My Final Assignment for DG – A Photo Diary
I call it my DIARY OF AWESOMENESS because the whole DG experience was AWESOME!!! Read the entries to find out what I experienced as a Discovery Girl! Don’t forget to check out the DG Website and subscribe to get your copy of the most awesome magazine for girls!
Diary Entry #1 The Day I Received My Questionnaire
My dad brought in the mail, and I had a letter from Discovery Girls Magazine! It said DG was coming to Louisiana! I thought how incredibly exciting! Then I read on and found that the letter invited me to submit answers to a questionnaire and send pictures of myself for a chance to be chosen! I was so excited! I thought -- Wow! What if I am chosen? That would be so awesome!”
I showed my mom the letter and begged for her to let me enter! When she said yes, I was even more excited! I ran around my room until I got tired and then went to bed! I think I thought about the possibility of being in DG all night long! I didn’t sleep much! I mean…who could, right? LOL!
Diary Entry #2 Answering All Those Questions
Well, I knew figuring out all the answers to those questions would be hard, but I didn’t know how hard until I started! I looked at some of them and drew a blank. Even the question that asked what I wanted to be when I grew up had me in a quandary! When I watch NCIS I think of how cool it would be to be a forensic scientist like Abby, but I’d also like to be a doctor or maybe even a veterinarian!! It was so hard to make a final decision on that and other things --- I mean, wouldn’t it be cool if I could just be all those things?
I did manage to get all my answers down, though! It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but it was fun thinking about everything!
Diary Entry #3 Taking Pictures To Submit with my Questionnaire
The letter said to submit photos with the questionnaire. My mom is always thrilled to take pictures of my brothers and me. This gave her a very good excuse to take even more pictures! I think she secretly takes too many photos to torture us sometimes! It’s like I hear “Say Cheese!” everywhere we go! LOL! I wonder if models get exhausted, because it wasn’t long and I was exhausted with picture taking! We took pictures in my yard, in our old horse field, while my brother and I were biking, and even some on our hiking trail. The pictures started right when we stepped on the path. Just imagine your mom saying “Stop…stand here, and here, and here!” every few steps! I posed and smiled at every “pretty spot” on the path!
It’s amazing you got to take a lot of pictures just to get a few good ones! When we went through them, I could see why mom had to take some again and again! I was looking down, or up, or off to the side or the wind had blew my skirt up or my hair in my face! I had fun, but when I was done I needed a nap!!
I don't even remember what I sent, but here are a few pics my mom took!
Below are a couple of pictures we already had. I think I sent these with my questionnaire, too!
Diary Entry #4 Building A Scrapbook – The Answers to My DG Questionnaire
My mom had got into this whole digital scrapbooking thing not too long ago. I thought it was really cool and wanted to learn how to build my own! Now I had a chance! I already had in my mind exactly what I wanted my questionnaire to be like! I wanted to do some digital scrapbook pages, because I knew it would stand out! I had seen so many cool things my mom did with digital scrapbooking, and I couldn’t wait to build something just as cool!
When I told my mom, she was happy! We like to do things together and this was something she could help me with! To start, my mom and I went online to look for some scrapbook kits. When we found a few I liked, she bought them and loaded them to our computer. We worked together building a page for each question with her teaching me as we moved along. Some things were easy, but others were frustrating to figure out! I thought the coolest part was adding shadows because it made things look like 3-D! I also found out you could change a setting and make the letters pop out from the page, like they were puffy or round! It was a lot of work, and took quite a while. Building a digital scrapbook isn’t something you can do all in one day especially when you are just learning!
When we were done, I printed my pages out, and glued them down onto colored construction paper. Then I had to find something to keep my pages together with. I stapled one side like a book and hid all my staples with foam craft stickers. I told mom I wanted some ribbon, though. I used to have a journal that had ribbon tied together and I loved it! We went shopping for ribbon, found some pretty colored ribbons, and I tied my questionnaire shut! All done! Questionnaire complete! Yay!!Here are a couple of pages from my scrapbook!
Diary Entry #5 In a Panic
My mom forgot to mail my questionnaire and it was only days till the deadline! I panicked! She panicked. My dad was the man in control. He said to mail it next day air, so we did! My mom about choked when she found out how much it would cost! If you every submit to DG, make sure you remind your mom to mail it out just as soon as you get it done, because she won’t like having to fork out over twenty bucks for overnight mail! Mom felt so bad about forgetting to mail it that she went right away to the post office and mailed it! She’s awesome! She even got tracking and showed me how to check it on the computer! I was checking it all the time! How relieved we were when it showed the questionnaire had made it to it’s destination! It even arrived a day earlier that it needed! I was so happy!
Diary Entry #6 The Waiting
It was agonizing! I mean for a kid my age --- waiting --- well, it is not something I like to do! Just sit and wait…and wonder!!! I even thought, why would they pick me? My mom said, “Why wouldn’t they pick you?” I thought that was nice, but she also told me that I shouldn’t get my hopes up too high because there were probably lots of girls that entered to be in the magazine and they all wanted to be picked just as bad as I did. I totally get that, but I still hoped DG would call me!
Diary Entry #7 DG Called & I Missed It!
It seemed like it had been forever since I submitted my questionnaire! I was starting to wonder if all the girls had already been picked. When the call came, I was out and about with my Ma Maw going shopping for groceries and stuff she needed. I had just went along for the ride, so I could visit with her along the way. The call came while I was gone, and my mom had answered it! She didn’t call me though! She wanted to surprise me!
When I got home, mom yelled for me out the door telling me to hurry up and come inside… something about an important message she saw on Facebook! When I got online, I was a little confused! At first I thought it was so weird of her to post my scrapbook on Facebook and act like it was super important that I see it! Then, I realized it wasn’t my scapbook! Mom had took the first page of my questionnaire and changed the words and posted it online! It was the most awesome picture I had ever seen! LOL!
When I got home, mom yelled for me out the door telling me to hurry up and come inside… something about an important message she saw on Facebook! When I got online, I was a little confused! At first I thought it was so weird of her to post my scrapbook on Facebook and act like it was super important that I see it! Then, I realized it wasn’t my scapbook! Mom had took the first page of my questionnaire and changed the words and posted it online! It was the most awesome picture I had ever seen! LOL!
It announced that I was going to be a Louisiana Discovery Girl and that I was going to New Orleans!!! I screamed and screamed and screamed! It’s a good thing we live in the woods, because someone might have called the police on me!
I screamed so much I almost had tears coming out of my eyes! My momma looked like she was crying! I knew they were happy tears because I was happy! Moms do that – a lot! LOL! I think she was screaming on the inside right along with me, though! If she had screamed on the outside, the combination of our screams would have been glass shattering!
Diary Entry #8 Shopping
Of all times my mom didn’t bring her camera, so I have no pictures of us shopping for my profile outfit! It’s probably a good thing, though, because mom may have accidently got a shot of me changing or something! I know you wouldn’t’ want to see me in my underwear! Ha! Ha! Ha!
We went to Shreveport, LA to the Boardwalk. It’s a couple of hours from our house, but it’s the closest place with lots of stores! We went in almost every single store that sold kids’ clothing! It’s hard to find a summer outfit during winter, and this is what DG said we had to have for the June/July issue’s pictures. We lucked up and found my new most favorite shirt! It was purple and had pretty little flowers all over it! I love purple! Well, actually I like lots of colors, but this purple was perfect for summer!
We went to Shreveport, LA to the Boardwalk. It’s a couple of hours from our house, but it’s the closest place with lots of stores! We went in almost every single store that sold kids’ clothing! It’s hard to find a summer outfit during winter, and this is what DG said we had to have for the June/July issue’s pictures. We lucked up and found my new most favorite shirt! It was purple and had pretty little flowers all over it! I love purple! Well, actually I like lots of colors, but this purple was perfect for summer!
After finding my shirt, momma helped me find a purple headband and some purple sneakers! Even though the profile pic didn’t show my whole body (down to my sneakers), mom said this was for a special day, so I could have a new outfit from head to toe! I even got a couple of brand new blue jeans skirts to wear during my photo shoot! I wear blue jean skirts a lot!
It was a great day! The coolest part was when I got my blue jean skirts and was hunting for the solid color shirts I needed. We had went to Cato’s! When the lady helping us, found out what I needed the clothes for, she got all excited and starting picking me out all kinds of things! I only needed a few skirts and shirts, but she got all into it! If we would have had a camera, I would have asked mom to take a picture of us! She was super nice!
Diary Entry #9 Road Trip
I was super excited to be going to New Orleans! Mom had booked our hotel room where DG said the photo shoot would be held – The Royal Saint Charles Hotel. I couldn’t wait! I had my bags packed way before we were going to leave! I kept asking mom, if I could put them in our vehicle! Finally she said it was time, and we were off! Road Trip! Wahoooo!
I wanted to paint something about DG on the back window, but Dad said, “NO WAY!” I think he didn’t want to drive a vehicle with a big pink butterfly and the words “I’m a Louisiana Discovery Girl” in huge letters! That would have been too weird, I suppose! LOL!
Diary Entry #10 New Orleans
I’d been to New Orleans before, but only to get on a cruise ship! The port of New Orleans has cruise ships going out of it all the time. I had never been downtown, so it was interesting to say the least! Some parts were a little scary! The streets are mostly one way, and they are really crowded! People are walking everywhere and some people look a little scary, too! We got a few pictures, but we had to be real careful! Mom had my little brother and me close our eyes a few times! I guess you never know what you will see when you are in a strange place especially a party place like New Orleans! Our DG photo shoot was only days before Mardi Gras, and it looked like some people had already started celebrating!
awesome monster size pancake at the City Diner in New Orleans, LA
Check out the license plate on the back of this car! LOL!
You can see the Royal St. Charles Hotel in this pic! That's where we stayed!
Diary Entry #11 The First Shoot – Day 1
The first photo shoot was at Mardi Gras World! We got there a little early, so we had a wait a few minutes. We walked down by the Port of New Orleans and took a few pictures (Mom and her camera! LOL!). Here are a few pics she snapped!
When it got time, we went on into Mardi Gras World. Mom even snapped a few pictures of all us girls!
As you can see we were having a good time. We started outside just talking about things and introducing ourselves. Then we had to break into groups and get a buddy! Finally we started our tour. The Mardi Gras World tour guide talked about the different statues and how they were made and their history. She also showed us some really unique floats and decorations that are used in the actual Mardi Gras Parade! Once our tour was through the picture taking began!
We took pictures with Nemo, King Kong, & even a dragon! We pretened the dragon tried to eat us! It was so much fun! We even took pictures with a giant Snicker’s bar! Yum!
I even took a few pictures myself!
One of the photographers took my camera and took these pictures of me and my new DG friends!
The photographers were really nice! They made us feel so special! They were really patient with us, because sometimes we didn’t all pay attention and smile at the same time or look at the camera when we were supposed to! We did plenty of smiling, though! By the time we were done, I thought my cheeks felt like rubber from smiling so much! All my new DG friends probably felt the same way!
After the shoot we went back to our hotel and then to get something to eat, but – mom and her camera – she got a few shots of me in the hotel! Warning!! I act kinda silly sometimes!
Diary Entry #12 The Stuidio Shoot – Day 2
The 2nd photo shoot was different than the first. For one thing we didn’t just show up ready to take pictures. First we had to get our hair done and they put a little lip gloss on us! It was fun!
When I first came in, I saw the Discovery Girls Magazines laying everywhere open to the profile pages, so we could pick our favorite hair styles. It was kind of hard to decide because almost every hair style was pretty!
Finally I chose one and they started working on my hair!
After we took our profile pictures, we took cover pictures! DG gave us pretty outfits to wear and paired us up over and over again because only two girls can go on the cover at one time!
After the cover shots were done, we changed clothes and posed in groups, pairs, and by ourselves for random stuff that could be used throughout the June/July DG issue or for other issues to come. Some of the photos were of girls with cell phones, two girls fighting, or two mean girls bullying another girl! I even took some pics holding up a bra! I thought about it later… What if it’s in the magazine!! That might be just a tiny bit embarrassing, but hey!!!… girls got to have bras! It’s just part of life!
Here are a few pics I took while on the Day 2 photo shoot –
Diary Entry #13 Waiting for the Magazine
Oh how I hate waiting! I’m pretty impatient! LOL! My family and I are with my dad on a job in Tulsa, OK so I’m not at home to get my subscription issue of DG, but I knew the June/July issue would be coming soon. I would call back home and ask my Ma Maw to look in the mail for me. Every single time I asked, the answer would be the same! No magazine!
I was out and about in the big city of Tulsa. We had taken my great aunt shopping. She had a graduation to fly home to, and needed a new outfit! While we were in the store, my mom got a text! My cousins had received their June/July issue of DG and spotted me… Right there on the cover!!I was so excited, my mom had to lead me out of the store because I was way too loud! I had one of those crazy case of the giggles things going on! But what girl wouldn’t have been that way? “I’m on the cover of DG!” I screamed! Actually, I screamed it about 3 times and jumped up and down! The people who saw me must have thought I was nuts!
Mom let me be all excited for a few more minutes and then told me to calm down so she could text my cousin back! Since we aren’t home to receive our mail, we asked her to text us a picture! When the text came through I screamed some more! It was really cool to see!
Of course when I got the text, I found out Hannah was on the cover with me! That was super cool, because she and I had become great friends! We talk back and forth on the Internet together all the time since we met at the DG photo shoot! I couldn’t wait to get back to a computer to send her a message! I had to text all my family and friends, too! I was just wishing I had an actual magazine to look at! Mom emailed DG to find out when we could pick one up off the newsstand, but Ms. Tatiana told her not till May 23rd! How awful! More waiting!
Diary Entry #14 Final Entry
My little brother even begged for a copy! Mom gave him one and he got comfy – he pulled the cushion off the chair and sat on it in the floor! Mom and I were laughing so hard, because when he found the page with all the talking bubbles. He was reading them out loud and laughing saying, “This is soooooo hilarious!” I was thinking he was soooooo hilarious!
Later that day we met up with my great aunt, who wanted to take me to get milkshakes for my birthday! I gave her a copy of the magazine and everywhere we went she showed people the magazine – – the waitresses at the milk shake place, the lady at the mall information desk, and the sales people at Build-A-Bear Workshop! My aunt is like that! She’s not just my great aunt! She’s a GREAT aunt! J She made me feel so special just like everyone at DG did when we had our photo shoots! I had a wonderful time and it was an experience I will never forget! Thank you, DG!
