CrisisLink and the Little Black Dress Club

Last Wednesday I volunteered at CrisisLink's Link up and Listen Gala, held at the Clarendon Ballroom. I found out about this great organization and volunteer opportunity through the Little Black Dress Club.

CrisisLink saves lives and prevents tragedies. They give vital support to those facing life crises, trauma and suicide, and provide information, education and links to community resources to empower people to help themselves.

The Little Black Dress Club is a community of interesting and adventurous women who enjoy a variety of activities. The members host events from casual happy hours and gourmet dinners to rock climbing and SCUBA diving. Their mission is to create a worldwide community so as women move or travel, there will always be a friend to share an occasion.

The other volunteers and I acted as Auction Guards. We helped with the silent auction and helped the Gala-goers with any questions they had about the auction items. Over $50,000 was raised at the event!

Adoptable pet of the week

Meet Diva! She is 14 weeks old and looking for her forever home!

Your backstage pass to Paws for a Cause with Cesar Milan

Every pet owner has questions about their pet. Why do they do what they do, and what are they thinking. This especially can hold true for adopted pets. Often times we adopt pets when they are older and don’t always get a 360 degree view of their past. I know when I adopted my dog Remy, I was told he was 100% long haired Chihuahua. Well, since he doesn’t look 100%, I had his DNA tested. While the results were inconclusive they showed trace amounts of Pomeranian and Chesapeake Bay retriever! Needless to say I am unable to attribute his behaviors to a specific breed. So, where does one turn to get the answers they need?

Meet Bo the White House First Pet

Photo Credit: Peter Souza/AP

Did you know that Bo the new First Pet was re-homed? Check out my thoughts on Examiner.com

Adoptable pet of the week

I have the pleasure of pet sitting Marmaton (Missouri) this week along with the other Cairn Terriers in her foster family. She is a very sweet girl and will make a great addition for a loving family! While out on a walk I interviewed her :) Here is what she told me!

Lacy gets her Groom on!

(Pictured Above: Lacy Before)

If you were not able to sign up for Tidy Tuesday this past week, I strongly urge you to sign up soon. For those of you who have not heard, Karing by Kristina has partnered with Chios Pet Grooming for Tidy Tuesdays. Every Tuesday from 9-5 Chios will be parked in front of Barkley Square to provide grooming services!

My Maltese, Lacy was long over due for a haircut. She is a bit of a tomboy, so I like to keep her hair short. Lacy is also a bit of, well, lets just say a challenge. She tends to think that the groomers of the world are out to get her and she likes to defend herself. From the moment Nery, the professional groomer, came to get her she seemed more at ease than ever before. I was suprised as I handed her off that she didn’t even growl at him.

When Lacy returned I was amazed at how white her fur was. Her cut was perfect and she smells delicious! Check out the photos below and be sure to sign up for Tidy Tuesday ASAP. Now that the secret is out, spots will fill up fast.

Call 703-329-1043 to schedule your next appointment!

(Pictured Below: Lacy After)

Blue Jeans Ball 2009

I had the honor of being a "Celebrity" Guest Chef at this year's Blue Jeans Ball. I put the term celebrity in quotes because I am not quite sure I fit the bill as a celebrity and the term makes me want to blush. (A special thank you to Marianne Ricci of Faith 2 Reality Productions for getting me involved with this great cause)

The Blue Jeans Ball benefits the Capital Area Food Bank. I was surprised to learn that over 600,000 DC residents are at risk of hunger and that over 200,000 of them are children. CAFB aids the community through programs like Hunger Lifeline, Kids Cafe and Food for Thought. Every little bit donated to CAFB really does help, $1 will provide for 3 meals.

As a Guest Chef I was paired with Vidalia and Bistro Bis. I am pictured below with Ted, Executive Sous Chef from Bistro Bis; Joesph, Executive Chef from Bistro Bis and Joesph's wife Katie from Vermillion in Alexandria. The wonderful team of chefs prepared a Vidalia Onion Vichy Soisse with Lump Crab Meat, a Squid Ink Tuille and a dash of Old Bay Oil.

Other participating restaurants included Agraria, Art & Soul, Hello Cupcake, Jackson 20, On the Fly, The Melting Pot and Vapiano among others.

Another familiar face at the event and Celebrity Guest Chef was Kate Marie Grinold, Miss DC!

Below is a photo of the table centerpiece, I think it was a great reminder of the true meaning of the event.

Contestant Orientation

The Mrs. Virginia Contestant Orientation was held on Saturday in Winchester, Virginia. I really enjoyed meeting seven of the other contestants I will be competing with on May 2 for the title of Mrs. Virginia. Four of the contestants were unable to join us and I look forward to meeting them and learning about their platforms.

I had so much fun on my hour and a half drive both to and from Winchester. The weather was great and I was able to spend the time singing my favorite show tunes and Disney songs.

It is hard to believe the pageant is only four weeks away. I have several sessions left with my trainer Joselle from Fitness Together. I can already see a huge difference in my overall muscle tone and I have so much more energy.

The past 4 months as Mrs. Alexandria has been so much fun, I have had some wonderful opportunities and have met some amazing people. I am really looking forward to what the rest of 2009 holds :)

Top Photo: I am pictured with Lisa Lutz, Mrs. Virginia United States 2008 and Pageant Director Extraordinaire Siouxzan Nalley Moore
Bottom Photo: Mrs. Virginia 2009 Contestants with Lisa

Mrs. Virginia People's Choice Award

(Lacy says run out and Vote)

Many of my friends and family have asked me if they can vote for me to become Mrs. Virginia. While you can't vote for me to become Mrs. Virginia, that will be determined at the pageant by a panel of judges, you can vote for me to win the People's Choice Award. Each vote costs $5 and the candidate with the most votes will receive half of the money collected and the honor of being the people's choice!

If you would like to vote for me please use this form. You will need to mail your check or money order to Moore Pageant Productions and all forms must be submitted my May 1st.

Thank you all for your support!