Here's the link: http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2010/01/29/19396092/index.xml
Enjoy!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Guess what?!
I have a pageant coach! I was just going to get advice from my friends and parents, but a coach found this blog, and me on facebook, and she wanted to coach me. So we looked into her, and then met her, and it's a done deal! If any of you reading this are in the Chicago area and interested in coaching, the company is called Skyy Potential.
Bye!
Bye!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Interview with the Northwest Herald
Tomorrow I'm being interviewed by the Northwest Herald! Can you believe it? Most 12 year olds don't have their own charity, so I'll be on the front page of the Lifestyle section on January 31. I'll post a link to the article. I'll try to mention NAM, too, and I'll get some more publicity. Everyone still staying awesome? Glad to hear it!
Did I mention I have my own charity?!
It's true, ladies and gentlemen. I have my own charity. It's called Good First Impressions. We help people who have to get jobs to support their families get business appropriate attire to wear to job interviews. This really helps if you can't afford it! We collect new and gently used business appropriate attire, and give it to organizations that distribute it. I hope it'll be nation-wide someday, instead just in the Chicagoland area. The facebook page is Good First Impressions Charity, the website is www.goodfirstimpressionscharity.com, and the blog is http://goodfirstimpressionscharity.blogspot.com. I'm only 12 years old, but I'm a POWERHOUSE!!!!!!!! Go to all these links to learn more, or how to donate. Everyone stay AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
Facebook Group
The blog has a facebook group!!!!!! Search National American Miss: Growing My Confidence Blog in the search bar and request to join. Everyone be awesome!!!!! Bye!
My Favorite Quotes That Keep Me Going
These are my favorite inspirational quotes, and I keep them in my heart everyday, no matter what I'm doing, to keep me motivated and always do my best. Some of them are my quotes, too!
"A girl should be two things: Classy, and Fabulous!"
-Coco Chanel
"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right!"
-Henry Ford
"You can't reach the stars without reaching for them."
-MVHA
"Mix sugar, spice, and perseverance and the outcome is success!"
-MVHA
"Remember things could always get worse!"
-MVHA
"Every cloud has a silver lining."
-John Milton
"If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
-Dolly Parton
"Be the one to make things happen. Not the one who watches things happen, and wishes they had caused it."
-MVHA
The following quotes have un-known origins.
No one is perfect... That's why pencils have erasers.
Music is what life sounds like.
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars.
Believe you can and you're half way there.
Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can fly.
Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
I am too positive to be doubtful. Too optimistic to be fearful. And too determined to be defeated.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
You are not fully dressed until you wear a smile. :)
Don't waste a minute not being happy. If one window closes, run to the next window or break down a door.
Think of the beauty still left around you and be happy.
Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else.
Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about.
Don't tell me the sky is the limit, when there's footprints on the moon.
Me believes in me.
Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.
Fail with honor, rather than succeed by fraud.
Never regret something that once made you smile.
It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.
Stand up for what is right. Even if you're standing alone.
Life is too precious to worry about stupid stuff. So have fun, go party, and fall in love. Say what you want to say. Do what you want to do. Regret nothing, and don't let people who don't matter, bring you down.
What's meant to be... Will always find its way.
I'm a lover, not a fighter. But I will fight for what I love.
If you want to be happy, be!
There is a thin line between knowing when to give up and when to try harder.
Which hurts the most: saying something and wishing you had not, or saying nothing, and wishing you had?
If you don't make mistakes, you aren't really trying.
If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.
I am me. Plain. Simple.
Love me or hate me. I promise it won't make or break me.
Life is about falling. Living is about getting back up.
My life is like a roller coaster, but this one is going up hill and never coming down. And who knows when the next little turn is going to be.
Maybe we can all learn something from these. I know I do.
So instead of telling you to do something right now, listen to the quotes. They say everything.
"A girl should be two things: Classy, and Fabulous!"
-Coco Chanel
"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right!"
-Henry Ford
"You can't reach the stars without reaching for them."
-MVHA
"Mix sugar, spice, and perseverance and the outcome is success!"
-MVHA
"Remember things could always get worse!"
-MVHA
"Every cloud has a silver lining."
-John Milton
"If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
-Dolly Parton
"Be the one to make things happen. Not the one who watches things happen, and wishes they had caused it."
-MVHA
The following quotes have un-known origins.
No one is perfect... That's why pencils have erasers.
Music is what life sounds like.
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars.
Believe you can and you're half way there.
Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can fly.
Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
I am too positive to be doubtful. Too optimistic to be fearful. And too determined to be defeated.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
You are not fully dressed until you wear a smile. :)
Don't waste a minute not being happy. If one window closes, run to the next window or break down a door.
Think of the beauty still left around you and be happy.
Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else.
Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about.
Don't tell me the sky is the limit, when there's footprints on the moon.
Me believes in me.
Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.
Fail with honor, rather than succeed by fraud.
Never regret something that once made you smile.
It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.
Stand up for what is right. Even if you're standing alone.
Life is too precious to worry about stupid stuff. So have fun, go party, and fall in love. Say what you want to say. Do what you want to do. Regret nothing, and don't let people who don't matter, bring you down.
What's meant to be... Will always find its way.
I'm a lover, not a fighter. But I will fight for what I love.
If you want to be happy, be!
There is a thin line between knowing when to give up and when to try harder.
Which hurts the most: saying something and wishing you had not, or saying nothing, and wishing you had?
If you don't make mistakes, you aren't really trying.
If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.
I am me. Plain. Simple.
Love me or hate me. I promise it won't make or break me.
Life is about falling. Living is about getting back up.
My life is like a roller coaster, but this one is going up hill and never coming down. And who knows when the next little turn is going to be.
Maybe we can all learn something from these. I know I do.
So instead of telling you to do something right now, listen to the quotes. They say everything.
Monday, January 11, 2010
My Talent
I don't know what song to sing! I want to do 2 talents this year to give myself more of a chance of winning. I'm going to leave a list of songs, and tell me which ones are better. Also, leave me requests and I'll try them. (Preferably broadway songs)
- Who Will Buy? from Oliver
- Where is Love? from Oliver
- My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music
- Don't Rain on My Parade
- Defying Gravity from Wicked
- Castle on a Cloud from Les Miserables (I did that last year and got 2nd runner up)
- Wendy from Peter Pan The Musical
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Hello Everybody!
My name is Maria Victoria Howell-Arza, and I am and have been a contestant in Miss Illinois Pre-teen. For this first post, I'm going to tell the story about how I got involved in National American Miss.
I had always wanted to do a pageant when I was younger, but my parents had always said no. They thought that pageants focused on outer beauty, instead of the most important, inner beauty.
Then, when I was 8, we got a letter in the mail that I had been recommended for some pageant, and I looked it up online and did research all by myself, but I still didn't convince my parents.
Then, last June, I had gotten the same letter again. (We had gone to some auditions for talent agents, and some wanted me, but the cost was too much.) And since I had done some auditions, I read my mom the letter and begged and pleaded for her to let me do it. So my mom told me she would go to the website and go through every inch of it with a fine-toothed comb, and if we had to pay a penny, it was an automatic NO. So she went through the website, read the mission statement, and saw that you could get sponsors. So my mom let me register for an open call, and we made a deal that I had to get sponsors for competition fees, and they would pay for everything else. If I couldn't get enough sponsors, the deal was off.
I went to my open call in mid-June, and when we saw everything the pageant had to offer, my parents and I got really excited and fell in love with the whole idea. The whole ride home, we were making lists of possible sponsors and other people to go talk to like family, friends, and neighbors. Even though I hadn't been accepted yet, I was getting ready. Within an hour of just information, I had grown that much in confidence.
I was very very anxiously awaiting my call, and within 3 business days, I got a call saying I had been accepted and that I should start looking for sponsors. I was so excited, I jumped up and down and screamed and started calling everyone in my family to see if they would sponsor me.
On my first day of what I like to call, 'sponsor shopping' (of course my favorite kind of shopping), I had talked to 13 businesses, and had only gotten 1 sponsorship of $50. But that was not going to stop me. The next night, I walked up and down one side of my subdivision for 2 hours, and in just one of those trips, I had a total of $180. Thank you Edgebrook Heights by the way. Then I went out for more, and all I got was about 10 'I'll think about it's, and 5 'Sorry. You're awfully cute, but we're just not interested's. But the rest of my sponsors I got because everyone thought I handled myself so well. Another asset from this organization. Pretty soon, I had my whole sponsor fee and 4 optional contests covered, including Talent, Actress, Spokesmodel, and Casual Wear Modeling.
I came out of Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois (where the pageant is held) with more friends, people skills, interview skills, public speaking skills, a whole lot of confidence, Top 30 overall, and 2nd runner up in talent. Thank you to my sponsors, who were B&B Automotive, Smith Engineering Company, The Trend Cellar, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Plum Garden, Lakeland Animal Hospital, Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins, Excalibur Technology, and Prestress Engineering Corporation. I couldn't have done it without you.
But my story is not over yet. Early last December, I received a letter from NAMiss saying if I went again next year (I was already planning on it), I could get a discount. So I went out and got sponsors, and payed my whole sponsor fee with $110 off and a free hotel night on pageant weekend. (Which I've already booked by the way) And now I continue to practice, work hard, and prepare for next years pageant.
My sponsors for this year thus far are Victoria Hair Salon, Bertram P. Irslinger & Associates, Spengel Financial, Lazalde Agency, Dental Center of Logan Square, Dobbe Marketing, and Paxem.
I will keep posting things that have to do with my journey to the crown, and other things as well.
Bye!
I had always wanted to do a pageant when I was younger, but my parents had always said no. They thought that pageants focused on outer beauty, instead of the most important, inner beauty.
Then, when I was 8, we got a letter in the mail that I had been recommended for some pageant, and I looked it up online and did research all by myself, but I still didn't convince my parents.
Then, last June, I had gotten the same letter again. (We had gone to some auditions for talent agents, and some wanted me, but the cost was too much.) And since I had done some auditions, I read my mom the letter and begged and pleaded for her to let me do it. So my mom told me she would go to the website and go through every inch of it with a fine-toothed comb, and if we had to pay a penny, it was an automatic NO. So she went through the website, read the mission statement, and saw that you could get sponsors. So my mom let me register for an open call, and we made a deal that I had to get sponsors for competition fees, and they would pay for everything else. If I couldn't get enough sponsors, the deal was off.
I went to my open call in mid-June, and when we saw everything the pageant had to offer, my parents and I got really excited and fell in love with the whole idea. The whole ride home, we were making lists of possible sponsors and other people to go talk to like family, friends, and neighbors. Even though I hadn't been accepted yet, I was getting ready. Within an hour of just information, I had grown that much in confidence.
I was very very anxiously awaiting my call, and within 3 business days, I got a call saying I had been accepted and that I should start looking for sponsors. I was so excited, I jumped up and down and screamed and started calling everyone in my family to see if they would sponsor me.
On my first day of what I like to call, 'sponsor shopping' (of course my favorite kind of shopping), I had talked to 13 businesses, and had only gotten 1 sponsorship of $50. But that was not going to stop me. The next night, I walked up and down one side of my subdivision for 2 hours, and in just one of those trips, I had a total of $180. Thank you Edgebrook Heights by the way. Then I went out for more, and all I got was about 10 'I'll think about it's, and 5 'Sorry. You're awfully cute, but we're just not interested's. But the rest of my sponsors I got because everyone thought I handled myself so well. Another asset from this organization. Pretty soon, I had my whole sponsor fee and 4 optional contests covered, including Talent, Actress, Spokesmodel, and Casual Wear Modeling.
I came out of Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois (where the pageant is held) with more friends, people skills, interview skills, public speaking skills, a whole lot of confidence, Top 30 overall, and 2nd runner up in talent. Thank you to my sponsors, who were B&B Automotive, Smith Engineering Company, The Trend Cellar, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Plum Garden, Lakeland Animal Hospital, Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins, Excalibur Technology, and Prestress Engineering Corporation. I couldn't have done it without you.
But my story is not over yet. Early last December, I received a letter from NAMiss saying if I went again next year (I was already planning on it), I could get a discount. So I went out and got sponsors, and payed my whole sponsor fee with $110 off and a free hotel night on pageant weekend. (Which I've already booked by the way) And now I continue to practice, work hard, and prepare for next years pageant.
My sponsors for this year thus far are Victoria Hair Salon, Bertram P. Irslinger & Associates, Spengel Financial, Lazalde Agency, Dental Center of Logan Square, Dobbe Marketing, and Paxem.
I will keep posting things that have to do with my journey to the crown, and other things as well.
Bye!
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