Flashback: Week after Miss MN

People seem to think everything slows down after Miss Minnesota and we go back to our normal lives.  I am here to tell you that is false!  It has taken me so long to post on my blog because life has been crazy with work, family events, and appearances.  The day I got home from Miss Minnesota, I drove to Hawley to see my grandma and wish my dad a happy Father's Day.  Then, I drove to Hawley again on Wednesday to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday party!  She looked amazing.

On Friday I drove to Perham for the Turtle Fest Parade.  My boyfriend was kind enough to let me use his truck and my dad has been my wonderful driver for nearly every parade I have been in for the past several years.  Saturday I drove to Lake Park for another family event, a baby shower!  My cousin Anthony and his girlfriend just had a baby boy in April, Anthony Richard IV.  He is so adorable and has crazy hair that sticks straight up on its own.

Proud father!

Sunday was a long day.  I attempted to go to the Miss Marshall County pageant, but ufortunately I never made it.  I left early to make the three drive to where I thought the pageant was, Middle River.  As I approached the town of 300 people I tried to guess where the pageant was based on the amount of cars parked outside.  I drove around and did not see anything, so I decided I would ask the gas station attended, but the gas station was closed.  I then tried to call some people to figure out the location of the pageant. The fourth person I called told me the pageant was held in Stephen so I asked the first and only person I saw in Middle River how to get to Stephen.  I was told it was 30 minutes away and to go east.  After 30 minutes I came to a T, which was never mentioned in her directions.  Now it is time to call my dad and figure out where I am or which way I should turn.  After five minutes of talking, he realizes that I went east and not west where Stephen is actually located.  By this time it was pouring, I had one working windshield wiper, I was wearing a nice dress in heels and I was nearly 45 minutes late for the pageant and still an hour away from Stephen.  I attempted to drive to Stephen and half way there, my other windshield wiper stopped working. I could see the lines, but it was blurry so once in awhile I had to pull over and clear off the rain.  I decided to just go back home when I got to Middle River since my wipers were not working and I was nearly out of gas.  I finally made it back to Thief River Falls so I could get food, go to the bathroom, and fill up with gas.  While I was there, one of my friends that I called about the pageant called me back.  I asked if she was at the pageant, who won, and of course, where it was located.  She informed me that the pageant was in MIDDLE RIVER!  So I was in the right town and on time for the pageant.  The reason the other girl thought it was in Stephen is because it was there last year and the Marshall County pageant switches between towns every year. Go figure!  It was very frustrating at that moment when I was driving around northwestern Minnesota for eight hours, but now I just look at it as a learning experience.  I can now tell anyone which towns are between Fargo and Middle River! : )  Even though I was not there to tell her in person, I want to wish Katie Peterson a warm welcome into the Miss Minnesota, America system!

Always,

Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson

Miss Moorhead, 2010

Day 5: Bowling

Today was a more relaxed day, well besides the six hours of rehearsal at the theater! We started the day at the Original Pancake House for a wonderful breakfast. They have many flavors and types of pancakes to choose. Some ordered banana, pumpkin, buttermilk, potato, just to name a few different kinds. After breakfast it was off to the theater. All we did there was rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! I think the audience is really going to enjoy our opening number and if you do come to the show on Saturday, get up and dance with us! Bowling and pizza was tonight. It was a lot of fun playing with the girls and watching the reactions on everyone's face if they got a strike.  Today is a short blog, but I thought I should still update you with what is going on this week.

Breakfast with Miss Minnesota 2010!

Megan, Tiffany, Allison, & Kathryn

My bowling team!

Tiffany, Moriah, Kathryn, Kimberly, & Meghan

Barb really wants to be Miss Moorhead!

Always,

Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson

Miss Moorhead, 2010

Day 4: Minnesota State Zoo & Bucca

Even though we had some rain tonight, the sun shined while we were at the zoo so it was the perfect time of day for us to visit the animals.  We saw many animals including; fish, monkeys, pandas, birds, goats, and much more!  Before we left the zoo, we went to the bird show.  There we saw an owl, falcon, and parrots fly around and above our heads. For a second, we thought the host killed the bird because she hit it with the luer and it went down into the water.  He turned out to be fine so that was a relief.  Then a rose breasted cockatoo, called Floyd, flew up to Kathryn's arm and grabbed a dollar out of her hand!  Check out the videos below to see for yourselft.  We had such a great time and signed many autographs for all the children we met at the zoo.

After lunch it was back to the hotel so we could pack all of our competition stuff to bring over to the theater.  Two vans were full of dresses, shoes, makeup, steamers, and jewelry.  We practiced our opening number dance for about 3 hours before dinner.  Dinner tonight was at Bucca di Beppo and it was amazing.  The served us three different types of salad, two different pastas, chicken, broccoli, and of course, dessert!  Dessert was cheesecake, chocolate cake, taramisu, and apple crisp.  Tomorrow will be a lot of rehearsal, but I am sure I will still have something to tell you.

Always,

Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson

Miss Moorhead, 2010

Day 3: Gillette, State Capitol, and Fuddrucker's

Today was a very busy day.  We started the day at Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul, MN.  This hospital is a Children's Miracle Network hospital and a place Kathryn visits often.  This year, Kathryn has raised $18,000 for Children's Miracle Network!  I met many incredible kids who are all so inspiring.  A very memorable moment for me today is when a mother really opened up to me about her child, Dominic, who has to have surgery because one leg is not growing as fast as the other and it is also growing outward.  She started to cry, so I started to cry of course.  I gave her a warm hug before checking in to the hospital and that moment reminded me of why I raise money for CMN and do service work in my community year after year.  Gillette has about 25,000 patients each year that come in for different needs.  Mostly, they work with brain and bone diseases and corrections.  The lab where they make the braces, prosthetic limbs, and skull caps is only 1 of 4 in the nation!  Gillette was so kind to us.  We made cookies with the children, played games, and they fed us a wonderful lunch from Panera!

Emma and the queens!

Jr. and the queens!

After lunch we visited the state capitol and we were lucky enough to meet Governor Mark Dayton!  He shook all of our hands before and after meeting us.  Each of us gave him our autograph cards and we took a picture with him.  He was so kind and generous enough to spare 15 minutes with us.

Governor Dayton surrounded by queens!

Dinner was at Fuddrucker's tonight for burgers and shakes!  By that time I was a little tired of pictures so the only one I got was of the cute "kiddie" door handle in the bathroom.  Until tomorrow, if I am not too tired...

Always,

Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson

Miss Moorhead, 2010

Day 2: Glitz Fashion Show & QOL Interview

Today was packed full of excitement for me.  We started the day at Glitz in the Mall of America for a fashion show.  Each girl wore two different dresses down the runway to model.  Some dress were long evening gowns and others were short cocktail dresses, but all were gorgeous and I am excepting donations from anyone to go towards my gown purchase foundations! : )  After the fashion show we had the chance to visit with viewers, many of whom were family members and friends.  I was lucky enough to have my aunt Karen and my cousins Samantha and Madison come to see me model.  Next, lunch!  Crave in the Mall of America is a huge sponsor for the Miss Minnesota Scholarship Program.  Not only did they feed us lunch today, but they also provide lunch for the judges and appetizers for the audience on each night of competition, so please be sure to thank them if you grab a treat.

Now it was time to get back to the hotel for a little down time before my Quality of Life interview.  The judges were amazing.  They were all so interested in what we had to say and very friendly.  I was so happy to have the opportunity to share my platform, Habitat for Humanity, with people who truly care about service and giving back to the community.

I had a wonderful day, but I am already exhausted so I will get some rest now before another long day.

My cousins; Madison and Samantha

Red, White, and Blue!

We are Quality of Life finalists.

Always,

Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson

Miss Moorhead, 2010

First Day: Miss MN Check-in

Good morming followers! I finally figured out the Internet at the hotel this morning so I can fill you in with my day yesterday.  I woke up bright and early to finish packing and write a paper for a school class.  Yes, I was taking a summer course and finished my final paper two minutes before I walked out the door to drive to Bloomington for Miss Minnesota check-in!

At check-in we handed in final paperwork, and we got settled into our hotel rooms.  This year my roommate is Allison Lordbock, Miss City of Lakes. After we settled into our new homes for the week, we made door decorations so we know where each girl's room is located.

That is all the excitement for now, but today is filled with tons of excitement. I can not wait to update you about the Glitz fashion show and my Quality of Life interview. Wish me luck!

My roommate for the week, Allison

Always,

Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson

Miss Moorhead, 2010

Miss Minnesota Send-off Party

Last night was my send-off party for Miss Minnesota. Joining me were Miss Frazee, Emily Kallis; Miss Perham, Brittany Bachman; Miss Heart of the Lakes, Kalli Randall; and Miss Northwest, Melissa Paakh!  Each one of us presented our wardrobe for Interview, Talent, Swimwear, and Evening Gown.  To start the party right, we had to greet everyone in our amazing and dazzling production number outfits!  While we were in our interview outfit we had the opportunity to talk about our personal platform and what we have been doing with it throughout the year.  I was able to talk about the house I am currently working on in Barnesville, MN and the progress we have made on the house in just a short period of time.

I wish I could post pictures of the send-off, but I don't want to reveal any of our garments until Miss MN! I will only post the five of us in our production number outfits.

From L to R: Miss Perham, Brittany Bachman; Miss Heart of the Lakes, Kalli Randall; Miss Northwest, Melissa Paakh; Miss Frazee, Emily Kallis; and Miss Moorhead, Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson (me)

Always,

Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson

Miss Moorhead, 2010

Habitat for Humanity: Barnesville, Day 2

Today was the second day I worked on the Habitat for Humanity house being built in Barnesville, MN. It was only day four of the Blitz build and when we started the day, the windows and doors were in place, almost all the shingles were nailed on the roof, and now it was time to start nailing on the siding to the house. 

I was very excited that all the shingling was not complete because surprising enough, that is by far my favorite thing to do when working on a house.  After shingling I was given the caulking gun to fill in all the little holes on the roof to be sure it wouldn't leak during a thunderstorm or blizzard.  While a few of us were shingling, the rest of the group started nailing on the siding.  After lunch, everyone was working on the siding for the house.  By the end of the day we had one whole side of the house done and half of two other sides of the house.  The siding does not need to be complete until Friday so I have a feeling they will be done by Thursday or very early Friday.

Getting instructions before we begin

Nailing in shingles.

Don't fall!

Cutting sheathing...Are you surprised they trusted me with a power tool?

Crew at the beginning of the day

Crew at the end of the day...sweaty, sore, and bruised

Crew leaders...they found out I was Miss Moorhead and I never heard the end of it.

I will not be working anymore this week since Miss Minnesota check-in is just around the corner. I need to start packing and finish all my homework for my summer class.  After Miss Minnesota, Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity will begin working on the house in West Fargo which is a Women's Build.  I have already started gathering a team of women that are going to help me work on this house!

Always,

Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson

Miss Moorhead, 2010

Habitat for Humanity: Barnesville

I am so excited that summer is finally here! Time to hit the beach, get my tan on, and relax...and build houses!  Unfortunately our region of the state only gets a few short months of nice weather so when we build houses, we need to build them fast.  In order to build fast, we need volunteers who are hard working and committed so yesterday I spent the day hammering nails to 2x4s, 2x6s, and plywood after working a 12 hour shift at my serving job!

Saturday was the "Wall Raising Event" for the family in Barnesville, MN. We spent the morning building the walls and putting them up. We also started with the sides of the house.  At 11:30 family, friends, and the community of Barnseville came to witness the dedication to the new homeowners and watch them "raise" one of the walls.  By the end of the day all the plywood was up around the house and the roof framing started to be put in place. I will go there again this week to work on the house some more. This year Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity is having another "Women's Build" starting in a a couple weeks in West Fargo. This is my favorite kind of build because it will only be women who build the house for this family, besides the crew leaders.

Also, today I was notified for being a Quality of Life Finalist along with Natalie Davis, Allison Lordbock, Bethany Beniek, Meghan Kuznia, and Aja Majkrzak! Congratulations to all of you ladies!

Beginning of the day

After all, but one wall had been put in place.

 Crew that worked on the house Saturday (I am in orange)

The new family, Mayor of Barnesville, and some family help raise the final wall of the house

It's up!

Always,

Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson

Miss Moorhead, 2010