How did you come up with the design and idea for CrownClips?
It started ten years ago, when I was a state titleholder for a Mrs. Pageant. I was doing an appearance at a school library in Charlottesville, Virginia. Oh, how the young people love to try on the crown! We were doing just that, and the little girl was so excited she took off when I placed the crown on her head—and it fell to the hard tile floor. Of course it broke, and she was so upset. I calmed her down, put the crown back on her head, and we got a photo for her. On the way home, it occurred to me that there must be a way to secure a crown and/or a tiara in seconds, to allow more security for these situations and make it easier to put it on before an appearance! I went home, got out some elastic and combs, and began to come up with this device. I applied for a patent when I perfected it, and had a product ready to test in a few months. Jack Lawson was one of the first people I showed my invention to. He loved it and encouraged me to continue.

When did CrownClips officially start being used for the Miss America pageants?
They weren’t officially used for crowning until the pageant was in Las Vegas in January 2009. One afternoon, a nicely dressed lady asked me about the crown clips. We tried it on her head and I showed her how it worked. She then told me she was the “keeper of crown” for Miss America and would like me to install one on the practice crown. They tested it at the pageant, and she came back to make arrangements to install it on the national crown and suggested some changes. That was a day I’ll never forget. My hands would hardly stop shaking! They used it that night to crown the 2009 Miss America pageant winner, Katie Stam, crowned by 2008 Miss America Kristen Haglund. Kristen told me she wished she had them during her reign, and having them on the crown made it easier for her. 

The MAOT organization is where I partner to help raise money for scholarships. They’ve been crowning with them for four years now, and I am a national sponsor. All of the crowns are shipped to me in May and I custom install and send them back for the pageant. They love them, as it makes crowning the National Princesses so easy. 

How do the CrownClips work? Are they comfortable? 
A simple principle of physics: Every force has an equal and opposite reaction. As the clear elastic exerts a force on the crown or tiara, it provides the pull-down power to keep the crown straight and to not bobble from pinning in the customary white elastic cross situation. There are videos on my website. Moms tell me all the time that their daughter screams when it’s time to put in the pins to hold the crown on. With CrownClips, they just stretch it and put it on.

Do you see the clips when they’re on someone’s head? 
Not when installed properly. Most crowns have a little ring on either side, and you can push the comb under and “lock” it to the head. It’s simple and quick. Most important, it allows others, when you’re doing an appearance, a safe way to try on the crown—for just a moment!

What hairstyle best holds CrownClips? Could girls with thinner hair wear them?
For very fine-haired girls, they may need to do a half-up, half-down style. They work for the blown-out straight hair, too. If they let me know they have problem thin hair, I can customize one with a special kind of comb. It would cost a bit more. If they have shaved their heads or are in chemo, they should try a lace headband and then secure the combs into that.