Volume 2 | February 23, 2017
Sterling Miss Contestants' Newsletter
4 WEEKS Out To Crowning!!!!!

I can't believe in just four short weeks we will all be in Birmingham for pagant weekend! I sure hope the City of Birmingham is ready all the beauty that is about to hit it! :)

We have a couple of pressing thing that I need to talk about:
1st is the Program Ads.  Every contestant is required to have an ad in the  souvenir  contestants' program. We have approximately 1/2 of you who have not turned in your ad info. which was due Feb. 28th.   This is your good luck ad from your family and the cost is $65. This payment, along with the photo that you want to use for the ad and your "Good Luck" message need to be sent to Nick by this Monday at the latest. We are now under a very tight deadline.  As this is a requirement of competition, this needs to be taken care of immediately in order for you to compete.  Please do not send this information to me because you really don't want me to do your ad...no... REALLY, you don't! (JS).  All of this, including the payment goes to Nick Nitkowski.  His email and his PayPal address are the same: nick@calldmg.com   The ads look amazing...you are going to LOVE THEM!

2nd is the photo we need for your Parade of Contestants' Page in the programThis is entirely different from your mandatory ad. However, you can use the same photo if you want. That is ok! This will be used in the program, on our Facebook Page and on our website.  We need these in TOMORROW (Friday)! 
Please help us meet these deadlines.  If you don't send in the photo for this, there will just be a darkened oval where your photo is supposed to be, along with your name. What fun is that? 

NOTE in SCHEDULING:  By mistake I stated in a previous newsletter that Little Miss contestants would be in panel interview.  The Petite and Little Miss will BOTH be in Round Robin Interviews!!!!!  Please disregard the previous info.
  Meet Abbie Caroline Deason-
Sterling Pre-Teen Miss USA
Our Sterling Pre-Teen Miss USA is 13-year-old Abbie Caroline. She is an amazing young lady who loves volunteering, cheering on the Mustangs, gymnastics and singing.  We asked Abbie wanted to share a few thoughts from her experiences with Sterling Miss USA :
Abbie, what was your favorite part of Pageant Weekend last year?  I loved bonding with girls whose friendships will last forever!  

  

What advice would you give the contestants who are competing this year?  Just be yourself and be confident in who you are because you aren't in competition with anyone but yourself.  Most importantly, don't be so focused on the pageant that you forget to make friends. 

What is one thing you would remind contestants to bring on pageant weekend?  I think it is a great idea to bring an empty tote to place any awards or presents that you may win, so they are not damaged in the ride home.

What was your favorite Sterling Miss Queens' activity?  I enjoyed the paint party that we had at Christmas so much because I got to hang out with my Sterling Miss sister queens and talk and laugh and act silly. Then we went to eat pizza! YUM!

Abbie Caroline's formal photo by Jack Bains, Southern Exposure. H&M by Brittney Shelton

Photo: Queens's Christmas Pizza and Paint Party with an ornament exchange!  


OPTIONALS: This is absolutely one of my favorite competition days! I love Optionals because the contestants often get to try new things... showcase a talent, work the runway, and practice their speaking skills -- all in a fun and supportive environment. 

Admission to this event is free, so if you aren't competing, come enjoy the show and support your fellow contestants!

These competitions are held on Saturday afternoon and are judged by a different set of judges who specialize in our Optional categories.  

All Optionals are $50 each and include:

Fun Fashion   - think New York Runway (swirly skirts, long trains, rhinestones, hot pants long pants, skirts, etc.) and get ready to walk that runway to high energy music. Vogue! 

Talent  - dance, sing, and perform your way into the judge's hearts.  Attire: Talent costume of your choice.

Best Actress  Ready.... and... action! Memorize one of our short commercial scripts and perform it on stage two times.   Attire: Sterling Miss T-shirt which you will receive at check-in, along with a pair of jeans or jean shorts of your choice. 

 
Top Model Photo Shoot with Jack Bains of Southern Exposure. Jack is consistently listed as one of the top pageant photographers in the entire country....and he is just so much fun to work with!  During this optional, you have a one-on-one photo session with Jack where you model an outfit of your choice.  Not only do you get some great modeling experience, you also get to keep your amazing photos from the shoot!  Attire: Outfit of choice.

Casual Wear  - think "fun family" outing. Something you would wear on a special date. ( No cocktail, Fun Fashion, or long pageant gowns for this one ). Ideas might be colored jeans, sun dresses, summer skirts, walking shorts, vests, jackets, etc. You will model to current high energy music.

Spokes Model  - to get ahead in this world, a lady must be well-spoken, poised, and have a vision. Select a topic from our site and tell us your thoughts.  Attire: Interview dress

Photogenic  - show us your best headshots!  



All registration cards for Optionals are found in our Packet 3 Email. These cards should be completed and turned in at registration. 

All Optionals Contest registration fees are due by Wednesday, March 15th. 
 
The amazing Jack Bains of Southern Exposure Photography will be shooting all the action on pageant weekend, so look him up on Facebook to get your photo package deal! Jack is one of the top national pageant photographers in the United States, and we are blessed to have him as a sponsor again this year. You will definitely want his photos after the pageant, so don't miss this special.

We have also set the date for the 2017 Sterling Miss USA Queens' Photo Shoot for Sunday, June 4th- so mark your calendars because if you win the crown....you will need to get ready for a fun-filled photo shoot day.  Jack will be working his magic behind the camera to get the very best photos of our queens individually and as a group...and Brittney Shelton will be working beforehand to make sure our queens look their Sterling best!  Rounding out the look will be the gorgeous gowns worn by our queens from Glitz and Gowns by Missy!  With all these great sponsors, our new queens are going to rock that photo shoot.
    Please note that H&M is not required to be done by a vendor. This is just offered for those who want to do so.   
 Hair & Makeup Vendors
Book your Hair & Makeup Vendor today by contacting one of these ladies directly.

We are fortunate to have some very talented H&M vendors who are experts in their field and will work with you to give you your "perfect look" onstage and in interview! Do you have a suggestion for another vendor, just let us know!

These vendors can be found on Facebook:

Tracy Pierson Reid

Brittney Shelton

Sara Fuller Swigart

Natasha Bennefield Walker

Have you booked your hotel yet?

To make your reservation, click on the link or  call the hotel at (205) 324-5000. Make sure that you ask for the special $119 STERLING MISS HOTEL RATE!

You do NOT pay for your hotel when you make your reservation! 

http://www.sheratonbirmingham.com/hotelfeatures

The  Sheraton Hotel & Convention Center is located at 2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., North in Birmingham, Alabama.

The hotel, located in the Birmingham Uptown Entertainment District, is just 10 minutes from the Birmingham International Airport and is connected to the Jefferson County Convention Center. The hotel also offers a fitness center, indoor pool, and four restaurants and cafes'.
Pageant Vendors Onsite
We are excited that some great pageant vendors will be with us during pageant weekend. Please be sure to visit their booths located just outside of the ballroom during pageant weekend and thank them for being there!  Their participation helps us keep the costs down for the pageant.  Vendors continue to sign up, but here are just a few who will be with us:

Jamberry
Lasting Impression Jewelry & Accessories (Paparazzi Accessories)
Lipsense
Magnabilities
Mary Kay
Perfectly Posh
Pink Zebra
Plexus
Scentsy
Spray Tans by Tasha
Southern Exposure Photography
Sterling Boutique
The Tiny Closet
Young Living Essential Oils



Stay tuned for next week's Contestant Newsletter when we discuss our check-in process, due dates, pageant tips and more! Have an idea of something you would like to see covered? Let me know at sterlingmisspageant@hotmail.com
Sterling Miss Productions | 334.313.5444 |   SterlingMissPageant@hotmail.comwww.SterlingMiss.org