This Vancouver woman plays 'Mrs. Dressup' for drivers every day
CBC
Some people love golfing, others like to hike, but Anne Bruinn's hobby is about "adding a little bit of spice'' to other people's day by wearing a costume at the end of her driveway and entertaining passersby.
The would-be Mrs. Dressup likes to call herself the "queen of the cosplay corner,'' referencing the joy of costume play, a performance art where people dress up as a variety of characters.
Bruinn said she has been surprising her drive-by audiences with costumes ranging from a Star Wars stormtrooper to Beetlejuice.
"I have a captive audience because there's nothing else to look at. I am the star of the show even though it's anonymous attention,'' said Bruinn, who regularly dresses up to greet people from a busy corner on Southwest Marine Drive in Vancouver.
"I know it's boring between here and wherever you're going. So, hopefully I can make your day a little more interesting,'' said Bruinn.
"I don't care who they are. They don't care who I am — it's a really sweet and innocent moment,'' said Bruinn, recalling the honking she and her children have received from googly-eyed drivers and passengers going by.
The stay-at-home mom recently made an iron throne replica from the popular TV series Game of Thrones with tree stumps, plywood, tin foil, and foam after watching YouTube tutorial videos.
When the chair was complete, she put on a long-haired white wig, dress and crown, then "took it out for a spin'' and the reactions were priceless, she said.
"I got one guy who came and knelt down so that I could knight him because I had my sword and that was really funny, and then some guy driving by yelled 'Khaleesi,''' referring to one of the main characters in the series.
Grace Peng, a Richmond resident, drives past Bruinn's home often to take her son to school. The first time she stopped was to get a photo of her wearing her Khaleesi costume while she sat on her throne of swords.
"I initially thought she was just a wax figure, but then I saw her suddenly moving around while walking towards her. I am like: 'Oh, she is real,''' said Peng in an interview conducted in Mandarin. "It was so unexpected, and Anne really made my day.''
Since then, Peng said she looks forward to seeing Bruinn's costumes as she passes by.
"She always surprises me, and then I started wondering how many costumes Bruinn has at home and how much time she spends on her makeup and what's the story behind her,'' said Peng.
Bruinn's "costume-making journey'' started three years ago when she was standing at the end of her driveway waiting for her child to come home from school.
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