Sisters woman gets Macy's makeover

Shelley Marsh was paying her Macy's bill online when she saw the entry form for a contest: Macy's Makeover America with Clinton Kelly.

"I was probably whining because I was turning 50 and my mom was sick," she told The Nugget. "You had to send in two pictures of yourself and he must have thought I needed some help."

Marsh was one of 1,500 entrants and was selected as one of 15 women from the Pacific Northwest to go to Seattle for a makeover day.

The event took place on November 7 at Macy's Washington Square. The participants were treated to makeup and helped to select clothes "that make you look and feel great," Marsh said.

The culmination of the event was a runway show in front of an audience of 1,000.

Marsh had a lot of fun, not least because her daughter Lindsey (a fellow fan of TLC's "What Not to Wear," hosted by Kelly) flew in from Montana to surprise her mom and share the event.

She also met her goal to "look freakin' fabulous for my birthday."

Asked what she learned from the experience, Marsh said, "I learned that I should have the confidence every day that I had that afternoon."

She's applying many of the fashion ideas she picked up through the contest - with exceptions.

"I'm not wearing the stiletto sandals he put me in, though they are quite sexy and pretty," Marsh said. "I have been known to turn my ankle."

All in all, the whirlwind was a blast.

"It was a good girl experience," Marsh said.