Online - June 08, 2010

Your Crowning Achievement

How to Princess Without Losing Your Center

Any which way you sparkle it, the princess stage is a royal pain.

Here are some of our favorite picks to help you make it through without surrendering to Disney — at least not completely.

Start with a simple crown ($18-$28). One that says enough but not too much ($36).

She wants the queen’s jewels (yours); we suggest Stella & Dot. The new collection of necklaces, bracelets, and rings for girls has just the right amount of bling for little fingers and wrists ($14-$29).

Turn a forgotten corner into an oasis with a gauzy canopy ($100). Choose from the literal (a castle) to the fanciful (celestial sky); drape one over her big-girl bed for noble effect.

Add the title of countess to her name by reading The Real Princess, a Mathemagical Tale ($17); expand her royal repertoire with The Barefoot Book of Princesses ($20), a collection of regal tales from around the globe.

Since your lady-in-waiting is more melamine than fine bone, serve her on French Bull’s new Princess Collection ($27-$32). The sunny and modern plates, bowls, and cups are all the charming she’ll ever need.