Once upon a time in a land not so far away, there lived a forty-something princess who was single (GASP!), childless (GASP!), and still searching for her Happily Ever After.

Hi, my name is Tracy Dietlein and I am currently living out my Forty Tale in the enchanted kingdom commonly known as the San Francisco Bay Area.  Unlike your typical Fairy Tale princess, I suck at housework, my singing voice is atrocious, my mother is alive and well, and the only beasts in my life are my two freakishly large cats, Buster and Rocky.

I find myself stuck in a category that is much too often overlooked.  I somehow missed the cutoff date for marriage, children and any other dream I may have once wished upon a star.  Prince Charming is more interested in the younger model, and rather than going to extremes to vie for his attention, this damsel would much rather curl up on the couch with a bag of Lay’s potato chips and watch multiple episodes of Dateline.

Although I’ve always had big dreams of becoming a writer, I’ve spent the last 18-plus years as a mall marketing manager, where I have dealt with numerous cranky shoppers and retailers, seen Santa naked one too many times – (my eyes!) – yelled at the Easter Bunny for smoking on set, and was once viciously attacked by an unruly mob at a community parade while dressed as Nutmeg the Squirrel, the mall’s short-lived mascot.

I have recently come to the clichéd conclusion that at this point in my life, I must rescue myself, and I am determined to do so with humor, honestly, and a little bit of bravery.  As I’ve grown tired of sitting around and waiting for things to happen, I’ve vowed to look at life through a new set of eyes, and although they are mature and cautious, they are wide open to new possibilities and hopeful that Happily After Ever can still be found even if you don’t follow a traditional path.  And it truly does exist beyond the age of forty.

Therefore, I’m introducing the Forty Tale, a new kind of fairy tale for the age appropriate princess living life hopefully ever after.

Because the Fairy Tale expires at Forty.

Whether she’s in a land Far Far Away, or a town close by, she will learn that dreams can never expire, princesses can often be a royal mess, and rescuing oneself can sometimes be a hell of a lot easier than waiting for a handsome prince to do it.

With that said…

This website is dedicated to
All my fellow Princesses of a Certain Age
Who feel as if they have missed out on the Fairy Tale.
Don’t give up on yourself or your dreams.
Your Happy Ending will come when you find
True Love within.
And to my Prince Charming,
Who I still believe is out there…somewhere
Get off your lazy ass and come and get me already!
I’m not getting any younger.