'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
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.