September in a Nutshell: Fireworks in Michigan, Queens in Florida, and Dracula in Kansas

Happy… FALL!?? I can’t believe we’re finally in the last quarter of the year. Some days it definitely feels like fall, other days it’s still muggy, hot Kansas summer, and I swear we’ve gotten enough rain to refill Cheney Lake at least 4x (iykyk).

My September started with fireworks. Literally. My first time painting in Michigan, and the gig happened to be at the International Fireworks Championship, which was about as explosive as it sounds. I wasn’t fully prepared for how chilly it would be in early September (Kansas brain said “sweater weather,” Michigan said “mittens, please”). I ended up buying leggings to layer under my jumpsuit and little gloves to keep my fingers warm until showtime. Not freezing, but definitely colder than I expected.

The first night, the clouds threatened rain, but the show must go on. After a killer set from a local School of Rock, I headlined with a portrait of Lions quarterback Jared Goff. The crowd loved it, the canvas flip hit, and then I got to sit back and watch an international lineup of fireworks that genuinely rivaled Disney with my girl, Julia, who got to join me for the first night. Four teams on night one, back-to-back, painting the sky with color. Unreal.

The second night, the weather gods were kinder. I painted under a sherbet pastel sunset, layering together Michigan icons into one collage: a lighthouse, a deer, apple blossoms, the Mackinac Bridge, even a glimpse of northern lights. Afterward, I got to meet so many kids and fans who came up to the stage, which is always one of my favorite parts, hearing what caught their eye or inspired them. Then it was back to fireworks, more than my retinas could possibly hold, before hopping on a plane to Orlando. A huge congratulations to Team Poland for winning overall Judge’s Choice, and Team Portugal for winning the fan vote!

I traded mittens for 90-degree heat and landed in Florida for Miss America finals. Less than 24 hours on the ground, couch-surfing with friends, but I wouldn’t have missed it. I had several clients and friends competing, and even more in the crowd. Miss America always feels like a reunion. For those who don’t know my “lore,” I was crowned Miss Kansas in 2019, competed at Miss America that December, placed in the Top 15, and then thanks to the pandemic, served two years. Since then, I’ve been back to almost every Miss America.

Supporting the women who make it there means a lot to me. For most of us, the dream is just to be on that stage, and everything else is a bonus. Huge congratulations to our new Miss America, Cassie Donnegan! Cassie was Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Pre-Teen when I was competing in the teen program there, so our paths overlapped there at the beginning, and watching her journey has been inspiring. She’s talented, kind, and a big advocate for the arts (which, obviously, I’m a fan of).

Back in Kansas, I hunkered down for a couple of weeks to reset and get organized for fall. One of my roles here involves supporting Ballet Wichita, and let’s just say it’s been a rollercoaster. We’re closing out our 50th season with a mainstage production of Dracula, and only a week after ticket sales launched, our venue suddenly shut its doors. No notice. So it’s been a scramble pivoting venues, reworking marketing and press, keeping everything on track. But the show will go on, and I might even make an appearance on stage. Last year, I was ‘Auntie Drosselmeyer’ in The Nutcracker. This year, I might be creeping around Dracula. I am not a ballerina. Not even close. But I can act and move enough to support the story, and it’s a joy to be part of the narrative in a different way.

The rest of the month has been about prepping for October, which is stacked. A youth entrepreneurship conference. A national travel conference (right here in Wichita, which feels like a big full-circle moment). Then Vegas, then Kansas City, then back for Dracula, then off to Washington, D.C. to close out the month. And then Halloween, which, if you know me and Jesse, you know is a whole production. I won’t spoil this year’s costumes yet, but I think you’ll get a kick out of it.

So here we are, sliding into fall. I did a little reset during the eclipse and new moon, clearing my head for the final quarter of the year. I’m sending you cozy fall vibes wherever you’re reading this. And as I said on Instagram recently: in a universe this big, I think it’s fun to believe in a little magic, and leave some of it up to the stars. ✨