Bachelor Update: Get Emily Marnard's Maxi Style!

It's no secret that I am obsessed with maxi dresses! They are comfortable, cute and easy to accessorize, especially for a mom-on-the-go like me! I was lurking on Twitter...trying to catch the latest Bachelor scoop and found one of Emily Maynard's maxis that just went on sale!

Emily has to be my all-time favorite from ABC's Bachelor Franchise and her styling was always impeccable too! Straight from Gypsy05, the Organic Maxi Dress Tye Dye just went on sale for $99.00. It's beautiful burgundy and mustard print is perfect for both blondes and brunettes alike. 

This kind of dress can be worn out to lunch with friends, for a dinner date, on a shopping outing or even to church with a neutral button-up sweater. It puts fun in the functional!

To add this gorgeous maxi to your closet, click here!

Join the ranks of the Miss USA Retreat Grads!

Retreat Grads: Ashley, TN; Ana, TX & Madeline, AL

The July retreat is right around the corner and we would LOVE for you to be a part of it!! The weekend literally changed my life and continues to be our favorite part of StandOut. Girls fly in from all over the country to share a bonding experience and leadership training that catapults them to success. 

We promise it's like nothing you've ever experienced!  On a 500-acre gorgeous ranch, we eat, play and sleep. Each activity is designed to prep you for your pageant and ultimately for life. How do you standout in a competition full of beautiful faces? At our retreat, we teach you how to find the beauty within yourself. You'll leave with a new-found confidence, equipped with the knowledge to showcase it in the best possible way. Impossible becomes a thing of the past. 

Ashley & Ana

"The StandOut Productions Retreat truly changed my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your genuine love and care."

- Ashley Durham, Miss TN USA & 1st Runner-Up at Miss USA

"Thank you for allowing me to have the best experience of my life! You have been an inspiration to us all!"

 - Ana Rodriguez, Miss TX USA & 3rd Runner-Up at Miss USA

Madeline, Miss AL USA & 2nd Runner-UP

When: July 22 - 24

Where: The Master's Inn - Lynchburg, VA

Why: To build your confidence and pageant prep skills

Who: Young women & women ages 14 & up 

  

What: Mock Interviews

         Interview & Mental Prep Class

         Fitness & Nutrition Class

         Skating

         Horseback Riding

         Confidence-Building Exercises

         Rope's Course

         Leadership Skills

         Stage Presentation Workshop

How: For more information, please contact us at: info@standoutproductions.net

For a full viewing of our retreat testimonials, please click here. The deadline to enter is July 13th. We hope to see you there!

 

Our Miss USA Review!

What an incredible Top 2!

A HUGE congrats to all of our Miss USA girls and the gorgeous Alyssa, Miss USA 2011! Welcome to the sorority!!! A.T. and I were blown away by the bevy of beauties at Miss USA this year. Well, we weren't totally surprised....we did get a sneak peak at our retreat. :) After working with 44 of the girls and then seeing the rest of the contestants, what an amazing showing for our 60th Anniversary!

The format for the show definitely enticed my nerves as we watched it all go down at Planet Hollywood. With 11 of the Top 16, 5 in the Top 8 and a fantastic finish with the Top 4, we couldn't be more proud of everyone!

We get so close with the girls throughout the year so it is amazing to see all of their hard work pay off. These young women are some of the most inspiring girls we have ever worked with. We know that ANYTHING they aspire to in life, can be theirs!

If you want to be the next Miss USA, you're only one click away from following in these gorgeous footsteps! It all starts at the state level with a weekend pageant produced by highly professional Executive State Directors. 

I can honestly say that being Miss USA was a huge dream for me. I watched the show every year when I was growing up and not until I entered my state pageant, did I think I could be Miss USA. How do you get to where these girls are? Start today by entering your state pageant!

It is a weekend full of opportunities that I promise will change your life forever...just like our awesome Miss USA girls! This CAN be you!!!

Fore more information on how you can be the next Miss USA, click here!

Miss USA 60th Celebration Review!

Wow!! After a whirlwind trip to Vegas, L.A. and Raleigh, it is definitely good to be home! A.T. and I had such an awesome time celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Miss USA. My schedule was not my own in Vegas and I loved it! MUO and Maureen Atwell (Executive Director, Miss NV USA), really pulled out all of the stops to ensure that all of us formers felt the Miss USA love all weekend long!

Susan Anderson for TIME

From autograph signings, to an interview and photo shoot with Time Magazine to VIP treatment with the La Casa Hermosa Style Team (thank you Cari and Wilmer!!), I felt like a Miss USA again. Meeting the past Miss USA's that I grew up loving and admiring was truly wonderful. 

Bobbi (Johnson) Kauffman, Miss USA 1964 and Sue (Downey) Olsen, Miss USA 1965, were the first formers I met and I was so in awe of them, I could barely talk. I was stumbling all over my words, just so honored to meet women that paved the way for me to be Miss USA. And each former was equally impressive and inspiring. I am so blessed to be a part of this sorority!!

On Saturday, we shot a commemorative poster highlighting the 60 years of Miss USA and it was amazing! I cannot wait to see the final outcome so until it debuts, here is a sneak preview of some of the things we shot!

Catching up with Tara (Miss USA 2006), was one of my favorite things from the weekend. We hadn't seen each other in quite a while and it was great reuniting with her. She looks wonderful, is working on a fantastic new album and has some pretty cool opportunities coming her way. Tara is a great person and I loved spending time with her!!!

Most of the Miss Teen USA State Titleholders were able to attend the festivities and it was awesome getting to see all of them! We hadn't seen most of them since our retreat so there were tons of hugs going around! I think it's great that MUO provides an outlet of events at Miss USA for all of the Teens. It's something they look forward to all year long and adds more bonding time for them.  


All in all, Miss USA gets an A+ from me! A.T. and I had a blast with our girls, our teens and the amazing formers! Thank you again to MUO, Maureen, Robin, Cari, Wilmer, Jason, Travis, Planet Hollywood and all my Miss USA sisters for a weekend I'll never forget! So much happened, so stay tuned for our official Miss USA Review!!!

Sherri Hill Couture dresses Miss USA Contestants

Sherri Hill, famed couture designer, has done it again. Paired with the Miss USA contestants at the Fadil Berisha Official Photoshoot, the outcome was nothing short of pure glamour. Known for her elegant grace and innovative designs, Sherri never disappoints. Oh and working with her is a dream. She just knows a woman's body and is very keen on integrating your personal sense of style into your gown.

In keeping with our Americana feel for the day, check out the sizzling red and cool cobalt gowns the girls wore during their shoot last week.

Britt Wiser, Miss MT USA, LacyJane Folger, Miss NH USA, and Julianna White, Miss NJ USA, beautifully model three different flowy styles in this gorgeous shade of red. Bead-work patterns, A-line cuts and the overall fabric choice can all be tailored to your preference.

For a more avant-garde approach, form-fitting styles are available. Whether on the shoulder or in the use of a train, accent pieces will perfectly highlight your figure and your face in these choices. Angela Byrd, Miss HI USA, Lissette Garcia, Miss FL USA, and Courtney Turner, Miss SC USA step out of the conventional gown box with perfection.

If hues of blue are more your style, then let these beauties lead your way. Brandi Schoenberg, Miss ND USA, Ashley Caldwell, Miss OH USA, and Brittany Thelemann, Miss MN USA, showcase three different Sherri Hill's that all would work extremely well on stage. 

One-Shoulder's are here to stay, creating a classily sexy look. Intricate beading patterns mix so well with flowing chiffon bottoms and if you go for a type of sleeve, you can keep your youth in the gown by focusing on the fit of the gown on your figure. 

There are winning options to go around so don't be afraid to openly showcase your personality in your dress! Click here to find a Sherri Hill location in your area!

Red, Hot & Blue! Miss USA showcases their iconic beauty!

Pops of color are more gorgeous this season than ever! I am so loving the red and blue hues on our Miss USA contestants. It shows your personality and it takes confidence to pull off these eye-catching shades.

Amber-Joi Watkins, Miss PA USA, channels her inner Valentino in this fabulous red frock. Valentino has always been known for infamously showcasing red because he knows the confidence it exudes in a woman. Jillian Wunderlich, Miss IN USA, continues the trend in this form-fitting one-shoulder tomato red dress. Both are the perfect use of this color as they look beautiful!

Courtney Turner, Miss SC USA, takes on cobalt in her long-sleeved mini for a night out at Miss USA. Brittany Thelemann, Miss MN USA, is effortlessly elegant in her day dress at the Miss USA registration. Adding some bling to her blue, Sarah Chapman, Miss NV USA, lights up the red carpet in her take on the cobalt color craze. All three girls took the color and adapted it to their own sense of style proving that everyone can don this shade of blue and look fantastic doing it!

One of my go-to cocktail dress sites is Edressme. They have a huge selection where you can find your favorites at a great price. Here are two fabulous finds that I know will be hard deciding on which to add to your wardrobe!

1. Blue One-Shoulder Ruched Mini by Sentimental NY

    $148.00

2. French Connection Red Bandage Dress

    $168.00

  

Princess Perfection: Kate Middleton's Blushing Style

Kate Middleton, the stunning, Duchess of Cambridge, outdid herself yet again at the 10th annual Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) gala in London this week. How can you not love her effortlessly elegant style? On Wednesday we talked about the color blush being the new black and the beautiful Kate shows us how to do it in this gorgeous Jenny Packham gown.

Straight from the designer's, New York SS11 runway show, Packham is know for her luxurious fabrics and soft feminine grace. For more details on the Princess' look, please contact, boutique@jennypackham.com.