins were enamored with the rhinestones on my sash and kept trying to nibble on them. Luckily the trainer steered them away, but they were frisky creatures! The dolphins felt like smooth glass, and they were very adorable and bright. I loved sharing the day with such unique animals; It was an honor.

I recently returned home from South Carolina with Nikki Lehman. We had a magnificent time in Gregory Ellenburg's beautiful state. Gregory is the best designer I’ve ever met; he is also extremely kind and gracious. I am astounded by his work and I can't wait for you all to see my wardrobe at Miss America. It will be killer!!!

Until Next Time

Arianna Afsar

Miss California 2010

Blog #3

Second week of September started off extremely fun! First of all, I am the spokes person for the San Diego Glenner Alzheimer’s Center. I help out with their marketing as well as performing and visiting with the seniors at their three different facilities. On September 9th I was able to visit one of their centers and perform a whole set for 30+ seniors. At one point I had many of the residents up on stage with me dancing to "There's no Business like Show Business" and "I've Got Rhythm." The San Diego Union Tribune was also doing a story on me being involved with the center. (It was great publicity for both) ;]. These events are probably my favorite part of being Miss California. My crown really does transform the faces of many of the seniors because they are brought back to their youth: growing up watching Miss America.

September 12th was Grandparents day, so I performed, with a couple of old Adopt-A-Grandfriend members, at the senior home I had visited for over four years in my hometown. It was such a blast catching up with some of the seniors and meeting new ones that had arrived after my last visit. There is one senior in particular who always explains how she met the queen of England but every visit the story gets more and more extravagant; This visit was not any different :]. The caregivers were so helpful by having the entire performance area packed with seniors who were just enthralled with the experience. The residents even brought some of their grandchildren to come and watch Miss California perform! During my performance of "Orange Colored Sky" we had a 99 year old woman, an 80 year old man and a 6 year old girl dance with all of us on stage! I'll be honest the 6 year old definitely wore me out and I had to catch my breath at the end of the song.

The next week, I was on Fox 5 SD once again teaching the viewers how to practice proper etiquette. I discussed table manners and walking etiquette as well as simple tricks on how to eliminate "like" and "um" from your vocabulary. The show also had a surprised guess Ali from the Bachelorette, so I had a lot of fun meeting her as well!

I was also able to catch up with Kristy Cavinder that week. I am honored to follow in her footsteps as Miss California. She is such a wonderful person and I am so glad to have her support and encouragement.

The next day I had another appearance for the SD Glenner Alzheimer center at their other facility. This venue was a bit smaller, but I was able to talk to the seniors more than the time before. I learn a lot from these residents. Whether the advice is regarding where to travel, places I have to visit, how to understand men, or how Miss America had impacted their life as children. It is wonderful to hear them speak so vividly about their life experiences and bestowing their wisdom upon me. Also to know that I am involved with an organization that has influenced and been a large part of so many individuals’ lives is remarkable. Melissa Chatty, Miss California 2007, also helped me out by performing many beautiful pieces for the residents; well all enjoyed ourselves immensely.

My favorite singing engagement thus far would most definitely be singing the national anthem at the SD Chargers! I have been dreaming to sing for them ever since I could remember. It was such a blast and an honor to be on that field (especially for the first play). During my live performance there were helicopters that flew over, parachutes and fireworks! The stadium was almost packed, so the energy of the crowd was indescribable; I absolutely loved the rush.

The next day was our Miss America Lottery. ALPHA 10! Woohoo! Thanks to Russ Gladden and Bob Arnhym for staying updated on the phone with me at all times to make sure I received the spot that I wanted. I am so excited for these little steps bringing us closer and closer to January. This experience is truly surreal and I don’t think it will finally kick in until I arrive in Las Vegas a couple months from now.

That same week I started my Dale Carnegie class. There were so many high executive officials at the class, so it was wonderful that I was treated as an equal. I learned so much from one class, so I can't wait to see how the rest of the session will turn out.

Next was the Miss City of Orange pageant; my second local pageant as Miss California. Nikki Lehman was my chaperone which was such a blast. I love spending time with her, furthermore everyone involved with Miss City of Orange pageant truly made me feel welcome and special. It was their 75th anniversary of the pageant and it was wonderful to see many of the old volunteers and titleholders come back. It was unbelievable to see the differences the pageant was then from now. I was looking at an old program book which disclosed that every contestant had to wear the same swimsuit and receive the same haircut.

Until next time...

Arianna Afsar

Miss California 2010

Sorry for this late blog! Life has been pretty crazy but I’m enjoying every second of it. I know that I said I would try to blog every day in Orlando. Well, things turned out to be a little hectic for that to happen, but I will try to update everyone on the amazing week.

First, backtracking to a couple weeks ago when I flew to Fresno for the Got Milk campaign... I was live on the local Fox for five hours promoting Mootopia: Summer Oasis, a campaign to show the beauty benefits of milk. I had such a wonderful experience and was able to stay just two doors down from the room where I stayed with my roommate, Lana Brewster, Miss Northwest, at the Miss California competition. I was able to get free manicures and hair braids throughout the morning while relaxing in the breezy getaway of Mootopia.

That weekend I had my homecoming. A HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE thank you to Kati and Joe Enea for making my homecoming so memorable. It was more than I could have ever asked for. There were so many contestants who came to congratulate me which was truly appreciated. Many wonderful local executive directors and volunteers came as well. I was surrounded by so much love and support; everyone made me feel so special. When they had me say a few words at the end, I was speechless. For the five years that I have been involved in this organization, the people that provided me love and support were in one room, and I was filled with emotion. The volunteers of this organization are truly outstanding and the impact each person has made in my life hit me at that split second. So again I apologize for being dumbfounded at that moment, but I was just full of so much joy I could not hold in the tears. Thank you again for everyone that came and for everyone involved in this program. Your contributions are unbelievable.

Now, back to Orlando! The second preliminary night, Shelby Sinkler had talent. She was flawless. You could hear all her taps and her energy was outstanding. I was so proud to call her my teen! Miss New York's Outstanding Teen won talent with her beautiful ballet piece and Miss Virginia's Outstanding Teen took evening gown.

On Thursday all of the Miss contestants participated in a timed video that will be used for marketing. Each contestant came up with a unique skit on why she wanted to be Miss America. It was wonderful to see the fun costumes and ideas some of the girls came up with. I am not going to give anything away, but be sure to keep your eye out for these videos in the near future. I hope you like mine!

That night all of the contestants were treated to dinner at Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant. I have never been there before and the food was magnificent. Fine dining with all of my pageant sisters was definitely a blast. They ended up serving us "light" desserts at the end of the meal with fresh fruit and lemon cookies! It was a great night to learn about the wonderful experiences and stories the Miss contestants had to share.

This preliminary night Shelby had her evening wear and onstage question competitions. She looked gorgeous in a white gown with a big bow in the back. I remember my teen gown also had a big bow in the back, and seeing something similar on Shelby made me smile. She just flowed across the stage! So many Miss contestants came up to me, saying how great Shelby looked and how she shined on stage.

Friday morning we went to Disney World. It was such a treat to be able to go to the "happiest place on earth" with the Miss America gang. It was definitely an experience I will treasure. For those of you who know about my Disney obsession, you can understand how excited I was to attend the park. After our interview and photo session with Mickey and the Disney princesses—where Mickey also blew me a kiss behind Minnie's back ;)--we all split into groups to ride the attractions. I was lucky enough to ride Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Buzz Lighter, and both Splash Mountain and Big Thunder twice in a row! Later that night all of the

contestants went to Seagate to participate in a vendor event. The owner of this beautiful Florida estate had top chefs of various restaurants serve some or their favorite foods in his backyard. It was such an interesting way to have dinner. We were joined by Miss America, Caressa Cameron where she graced us with a song. Wow, does that girl have pipes! Her range is remarkable.

Finally Saturday came along, where we all met in the morning for breakfast and orientation. That was when the fact that I am going to the Miss America pageant truly sank in. Miss America gave an inspirational speech on how to stay true and focused. She also gave us secret hints on what to expect in Vegas. She is such a sweet person, and I am glad she is able to represent the organization this year. Later that night, we all brought our autograph cards to sign for all of the audience members who wanted our autographs. I sat next to my buddy, Miss New Mexico, and we had a blast before the show. I am not the best at giving little quotes to people when I autograph a card, so I borrowed some of her phrases for the night. Soon the final competitions began, and Shelby strutted her stuff during the opening number; she did a wonderful job and everyone was very proud of her. She received an award for community service and for sales/sponsor ads. It was a great week and I am so happy that I was able to cheer Shelby on throughout the entire competition.

That same week, I moved into the beautiful home of my host

family, Kathi and Glenn Baldwin. They welcomed me with open arms. My mom took us all out to a fun and healthy restaurant in Orange County and we were all able to get to know more about each other. Although I have known this family for five years, this is the first time I was really able to get to know them on a more personal level. I am excited to be a part of their family for a while; I know it will be a fun adventure!

I am currently heading back from Miss Lake County, my first local pageant appearance as Miss California. The family of a former Miss Lake County, Amanda Betat, graciously opened their home to Gwen Adkins and I. I had such a great time with Cricket Betat, she was definitely a kick! She is an amazing cook and jewelery artist, so I was lucky enough to be the beneficiary of some of her gifts. Thursday night I got together with some of the judges and enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Blue Wing. Freeman Stamper was so cute and had me take a picture with all the waiters. I was able to catch up with Layne Sanders, Tony Moises, Paul San Filipo, and it was definitely good eatin'!

On pageant day, I participated in a mock interview, as the warm-up for the contestants. The questions were mostly on politics, but I felt I was able to hold my own. I thoroughly like being able to do mock interviews at the local pageants; thanks Bob Arnhym for always setting it up. Next I visited a local senior home, where Taylor Butler, Miss Sacramento County/Miss Lake County 09 and Katie Murphy, Miss Lake County's Outstanding Teen 09, joined me in this event. My goal, whenever I have a local pageant appearance, is to visit a senior home in the community, since my platform is “A Helping Hand For America's Seniors.” Doing this as often as I can will help bring about a much greater awareness that the interactions between young adults and seniors is a mutually beneficial experience. We visited some residents’ rooms where they shared some great stories with us. We also performed in their main lobby. Their faces just lit up when they saw our crowns!

Later, the competition was held in the Lake County fairgrounds, a fun and lively environment. I sang LeAnn Rimes’ "How Do I live" and assisted with the onstage questions and crowning of the princesses and new titleholders. Michelle Wells is the new Miss Lake County and Faith Hornby is the new Miss Lake County’s Outstanding Teen. They both were so gracious and I can't wait to see them at Fresno next June. I know they will have such a great time during their year of service.

Thanks for reading my extremely long blog. I hope you enjoyed it!!

Until next time...

Arianna Afsar

Miss California 2010

Orlando Blog

So I have MUCH to talk about after my last blog but since I have to wake up at 6am, I am just going to update people about how amazing Shelby is doing! Today she competed in Life Style and Fitness and was so cute and spunky. They had to do leg kicks and push ups! It was a hard routine, but she definitely stood out!
Shelby and I at visitation

I was able to perform on stage for this preliminary night. It was so amazing to be out on the stage once again. All of the memories came flooding back. It's been 5 Years! I can't believe it! I performed "When You Believe" from the Prince of Egypt! I had a great time. Performing on Stage!

I went to the Trade show and was able to catch up with familiar faces like Miss Hawaii's OT, Miss Florida's OT, Miss West Virginia's OT, and Miss America's OT 2005! It was so much fun being able to catch up with my 05 MAOT sisters!!

Some of the Miss contestants before the competition

Miss Oklahoma's OT and Miss Kentucky's OT won EG while Miss Virginia OT won talent! What a fun night! Congrats to these teenies, they all looked beautiful!!! I was also able to meet Miss America backstage!! AHH it was such a treat for me! She was beautiful and so sweet!

Miss America and I backstage!!!!!!

Well that is all for now. I'll hopefully be able to blog every night!

xoxo

Arianna Afsar

Miss California 2010

Blog #2

Here is a long overdue update!

I immensely enjoyed a major shopping spree in Mary McCaman's closet when she came down to LA last month. Wow! Never have I been able to try on so many beautiful dresses in one sitting! I was able to borrow my whole wardrobe for my photo shoot, MAOT, and the next couple of appearances. She is so generous to be able to offer her closet to me! If you ever need to rent a dress go to her first! Thank you SO much to Nikki Lehman. She has amazing taste and was able to help me decide on what dresses to choose. She is the best wardrobe consultant I could ask for!!!Here is one of the dresses I'll be wearing in Orlando

I attended the national tour of “In the Heights.” One of my dear friends from American Idol, Chris Chatman, was a star in the show. He definitely stole the show! It was so wonderful to support my friend and watch him shine! Great job Chris!! (He also sneaked us backstage so we could meet all the stars.)

Backstage with some of the cast from the national tour of "In The Heights"

Russell Peters is THE most hilarious comedian ever to live. And I got to see him! What a treat!! I have honestly never laughed as hard as I did that night. If you get an opportunity to see him, be sure to check him out!

On August 5th I had the honor to help promote the Children's Miracle Network at a local Dairy Queen. It was such a treat to share this experience with Miss San Diego Cities, Miss Northern California Regional and Miss San Diego County's Outstanding Teen as we increased awareness of Children's Miracle Network. As every customer entered, we would all chant "Buy one Blizzard and a dollar of the profit goes to the Children's Miracle Network." It was wonderful to talk to customers who said that they came into Dairy Queen specifically for this charity event. Overall it was an incredible experience, and CMN is such a great national platform for Miss America and all her state and local representatives.

The girls and I in front of the local Dairy Queen promoting CMN

I was able to go wakeboarding twice in one week!! The first time I tried, I epically failed, but the second time I went out I was able to stand up! Only for 10 seconds but that’s beside the point. J Wakeboarding is so much harder than it seems. I have a whole new respect for that sport.

I had my first meeting with Miss California’s trainer, Mike Douglass. It was such an honor to be in his gym. His walls were covered with photos of national champion body builders and many Miss California’s! Hopefully my picture will be on the wall one day! Bob and I had lunch at his restaurant upstairs. It had unbelievably delicious and healthy meal. Ideal place for me! I am absolutely in love with his muffins. They are made without egg and butter but instead contain oats and other secret ingredients. If you ever happen to pass Alpine, be sure to pick up his famous muffins.

Mike and I before our workout session.

I was on Fox 5 for their “Got Milk” campaign with Miss Northern California Regional, Marina Inserra, Miss San Diego 2009, Robin Senne, Runner-up to Miss San Diego 2010, Shelby MacDonald, and one of my dear friends, Vickie Bauer. We all showed the viewers how to stay in shape and work out even past summer. I have appeared on that station several times, so it was great to be able to reconnect with all the anchors. They had us do challenging workouts, and I definitely felt them after the segment was over!

The workout gang and the anchors of Fox 5!

This past Saturday was my photo shoot for my Miss America headshots! Chelle Hyde and Nikki met me at a beautiful home in northern San Diego where the amazing Sharon Noson shot my photos. She is a magnificent photographer and made me look great in all the shots. Choosing just a few of them will be a huge challenge.

Here is a photo Nikki took in between photo changes.

Till next time…

XOXO,

Arianna Afsar

Miss California 2010