"DREAM IT, BELIEVE IT, ACHIEVE IT!"

I don't know where my title quote originated BUT I learned it from one of my favorite people and teachers, Nicole Bosso.  She is an inspiration to me.  Nicole taught me an important lesson that let me DREAM and ACHIEVE my goals, to believe in myself.  Now I want to return that favor and wish her GOOD LUCK in her upcoming bid to become Delaware's First DUAL Miss Delaware Title Holder.  Nicole is the 2007 Miss Delaware USA.  She is now competing for the 2010 Miss Delaware America crown. 

Even though there are some really talented and beautiful women competing for this year's title of Miss Delaware America and each one of them is a wonderful role model for teenagers like me, I don't know anyone in the whole world who could be better suited to be Delaware's first 2x Pageant Queen than my special friend and mentor, Nicole Bosso.  My heart is with her every step of her journey! 

Nicole here are some more neat inspirational quotes for you and everyone out there wanting to live their dreams.

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." ~ Anatole France

"Most people are not really free. They are confined by the niche in the world that they carve out for themselves. They limit themselves to fewer possibilities by the narrowness of their vision." ~ V. S. Naipaul

"Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future" ~ Charles F. Kettering

"Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations." ~ Ralph Charell

"If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Until next time...

Kristyn Z

Seize the Moment!

“I remember one morning getting up at dawn, there was such a sense of possibility. You know that feeling? And I remember thinking to myself this is the beginning of happiness. This is where it starts and of course there will always be more. It never occurred to me it wasn’t the beginning. It was happiness. It was the moment. Right then.”

— The Hours
 
Relish every moment of your life.  Until next time...
 
Kristyn Z

You Are a Masterpiece!

"Today is a blank canvas upon which you can create a masterpiece" - Ralph  Marston

This simple little quote says so much doesn't it?  Join me in turning your life into a masterpiece.   It's simple.  You've got to start with liking yourself.  Everything God gave you fits together into a wonderful puzzle.  Never question the ultimate Artist again.  Once you stop looking at the pieces and see the whole picture, it all begins to make a lot of sense, doesn't it?  Some people travel the world and spend their entire lives searching for themselves.  Others take a simple moment and look within to find themselves never missing a single minute of living.  More thoughts from Ralph today...

"You won't solve all your problems today, but you can take care of one or two of them. You probably won't get all the way to your destination, but you can definitely make some progress.  Every day offers numerous opportunities to make progress. Make use of as many of them as you can.  Steady, persistent effort may not seem like it's having much effect at the time you're doing it. Keep going though, because over time those little steps forward can take you a long, long way.  Right now, there's a valuable difference you can make. Instead of just letting the next few moments pass by with nothing to show for them, choose to invest them wisely. \Move your world forward a little bit. No one else may even notice, but you will know, and you will benefit, and so will they. By fully appreciating and utilizing the smaller opportunities, you attract the bigger opportunities into your life. Use what you have, with persistence and faith, and you'll most surely get wherever you wish to go."  The Daily Motivator -- Ralph Marston        

 http://greatday.com/

Have a great weekend!  Until next time...

Kristyn Z

Bullies; A Real Problem in School

Whoever thought bullies were all talk and no action needs to view this National School Safety Center video, produced to help school administrators educate faculty, parents and students about the severity of the schoolyard bullying problem. The video is a docudrama "trigger film" designed to stimulate discussion and strategic planning among students, educators, parents and community leaders in the development of bully prevention plans. The message is clear: Bullying hurts everyone. The video tells the dramatic story of a bullying victim and how the problems adversely affects his life as well as the lives of the bully, other students, parents and educators.

Check out this video.  If you're a victim, TELL SOMEONE!

Until next time...

Kristyn Z

To Thine Own Self Be True

“Take chances if you can handle the repercussions. You want to be an individual; can you handle it? Because it’s lonesome. That means not running with the pack. The pack don’t want you when you’re an individual. Pack wants you to be the pack. The phrase, TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE, it’s real. But it’s hard.”    —    Whoopi Goldberg

My Babci (Dad's mom) and me... Don't forget to wish your mom and grandmom, Happy Mother's Day!

Until next time...  Kristyn  Z.

Above All Things, Believe in Yourself!

“When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.”  ---  Walt Disney

Until next time,
Kristyn Z

Do You Want to Know What Changed My Life?

It was about a year ago my mom and dad gave me a special present.  They signed me up for a Fashion Modeling Training Program at Barbizon Modeling School in Wilmington, Delaware.  At first I thought, "why me?"  I didn't exactly think I was modeling material with my braces, tomboy ways and shy nature BUT it was better than doing chores around the farm every other Saturday.

When we first met with Joan Bernard, the owner of Barbizon in Wilmington and Agency Modeling Director Whitney Camden, I wasn't too sure if they thought I was a lost cause or felt sorry for me.  But those two ladies and several others including my instructors especially Nicole Bosso, former Miss Delaware 2007 taught me a lot about myself.  I will NEVER forget the special gift they gave me of believing in myself!  This whole blog, my pageant career and everything that has happened since my first day at Barbizon are the result of some of the most special people I've ever met! 

My 10 week, 20 session program covered a lot of topics including; how to do my make-up, pick out outfits, shoes and accessories to match and wear in different situations, how to do my hair, walk on the high fashion runway, pose, take fashion photos, have confidence in myself, speak clearly and confidently and all about beauty pageants.  I liked the modeling portion of the program with Whitney and her assistants BUT let me tell you, when Nicole Bosso talked about her experience competing for Miss USA, I started remembering my little girl dreams of becoming Miss Universe!  Believe it or not I actually got to meet Miss Universe 1995  Chelsi Smith this past February!  I didn't believe it all could ever happen for me until I participated in the Barbizon Graduation Fashion Show and put together my first portfolio of fashion photos.  With my braces coming off and the results of working out, eating right and taking care of myself showing, I started to believe anything was possible.  So, when Nicole Bosso called and asked if I wanted to try to compete for Miss Delaware Teen USA last fall, I jumped at the chance.  Believe me, I would have never tried something like that a year before.

Thanks to Barbizon and Nicole, my first pageant experience went REALLY WELL.  I was the youngest TOP 5 Finisher out of 56 girls, got 4th Runner Up and was awarded Miss Photogenic.  The Miss Photogenic was definitely because of the things I learned at Barbizon and my TOP 5 finish could have never been possible without Nicole's lessons at Barbizon plus the poise and confidence I gained while in the modeling program.  You know the nice thing about Barbizon?  Once you "graduate" you're never really done.  You can go back just by calling and sit in on classes for free, join in on activities and even get modeling jobs through the Agency Modeling Director.  I've been able to do some of that too because of Joan Bernard and Whitney Camden.  This past January, I even participated in a Miss America Scholarship type talent versus traditional beauty pageant and was awarded the Miss Milford Outstanding Teen Title which allowed me to compete for Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen Title.  I was selected People's Choice and got the Interview Award at that statewide pageant.  AND get this a year ago, I was too afraid and shy to talk in public much less perform a talent or dance on stage.

This past March I was named the 2010 Delaware's Miss Teen All American and will compete for the NATIONAL title of Miss Teen All American once held by Hollywood Star Halle Berry and TV Star and former Miss USA Shana Moakler.  Imagine that a year ago, I would have never thought of ever getting up on a stage much less pose in an evening gown, answer interview questions or pose in a swimsuit!  Well I've got a suggestion for all teenaged boys and girls that dream of acting, modeling or just want to get confidence, poise, make friends and have a lot of fun...  SIGN UP FOR A BARBIZON PROGRAM.  I thank my parents everyday for doing it for me.

Don't wait, just like the Barbizon website and ad says,  "YOU COULD BE OUR NEXT STAR!"

Until next time...

Kristyn Z