PQs Phone Booth

First​ ​off​ ​tell​ ​us​ ​how​ ​you​ ​were​ ​"discovered"​ ​and​ ​how​ ​your​ ​modeling​ ​career​ ​all​ ​started? *I​ ​wasn’t​ ​as​ ​so​ ​much​ ​‘discovered’...​ ​ ​I​ ​consider​ ​myself,​ ​a​ ​self​ ​made​ ​woman.​ ​My​ ​very​ ​1st photoshoot​ ​was​ ​a​ ​sunshine​ ​girl​ ​in​ ​a​ ​local​ ​newspaper,​ ​The​ ​Ottawa​ ​Sun.​ ​After​ ​that​ ​I​ ​took interest​ ​&​ ​starting​ ​building​ ​a​ ​portfolio,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​wasn’t​ ​until​ I​moved​ ​into​ ​the​ ​capital​ ​of​ ​Canada at​ ​age​ ​31​ ​to​ ​further​ ​my​ ​education​ ​as​ ​a​ ​graphic​ ​designer​ ​that​ ​things​ ​really​ ​took​ ​off.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​here that​ ​changed​ ​it​ ​all.​ ​Starting​ ​off​ ​a​ ​freelance​ ​model,​ ​I​ ​put​ ​myself​ ​out​ ​there​ ​to​ ​local​ ​camera​ ​clubs and​ ​started​ ​meeting​ ​new​ ​photographers​ ​and​ ​volunteering​ ​for​ ​local​ ​events.​ ​My​ ​very​ ​1st​ ​paid modeling​ ​job,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​found​ ​out​ ​years​ ​later​ ​that​ ​my​ ​image​ ​made​ ​Cover​ ​Girl​ ​for​ ​an​ ​international Slovakian​ ​women's​ ​magazine!​ ​I​ ​was​ ​elated!!!​ ​Building​ ​my​ ​portfolio​ ​over​ ​a​ ​period​ ​of​ ​the​ ​next 10​ ​years​ ​of​ ​my​ ​life,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​then​ ​in​ ​my​ ​early​ ​40’s​ ​that​ ​it​ ​really​ ​took​ ​off​ ​and​ ​I​ ​am​ ​now​ ​proudly signed​ ​on​ ​to​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​largest​ ​modeling​ ​agencies​ ​in​ ​Ottawa;​ ​MIM​ ​-​ ​Models​ ​International Management​ ​as​ ​an​ ​actress​ ​under​ ​their​ ​AIM​ ​division,​ ​working​ ​towards​ ​MIM​ ​model​ ​status!

​What​ ​has​ ​been​ ​your​ ​favorite​ ​shoot​ ​/​ ​campaign​ ​/​ ​work​ ​to​ ​date? *That​ ​would​ ​be​ ​a​ ​toss​ ​up​ ​between​ ​2​ ​shoots.​ ​This​ ​shoot​ ​here​ ​that​ ​is​ ​being​ ​featured​ ​‘Phone Booth’​ ​was​ ​great​ ​because​ ​of​ ​the​ ​concept.​ ​I​ ​scouted​ ​out​ ​these​ ​3​ ​phone​ ​booths​ ​in​ ​a​ ​rough​ ​area of​ ​the​ ​city​ ​and​ ​while​ ​we​ ​were​ ​shooting​ ​,​ ​we​ ​had​ ​a​ ​ton​ ​of​ ​‘onlookers’​ ​wondering​ ​what​ ​was going​ ​on!​ ​Secondly,​ ​I​ ​just​ ​finished​ ​a​ ​very​ ​creative,​ ​yet​ ​simple​ ​project​ ​that​ ​involved​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​soft box​ ​light​ ​(way​ ​bigger​ ​than​ ​myself)​ ​and​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​fan​ ​to​ ​blow​ ​my​ ​outfit​ ​and​ ​hair​ ​back.​ ​The​ ​light was​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​set,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​can​ ​not​ ​see​ ​the​ ​fan,​ ​so​ ​imagine....It​ ​was​ ​all​ ​white,​ ​white​ ​room, white​ ​outfit.​ ​The​ ​idea​ ​I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​portray​ ​here​ ​was​ ​that​ ​the​ ​light​ ​being​ ​projected​ ​at​ ​me​ ​was SO​ ​strong​ ​that​ ​it​ ​was​ ​pushing​ ​me,​ ​my​ ​outfit​ ​and​ ​my​ ​hair​ ​back,​ ​my​ ​fav.​ ​as​ ​I​ ​just​ ​know​ ​the images​ ​are​ ​going​ ​crazy​ ​and​ ​look​ ​soooo​ ​good​ ​in​ ​a​ ​high​ ​fashion​ ​magazine!

How​ ​would​ ​you​ ​describe​ ​your​ ​personal​ ​style,​ ​Where​ ​do​ ​you​ ​pull​ ​your​ ​inspiration​ ​from? *I​ ​shop​ ​at​ ​lot​ ​at​ ​vintage​ ​2nd​ ​hand​ ​stores,​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​those​ ​one​ ​of​ ​a​ ​kind​ ​diamond​ ​in​ ​the rough​ ​items​ ​and​ ​my​ ​wardrobe​ ​is​ ​FULL​ ​of​ ​them!!!​ ​Let’s​ ​just​ ​say​ ​when​ ​I​ ​go​ ​to​ ​the​ ​airport,​ ​I​ ​have the​ ​officers​ ​there​ ​telling​ ​me​ ​“I​ ​look​ ​like​ ​a​ ​movie​ ​star”​ ​ ​OUUUHHHH!!!!!​ ​hehe​ ​♥♥♥

Do​ ​you​ ​have​ ​any​ ​hidden​ ​talents? *Oh​ ​yes!​ ​I​ ​grew​ ​up​ ​drawing​ ​which​ ​turned​ ​to​ ​painting​ ​which​ ​turned​ ​into​ ​‘ANYTHING’ creative!!!​ ​I​ ​am​ ​also​ ​a​ ​photographer.​ ​Specializing​ ​in​ ​newborn​ ​photography​ ​known​ ​as​ ​the Anne​ ​Geddes​ ​of​ ​Ottawa​ ​&​ ​I​ ​got​ ​me​ ​some​ ​crazy​ ​COD​ ​gaming​ ​skills​ ​too!​ ​(for​ ​those​ ​of​ ​you​ ​who don’t​ ​know​ ​what​ ​COD​ ​is​ ​=​ ​Call​ ​Of​ ​Duty!).

​Do​ ​you​ ​get​ ​to​ ​travel​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​for​ ​your​ ​work?​ ​If​ ​so​ ​what's​ ​your​ ​favorite​ ​city​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have visited? *No,​ ​so​ ​I​ ​travel​ ​for​ ​leisure​ ​pleasures.​ ​Obsessed​ ​with​ ​the​ ​Ocean,​ ​sun​ ​&​ ​sand,​ ​Florida​ ​will always​ ​be​ ​my​ ​favorite​ ​destination​ ​as​ ​it​ ​is​ ​only​ ​a​ ​3​ ​hr.​ ​flight!!! Sometimes​ ​the​ ​modeling​ ​industry​ ​gets​ ​a​ ​bad​ ​rap​ ​with​ ​the​ ​jealousy​ ​and​ ​egos​ ​encountered between​ ​other​ ​models​ ​and​ ​agencies.​ ​

Was​ ​this​ ​true​ ​for​ ​you?​ ​Have​ ​you​ ​managed​ ​to​ ​tough​ ​it out​ ​and​ ​make​ ​good​ ​friends? *​ ​Most​ ​definitely!​ ​I​ ​hear​ ​all​ ​the​ ​time​ ​what​ ​a​ ​wonderful​ ​role​ ​model​ ​I​ ​am​ ​and​ ​how​ ​younger models​ ​can,​ ​will​ ​and​ ​do​ ​look​ ​up​ ​to​ ​me​ ​as​ ​a​ ​role​ ​model!​ ​I​ ​have​ ​designers​ ​stopping​ ​in​ ​at​ ​my agency,​ ​spreading​ ​the​ ​good​ ​word​ ​of​ ​“how​ ​amazing​ ​that​ ​dress​ ​looked​ ​on​ ​Kandisse​ ​*&​ ​how amazing​ ​Kandisse​ ​looked​ ​in​ ​that​ ​dress”.​ ​The​ ​support​ ​is​ ​overwhelming​ ​actually!​ ​I​ ​was​ ​in​ ​2 major​ ​modeling​ ​contests​ ​this​ ​past​ ​summer​ ​and​ ​I​ ​found​ ​not​ ​only​ ​my​ ​entire​ ​home​ ​town​ ​was backing​ ​me​ ​up,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​world​ ​was!​ ​ ​I​ ​placed​ ​2nd​ ​internationally​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Vizual​ ​Magazine contest​ ​and​ ​placed​ ​13th​ ​world​ ​wide​ ​in​ ​the​ ​prestigious​ ​Jetset​ ​competition.​ ​I​ ​beat​ ​out​ ​1000’s and​ ​1000’s​ ​of​ ​ladies​ ​worldwide​ ​in​ ​both​ ​comps​ ​and​ ​could​ ​NOT​ ​ ​have​ ​don't​ ​so​ ​without everyone’s​ ​support!!​ ​xx​ ​Being​ ​short​ ​and​ ​curvy,​ ​NOT​ ​a​ ​size​ ​0,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​broken​ ​through​ ​many barriers​ ​that​ ​the​ ​industry​ ​has​ ​set​ ​before​ ​me.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​since​ ​graced​ ​many​ ​runways​ ​at​ ​my​ ​height. Continuing​ ​to​ ​do,​ ​what​ ​I​ ​was​ ​told,​ ​I’d​ ​ ​never​ ​do.​ ​I​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​inspire​ ​people​ ​everyday​ ​and people​ ​continuously​ ​inspire​ ​me.