#4~Meet Bakerella

A few weeks ago I was able to cross one of the goals off my 26 Before Twenty-Six list, and honestly it should have been #1 on my list based on my anticipation level. I got to meet Bakerella! Now for anyone who doesn't know much about my life right now, I started a small baking business about a year ago that has grown substantially(thank goodness!). We're thinking all kinds of expansion ideas because of it, and it all started with Bakerella. A little over a year ago I started baking anything and everything that sounded good or came with a great picture. I stumbled on Bakerella's site and was instantly inspired to make everything! The big thing she's known for are Cake Pops, starting with the Cupcake Pop. I attempted a non-stick version of this for my first Cupcake of the Month installment and they were a huge hit. Long story short, I played with her 'recipe' for a few months, started selling those babies, and now I'm running to catch up with orders for these and other treats. Yea! So anywho, Bakerella ended up publishing a how-to book and going on a signing tour. Typically D.C. attracts book signings pretty well, but the closest she was coming to this area was King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. 3 hours away, but a day after getting back from our California vacation, we started the road trip.

As always, we got lost along the way(thank you, Wonderful Husband, for being my real life gps!). I've gotta say though, K.o.P. knows how to make a shopping mall. That sucker was full of every kind of place I love to window shop at :o)

Williams-Sonoma hosted the signing and I was thrilled to hear they had the place set up for a demonstration. There was a big hole in the planning of this though. It seemed like all the tall people were at the front of the signing line, making them first to get front row standing space. I was about 3 or 4 'rows' back on my tip toes. See?

Yeah, you probably can't see it, but as I was scrolling through the slideshow she puts after each signing, my first thought was 'Who's that tall dork by the tree? Oh yeah, that's me.'

After the demonstration and questions, it was back out to the line. Now here's where 'Dork Brittanie' really set in. I was so zoned out after seeing her that I just stood in line with a huge grin on my face, completely blocking out my Mom as she talked up my business to other Bakerella fans. She was doing such a phenomenal job of this that she insisted on showing people my blogsite on my Blackberry and giving out my cards. Hilarious huh? I need to hire her.

So, skip about an hour and we're almost to the front of the line. My Mom looks at me and says, 'So what are you gonna say to her?'. No joke, I went totally white and almost passed out. Nutty me, I completely forgot that I'd actually have to say something to her. I don't know why I thought sitting next to her with my mouth open in awe would be ok. I'm just gonna glaze over my lack of conversational skills once I actually sat down and just say that she was super sweet and it took a lot to resist hugging her. As she started signing 5 books(gifts for some lucky ladies in our family!) I listened as my Mom talked to Bakerella's Mom about how much of an inspiration her daughter had been to me and she actually gave her a business card too. Crazy! The 4 of us took a picture together and right after her Mom kinda half hugged me and said she was so proud of me! It was completely surreal. I said 'Thank You' to the both of them 3 or 4 times and then skipped over to get our books and freebie buttons. I floated out of that store grinning and giggling like a nuthead.

It was quite an amazing day, and every day since I've looked at her book amidst my other cookbooks and thought how incredible it is that a little piece of her lives in my dining room. She's been a huge inspiration and I'm so grateful to women like her who make me want to try new things!