Texas Aggie Magazine

I graduated from Texas A&M University back in 2006, & I enjoyed every minute that I was there! The school is home to over 46,000 students, so there are a lot of amazing alumni that come out of our school and do amazing things in their communities.
That’s why I was so honored when I was contacted to be featured in the summer issue of Texas Aggie Magazine, our school’s alumni publication! The article focuses on my work done as Miss International and my work done while a student at Texas A&M University. I am so excited for it to come out later this month!

Ashley Smith

Fourth of July

I hope everyone had a happy and safe 4^th of July!! It’s one of my favorite holidays J This year, I was able to go to the festivities near downtown Houston with a few of my friends to watch the fireworks and hear some live music.  

The cost to get in was just ONE canned good! With over 100,000 expected to attend, we were able to collect lots of food for those who need it!

Of course we all know that there is a BIG reason to celebrate, and it’s not all about the spectacle in the sky. Remembering our troops that have fought and are still fighting for our freedom is what the 4^th is all about for me! My friends and I took the time to write postcards to the soldiers thanking them for their service and wishing them a safe return home!

There were so many people there to celebrate our wonderful country with the city of Houston as the backdrop!

Another wonderful Independence Day!

Ashley Smith

July Video Blog

Ashley Smith

Start! Walking Paths

Since moving back, I have been doing research on getting involved with the local chapters of my favorite charities. In getting reacquainted with the American Heart Association’s website, I came across a new initiative they are putting together to make it easy and fun for people on the go to fit exercise into their everyday lives.

There are Start! Walking Paths popping up all around the country, and they are so easy to find! The AHA has created an app for both the iPhone and the Android that makes it easy to find a path near you. If you can’t find one, you can create your own and document it so others can follow in your footsteps.  Such a fun new way to get healthy & make it fun for kids to do it too!

http://www.startwalkingnow.org/start_walking_paths.jsp

Ashley Smith

Last Minute Pageant Prep

I remember this time last year, I was working out every day and going over and over my list of what to pack. I’m sure a lot of you girls are the same way! I want to share just a few bits of advice for preparing as we get so close to pageant week! 

1.      Eat Healthy

a.       I know the fitness competition is a big part of the score, but getting in shape should never include starving yourself! Eating healthy is a good way to make sure you are in good physical and mental condition for the non-stop week in Chicago!

2.      Get Organized

a.       There is a lot that goes into being a State Queen and Miss International. It’s important to be able to stay organized throughout your reign, and it is especially important for being in Chicago. If you’ve looked at the schedule, you’ll see we are going, going, going all the time! It will create a lot less stress for you if you organize your outfits and time to meet with your family and friends while you’re there!

3.      Don’t Forget…

a.       If you are like me, you have made a list of what to bring with you on your trip. A few things that I was glad someone told me to bring with me last year are: shoe inserts (thanks to my wonderful director!) because my feet were worn out, a jacket for the hotel, and snacks for the hotel room!

I’m sure you are excited to get to Chicago and meet the other contestants, but make sure you are doing all you can to promote the pageant and spread the word about your platform! Can’t wait to see y’all in Chicago! Only a few more weeks!

Ashley Smith 

Komen North Texas Race for the Cure

This past Saturday I participated in the Susan G. Komen North Texas Race for the Cure in memory of my Mom-Mom & in celebration of my Momma being a 17 year survivor!! It was my first year as a Team Captain. My goal was to have about 10 people join my team and together raise $1000. To my WONDERFUL surprise I had 16 wonderful ladies on my team, and together we raised $1160 for the cause!! What a wonderful turn out & generous giving - I know the money we raised will be put to good use, but what is more important to me is the number of people that came out! Just raising awareness about breast cancer is my ultimate goal.

Mom joining other survivors for a picture before we got started.

The titleholders on my Queens for the Cure team.

Mrs. Texas International, Angelique Hoover; Miss Oklahoma International, Natalie Wells; and myself

Ashley Smith

Did You Know?

While I was at the Race for the Cure, I noticed there were very few men participating. Most think of breast cancer as a woman’s disease – the color of awareness after all is PINK! But we can’t forget that this cancer affects men too. I must admit that I have not met many men who have breast cancer, but I remember at my state pageant one of the judges’ husbands had fought breast cancer (and won!), and she thanked me for remembering that it is not just a woman’s disease. She asked me to make sure that I made it part of my mission as Miss Texas International to spread awareness about breast cancer in men. I promised her I would! And so I have continued that as Miss International as well. I was very happy to see this sign at The Race.

It says: Komen for the CURE in honor of ALL women & men.

Ashley Smith

Visiting The Competitive Image

I had such a great time in Dothan at The Competitive Image! I have never been able to go into a store devoted to “pageant clothes” and try on so many beautiful things. Joey has a great eye for what will look good on me and what I will like – he was right on with everything! I would LOVE to share pictures of what I bought, but I think it should be a surprise, so….

I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in, and I was taken back to Clay’s studio and asked, “Do you notice anything??” There was my picture on the wall! I was selected as one of the pictures they chose to blow up for the studio – what a wonderful compliment!

I can’t thank Joey & Terry enough! I walked away with some more fantastic Clay Spann make-up as well. A wonderful visit & well worth the 8 hour round trip drive & plane ride to get there!!

Ashley Smith

Pictures for Soldiers

I was contacted recently by Miss Houston International, Melissa Delgadillo. Melissa was one of the contestants I met while she was competing this year for the title of Miss Texas International! She is very active in her community and throughout the entire state of Texas and is a wonderful representative of our International Pageant System.

She asked if I would sign some of my autograph cards to be included in packages she was sending to our soldiers overseas – I was so honored!! It is the LEAST I can do for those who do so much for me.
 

I also included some for some girls that she mentors and for Melissa too!
 

Ashley Smith

Winning on a Budget: Accessories

Accessories can definitely make an outfit really stand out, but that doesn’t mean they should break the bank! It’s important to include these things when you are planning your budget because you will need at least SOME accessories with every wardrobe change you have! Whether it’s earrings, rings, bracelets, or a fascinator for fun fashion – you will want to add something special to each outfit.

So how can you afford to have so many accessories?? My secret is costume jewelry from Sam Moon or Charming Charlie. (http://www.sammoon.com/) (http://www.charmingcharlie.com/home) How great are these places?

Well, I was able to get my earrings to match my evening gown perfectly, and they were…ELEVEN DOLLARS! Can you believe it? I was so excited. I also was able to buy 6 different earring options for interview, (at $2 a piece I just couldn’t decide!) earrings & a ring for fun fashion, & about 5 other earrings options for random outfits throughout the week. All of that for about $50 – that’s like stealing! And just a side note: these places are actually great to everyday jewelry too.

If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for at a place like that, never underestimate the power of DIY (do it yourself!). Sometimes that’s the very best way to get exactly what you want. If you want a flower for your hair but you just can’t find the right one – make it! No one will ever know the difference.

Happy Shopping!

Ashley Smith

Off to Dothan!

I have heard from so many of the contestants that the trunk shows at the Competitive Image have been fantastic! I’m so glad to hear it!

Unfortunately, I had to miss this last one because I was a bridesmaid in one of my best friend’s weddings! (An acceptable excuse to miss it!) I had a lot of fun at the wedding in California, but I must say I am really looking forward to going to Dothan, Alabama to see Clay & Joey this week!

One of the perks of being Miss International is being dressed by Clay & Joey throughout my year, so you know I’ll definitely be living out my “Shop ‘Til You Drop” motto while I’m there!!

I am hoping to find some evening gowns that I love & some cocktail dresses too. They always have the best dresses at this shop!! If you had to miss the trunk shows too, that’s ok! It’s not too late to make an appointment to meet with the team there.

I’ll be sure to post about my time spent in Dothan with my mom & the Competitive Image team! Can’t wait!!

Ashley Smith

Emceeing a State Pageant

I was invited to be the emcee for a State pageant of a pageant I competed in when I was younger. Of course I accepted – another chance to wear my crown & banner! It was a lot of fun seeing these young girls on stage overcoming their nerves & showing us what they can do!! My mom was a judge, & so were two of our friends from Virginia. It was a great weekend of laughing & pageantry. I was so happy to see that some of our International Pageant Family turned up for the event!

As I’ve said before, I really enjoy all things pageantry & talking with the girls about how it has changed their lives already. It’s amazing!

Ashley Smith

American Heart Association Health Fair

Last week, I was able to work at a booth for the American Heart Association at a Health Fair in Maryland. It was outside on the grounds of a retirement community, & everyone who came by our booth was interested in learning more about being heart healthy or had stories about what made them switch to being heart healthy. There was even a woman there who said, “Well I’ve had 2 heart attacks, I guess a stroke is going to be next so tell me about that!” That really broke my heart because it should not be like that! It shouldn’t be just because you are getting older that you have resigned to the fact that you are going to be unhealthy. I was glad that I was able to share information with these people & encourage them to get their blood pressure checked.

I was actually very in to chatting with these people, not just about the American Heart Association, but also about their grandchildren & great grandchildren and all of those fun things! I was glad to be a bright point in their day! So glad in fact that when I got home I realized that I only took ONE picture! And that was almost right after we got there. So I’m sorry for the lack of pictures in this post. It was not the biggest turn out for a Health Fair, but I know that we touched some lives, & that’s what matters!

Ashley Smith

Easter Sunday

He is RISEN! I wanted to do something extra special for Easter Sunday since it was our first Easter in Washington, DC. Through my google skills, I found out about a Sunrise Easter Sunday Service at the Lincoln Memorial. Well, “sunrise” would usually deter me because I am not a fan of early mornings, but of course Easter is a very special occasion so I made an exception.

We arrived at about 6:15am to a huge crowd of people on the steps of the memorial, in folding chairs in front, and standing with their loved ones on the lawn all to be a part of this service together. It was so special to see the sun coming up by the Washington Monument in the distance while we sang songs about this happy day!! It was such a wonderful experience! I’m not going to pretend that I got up early enough to be “camera ready,” but I did take some pictures of what we experienced. The pictures of course don’t do it justice, but it was a wonderful way to celebrate our Lord!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter with family & friends!

Ashley Smith

DC International Pageants

A few weeks ago, I was able to attend the DC International pageants & ask the questions to the Miss Contestants on stage. It was a great production & the contestants were fabulous! All of them were passionate about their platform & were able to share with everyone there all the things they had been able to do in their communities.

I was able to meet Walter Lewis who puts on a “Fit For a Queen Bootcamp!” I am going to attend this bootcamp in May, & I’m so excited!

The new Miss DC International is Allison Hill. I actually got to meet her a few days before the pageant when I went into the CVS by my house – she is my pharmacist! It was really neat to be “recognized” when I went in to fill a prescription!

It was such a pleasure to meet all the contestants and see what wonderful things the International Pageant system is doing in this part of the country. Keep up the good work, girls!

Ashley Smith

North Texas Komen Race for the Cure

Last year I was able to participate in the North Texas Komen Race for the Cure along with my mom, Miss Texas Teen International Sydney Datcher, and her mom as well! We had such a wonderful time, that I decided to create my own team this year & recruit more girls to participate & raise money & awareness along with us!

I am proud to be the Team Captain for Queens for a Cure! The race will take place on June 11th in Plano, Texas. I hope everyone will join! You can be a member that comes out to run with us, OR you can participate from your chair at home! Komen has created a way to be a member of a team from afar!

Please visit my team’s webpage: http://northtexas.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/PNO_NorthTexasAffiliate?team_id=164735&pg=team&fr_id=2102

Look at all the fun we had last year!

Ashley Smith

Winning on a Budget: Interview Outfit

In an earlier post, I discussed the role of clothes and how interview outfits can fit into that role. To remind everyone, a few guidelines I discussed were:

1. Wear something you feel comfortable in

2. Don’t be afraid of bright colors

3. Look professional

These are all still very important – but how do you choose when there are so many options out there? First, you need to decide if you want to wear a suit or a dress. I wore a suit for my interview. It was a turquoise, knit Jennifer Roberts suit that I was able to borrow from a wonderful friend! However, if I wasn’t able to borrow that suit, I would have worn a dress. This is because for me, I would get more wear out of a dress later on. I don’t wear suits to work or to many appearances, so a dress would be a better investment of my money.

There are some suits & dresses that are appropriate for a pageant interview listed on “pageantresale.com,” but that does not mean that you need a “pageanty” outfit for the interview competition. The judges are looking for someone to take over a job, so they are looking for someone who looks professional. With that said, this is WAY more fun than most jobs! So I would recommend staying away from darker colors (like black) & wear something that will brighten up your face & make your interviewer not want to stop looking at you! It should be interesting without being overpowering.

There are many dresses available at department stores or boutiques that would be perfect for interviewing to become Miss International! And how does that fit in with “staying on a budget??” Choose something that you can wear again. You can wear the same interview outfit for your on stage question (once you make Top 10!), & again for appearances throughout your year. Re-wearing competition outfits doesn’t really fit in with the fun fashion competition or evening gown (except for special occasions!), but your interview outfit should definitely be something that you would want to wear again (and again!) Happy Shopping!

Ashley Smith

Winning on a Budget: Fun Fashion

Juliana’s recent post on How To Win Fun Fashion was right on point! Doing something different is the real key. Lucky for us, that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank.

At my state competition, I borrowed a Sherri Hill dress that retails for more than someone would pay “on a budget,” so once again I lucked out on that one!

For Nationals, I wanted something a little more “special,” but once I had the idea in my head, nothing else would do! I couldn’t find anything that matched what I was picturing, so I enlisted the help of my mom. I designed the outfit, and she tweaked it and actually made the entire thing for me – mostly by hand! MANY hours went into this outfit – thankfully it was the National Fun Fashion Winner!!

My advice is not necessarily to make your own fun fashion outfit to save money, but putting your own spin on an existing outfit is a great way to ensure that no one else will have what you have, and you will stand out!

Find a cocktail dress that you LOVE (and would wear again for an appearance) & add a fun skirt to it. Or find some trendy sequin shorts (I’m sure you can find some inexpensive ones on eBay) & pair it with an interesting top & some FABULOUS shoes! Accessories can also play a big part in this, but that is for another post!

I loved the idea of having something to “play” with while on stage, which is why I wanted a detachable skirt. I thought it gave me that element of surprise, and something interesting to look at while I was modeling.

So really you can just add a colorful piece of fabric to your existing outfit to kick it up a notch & make it perfect for the stage! Mostly make sure that you feel sassy & confident in your fun fashion outfit. No one will know how much you paid for it, but wear it like you’re worth a million bucks!!

Ashley Smith