Sorry it took so long to get this post up — we heard from a lot of you after we returned and wanted to share the whole experience properly. We took far too many photos, debated which to include, and then decided to tell the story in full. Our first book tour stop in Cincinnati this weekend was hectic in the best possible way: a whirlwind of exciting moments packed into about 36 hours.
We won’t chronicle every stop in exhaustive detail, but plan to share periodic updates as we travel, alongside our usual DIY content and travel stories. Since Cincinnati was our first event, we couldn’t help but gloat a little. Below is an Instagram snap from our Friday flight — evidence that we sometimes travel with our mouths closed.
We left Richmond around noon on Friday and flew to Cincinnati via Philadelphia. Clara and Burger stayed home with my parents for the quick trip, so it was the first night we spent away from Clara. It felt like a milestone: many toddlers have already had sleepovers with grandparents, so we figured it was time. She handled it like a champ.
Our flight was about 90 minutes late, which made our afternoon plans tight. We had arranged to House Crash a beautiful home that afternoon, and the delay meant the homeowners waited for us at the hotel for well over an hour. They were gracious and patient, and we still managed to photograph the house even after natural light was gone. You’ll see the full House Crash tour in a future post — for now, here’s a pretty glimpse.
Friday evening we embraced a few Cincinnati staples: Skyline Chili and Graeter’s ice cream. Locals warned that Skyline is an acquired taste, but I loved my “three-way” (chili, spaghetti, and a heap of cheese) and Sherry enjoyed chili over a baked potato — with an enthusiastic helping of hot sauce. At Graeter’s we sampled black raspberry chip and cookie dough chip; the ice cream was rich and satisfying even in the cool weather.
Saturday was the big day at The Books By The Banks Festival. Seeing stacks of a book we actually wrote for the first time was surreal. Before the festival we’d only seen a single copy, so walking up to a table full of our book felt like a dream. There were definitely a few giddy, nerdy moments and some cheesy photos to prove it.
The festival doors opened at 10am, which gave us a short window to sign books before our 11 o’clock presentation. We wrote the talk a few days earlier and only practiced a couple times — we try not to over-rehearse so it doesn’t sound scripted. Standing in front of a crowd was intimidating, but it went well despite a rocky technical start when the slide remote failed. A special thanks to Emily for an Instagram shot that makes us look composed; under the table we were both nervously bouncing our knees.
After the presentation we returned to the signing table and spent the rest of the day meeting readers. Please don’t be shy about asking for photos — we love taking pictures with people who stop by. Fans suggested fun poses, like see no/speak no/hear no and the “what’s going on?” hands, which made the line even more entertaining.
If you bring a child to a future stop, fair warning: Sherry will probably go full-on baby-fawn mode. The younger the child, the more intense. With Clara at home, she relished every kid she met at the festival.
We finally met Dana Miller from HouseTweaking in person — she’s one of the guest bloggers featured in our book — and enjoyed catching up briefly with other authors and bloggers. We also followed a suggestion from readers and used a blank dummy copy of the book as a tour yearbook. Fans left signatures, sweet notes, and adorable drawings, including portraits of Burger, a castle, and even a technicolor unicorn.
One particularly memorable moment: someone brought a ceramic animal for Sherry to sign. That delighted her to no end. We were overwhelmed by how kind and gracious everyone was — many people drove long distances and waited patiently even after we sold out of copies at the event. Our publisher had a limited supply for this early stop, so we signed bookplates and posed for photos with those who didn’t get a book. Several people brought gifts as tokens of appreciation, which was incredibly generous and humbling.
Riley, a little girl who saw a Charley Harper book at another table and decided Clara would love it, gave it to us to bring home. Sherry teared up when Riley handed it over; it was a genuinely sweet moment, and Clara adores her new book.
We stayed at the festival longer than planned to keep meeting people and signing bookplates, and before leaving we enjoyed some festival activities, including a quick photo with the Berenstain Bears for Clara. We also ran into Bob and Cortney Novogratz briefly and exchanged signed books — seeing HGTV personalities holding our book felt surreal.
By late afternoon we headed to the airport full of energy and gratitude. We landed back in Richmond around 10pm, tired but still buzzing from the experience. We were excited to get home, cuddle Burger, and wake up Clara with big hugs the next morning.
Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday — your warmth and enthusiasm made the day unforgettable and have us excited (and a little nervous) for upcoming tour dates in Manhattan, Wilton CT, and Ridgewood NJ. Most of all, it’s wild to know our book is finally in readers’ hands. We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make this possible.