Miles of Memories

If you follow me on Facebook or Flickr, you may have noticed that Rose and I are in the midst of organizing a charity event through Miss Royalty. All proceeds will go to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. It’s important to me that I share exactly why I’m doing this.

My father lost his favorite uncle to Alzheimer’s in the 1990s. Eugene had been a military veteran AND a cancer survivor, only to then be stricken with a disease that took so much from him. He was an upstanding citizen and loved his community.

Then, in 2008, my grandmother died due to complications related to severe dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association, you may or may not know, also supports caregivers and sufferers of that disease. For me, she was a rock, a lioness in my life. Until her dying day, she somehow always remembered me, despite the memories and personality taken from her. Even though it was years ago now, I’m still grieving. I’m crying as I write this.

I do this, “Miles of Memories” for them. And I do it for all the loved ones who are lost. If we work hard enough, some day we will know a world with a cure.

For more info about our event, please visit http://milesofmemoriesalz.wordpress.com

To donate to the virtual walk team, please visit http://act.alz.org/goto/missroyalty2016

We would be eternally grateful for your support. Thank you.

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They Called Her Fair Olivia & Reflections on Miss Royalty

Jewelry: Chop Zuey – Fair Olivia set
Hair: MINA – Becca
Pose: Posesion from the Moondance set
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Sunday April 10th was the finals of the Miss Royalty Pageant. It was the most nerve-wracking day of my SLife. It seemed for most of the event, my heart was pounding so hard it hurt. When I was called last to the Top 3, I couldn’t believe it. The talent of the other contestants was amazing, so I was just grateful to get that far. While there will always be more to learn (which I love), I have seen myself grow during my modeling career and I have become more confident in my skills.

At the end of 2014, only a few months after graduating from modeling school, I was in Miss Virtual World and didn’t even place. It left me questioning whether or not modeling was for me. Of course through talking with people, I realized that pageants and standard modeling are different arenas, so in that respect I gained back some hope. It left me feeling like I definitely wasn’t a “pageant girl,” however. Over the next year, other pageants and contests came around. I contemplated whether or not to enter any, but just could not bring myself to commit. A lot of it had to do with disillusionment, I think. I wanted to do a pageant where I would be valued.

Some friends of mine entered Miss Royalty in its first year running. I liked that the pageant focused on true styling as well as personality. The outfits were amazing, but there was no emphasis on superficial over-the-top looks. There was also a great deal of importance placed on charitable works. It took a few good pieces from real life pageants and added unique aspects. Those are the factors that encouraged me to finally take the plunge in 2016. Right away I decided Miss Royalty would be my second and last ever pageant, no matter what happened.

It has taken me quite a few days to process everything that transpired. It hasn’t sunk in that I won Miss Royalty. Rosie keeps joking with me and calling me “queen” or “your highness.” It still doesn’t make the result feel real. There is so much work that has to be done. Already there are multiple people for me to contact. The event is going to be this summer, so any sponsors, bloggers or designers who already know they would like to assist with a charitable event should contact me.

In closing, I would like to say to you, dear reader – never lose hope. Even after the success I’ve had as a model and now in Miss Royalty, there are still shows or spreads here and there for which I don’t get cast. There will always be disappointments. There will always be condescending people that make you question yourself. But never ever let someone or something change you, especially to steer you away from your dreams. Despite all the failures and false starts in my career, I have been able to achieve goals. There is a place for you in the metaverse, one where you are meant to shine. Keep pushing forward – you WILL find it. Also, whether or not I know you, if you ever want to get feedback or ideas from me, don’t hesitate to reach out.

The Diary of a Royal

While working on my outfit for the next Miss Royalty challenge, I realized that I never blogged the outfit I put together for our contestants meeting. It was the first time that most of us had been in the same room together. We were asked to style with the theme of “Princess Diaries 2” in mind. It’s been a while since I saw the film and unfortunately I couldn’t find it on Netflix. I really need to watch both again as I loved them when I was younger and read most of the book series. What I remember most from “Princess Diaries 2” were the parties. I was particularly drawn to an outdoor party, especially after I saw the venue for our meeting and how it had an open ceiling, large glass windows and vines hanging from the walls. It seemed perfect to style particularly for a garden tea party.

Necklace and bracelet: Mandala – Pearl Rain Season 3
Earrings: Yummy – Pearl Studs
Fascinator: LODE – Headwear – Elix
Bag: REIGN – Anarchy Clutch
Sash: MISS ROYALTY SASH made by Rose Athena Uros
Hair: TRUTH HAIR – Felicity
Shoes: Ana Markova for LivGlam – Audra Heels (discontinued)
Dress: LivGlam – Kissing A Fool (discontinued)
Pose: Posesion from the Pencil Skirt set

Hippie Chick

So… I’m jumping in head first and participating in the Miss Royalty pageant. While I’m incredibly nervous, I’m also very excited to see what it brings. These are going to be a busy next few months. While this is the second pageant I will have done, that doesn’t make it less of an adventure.

To officially start my journey, I decided to make a post to show my audition outfit. We were given the theme of “hippie chic.” Honestly, this was a challenge for me. As my friends will tell you, I have a pretty tailored, straight-laced and elegant personal style. Lots of jackets, gowns, lace dresses and suits. On the rare occasion I might wear skinny jeans. But I must emphasize the word rare. Having to style something relaxed, free-spirited and casual is stepping outside the box for me. I am happy, however, with the end result. It took many days, but was of course worth the effort since I’m now Miss Royalty Romania. Even if I had not been selected from the audition, the experience would have been 100% worth it because I had the chance to practice the fundamentals of a styling genre.

Wish me luck!

Dress: GizzA – Cara Dress
Hair: Truth – Elyse (comes with the headband)
Shoes: REIGN – Native Boots
Earrings: Cae – Dream Catcher
(I’m also wearing a few rings but they’re hard to see)