Bloggywood

I attended my very first book signing last night. Man, was it an experience. Anyone who knows me knows that I have ZERO sense of direction. Even if the final destination is 2 minutes or less than 3 miles from my starting location. Like last night.

Embarrassing, I know.

I did find the venue with little trouble. I only had to turn around once and I only ALMOST had an accident once. Success!

I'm not big on exploring the city on my own. I decided to just get to the location right after work before darkness fell so I was REALLY early. I am also not a fan of being in a deserted parking lot with people yelling at each other so I was relieved to see a security guard at the back door of the venue. He must have seen the anxiety in my face because he told me to come in even though the doors didn't open until 6pm (I was there at 4:50pm). Bonus of being SO early: I was one of the first people there and I was able to get an excellent seat!

It was great chatting with fellow bloggers and wives. We swapped stories, shared cooking disasters, and talked about The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. I read the entire cookbook while I waited, picking out the dishes I would try over the upcoming weekend (twice baked potatoes and rib-eye steak in whiskey cream sauce or meatloaf). I text messaged my husband to tell him that I was there and that I was in the second row. I wasn't surprised when he did not share my enthusiasm and I received nothing back. Who always shares a person's enthusiasm...your mother. That is who I text messaged next and of course she acted like it was the best thing she heard all day. Gotta love moms. It is just like when I was little. Every picture I colored (and let me tell you - I colored hundreds)mom had to see. Every picture was a big deal. Every picture was refrigerator worthy.

I digress.

I started getting nervous around 6pm because there were LOTS of empty seats. I was afraid St. Louis would disappoint Ree and no one would show up. That would be embarrassing! My worries quickly vanished when people started pouring in and there were not any seats left! It was totally a full house!

I also witnessed some bizarre behavior of my fellow bloggers. Ree's husband, Marlboro Man, walked in with her two young songs. They were carrying t-shirts that were going to be distributed to everyone at the signing. You should have seen the camera flashes that were going off. It was like the paparazzi was there. You could tell that her husband was totally uncomfortable with all of the attention. My husband would FLIP OUT if it was him. I text messaged Jason at that point and said "Holy cow - it is a full house here! I cannot believe how popular she is. Some people are almost like stalkers...that part is kind of weird." People were getting up from their seats to try to get a peak at her. It was crazy!

Finally, she was introduced and came out. Ree was nervous so we dove right into the question and answer segment. After about an hour of questions and answers, we moved onto the actual book signing. During my turn, Ree and I were just chatting and I told her that my husband was flipping through the book the night before and commented that he was tempted to come along because she was so pretty. Ree blushed, laughed out loud saying her face was a little on the puffy side today anyways, and told me to tell Jason hello for her. She was SO nice!

Did Ree ever think that 3 1/2 years ago when she started her blog, that she would have a cookbook that is a best seller and that she would fill venues with people who just want her signature? How crazy is that?

I have never been an autograph person. If I saw Mel Gibson in the airport or if I ran into Tom Cruise on vacation, I can honestly tell you that I would NOT ask them for their autograph.

Ree is a regular person - wife and mother - and that is what is so appealing to me and to so many people. She keeps it real and she just tries to be herself. It is refreshing.

Visit her HERE.. You won't be sorry! And...if you like romance novels, make sure to check out her LOVE STORY: "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels." You will be hooked after the first chapter and it is a true story! She is going to publish her love story next. It will be released to the public around Valentine's Day in 2011!