I’m a 51-Year-Old Woman Wearing a Tiara in My Kitchen While Kneading Sourdough. Here’s Why.

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There’s a ball of sourdough on my counter and a crown on my head. Glittery, ridiculous, a little lopsided. The crown, I mean. The dough is perfect.

You might think I’m being silly. Or extra. Or having a midlife crisis. But what I’m really doing is something that took me decades to learn.

I’m choosing joy. Loudly.

I’m giving myself permission to feel beautiful, playful, and powerful, even when I’m elbow-deep in flour.

And that’s what this post is about.

The Years I Forgot What Made Me Shine

For a long time, I was practical. Efficient. On task. I was raising five kids, managing a household, keeping up with appointments, and being everything to everyone.

I wore clothes that made sense, not ones that made me smile. My hair lived in a ponytail. My sparkle lived in a box under the bathroom sink, next to old lipsticks and forgotten dreams.

Whimsy was for other people. The kind with less laundry and more time.

But that quiet longing for something more never really left. I didn’t need a bigger house or better planner. I needed moments that were mine. Moments of lightness, delight, and self-expression that weren’t about being productive or useful. Just beautiful and true.

The Tiara That Changed Everything

One day, on a whim, I brought out an old tiara from my time selling jewelry as a multi-level marketer. It wasn’t for a party or Halloween. It was just sitting on a shelf in my closet gathering dust, and I thought, “Why not?”

I took it out of the box. I put it on. No makeup. No special occasion. Just me and my kitchen and the smell of rising dough.

And in that moment, something shifted.

I looked in the mirror and didn’t see a woman trying to keep up. I saw someone who still had magic inside her. Who could wear a crown while feeding her family. Who didn’t need permission to be extra.

That tiara became a symbol. A tiny rebellion against invisibility. A quiet declaration that I was still here. Still creative. Still me.

Why It Matters (Especially After 45)

There’s something that happens when you hit midlife. You start to wonder who you are underneath all the roles you’ve carried for years.

Joy can feel like a luxury. Playfulness like an indulgence. But the truth is, joy is necessary. It heals. It anchors us to the present. It reminds us that we matter. Not just for what we do, but for who we are.

Putting on that tiara was a way of choosing myself. Of remembering that I don’t need a reason to feel beautiful or fun or powerful. I just need a willingness to show up for my own joy.

And maybe for you, it’s not a tiara. Maybe it’s sparkly nail polish or blasting 80s music while folding laundry. Maybe it’s baking cookies in a prom dress or wearing pink lipstick to the grocery store.

Whatever it is, it’s worth it.

You are worth it.

“She decided to start living the life she’d imagined.”

— Henry James

A New Kind of Ritual

These days, the tiara lives in a drawer next to my measuring cups. I wear it when I make sourdough or do laundry or wash dishes. Sometimes when I clean the bathroom. Always when I need a reminder of who I am outside the lists and roles.

It’s not about appearances. It’s about energy. About reclaiming joy in the ordinary.

Kneading dough is grounding. Wearing a crown while doing it is transcendent. It turns the mundane into magic.

And don’t we all deserve a little more magic?

Your Turn: What Could You Reclaim?

What tiny ritual could bring more delight into your day? What piece of yourself have you packed away that’s ready to come back into the light?

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. It just has to feel like you.

If you need a place to start, I made something for you.

🎁 Download Your Permission Slip for Joy

It’s a printable reminder that joy doesn’t need to be earned. That you can wear a tiara on a Tuesday, eat cookies for breakfast, or read fairy tales in the bathtub… just because you want to.

Because this is your life. You get to make the rules. And one of them can absolutely include sparkle.