Rae's Visit

My friend (and SUPER famous New York Times Best Selling Author) Rachel Hawkins came to visit yesterday! Yay! I've been friends with Rae since we were five. We became better friends in high school, and besties in college. Sadly, as will happen, since graduation we have really only seen each other a handful of times (well, maybe two handfuls...). So, I was really excited when Rae said she'd be coming to Nashville for a book signing and wanted to know if she could stay the night with us. Yay (again)!

Rachel got here around 1:00 yesterday and we caught up and ate Totino's Pizza Rolls like old times. Etta took a bit to warm up to her Aunt Rae, but warm up she did! E decided that her Aunt Rae was her new BFF.

Keith came home a little early to hang out with Etta so I could go with Rae up to the Barnes & Noble in Cool Springs. I was excited to see her being all authory (yeah, I just made up a word). This event was actually the last stop of the "Ash to Nash Tour" (Asheville, NC to Nashville, TN) for most of the other authors on the panel. Along their tour, they had guest authors join them and Rachel was a guest author for this Nashville discussion/signing. All of the authors were really witty and I really enjoyed being there for the event and I'm looking forward to reading a bunch of new books!

 

(left to right) Beth Revis (Across the Universe), Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray), Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey Series), Myra McEntire (Hourglass), Victoria Schwab (The Near Witch), Rachel Hawkins (Hex Hall, Demonglass)

Pretty good turn-out! The crowd got a little bigger after I took this...

They even had papparazzi hiding in the bookshelves...

Myra, Victoria, and Rachel

Julie, Ruta, Beth, Myra, Victoria, and Rachel

Rachel telling a witty story

This girl was WAY cute! Her mom embarassed her by letting EVERYONE know that they flew in from south Florida JUST to attend this event. We were all singing the praises of that supportive mama... and most of the authors were in tears.

Team Holly! These four authors share an agent (who is, according to them, the BEST agent in the biz)

Myra McEntire, Victoria Schwab, CJ Redwine , Rachel Hawkins

(Rae, you look a lot like your mama in this picture. <3 )

After the signing, we all went over to Chili's for a late dinner. I got to be a fly on the wall while they had a few drinks and discussed the biz and gossiped about other authors.

Rae's double fisting her 2 for 1's

We got home around 11:00 and went straight to bed. Rae left soon after we all got up this morning. Sad to say goodbye, but LOVED getting to spend time together! Miss you, come back soon!

Early March- Random

Yikes!!  My poor neglected blog!

We seem to stay pretty busy around here.  Etta's therapy/school schedule hasn't left much room for down time these days!  I really haven't even taken many pictures in the last few weeks.  At least, not as many as I usually do.  ;)

Here are a couple cute pictures of Etta talking on her (play) phone.  She can become quite vocal! 

Earlier this week, Etta and I met Suzy for breakfast at Chick-Fil-A.  It was pretty dead in there and there weren't ANY kids in the play area, so I let Etta go into the little room and play.  I stayed in there with her for a few minutes to make sure she could hold her own on the play equipment. Once I was satisfied with that, I left her and Suzy and I watched her through the glass for about 10 or 15 minutes while she ran all over that place!  Anyway, it was a fun morning.

Later that afternoon, Etta went to the bank with me while I signed some papers.  Pretty much as soon as we got there, she started signing/saying "all done".  So, instead of leaving, I got my camera out to take pictures of her. 

One night earlier this week, when I called Etta over to the table for dinner, she brought her barbies over and put them in her chair, attempting to strap them in.  THEN, she reached up on the table and grabbed her spoon and started trying to feed them!  Hehehe... It was pretty cute!

This afternoon, we went over to Erin's for a little playdate.  Etta was a little "off".  She didn't get a good nap and her allergies were bothering her some once we got there.  She DID enjoy playing in the swing though!

and this just cracked me up, so I had to share...

"no mama!  stop kissin' me!"

Hahaha!

OH!!!  And be sure to pick up your copy of Demonglass, the sequel to my friend Rachel Hawkin's book, Hex Hall!  It's SUCH a good book (and one of the reasons I've been neglecting my blog).  This week it debuted at number 5 (!!!) on the New York Times Best-Seller List (in the "Children's Chapter Books" section). I'm so proud of Rae!  (Now, email me a copy of that third book, sister!)