Gowns, gowns and more gowns...

It was a weekend of gowns. On Saturday, after a photoshoot, lunch with friends, roommate's Shakespearean show, I ran home to apply a smokey eye and pull out my Miss America competition evening gown. And then I smiled, being transported back to the Miss America stage with my Miss A sisters and all of the excitement of the competition and the Planet Hollywood stage. Sure last time I wore it, I was being judged on stage--well this time I was being judged in a different way--by drag queens!! And we all know they can be the hardest on a girl!

The ladies of RuPaul's Drag Race

It was The Imperial Court's Night of A Thousand Gowns benefiting he Ali Forney Center and the Trevor Project, I arrived on the Red Carpet St 6:30 and did not leave until 1:10am...and we left early! It was the best night ever with so much excitement and energy, confidence and celebration, sparkles and stones, velvet, hair, crowns that completely put mine to shame, and makeup. I was called on stage to say a few impromptu words, introduce an award and also the highlight...I entered into knighthood! As I walked on stage and they told me to kneel I was nervous that my dress isn't so much a kneeling (or sitting I found at dinner) dress with a slit hehe but good thing I had a pretty backless dress! So I am officially "Dame New York" or "Dame Claire Buffie." How fun?!

I received soooo many thanks and met excited fans who watched, cheered and voted for Miss America, and quite a few offers for appearances and offers to be involved with different organizations. I once again was able to meet so many new, fun people and reconnect with people I've met before like the cast of My Big Gay Italian Wedding. Such a great night!!!

Cast of My Big Gay Italian Wedding

The next morning it was up early for the last city pageant of the year. We had another great (and fast!) day at the Scandinavian House. Marina Montes, a former Miss NY contestant (2nd RU when I was 3rd RU in '09) who has come back to be an executive director of a local pageant - it is so key to have the commitment of these girls who are going back to a program that gave so much to them! Congratulations to Kasey Waters Miss Greater Gotham, Kaitlin Monte Miss Southern NY and Kate Perkins Miss Five Boroughs! It was a "K" day apparently!!

Kate Perkins Miss Five Boroughs | Kaitlin Monte Miss Southern NY | Kasey Waters Miss Greater Gotham

I want to take a second to explain something that is rightfully confusing... 2 weeks ago, we crowned Nardeen Billan Miss Greater Gotham in the state open sweeper. After that weekend, we decided to raise the money to give one extra girl a chance to compete at Miss NY by awarding 3 titles instead of 2 at Miss Southern NY. In brainstorming those titles' names, we asked Nardeen if she would like to be Miss Queens as it would be wonderful to have that borough specifically represented rather than just a greater NYC title. She was ecstatic and thought it would make her marketing during the year so much better, and we could also increase our visibility in the Queens community to get some new involvement in the Miss NY organization. So that's why we had the Greater Gotham sash/title still available and Kasey Waters, who lives in Astoria and works in Manhattan, took the more encompassing title. Make sense? I know we are all super excited and hope that clears things up for any of you who were wondering.

New titleholders with all visiting titleholders - Congrats ladies!

Even though I'm skipping past the week in DC-another blog- I want to jump to announcing that the last girl in the 2011 class was crowned on Saturday night! Congratulations to Lynn Tryon Miss Mohawk Valley!! So that makes the Miss New York Class of 2011 complete!! You can see their crowning moments on the Miss NY website under Local Competitions! After Orientation Workshop this weekend, we will be updating their new headshots and releasing lots of information about the 2011 pageant in Staten Island! Get excited!!