RC, Author at loveRavayna

2 In style

1 dress, 2 pieces, 3 ways

I was just tickled when Mary Olive and Co sent me this darling lace and floral Sherri Hill cocktail dress! Y’all know I love a coordinated set, but I often mix and match them with my closet contents as well. This twofer is exceptionally pretty, and super fun to wear, so I’m sharing three ways I’ve styled it recently.

The whole shebang was perfectly festive for a holiday party. Enamel cat-eye sunglasses, iridescent Kendra Scotts, and my heirloom wedding ring (similar) were classic accessory choices, but I brought a bit of pattern mixing to the party with striped, bow-adorned pumps.

The full satin skirt, covered in pink roses and complete with crinoline and pockets, put a little sass in my step. Headed to indulge in the warm weather with a Jeni’s date {brown butter almond brittle, always} I knotted my chambray at the waist. I added sparkle flats (similar) and a moonstone necklace I purchased from an artisan in New Mexico- I’ll be sharing that trip soon!

I paired the lace crop with my boa coated JBrands and kidnapped David’s cardigan for a busy day- a bunch of errands, assisting him on a shoot, then date night. These sparkle hightops were a Zara (kids!) clearance find, but I have to admit I felt a bit like I was trying to audition for a hip hop video when they sparkled in the sunlight.

David was shooting a photographer we’ve worked with and adore, and she turned her camera on me for these shots. You’ll see more of Nicole soon- we’ve got some fun stuff in the works for 2016.

But yeah, expand the closet potential! Treat your matched sets as your cutest separates and you’ll get way more bang for your wardrobe buck.

loveRavayna

January 1, 2016

0 In travel

paris, by water

After our morning shoot, we headed back to the Marais, grabbing macarons on the way but intent on a good midday nap. When we woke, we grabbed some lunch (including the best couscous I’ve ever had) at the nearby Marche des Enfants Rouges. Fueled and fed, we had one afternoon left to enjoy Paris.

We decided to spend it in true Parisian fashion, so we did a little walking and shopping, and then headed into the 10th to explore along the canals, skip some pebbles Ameliè-style, and enjoy the beautiful day.

Some of my favorite parts of any trip are the time we spend surrounded by locals rather than tourists. It was really lovely to just sit among them canalside, and drinking wine alfresco in the middle of the day always feels so very luxurious. I was a little sulky thinking about our impending departure, but after such a wonderful whirlwind, I just wanted to stay in Paris forever.

Based on tripadvisor reviews, we had purchased tickets to cruise the Seine with Vedettes du Pont Neuf so we made our way to the dock, onto the boat, and were sailing merrily along in no time.

The tour was perfectly fine- the boat was very well kept, and the guide was knowledgeable, but we’ll skip this the next time we visit Paris. Perhaps it’s because we were already acquainted with most of the highlighted sights, or that we aren’t fond of the cattle-herd feel of group tours, but we pretty much just went in a little loop. Other than taking a few pictures, which is way more David’s jam (obviously) than mine, it was a bit boring.

It was nice to see things from another perspective, though. And our feet certainly appreciated the respite- according to David’s Fitbit, we had walked just over a hundred miles across Barcelona and Paris in the preceding weeks.

It was nearing dinnertime when we disembarked, so we walked through the Ile de la Cite towards the sidewalk bistro table that awaited us. For my final Parisian meal, I specifically wanted a platter of French cheeses. Astier was another stellar recommendation from David Leibovitz, and I charmed the darling maitre’d into bringing the cheese platter for my appetizer rather than dessert. It was a vision of epic beauty.

So I promptly and gleefully demolished the vast majority of it. Seriously, I had room left for just a few bites of our flatiron steak and kidneys- I was fat and happy and full of cheese! We lingered past dusk, chatting with servers as they lit candles on our tabletop.

We took dessert home to our little flat, where we drank wine, packed, and prepped for the early morning TGV back to Barcelona and our return to the States that night.

loveRavayna

December 29, 2015

3 In travel

in love in Paris

David indulged me with and on this entire trip, but especially our last full day in Paris. Despite preferring his pillow to a photo shoot, he was obliging and even enthusiastic when we woke at sunrise to run around the heart of Paris with Lisa Bouanna in tow.

Inspired by a sorority sister who hired a photographer while visiting Paris with her husband, I realized how special photos from this trip could be. I connected with Lisa via Instagram, and we exchanged a few emails before making arrangements to meet up.

We met Lisa very early in the morning, planning to breakfast after. We made the prudent choice to stave off sleepy eyes and yawns by stopping for our daily café crème. #liveauthentic and all that jazz, sleepyheads needed coffee.

A little caffeine perked us right up, it seems.

We paid the check and headed towards the Seine, meandering over when we approached one of the wide wooden bridge.

We were a little giddy and were skipping (I can’t run, so I skip) and frolicking and being entirely silly. Acting a fool is one of our favorite pastimes, and we were laughing at ourselves so hard!

The sun came out to play on our shoot day. When we’d been packing and prepping at home more than two weeks prior, weather reports had predicted blustery winds and highs in the 50s, so I planned sweaters, scarves, and gloves. But the weather grew warmer and more beautiful each day of our trip, and I found myself eyeing our suitcase contents (more on those to come) to pull together a spontaneous look.

But it really didn’t matter what we wore. Relaxed and romanced by gorgeous city of lights, we were shamelessly smitten, which is no big shock to anyone who knows us.

I loved the ironwork and architecture of the Eiffel Tower long before I ever visited Paris or laid eyes on it. So majestic, more beautiful than I could have imagined, it gave me a little thrill every time I saw it. And these shots make me want to swoon.

When I saw the trees beginning to bloom during our time exploring Paris, I’d hoped we would get a few pictures with them. The Trocadero Gardens were ever so obliging, with the cherry blossom trees all frosted with fluffy pink blossoms.

I’m completely obsessed with the images from this shoot, not gonna lie. I could have shared hundreds. Since David’s perpetually the photographer, we have zillion shots of me but not so many of us together. Paris was such a dream realized for me, and Lisa captured us, in all our silliness and sweetness, so beautifully.

I couldn’t treasure them more.

loveRavayna

December 23, 2015

0 In style

some seasonal sparkle

I truly believe that one of the secrets to a happy holiday is picking out your own presents- fortunately, David agrees! In an attempt to extend the holiday cheer, one of the things I choose for myself each year is a subscription service. I’m such a kid, but I love mail and getting something delivered monthly is super fun. In past years, I’ve chosen and loved beauty and stationery boxes, but this year, I’m jazzed to be accessorizing with Rocksbox, a company that sends you boxes of designer jewelry to borrow or buy with zero pressure.

Getting to build my wish list of pretties and specify my preferences soothed my picky soul. I’m into big earrings, so I added some Kendra Scott pairs, Gorjana ear climbers, and lots of funky ear jackets. Always about the arm party, bunches of cute bangles and bracelets made my wishlist, as did some statement, layered, and lariat necklaces. There are tons of cute options!

I was even more excited when my first box showed up. It was adorably packaged, but sturdy, and I love that the bubble mailer was to be reused with the enclosed shipping label- truly couldn’t be easier. I untied the coral ribbon to a few inserts and chevron striped tissue.

As I unwrapped the accessories, layered with bubble wrap and each in their own pouch, I continued to be impressed. My stylist Molly had chosen these Kendra Scott earrings from my wishlist, and added a gold Gorjana bangle and and a subtly fringed statement necklace for a complete look.

Off to do a little holiday shopping at the Americana at Brand, I wore the pieces with mostly black- a simple jersey trapeze dress, dotted tights, suede flats. A classic ivory wool coat and sunnies set off the golden tones of the jewelry perfectly.

Though festively decorated and beautiful, I usually try to avoid malls and their crowds during the holiday season. I do most of my shopping online, and I obviously think Rocksbox is a great gift- that’s why I chose it for myself! I’d recommend it for a lady of any age, since she can populate her wishlist herself.

Rocksbox has some holiday gift packages that are fabulous deals running right now. But let’s be real- even at the holidays, we all want to spoil ourselves, so you can use promo code RavaynaXOXO at checkout for your first month free! See for yourself, but free jewelry is sure what I consider merry and bright.

loveRavayna

December 21, 2015

0 In travel

amazing Paris eats

If I’m being totally honest, and I sure try to be on my corner of the internet, I went to Europe with an insane ‘to eat’ list and map. I built an agenda alternating activities and snacks, so our fat little fingers were thrilled, and keeping David well-fed encouraged his patience as I dragged him all over creation.

We love falafel, like any good Jews, and were staying right near the Rue du Roisiers. We divided and ordered sandwiches from each Chez Marianne and L’As du Fallafel and had ourselves a head-to-head lunch battle.

L’As du Fallafel was the winner for sure, and I’m not the least bit embarrassed to say we waited in that fast-moving line several more times during our stay, and I’ve definately craved it since. Extra sauce piquante is the way to go, trust.

Chronic sweet tooth that I have, I had to indulge in Angelina‘s lauded hot chocolate. And this might be sacrilegious, but I thought it was just yummy, but not miraculous. I spoil us with rich homemade cocoa, and fresh whipped cream happens often, so my standards are crazy high. Delicious, but not life changing.

But now, Jacques Genin‘s caramels- magical. I had been skeptical of how good overpriced sweets could be… I was wrong, they were better. The pepper and passion fruit-mango varieties were my favorite, but every single flavor (I bought them all) was incredible. The mademoiselle helping me thought it was the most precious thing that David was taking pictures through the window from where he was waiting with our bikes… she gave us some extra treats for our “lune de miel” with a wink, and I didn’t have the heart to correct her.

When we went to Berthillon, David let me pick all the flavors- that’s true love. We took our stacked cones down to the Seine and I devoured my mirabelle plum, passion fruit, and wild strawberry sorbets, as well as David’s pistachio, salted caramel, and pinenut praline ice cream. He thought I was joking when I stopped for a second cone when we passed the storefront again, but it was so creamy and delicious, and I still had more flavors to try!

Pierre Herme ruined lesser macarons for me, forever. Olive oil and mandarin, vanilla-violet-blackcurrant, passion fruit- strawberry rhubarb, yasamine (jasmine, mango, candied grapefruit) and more, I bought bagsful every time we passed a shop. I always intended to save some for later, but never managed to stop myself from nibbling away. Their pastries and pates de fruit were equally as incredible, and I dream of the caneles.

I have a serious love for laminated dough of all kind, so I made a point of eating at least one croissant a day, usually two or three, from as many boulangeries as possible. Pierre Herme’s signature ispahan (rose, raspberry, lychee) was the most fantastic stuffed croissant I encountered in all of Paris. It was even more delicious than it was beautiful, and it was practically a work of art.

I’d have to say that the best classic croissant au beurre was at Gontran Cherrier, a recommendation from Clotilde. Gloriously flaky and shatteringly crisp, I found my napkin sprinkled with pastry shards. The buns and curried bread were also incredible, and the kouign amann and madeleines we took to go all made scrumptious picnic snacks.

I’ve mentioned our neighborhood boulangerie, Poilane, before. Just across from our flat, their wood-fired breads are magnificent, their sourdough renowned, excellent croissants, and baguette to die for. But unsung heroes are their punitions- legendary shortbread cookies, generously dispensed. I’m attempting them at home, and will report back on that.

Maison Kayser‘s pain au cereales was as incredible as rumored, but so was the pain au chocolat. The brioche (both au pralines roses and mousse line) were fantastic as well. I’m certain I ate more carbs in Paris than I had in months, and it was worth every delicious calorie.

I’ve mentioned some of our other meals in specific- fondue, steak, crepes but we really ate so much- everything we possibly could, and more than we photographed! There are so many places I need to return to Paris to try for the first time still, but when I do, I’ll be sure to revisit some of these highlights.

loveRavayna

December 18, 2015

0 In travel

crepes and champs

After such a full day, going back to the flat before supper was super refreshing. Though dinner was just up the street, we were continuing touring after, so I kept it super casual. I’m obsessed with these high-waisted J Brands (it’s hard to tell, but they are deep hunter green), and have these Old Navy metallic tennies in rose gold as well.

Breizh Cafe was well-recommended by friends and strangers, and righteously so. It put all the other crepes I’ve had (both on this trip to Paris and in my lifetime) to shame. The aroma as you were seated was just tantalizing, and the line waiting outside grew and grew as we ate.

We enjoyed such an incredible meal- two different savory crepes topped with runny eggs and an incredible bottle of natural cider. The buckwheat flour was nutty and delicious, especially when it came to dessert, as recommended by my friend David. That third crepe was topped with buckwheat ice cream and drizzled with buckwheat honey, and the coordinating layers of flavor were just perfect.

After that scrumptious meal, I could have gone straight home to bed! But we headed to the Champs Elysee to give the Arc de Triomphe another go-round. It was dark by the time we emerged from the metro, and we headed up the spiral stairs to the top of the glowing Arc.

The view from the top was worth the wait. It was breezy up high, and not too crowded. I felt like I could see clear across glittering Paris. And when it turned the hour and the Eiffel Tower started to sparkle, I couldn’t help sighing at the beauty of it all.

Times like this, I’m grateful for photos, but more so for having had these amazing experiences and treasured memories.

loveRavayna

December 16, 2015

2 In festivities/ recipes

vanilla squared marshmallows

I’d always been intimidated by homemade marshmallows, until I discovered that they’re astonishingly easy with the help of a candy thermometer and stand mixer. I first made these marshmallows last holiday season, and they may have ruined me for commercially-made ones forever. They’re irresistible by the handful, super soft and flavorful, and they quickly go molten and so delicious when roasted or topping a hot drink.

The name’s a bit punny. For serious flavor, I use homemade bourbon vanilla, along with scraping in a whole vanilla bean and adding a touch of almond for the NOLA nectar homage. I cut them into cubes mostly for speed and ease, and I find being generous with the starch-and-sugar mixture super helpful- I even fill a shaker with it.

I’m all about the edible treats as holiday gifts… I make and share small batches of goodies all season long. So I filled sweet little holly-print boxes with marshmallows and curled shiny red ribbon for festive treats to be given to friends.

These marshmallows melt so incredibly, they elevate simple hot cocoa to a fantastical treat. I behave like a five year old and just keep piling marshmallows into my cup. Despite sticky-fingered snacking and the distraction of Elf, we even managed to get a few presents wrapped, so I’ll call it a winter evening success.

Vanilla Squared Marshmallows

(adapted from Alton Brown’s homemade marshmallows)

Ingredients

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, about 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 whole vanilla bean
1 1/2 tablespoon bourbon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
nonstick cooking spray

Preparation

Empty gelatin and 1/2 cup of the water into bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and powdered sugar. Spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Add some of the sugar-cornstarch mixture and shake about to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return excess to the bowl, set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, attach candy thermometer to the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, about 7 minutes. Watch carefully and immediately remove from heat.
Start the mixer on low. While running, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture- be careful! Once all of the syrup is added, increase speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes- it will be steamy at first. Add the vanilla and almond extracts during the last minute of whipping.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using an oiled spatula if needed to spread evenly. Dust the top with enough of the sugar-starch mixture to lightly cover, saving the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Once set, turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board or counter dusted with sugar-starch. Cut into strips and then squares using a pizza wheel. Lightly dust all sides of each cut marshmallow with the remaining mixture. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

The cocoa I serve is adapted from this one– I add cinnamon and a sprinkle each of cardamom and cayenne. It makes a rich semisweet cocoa that is perfect with the melting marshmallows. Feel free to thin with more milk or sweeten further, but homemade cocoa is so easy and delicious the packets simply don’t compare.

loveRavayna

December 14, 2015

0 In festivities/ home/ recipes

home for the holidays

As much as I love latkes, I can’t eat them for 8 nights straight if I want to fit into my clothes. So I make a point of experimenting with and serving other foods with Jewish and Israeli foods as we celebrate Hannukah.

Having made several variations of chocolate babka in the past, Smitten Kitchen’s simplification of Yotam Ottolenghi’s krantz cakes are hands down the best. I decided to up the ante a notch by raiding/catching up on my Valrhona x Trader Joe’s chocolate calendar and including several different dark varieties, and it was a scrumptious life choice.

The cutting and twisting stage can be a little iffy, but refrigerating the dough to stiffen the butter makes all the difference. And as long as you get it into the pan in some fashion, it will rise up just dandy. And yes, I have to use a mug of water to humidify my microwave as a rising drawer- even in sunny SoCal, our house is an icebox.

I lose all self-control around this yumminess- that little pan of ends was history before I’d even finished glazing the loaves. With Hanukkah falling early this year, we’re celebrating the miracle of light as we prepare and decorate for our annual holiday open house, which we’re hosting this weekend.

The babka made for some scrumptious Hanukkah bush decorating fuel. The moist and tender brioche was swirled generously with melted chocolate, and warm slices paired perfectly with glasses of icy cold milk.

decktheh-tulaneorniment

We don’t go too overboard with holiday decor. As much as I love the way it looks, I have limited patience for the untangling and wrangling, putting up and taking down, organizing and storing, and David even less so. My mom is a holiday superdecorator and I’m nowhere near her level, so I’m just grateful that she gifted us the majority of those gorgeous vintage glass ornaments.

But I loooooooveee the smell of a live tree in the house, so every year we wind up at the tree lot. It’s the same story, different year- I try and talk David into a 9 footer or the like, he laughs in my face. Then we inspect no less than a dozen (more reasonably sized) trees until I find the perfect one. And once we get it home, I’m hanging onto the mantle or teetering on the arm of the couch to perch the sparkly fleur de lis on the top.

There’s a lot of love on this little table. The chanukiah was a wedding present, and my mother in law crocheted the tablecloth as a gift for me. We collected the pinecones hiking in Big Bear during our 2nd wedding anniversary getaway, then cleaned and glittered them. I can’t help but smile when I see it all- it’s simple but special.

David got me a new MacBook Air last month, and his new camera body arrived a few weeks ago. Since we’re already using and loving our big gifts this year, we’re exchanging smaller treats each night. Some are useful, like the previous night’s Restoration Hardware foot duvets (graphite for David, grey for me), some are indulgent, like these gorgeous rose gold and brown abalone Kendra Scott earrings, and some are silly, like the box of practical jokes and disguises David proceeded to open.

With all the travel I’ve clocked this year (24 round trips in 2015) it’s been really amazing to have put up the suitcases for the year. To just spend some time around the house, making it fun and festive, just gives me all the warm and fuzzy feelings.

loveRavayna

December 9, 2015

0 In travel

paris museum passing through

The second day of our Paris museum pass, we woke early, with plans to climb the towers at Notre Dame, but we were just too sleepy! So we decided to skip the up-close with Quasimodo in favor of snoozing, and that was definately the right decision.

After a little more rest and breakfast, we arrived at the Louvre museum to begin exploring. Though it was hardly even mid-morning, the museum courtyard was packed, and the line was serious. We were again grateful for line-bypass privileges with our museum passes.

Both having visited the museum previously, David and I had planned and selected a few specific exhibits to concentrate our time on. Otherwise, I could stay all day and he’d be intermittently bored to tears and bouncing off the walls.

We began by exploring Napoleon’s glorious apartments. I was pleased to find them relatively empty, so I could take my time gawking and geeking.

I was a starry-eyed magpie in that glowy wing. I’ve never been a royal, but I’m certain I’d be well-suited!

The most incredible gilt work and cut crystal everywhere? I was obsessed. I was scolded at least three times for touching, but I truly couldn’t help it!

Vintage china is one of my weaknesses, so I spent forever inspecting this installation. I swear, David was so patient with me.

When we headed into the Galerie d’Apollon, after which the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles was modeled, it utterly took my breath away.

And when I finally tore myself away from admiring the incredibly detailed artwork and architecture, the French crown jewels were even more stunning up close!

I didn’t expect Winged Victory, to be petite or anything, but the sheer scale of it awed me in person.

Nearing our fill of artwork (and pushy tourists, tbh), we took our leave, but not without a few more pictures… gotta capture the classics!

Ready for a little sunshine and space, we walked into to the Tuileries Garden.

The lawn was crowded with picnicking Parisians. I can’t imagine choosing to eat lunch at a desk when this is an option! We had a lovely meander through the grassy paths to the Orangerie Museum.

Monet’s Waterlilies was the first art to really elicit a feeling in me, when I saw it on a field trip to the Met in the first grade, and I’ve had a special fondness for the series since. We couldn’t make a day trip to Giverny happen (next time!) but I sat there in that gorgeous space, perfectly designed by Monet to exhibit his masterpieces, and felt allll the feels.

Since we’d skipped Notre Dame that morning, we made a point to pass by that afternoon. The courtyard was a bit of a zoo, and the line was ridiculous, but I wa glad for the short visit. Serendipitously, we were in the perfect location when the bells rang, and enjoying them was enough for me.

We made another selfie stop as we walked through the Île de la Cité in the afternoon sunshine. I spent a long time seriously anti-selfie, but I just couldn’t help it- Paris brought out the shameless romantic in me. I blame that tower in the background!

We came across a plain little bridge, and decided it would be the perfect place to leave our tiny lock. I’d been so conflicted about this tradition, but leaned in the direction of sentimentality for once… teenage dreams and all. My bucket list checked off, we walked back to the Marais hand-in-hand.

loveRavayna

December 7, 2015

0 In pageant/ style

throw what you know

They always say you can’t go home again, but I don’t quite buy that. My childhood home is long sold, but I feel like I’ve gone home lots of places: at my mom’s brownstone in New York, my best friend’s family farm outside New Orleans, my Auntie’s house in Trinidad, and funnily enough, at a large pageant host hotel in Anaheim. After 2+ weeks yearly for over a decade, you start to settle in.

When you’re in the same place, reuniting with the same people each year, it’s fun to have some sassy new stuff to wear. I was so glad to have Mary Olive & Co send me some adorable clothes for NAM Nationals week. I loved the heck out of this sassy polka dotted Sherri Hill two-piece dress.

I’m a big fan of the ornate pearl beading on the top, and it was surprisingly light and comfy to wear. I’m also a sucker for cutaway backs, and any dress with pockets is a smash hit with me. Especially running around at a pageant, I prefer to have the necessities on me rather than trying to keep up with a purse.

I styled myself super-fast after a long morning of clients and headed out to the courtyard to get some shots of this MacDuggal dress, also from Mary Olive & Co. It’s made of a thin scuba material with some good drape, and gives some serious shape. It would have a been a bit much for me in my competition years, as I’m a bit of a modest mouse, but I’m grown now and it was fun to wear.

One of our clients is a Stella & Dot vendor, so I got to raid her inventory and play dress up with all her gorgeous stuff. With this striking cobalt dress, I chose the Eva ear jackets, Zinnia split ring, and gold Becker cuff.

A few of our clients were free, between rehearsal and competition, so we invited them to come down to join me for a few pictures. They came out so stinking cute I could barely handle it.

As obsessed as I am with these pictures, they’re bittersweet- I’m terrible about taking pictures while I’m working, and I wish I had such cuteness captured with all of our girls! But twelve separate competition schedules overlapped with my coaching/styling master, so we could only sync up with a few clients. And with less than a tenth of our total clientele on site at this pageant, there are sooo many smiling faces missing.

I so wish we’d have opportunities to shoot with our entire entourage of girls at once! But then I remember how hard it is to herd pageant girls into group pictures, much less keep all sets of eyes open and on the camera, and I’m good with what we’ve got.

We’ve been working with most of these older girls since they were tiny, and having gotten to watch them grow, it makes me feel old as dirt sending my babies off to college and the real world. I’m also really honored that their parents have shared them with us for so many years, and I swear on earth this #squad keeps me young and hip, and certainly always laughing.

As a former national queen, each year I attend a few alumnae events the pageant hosts for us. As one of the eldest, the meetings are always fun- I love seeing our ranks and the girls grow from year to year. This year, the pageant had some big name judges, and were kind enough to arrange meet-and-greets for us. Like with former Miss USA, Nia Sanchez, who is even more stunning in person.

Mary Olive & Co sent me this sassy striped MacDuggal as well, and I mitchy-matched my lipstick to the bodice, and collected compliments on it all day, even after I swapped my heels for flats.

We also got to spend a little more time visiting with last year’s Miss America, Kira Kazantsev. I remember her from her competition days, and she’s become a firecracker of a woman and a fab role model for young girls.

I took the opportunity to tell her about some of my little ones, and their immense (and rightfully due) cases of hero worship. They were falling over themselves in excitement to see her on their panel, and I couldn’t help but share a few of the best stories.

This is the last of the pageant talk for a while, so if you’ve come across this post in search of pageant and image consulting, you should just email me directly- we’re returning to posts about Paris soon. But the older I get, the more sentimental… I guess I should count myself lucky to have so many things to be sappy about!

loveRavayna

December 5, 2015

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