I wanted to share a fun personal story from when I was a contestant in the Miss Illinois pageant–the winner of which competed at the Miss USA pageant.

Here’s the situation: my parents had put me in pageants as a young girl, I had a lot of fun doing them–more importantly, the lesson I was to always gleam from each contest was that it was fun and I was to do my best.

So, here I am, 18 years old and doe-eyed…I had no idea about these, what I called “big girl” pageants. I recall this particular story as if it happened yesterday–so vividly. There I was, sitting on the floor, getting ready for the Frank Sinatra group number, where we all danced in a formal gown to “Luck Be a Lady.” So, I’m literally sitting on the floor, buckling my shoes…when out of the corner of my eye, I see some movement that catches my attention and I turn to see a woman who is in her panties, and she has her arms straight up in the air, hands to the sky. Her friend is frantically running around her with a roll of duct tape, she is literally taping the other gal’s boobs down. I seriously couldn’t imagine why. I looked down at myself and thought, “hmm, why?” I remember being so confused as she did that, for the rest of the pageant weekend, I was confused about this.

The lesson I learned from the lady who was having her boobs taped down by her friend is like not having the support of a team in your corner: imagine duct taping your own boobs…if you’re trying to do it all yourself: it’s like duct taping your own boobs. Ouch! You could hire someone to do it for you.

Have you seen the movie Miss Congeniality?

Remember how Sandra Bullock said she had a fabulous team of FBI Stylists…I wish I had my own Michael Caine and team of peeps helping me get ready at the Miss Illinois pageant…although oddly enough I did win Miss Congeniality!