Lara Zeises Book Signing and Golden Heart Banquet

So yesterday I made the drive to Delaware to attend the Stella Madison Book Launch and Signing with Lara Zeises. With my vegan cupcakes in hand (so that I could eat cupcakes along with everyone else) I got into my car with my written out mapquest directions. Last week when I went to Bridgewater New Jersey with Donna we used her GPS and that turned out to be a good thing even though GPSs scare me.

But I figured I'd be fine. I mean I've driven all over the northern eastern states of the country without a GPS and been fine and I've driven through Delaware a ton of times! So I thought I'd be fine, and had even left the house with just enough time.

Well...once I was on 95, it was supposed to turn into 495 and then back to 95 again and then I'd get off at exit 4B and boom, book signing. So I see exit 4B, 495 has not quite turned back into 95 yet and I'm thinking well, it says 4B, this is 4B and 495 and 95 are essentially the same thing, right?

Wrong.

I ended up driving into a power plant! A freaking power plant with absolutely no civilization around it, just a power plant and a long road and a bunch of trees. So I got back on 495 after talking to Sara convinced that I had just done 4B wrong, I should have been in a different lane, or maybe I'd even mistakenly gotten off at 4A. But I hadn't. I did it all over again, back at the power plant.

Donna and Sara were frantically trying to get people at Borders to explain the mysteries of exit 4B to help me get there, and then finally I got back on 495 and stayed on until it was 95 again. There was another 4B-the right 4B and thus I made it to the signing only a few minutes late. But I guess, what kind of FNC event would this be without at least one of us making a late rushed entrance?

Whew! So I made it, got to hear Lara read three scenes from her book and answer questions. And then I presented my vegan cakes, had my book signed and took pictures. Let me tell you that if you don't know Lara, you should, she is the sweetest person out there and also totally cool, oh and also a really great funny writer.

And now what we've all been waiting for...the pictures!

Sara enjoying a cupcake


Donna with Stella Madison and a cupcake

Vegan cupcakes...and other cupcakes.

Sara, Donna, Lara and I


Thanks Lara! We had a really good time, and luckily I didn't get lost once on the way home. But now...should I get a GPS? I can't decide...

Anyway, later that night I attended the annual Golden Heart Awards Banquet run by mom:-) Unsung heroes in the community are given awards by the Golden Heart group and local congressman and senators. It's a really beautiful event and a chance for me to dress up and channel my inner Angelina Jolie (I'm convinced I have one). So here are a few more pictures. Then I have to get back to work on revisions-yikes!

Some goofy pictures with all of my siblings:-)

Me and Eva

With Julie

Sergio and I

With my Aunt who reads my blog but doesn't leave comments;)

Channeling Angelina Jolie, hehe