"And in our world of plenty; We can spread a smile of joy; Throw your arms around the world; At Christmas time." - Bob Geldof and Midge Ure

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               I love Christmas!  It's a great time to be with with your friends and family. Snowball fights, fun secrets, family traditions, laughter, good smells in the kitchen, that's what makes up my Christmas.  I would like to send my warmest wishes to everyone.  I hope you are surrounded with love this season.

Happy Holidays!

Brittany

I went home on November 11th to place a wreath on behalf of Barry McFarland for the Government of Alberta.  It was an honor to do this.  In my family the men have served our country in both WW1 and WW11.  I have attended services for as long as I can remember in Vauxhall, over the years many of the faces that saw war have slowly disappeared, to rest peacefully I hope.  I remember thinking when I was younger how the lines etched in their face's told the stories of sacifice and horrors they do not talk about. We have a family friend who sent us a little note to think about, I would like to share it with you.  Thank you John for sending this.

It is the Veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the Veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Veteran, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Veteran who salutes the flag.

It is the Veteran who serves under the flag.

Thank you Grandpa for letting me have the right to live my life how I choose.  Thank you to the soldiers today who continue to fight for the rights and security of all.

Brittany

It is hard to believe that October is almost over!  It seems like yesterday I was in Toronto as a delegate for Miss Teen Canada - World.  Since returning home I have had the pleasure of being involved with a few events as Miss Teen Vauxhall/Taber.  At the end of August I, along with other Miss Teens were in the Lethbridge parade.  The day was beautiful and it flew by!  A great amount of work was done on the floats and the girls all looked wonderful.  Bells and Bows made sure all the girls looked great.   My dress was really nice, thank you Christine for all the hard work you did for the costumes. I also spent time with my special friend Julanda, we hung out for the day and made cookies, swam and watched a movie.  Julanda has a beautiful heart and is her "Own kind of Beautiful."  I am glad she is a part of my life.   I was invited to give a speech at Taber's annual Taber Cornfest.  I spoke about leadership and volunteering in our communities, how important it is to reach out locally and globally.  The day was sunny and nice, and I was able to meet some very interesting people...and things!  I introduced dignitaries and then walked around the fair grounds and signed pictures.  One very interesting lady turned out to be a Queen!   The "Queen of Rationalization."  She was alot of fun to talk to and I enjoyed listening to her!  I also saw literally, "fish out of water", these actors were seriously great.  Alot of hard work and planning goes into Cornfest Days.  Thank you Taber for giving us an old fashioned country fair, that is fun for everyone, and very family orientated.

In September I helped at the Apex golf tournament.  The day was a bit cold, however there was a good turnout and everyone was in good spirits.  The Apex Youth Awards honor kids who are simply good kids, whether they help at home, volunteer in the community, have special circumstance and/or go above and beyond the call of duty.  I was honored to win an Apex Award a few years back.  The Apex comittee hosts a night for all nominees, and it is a wonderful night.  There is a dinner, gifts and prizes that are handed out.  Every person there feels special, and it is directly thanks to sponsors and volunteers hard work that makes this night so special.  October saw me attending the "Inspired Womens Show", this day was devoted to women.  There were many products and lines of clothes to look at, as well as a lovely dinner and a guest speaker.  One lucky lady recieved a complete make-over.  The event was enjoyed by all.  So that is what I have been up to, college is great, and I look forward to catching up with you again.  December is going to be fun, I'm off to Hawaii!  Bye for now,

Brittany

It seems like it was forever ago I was in Toronto with 61, intelligent, compassionate and amazingly beautiful delegates, for Miss Teen Canada World.  But it was actually only 2 weeks ago!  I had such a wonderful experience in Toronto attending this pageant, I wouldn't take back any part of that week for the world!  I arrived in Toronto on July 7th, a couple days before the pageant actually started just to get a lay of the city and of course get some shopping in :)  However those couple days went by very fast and before I knew it, I was loading my luggage down to the second floor at the Delta Chelsea hotel to meet up with the rest of the delegates.  As I walked into the rehearsal room, I saw 12 familiar faces!!  The other Alberta delegates from the regional pageant.

Not too much later after that I heard a familiar voice saying "graceful", or "where are your heels?" and instantly I recognized who that was.  Shawn Cuffie our choreographer from our regional pageant, so I quickly grabbed my heels and got in line to practice walking.  After a couple hours of practice Michelle Weswaldi came  in greeting all of us, smiling and happy!  We all sat down and listened to our instructions for that day.  She was soon calling out names and room numbers and assigning roomates!  I quickly grabbed my luggage and ran to the elevator to meet up with not only my room mate for that week but the two chaprones Carrie and Chris; whom I have to give special thanks to!  They had to put up with 62 girls with 62 different personalities and they were still sane by the end of the week. Thanks so much, you guys were awesome!!!  When we got to our rooms we had about an hour to get settled in, unpack and get to know our roomies and I must give Michelle props with matching up roomates, I got along so well with my roomie Jamie, she was awesome!!

After we got settled in we were called to dinner then after dinner we went into the rehearsal room and Michelle met us and gave us our briefing for the next day.  Lucky for us even though it was a late night and early morning it was a pretty basic day. The day consisted of getting up and getting our hair and makeup done for a photo shoot and a video shoot.  Followed by a welcoming dinner where parents were invited, along with Sav Bhandari from Degrassi whom we all had the chance to meet.  He spoke to us about  Free The Children and his own personal experience.   After dinner we headed to bed and got prepared for the next day!  I'm going to aplogize in advance if I get my days mixed up or I have the wrong thing happening at the wrong time, alot happened during this week.  Michelle kept us very busy!! :D thanks Michelle!

The next day was so much fun we started out fairly early and headed onto a Hippo Bus tour that took us all around the city, the best part of that bus ride was definitely when we headed for Lake Ontario and I found out the bus was amphibious!  After the bus ride we headed back to the hotel for rehearsals with Omar for our opening number!!  After a few hours of rehearsing we left for lunch and  Salsa/Latin dance lessons.  So much fun!!!.  The day ended on a good note, we had more rehearsals after lunch, and then after dinner, only bad part was my feet hurt!  DAY ONE!!!
The next day was also a busy one, we went on Mariposa Cruise Lines. This was also a fantastic day.  We recieved flats from "Damn Heels" and we were on ET Canada!  It was gorgeous day, super hot outside.  After the cruise it was lunch and then rehearsals for the big show!

The next day was also a blur.  That day happened to be the preliminaries. The preliminaries decide (along with the interview) who makes the top 20.  It came so fast!  So that night parents could come and watch the bathing suit and evening gown competition.  We also had our hair and makeup done that day, the night seemed to fly by!  In a blink of an eye it was Friday and we were heading to the CN tower in the morning and judges interviews in the late afternoon.  The CN tower was so much fun!  The best part was the glass floor.  It was a little scary but really cool to look all the  way down to the ground.  I believe it took something like 35 seconds from the bottom to get to the top of the CN tower in the elevator.  After we spent a couple of fun hours in the CN tower and gift shop, we headed back to the hotel and went up to our rooms to prepare and get ready for the interviews with the judges.  After everyone finished up their interviews we went back up to our rooms and got changed once again into different outfits to go and watch the talent night.  The talent night in MTC-W was so much fun, its a separate thing away from the actual competion, you can do a talent if you wish to but it doesn't affect your overall score at all.  One girl will win the talent scholarship and this year Vanessa Stead won. 

FINALLY the day everyone waited and worked for. Saturday July 17th, this day would be the day one girl's life out of 62 would change forever.  All of us would take away something from this week and all of us could be proud of our accomplishments and committment to our communities.  However only one would be named "Miss Teen Canada - World...who would it be?  That morning everyone woke up excited and nervous for the big day! We headed over to the Toronto Convention Centre where the pageant would be held.  This is where we got our hair and makeup done as well.  Around 4 pm we started rehearsals!  The exciting night was nearly here!  Once everyone was done getting ready we all changed into our opening number and the night had begun!  It was such a whirl wind!  There really wasn't time to process what was going on we were on a dead line and had to put on a show regardless where we ranked or who won :D

By the end of the night I think everyone was very, very tired.  The new Miss Teen Canada - World was crowned.   Again, congrats Channing girl you deserved it!!!  Your awesome.  So there you have it!  My amazing experience in Toronto with the Miss Teen Canada World pageant!  Thanks to everyone who helped make this experience so memorable.  Thanks Michelle, you are the best!  I know how busy and frustrating at times, it must have been with all us girls and thanks to the choregraphers; Anthony, Omar and Shawn, you guys had to put up with all us girls chatting and not being focused sometimes during rehearsals.  And another thanks to Carrie and Chris!!  Great chaprones!!!  Much patience.   And a HUGE thanks to my family and friends, all of this wouldn't be possible without all your support!!!   I look forward to representing my communities Vauxhall and Taber until February, keep checking in, there are many adventures still waiting for me.  THANKS!!!!!!!

Brittany

So I have been in Toronto for three days now and all I can say is nothing but positive things!!   The people are very friendly and helpful.  It's so warm here, well actually so hot!!!  It's really nice compared to Vauxhall where I don't think summer has quite hit yet.  And what can I say about the shopping here!.  Oh it is fantastic!  Yesterday my mother, my Aunty Sun and I went for a walk and came across malls and stores like you wouldn't believe.  I have to say though my favouite stop of the day had to be Lululemon in Eaton Centre!  The staff there was so helpful and so nice!  They even put me up on their facebook page!! So I would like to take this time to thank Jessica, Lisa, and Tyler, the staff at lululemon, you guys are great!!!  Last night I was watching the news and it called for rain today and you can only imagine what I was thinking!  I was thinking back to all the crazy Alberta rain and weather that was going on.  Luckily the rain here is warm and relaxing, I actually didn't mind it at all.  I would also like to take this time to thank all of my followers on my blog.  This has been an amazing journey and I will never forget it.  So one last little favour before I begin my incredible week, please vote for me at www.missteencanadaworld.com Thanks so much!! Wish me luck!

         In1962 Canadian Television Network changed into CTV.  CTV is the largest privately owned network in Canada. This station is a vital part of communities, CTV contributes to fundraising for local charities, and in 2008 celebrated 50 years of bringing accurate news to communities. One of these charities is Free The Children.  In 2007 the partnership between CTV and Free The children began with the first ME TO WE day.  On April 15th, 2010 Free The Children and CTV announced they will be partnering for 3 more years on WE DAY.

 Having CTV as a broadcasting sponsor allows Free The Children to reach out to a wider population and get them informed, excited, and empowered about making a positive change.  Being a producer of WE DAY gives exposure to CTV and helps them get in touch with todays youth with an optimistic point of view.

"It is our honour to share with all of Canada the spirit, energy and commitment that Free The Children inspires during WE DAY and every other day," said Susanne Boyce, President, Creative, Content and Channels CTV Inc. "Craig and Marc are visionaries who continue to transform lives in Canada and around the world."
CTV is local and through the years has offered insight to local issues that affect us all, when researching CTV I realized how much I rely on them to give me the information I need everyday on the news.  The people who are employed by CTV live in our communities and we all benefit from their experience and hands on help in our lives, whether they are coaching, volunteering at a school, or lending a hand at a fundraising event
I have grown up with familiar faces such as Lloyd Robertson, who has recently announced he will be retiring, it occured to me these faces are like family, you expect they will always be there, I assume I will always turn on the T.V. and see the type of news reporting I have been growing up with.

    Here are the sources I got my research from!!

www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/corp/CTVShows/20100415/ctv_release_100415/20100415?hub=announce

www.weday.ca

www.freethechildren.ca

www.ctv/weday.ca

www.ctv.ca

http://ottawa.ctv.ca/tl/about_us/index.htm

As a girl growing up in the country, there are certain rituals that occur every year that I look forward to.  Branding is one of those rituals.  For those that do not know what branding is, it is a marking that ranchers put on their calves to prove that it's their property.  So every year after all the calves are born we round up all the cattle and separate the calves from the cows so we can brand the calves and give them their vaccinations.  Friends and family gather to help and there is alot of food!   Being a country girl is something I love and am proud of. There is nothing prettier than a country sunrise or sunset. The wide open sky is full of dreams for those who have them.  It sometimes has it down sides like not being close to my friends or home towns but it has so many more positives to it.  I can go horse back riding whenever I want, and I am able to have huge bon fires with friends and family!   I am a country girl down to the bone, at the end of the day when everything is quiet and night is falling, I count the stars, listen to the night sounds and look forward to the next day.  There is a way of life in the country, a certain closeness to the land, and the people who stand as guardians for the next generation, to feed our great nation.

Today I invite you to join me as I travel on the elusive trail of fashion.  Since beginning my passage through style and trends, I have looked for an image that is about me.  What look do I want?  What do I want the world to see?  How do I go about doing this?  And where do I start?  Why am I always changing my ideas about what may be right for me?  As a seventeen year old, I know and understand some basic rules for teens.  My tastes have definitly changed since I was thirteen, back then I wanted my own image, however that image also reflected what my friends were wearing.  Make-up and hair was an ever evolving thing, as I tried to establish who I was.  Since becoming a delegate for Miss Teen Canada World, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of taking care of myself from the inside out.  Proper eating, skin and hair care, exercise, and what is appropriate clothing for school, dances, work, shopping, going to a movie with friends, or a dinner with a boyfriend are all part of that growing awareness of who I will become.

Teens are looking to find answers and a comfortable zone in which to experiment with fashion.  I personally feel in order to grasp the larger picture, it is important to consider where you live, how large of a school you may attend, if you have a job, and your budget.  How do television shows impact what I wear and, what defines me?  In order to fully understand fashion and trends one must look to some of the biggest fashion designers and the famous people they dressed, who pioneered the way for todays styles.  Hubert de Givenchy's use of elegant lines, embroidered and print fabrics in daring colors makes it easy to understand why he has dressed women like the Duchess of Windsor and Audrey Hepburn.  Audrey Hepburn was a famous actress in the fifties who was known for her grace and elegant style; she believed purchasing a few really good quality pieces and using accessories was better than having a huge wardrobe full of clothes you never wore.  Minimal make-up and heavy mascara seemed to be her signature.  An interesting notation here, Givenchy designed a "little black dress" for the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" for Audrey.  It was a sleeveless floor-length black dress and is considered the most expensive dress in the history of movies, selling for close to a million dollars!  Her idea of style was trusting what you think works for you, style comes from within.  Coco Chanel, was best known for her mixture of male and female designs, as well as adding layers of jewlery, shorter dress lengths, hats and handbags.  Her own personal signature was layers of pearls mixed with costume jewlery.  In 1954 her new collection included the "Chanel suit".  In response to questions about her new collection Coco said, "A Chanel suit is made for a woman who moves".  Chanel is also responsible for introducing sportswear to women.  (Famous women such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie, and First Lady Michelle Obama have adopted the use of pearls and enjoy many of Chanel's accessories today).  Well, I have investigated a few designers from the past to understand elegance and simplicity, but what about stars such as Madonna and Lady Gaga?  Madonna has always challenged what is in style.  Her favorite designer is Jean Paul Gaultier.  Lady Gaga's take on style is about identity and pushing the limits.  Canadian designers are on the scene making their personal statements, Denis Gagnon's designs have feminine pieces with edgier accents and Pink Tartan has a line for those looking for fabrics in the "now" and a polished look.  While investigating fashion I have become aware of the choices I have today, to make my own "signature" for me.  Clothing and jewlery stores, hair salons, make-up artisits, all offer an amazing array of products and clothing, if you look hard enough, there are great buys out there.  On my search for understanding it became clear that style through the ages is and always will be an individual choice and not "Written in Stone"...the sky is the limit!

Studio 600 Salon would be an excellent sponsor for this program,as one of the most constantly changing styles is hair.  Teens are forever shortening, growing, or coloring their hair.  It would be beneficial to have a representative on the program to give accurate advice on purchasing extensions, as well as care and management.  Rodger Dukeshire is an educator for The Beauty Network, has over twenty years of experience and would be interested in empowering teens to be all they can be.  The benefit for Studio 600 Salon would be exposure of their business, as well as networking with other individuals who may be invited to participate.  Jergens is a company that believes in healthy skin, and supports ongoing research to improve the lives of women of all ages.  Sponsoring this article would help give them exposure to youth who are learning about their type of skin and how to manage it.  A question and answer portion for teens here might give a closer connection to teens and help Jergens to determine future trends.