Thank YOU

When I started this post it was Canadian Thanksgiving, so I wanted to take a moment and go through all the people who have been helping me in 2012. Now it's American Thanksgiving. It took me a while to get this post together!  I'm going to try and go chronologically here from January 2012. If you're interested in the individual photos and screen caps that go with these stories, please see this link from my website.

Thank -you to:

Our local Sparks group for girls that had me in January 2012 to help the Sparks earn an environmental badge!

I'd like to thank Mount Saint Vincent University for having me both speak several times this year to pre-service teachers, and as a perform for their annual children's carnival.

I'd like to thank Mermaid Sirena who teamed up with me to create the e-magazine Tail Flip and all the contributors and volunteers who have helped us on our journey!

Thank-you to Raven Mermaid of Merbellas who was amazing and replaced my failing tail with a brand new silicone performance tail. My tail has made all the difference in the world for me, and Raven has shown me unending support along with her husband Tyler.

That being said, thank-you to all the people who sponsored me so I could buy my tail, especially Beverley.Without all of your help, I would be nowhere in this mermaid world! You took a chance on me so I could live a dream and make the world a better place. I will never forget any of you for that.

Thank you to Mermaid Minerals for featuring me as Mermaid of the Month. I loved my prize of free Mermaid Minerals products and I've been seriously enjoying creating tutorials and wearing it. Eco-makeup yay!

So much love for all the mers and people I got to meet and spend time with during my trip to Florida in March 2012. Special thanks to Sirena Solaris, Merman Jesse and his mertender Dennis, Mermaid's Faux and Michi, Mermaid Star and mer-Pirate, and the lovely Mermaid Kylee. Thanks also to Week Wachi!

Thank-you to my amazing grade 5 class. You kids really shaped the person (and mermaid) I am. I am so proud of all your growth. Thank-you to your school EGWPS and Music Teacher Mr. Balcom who let me step in and direct Willy Wonka. It was an experience I'll never forget. Thank-you to my co-operating teacher Anna Fox as well!

Thank you to Halifax's Dr Sketchy for once again hiring me as well as Mermaid Mimi. It's always a pleasure and an experience. Thanks to all the artists who participated and sent us their work!

Thank you to Carissa Ambroziak and Brandy Hoyt - two ladies who did my first official photos in my new tail. Without your kindness and support I certainly wouldn't be where I am today.

Thank you to photographer Eastern Currents for both booking me for birthday parties and photographing me.

Thank you to My Disguises for featuring me on their blog. 

Thank you to Siobhan K. who booked me for the Point Pleasant Childcare auction and was my first official birthday party in my tail!

So much love to Marcel and Jenney from Style Envie Studios! You two have been non-stop supporting me, Marcel has filled in as photographer when my mertender has been sick, and your little family reminds me always why what I do is important. So much love to you!

Thank you to my online artist partner Richard who helped establish - and let's be frank did all the hard work- the Mermaid Webcomic. This has been such an adventure with you, and I am also so thankful for all the people who've read and followed along!

Thank you to the staff at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for hosting me again on World Ocean's day. Thanks to the Ecology Action Centre and Hector the Blue Shark for teaming up and constantly showing support!  Thank you to back up assistant/mer-tender Steve who helped out with this and many events.

Thank-you to The Coast, Sam, and Riley, who all helped to create the great article on me! I appreciate all your hard work, talent, and time. Being featured in The Coast was a great experience!

Thank you to the staff, volunteers, and participants at the Royal Bank Multicultural Festival.  I love the multi-fest and being in it this year was just as wonderful as last year.

Thank you to DeviantART.com for featuring one of my images, and to all the supporters I've had over the years on that site.

Thank-you to both the Premier of PEI and the Premier of Northwest Territories who both stopped to chat and have photos taken during the Tall Ships festival.

Thanks to everyone who included me in Tall Ships going ons, including The Waterfront, Atlantic Fisheries Museum, The Pirates of Halifax, and everyone who came out to all those events to meet me! The parades were so fun, and thanks to the extra staff who carried me around while my mertender was on crutches!

Thank you to Sea and be Scene for their featured article on me.

Thank you to Karen M. for booking me for the Halifax Pride Parade. Thanks for Casino NS for hosting me on their float. Thank you to the PRIDE community, and all the people who came out to see the parade and gave me positive feedback. Thank-you to all the photographers who then sent me great images from the parade!


Thank-you to Mahone Bay and Scabby Dan the Pirate for once again hosting me in the Mahone Bay Pirate Festival. Thanks to everyone who came out as well!

Thanks to Joel Plaskett for including me in his contest, sharing my video, and giving me a signed CD!

Thank-you to Tourism PEI for promoting my photography as part of their photo contest.

Thank-you to Mermaid Ama for joining me on my journey.

Much love to Fan Plastic for including me in their ads, to Erin Woodgate for photographing, to the lovely ladies I spent time with, and to David Ayala for drawing the 3 of us when it was all said and done! <3 Thank you for including me in the Ocean Entourage Project!

Thanks to Brian L. and Karen for a great end of summer photoshoot.

Thank you to Canadian film maker Rob Stewart for always inspiring me! 

Thank you to Glass Dharma for featuring me on their blog and sending me their product to test and review!

So much thanks to Mermaid Creations who provided me with a new silicone tail this year.  This has given me the opportunity to bring the joy of mermaiding to others!

Thank you to Jon Mullane and all the people involved in the shooting for "My New American Girl". Being in this music video was an amazing experience.

Thank you to all the redditors involved in my AMA IMA post! 

Thank you to Dan B of Eastern Currents Photography for an awesome photoshoot.

Thank-you to Bobbie-Lynn Hall for writing a fin-tastic article on my for The Weekly.

SO MUCH LOVE AND THANKS to all the mers and appreciators over at Mernetwork.
There are so many of you that do so much, I'm afraid if I try to name everyone I'll accidentally miss someone! Iona, the work you do for the community is beyond words! 

Thank you to everyone who likes and follow my facebook page. I appreciate all your support, input, and help! Thank you to everyone who has followed me on any of my social networking sites and provided me with support.

Thank-you to the mer-community at large. I am so thankful there is a community! I'm happy I have made so many friends and fans. THANK YOU to the mermaids who are out there constantly inspiring me! Thank-you to all the local mermaids who organize get togethers, support each other, and are just plain awesome!

Thank-you to my friends and family who support this cooky dream! THANK YOU SO MUCH to all the clients who have hired me this past year! You keep my dream alive!

Finally, Thank-you to my amazing mertender who's always doing EVERYTHING he can for me. He's a shy guy who doesn't mind being in the spotlight when it means helping me. He's stood beside me for everything, he's learned photography, and no one is a better assistant than him!