Time Flies!

I am so busy but I love it because I am accomplishing so much in this one year and having so much fun!

This was at the end of the summer after Guys and Dolls at the Hale Center Theater. (We just forgot to blog about it so here it is late)

 On Monday we went to the Veteran's day program at the memorial at Orem Cemetary, and it seriously made me cry. Orem High school choir and band did an excellent job with music, all the speakers were amazing. I cried when they did the 21 gun salute and the bugals because it reminded me of my Grampa's funeral. We got to cheer for all the different branches that we knew of someone in and I got to cheer for a lot since I know so many people who have served. I am so grateful for the men and women who protect our freedom. In this first picture we got to hold a real piece of the Berlin wall. I was literally in awe. Amazing.

With Mayor Evans

This was me and Kim (our wonderful director) at the Miss Utah's Outsanding Teen pageant. We watched Brenna do amazing and represent our program so beautifully. We were so proud of her. I am grateful for Kim and how supportive she is of us. She has backed me up so many times, and I know I couldn't do this without her because there are so many things I forget!

This was at our very last parade. The BYU homecoming parade. My neighbor Sydney Otto loaned me a BYU sweatshirt to wear, and we had an absolute blast. I love these royalty girls. I also saw my good friends Hannah Miss Utah County and Sasha Miss Provo!

Brenna and I were able to go to the ground breaking for the new pool that they are adding on to the Orem fitness center! It was so fun! All I could think about were the ground breakings on "The prince and me" and "Princess Diaries" and movies like that. I felt so important and it was so cool that we got the privilege of doing that right along side the mayor, city council members, and the architects and contractors. 

The mayor and his wife have been so kind to me and I appreciate them so much. They made a generous contribution to my Miss Utah fund, and I felt so touched by it. I will always remember their example of selflessness and service to the community.

I have made major progress in my raising money for Miss Utah! This is my new card that I am passing out to help raise some more funds. I am about half way there!

I got a photography sponsor this week who is awesome! His name is Michael Portanda and he is sooooo talented. Go to michaelportandaphotography.com and look at his portfolio! His work is seriously amazing. I am so excited to work with him for all the pictures that I need for Miss Utah, Miss Orem in march, and my send off. We met up and talked about ideas for shooting, and I am so excited!

These pictures are on the back of his cards. They are sooooo cool. He definitely knows what he's doing behind a camera.

I also got a few others this week! RKP Beauty is the best thing in my life! haha okay that may be an exaggeration, but her name is Kid, and she is a nail technician and eyelash stylist. I go to her because she has years of experience and also the education to back it up with. She went to cosmotology school, hair school, nail tech school, and master estitician school, so she basically knows everything there is to know. She works out of her home salon in Provo, and she serioulsy does quality work. I was incredibly impressed. She does my nails and eyelash extensions. I would recommend her to anyone because she is so fun to go see and relax while getting your nails or eyelashes done, and she is one of the rare nail techs that you can actually understand what she's saying! haha I have had nothing but negative experiences with nail salons down here in Utah county, so until I found Kid I didn't have anyone to really recommend to friends looking to get their nails done. One salon was so unsanitary that I grew mold under the acrillic on my thumb nail!! I will never go to anyone else after finding RKP Beauty. She is sanitary, certified, and sooo good at what she does. This is her work on my nails.

This is a before and after picture of my eyelash extensions. I love, love, love them! They make a huge difference in time putting on makeup in the morning and they make your eyes pop! She makes sure she does it right so that there is no damage to your eyelashes and they don't fall out or clump or look crappy.

call her at 801-850-8055 to set up your appointment! She's awesome.

Love my lashes!

The wonderful woman doing my hair is Kelli's Hair design, and she is awesome. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures, but I will update this next week with some. She is so nice and so talented. She works next to the Arby's in the building on State Street across from the University Mall. I would recommend her to any one because her services are done well, but her prices are not through the roof. She's great. She is working on my hair extensions now. Get an appointment with her to look great for the Holidays! Her number is 801-362-8911. She is flexible and great with working around your schedule. 

This is Brenna with the girl scout troop at Westmore Elementary. She taught them for the last 8 weeks, and now I am taking over! I am so excited to work with these girls. Next week they are doing another sign up and we are anticipating having even more girls this time. We are going to have weekly meetings and, of coarse, sell girl scout cookies in the spring! This is such an interesting role reversal because I was a girl scout when I was in 2nd and 3rd grade. I loved it then, and so I am so excited to share that enthusiasm with these girls as well. 

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!! Next Monday, the 25th of November, the "Lights On" event is happening at the City center. It is usually so fun. The kids have so much fun flipping the big switch to turn the city Christmas lights on for the year. They usually have a kid choir perform christmas songs, Brenna and I will speak, and so will the wonderful Mayor Evans. We are going around to elementary schools this week to promote the event.

I also have my first Miss Utah workshop this Saturday! So stoked to find out the details for the competition in June! :) 

I'm sure I haven't covered everything, but I got close. Too much to remember!

Have an excellent Thanksgiving!

-Sydney F 

MO 2013

Miss Utah's Outstanding Teen Pageant

Last weekend, The Miss Utah's Outstanding Teen pageant took place at the Covey center in Provo. There I met so many kind and talented people. I went into the experience scare and unsure of myself. In the end I ended up with many friends and unforgettable experiences. the first day I did interview and then at night I preformed my talent. I sang "Ah! Je Veux Vivre." From the opera "Romeo and Juliet. I felt so good and was really proud of how I had done. At the end of the night I won a Preliminary for Talent!

Kim has helped me through so much! Thanks for being such a great director!

Korrianne, my vocal coach, was so supportive and encouraging!

My friends surprised me and came! 

The next afternoon I had the fitness routine as well as evening gown. I felt really relaxed and did my very best. 

Between the two performances on Saturday, we had a fun autograph signing. It was great to see all the support for each girl.

Then nighttime came. What we all had been waiting for, the top twelve. I had been hoping to make top twelve and it was so rewarding to actually make it!

From that point on. We had to preform everything again! 

I did the best that I possibly could have done and felt so accomplished. I even made 3rd attendant!

I was on cloud nine! I could not be happier. Afterwards. I came home and immediately fell asleep on the couch! I was exhausted. 

I loved the experience and could not have had a better time. Once the pageant was over, I found myself with tons of time and... A Social Life! I have been missing it! With three months of preparation it has been great to finally relax.

My friends and I decided to take a trip up to City Creek in Salt Lake City. It was a blast! I could not ask for better friends.

Yesterday, Katie Bradly and I had a photo shoot. She is so talented and I cannot wait to see how the pictures come out!

Love Always,

Brenna Jeffs

Miss Orem's Outstanding Teen 2013

"Be the Change you want to see in the world."

~Ghandi

Busy & Loving It!

It has been so long since I have posted, and so many things have happened! I got a makeup sponsor for the year and for Miss Utah if necessary, and she is absolutely AMAZING! La Shaunda Hill is a Mary Kay beauty consultant who seriously works wonders! I went to her with blemishes, under-eye circles, and eye shadow uncertainty and came out looking (and feeling) like a million bucks! Here are a few pictures of our fun makeup day :)

For those of you who are still buying makeup at Walmart, it is time for a change. I could not believe the difference that these higher quality products made in my overall "glow." The products are extremely inexpensive, and they look so much better than the cheap brands I was using before. Not only are the products better, but having La Shaunda as your guide is better. Standing in an aisle of the grocery store deciding on colors based off of horrible lighting and still in the packaging does not compare in the slightest to the treatment you get with La Shaunda and Mary Kay. She gave me tips for applying the makeup, what colors look best with my skin, how to blend properly, a facial, etc. Sitting down with a makeup professional like La Shaunda was an eye opening experience that saved me from continuing to do my makeup like I did in high school.  

Have you ever heard of "high lighter"? Apparently it is a shimmery substance used around the eyes and temples that highlights them and makes them stand out. This is a beauty trick used by the stars that I had never heard of, and that only Mary Kay sells (I've never seen it anywhere else). That is one of the major differences I notice between these two pictures below. That and actually learning what colors will bring out my eyes, it made my skin look less sallow and my eyes really pop! My eyes actually look like movie star eyes!! :)

Anyway, La Shaunda is the best. She also gave me skin care including microdermabrasion (because my years of tanning are starting to show up via wrinklage on my face) and also a cleansing system (because for some reason acne is a college thing for me instead of high school). La Shaunda is donating 100 dollars to my childrens miracle network fund as well! I have to raise 350$ before Miss Utah, and thanks to Jaxon Peterson (with a whopping 125$ donation!!!!), La Shaunda, and other family and friends, I've made it to my goal! Thank you all so much for supporting me in this and for being so gracious and selfless with your services and monetary contributions. I seriously could not be where I am today without people like these- they are what keep me going and remind me to pay it forward and help others as much as I can.

 My sweet little Josie turned 4 months and got fixed, and Jake turned 2 in July.

We volunteered at a cycling race at Thanksgiving point, and during downtime took the golf cart for a ride. To make a long story short, Brenna+driving=injuries, and we were banned from the golf cart. :) Oh well, we had a blast.

On the 24th of July we were in the Spanish Fork Parade and then returned back to Orem to sing the national anthem before the Owls Baseball game. It was one of the coolest experiences I've had to be able to do.

These pictures were from the Princess Festival at Thanksgiving point. They do an awesome job there every summer with providing little girls a haven for tons of crafts, entertainment, being princesses, and of course, meeting some princesses!

As a sponsored activity Brenna and I got to go indoor rock climbing at the Quarry in Provo. We had so much fun!

On September 1st, my Grampa passed away. He was an extraordinary man and I learned so much from him throughout my life. I will always be grateful for his influence. He will definitely be missed by countless friends and family who loved him dearly. I look up to him and hope to some day become as amazing as he was. 

I went back to Sycamore, Illinois to attend the funeral this last week. And I was blown away by the support from the community and the massive amounts of people who came to show their respect and love for him. This picture does not do him justice at all. Rest in peace Grampa Dingey, I love you and I'll miss you.

My dad read this quote at his funeral because it really encompasses how we all felt about him and how he lived his life. My Grampa has inspired me to live a life like this through my teaching career, Miss Orem service opportunities, and my loved ones. Having this perspective has really made me value the the amazing opportunities I have as Miss Orem and the amazing people I have been able to meet in the process.

Oh, and one more thing.

GOOD LUCK TO THE CURRENT MISS OREM'S OUTSTANDING TEEN BRENNA JEFFS IN THE STATE PAGEANT IN A FEW WEEKS!!!!

-Sydney :)

MO '13

Be True to You

Forty days until state!!! I am so excited for this opportunity! It has been loads of work but I know it will pay off. One of the things that I really have been working hard on is my platform, "Be True to You." My goal is to help youth find what they are passionate about and really shine through that. Theatre is something I have a passion for. This is where I met Jayne Luke, a great influence on my life. She valued everyone's opinion and was always kind. I always wanted to be around her because I felt important. I know what theatre has done for me as well as my friends and knew that I could influence others through it. I directed a neighborhood play in hopes to give the youth an opportunity that would boost their confidence. It was a success! It was incredible opportunity to see each person grow and have so much fun with it. I grew to love and appreciate each youth. I definitely want to do another one soon!

Yesterday I volunteered at the share a smile triathlon. It is such a great program where they raise money to give free dental reconstruction to those who cannot afford it. My family and I have been involved in it for years and have loved giving back. I finished off the day by going to "Dancing under the Stars" at the Scera Shell with one of my good friends. The Scera is such a great supporter of the Miss Orem pageant and its great to see all their great productions. This one was especially good. Dancers such as Jenna Johnson, Malece Miller, and Travis Wall graced the stage with the best dances I have ever seen.

School started this week. I have a feeling that high school is going to be great!

Love Always,
Brenna Jeffs Miss Orem's Outstanding Teen 2013

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

Recent Stuff!

On Saturday we hosted a fundraiser for Scera's arts programs and it was a princess tea party. Little girls came with their moms and friends and did all sorts of fun things. Got their nails painted, got crowns, sashes, ate yummy food from our sponsor Harmons, watched us perform, and learned a dance to perform for their mothers as well. We taught them the princess wave, walk, and proper princess etiquette of coarse. My dress was donated to me by Bridal Center to sponsor. It is beautiful! I love it and Julie and Renee were both so helpful and generous for their donation. I am so grateful for their donation because now I have a dress if I need to wear a formal gown for another event! If any of you need a dress for an upcoming event, check out their 2 locations in Lehi and Provo! They have amazing stuff for amazing prices! Here is a link to their facebook page......https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bridal-Center/142534155784913

They are altering it specifically for me this next week and we are going to add straps out of the shawl. It was perfect for a tea party with little girls. The girls were all so excited and cute. I loved giving out autographs like I was a celebrity to them. 

The scera sponsors us to go to their events, and Dallin and I loved the last concert. We went to Josh Turner, and before the concert we got to go to a VIP party where we got to meet him and take pictures with him. Dallin was over-joyed that Josh called him "Mr. Orem." haha it made his night, and it was such a fun concert because we are big fans. Before the concert I took pictures with little girls and gave autographs to a few cute girls sitting outside the arena. 

This week I got another dog!! For those of you who know me well, you know that my dog Jake (turning 2 years old on July 27th) is my world, so you know how excited I was to get another puppy. She is the same breed as Jake (cava-malt) but she's a little girl so I get to put her in dresses and bows! haha I know I'm a dork. Here's a pic of the 2 of them together. They cuddle when they nap :)

The 4th of July was fun! We were in the freedom festival parade of coarse, and it was fun seeing the kids I used to babysit Kaila and Hunter Bradtke, my professor at school Amy Markgraf-Jacobsen, David Graff, and a personal training client Anna Sorensen. My "Mommas & Thomas" were there of coarse escorted by their handsome steed Bentley. Afterward I went swimming with the Graffs and to Red Robin with "Mommas & Thomas" it was so fun! Here are some pictures!

I got a chance to go to the Princess Festival at Thanksgiving point and give little girls awards for different things. I remember doing this last year as well and both years I have felt overwhelmed by the amazing qualities of these little girls. Some of them have incurable diseases, I've met some with MS, some couldn't walk, and others were going through other hard things at home or in school. They were all so positive and happy. I wish that every one could retain that natural "goodness" as we age. It made me think about what's important in life and try to be better. 

Sometimes driving to events in a big fancy dress, crown, and sash is kindof awkward. I took this picture after arriving at an event because people were laughing at me or giving me weird looks or waving at stop lights. It does look kinda funny...can't blame em.

I can't even remember if I have included everything that I've done or not because I've been doing so much! Tonight we are going to a play sponsored by the Hale Center Theater, so a big thank you to them as well for the tickets! Hope you all are having an excellent summer!

-Sydney (or the "MO")