Where are you from originally or reside currently: Originally from Fairbanks Alaska, now reside in Fairfax Virginia

How long you have been cosplaying: 8 years

Other Characters cosplayed: Elsa, Maleficent, Agent Helix, Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother, Goblin Knight, Effie Trinket, Rorschach, Castaspella, Blink Angel

Website and facebook fan page

1. Who or what inspired you to cosplay?
My friend Meg, brought me to a Renaissance Festival and I really wanted to dress up the next time we went. So she helped me put together a costume, and from there it exploded. We started attending festivals in the area, and went to our first Convention. We didn’t really have costumes but did manage to pull together zombie outfits for one day. I had so much fun looking at all the really cool and elaborate costumes everyone had, and really wanted to do something cool like that as well. Watching peoples faces as they recognize something from their childhood or a favorite character from a show or movie. Seeing that joy pop onto peoples faces is really what drives me to keep creating costumes. If I can bring joy to one person who recognizes me, then I have done a bang up job. I think that is why I have started doing more kid friendly costumes, I love seeing little kids pulling on their parents hand and pointing at me with awe and amazement.

2. What do you do when you aren’t cosplaying? (hobbies, community service, or work)
Truth be told I watch a lot of Movies and TV, I work for a guy who own movie theatres so I have plenty of places to pull character references. I paint a little, and draw some as well, and have even entered a few design contests just to try out something different.

3. What costumes have provided the biggest challenge and rewards so far and why?
My biggest challenge was definitely my Goblin Knight, first off I had to spend hours going frame by frame on the movie Labyrinth to make sketches of the costume, since there were little to no reference shots online anywhere. Figuring out how everything would layer on to create the look also took a bit of time as I would be technically wearing two creatures. But it is still to date my greatest achievement and brings the biggest smiles to fans. He has also won me a Honorable Mention at Dragon Con, a Best Costume at Faerie Con East, and and Best Female Non-Comic and VA Comicon, which only pushes me to try new more elaborate costumes and grown as a cosplayer.

4. What is the best advice you would give someone new to cosplaying?
Find a mentor, whether it is a friend who knows their way around a sewing machine, or a cosplayer who has been around the block a few times. You always need someone to bounce ideas off of and ask for help. No one can do this alone, believe me, sometimes another set of eyes is all you need to figuring out a tough costume piece.

5. What is one thing the cosplaying community can do better when it comes to dealing with each other?
I really hope one day there is no more shaming against each other, whether it is saying someone isn’t the right build, or race to cosplay as a certain character. Or whether or not the seams are clean. We are all in this for the fun and enjoyment of it. If you enjoy cosplay then do it, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.