Nothing Fancy, Like Ketchup

 Over the course of the past few weeks...I have struggled. And struggled. And struggled a little more. And finally come to a realization and a place of comfortability.      I struggled with actually being Miss Kentucky.I love myself as a person. I am in love with being Miss Kentucky. I struggled with finding the proper balance in being myself and being Miss Kentucky. And I, for the life of me, could not understand why...why was I struggling with something I was so sure I could attain, because I knew that I had what it took to accomplish that goal...the goal of being Miss Kentucky. I knew that this  would be my year, because I had come to a place in which I was so comfortable with myself, in my own skin, and I had the heart to take on the job.

Sooo...WHY WAS I STRUGGLING?!? I struggled because I allowed myself to be lost in translation. I began worrying that people were expecting me to be some other kind of Miss Kentucky other than the Miss Kentucky that I am. I attained the crown by being myself...showing myself, and everyone around me...who I am. Crown or no crown. Who you see when I am wearing the crown, is who you see when I'm wearing my favorite nike sweats with the hole in the left thigh, and my glasses. I am Djuan Keila Trent. Whether I am wearing the crown or not...I am who I am. I are who I be. I be who I is. Djuan Keila Trent.

In the midst of all of the unneccessary confusion I was experiencing...

three quotes came to mind:

"The most successful girl in the world, is the girl who can be herself."

"Titles do not define me, they simply preceed me."

"Who are you? You're Djuan Keila Trent."

The last quote comes from my mother, Lafondra Venita Gaudette. Almost everyday leading up to Miss Kentucky this year, she asked me that. It may seem silly to some, but...it really kept me grounded. It was a good reminder, to never forget who I am. I can only be me.That's why there is only one me...that's why I'm Djuan n Only...haha...but really. I am fearfully and wonderfully made like no other. And that my friends, is all :o)

I have been blessed enough to have a couple of experiences over the past few weeks that have served as confirmation for me that I am in the right place in my life, doing the right thing, at the right time.

Thank you everyone so much for all of the love and support you have shown me. It means more to me than you can know. And I mean that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

...more to come later this week. i promise :o)

AlwaysLove,

DjuanKeilaTrent

“A dream is a wish your heart makes when you’re fast asleep…”

Do you believe this??? I do! Well, for the most part…excluding that scary dream that I keep having of going to Miss America and opening my luggage to find that all I’ve packed is 12 boxes of Velveta Shells and Cheese, and a purple sequin tutu. Yes…it is a rather odd dream. I’m pretty sure that is not a wish my heart is making, just some mumbo-jumbo my mind configures in my deepest realms of sleep. Haha…okay.

The past couple of weeks have been very princess filled for me! To start, I did Chic-Fil-A Fairy Tale Evenings at all of the Lexington and Richmond locations. I believe it was just as entertaining for me as it was for the little girls (and boys) who came and participated! There was a station set up for the girls to get their nails polished, princess makeovers, pictures, prince charming, princess cow and knight cow! It was a big fairy tale party! The little girls came all dressed up in their princess outfits, it was just precious. I even got to sit on the Chic-Fil-A throne :o) I heard “PRINCESS TIANA!!!” several times! Most of the little girls thought I was Princess Tiana (from the Princess and the Frog) and were in awe of my “real crown”. I enjoyed being able to make every little girl feel like the most special girl in the room. I too felt like the most special girl in the room UNTIL…they saw the cows! Apparently the cows were so much cooler than me! But, I can’t lie, I kind of wished I was in that cow suit. What better wayto fulfill my childhood dream? There were little boys too. They were just too cute and super shy! Well, most of them...not my transforming friend pictured below :o)

 

11 days of deep fried bliss!

You guessed it! The Kentucky State Fair!!! Kicked off eeeearly Thursday (Aug. 30th) morning, with the Commodities Breakfast at 6:45 am...oh joy :o) I met a lot of people that morning, ate the best sausage I've EVER had in my life, and every bit of styling I had attempted to do to my hair that morning was overcome and defeated by the cloud of fog which so conveniently found its way to the fair grounds. HOWEVER, one cloud of fog doesn't stop the show now does it??? Nope! After the breakfast I still made my way around the fair, seeing ALL I could see. This was my first state fair ever! So it was quite an exciting venture.

I learned a lot about the origin and history of the state fair, and I must say, it is such a beautiful thing to see something blossom the way the Kentucky State Fair has. What started out as a venue for agricultural, stock, and cattle competitions and markets, has become something that the whole family and even those not deeply involved in agriculture can enjoy! There's food, games, rides, health fair, trade show, cooking show, cattle showings, produce competitions...LOTS GOING ON!!! I am learning new things everyday. One day I was walking through an aisle of corn. I noticed some of the corn had ribbons on it, and some didn't. Now...I have NEVER in my life heard of award winning corn. How do you judge that??? I have no clue! My only question is..."Is it edible and yummy?" and if the answer is yes, then *ding*ding*ding* we have a winner! haha...but really, my point in saying that is this: We all have a passion in life. Whether it be farming, singing, or eating, we all love to do something. I am proud of that award winning corn for the simple fact that someone has invested their time and energy in it. That corn is award winning because it has something that the other ears don't. Now while I don't know what that is, corn competitors and judges do, and just because I don't know what it is, doesn't make it any less important. Love what ya do and do what ya love!

Ham never looked so good! That's right...I'm talking about that $1.6 milllion ham.

I'm pretty sure that running that  16 lb ham back and forth in my 5 inch heels made up for aaaalll of the workouts I have NOT done since July 17, 2010, haha...but really, it was a workout. I always knew I would have that much money in my hands one day, but I never knew it would be this soon! The Kentucky Farm Bureau's 47th Annual Country Ham Breakfast auctioned off a 16.05 lb country ham for $1.6 miilion. The bidders will get to choose what charities will benefit from the money that was bid on the ham. I know from the outside looking in, it may seem silly to bid $1.6 million on a ham, BUT...that is not the point. You see, in my opinion, it is not really the ham that is being bid on, it is the charity. The money that the bidder puts towards the ham goes directly to the charity of their choice...how beautiful is that?

In the midst of going back and forth to Chic-Fil-A Princess Nights, and the State Fair, I was able to make it out to beautiful Western Kentucky by way of Kutawwa (Lake Barkley)! Went out there for the Lake Barkley BBQ Festival and had myself a good ole time :o) One thing I can definitely say about my year so far is that I am falling more and more in love with Kentucky everyday. There are some truly beautiful souls here in the bluegrass, and I feel so blessed to be able to spend a year meeting many of them! Needless to say, I had a grand time out at Lake Barkley!

Because of obligations to the State Fair, I was not able to make it down to Orlando until Thursday!!! While most of the other Miss State's had arrived on Monday and Tuesday. It's all good though! I still got to see Laura on her talent night, and she did phenomenal as always!!! Let me just tell y'all a little something about my LauraBoo... I LOVE HER. She is beautiful on the inside and out, and her inner beauty is what truly makes her glow. It is what sets her apart. And that, my friends, is the epitomy of excellence. On that final night, there was nothing she could have done any better than she did, she was absolutely fabulous. And I'll tell you what...if I have ever heard Laura play that fiddle, she played that fiddle like it was going out of style on Saturday night!!! She looked radiant in her evening gown and answered her onstage question like a star! She is just such a beautifully poised young woman, and I am so proud of her and love her ;o)

Got to meet the other Miss girls down in Orlando! That was nice. Everyone seems so nice, and I'm glad about that. I really look forward to the time we'll all get to spend together in Vegas!!! Although I was late arriving, I did make the most of my time there, and even got to stay a couple extra days! Thursday, as soon as I arrived I was rushed to the hotel to do some viral marketing recording for ABC. I had fun with it, and was myself as always. That was followed by dinner at Maggiano's, hosted by Mary Sullivan and Regalia. It was yummy! And the night concluded with the last teen preliminary competitio, in which Laura did amazing. I figured that talent would be between Laura and Alabama, who did a very spunky/sassy dance, ballet on pointe to be exact, to MJ's "The Way You Make Me Feel". The next morning we were up and at 'em pretty early at THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!! Did some video recording, interviews, and photos and also got to ride a few rides :o) It was a good day, which was followed by a fundraiser that evening. It was a good time! While I spent a good 30% of the party resting my po' lil feet, there was dancing, socializing, laughter...it was just a good time. 

Saturday we had a meeting about production, sponsors, what Vegas will be like, what Miss America will be like, what being Miss America will be like...it was a very good and productive meeting. I would however, like to clear the air just a little. I 've had a lot of people approach me in both a serious and joking matter saying "I heard you asked Caressa about her wigs!!!" Check it out, this was the jist of the conversation :o) Caressa had already proceeded to talk about hair care, in referenc to all contestants, she was specifically speaking on highlights, weaves, and any other procedures you could have done to your hair that would eventually be time consuming in the long run. I asked her what kind of weave did she wear at Miss America. I was also curious to know about the opportunities and amount of time she had alotted for hair care, which she let me know wasn't much because unfortunately she has not had a relaxer since Miss America :o( I can completely understand. Some things you have to understand when it comes to African American hair care are:

1. You do not let just anyone and everyone touch and do your hair. You just don't; African American hair is just too fragile. And contrary to popular belief, we do not all have the same type of hair. So when we have our beauticians, we are pretty loyal to them, because they understand our hair and the specific care it needs.

2. Look, I could right a whole blog on this, which I think I will do. Yes, thanks for the idea :o) So for now, I think #1 serves as sufficient enough insight.

N E X T ! ! !

Although I was scheduled to head out on Sunday, I was able to get my flight changed and stay a couple extra days! Disney gave us park passes, so I stayed a couple extra days and got to enjoy the parks. Shout out to New Jersey and Massachusettes, my roomies ;o) We had a good time down there! I think I may be changing my career goals pretty soon, haha... I was so taken by how princess likeand animated the Disney princesses were!  I'm pretty sure they take princess classes! I watched them very closely and have been practicing...so, watch out Disney ;o)

Well folks, it seems that I have yet again managed to squeeze 2-3 weeks worth of blogging into one blog post. I did promise that I would get better and post more frequently which I will. There are often times that I want to share with you all, along with my experiences, thoughts that I often have as I go throughout the year, insightful and interesting things about me and life...I think I will start to post those things as well. Until next time...you know how it goes...PICTURE TIME!!!!

OH! And this post is dedicated to my beautiful LauraBoo. She is truly a Proverbs 31:30 woman.

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised." I think that Just about sums it up ;o)

My Lovely Laura

In between events at Lake Barkley! They caught me half passed out on the couch, haha...

Monica Hardin, Miss Kentucky 2001 and me :o)

The million dollar ham and it's lovely bidders!

IT WAS HAMMER TIME!!!

I ate LOTS of chicken that week :o)

WHO FORGOT TO PUT ON DEODARANT?!?

He's such a ladie's man...mouse...man-mouse.

Miss America Class of 2011 :o)

It's yumma!

!OJO!

What a pleasant surpise ;o) Thanks for coming Candace!

 And of course there are many many MANY more pictures on my Facebook, so be sure to check it out. Until next time, which hopefully won't be long....Be Beautiful! Be You!

Always Love,
DjuanKeilaTrent!

BROWN is the new BLACK

Thought it'd be nice to give you a little sneak peak into the HARD WORK I'm having to put in at these schools, hehe...BEST JOB EVER!!!

As some of you may or may not know, as Miss Kentucky, I am employed by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture as a spokesperson for the Kentucky Proud campaign. I get to travel to schools and events all across the commonwealth!!! Of course, I can already tell that speaking and spending time with the children will be my favorite :o)

The heart and mind of a child are just the most precious things in the world because they are so HONEST. Children will say and do almost anything and it is usually rather entertaining!

This is a conversation that happened yesterday in one of the classrooms I visited.

Child: MISS KENTUCKY!!! How do you keep your crown on?!?

Me: With these magical clips I bought from Wal-Mart!

Child: You can buy magic at Wal-Mart?!?

Me: You can buy anything at Wal-Mart!

Child: Well, I still can't wear your crown because I'm bald!

Me: Yes, they may present a problem.

Child: Mr. Wesley can't wear the crown because he's bald too!

Me: You're very right!

Child: I'm bald like Mr. Wesley, but Mr. Wesley is brown!

(My eyes got so wide and I just burst out into laughter! The child began laughing too)

Child: You're brown too Miss Kentucky!

Me: Yes, that is very true! And so are some of your classmates!

Child: Yeah! That's pretty cool!

Haha, I get tickled just sitting here thinkin about that. I was not at all offended by it, because it really was just an honest observation made by "child". Often times those are things that we tell children not to say or mention, and we often avoid those conversations as adults. But I feel that those are the conversations that children need to be able to have. What I liked most about that conversation that I had on Friday was that, the child in no way implied that it was a problem or strange to him that his teacher and I were both "brown". He was simply stating the obvious. I feel that his statement was more intuitive as to why we were brown and he was not,but we were all seemingly the same. I am sure that there will be more conversations of this nature to come during my year of service, and I look forward to them!

I have had some fun times at the schools I have visited thus far. The first school I went to was on their first day of school! It was sooo cool! They had a red carpet/hollywood theme. I was just thinking to myself, "Man! My school never did cool things like this!" I would have looooved to walk down the red carpet for my first day of school! However, I digress. It clearly was not about me, haha, it was about the kiddies :o)

Thursday, August 5 was MIRACLE TREAT DAY! Did you get your blizzard??? I did! I had three blizzards before lunch time even rolled around, and boy did I have a tummy ache! It's okay though, I'll take a tummy ache for the kids :o) I was able to help promote Miracle Treat Day on a couple of a news stations here in Kentucky, and I also posted it all over my facebook and twitter (twitter.com/misstrent) #shamelessplug :o) I even took the liberty of recording my own PSA for Miracle Treat Day, in which you will see me working on my third blizzard, haha...Miss Kentucky Miracle Treat PSA! (<-click to watch) 
I was also able to spend time with some of the children and families who's lives have been saved through the UK Children's Hospitals. These children are strong. They are so strong. To go through the things they've been through, and to fight and stand against the odds... It is so beautiful. Their strength gives me strength. I'm really not sure who was more excited to be meeting who!

Last thing I want to write about today...

I took off one weekend to DC to support one of my best friends, Ashley Miller (Miss Black Ohio USA) in the Miss Black USA Pageant! I was so excited to just be out in the area because DC is someplace I have always wanted to visit and quite possibly live. She did very well, placing as the 4th Runner Up, shining like a queen! I told them I was going to burn something down if she didn't win! But, that did not go over very well with my board, so I opted to do a peaceful inner protest. 

This post is dedicated to my Ashley. 
Ashley. I am very proud of you. You know who you are, and whether you win or not (in anything you do) you are just as poised as ever. I admire you, and you are such an inspiration to me. You took me under your wing and have taught me everything you know. Although you don't need it, this Miss Kentucky crown that I wear on my head is yours too. You are a queen. You wear your crown everyday, whether you are headed to spinning class or a Stop AIDs event. I love you, and I respect you, and I thank God for placing you in my life. This one's for you!

I really left out a lot of things, and I'm soooo sorry! I will try to do better and update the blog more often! In the meanwhile, hope you can enjoy the pictures!!!

i like to rally the kids!!! they like it too :o)

Thank you Dr's White Greer and Maggard! Making sure I have that Miss America smile!

posing with Dr. Jim (Greer)! 

she wanted me to sign her wristband

future miss kentucky??? we shall see :o)

i got to meet stacey mckenzie (she has a beautiful story to tell)

got caught with my hand in the cheese ball jar!!!

she loooves princesses!!!

signed my first cast!!!


There are more pictures on facebook, check them out when you have time! Later!!!


AlwaysLove,
DjuanKeilaTrent!