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Young House Love » Road Trips & Travel » On The Road Again

| By John Petersik | January 18, 2013 | 296 Comments

On The Road Again

Man, it feels like it’s been a month since we had a book tour update for ya. Oh, that’s because it has. We were on hiatus while bookstores and retailers focused on the holiday rush (instead of hosting authors) so last week’s adventures in Texas and Florida were our first stops since finishing up in DC and Richmond in early December. And as much fun as stops in northern cities like Boston, Chicago, Toronto and Minneapolis were – we were excited to enjoy some warm weather in the southern half of the country. #longpostwarning

But then Austin had to go and look like this…

Austin 0 Rainy

Texas was apparently in a month-long drought until we (and our great weather luck) showed up and brought buckets of heavy rain. But that didn’t stop us from taking in some of this awesome city that people have been raving to us about (it was both of our first times in Austin). We walked a mile-ish in the misty weather to South Congress to do some eating (Guero’s) and shopping. For instance, Sherry hit up the Kendra Scott store and purchased these guys on sale (which she wore later that night to the signing, where she met dozens of other girls also wearing similar ones). In her words: “I did it, I came to Austin and I blended.”

Austin 2 Kendra Scott

After the always exciting earring shopping (just kidding, I’m a dude – so my eyes glazed over during that trip), we wandered into Uncommon Objects, which housed the coolest and quirkest assortment of antiques and weird wares. We were obedient shoppers and followed their “no photography” rule so the only picture we have to share is what we bought there after Sherry and I spent over an hour rooting through all their bins and baskets of old objects (this is our idea of a good time, and there were tons of wildly odd and amazingly old things to find).

We came home with an old tin 7, an assortment of old dominoes (which say 1-4-3, another favorite number of ours) and letter tiles (that spell L-O-V-E… as you can see). There’s talk of a shadowbox in their future for Clara’s big girl room, so we’ll have to see where they end up.

Austin Uncommon Objects

Once our shopping adventure had us sufficiently damp and sufficiently cold, we trudged back to our hotel to warm up and ready ourselves for that evening’s book signing. They put us up at the W Hotel downtown, which was pretty awesome (lots of modern tile and wallpaper) but we plan to do a recap post of all of our hotel inspiration (along with hotel-staying tips that we’ve picked up along the way) once the tour is over. So for now he’s a preview of the cool textures and patterns found in Austin:

Austin 1 Hotel

Our signing that night was at BookPeople, which is just about the biggest independent bookstore we’ve ever seen. So big they even had our names on a marque outside and a curtain for us to pop out of at the start of our welcome talk. The only thing missing was a giant spotlight or something. (Thanks Sidhya for the picture below).

Austin Curtain

Unlike our previous stops where we either gave a long talk or no talk at all, this particular week we were tasked with a 15 minute chat followed by some Q&A at each stop. Something we learned just the day before we left. Oh well. We work best under pressure.

Actually, thanks to the aforementioned rainy walk to South Congress and back, we were able to brainstorm and practice a little chat consisting of five ways that we found writing a book to be surprisingly different than writing a blog. And rather than transcribe it here, we asked Alison of the blog House of Hepworths t0 capture it on video for us. Thanks so much Alison! And for anyone wondering where Sherry’s bangs are, well you’ll get that answer and more. It’s a no holds barred conversation about everything from a future Petersik baby to getting a new house and everything in between:

If you watched the video, you may have noticed at one point I stopped to take a photo of Sherry while she talked. You never know when a photo might come in handy right? Sherry was not pleased with my impromptu photo session.

Austin Jamie Craft Blog Taking Pic

Jamie took the shot above. And here’s the shot I captured below. Can’t you just feel the eye-roll? I’ll probably get another one for actually including this gem in the post.

Austin Candid Shot

Following the chat and our brief Q&A session, we raced up the stairs to begin the signing portion of the evening. And like our other stops, amongst tons of smiling faces and energetic people there were some good stories to pass along. For example, look how smiley Sidhya, Alison, and Katie are. People ask if signings are overwhelming or tiring but meeting so many fun and happy people gives us almost an embarrassing amount of energy. We feed off of you guys and before we know it we’re all grin-y and hyper too.

Austin Sidhya Alison Katie

We love hearing all of the interesting stories that come up, like this poor woman who got in a fender bender on the way to the signing. Since she didn’t have any paper handy, she and her friend ended up using the back of our book to exchange insurance info with the other driver. Ha!

Austin Car Accident Writing

Audrey had a minor dental procedure the day before so she wasn’t able to talk or smile (her boyfriend emailed us ahead of time to explain why a seemingly unhappy not-chatting-at-all girl might step up to our table) so we commiserated with her and took this no-smiles-allowed picture.

Austin Dentally Unfortunate

And how cool is this? Megan and Brian both work at Home Depot so they brought us our very own apron, which was intricately designed by the lettering person at their store (shout out to the Evan Road Home Depot #6550!). It was so awesome it deserved a murtsy (that’s a man curtsy for anyone not familiar). Murtsying is the new planking. You heard it here first.

Austin Home Depot Apron

Being in Austin, we got lots of request to do “Hook ‘Em Horns” in our photos. It took Sherry a few tries to realize it wasn’t an aggressive, ready-to-charge style finger horn and it’s supposed to point up at the sky. At lease Celeste didn’t seem to mind.

Austin Celeste Hook Em

And of course there’s always the occasional goofy photo in the mix. The girls decided to do “over excited,” but I apparently went in a shocked / dental-exam direction.

Austin Crazy Shot Annette

And we can’t forget to mention Jess who has achieved a book signing hat trick by attending all three Texans signings. In honor of her achievement in book travel attendance, I whipped up this graphic. It’s no Golden Globe, but I tried. She explains more about her showcase of endurance on her blog.

Austin Jess

And lastly, thanks to the clever “I Like You A Whole Lotto” treat from Jamie (she got us each a scratch off card) I’ve officially won ten more dollars from the Texas State Lottery in my lifetime than from my own state’s games. As for Sherry, she came out with a big goose egg. Er, moon or anchor or something.

Austin Lottery

If you want to read some other accounts of our Austin stop, here’s one from Amanda & Corey and another from another Amanda (which includes a video shout out to her sick friend Ruthie). All in all, we had a blast in Austin. It was enough of a taste (albeit a dreary one) that we’d like to come back and explore for much more than a day.

Luckily our next stop – Miami, FL – was the exact opposite weather-wise. Hallelujah. The clouds parted and LMFAO started playing in our heads. Our publisher likes putting us up in unique, not-your-average-beige-walled hotels whenever they can (their goal is to try to get us into “not-chains with some flair” – and this spot in South Beach took the cake. It was called Dream and when we walked into the room, this is what greeted us. Well, minus the Sherry. Me-ow Miami. Am I right?

Miami 1 Blue Hotel Room

I’d never been to Miami before, so my impression of the city has been guided by music videos and the like. So the blue mood-lighting pretty much fit right into my picture of Miami. Couldn’t you see them shooting a Will Smith video here? And the uniqueness of this hotel didn’t stop there. Just check out the glass-doored bathroom. Our honest evaluation after a 24 hours stay is: we get the allure of a glass door on your shower, but the purpose of a “hey, look everyone!” toilet escapes us. It lead to several “I’m peeing- don’t look!” warnings over the course of our 24 hour stay. But all in all, it was a totally fun and over-the-top place to stay. Heck, it’s probably the most memorable hotel of the entire tour so far.

Miami 2 Glass Bathroom

Sidenote: the glass door also acts as an unintentional mirror for the user of the bathroom. As in, you can see your entire body sitting on the pot. You have been warned.

Moving on… we landed in Miami around 3pm, so after we got settled into our hotel room, we headed out for a late lunch/early dinner at the closest eatery we could find. And we wasted no time making the first of many seemingly non-stop Dexter references of the trip. Here’s Sherry’s I’m-in-Miami-so-I’ll-give-you-a-Dexter-pose pose.

Miami 4 Dexter At Lunch

We were running short on time before our signing that night, but we made sure to walk over to the beach for some obligatory sand-between-our-toes time. We only had about ten minutes to spare (and Sherry was wearing a sweater and jeans) but it was awesome.

Miami 3 Us On Beach

We didn’t want to leave. But alas, we had  a signing to attend to (plus we had forgotten our bathing suits – and if ever there were a beach not to be overdressed at… well, you’ve seen the music videos). So we headed to our signing at Books & Books in nearby Coral Gables. Maybe the Miami heat was just getting to us (not the basketball team), but it was just about the prettiest bookstore we had ever seen. There was this glowing courtyard surrounded on three sides by a Spanish-style building with a bar under an arched breezeway.

Miami Books Books Outside

And the inside was equally awe-inspiring. I want a room like this in my house. Stat.

Miami Books Books Inside

Like Austin, we kicked things off with a version of the same talk followed by Q&A. We again covered important topics like Sherry’s bangs (which were pinned back due to the frizz-inducing humidity). The signing portion of the day was a blast as usual. Sherry was happy to learn from Nicholl that her gold “Jersey” purse also doubled as a gold “Miami” purse. That’s my girl, fitting in with the locals wherever she goes.

Miami Nicholl Gold Bags

And Danielle sewed this adorable superhero cape for Clara – although Sherry’s sporting it more like a bib in this pic. I keep trying to get a picture of Clara wearing it now that we’re home but she won’t stand still once it’s velcroed on. She has one speed when the cape is on: fast.

Miami Danielle Cape Girl

Since our two events in Florida were fairly close geographically and neither bookstore was very large, the line wasn’t as long as we’ve seen in other places. Which meant by the time we got to the end we apparently hadn’t depleted our small-talk tank and proceeded to talk the ears of the last few folks in line. Bethany (far right in the photo below) wrote about the whole thing, including a run down of some of the questions we answered earlier in the evening. She also had a funny run-in with Sherry in the restroom. Thank goodness those doors weren’t glass.

Miami Back Of Line

Since our next stop in Fort Lauderdale was only about a 45 minute car ride away, Thursday was probably the most chill tour day we’ve had so far. Usually it’s all “get up crazy early to taxi to the airport so we can fly out and then taxi to our next hotel before taxiing to the event and somehow eating something better than airport food when possible.” But this one day we got to sleep in, catch up on some work, eat a sit down breakfast, and take in some of the awesome architecture along Ocean Drive. In a whirlwind trip (six flights in four days!) this was that one leisurely moment. So we were dedicated to soaking it up.

Miami 6 Breakwater

When we arrived in Fort Lauderdale early in the afternoon we took a moment to take in our hotel – which included this view from our balcony – and then headed out to grab a bite to eat. We didn’t realize just how far our hotel was from all of the action so we ended up walking over 3 miles before finally landing at Casablanca Cafe. It was actually an awesome walk though. And it felt good to stretch our legs from all of that time spent in taxis and on planes. Our pictures from this portion of the trip started to become fewer and farther between, as I think Florida was starting to trick us into thinking we were on vacation or something.

Ft Lauder View

So forgive me for jumping ahead, but after having an awesome lunch (we highly recommend Casablanca Cafe), we caught a taxi back to our hotel (we didn’t have time to walk the 3 miles back and make it to our event in time), quickly changed into our signing “uniforms,” and then headed to The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale which has a Books & Books in its gift shop. From there, it was pretty much the same chat and Q&A that we had done the last two nights – except this time we had sharks! (The museum was in the process of packing up their shark exhibit, so it was right next to our podium).

Ft Lauder Craftbaby Talk Sharks

The people of Fort Lauderdale were a great way to cap off this week of signings. Friendly, warm, and even somewhat familiar – we had one guy stop by who we’d seen the night before in Miami (hi Steve!) and Sherry also met the sister of one of her high school friends (hi Erin!). There was also Jenna, who had us sign her well-loved paintbrush.

Ft Lauder Jenna Paintbrush2

While that wasn’t the first paintbrush we’ve signed, I will say Caitlin handed us the first Lowe’s receipt we were asked to put our mark on. Well, I take that back, I’ve signed lots of Lowe’s receipts in my day… but usually at the checkout counter.

Ft Lauder Singing Lowes Receipt

But perhaps the cutest thing we were asked to autograph that day was this little guy’s homemade shirt. In case you can’t read it, Otto is sporting a “$herdog is my homegirl” shirt. Oh, and a bowtie. Which kinda makes the outfit.

Ft Lauder Sherry Is Homegirl

When the signing was over we unexpectedly had the time and energy left to grab a real dinner, so we strolled down Las Olas Blvd and found ourselves walking into The Royal Pig – and were immediately met by a gasp. Jen (at the right) and her sister had been at the signing earlier and was surprised to see us again. So after we scarfed an amazing dinner (the food in Ft Lauderdale was the best of the trip so far, just because we had time to enjoy two meals and we happened to love both of them) we chatted it with her and took another photo to cap off the night. You can read her hilarious version of the events on her blog.

Austin Jen At Royal Pig

Then the next morning it was back to the ol’ airport routine and we boarded flights #5 and #6 of the journey. At least each of these plane rides got us closer to home.

Ft Lauder Plane

And when we finally landed in Richmond Friday afternoon we got the best greeting. As we exited security we heard a familiar voice yelling “Daddy! Mommy!” and running our way. We had expected to just meet my dad in the arrivals lane outside the airport, but he and mom (who played baby/house/Burger-sitters while we were away) surprised us by bringing Clara to the airport to greet us. Oh what I would give to have that moment on video. Let’s just say it got Sherry all misty-eyed. We missed our girl.

Ft Lauder Richmond

We had this week off from touring, but we’re back on the road next week (Tacoma on Friday, Portland on Saturday, and Palo Alto on Sunday). You can see all the details here on our book tour page. We can’t wait to West Coast it up and hope to see some of you then. Oh yeah, and if there are any strings you can pull to get Miami weather up there in the Pacific Northwest we’d like to officially submit that request now. Thanks for your consideration.

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Filed Under: Book Tour, Our Books, Road Trips & Travel

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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:28 am

    I’m so excited to see you guys in Portland! My almost 3 year old will be bummed that Clara isn’t there (she loves her videos :) )Try to check out Powell’s while you’re here, it’s a huge independent book store. I wonder how it compares! And feel free to bring all the warm weather you like….

    Reply
  2. Audrey says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:30 am

    Thanks for the shout out, y’all! I can no longer function at work today…too busy squealing and emailing everyone I know. So glad I can talk/smile now!
    Sincerely,
    Stone-faced Audrey

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 11:48 am

      So glad your mouth has recovered Audrey! It was great seeing you in Austin!

      -John

    • Kim says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:23 pm

      This is so funny, I went to summer camp with Audrey (boowhoop!!) and was so surprised to see her on your blog! Small world.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:28 pm

      No way!

      xo
      s

  3. Barbara says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:33 am

    BRING BACK BANGS!!

    Are you sure the glass door bathroom wasn’t one of those fancy ones that when you turn on the lights, it becomes opaque?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 11:47 am

      We had hoped it was at first, but it was most definitely not. That would’ve been awesome!

      -John

  4. Kat says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:33 am

    I love these recaps! It makes me even more excited to meet you guys in Palo Alto!

    Reply
  5. Jennifer C says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:33 am

    So happy you added the bay area to your tour, I was bummed that CA was left off at first. I’ll have to wrangle up my friends to come see you. Downtown Palo Alto is charming.

    Reply
  6. Kimberly @ Painted Love Blog says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:38 am

    Your request for for warm weather in the Northwest has been submitted! It’s currently chilly but sunny here so let’s hope it remains that way at least. Otherwise, pack your Northface jacket…and maybe your Subaru and Birkenstocks…very NW.

    Reply
  7. Anna says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:38 am

    Sure you can’t pull off a Pacific Southwest [i.e. southern California] signing? You’d have at least two of us there=)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 12:09 pm

      We’d love to do it if we could. We’ve definitely told our publisher that people are eager for one there!

      -John

  8. Gina says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:39 am

    It was so fun meeting y’all in Austin! I even posted a total fangirl blogpost with a picture of the Corgi Sherry drew for me in my blog. #mylifeiscomplete ;)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 11:46 am

      Thanks so such a sweet post! #corgidrawingfail

      -John

  9. Emily says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:39 am

    Looks glamorous and exciting! This weekend I will be elbow deep in drywall, joint compound and paint finishing this heck of an awkward space!
    http://talesoffruitandcake.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/awkward-space-party-of-one/

    Reply
  10. Olivia says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:41 am

    Awesome post, my favorite parts: seeing two different angles of Sherry giving an eye roll and getting to watch the video of your talk. Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Ashlyn says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:42 am

    We can’t wait to see you guys at the Tacoma visit! But as for the weather…don’t forget to pack your wellies! And from a Texas native who is now in the NW, sorry about the Austin weather.

    Reply
  12. Wendy says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:47 am

    Jen (the one you saw at the signing then the restaurant in FL) is one of my favorite bloggers. Her name is McMommy and she wrote a great little blog about meeting you.

    http://themcmommychronicles.blogspot.com/2013/01/young-house-mclove-aka-time-i-met-john.html

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 12:08 pm

      Thanks for the heads up about her post, Wendy. Just updated our post to link to it! It’s hilarious!

      -John

  13. Kara says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:50 am

    That Home Depot apron is awesome! :)

    I don’t know if Richmond’s Home Depots run on the same program as my Rochester-based Home Depots, but here – on the first Saturday of every month, they host a free Kids Klub event. At each event, they give out this small package of a wood project for them to build. It’s complete with instructions, wood parts, tiny kids-sized nails, and you paint or decorate with stickers after assembling it. It is absolutely excellent (you can think of all kinds of benefits/things the kids are learning)!

    I have a standing date with my nephew every month to take him there. We started going when he was nearly 5 years old, and he’s 7 today. Every kid gets their own Home Depot orange apron, and each month, they add a pin that shows their project that they made. We’ve made things like picture frames, a racecar, piggy bank (in the shape of a shed), a helicopter, a napkin holder, and the list goes on.

    Since Clara is starting to follow in your footsteps of DIY, I think this would be awesome for her to experience! And I can’t even begin to tell you how cute/heart-warming it is to see them learn how to put things together!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 12:02 pm

      They do have them! I think Clara’s too young to attend but I’m excited for when she’s old enough. Gotta get that little apron!

      -John

    • Kara says

      January 18, 2013 at 12:06 pm

      Hahah, priorities, right?! :)

  14. Gracie says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:50 am

    Oh goodness. That last part got me all misty eyed too. And, she’s NOT EVEN MY GIRL! What is wrong with me….Ha. That was very sweet of your parents to bring her to meet y’all!

    Reply
  15. Nicole S. says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:55 am

    I can’t wait to see the map of places you’ve been thats in the frame hallway updated.

    Reply
  16. Emily | Sparkle Meets Pop says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:59 am

    Can’t wait for you guys to come to the West Coast! See you in Palo Alto :)

    Reply
  17. Diane says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:00 pm

    Oh man, I missed you guys! I *just* started following your blog because we plan to be doing some remodeling with the house we are getting, if I had only known sooner then I could have shown up when you guys were in Dallas! :)

    Reply
  18. Claudia says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:01 pm

    Can’t wait to see you guys in Palo Alto in a few days – eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  19. AmyRose says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:02 pm

    Looking forward to your Tacoma stop! It’s been c-c-c-cold here this week, but pretty. Definitely winter temps, so bundle up!

    For downtown dining, try to get to Pacific Grill – seriously great food and a fun design. Or Indochine for delish Thai. Both are on Pacific Ave, not far from the downtown hotels. Bite, at the Murano Hotel, is great as well.

    Happy travels!

    Reply
  20. Allison @ House of Hepworths says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:06 pm

    Hey you guys! Thanks for the mention today. I’m glad I could help you out. Here’s my recap post about meeting you guys in case anyone that reads your comments is interested:

    http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2013/01/10/the-young-house-love-book-tour/

    Have a fabulous weekend and try to stay warm.

    xoxo

    Allison

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 12:08 pm

      We greatly appreciate it, Alison! Thanks again for being available on such short notice!

      -John

  21. Julia says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    Fun update. Austin is a favorite city of mine – too bad the weather didn’t cooperate. BookPeople is awesome… but be sure to check out Powell’s when you’re in Portland for the biggest, awesomest (haha) indie bookstore in the world.

    Looking forward to your talk in Portland. Hopefully it will not be frigid like it has been lately. Boo-hiss on our weather.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:14 pm

      Wahoo! So excited to see Powell’s!

      xo
      s

  22. Christina says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    Ahh!! It was so great meeting you in Austin. In my love and excitement for the Ravens I totally forgot to send you the pic of us with Baby Declan “Last-Name-TBD”. ;) I just posted it here quickly for you to see. Loved meeting you two!

    http://themurrayedlife.blogspot.com/2013/01/and-then-we-met.html

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:13 pm

      Haha, we had so much fun Christina! Thanks for coming out!

      xo
      s

  23. Sarah says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:12 pm

    Well, it’s not raining in Seattle but definitely bring a sweater. It’s been 30-40 degrees here! I want Miami weather here, too.

    I accidentally got scheduled during your Tacoma signing, fingers and toes crossed my coworker can trade so I can come!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:13 pm

      Aw, we’d love to meet you Sarah!

      xo
      s

  24. Kate says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:23 pm

    Yeah good luck with that weather request. I just got back from a 3 day work trip to Southern California (Mojave Dessert area) and it was 30 degrees out the whole time! No sunny Southern California and dessert weather, just colder than when I left Baltimore. I had to laugh when checking in because the desk clerk still felt the need to tell me the location of the outdoor pool as I stood there in my big North Face parka.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:13 pm

      So funny!

      xo
      s

  25. Deb says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:25 pm

    fabulous post! …and hear me out, or read me out… you guys are the glass bathroom doors of the DIY blogging world!

    regular door~ functional at being a door that opens and closes
    glass door~ functional with style and delivering more than the obvious or what is expected

    regular door~ you never know what goes on behind them
    glass door~ what you see is what you get… keeping it real

    regular door~ at the end of the day it is just a door
    glass door~ impacted your life in a way that you mention it, talk about it and just makes you think just a little differently about everyday things!

    so… embrace your glass doorness because that is why we love you guys!! or maybe it could just be a really cool band name!!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:12 pm

      Hahahahahahahah!

      xo
      s

  26. Ashley K says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:26 pm

    I LOOOOOOVE the Dream Hotel! I stayed at the one in New York, it was awesome. Amazing decor and super sexy! Now I want to head to Miami to check out the other one . . .

    Reply
  27. christa says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:27 pm

    woohoo! super excited to see you in Tacoma! But i think you are outta luck on the weather front- we are having an especially cold January here in Washington!

    Reply
  28. Julia at Home on 129 Acres says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:34 pm

    I’m still at the early stage of blogging where if I’m posting a photo of my husband, he has to see it before I publish. So probably no eye rolling mid-presentation shots for me (not that I’ve been asked to go on a book tour yet, much less write one)!

    Reply
  29. Erin says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    Hey! I just wanted to let you know that I talked about your book yesterday on the radio! I’m a librarian and once a month I go on the radio to share books I’m digging and this month I brought yours! So folks from Nebraska to Minnesota got to hear me gush about my love for your book and my staple gun. :)

    (Your book has been super popular at the library, but I snagged my own copy–the ultimate librarian compliment!)

    Erin

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:12 pm

      No way! That’s awesome! Thanks so much Erin!!!

      xo
      s

  30. jbhat says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:45 pm

    What a fun recap! I’m so glad that you get to stay in cool hotels on these trips. I wonder what digs Tacoma will have in store for you? Or if you will get to stay somewhere swanky in Seattle? I’ll ask you when I see you next week. So exciting!! And in the meantime, I’ll be working on arranging for Miami-style weather….wish me luck.

    jbhat

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:11 pm

      We cant wait to find out! Jbhat here we come!

      xo
      s

  31. New Homes in Charlotte says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:57 pm

    Looks like such an incredible city….almost as good as Charlotte… :)

    Reply
  32. Sarah B says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:58 pm

    So can’t wait for next Friday and your stop in Tacoma!! I’m sure you already have hotels, etc lined up way in advance… but I hope they have you staying at the Murano in downtown Tacoma! I got to stay there during a training at USGS and it is awesome. Lots of art–each floor features a different artist and one of their pieces and shows bits of the process and then the final result is displayed on the floor, too. And you can request iPods pre-filled with the music of a genre of your choice. (I swear I don’t work for them… they’re just the coolest hotel I’ve stayed in myself!)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:11 pm

      We actually don’t get our travel info/itinerary until about 48 hours in advance, so we have no idea where we’re staying! Haha!

      xo
      s

  33. Kate says

    January 18, 2013 at 1:01 pm

    Love these posts! Though they make me green with envy! Consider this your official invitation to come to my city, Denver!! (Pretty please?)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:11 pm

      We’d love to end up in Denver!

      xo
      s

  34. Deb says

    January 18, 2013 at 1:11 pm

    Sherry, you look like Vivian Leigh channeling Scarlett O’Hara in your Hook ’em Horns picture with that raised eyebrow :) I can’t look at a picture of you now without thinking you look like Scarlett – ha!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:14 pm

      Hahah!

      xo
      s

  35. Carey says

    January 18, 2013 at 1:17 pm

    We’ll try to keep the sunshine up here in Seattle for you – it really has been unseasonably cold and clear for the last week! I’m planning to play hooky and head down to Tacoma from the big city on Friday – can’t wait! Will you have any time to get up to Seattle itself?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:20 pm

      We hope so! It might be a flight and signing every day thing (which literally gives us just about one meal to enjoy a city and then we’re off to the event, back on a plane, or off to bed) but our fingers are crossed that we get a little sightseeing in there!

      xo
      s

  36. Ashley says

    January 18, 2013 at 1:26 pm

    The whole time I was watching g the video I was thinking Sherry is hilarious and we need to be friends IRL! It’s fun to read these recaps and here all the behind the scenes stuff – you guys are awesome!!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 1:28 pm

      Aw thanks Ashley! I’m just a loud nerd.

      xo
      s

  37. Rachel says

    January 18, 2013 at 1:29 pm

    Sounds so super fun! I love reading your recaps.

    Reply
  38. Ash says

    January 18, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    I am still hoping to get out of work to come to the Tacoma signing! Which reminds me – if someone was to ask if you and John wore knit hats/scarves/mitts… what would you say? And then promptly forget the question had been asked after answering ;)

    Also – random dream last night, wherein you were having another baby girl, and you decided to name her Bethany after the second half of your first name (Sherry-Beth) and that you’re a big fan of Bethenny Frankel! I woke up thinking 2 things, a) being a fan is totally a legit reason to name your baby after someone, and b) I think I’m not the only person who has posted/commented about having Sherry-is-preggers dreams, and just how weird is that for you? Perfect strangers having such dreams is soooo freaky, right?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 4:06 pm

      Hahahahaha, that’s hilarious! You’d be surprised how many people have prego dreams about me and then say “hey, so you might just be prego.” Usually I’m certain I’m not (you know, that time of the month and all) so we all get a good laugh. Haha!

      xo
      s

    • Ash says

      January 18, 2013 at 5:05 pm

      You must feel like Kate Middleton sometimes – BLOGGER BUMP-WATCH! Please start carrying your purse in front of your stomach for optimal “big sandwich v. baby bump” discussions, kthx, haha.

      Also (just to check) – do you guys wear knit items? If not, that is no worry, I’m just trying to plan a little somethin’-somethin’. ;)

    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 6:40 pm

      Haha, I’m not one to fuel the rumors. Although a big purse in front of my belly sounds convenient for days when I eat too much! Haha. As for knit items, we wear ’em. Ooh now I’m curious!

      xo
      s

  39. Ryan says

    January 18, 2013 at 1:48 pm

    The video was hilarious! :)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 4:04 pm

      Thanks Ryan! We just stare out at everyone’s smiling faces and have a grand ol’ time!

      xo
      s

  40. Sarah says

    January 18, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    So excited for you guys to come to Portland! I’m flying over from Idaho so I can meet you guys! :) It’s ridiculously cold though, so bring lots of layers!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 4:00 pm

      Can’t wait!

      xo
      s

  41. JessieBelle says

    January 18, 2013 at 1:55 pm

    Ok, this has nothing to do with anything related to this post, but you guys seem to like quite a lot of pop/rap music…tell me you have heard this: (I think of ya’ll every time he says ‘Thrift-shop’) lol

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 4:00 pm

      Oh yes, we love Thrift Shop. I have his whole album :)

      xo
      s

  42. Jenny says

    January 18, 2013 at 1:58 pm

    So so SO excited you guys are coming to CA!! My best friend and I were contemplating road-tripping up to Portland just to be able to see you guys before you added the CA stop…I feel like it would’ve been worth it. Love your blog and the book, can’t wait ’til the 27th!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 4:00 pm

      Wooot!!

      xo
      s

  43. Paola says

    January 18, 2013 at 2:06 pm

    Is there anything we Southern Californians can do to request a Young House Love book signing? I’ve called my local West Elm (Santa Monica)store a few times to request one. I’m not sure it’s doing any good though. Hopefully, we’ll get lucky and they’ll add at least one.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 4:01 pm

      Oh man, we’d love to end up out there! A lot of it has to do with schedules for our tour and the store (things all have to line up well to make it work) so here’s hoping something gets added!

      xo
      s

  44. Natalie says

    January 18, 2013 at 2:17 pm

    “Back of the Line Party” in Miami was the best! Thanks for chatting with us after such a long day. Hope John cooks up some great recipes from Miami Spice!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 4:02 pm

      Aw, you’re so sweet Natalie! We had so much fun with you and can’t wait to enjoy some Miami Spice cooking!

      xo
      s

  45. Kathy says

    January 18, 2013 at 2:17 pm

    Hi Sherry and John,
    How will you ever see the more than 300 people who have RSVPd on Facebook when you’re only scheduled in Palo Alto for 2 hours? If you have some free time here, you could stroll along Palm Drive on Stanford’s campus, and University Avenue where West Elm is located will offer you lots of dining delights. Then, if there’s time for a movie, do not miss the Stanford Theatre for a classic film! http://www.stanfordtheatre.org You will love this gem. The weather is not looking as cheery as Miami for when you’re here, but we can work on that! :o)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 4:03 pm

      Don’t worry about the time scheduled, we always go over (it usually takes us about 4-5 hours at each event) since we stay to meet everyone in line. We’ve even done an event with 750 people and have met every last person, so we definitely stay around past the closing hour!

      Also, thanks for all the tips about what to do, Kathy! Sounds fun!

      xo
      s

  46. Kathleen @Home Wasn't Built In A Day says

    January 18, 2013 at 2:31 pm

    You guys sure have done a lot of travelling for this book deal. What an awesome way to see the rest of the U.S.!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 3:59 pm

      Yes, our only wish is we had more time in each city! One meal there and time spent in cabs between the airport, hotel, and event just isn’t enough :)

      xo
      s

  47. Amy says

    January 18, 2013 at 2:38 pm

    We might not have Miami temperatures in Portland right now, but it is sunny! Looking forward to the signing tomorrow! :)

    Reply
  48. Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says

    January 18, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    This was a fun recap! I love the video! It was very informative and quirky, as we expect!! Enjoy your time on the West Coast!

    Reply
  49. Kelly says

    January 18, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    I am totally amazed at how well you guys remember all the names and conversations from each tour stop! Congrats on the book :)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 3:58 pm

      It’s so much fun to meet people and put faces to comment names :)

      xo
      s

  50. Kelly says

    January 18, 2013 at 3:08 pm

    Sherry, just so you know, I typed your name into Google and the first thing that popped up was Sherry Petersik one bra! Pregnant was second ;)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      January 18, 2013 at 3:58 pm

      Hilarious! But both rumors are false. Haha! I just invested in a second bra thanks to a sale, and I’m not with child, although the internet seems to constantly think I’m prego :)

      xo
      s

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John and Sherry Sitting On Woven ChairHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
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