Traveling... a Girl's Best Friend

Photo by Leo Riingen

Bollywood Saree Photoshoot

Model of the Month for Conciousness Magazine
Photo by Gary Yallelus

I am rather behind with my blog posts.... this is because I have been traveling so much I have not had much time to do anything else other than my set appts, modeling jobs, editorial meetings, etc. So here is a quick overview of my incredible life.... a snap shot of the past few months...

During the month of May I hit the ground running and I still have not stopped. Leo Riingen flew in from the Philippines for Jojo Sayson's Project Michelangelo Charity meeting. He is one of our International Board of Directors. He is a very successful entrepreneur, a famous photographer for his work with celebrities, and a charitable man. Before our meeting we had a photo shoot..... People are loving the photos. Here is one I chose for you (see above in the pink top, left side). Normally my profile pics change on my fb page quite often... but this one is still up there!

I continued to travel and have meetings in May. I spoke for Action Magazine and this was the highlight of my year. Last year's highlight was singing in a nursing home around Christmas time. This year was speaking to our Urban Youth on the importance of suicide prevention. I was surrounded by amazing speakers from around the United States. I was amazed at how Kenya Nalls, the editor of Action Magazine, put on such an impactful and well organized event. After I gave my speech I was asked to speak for several other organizations. This was a true blessing. It wouldn't be a "Sherrie" appearance if I did not incorporate some sort of fashion into it right? So of course I HAD to wear a GORGEOUS necklace from Mali Jewelry store located on Michigan Ave. in Chicago, IL. Fashion makes people more relatable. When I wear something fashionable I notice that the youth respond more openly to me when I speak. This is just one reason why I love being fashionable.

I did tons more during the month of May but lets fast forward to June. During June I traveled to Florida where I spent nearly 3 weeks making appearances, speaking about LOLC, and more. I even had the privilage to fit in some time with my family since my mom & dad reside in Florida. The first week I spent my time as editor of Tiara Magazine at the American Spirit Pageant. I was surrounded by successful individuals constantly since Dennis Vanderginst, national director and founder of ASP, chose very efficacious and notable judges. This made the pageant very fun for me. Dennis also gave me an opportunity to speak to the contestants about suicide prevention. Everyone was crying during my speech because so many of these ladies had lost someone to suicide. Girls opened up to me during and after the speech and I continued to mentor them. This was a pivotal moment during pageant week. After my speech took place, the contestants went off to rehearsals, competed during finals, and had the crowning ceremony. Four wonderful women, the reigning American Spirit Queens, will appear on the cover of Tiara Magazine this fall. I am very excited about this.

After my time in Florida I traveled back to Chicago for 3 days and prepared for my trip to Texas and had an incredible photoshoot. I wore jewelry by Mira Shan and wardrobe by Bollywood Saree Rentals. A dream came true... I am now the Brand Ambassador for Bollywood Saree Rentals. I am so thrilled beyond belief, as you can imagine, it is every model's dream for this to happen. I love the owners of this company and of course I love their designs. There is one photo above taken by Gary Yallelus. H&M and Henna design by Nadia Wasim. (Photo is at top of blog post)

That weekend I flew to Texas to pass on my title as Miss United America.... I met such incredible women that truly inspired me. I was fortunate enough to interview all of the lovely contestants and had the honor of choosing 5 cover models. Of course I chose 7. Every contestant there deserved to be on the cover.... they were all so wonderful. My year as Miss United America has been an extraordinary one. Since the pageant was bumped up early this year I will continue to make appearances until October with my national title. After flying home from Texas I was home for a few days and then drove to the Miss Illinois MAO pageant. I concluded the month of June by watching this super classy and elegant event. Your new Miss Illinois is Megan Ervin and she will compete LIVE on TV for the title of Miss America.

July has been fun too. Two main highlights thus far with more to come....
I walked in the Summer Desi Bash as a runway model thanks to Noman Khan and Nishma Patel. This show was a blast. Meeting the other models was so much fun. New opportunities have presented themselves but of course I am not allowed to say what they are just yet so stay tuned. Also... I was chosen as Model of the Month by Consciousness Magazine and I am featured on the homepage of their website!!!!! Here is the link http://www.consciousnessmagazine.com/
The winning photo is at the top of this blog post. Photo credits: Photo by Gary Yallelus. Makeup by Jacklyn Sunshyne. Hair by Nadia Wasim. Jewelry from Pandora Store in Oak Brook, IL Vicki Fasso Misuraca. Designer Bryan K Osburn. Thank you to Aaron Robinson!!! I am so excited about this!

Now on with the rest of July.... I need to submit articles today to 3 publications and finish an interview for an international magazine. I will be out of town for two weeks as Director of Fashion Week. I will be appearing at the Miss, Teen, and Mrs. International pageants to interview the new winners. Last but not least we have a date set for our annual charity fashion show for Live Out Loud Charity: November 25, 2012. I will keep you posted. So far we have over 11 magazines giving full coverage to our event. Blessings to all.....

Sherrie Gearheart

I want to go to India

Sometimes I have a love/hate relationship with the industry I am in.... In fact it's not my industry its more or less my feeling towards life's ideals. Let me explain my desire to go to India and maybe that will help clarify the feelings within my heart.

I see this beautiful world around me. Full of gorgeous people, amazing opportunity, love, and happiness. I also see a terrible world around me. Full of individuals without a home, poverty, sickness, and despair. At times, I want to give up everything. My status as an editor, model, my belongings, etc. Although, being an editor and model help bring awareness to many social causes I believe in, which is why I continue my work. However, I still have an urge to do more.... always. This urge never leaves me. Although I love luxury, I also can't handle the thought of others suffering. You see, I have this desire to go to India. I also want to visit other places as well but this is different. India is calling me. I remember several years ago while I was in my late teens, reading an article from the editor of a magazine who gave up her New York apartment and left unexpectedly to India to help people with Leprosy. Although her article was rather mundane, I still felt that stirred feeling inside, like I needed to do something too. At that time, it wasn't India but now it is. I'm not sure what I would find there. I have friends who are from India that love it here. They say based off my personality I would love it there. You see, I don't want to go for recreational purposes or for business or anything related to fashion/modeling/pageantry. I just want to go for perhaps a spiritual reason and more so to help people. I very much appreciate the beautiful world around me full of possibilities, I do. But I suppose I want to shed light onto others so they too can see a beautiful world around them. I do this a lot with LOLC and the other charities I am involved in. I guess it saddens me sometimes that I can't do more. They say everything has a season. This is true. I can do more with my charitable endeavors once I am finished with a few projects.... so I just have to choose to be present in the moment, not lost in the future or past. But, I still can't help but feel this need to be there.... Away from here. Like I said, there are many places I want to go but those are for business and personal. I even want to go to Jerusalem for religious purposes. But I can't shake India. I just need to find a way to fit this into my schedule.... so I can finally find out what this feeling is really all about. I have no expectations of something grand... in fact I expect very little. I will have to wait and be patient, when the time is right I will fly out.....

Sherrie Gearheart

Untitled Poem

Untitled
Poem written by: Sherrie Gearheart
Sometimes life leads us in circles
and those circles become smaller and smaller
until the lessons are learned
In order to break the cycle
we must harness the power within
to walk a different path
one unchartered, untouched, and unknown.
Be fearless in pursuit of joy.
Some of us settle for less.
Some of us choose happiness.
Some of us never choose, we let
others choose for us.
I hope if there is one thing
I have taught you,
it is to question everything,
to not believe the masses at face value,
to defy so called law,
and to love what is true.
-End
www.sherriegearheart.com

New Poem

Here is my new poem I wrote today on the way to my appearance. It just came to me so I quickly and I wrote it down.

Untitled
Sometimes life leads us in circles
and those circles become smaller and smaller
until the lessons are learned
In order to break the cycle
we must harness the power within
to walk a different path
one unchartered, untouched, and unknown.
Be fearless in pursuit of joy.
Some of us settle for less.
Some of us choose happiness.
Some of us never choose, we let
others choose for us.
I hope if there is one thing
I have taught you,
it is to question everything,
to not believe the masses at face value,
to defy so called law,
and to love what is true.

-End
Poem written by: Sherrie Gearheart

A new poem, achieving the impossible, Updates Galore, and more!

When I dance, I am free. When I sing, I am at peace. When I give to charity, I am fulfilled. When I speak, I am alive. When I pray, I am all of these things and more. -Sherrie Gearheart

Wrote a new poem today. It will be in my poetry book coming out this summer, the books called RAW. Ive included it for you at the end of this blog.  I can't believe how fast this year is moving. I have a few personal goals in the works. Also, Tiara Magazine is achieving some phenomenal things this year too. It's hard to comprehend sometimes, how many things are moving at once, up the ladder. Between Project Michelangelo, Live Out Loud Charity, Tiara Magazine, and my personal goals, I am very busy and yet fulfilled which is important. I could just spend days talking about the positive things happening within these organizations, but if I did that, then nothing would evolve because things are moving that fast. I'm really used to the fast paced lifestyle. In fact, Ive tried to force myself to slowdown since I am taking college courses again.... I am in month four this year already (with classes) and I am still trying to sloooow it down lol. I know it's just a phase but the fast paced lifestyle isn't. :)  And that is fine. I do have to say I am proud that I took an 8 week course and passed. Its usually taken in 16 weeks with a pass rate of 30%. And yet somehow I managed to pass it in 8 weeks with a very good grade. I can't say it was easy because it wasn't. It took a lot of hardwork and dedication. And now I am in the follow up course and my professor stated to our class that it is impossible to pass this course. I spent time with her the next day to work on material I missed while I was away at a business meeting. She shared with me that I will be one of less than a handful that will pass. I hope she's right.... I know she will only be right if I continue to work hard. My education is very important. I am part of an honors society which I have received two awards from and I am working on becoming part of another honors society. It's hard to maintain school, my business, and my charitable work/appearances all at the same time. I think what is hard about it is the fact that everything is moving so fast (meaning new advancements are happening all the time because each thing I am part of is successful so there is never a dull moment).... many people are constantly wanting to connect with me, form partnerships, to have me speak, etc. And I have had to learn to say no to some things so I can finish earning my education which is also very important to me. I currently have academic honors. People who know me call me an over achiever...  I believe if you are going to do something then you should do it right. Why go to class if you only want a C grade. What are you really walking away with then? I know if I get accepted into one of my top schools I will have to shift things in my life.... but I will cross that bridge when it happens. Right now I am finding time to still enjoy life little bits at a time (even though if you have ever taken an accelerated college course you know that is near impossible!!!) One of the things I did was reorganize my walk in closet and I JUST LOVE IT!!! I hung my jewelry on the wall like art and I bought eco friendly hooks and placed those high up on my wall to hang my purses. My shoes were then placed on the shelves. My pageant gowns were placed in bins and all of my jewelry was completely organized. I LOVE it. I have so many shoes that I was thinking of creative ways to hang those too but for now I am happy with the way things look. I took out most of my winter wardrobe and replaced it with new items that are spring appropriate. Sometimes I feel like I am the only person in Chicago wearing spring colors. I can't stand seeing all the blacks, grays, and dark blues. Come on people, lighten up for spring. I love the splash of color that is displayed in my wardrobe. I bought some pastel pumps and purses.... Yes I kind of went on a shopping spree..... I am also adding an authentic oriental handcrafted piece of furniture to my office collection. My office has a feel of oriental theme meets fashion. I know it sounds strange but I love it. I didn't expect it to happen that way but while I was unpacking my items from storage I realized I had all these little oriental trinkets I had collected throughout the years along with my beautiful bamboo plants that I have had forever. I think my bamboo loves my place because it sprouted two new babies after I gave it, its new home. It is extremely rare for bamboo to do that. Speaking of plants I placed my grandmothers vine plan in the corner of my bedroom hanging from the ceiling. This plant has been in the family for over 50 years. I can not express how much I love seeing it everyday when I walk into my room, it lights up everything. Not only did I organize my walk in closet, my makeup drawers and my office, I also did more. I had a shopping spree at the container store and bought organization items for my kitchen and bathroom too! I plan to finish a couple organization projects this summer which will be fun for me. I have also enjoyed writing music again and dancing. I absolutely love to dance. To enjoy life I had my niece Cassidy with me an entire weekend, we baked, celebrated her birthday, and had tons of fun. I just love being around her. And I just want to express that I love my job. Being editor of Tiara Magazine is very fulfilling. I love all of our models, board members, brand ambassadors, and Tiara family. I love the partnerships, the meetings, etc. I use my creative mind in a different way with my business whereas my creativity would normally in the past be viewed through music, art, and dance. For now it's with marketing, advertising, managing, and more. It works. One of my favorite events coming up is for LOLC. We are partnered with a fitness company that is presenting how suicide prevention (LOLC) and fitness is closely tied together. This will be held at Columbia College's Health Fair in Chicago, IL. I am very grateful for this opportunity. I am also emceeing a charity event in about a week as Miss United America along with my dear friend Jojo Sayson. The same week I am emceeing a fashion show and I get to model as Miss United America again! The following week I am performing an Easter Cantata which means the world to me <3 April is a busy month.

Aside from organizational plans and educational goals.....

I also have many travel plans this year. I am passing on my title in Austin, Texas at the Miss United America Pageant. I have friends in Texas and one of Tiara Magazine's brand ambassadors is from that area. I plan to visit with her this June. Her name is Crystal Howard and she is competing at Nationals a week before my national pageant. I am so happy I get to meet her sooner than expected =) I am visiting Florida to see my mom. I can't wait to see her. I miss her so much. We talk almost everyday... for hours. LOL. I am also going to the Philippines for Project Michelangelo as the Chief of Public Relations. I look forward to the charity work. I am also traveling to Spain for the Miss Intercontinental Pageant since Tiara Magazine is their official magazine, they are sending me out there :) I am working on a trip to Milan at the moment and England. I need to go back to my roots... its a long story.

I have had several photographers reach out to me that want to shoot with me on a one on one basis. I'd love to shoot but I have 6 shoots to plan for Tiara Magazine at the moment!!! I am scheduling a shoot for our 12 beautiful Brand Ambassadors, our new cover model winner (tba very soon, there will be a voting process set up soon), a shoot for our spectacular fitness issue premiering in China, an editorial shoot with a high end boutique in Chicago, and more! Photo shoots Galore!!!! So you can imagine how I feel about shooting for myself at the moment....

Here is the poem I mentioned above. I wrote a song when I was 16 about a woman losing her husband in the war. I wrote it while my grandfather was dieing in the hospital. My grandmother told me I was writing it about her and my grandpa, since he was in the war. It's clearly been several years since then and I started working on this song again. Ive been working on new verses. I have recorded several different versions. Today was completely different though. Today it came out more like a poem with a different feel. So I decided to keep this version as a poem. As for the song... it is still in the works. I hope you like the poem.

The Story
Poem by: Sherrie Gearheart

My God, My God
we shared so many moments
happy as can be
when he'd kiss me.
He'd grab my hand,
pull me close,
we'd dance in the sand,
I'd look into his eyes.

My God, my God
How could this be?
Another chapter
in this story
The fact of the matter is
that chapter is done & ended.
I can't pick up the pen and write again
in this dead end.

My God, my God
When I look into his eyes
I see the whole world
And now it's compromised.
How do you expect me
to wake up and live again
when you took away the one thing
my baby

My God, my God
I can not go on
living in this nightmare
this ain't fair
you cant tell me to smile
when my days are black and bleak
How dare you make fun of me
he was my baby

My God, my God
I'm so alone
missin him
his eyes, his wit
and now here I sit
Will he walk through that door
I sit and wait,
was this all fate?

My God, my God
how could you take
my baby from me?
Is this all a dream and fake?
I open my eyes, I toss and turn
was this all a lie?
Why...why....
These tears in my eyes
All I can do is cry.

-Sherrie Gearheart

Quote- Pieces

Sometimes picking up the pieces is a hard thing to do. Imagining what those pieces look like after they are all put together makes it all worth it. The puzzle isn't a mystery any longer when you make the choice to begin. One piece leads to another, which eventually leads to your masterpiece. Reading this quote took you only seconds.... those seconds pass quickly. Wait no longer so your puzzle can be made manifest and in full fruition. It starts with moving that one piece of the puzzle.~ Sherrie Gearheart.

Photo by: Gary Yallelus from recent magazine shoot. I was not modeling that day I was simply directing the photoshoot as the editor of Tiara Magazine. We will have the American Elegance Queens on our cover!! I can't wait. As for the pic... Gary just wanted to shoot away, I should have known! lol. It was fun but that day I was more the editor than anything else =) I can't wait to actually have a "real" full out shoot with Gary again!

Skincare Regimen

Hey everyone! I have not been on here in what feels like ages and there is so much to write about. But first I must tell you about my new skincare regimen. I started using Evan Healy Skincare. You can learn more about it at http://www.evanhealy.com/  This is a wonderful company that is fairly traded and uses the best ingredients possible to restore balance in our skin. Here is a little on blurb taken from the Evan Healy website, "We source our pure Facial Tonic Hydrosols from a few select small, organic farms. Each batch is delightfully unique, much like a vintage wine. Each reflects the magic of the crop, the year, and the land from which it is harvested. This is the charm of using fresh pure plant waters. For instance, our lavender hydrosol smells like the authentic lavender plant itself, and not a synthetic fragrance approximation. It is warm and herbaceous with a slightly sweet honey-like note." This is very true. When I use the Rose Geranium Facial Tonic Hydrosol it smelled like real rose not the synthetic aroma you find in other products. I was first introduced to a Tea Tree Cleanser by Evan Healy a few weeks prior to using their Balancing Rose Kit (which I will tell you all about below). I was LOVING the Tea Tree facial cleanser. I used to look at washing my face as a chore everyday because I wasn't that excited about my cleansers. But the Tea Tree cleanser left my face so awake, refreshed, and clean that I actually couldn't wait to wash my face when I woke up and before I went to bed. In fact I couldn't wait to get home everyday just to wipe off my makeup, and wash my face to feel the refreshing feeling again. I noticed it reduced the size of my pores right away and it lasted. I started to receive compliments on my skin again! If you know anything about Tea Tree you know it can smell harsh and actually be rather harsh for the skin. However, Evan Healy has created my favorite facial cleanser and that is the Tea Tree cleanser. Because I loved this product so much I was willing to try one of their kits. There are 3 main kits. They are outlined below:



Rose Treatment line helps re-establish a healthy hydro/lipid balance to combination skin. It is also appropriate for mature skin with fine lines and wrinkles. Our Rose Line features gentle and balancing essential oils of rose geranium and carrot seed.

Product selections

Rose Cleansing Milk, Rose Geranium Facial Tonic Hydrosol, Rosehip Treatment Facial Oil – Rose, Rose Vetiver Day Moisutrizer and French Rose Clay Mask, or Rose Face Care Kit.

Blue Treatment line helps reduce inflammation and restore normal function to sensitive skin conditions, especially the sensitivity that accompanies rosacea, psoriasis and eczema. Featuring tranquil and calming essential oils of blue chamomile, lavender and immortelle.

Product selections

Blue Lavender Cleansing Milk, Lavender Facial Tonic Hydrosol, Rosehip Treatment Facial Oil – Blue, Blue Chamomile Day Moisturizer and Green Tea Clay, or Blue Face Care Kit.

Blemish Treatment line was created to deep cleanse, detoxify and refine pores. It helps restore normal function to blemished, oily and/or teen skin.

Product selections

Tea Tree Gel Cleanser, Orange Blossom Facial Tonic Hydrosol, Pomegranate Repair Serum, Blemish Treatment Roll-on, and Green Tea Clay, or Blemish Face Care Kit.

I was originally using the Tea Tree Cleanser which usually comes in the Blemish kit or you can purchase it separately (like most of the items). I really don't have blemishes on my face, only once in a while. So I was willing to try something else. Sometimes I have sensitive skin but I decided to go with the Rose Kit.  What I noticed about the Rose Kit is I don't like the facial cleanser at all. I tried it for three days and it left my skin with an uncomfortable and slight tingle. Now, like I said I have sensitive skin sometimes. I am not a fan in general about Milk Cleansers because they tend to feel filmy. What I can say is it was the best Milk Cleanser I have ever used in the sense that it left the LEAST AMOUNT of film on my face. I realize some people swear by these type of cleansers, if that is there preference then they should give it a try. So what I did is went back to my tea tree for the rest of week 1. I still used the other items in the Rose Kit. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Rosehip Treatment serum (which you mix with the hydrosol) and then follow up with the lotion. Their lotion is probably my all time favorite. It is called the Rose Vetiver Day Moisturizer. It makes my skin feel completely hydrated and supple. One thing I was warned about with the Tea Tree cleanser was that it might be a little too harsh in the winter since our skin tends to become dry during the winter months. I think I agree. I think I should try and use their cleanser from the sensitive kit. I plan to pick that up next week sometime and blog about it. I have yet to try the Clay Mask which I heard can revitalize your entire skin in as little as 3 weeks. My favorite part about this product line is that you can mix and match and find what works best for your skin. I love their pholosophy, how they help women, their mission, and the high quality of their ingrediants. I know when I am using an Evan Healy product on my face that I am using the most organic, healthiest, and sustainable product on the market. You can't beat that!  I will finish blogging about Evan Healy in the weeks to come at TiaraMag.net Our writer at Tiara Magazine, Amruta Gadgil, has started Even Healy with me as well. Her blog will also be posted at tiaramag.net  P.S. I bought my kit at WholeFoods Market! Just a little FYI =) ---Sherrie Gearheart