"It was different" says mother of Smiths Station girl on TLC's 'Toddlers & Tiaras'

About 20 people watched Wednesday night's episode of TLC's "Toddlers & Tiaras" at Deiry and Dwayne Stone's home in Smiths Station. Their daughter, Deseray, age 8, was featured on the show.

“It was something different,” Deiry Stone said. “It was OK. They cut a lot out. It was kind of funny.”

In one segment, she’s out in the hallway of the hotel of the pageant, Georgia’s Most Beautiful Faces Pageant in Atlanta, where Deseray was competing. It implied that she was late getting to the ballroom.

In another segment, she’s shown running up the stairwell to their room, where she rummages for dental glue to make sure Deseray’s “flippers” or fake teeth stay in place.

“They made me look like I was running up those stairs twice,” she said, laughing.

She said the show’s producers have asked Deseray to do another show.

“It depends,” Deiry said. “If she wants to, we would do it. We were really happy about this show.”

She’s received lots of text messages and emails from friends and family members, though her mother, brother and twin sister, Dairy, were shown in Wednesday’s episode.

She’s happy about how her family was portrayed.

As for Deseray’s fellow competitor, Alana, whose show “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” aired after “Toddlers & Tiaras,” the Stone family didn’t watch it.

“The girls decided to go swimming,” she said.

Georgia’s Most Beautiful Faces Pageant, "Going for Gold," had an Olympics theme. The competitors in the age groups won gold, silver or bronze crowns.

Deseray, who is also a competitive gymnast, idolizes Gabby Douglas, who recently won the gold medal at the London Olympics.

For the pageant, Deseray dressed as a gymnast and did some tumbling runs. She won the bronze crown for her age group.

We spoke to Deiry Stone about her daughter and experience of being on the television show.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did Deseray become involved with "Toddlers & Tiaras"?

We've done a lot of different pageants. We like to just give back to the community, so we've done breast cancer awareness and food drives. That's how she got started.

What's the experience of being filmed for the show been like?

It's different. We're like regular ol' people. It's like a big hoopla, but we had a very good time. We didn't have any bad experiences.

How old was Deseray when she competed in her first pageant?

At her first pageant, she was 19 months old. The first one she walked in, she was 3 years old.

What are some of your most memorable pageant experiences?

I guess it would have to be the Little Miss Pretty in Pink that we did, and the 'Toddlers and Tiaras' one. That one was all about the Olympics. We had to dress in Olympic wear, either summer or winter. She decided to be a gymnast. She loves Gabby Douglas. Honestly, that one sticks out the most.

What do you like and not like about the pageant world?

I like it because it gives an opportunity for some little girls to come out of their shells. They get to dress up and be a princess for a day. The only thing I don't like is when the parents go overboard, when their daughters don't win or don't place. I tell Deseray it's not about winning. I tell her that I want her to have a good time. "When you stop having fun, we'll stop." We look at the list of pageants and we talk about them. I ask her which ones she wants to do. It's completely up to Deseray.

Does she aspire to be in the Miss America or Miss USA pageants when she's older?

Miss USA. She gets so excited. (Miss USA goes on to the Miss Universe Pageant.) That would be awesome. She'll be physically fit and ready.

How is her pageant persona different from her regular personality?

Deseray doesn't change. She is the same. She's not bratty. She is a blessing. She is a really good girl, and I'm not just saying that because she's my daughter. She listens well. She's in the gifted program at school (she's a rising fourth grader at East Smiths Station Elementary School).

What sort of beauty regiment do pageant appearances require? Does she get a spray tan, false teeth and "glamour" makeup?

For the pageant we did, she did have flippers (fake teeth). She's naturally a beach California girl, so no spray tanning. She doesn't do that. Deseray doesn't wear a lot of makeup. We do the natural look. I do put Mod Pink (a light pink) on her lips. She's naturally pretty.

What sort of expenses do you encounter in the competitive pageant circuit and how much does it cost overall?

For me, it's not a lot. God blessed me with the gift of sewing. I make all of her costumes. I do her hair and nails. It's not a big expense. I buy fabrics on sale.

Did you participate in pageants at her age?

I did. When I was 6 or 7. I did some modeling. I stopped when I was 18. I really wanted to be a teacher because I love children. I'm a teacher at Wynnbrook Christian School in Columbus.

Sometimes the mothers of the girls on 'Toddlers and Tiaras' complain that their daughters are being bratty or becoming divas. Do you worry that will happen to Deseray?

No, not at all. Deseray is a well-behaved child. God comes first. The world comes next. We instilled that in them.

Do you have other children? We have five children. I have two stepdaughters, Chelsea, 21, and Taylor, 17. Then we have two sons, Dillion, 12,and Devin, 7. On the girl side, Deseray is the baby.

How do they feel about the attention? They like it. The boys help her. They'll brush her hair. They love being around it. When they play football, my daughter is their cheerleader. It's a blessing.

How much traveling does the pageant circuit require and where are some places you've visited? We used to do a lot more. We used to do two or three pageants a month, depending on the cause. We now do maybe one a month. We don't go anywhere that's more than a two-hour trip. The farthest we've been was a 4½ drive. It was someplace in Georgia, I don't remember where. It was the longest drive I've ever done. Oh, yes, we've covered the Southeast.

What are your thoughts on Honey Boo Boo's rise to fame thanks to the show? I've met them both (Honey Boo Boo and her mother). They're different. That's what makes the world go around. What you see on TV is exactly what they are like.

This story was originally published August 9, 2012 at 11:30 AM with the headline ""It was different" says mother of Smiths Station girl on TLC's 'Toddlers & Tiaras'."