'It's her lifelong dream': Cape Breton woman is 'princess for hire' in Halifax
It looks less like work and more like play, but being a real-life princess is Miranda Pike's job.
"(We are) a company that wants to bring fairy tale magic to life," Miranda told CTV Atlantic.
At 23 years old, Miranda is the owner of Little Princess Parties Halifax.
Her company has roughly 60 costumed characters, covering all Disney princesses, along with superheroes and other crowd-pleasers.
Originally from Whitney Pier, N.S., Miranda says it all started when she made her very first princess dress eight years ago, using bed-sheets found at a thrift shop.
"I went to show my grandmother at the hospital. She was in hospice, at the (Cape Breton) Regional there (in Sydney)," Miranda said. "After I was done visiting her, I went to see the kids on the kids unit. I read them stories. Sang little songs and just brightened their day."
Miranda's mother, Michelle Pike, says it wasn't long ago Miranda was a little girl herself. She says it makes her proud to see her daughter making a living by bringing a sense of wonder to others.
"She is quite the entrepreneur. I'm so, so, so proud of her," Michelle said. "Every time that I see her in action at a party, or even sewing in her sewing room, she just makes me so happy, because it's her lifelong dream to do this."
Miranda not only makes the costumes herself, she also plans the whole princess experience.
"I sew all the dresses. I style all the hair. I write my own music for our songs," she said.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Miranda says they were booked for in-person parties every weekend. They've since had to get creative, with things like doorstep visits and Zoom parties.
Through her unique career path, Miranda says she has discovered some of her own princess powers.
"I've always been a little on the shy side, I guess. A little introverted. But this job kind of pushed me to literally perform," Miranda said.
Miranda says her plans post-pandemic are to resume the regular party routine and grow her business further.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.