HERE SHE COMES...MISS AMERICA...BY WAY OF MISSISSIPPI !!!

Congratulations to our new 

Miss Mississippi, Jasmine Murray !!! 

She was crowned Saturday night in Vicksburg!

I called Miss Riverland (Jasmine) and Miss Mississippi State, Laura Lee Lewis as the top two finalists before the pageant started on Saturday night.  I had pretty much concluded that by Saturday morning after seeing all of the preliminary updates.  
The pageant started at 8pm Saturday.  
Just after the program began, I posted my prediction on my Facebook page.  Then, a little while later I typed my same prediction in a private message to my friend : 8:15pm I wrote: " I'm thinking it's going to be between Miss Riverland - Jasmine Murray and Miss Mississippi State Laura Lee Lewis" I was having an ongoing pageant commentary throughout the pageant in private messages with this friend, who was not able to see the pageant from the beginning but was only able to see the last parts of it on the computer live feed. 

I was giving her frequent updates and my thoughts, as the pageant was going on ...and rehashing each segment with my mother during the commercials.

When I saw my top two selections in their evening wear that even made me MORE certain of my decision about what the outcome of the pageant would be. 
Jasmine's dress was banging !!! 
It was perfect for her...elegant and regal.  Miss Mississippi States's dress was absolutely UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!! I posted on my Facebook page..."That dress is THE BOMB!!!!!! " I wonder how much THAT dress cost"!!!! 

8:34pm I messaged my friend : Miss Mississippi State had on a dress was every bit of $10,000...Had to be !!!! Of course, I had no idea how much the dress actually cost or what she might have paid for it .. But, if it didn't cost $10,000, it should have !!!! 
It looked like a million bucks and she looked like a million bucks in it !!!!!

Both girls, my Top 2 Picks,  are very talented and have lovely singing voices. Jasmine tied for first place with Laura Lee in talent in the preliminaries on Wednesday. 

Ultimately, though, it was the swimsuit competition that TOTALLY sealed it for me !!!!! There were some other girls that had some great bodies and looked amazing 
in those suits ...with FLAWLESS tans.  
 I commented on several of them on my Facebook page ... 

But ...when Miss Jasmine stepped on that stage ...in THAT yellow bathing suit ..
It was ALL OVER!!! Check mate !!!! 
I think I actually said out loud "What the What??!!!!" 
She was stunning !!!!  I mean S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G!!!! She had been the Swimwear Preliminary Winner on Friday night. I sent a message to my friend about Jasmine : 9:17pm She just killed in a yellow bathing suit!!!

~ S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G! ~

 

 

TOP 5 for 2014 Miss Mississippi Pageant.
l to r: Caroline Conerly- Miss Deep South; Laura Lee Lewis-Miss Mississippi State University; Jasmine Murray-Miss Mississippi 2014 (formerly Miss Riverland);
Randi-Kathryn Harmon-Miss Historic South; and Jessica Terrill-Miss North Central Mississippi.

 

 I am so proud of Miss Jasmine and even more thrilled about it since I found out from my mother that Jasmine's grandparents and my parents were very close friends from WAY back. She said that Jasmine's grandfather would attend all of the many Alpha (Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity) meetings and parties that we frequently had at our house (in the 60's and 70's )...You can read about those parties in my poem "Alpha Parties" in my book Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life In Poems (page 38) I had not even known that little tidbit of info until Friday morning when I was taking my mother to her regular beauty shop appointment (same beautician for over 40 years) Whatever the cause may be, family friend or not, I am super proud to have Miss Jasmine Murray from Columbus, MS, as our Miss Mississippi ! Go Miss Mississippi ....Keep Rolling Along...all the way to that Miss America crown !!!

Sunday, Sept. 14 2014, is the date of the Miss America Pageant, which will be broadcast live from Atlantic City NJ.  It's on ABC-TV at 9pm (eastern time).