Once upon a time, there was a girl who believed ordinary days deserved better PR. She believed in wearing the dress, gathering the girlfriends, making a random Tuesday feel suspiciously important and finding reasons to celebrate long before anyone handed her an invitation. Eventually, she built an entire little corner of the internet around that idea. And then someone handed her a microphone. What could possibly go wrong?
I recently joined Kelly Clifford on Bloom Bright with Kelly for a conversation about the story behind Once Upon a Dollhouse—and, perhaps more importantly, the story behind the woman it has helped me become.
Behind the Dollhouse
If you’ve been here for a while, you know Once Upon a Dollhouse through fashion, beauty, travel, motherhood, friendship and my lifelong commitment to making things just a little more fabulous than strictly necessary.
But underneath all the pretty things has always been a bigger philosophy:
We don’t have time to feel mundane when each day deserves the chance to be extraordinary.
Kelly and I talked about how Once Upon a Dollhouse began, how it has evolved alongside me, and why I’ve become so passionate about helping women find delight in their own lives.
Because the Dollhouse has never really been look at me.
It’s look at your own life.
There’s probably something magical happening there already.
Pretty Can Be Powerful
We also talked about femininity, ambition and why I’ve never understood the idea that women have to choose between being taken seriously and liking pretty things.
I can love pink, Chanel and a fabulous floral dress and still be fearless, competitive and ambitious.
In fact, I think there’s something pretty powerful about refusing to edit away the parts of yourself that don’t fit neatly together.
Soft and strong. Playful and driven. Meaningful and occasionally very concerned about the right pair of shoes.
All of it gets to belong.
Why I Romanticize the Random Tuesday
Our conversation also went deeper.
I shared some of the experiences with family, loss and motherhood that have shaped the way I think about time—and why I’m so determined to notice the good stuff while we’re actually living it.
The ordinary days, it turns out, are most of our life.
We might as well make them darling.
There is so much more in the episode: building a lifestyle brand, finding your personal style, motherhood, entrepreneurship, entertaining, wellness, beauty and what I’ve learned from sharing my life online.
Kelly, thank you for giving me the space to tell this chapter of the Dollhouse story.
And Dolls, if you’ve ever wondered how Once Upon a Dollhouse became Once Upon a Dollhouse—or what happens when someone takes away my edit button and hands me a microphone instead—this one’s for you.
Listen to Caitlin Jecklin on Bloom Bright with Kelly → RIGHT HERE!
Consider it your invitation to come behind the Dollhouse doors for a little while.
No glass slippers required.