4-H show gets favorable 'revue'
By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN
Kelli Buxton was judged junior grand champion for modeling her recently completed dress in the junior constructed clothing division of Thursday's 2010 Ellis County 4-H Style Revue at The Mall.
Buxton, wearing a one-piece polka-dotted sleeveless dress she constructed herself, won top junior honors at the annual event for her display of a two-piece outfit.
It was the second part of the two-piece outfit that might have helped Buxton edge out Katy Walters, another crowd-pleaser in her bedtime attire that featured two-piece pajamas and slippers on her feet, curlers in her hair and a big yawn for effect.
The 10-year-old Buxton, a member of Good Hope 4-H Club, was adamant about trying to keep her 2-year-old cousin, Jaydica Conine from Scott City, on task on stage.
And that's hard to do when a preschooler spots a pile of white pillow stuffing simulating a cloud in the corner of the stage.
Buxton was able to keep Jaydica focused just long enough to wow the crowd and impress the judges enough to nab the large dark purple grand champion ribbon in Buxton's second year of modeling.
The cousins, dubbed "pretty princesses in polka dots," wore contrasting outfits. Wherever Buxton's dress was brown, little Jaydica's was teal, right down to the ribbons in their hair and the polka dots on their matching white canvas shoes.
Buxton admitted she was a "little nervous" the first time she and Jaydica went on stage.
But there was no stage fright for Jaydica, a bundle of energy in tennis shoes, smiling all the way across stage while clutching a tube of lipstick.
While Buxton sewed her own dress, her great aunt, Kristi Conine from Scott City, made Jaydica's.
Buxton is the last, for now anyway, in a long line of nieces who Conine has helped learn to sew.
Next up could be Jaydica. That is, if Aunt Kristi can get Jaydica to sit still long enough.
* Event notes -- This year's style revue featured the first time the modeling judging and public style revue took place at the same time. Susan Schlichting, Ellis County's 4-H agent, said that overall she thought it was a success and that after some review and tinkering with the schedule, there's a good possibility the same method would be used again next year. ... 4-H'ers from four different clubs won either grand champion or reserve champion honors Thursday, led by the Buckeye Junior Farmers club, which had one grand champion and two reserve champions. ... The theme for this year's Ellis County Fair, set for July 17 to 24, is "Blue Jeans and Country Dreams." The "r" was unintentionally omitted from country on the stage sign Thursday, but it worked anyway -- "Blue Jeans and (Ellis) County Dreams."
The following are results from Thursday's 2010 Ellis County 4-H Style Revue judging, listed by 4-H'er, their club and clothing article(s):
Senior purchased -- Grand champion Danielle Weber, Ellis Sunflowers, fall outfit; reserve champion Chelsey Smith, Good Hope, winter outfit.
Junior purchased -- Grand champion Haley Robben, Victoria Vikings, winter outfit; reserve champion Kourtney Kaicy, Ellis Sunflowers, print dress.
Junior strategy -- Grand champion Jacob Schmeidler, Buckeye Junior Farmers, Western wear; reserve champion Connor Staab, Buckeye Junior Farmers, school outfit.
Junior constructed -- Kelli Buxton, Good Hope, two-piece outfit; reserve champion Katy Walters, Buckeye Junior Farmers, two-piece outfit.