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avamsilver

@avamsilver

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Wife and mother of two precious children. Nurse in the CICU at East Carolina University Medical Center.

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One of the sweetest traditions in the Miss America Organization is “Show Me Your Shoes!” A chance for each queen to share a little piece of her story, personality, and community through a pair of shoes that mean something special to her.

For the Miss Zebulon/Wendell pageant, I knew I wanted my shoes to reflect one of the biggest pieces of my heart: the ocean.

I chose this theme because of my deep love for the ocean and the incredible animals that call it home. As an advanced-level scuba diver continuing my rescue-level training, that love has only grown as I’ve had more opportunities to experience life beneath the surface.

My grandfather first inspired this love when I was little, taking my hand as we waded through the water in search of natural treasures. As I grew older, our fishing expeditions became adventures I looked forward to, each deepening my connection to the water. North Carolina’s waterways have carved a special place in my soul, just as the waves continue to shape our coastline.

And the most special part? My mom brought this vision to life by making my shoes herself. Every detail was made with love, turning a Miss America tradition into something uniquely mine.

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Everyone help me wish Ava the happiest birthday ever!!!! We hope you have the best most fabulous day!! Love yooouuuuuu!!!! 🥳❤️🎉

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Celebrating America’s 250th in a place that has always felt like home made this Fourth of July even more meaningful. 🇺🇸❤️

Since my grandparents live in Archer Lodge, so many of my favorite Independence Day memories have happened here, which made it incredibly special to return as Miss Wendell’s Teen and have the honor of singing the National Anthem and America the Beautiful.

Ending the night watching fireworks with my friends and family was the perfect reminder that it’s the people and traditions we share that make these celebrations so memorable.

Here’s to 250 years of freedom and to the communities that make America feel like home.

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What. A. Week.

This past week has been one of the hardest, yet most rewarding!

What many didn’t see was that I got sick the Tuesday before the pageant. Interview day began in urgent care after battling high fevers, and I walked straight from my appointment to HMAU with new medication and plenty of brain fog. The next day, I was back in urgent care searching for more answers before prelim night one… and then, somehow, the power went out. By talent night, after days of medication, stress, and little sleep, my body finally reached its limit. I gave everything I had to my talent, then passed out backstage and experienced circulatory complications. In one of the craziest moments of my week, I was carried by the incredible sisterhood and fabulous dressers around me.

The rest of the week wasn’t easy. Fatigue and headaches followed me through every event, but I kept showing up. I realize this week was for learning that strength sometimes looks like simply taking the next step. Even though I didn’t leave with anything tangible from Miss North Carolina’s Teen, I walked away with something I couldn’t have earned any other way: perspective. I learned that resilience isn’t measured by how everything goes right, but by how you respond when everything seems to go wrong. It’s a reminder that even in the hardest moments, people show up for you, carry you through, and somehow you find a way to keep going.

ALSO: Congratulations to my incredible Miss @carly.peeters on First Runner-Up! You were truly perfection all week. So much love to @alyson_sharppp and @michaelarwilliams for being my “nurses,” Mrs. Tracy for her constant support (and Crumbl Cookie, a true highlight of my week…I could’ve cried), my friends for showing up and checking in, and my family (especially my mom) for never letting me do any of it alone.

What a way to close out my teen journey.
Miss North Carolina… I’ll see you soon. 🤍

💄 @jillianmariebeauty16 w/
@devinbryeartistry & @bridalhairbysav
👗 @lifeisanaffair & @shopmckenziejades
☀️ @avalonsunlessbeauty (wash off bronzer)

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So thankful to our committee for putting together such a beautiful wardrobe showing!

From the delicious food to the incredible people who filled the room, every detail made this event so special. I am beyond grateful for everyone in my corner and for the most fabulous sister queens to head into MNCT week with.

My heart is so full, and I can’t wait to show off these outfits on stage next week.

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"Ava was an avid coffee drinker who preferred a strong cup. She especially liked coffee in the morning to kick-start her day. When not working on a film set, Ava enjoyed several cups of coffee at a leisurely pace to ease into her day. Ava usually drank her coffee black and very hot. If the coffee cooled before the cup was empty, she would add some more to make it hot again.

Ava came by her love of coffee honestly. Her beloved mother, Mollie, was a coffee drinker, and, although times were often hard in the depression era south, coffee was a necessity. If there was cooking going on in the Gardner kitchen, there was coffee brewing nearby. Mollie and all of her daughters, including Ava, were fantastic cooks who relished gathering family and friends around a dinner table. Coffee to sip while preparing a large meal made the kitchen work go much smoother. Food and coffee were made by all of the Gardner women with great love and care!

All of Ava’s sisters were coffee drinkers as well. My grandmother, Ava’s sister Elsie, drank coffee throughout the day. I remember as a child how good a fresh pot of coffee smelled. Elsie’s coffee was perked in a fancy electric percolator of shiny silver. Elsie and Ava’s sister Inez would brew a pot of coffee at midnight, talking and laughing while sipping each cup until the wee hours of the morning or until the coffee was gone. On occasion as a child, I was allowed to have a little coffee in my milk. In addition to tasting delicious, it made me feel very grown-up and important to have a bit of what the Gardner women were enjoying!

Unlike the Gardner women, I cannot drink my coffee very hot. I think drinking piping hot coffee is truly an art. It is learned. My grandmother, Elsie, used to tell me there was a certain way to hold your tongue to keep it from burning. I never mastered the art! I find coffee relaxing and comforting, and the flavor of the Ava blend is fantastic! It is rich and snappy from the very first sip. It also fills the kitchen with a captivating aroma! I absolutely love it, and I know Ava would love it too!"
- Ava Thompson; Trustee and Great Niece of Ava Gardner

📷 2 + 3 shared for educational purposes only

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Who’s going to cheer unnecessarily loud at the pep rallies??

📸 @imagodei_photography.sj

#graduation #classof2026

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So excited to announce the FIRST annual Pilates with a Purpose 🤍✨

Join me for a special Pilates class supporting women’s heart health through the American Heart Association, while also helping raise scholarship dollars for girls through the Miss America opportunity.

There are only 18 spots available, so grab yours fast—once they’re gone, they’re gone!

To reserve your spot, donate a minimum of $20 to my spot fund. Every contribution goes directly toward this cause and helping make a real impact for women’s heart health and education.

Link to donate is in my bio 💌

#hearthealth #aha #pilates #scholarship #mao

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A lesser talked about part of Ava Gardner's legacy is her influence on the world of fashion. Just one designer of many she inspired was Oscar de la Renta.

There is a great Vogue article detailing some of Oscar's memories of Ava written by Sarah Mower (author of Oscar de la Renta: The Style, Inspiration, and Life of Oscar de la Renta). I highly recommend going to read the full article, but here is an excerpt to understand how dedicated he was to Ava.

"His tales were always laced with delicious gossip, and one of my favorites was about how he contrived to meet Ava Gardner when he was a handsome young snake-hipped Latin charmer recently arrived from Santo Domingo to study art in Madrid...
...Gardner's posters for the 1954 movie The Barefoot Contessa were declaring her “the most beautiful woman in the world,” ... She was also, Oscar imparted, “having an affair with a famous bullfighter”—which is why he began hanging around the bull-ring exit hoping to speak to the goddess. No luck there, but it was later Oscar's luck (he always had plenty of that, too) to spot Gardner in a nightclub, where, with the boldness of youth, he asked the actress to dance. He remembered every detail: “The color of her blue-green eyes, her very matte skin, her chiseled nose and cheekbones—just unbelievably beautiful.”"

The first image shown here is of a young Oscar at a nightclub in Madrid photographed behind Ava.

As recently as 2016, Ava inspired a line of suits by Peter Copping for @oscardelarenta

Visit the @ava_gardner_trust website and @voguemagazine to dive deeper into the influence Ava Gardner had on Oscar de la Renta ❤️

Image 1: Shared for educational purposes courtesy of the Ava Gardner Trust
Image 2: Ava and Oscar at a bullfight in Spain. Shared for educational purposes. Image pulled from the Ava Gardner Trust website

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Not your typical Thursday night… @freddiemcclendonmusic

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two days in nyc for a quick business trip…

first stop was “Just in Time” perfect timing as a lifelong Glee fan, plus some exciting (and still very secret) news tied to it that I’ll share later

then rushing tickets to “Chicago” getting to see that Bob Fosse style choreography live as someone interested in studying it was such a cool experience

next stop, the Museum of Broadway to spend time learning more about my favorite part of nyc… the theater

and ending with the main event: Miss America’s “Songs of Promise” event and getting to meet her after

exactly the kind of trip I love!

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Will this moment last forever?

☀️ @avalonsunlessbeauty
💄 @lightscameraaction_hmp
👗 @lifeisanaffair
📸 @inthespotlightphotography

#seniorprom #ootn #dressedup

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