Ramsey Griffin has wanted to be a beauty queen ever since she saw a pageant on TV, said her mother, Tina Griffin. So Saturday, the blond, blue-eyed 3-year-old got her chance, taking the stage in the Million $$$ Baby Model Search Pageant at the Whaleyville Community Center. Her motivation: a sparkly tiara. Her diet secret: bologna sandwiches and Goldfish crackers. Her signature move: waving and blowing a kiss to the judges. She took home the top title, Super Star Model, and the coveted tiara.

"It's just like a movie," the beauty queen said.

The pageant drew three aspiring models: Griffin, 2-year-old Penelope Kokolis and 9-month-old Yianni Kokolis. They were all competing for the first time.

Penelope Kokolis' curly brown locks won her the best hair category and the toddler category. Her brother, Yianni, won most photogenic and the boy infant model category.

Million $$$ Baby is a pageant system started by the owner of the Florida-based Million $$$ Baby swimwear company, said Valerie Sparks, the pageant's Virginia state director.

The Suffolk competition was one of 19 preliminary pageants held throughout Virginia since December, Sparks said. There was also a preliminary event in Virginia Beach on Friday.

Athena Kokolis said she brought her daughter Penelope from Williamsburg to compete because she wants her to have the opportunity to try different things. She brought her son Yianni because "he's just too cute not to." She chose Million $$$ Baby because the pageant doesn't require makeup or extravagant costumes.

The winners can compete in Williamsburg in July for the chance to go to the national pageant in Orlando, Fla., in October, Sparks said.

The good thing about Million $$$ Baby: "It's natural," said judge and pageant director Diane Yopp. "No makeup, no hair pieces, no false teeth."