Bakerella!

Number 32 in line!

 Last week the girls and I went to a book signing for Bakerella's new cookbook Cake Pops!  It was scheduled for 12:00 PM on a Wednesday and we arrived shortly after 11:00.  When we got in line, much to my irritation, I was asked if I had my book, yes.  Then I was asked if I had purchased my book at Williams-Sonoma, no.  Then I was informed that, per the contract between the publisher and Williams-Sonoma,  in order to get my book signed by Bakerella it had to be purchased at Williams-Sonoma and I had to have the reciept, *$@#!!!.  The pleasant woman in the black smock told me she'd save our place in line while we went in and purchased a book and when we came back she gave us our number.

The line outside the store

The wait in line was not that bad.  All of the people waiting were nice and everyone was in good spirits.  It had a little bit of a circus vibe going on; everyone was excited to get to the front of the line.  A couple of smocked William-Sonoma employees flitted up and down the line as it grew passing out sample size servings of coffee and coffee cake.  I did not partake but Lola enjoyed two tiny squares of the cake which she gave a thumbs-up.  

Bakerella!

 Before she came out the employee who seemed to be running the show informed us that Bakerella (AKA Angie Dudley) would be doing a demonstration and Q&A before the book signing and that we should all pile into the store but hold onto our numbers.

Demonstration

 It was standing room only and a packed house to boot!  Most people that asked question inquired about things to which I already knew the answer but it was fun to watch and listen anyway...for a while.  About the time I was getting bored Lola informed me that she needed to go potty so we made a quiet exit and migrated to the store next door because it happened to have it's own restroom.  When we had all used the facilities (or had a diaper change in Lucy's case) we went back to the store to find that the Q&A was finished and people were moving back to the cordoned off area in front of the store so we took out our trusty number 32 and found our place in line.

Lola calls her Cinderella; she thought that was cute

 Angie was super cute and very nice in person, and much shorter than I imagined.  My only complaint, other than having to buy the book a second time, was this:  Bakerella was featured in the October issue of the Betty Crocker baking magazine.  You know, the tiny ones you see in the checkout aisle?  Well I purchased it sometime in late September and Lola fell in love with it.  She loved the pictures; it had jack-o-lantern cake pops on the cover and several recipes from Bakerella inside.  I brought this with us to get it signed for Lola and asked an employee if Bakerella could sign it for my 3 year old daughter.  The answer?  Absolutely not!  Per the contract, of course.  So instead of having her sign the Cake Pops book to me, I had her sign it to Lola.  She was happy.