Hooray—our publisher has finally locked in several upcoming dates you’ve been asking about, and they even added a few extra tour stops. We’ll share those at the end of this post. First, here’s our biweekly recap of the most recent events—the last ones of 2012 before the tour resumes in January.
After our whirlwind trip in mid-November, we took Thanksgiving week off and then returned to the road for two events in Washington, DC and one in our hometown of Richmond, VA. The first stop was at the FLOR store in Georgetown, where a compact shop meant many people waited outside in the cold. We really appreciated everyone who stuck it out. The FLOR team generously offered popcorn, wine, hot chocolate, and cookies that might honestly be some of the best I’ve ever had. Our cousin Cat and my sister Carrie managed to sneak in before the event officially opened, hence their privileged spot in line.
If it looked like I was wandering through the line making phone calls, that wasn’t me—it was Patrick, who helped organize the event and was mistaken for me more than once. At one point people asked, “Why isn’t John upstairs signing?” Even Patrick’s daughter saw a photo of us and asked why her dad was standing with “that lady.” It was amusing and a little surreal.
You might spot Burger photobombing some photos from the FLOR event. That was actually a paper Burger on a stick brought by Nickie and her friend, and yes—we still have it around the house.
One highlight: we met Miss District of Columbia, and she let me wear her crown—definitely a bucket-list moment for me. With Georgetown Cupcakes right across the street, we were showered with sweet treats. A dozen from Emily, Melanie, and Danielle included cupcakes personalized with our initials—Emily actually worked at the cupcakery, so she had insider advantage.
We met Jeannette, who once worked as a production assistant on True Blood, which prompted Sherry to break out her “vampire face” for a photo. She thought everyone was joining in, but we kind of left her to hold the fangs solo, which made for a funny shot.
Being near my hometown let us reconnect with familiar faces like Jenny, who brought a wooden keepsake of our high school—apparently they make them, and Jenny managed to find it. We also surprised Katie when her husband Bob arranged for us to congratulate her on her recent wedding. He wrote “Bob” on the bottom of a ceramic owl she planned to bring, and the surprise went perfectly. Oddly enough, we’d bumped into Katie and a friend earlier that evening while walking to the FLOR store—almost made me blurt out “Is your husband named Bob?” but I bit my tongue.
Men do come to these events—Jimmy showed up solo and had us sign a toy wrench for his son. Another young fan wore a homemade “I Heart YHL” onesie and gave us a priceless expression that read, “Who put this shirt on me?”
Visitors requested plenty of silly photos. One pic asked us to react to something “scary in the corner,” and my expression of avoidance ended up being a favorite. Sherry also took pictures with anyone she deemed her “twin”—people wearing blazers or similar shirts—which turned out to be a fun theme for the night. If you want more perspectives on the FLOR event, other bloggers shared their recaps from that evening.
The FLOR event went late—after 11pm—so our drive back to Richmond didn’t end until around 1:15am. Two days later we were back in DC for a LivingSocial event at 918 F Street, and the space was decorated with ornaments inspired by projects we made last year. LivingSocial’s event space hosts classes and experiences, and it was an ideal spot for us to lead two crafting classes in addition to a book signing.
We planned the sessions with the LivingSocial team, and the classes included paint-swirl ornaments, painted hurricanes for holiday centerpieces, and painted wooden candlesticks for table settings. Each 90-minute session had about 50 participants, and we were happy to see a few men in the afternoon class too. Neither of us had taught a crafting class before, and we hadn’t rehearsed scripts—we wanted the experience to feel natural rather than robotic.
Ultimately the sessions went smoothly. Timing worked out so that projects could dry well enough to go home after the signing portion. A few people needed another coat of metallic paint on the glass vases, but most finished their projects. Sherry joined in the crafting and made striped Christmas-style candlesticks that she finished with another coat before sending them home as a surprise gift. Our painted ornaments are now displayed on our mini tree at home.
The crafting sessions were mostly about hanging out, meeting people, and having fun with paint, so it was a bonus when finished projects looked great. Amanda sent a photo showing three finished projects, and we loved seeing folks mix metallic paint from one project onto the candlesticks—the result looked fantastic. A handful of participants blogged about the experience from their perspectives, with entertaining and creative posts to read.
After each crafting session we spent half an hour signing books. Following the two crafting and signing sessions, several hundred more people came for book signings alone. It was a long but rewarding day—we left Richmond at 7am and got back at 9pm—and the LivingSocial team was fantastic. Sherry even got to sign someone’s spray paint can and, in another moment, signed a mirror using hot pink lipstick for a playful photo.
I signed a copy of my middle school yearbook for Jackie, who went to school with me. Thankfully my 8th-grade photo avoided braces, so that saved me from an extra-awkward grin in that yearbook picture.
We took some funny group photos, including one where attendees posed as if they were on a Funland ride—memories of the Delaware amusement park made that one especially nostalgic for DC-area folks. Another goofy pose referenced a fictional creature from our childhood drawings: the “bionworks,” a mash-up of bear, lion, and fireworks. You’re officially in the loop if that ever comes up at a party.
After the LivingSocial events we returned to Richmond for our final 2012 stop at Mongrel, one of our favorite local shops full of cards, books, gifts, and more. They don’t usually host book signings, so we were honored they wanted to try it with us. The Mongrel team was wonderfully prepared, even jokingly stationing a “bouncer” in case things got rowdy.
Attendees were kind and thoughtful—Anna baked red and blue cookies in the spirit of our West Elm events, and Rachel, a professional stylist, gifted Sherry a box of hair-cutting tools to improve my DIY haircuts at home. We also met Jon and Randa, who share my birthday, and had fun taking a playful birthday photo together.
I signed a shirt for Mary—she’d already got spray paint on it, so it was out of commission anyway—and I added a small design that looked like a Christmas tree with a crescent moon. Sherry sketched a backdrop for Robyn’s weekly photo project inspired by one we did for Clara; the sketch became the setting for baby Sawyer’s 41-week photo, and I added the “Week 41” lettering in my trademark font-loving style.
Other Richmond attendees blogged nice recaps of the event if you want more reading from local perspectives.
That wraps up our 2012 tour stops. It’s been an adventure, and while we’re excited for January, we’re enjoying a month at home with the little one and the Burgs, sleeping in our own bed. We’ve spent about 41 hours signing books so far—not counting crafting sessions, presentations, setup, or travel—which is wild but completely worth it. Meeting so many of you has been the best part. We really appreciate you all.
Now, about January and February: we’ve added many dates, including stops in the Bay Area after Tacoma and Portland, and we’ll be driving through Charlotte and continuing down to Atlanta. Unfortunately, a planned Grand Cayman stop had to be canceled due to scheduling conflicts.
You can find full details—locations, times, and RSVP information—on our Book Tour Page. If you already RSVP’d for the NYC event in November, your name is included for the new January date, so there’s no need to RSVP again. We hope to see some of you at the nine stops starting in a few weeks. Happy weekend, and to all a good night!