And the winner is.....

 (Confetti!)

 

It's been a long time coming but I can finally say that I have won a place to compete internationally in AMERICA! In Texas, of all places, the home of pageantry! The weekend has been full of amazing moments and I am still forever tired from all the emotions but let me tell you the story of how this 28 year old pregnant personal trainer become the new Young European International Ms, changing the stereotype for all women when it comes to pageants and opening more doors for us curvy girls to take those national titles!  

 

(Penelope HAD to be crowned before her mum right?!)

 

The journey to YEMI was a stressful one, a late dog sitter, traffic, the needing of a nap but not having the time and also the ice cream frozen on the plate but we made it to our hotel room for the next couple of days . Last year in YEMI I didn't place, I did win the congeniality (for my amaaazing personality, well the girls thought so!) so this year I wasn't taking anything less than placing somewhere in the pageant!! We were very lucky to see Mia crowned Junior Miss the night before, the look on her face when she was told she was going to America was enough to melt the coldest of hearts and was a joy to be part of! Also Jeyanne was out to make me cry as well, presenting my little bump with her very own sash and baby crown (maternity photos are going to be so extra!). It was such a touching moment that they would include my little miracle into the pageant and I will always be forever grateful!

 

(Interview Ready!)

 

After all the excitement, we rolled into our bedrooms after photoshoots and walking practice (to walk off all that ice cream!), ready to settle into some much needed beauty sleep. Sadly, my hotel room was next to a rowdy lot so cue no sleep and one grumpy queen in the morning! But as soon as the warrior paint was on (aka make up), heels donned and hair put back, it was time to win that crown for Wiltshire! Interviews are the best part about the pageant as you get to get across what you want to achieve as a beauty queen. I got to talk about my homeless project, my charity work and promoting body confidence. I did get the motto wrong but I believe the one I gave was much better ;) I'm joking of course, but the question was asked about why choosing yemi to compete. The pageant throughout the weekend was close knit, friendly and like a family, the best kind of vibes you can get from a pageant. All the divisions were mingling with each other, woman from all different backgrounds and diversity which makes the pageant even better when you enjoy being there. Of course we are all there to win, but if you don't, we take those experiences with us for the next time!

 

(Red, white and Blue round)

 

So after a quick nap, hair done and make up slayed by The Face Boss it was ready to go! We nailed our opening round, said our introductions and it was ready for the frantic changes between rounds that just make the pageant atmosphere! There were three judged rounds:

Red, White and Blue Round

Fashion Round

Evening Wear

 

For my red, white and blue I love vintage looks and found an amazing dress, on sale as well, on lindy Bop that had all the colours I needed. I bought two petticoats to make it swing and then was given a pair of mary jane shoes that my friend Georgia got on ebay for a few pounds. I made them pageant friendly by attaching 40,000 red gems with my trust glue gun!! I am so proud that this outfit was chosen as Best in Red,White and Blue for my division!

 

(My Fashion Wear, Swish Swish!)

 

Next was fashion, and the glue gun came out again to actually get me into this outfit! So in my head I created this piece using an old high low dress and taking the swishy part, attaching it to an old jumpsuit and then blinging it up with more gems. It looked amazing, then as I was trying it on I realised that the high low dress went over my head because my hips are too big, hence why it was stuck on my thighs in the catsuit! But a beauty queen can get over these, when it came on the night, dawn attached the parts onto my back and it was like nothing had every happened! I felt so comfortable  walking in this outfit, proud that I had made it although getting out of it also proved a struggle but it's all worth it in the end!

 

(Can you tell I like green!)

 

Finally out of the catsuit, it was time to slip into my evening gown which by far is one of my favourite dresses of all time as it's so unqiue! There is an old myth surrounding pageants that green is not a winning colour, too bad my skin colour and look really suits green!! It was so nice to take that walk in this gown, which I had practiced for so long! Then just like that it was the interval and no more could of been done to add to those scores. Time to rest those feet and wait nervously!

 

(We didn't plan to match!)

 

The support I had from the crowd and on live stream was amazing, my two fellow Wiltshire beauty queens were channelling my green vibes by turning up in the same colours! As did my pageant mum Jill in her green dress, green is the colour of the Wiltshire flag! With each round I could here them cheering and it made me smile, feel more confident and remember that I do have the support there! After the current queens good bye walks, which are always so emotional it was time for results! When the Ms category was finally called up, my heart was beating so fast I couldn't hear anything else. First of all the side awards were called out, I was happy with the best in RWB and very very happy for the highest score in Interview which is always the award I want to win! Then it came to call the name who had won, the tense moment when it's silent and then suddenly they call your name!! If you play back the live feed you can see how shocked I am, of course I balled my eyes out, I look over to my friends and they are crying, its a surreal moment! I am the winner!!

 

(My crowning moment!)

 

I got to take my first walk as the Ms queen, and watch Dawn be crowned Mrs. All my predictions for the winners were right (fro once) and I am so excited to be joining them in Texas to represent Europe!! As soon as crowning was over it was a rush from my friends who all came on stage to hug me, wiping tears away, massive smiles, Wiltshire had done it! crown 2 of 5 for us girls!!

 

(My lovely Megan and I after crowning)

 

After the finals we got all our goodies and done our Christmas shoot (first time ever for me!), the hungry finally got to me and it was off to my room at half 11 at night to try and digest the fact that I had won. The curvy queen, who talks about mental health, who is currently 5 months pregnant and not letting the world slow her down. I will be representing Europe, and going to Texas where I have NEVER been out of Europe before! I have so much planned for my year as queen, starting with this Saturday when I hope to see my bestie Georgia be crowned Mrs Sensational UK. It's been a tough year for me, but now I have so much to look forward to! So for now I must go back to the day job and try wake myself up to teach Aqua but I will sign off with this,

 

I am YOUR new Young European Ms International 2017

 

 

x <3 x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making the difference as a pageant girl... charity challenges explained

(Charity donations don't just have to be money donations!)

Most pageant girls will always be busy girls, and not just with pageants but everyday life. We have jobs, collage and uni, families to look after, that when it comes to appearances it can be hard fitting it all in. As a titleholder you have the opportunity to do some amazing things for different charities but if you find it hard to dedicate a day to certain events it can feel like you aren't doing your title justice. Charity work is not just about raising money but also awareness, and some charities welcome donations as well which are sometimes needed more! Here are a few things you can do to help charity but also fit it into your schedule (so in other words there is no excuse pageant gals!):

(Pads for Princesses)

Pads for Princess and other collections for Sanitary Items:

Being a Project Code Red ambassador which is a charity raising awareness for homeless woman without sanitary needs, this charity is also a great charity helping young women who can't afford these products and instead go to unhygienic means to stop their periods. In Africa, when young women get their periods, they miss school, missing out on their education which is so important! This charity provides the products to help them in their time of need, after all having a period is something that is natural and we can't control, so a little bit goes a long way. You can pick up the products for just 28p! Or go for a bit of luxury for up to £2.50, supermarkets always have deals on and also are paying the tampon tax so you can get more for your money, plus you will always go to a supermarket or small shop for food (because we need to eat!) so you aren't taking a detour out of your routine! Two birds, one stone as they say!



(Food Bank Donations!)

Food Bank:

Adding a few extra items to your shopping and donating to your local foodbank is a great way to help out others who really need that help when it comes to food. Mrs Rutland Galaxy Katherine has a challenge right now to get to 10,000 items donated to the foodbanks before March, and she is halfway there! You can do the Foodbank £5 challenge where you fill as much as you can in your trolley for £5 and donate the items. Myself and Ms Blackpool completed the challenge and got 17 items each, it also teaches you to be more mindful with your shopping as you can get so much for so little. Items need to have a long shelf life so rice, pasta, cans, sauces all help and can make a families week that little bit better. Also with Christmas coming up you can do a reverse advent calendar, instead of 25 chocolates, donate 25 items o f need to the foodbank, in Swindon they are asking until the 6th December to be able to donate to families before Christmas.

(Milk Top Collections)

Milk Top Collection for Various Charities:

Depending on what pageant system you take part in, they may have this collection running alongside it. Miss Paragon International and Miss beauty UK are two pageants I know who collect bottle tops, which goes to different charity. Now if you love milk like me then you can collect a lot over an amount of time! If you aren't taking part in these systems but still want to collect, the power of Facebook is in your hands! Contact one of the current titleholders (regional and national) and see if they would like to receive these tops, or exchange at a local event or post! Something so simple as collecting your lids can really help another charity and also help another pageant girl out with her total!

(Smalls for All Collection, I collected over 200 last time!!)

Smalls for All's:

Smalls for all is a charity based in the UK which help women in other countries with underwear in some of the poorest parts. Did you know that in some countries, wearing underwear can prevent rape? It's shocking to think that way, but in some countries women are too poor to be able to afford something that we in everyday life think of as everyday wear. You can help by donate your old bras (providing they are in good condition) and also you can send new pants (go on a Primark trip!). They also have a wish list on amazon so you don't even have to leave the house to help the charity!

(Social Media campaigns are a great way to help raise awareness)

Social Media Campaigns:

There are many social media campaigns, which will be run by different charities or by pageant girls. This is all about raising awareness for different conditions, their platforms or celebrating women of all diversities. Social media is a great way to get your platform across and bring these appeals to different people. When I ran my Project Code Red Appeal, through my pageant facebook I was able to reach different girls all over the UK to help donate. It is also a great way of doing blogs, video blogs, helping others get to know you and what you believe in. For me personally, I use facebook to talk about mental health, and helping others get help and also join in the movement of talking!!

(Project code red appeal in November)

All these are just a small sample of what you can do to fit into your normal everyday routine, if you have the time then please donate to a local charity shop your time, to a local event helping out, to other pageant girl's events help attend and support their causes as well as attend other pageant finals to help support your fellow queens. There is so much you can do with your title, don't let it go to waste in your sash bag!!

Lots of Love

Ms Wiltshire YEMI Hannah

x<3 x



The Homeless Appeal So Far..... #ProjectCodeRed

(Items collected at Nuffield after the first week)

 

 

Being a pageant queen there are many things I use my title to be passionate for, from Mental Health and Body Confidence which are my main platforms to the charities I am ambassadors for like The Beni Bear Club and Project Code Red.

 

 

I started the Threshold Homeless Appeal in 2015, or rather Jade started the idea of us Wiltshire Beauty Queens starting an appeal, I got my workplace involved by offering guest passes for items (Many Thanks Nuffield!) and our first collection was handed in with two big suitcases full of needed items.

 

(Half of the 2016 collection at Threshold)

 

2016 I held the appeal myself, once again starting in November and just using Nuffield as a base to donate items. We over exceeded last years given items and donated over 10 bags full of products. We learnt about what Threshold do here in Swindon, from providing care out on the streets, in hostels and for those starting in their own accommodation again after sleeping rough. They also give people on the street tokens to use in nearby facilities so they can have a fresh shower, a little something to make them feel human again.

 

(Ruth and Myself with the first items donated to the appeal!)

 

So we come round to November for my third appeal, and this time I really wanted to get the whole pageant community involved as well as my local community. Being an ambassador for the Project Code Red charity, who promote and provide sanitary items for homeless females, I wanted to get across the fact the these items are the least donated items in the appeal. For just 28p you can get a pack of ten maxi pads, something that is loose change to some of us when we are shopping! So I set the challenge to add a couple of these to their basket and send me the items. I've had a great response so far from beauty queens in all different systems asking for my address and packaging up their goodies for the appeal.

 

(Hayley Miss Teen Catwalk UK and her items! Branded items as well!)

 

Sanitary pads and tampons are not often thought of when making homeless packs, but imagine being homeless and being the time of the month, not only do you feel unclean but when someone gives you some change you are more likely to spend that on something warm to eat rather than something to give you a bit of comfort. Often some females are so malnourished that their periods are very irregular so it's not even something you can plan ahead for!

 

(Mia, YEMI Junior finalist with her goodies, including lip balms and other hygiene items)

 

We still have another week to go to collect as many more items as we can! We are looking for the following:

 

# Shampoo/Conditioner/Dry Shampoo

#Deodorant

#Shower gel/ Soap

#Toothbrush/Toothpaste/ Mouthwash

# Sanitary Towels/ Tampons

#Wet wipes/ Anti Bacterial Gel

 

And anything else which is suitable for the homeless appeal.

 

If you would like to help you can send these items to me through post, or if you are in Swindon you can drop them off at Swindon Nuffield Health and Fitness. Every little items counts, even if you have travel size handy, or if it's a value product it doesn't take much!!

 

Other ways to help the homeless can be donating duvets, pillows and warm clothing which you can take to the Threshold bases which is located in Town Centre (opposite Lava Lounge).

 

Thank you all for your support and let's beat last year!!

 

Hannah Golding

 

Ms YEMI Wiltshire 2017

 

 



The year of the Wiltshire Beauty Queen

 

(5/8 of the girls at Catwalk Perfect UK finals)

 

 

We started this year all competing in Galaxy, but that dream was not meant to be for this year. Instead of getting knocked down and quitting the glitzy world of pageantry, instead we all picked different systems that fit with our ethos and started the work to bringing all those crowns back to Wiltshire, a pageant army!

 

 

(The new generation of Wiltshire Beauty Queens, in training with the original!)

 

Pageants are becoming more well known in our area, which is something I have tried to promote the 8 years I have been competing in pageants! We are inspiring the next generation, from the very small to the slightly older lady! All through the power of positive promotion and pageantry sisterhood!!

 

 

(Crown 1 of 5 ticked off for Sabrina and winning Miss Catwalk Perfect UK)

 

Sabrina is the first to win her dream title, she worked so hard for the crown and many chats in our pageant whatsapp was based around outfit choices, interview questions, charity appearances and what we can do as a team. Of course we all came to watch her win, there was no one louder than the table of queens that night!! I am so proud of our little sassy blonde bombshell and she has set the standard high bringing in so many side awards! (including Miss Food Bank, such a good cause!)

 

(Teen GB Wiltshire who came Top 16 at the finals, YEMI Wiltshire, Paragon Charity and Mrs Wiltshire Sensational)

 

So the rest of the girls and their title quests?! Sheri is competing for the Miss Paragon International title in February 2018, a title she has been preparing for all year, even with health troubles! Together with the perfect pageant boyfriend who is willing to drive her to even the remote part of wales for appearances! It's great to have more than one queen in Wiltshire because we get to support each other on events, this photo was from Miss Teen GB Wiltshire Jemma's charity race night, and attend appearances together as well as join heads for charity ideas and drives like Sabrina's Food Bank request or my homeless appeal.

 

(Ruth, Mrs Winchester Galaxy 2017, donating to YEMI Wiltshire's homeless appeal)

 

Next we have Ruth, who will be competing in the Mrs Galaxy UK finals in March 2018. So technically Winchester is not in Wiltshire, but Ruth is one of the orginal Wiltshire Beauty Queens back when it was just the four of us, hiking and modelling wedding dresses everywhere! Those were the golden days of pageantry where you would always see our faces in the paper every other week! Ruth deserves that Mrs title so much, sadly she was doomed with the Face of the Globe finalsthat never happened, as well as the Europe's perfect finals so to see a crown finally on that girl's head would complete it all!!

 

 

(Some snapchat fun with Georgia at an appearance!)

 

Georgia will be competing in the Mrs Sensational finals in December this year, a charity pageant supporting MIND charity which helps with mental health, a charity close to my heart. I am so excited to be watching Georgia do her thang! Georgia joined us in 2012 after seeing myself on social media, and we have become the best of friends. pageants are not just about winning the crown but what you achieve along the way. We have the best support network and support each other in everything we do, Georgia has worked hard with charities close to here heart as well as raise two little boys and get married in that time (she has worn a wedding dress enough times!)

 

 

(YEMI girls at Vanessa's charity pageant)

 

And finally, my chance to shine! I will be competing in the YEMI finals, where the winner gets to go to Texas!! Team UK did so well as well this year so I hope I will be the one to win the MS. I competed in YEMI last year, not preparing as well as I could and not getting my message across as week as I could of done. I really wanted to promote my homeless charity work, as well as supporting mental health. It has been a tough time in my life recently and with the help of pageantry I have come through the other side and put so much time and effort into this title, that the crown HAS to be mine! But if I don't win, all the girls in my cat would make a deserving winner and we are there to support them in their international quest!!

 

5 crowns to be won, putting Wiltshire back on the pageant map. I've waited 8 long years for this, and now all our dreams are coming true! Down to hard work, determination and the sparkling help of my sister pageant queens!!!

 

Wiltshire let's do this!!