TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) - Mrs Mississippi spent part of her Monday morning dropping off two big packages at the UPS store.

"Those were actually my gifts that I am taking to my delegates.  We all bring a gift that represents our state.  I'm bringing some things that represent Elvis, and a good friend of mine, her father, Dooney Homan, makes honey," Alison Dossett said.

The carefully wrapped packages containing honey and the Elvis souvenirs are headed to Tucson, Arizona, the site of the Mrs America Pageant.

Late last year, Alison was crowned Mrs Mississippi.  It was her first time to enter a beauty pageant.

"I had a friend that mentioned it to me and it kind of got that wheel turning in my head and it would be out of my comfort zone, and get me involved in some things I had wanted to do and had been putting off."

She began working out with a personal trainer to prepare for the state pageant. She has also met a few times with a Nashville based pageant coach.  And since she was crowned Mrs Mississippi, Alison has been able to represent the state at a variety of events.

"It's just been fun," she said of her opportunities.

Alison also appreciates the support of her family.

"It's so important because it really takes up a lot of your time and they have been awesome, they have stood behind me and they understand that this is a big deal to mommy," Dossett said.

And as she prepares to head to Arizona, Alison believes her experience sends a positive message to moms everywhere.

"It shows women like me I'm just a normal, everyday stay at home mom, running around doing my thing, I can step out of that box," she said.

Alison says the last few months have been a whirlwind but she wouldn't trade the experience for anything.  She still has a good deal of packing to do and understandably her anxiety level is high, but she finds comfort knowing that as she leaves for Arizona, there are a lot of folks in the community, the region and the state, cheering her on. 

You can watch the preliminaries on August 27th and the finals August 29th online at http://www.mrsamerica.com/livestream.html