The next day I was back at work on a late shift and at 2pm was on my way into a meeting...just seconds before we went in, I glanced at my phone and saw I had a missed call and voicemail from a Bury number...I immediately wondered if it was the Bury Free Press who had been following the modelling competition story! With my heart in my mouth, I dialled my voicemail...."Hello, this is the Bury Free Press, could you give us a call please?"....Oh my Gosh - my mind went into overdrive but I didn't have time to return the call before going into the meeting...and oh boy did it feel like it was the longest meeting ever!
As soon as we got out, all I could think of was returning that call.....as I dialled the paper my heart was pounding so much I could barely hear...."Hello Andrea, I'd like to let you know that you won our competition!".....erm what???! I repeated it over and over...."I've won?, I've won?"...OH WOW!!! Unbelievable! "I've won?!!!" I had to give a quick statement - once I had managed to get my breath back - and was told that Bury Bridal Rooms would soon be in touch regarding the details for the fashion show that Sunday! I put down the phone and burst into tears....happy tears....my hands were shaking so much and I desperately wanted to speak to Kev! I managed to phone him and he was so chuffed....I could tell he was so proud! It really wasn't sinking that I had won a modelling competition?!?
I was on cloud 20...I had to try and calm down and get back to work, which was really difficult! I went back to the ward and saw one of my friends....I smiled and her and told her I'd won...she immediately wrapped her arms around me and congratulated me....she laughed and she said I was bouncing around like Zebedee... :D
As soon as I got home, after having a big cuddle with Kevin, I phoned my mother-in-law and told her the news! She was so pleased for me and it was such a lovely feeling knowing she was proud!
That night, as expected I barely slept a wink and was then up again at 5.30am for my early shift! I felt fine though, the adrenalin was pumping through my veins! I wasn't at work long before I got another phone call from the Bury Free Press asking me more questions and asking me to got for a photo shoot that afternoon at the Bridal Rooms for the article in the paper! The most difficult thing was that the Winner was to be 'officially announced' in the paper on the Friday and I had to try and keep the news to myself until then....aarrggghh I wanted to shout it from the roof tops!
That afternoon was brilliant...I met the owners of the Bury Bridal Rooms and the photographer. We spent quite a while posing for pictures with various wedding dresses....then I got to try on almost all of the wedding dresses in the shop! My 3 wedding dresses were chosen for the fashion show, I knew all details and then I just had to play the waiting game...again!
The next day at work dragged...I just wanted the time to pass so that I could see the article and properly announce my win on facebook! The next morning after another sleepless night, I was up at 5am, rushed to get ready for work and frantically drove to the garage to get my paper....and there it was! :D I bought a few copies and got to work early so I could sit and read it at a nice leisurely pace before I started work. I uploaded it to facebook and took great pleasure in writing my status announcing my win!!! I got so many lovely comments from all my friends...a pleasure to read them all!
Here is the article:
"The winner of our bridal modelling competition has been announced.
After totting up almost 200 votes, Andrea Bruns, from Bury St Edmunds, emerged as the winner.
Andrea, 27, a nurse at the BMI Hospital in Bury, will now be the first to wear Bury Bridal’s own designer dresses from Clare Perkins Couture and will be the star of the Bury Bridal fashion show tomorrow.
Andrea had her own special day in August 2010 – when she married her husband Kevin on San Diego beach in California.
Andrea said she never expected to win the modelling prize and had only entered the contest ‘on a whim’.
She said: “It feels fantastic to have won – it is something I have always wanted to do.
“I am a full-time nurse but have always wanted to try my hand at modelling.
“I only entered on a whim really and certainly didn’t think I would get anywhere.
“During the first round I received a lot of support from my family and friends, they have been great.
“I have learned a lot about myself throughout this contest and can’t wait to model the dresses.”
It has been so difficult to actually believe all this. I know my friends and family and my lovely blog readers will understand exactly what this means to me! I felt on top of the world knowing I had won, I kept thinking I had dreamt it. This proves to myself how far I have come since that historic day when my life changed forever! Then, I would never have dreamt of entering a modelling competition...I was so overcome with fear of my life still being affected by my father. Now here I am, 3 years later - happily married surrounded my family and the most amazing friends ever, wonderful new job with lovely, supportive colleagues and I have just won a modelling competition! This is like the cherry on the top of a very long and difficult journey, all my hard work has paid off and it is amazing feeling that I have finally become that woman I always wanted to be....flying free, deliriously happy and achieving dreams that I always believed were way out of my reach!
I always remember what Nanny Bess always said to me... "Just watch and wait my girl, things have a way of sorting themselves out...some people just have to be more patient than others!" Oh how right she was!
Thank you to everyone who had so much faith in me and voted! I really couldn't have done it without you!
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