Stefanie Somers - Designer and Creator of Pageant Jewelry

We have quite a legend right here in The Woodlands, Texas. Coming here from Baltimore in 1992, Stefanie Somers lives just outside of The Woodlands proper. She is living her second career now. Her first was also in a glitzy venue that she loved, a ballroom dancing studio! "I still miss that." It all came to an end as the result of an injury she incurred years ago. She came into the ballroom business after winning the USA Amateur Ballroom title in her last year of college. Then after the injury, she changed her profession out of necessity. She is very well known in the United States as the lady who puts the glamor in glamor. Among her clients include competitors in the USA, America and Galaxy pageant systems at various stages of competition. She by no means limits her work to the major pageants. She also creates accessories for local pageant contestants, brides, dancers and participants in any event where a lady is looking to be unique. She has no store front other than her website.² She does not design or create crowns such you would see for the winner of a major pageant, nor a tiara. If you are in a pageant and don't go to her for help for your evening gown jewelry, you are missing the edge in competition when you face the judges.

This year, all one needs to know about Stefanie's creativity is to look no further than First Runner-up Miss USA 2009 in her evening gown.² Carrie Prejean (Miss California) wore her spectacular white earrings, the creation of Stefanie. She has been on various television shows. Another example is Miss Utah, Laura Kirilova Chukanov, who was third Runner-up in the same pageant, in her yellow gown, wearing her customized yellow earrings by Stefanie. Second Runner-up (not pictured) Miss Arizona, Alicia-Monique Blanco was also wearing her unique jewelry. In fact, five of the top ten in the Miss USA Pageant this year were wearing jewelry designed and built by this creative artist. Each contestant using Stefanie's services wears unique jewelry customized for that individual for that contest. The jewelry is of course designed with the dress colors and style in mind, but much more goes into the uniqueness of the product. The personality of the girl, her frame and her features will play a part in the selection of stone cuts and colors.

This lady works exceptionally hard to get the job done. Often she is under tremendous pressure to produce her product and put it into the hands of the contestant near the day of the pageant. The night before I interviewed her, she was up all night working on a project.

Stefanie has her own design philosophies, which have evolved over the years. For one, she has to get to know the contestant, not just work from a photograph. The contestant actually designs the creation through her individual uniqueness. It is up to Stefanie to interpret that uniqueness. "The girl's silhouette is very important" says Stefanie. "The girl should sparkle ten feet away". I use the best crystal available and have a privileged direct designer account with the company making them, giving me access to their remarkable palette of crystal cuts and colors.", "company" being Swarovski1 "I have an immense inventory of many colors and shapes. Looking at these stones is like being in a candy store."

When asked about interesting experiences in this business, she replied. "Every once in a while I get a call from the hotel where the girls have already gathered for a pageant, and one asks me if I can design her accessories before the pageant. That happened this year. This simply cracks me up!" There is of course a lot of planning and preparation required to successfully compete in these events. Some of the girls are not aware of the extent of preparation by some of their competitors until they see them with their personalized jewelry and say "oh no, I need one of those too!". It is then too late. "Another memory also comes to mind. I have done some custom work for Disney, for example the buttons on the shirt of Mickey Mouse that he wears in Disney World for firework displays, as the orchestra leader. I am also particularly happy to be the designer of Cinderella's crown, which I am sure just about everyone has seen. I was privileged to go backstage and see the Disney operation as a result of my work. A fond memory. I also get to see the real people who are in the public eye. To see these wonderful dresses of pageant contestants is a joy of mine."

I have to say, it is apparent when talking to her, that she enjoys her work.

Stefanie has two children and is able to be there for them, since she does her work in her very large studio near their home. At times, she employs a substantial number of people to help with the work. Her daughter also often helps her with the business.

She was recently interviewed on Pageant Talk Radio³. That is an interesting conversation, if you want to spend the time with it. She wrote an article in Pageantry Magazine that you may also find interesting and useful if you have some event where you want to be unique. She also gives advice on selecting earrings that will go with any color gown. ⁴

Contact information
Stefanie Somers, Inc.
stefanie@stefaniesomers.com
800.400.4312 Toll Free
936-273-2488 Houston local
936-273-1729 Fax

References
¹ Swarovski Crystal website
² Stefanie Somers Website
³ Pageant Talk Radio
⁴ Pageantry Magazine article by Stefanie Somers, "Opposing Forces"

Bonnie Hubert

Bonnie Hubert was recently crowned Mrs. Texas International. She lives right here in The Woodlands. This is her final stepping-stone to the Mrs. International pageant to be held July 17-18 in Chicago, IL. The first step was winning the Mrs. Woodlands pageant. Now as Mrs. Texas International, Bonnie is acting as a Goodwill Ambassador for not only The Woodlands, but the entire state of Texas. She is engaged in some forty completed or scheduled appearances such as judging the Woodlands Idol Contest, appearing at the Market Street Go Texan Event, Montgomery County Fair, American Cancer Relay for Life, Montgomery County March of Dimes “March for babies.” The majority of time is spent as a spokesperson for Montgomery County CASA. Her goal is to help CASA double the number of child advocates in this county. This milestone in her life in itself is quite an accomplishment, but the story only culminates here. We have to go back in time and look at her credentials to understand what has transpired in her life, why she was nominated for recognition in Who’s Who and where she is headed. She is a lady with a mission and goes to great lengths to accomplish that mission. “This has grown to something larger than I first envisioned”, she admits, “but it is all worthwhile.”

Her passion is with children. She has worked as a bilingual teacher, school counselor and now the Crisis Intervention Specialist for the Conroe Independent School District. She is the mother of three and an advocate for abused and neglected children. She seeks no personal gain for being Mrs. Texas. From day one of her competition, her goal has been to promote CASA, an organization which is an “advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home.” This is the primary reason she has been nominated for Who’s Who. When you meet her personally, you have no doubt as to that passion and the impact she is bound to have on our community, as well as statewide, or even nationally.

As a teacher and counselor for CISD, she has encountered a number of issues, which have stimulated her passion to help more children. She would like to double the number of volunteers from the community and now statewide for CASA. “I have no doubt that when people truly understand what CASA is all about and how easy it is to help CASA kids, the volunteer numbers will increase dramatically. It’s all about awareness. I know I can help CASA locally and statewide by being out there spreading the CASA message. The CASA message is simple-- When you give a child a CASA, you give a child a voice. When you give a child a voice you give them hope and when you give a child hope, you give them the world.”

In CISD she works to educate parents and educational institutions on behavioral intervention techniques, as well as a variety of other youth related topics. “My goal is to bring awareness to the public many youth issues, as well as provide community resources and support.”

With her bilingual skills (Spanish/English), she is personally able to reach out to a number of situations in the community. When she taught bilingual students, she led her students to 100% reading and 90% math proficiencies. She also was a campus representative for the CISD READS program and the CISD representative for the Texas Educational System TAKS Review Committee.

With a background in mental health as a professional licensed counselor, our Mrs. Texas has worked in private practice as well, conducting individual, family, and group counseling. In that capacity she had experience in interviewing, assessing, and identifying mental health or other problems using approved assessment instruments, social history, and consultation with various resources.

Bonnie feels that physical wellness is as important as mental wellness. She works as a group fitness instructor for the YMCA and Gold’s Gym teaching early morning classes 4 days each week. “Exercise is the best medicine to release stress. It’s a sacrifice to wake up at 4:30 four days a week, but it makes a big difference in every aspect of my life. When I exercise I have more physical and mental energy. It’s a way to remain strong so that I can be a super mom as well as make a difference in my job and community.”

Bonnie Hubert graduated from Sam Houston State University in 1997 with a B.A. in Education, Magna Cum Laude with a specialization in Spanish. She went on to obtain her Masters of Arts in counseling from Texas Southern University in 2002. She obtained her professional counselor certification and license from Sam Houston State University in 2004.

Mrs. Hubert can be contacted via her personal email at …… hubert97@sbcglobal.net, Personal Email address (click here)

Related Links

¹ CASA
² Mrs. Texas International pageant Winners

Devereaux Macy - IndianSprings Resident

Devereaux Macy joined the "it is time for change" movement before it even actually happened. One might say she found what the public wanted before Obama's presidential campaign defined change. She is our resident author who set out in July 2007 and after two months, entering 48 states, and 13000 miles of road, she brought back raw video to show the world. By January, 2008, she had the material on a DVD and was sending it out to others. Her purpose was to show that the American public does indeed hold a different opinion than key government officials. So she sent the video DVD to the president of the United States, 50 governors, top presidential candidates, and every member of the United States Congress, hoping that her point would be understood. She got little response, but a few acknowledgments were received. Then she set out for others to tell her story. This is where I came into the picture.

Devereaux had never even held a video camera before she set out on this journey. She rapidly became accustomed to taping, as she asked her pointed questions to those who would spend a minute with her on the streets of many different cities. Those questions, directed at a widely diverse audience, sought opinions about the environment, education, economy, Iraq war, and health care. This was a time she considered to be important because of the coming elections, but beyond that, she was "homeless and free" as well. That is, she was not tied down at the time and could "afford" to set out on such a impromptu journey to fulfill her dream. So she did.

She wants to influence the return of a government respecting the opinions of the American people. The resultant video has become known as "America Speaks". She stated "Because the people we have elected and are paying to represent us, are not and have not been listening to the American people for a very long time. It is time we changed that." She believes the American people are being short-changed and deserve to get what our forefathers intended, a government of the people, and for the people. You can read more of this work by the link provided below - "Let America Speak".

Just before the election, Fox News decided her work would be useful for the election and published it, using state-of-the art video editing and publishing techniques. They limited the audience to Texas even though the content had national scope. This work by Fox News is available online by watching this video.

Resources on this topic

• America Speaks

Now that the election is past, we know that nationally, voters have chosen change, just as she said they were asking for in her travels.

John Randy Scott of Woodlands Texas

Several people have asked who I am. I sometimes respond "Indian Springs Guy". It seems easier that way. That tells people that I am an Indian Springs resident right away, and it relates to a large part of my life now. So there! This is just to introduce me to you, whoever you are!
Now a Woodlands resident. I am an elected member of the RDRC of Indian Springs. I have served as a representative for many years in the Indian Springs Village Association. I am an author of this blog and a volunteer for umpteen events here in The Woodlands. I am a graduate of the 2006 Woodlands Academy and the 2008 Montgomery Sheriff's Academy for Citizens. I ran for position 4 on The Woodlands Township Board of Directors in 2010 and for a director position on the Woodlands Community Association in 2009.
Born a Texan, I also grew up in Southeast Texas. As a teenager, I was a "bay rat" (doesn't sound very respectable, does it?), a surfer (another image flies by), but a very responsible young man working for everything I needed or had to support my recreation activities while in school - surf board, car, fishing supplies, etc. I worked in a pet shop, totally in charge of it's fish and bird department, because I bred fish and raised birds from eggs at home. Nothing like having a job that is your favorite hobby! I also raised mice and hamsters, selling them to the store. Later, this job turned into being a groomer and sales person, part of a high school program to learn about business. In college, I became a pest control operator, again working for everything except room and board.
Getting a Texas education, I attended Del Mar Junior College in Corpus Christi, Texas, "City by the Sea". Then I came to Houston to earn a Bachelor of Science degree. Soon after arriving, I met the girl of my life. That turned into marriage, work and children. College had to wait. After a couple of youngsters came along, we all decided it was time for me to go finish the education. After having enough hours in Biology and Chemistry for minors, I switched gears and started a major in Math. A breeze! Straight "A"s, and found my niche in this world. The goal was to complete the degree at night before I turned 30, and I did it one week beforehand! Attending the university at night was tough on family life, but I also managed to teach children's sports, including baseball and soccer during those years. I took one advanced youth soccer team to state semifinals.
Working as a Texan, I raised my family in the oil patch. It all started as a Lab Technician, testing oil and chemicals for a testing laboratory. That included refining crude oil in mini stills. In a short time, I moved on to Exxon Oil's Drilling Department. That provided a foundation for me to move to Chevron as a Geophysicist to process seismic data. That in turn led me to be a programmer for processing the data, followed by moving up the ladder quickly in Information Technology and Applications Development. Turning to a management focus,  coerced by Chevron management, I began a career in leadership, from leading Computer operators to leading Computer Science Analysts. I supervised professionals with various other educational/experience backgrounds, from high school degrees to PHDs.  One organization I managed consisted of 176 personnel. As I was given more and more responsibility for organization budgets, I gradually shifted to strategic and tactical planning in a major international oil company as a loanee from Chevron. I was part of Saudi Arabia's strategic planning team for their national company - Aramco Oil Co. I also had a role in management there, supervising computer analysts in major projects with hundreds of millions of dollars return on investment. That led me to being a project manager and teacher of project management practices. I worked for three years in a 28/28-work schedule and learned in Kazakhstan "how to retire". I also learned a completely new culture, language, alphabet and new technologies. On my return to Texas from that job, the whole thing took another shift away from scientific computer applications to financial systems. I started deploying Oracle Corporation's One World internationally for Chevron, spending a year in Venezuela under very difficult political circumstances. That led to another process arena - oil trading, where I managed projects in SAP and peripheral systems supporting SAP processes. Suddenly one day, the price of oil went up, and I discovered I had sufficient (I emphasize "only sufficient" here) to retire early. That I did and have never looked back.
Retiring in Texas, I had made good decisions in the late 1990's to live in The Woodlands. It was perfect for a 28/28 schedule, because I "retired" in off months right here in our hometown! Now I live here with my loving wife and two teenage children. Yes, you heard right. I remarried after a late life divorce and married a lady and her children from Venezuela. And I forgot to say; I am bilingual and love to talk to people from South America in their native tongue. We speak Spanish in our home. That is yet another story.
My Texas Family is large. I have four grown children, three of which are raising their own family. Three of my children are in Information Technology and two are in the oil patch. You are right 2+2=5. I will let you figure that out. Usually, these days, they are teaching me instead of me teaching them. All are doing well in their lives.
Spiritually under the skies of Texas, I should reveal that I was a student, preacher, counselor and instructor of God's word for 20+ years. I fall back on that time in my life for spiritual strength, because I have an understanding of the subject in exceptional depth. I attend the church of my choice now, not attached to any one place or denomination.
As far as local values go, my love is the Texas forest, because my grandmother lived in the deep woods of East Texas. I am a person close to nature and am digging in to learn more and more as each day passes.
So I started this blog. Now, I find myself involved in politics but only as far as it concerns the well being of this community. That motivates me. I want this place to improve and not erode. You also might be interested in why I have a photo of me running. Well, you are bright enough to figure that one out. Just go to my family athletics blog to see that part of the story.
This is where I have always wanted to live, in the Big Thicket, but with the comfort of nice amenities. I am now living my childhood dream. What more can a person ask for? Liv'n and Lov'n!! Now you know the rest of the story.