And the Winner is................................

Well, how do I begin this blog today? So many options and I think the easiest is just go step by step as it actually happened.

Friday night after the show at 11 p.m. Stacy the co-ordinator e-mails me asking do I want tickets for Saturday night. So Jim e-mails her back and says yes. So Saturday night rolls around and we are chatting pre-show with this charming 21 year old fellow ( I am horrible with names by the way) who will be a sophmore this fall and adores designing in black and white.

Stacy a litle later comes by and says we want all the designers back stage for a final Designer's cat walk so be there before the models take there final walk. The fellow from before a little bit later says "Well I know I am the fourth to last so you and I should head back then".

I do and my model hasn't even hit the runway yet, not even the first time and off I go. So by the time I get back there the models have done their final spin and we are all standing in the dressing room. Everything is deathly quiet and the model says "You seem nervous". I say "I am very nervous, its my first runway show ever and she grabs my hand and holds it the entire time.

We are right by the stage, still backstage though and the assistant to Stacy says we need and she mentions two other names and mine to move to the front. Stacy says and the third place winner is---- which I forgot her name, I just knew it wasn't me. Second place is---- again not me!

At this point my mind is completely and utterly blank. Thinking utterly nothing, feeling utterly nothing. The model squeezes my hand hard and Stacy says "And in first place-----CHARLIE DALE"! I about died!

My heart was pounding, my breath was short and I was quaking literally in my shoes! I couldn't believe it! Still can't. Anyway all these people taking photogrpahs and all of us talking on stage. The model congratulates me and says "I knew you had placed before the show started but I didn't know where and I am so happy for you".

This girl comes up to me and asks for an interview so near the end I ask "When is it going to  be on Collegefashionista.com" and she says "Oh no, sweetie I am with the Kent Daily"!

Kent Daily is the college newspaper that goes out to all the Kent campuses across Ohio! I about fell over. The article is about the event and of course what we spoke about! Un-freaking-believable!

Stacy than says well "We had to give it to you because all the judges and myself ADORED what you did, it was so well constructed and we want you at the photo shoot". I said "Photo Shoot, what photoshoot"? She said "Oh sweetie, its this professional photoshoot for collegefashionista.com its part of the prize. The photographs, the web site thing and an article in the Kent Daily.  I'll get a hold of you and let you know the details, congratulations you deserved it!

Still speechless we gathered up our things and were among the very last to leave the building.  So I guess when I closed my post yesterday I was right...... Charlie Dale FASHIONISTA! Besides we raised money to help those suffering right now and UNICEF will help us to deliver that help to them, and I was part of it. That my friends was what it was all about!

Until next time, I am so glad we had this time together!