From Hat to Crown: How a Simple Accessory Sparked a Transformative Journey

It Started With a Hat + Ended With a Crown

I purchased my first Gigi Pip hat at the store in Salt Lake City, Utah, in September of 2018. At the time, I was incredibly pregnant with my rainbow baby + decided to splurge on a beautiful accessory I had always wanted. I walked into the chic store with my cute husband in tow. He was nervous at the thought of the money we were about to spend but very supportive. I am a Western girl at heart + chose the hat that most closely illustrated my soul. Six years later, it still looks the exact same – quality. Then my husband took my picture against a beautiful “influencer-style” brick building – something I had not ever done before. That picture, that hat, sparked something in me. It was very impactful to me, + I still treasure that moment to this day.

I never really saw myself as pretty. I was athletic, yes, + tall, yes, but I didn't care much for photos. The beautiful but hard results of motherhood on my body made “self-love” difficult sometimes. However, that hat gave me confidence. That hat gave me a new outlook. That hat gave me a spark to be daring + do something so crazy + daring, I still cannot believe it. I signed up for a pageant.
That hat, that photo, + the supportive confidence my husband gave me helped me have the mental strength to get up on that stage + dare to have photos taken of me. My first pageant was a doozy, + boy did I learn so much about myself. I sported a Gigi Pip hat on the stage with my “cow-girl” costume in honor of the journey.

Fast forward six years later, + I am getting ready to represent my state in the biggest + most renowned international system for married women with children in the world – Mrs. International. In that time span, I have become an Amazon Best Selling Co-Author, Still She Rose Mental Health Wellness Ambassador, Global Beauty Awards Official Nominee in four categories, Pageant Planet’s top 25 Mrs. for 2023 in Evening Gown + Fitness, Oregon Mother of the Year 2024, VP of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America Utah Chapter, + Team Hope Walk Chair for the Oregon Region – just to name a few. I have been busy, + it all catapulted from this newfound confidence that started with a hat.

Through the years, I have grown to truly love myself + embrace my flaws. We all have flaws in one shape or another. How we embrace them + make the world a better place is what defines us. I am grateful “the hat” gave me the courage to let the real me shine + not doubt what I can do.