Quick Note: For those in the Chicago area, we’re thrilled to announce an upcoming book signing event this Saturday, November 10th. Join us at the West Elm on 1000 W North Avenue at 1 PM for cookies, cocoa, and a chance to get your book signed. Arriving a little early might help you get ahead of the line! You can find more details and RSVP here. We genuinely hope to see you there!
Navigating Storms and Spreading DIY Joy: Our Latest Book Tour Recap
Welcome back, fellow DIY enthusiasts and adventure seekers! It’s time for our bi-weekly update on our exciting, sometimes challenging, and always heartwarming book tour journey. If you missed our initial recap from Cincinnati, be sure to check it out. This installment covers our whirlwind travels through the Northeastern United States, a region that truly tested our resolve but ultimately proved the incredible power of community and shared passion for home decor.
A Challenging Start: Weathering Hurricane Sandy and a Nor’easter
As many of you are aware, the Northeastern part of the country has recently faced an unprecedented series of severe weather events. The devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy two weeks prior, followed by an unexpected Nor’easter this very week, created a challenging landscape for everyone, including our scheduled book tour stops. Our events over the past seven days were all planned for these affected areas, turning what would typically be a straightforward tour into a genuine adventure filled with unforeseen obstacles.
Our initial thoughts were, naturally, far from book signings. With countless friends, family members, and many of you, our wonderful readers, residing in these regions, our primary concern was for everyone’s safety, warmth, and access to electricity. These fundamental necessities vastly outweigh any “frivolous” events like book signings. Therefore, when the FLOR store in SoHo informed us they were without power and rescheduling was the only option, we completely understood and expected it. A new date is still being finalized, and we’ll certainly keep you updated.
However, to our pleasant surprise, both our hosts in Connecticut and New Jersey had miraculously regained power and opened their doors a few days before our scheduled events. They expressed a genuine eagerness for us to proceed, believing our visit could offer a much-needed distraction and a sense of normalcy for residents grappling with power outages, lack of heat, and the absence of everyday comforts. We wholeheartedly agreed. Furthermore, this presented a vital opportunity for us to drive up, check in on our friends and relatives, ensure their well-being, and bring some essential supplies to Sherry’s family. So, on a Thursday around noon, with the car packed, we set our sights on Wilton, Connecticut.
Navigating Personal Challenges and Family Support
Beyond the external challenges of the weather, Sherry faced a personal hurdle just before the trip. She developed a kidney infection. Thankfully, a timely diagnosis on Tuesday allowed her to start antibiotics, ensuring she was on the path to recovery just in time for our Thursday departure. As a crucial public service announcement from Sherry: if you ever experience strong, persistent pains on one or both sides of your lower back accompanied by a fever and nausea, please seek medical attention immediately. Early intervention is key!
For this particular leg of the tour, our daughter, Clara, joined us. This allowed her to spend some precious quality time with Sherry’s mom, affectionately known as Nonna, while we dedicated our time to book-related duties. Our beloved dog, Burger, stayed behind at home with my parents. We figured that Clara-wrangling would provide Nonna with plenty of activity for this trip, and Burger, in his canine wisdom, considers being house-sat by his Grammy and TomTom the ultimate luxury. As for Clara’s performance during the drive, don’t be fooled by the serene travel photo you might see. Our little bean isn’t always all hugs and naps. Yet, we successfully completed what turned into a nine-hour journey and lived to tell the tale, arriving at our Connecticut hotel around 10 PM, well past Clara’s usual bedtime. Did she seem to mind? Take a look and judge for yourselves!
Wilton, Connecticut: A Warm Welcome at the Library
The following morning, our destination was the Wilton Library. Even coming from someone whose mother worked in the public library system throughout my childhood, giving me particularly high standards, I can confidently say it was a truly beautiful library. We were incredibly grateful to be greeted by an audience filled with smiling faces. Whether their joy stemmed from seeing us or simply from being in a warm, heated space, we didn’t care; we were genuinely thrilled by their presence. This sentiment is perhaps ironically demonstrated by a photo Crystal captured of us just before our presentation. We look rather blank, but I promise we were both buzzing with nervous energy and excitement on the inside! We found it quite amusing that we were both sitting and looking in the exact same direction – true “twinsies.”
Crystal later shared a delightful blog post about her morning, complete with more photos, which you should definitely check out. She claimed to be shy, but we’re not entirely convinced! After all, she was the one who bravely suggested we recreate our book cover pose with her and her husband, Aaron. We think it turned out pretty well, embodying our “dorks for life” motto.
The residents of Wilton proved to be exceptionally kind and welcoming, which was a huge relief. We had initially worried that the incredible hospitality we experienced in Cincinnati might have been an isolated case of Midwestern charm. Phew! Sherry even had her second opportunity on the tour to sign a ceramic animal. You can literally see her eyes light up at the prospect – she’s never happier than when personalizing these charming little figures.
Among the many fun requests, someone asked us to sign “$herdog” on an oversized clothespin destined for their desk. These unique interactions truly make the tour memorable and highlight the creativity of our community.
Just like our stop in Cincy, people went above and beyond with thoughtful little gifts that elicited “oohs,” “aahs,” and other wonderfully weird expressions from us. We always emphasize that this is absolutely not necessary, but we are deeply touched by the gestures. Take for instance, this exquisite charm someone crafted using a tiny printed thumbnail of our book cover. Sherry’s impressed expression says it all!
While in Wilton, we also had the distinct pleasure of finally meeting Roo, a hilarious blogger-friend from SemiProper, who resides in Connecticut. She was gracious enough not to give me a bewildered look when I playfully suggested she, Sherry, and Clara pose on the animal statues outside the library. Although, she later expertly “one-upped” me by Photoshopping me in a rather embarrassing Slurpee binge at a 7-Eleven. Touché, Roo, touché!
Roo is renowned (or perhaps infamous?) for her incredible stick-figure drawing skills. My palms actually got sweaty when she challenged me to sketch something inside her book. After a moment of creative panic, I managed to produce this masterpiece depicting Sherry fist-pumping and me looking appropriately ashamed of her enthusiasm. I’m still not sure why I instinctively drew Sherry in a skirt – it seems to be my default for female stick figures. Though, perhaps I should be more concerned that I depicted myself without pants!
And here’s Roo’s delightful drawing in our little tour yearbook, a blank book we’ve been asking everyone to sign and personalize (you can read more about this “blank-book-business” here). As you can see, she is indeed far more skilled at these artistic endeavors! Roo actually has a fantastic new line of notebooks available, which may or may not feature some DMX-inspired lyrics. This, of course, confirms her status as Sherry’s ultimate old-school-rap-loving soul mate.
New Jersey: Unexpected Hurdles and Heartfelt Connections
Once our engaging event in Wilton concluded (and we successfully, yet gently, extricated Clara from the library’s captivating train table), we embarked on our journey back across the Hudson River towards New Jersey. Fortuitously, as it was around lunchtime, we were incredibly lucky that readers Bill and Kristin had extended an invitation for us to visit their sandwich shop, which was perfectly situated along our route. Lunch was absolutely delicious, and Sherry managed to capture this charming photo of our wonderful mealtime hosts.
Kristin and Bill later instagrammed this photo, which, if ever you needed irrefutable proof that Clara is a perfectly normal two-year-old, here it is. And yes, I am posting this with the secret intention of showing it to her when she’s older, so I can say, “See, that’s why you should have listened to Daddy when he told you not to pick your nose.” Though, I suspect Sherry will likely insist I take it down in a year or two to prevent “scarring her for life.”
Now, imagine a record scratching to an abrupt halt: after a satisfying lunch, we arrived at our New Jersey hotel, just in time for Clara’s much-needed nap before our evening event. To our dismay, we found this sign taped to the locked and bolted front doors. The hotel was closed due to the severe weather – a truly “womp womp” moment for us.
It almost feels wrong to express our upset when considering the far graver situation faced by residents affected by Hurricane Sandy, who had been enduring such conditions for days, with many more difficult days still ahead. Sherry’s brother’s apartment in Jersey City suffered flooding on the first floor, and her grandmother was without electricity and heat for nearly a week. We’ve personally experienced power outages and no heat ourselves during Hurricane Irene last year, but the gasoline lines we witnessed this time were unlike anything we had ever seen. There were lines of cars literally miles long at every open gas station. Sherry heard stories of friends and family members waiting upwards of four hours just to fill their tanks.
Thankfully, we had the foresight to fuel up in Connecticut, so our immediate concern was simply finding alternative accommodation. After spending a couple of frustrating hours on the phone, only to discover there were no vacancies within a 50-mile radius, we received a lifesaver: one of Sherry’s mom’s friends generously offered us a spare room – complete with power and heat! We were incredibly thankful for this unexpected hospitality. With our accommodation sorted, we rushed over to Bookends in Ridgewood, NJ, for our scheduled signing.
Given the widespread gas, heat, and power issues, we weren’t sure how many people would be able to attend. Our main hope was simply to connect with anyone who could make it out. We were profoundly grateful to every single person who braved the conditions to see us, and they, in turn, seemed equally grateful that we had made the trip. This mutual sense of gratefulness truly warmed our hearts. We had a wonderful time with Sherry’s (sort of) hometown crowd. Although it was a smaller group than originally anticipated, it was still an awesomely smiley and friendly gathering, including this charming little fellow named Greysen, who enjoyed “playing trains with the girl from the computer”—our very own Clara! Of course, we completely understood that many who couldn’t attend had far more important things to use their precious gasoline supply on. Heat, after all, trumps a book signing any day of the week!
Being in Sherry’s home state also meant that some familiar faces were able to stop by, including her best friend Heather, whom many of you might recognize from past blog posts, like here and here. It’s always a special treat to share these moments with loved ones.
My sister Katie and her family—her husband Martin and their sons John & Ben—even braved the challenging trek from Manhattan, especially since the SoHo event had been postponed. I can’t believe we didn’t manage to get a photo with them! Perhaps it was due to the delightful chaos of three toddlers energetically running around the event space.
Once that event wrapped up, we gratefully ventured off to Nonna’s friends’ house for the night. After such a long and eventful day, we were incredibly happy to have a warm, safe, and welcoming place to rest our heads. Seriously, we slept like rocks, never having been more grateful for two mattresses simply placed on the floor. It was a profound reminder of life’s basic comforts.
Instead of immediately driving back home on Saturday morning, we decided to extend our stay for some invaluable family time with Sherry’s relatives. We enjoyed a delightful breakfast with her dad, stepmom, and grandma, and then celebrated an early Thanksgiving with the Nonna side of the family. Clara even managed to spend some memorable quality time with her Uncle Monkey (Sherry’s brother, Dan). *Note: “Quality time” was often defined by Clara playfully poking Uncle Monkey in the nose, prompting him to make amusing noises. He’s truly a good sport!*
When our “fake Thanksgiving” festivities concluded around 6 PM, we hit the road for the long and mostly dark drive back to Richmond. The journey was thankfully smooth, and we had never been happier to see our own beds. Adding to our joy, we even gained an extra hour of sleep thanks to Daylight Savings Time ending – a small but much-appreciated bonus after such an eventful week.
Boston Bound: A Nor’easter and West Elm Warmth
Fast forward four days to an ungodly 4:45 AM (go-go-gadget alliteration!), and we found ourselves waking up extremely early on a Wednesday morning to catch a flight to Boston for our very first West Elm event. Clearly, 6 AM flights are not my most photogenic moment; I definitely need to work on my “awake face.”
The fantastic upside of that incredibly early flight into Beantown was that it landed us by 8:15 AM, granting us some unexpected time to explore the city. That is, if the city wasn’t on the verge of being slammed by yet another Nor’easter. The strong winds made our flight a bit of a white-knuckled experience at times, and the biting cold coupled with impending rain meant we spent more time bundled up in our hotel than originally planned. However, it didn’t deter us from enjoying a delicious burger lunch with my cousin Casey and her husband Kevin at the renowned Boston Burger Co. Yum!
Since it was conveniently nearby, we squeezed in a visit to one sight I had been eager to see ever since my mom told me about it: the Mapparium. This unique attraction is a three-story, stained-glass globe that you can actually walk inside of, thanks to a clear walkway cutting through its equator. It was absolutely awesome, a truly immersive experience… except that photography wasn’t permitted. So, pictured here is a shot from Northeastern University, serving as a visual placeholder. You all know my love for maps, so I was practically geeking out inside that giant globe!
As the West Elm signing approached, the rain transitioned into heavy snowfall, and we were certain that no one would brave such challenging weather conditions. Seriously, Sherry was jokingly talking about just playing with the ceramic animals in the West Elm store because she expected it to be empty. However, New Englanders are, apparently, incredibly resilient and brave when it comes to snow (perhaps you all get a lot of practice?). We were genuinely shocked when the West Elm staff informed us that a line had already formed when we arrived through the back door to prepare some of the book projects we’d brought along.
Beyond the fantastic news that more than zero people showed up, West Elm proved to be an outstanding host. No one had to wait outside in the cold, and they generously offered hot cocoa and delicious cookies to everyone while they waited. Each West Elm location we visit partners with a local bakery to provide treats, and the cookies whipped up by a Boston bakery were truly delightful. In case you’re curious, they were not only yummy but also quite large—or as Sherry likes to call them, “head-sized”!
After a quick welcome and an explanation of some gift-friendly DIY projects from the book, we dove straight into book signing. This allowed us to finally chat with people individually and commend them for their bravery in coming out during a Nor’easter. Because, just for your reference, this is what it looked like outside!
It was remarkably easy to forget the heavy snow falling outdoors, thanks to the exceptionally friendly and excited people inside (or perhaps they were just excited after scarfing down a big cookie – either way, we were simply flattered by their presence!).
Since the store thoughtfully provided a plethora of ceramic accessories for attendees to purchase, Sherry found herself signing quite a few. This included a beautiful snow globe, adding a festive touch to the personalized keepsakes.
And we likely signed about two dozen ceramic owls! Here’s a wonderful shot that Karen captured of Sherry posing proudly with her colorful flock of signed owls (similar to those found here).
Oh, and here’s Karen herself! She wrote a very sweet and engaging post on her blog about the signing experience. And do you see that yawning gentleman in the background? As a fellow man, I can completely empathize with being the husband patiently waiting on the sofa while the wife enjoys the event. It’s a hilarious and relatable scene!
In addition to reconnecting with my cousins in line, I also had the pleasure of briefly catching up with several friends who now reside in the Boston area. It was wonderful to see familiar faces from college, high school, and even elementary school all in one place. And although I hadn’t met these kind folks below before that evening, they instantly won me over by bringing UVA shirts for us to “wear” – a fantastic nod to our alma mater! Wahoo-wah!
Reflections and What Comes Next
We could genuinely go on and on, recounting every single fun encounter and heartwarming interaction we experienced on Wednesday night in Boston. However, I think we can all agree that I’ve already shared quite a bit! So, let’s simply sum it up: Boston was absolutely awesome, West Elm was an incredible host, and the weather… well, it was certainly less than awesome. But hey, at least we got to witness Clara’s eyes light up with pure wonder yesterday when we landed back in Richmond and excitedly told her, “Mommy and Daddy saw snow!” That joy made every challenging moment worthwhile.
Speaking of Richmond, we hosted an event right here last night, but we’ll save that recap for another dedicated post in a week or two. Currently, we’re actually publishing this update from an airport terminal, just moments before boarding our plane bound for Chicago. This marks our third consecutive morning on an airplane, so please forgive us if we start to lose track of what day it is! In summary: a massive and heartfelt thank you once again to everyone in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Boston who came out to support us and our book. Your enthusiasm and resilience truly inspire us. And to anyone who made it through this long, rambling (yet hopefully engaging!) post – well, you absolutely rock too!