The Barefoot Contessa Comes to the Natick Collection!

A good friend of mine, Erin, hipped me to a book signing at the William Sonoma in the Natick Collection last Friday. The one and only Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten was coming to Natick to do a book signing between 12 and 2.

I have a completely unpredictable job, and Natick is about 35 minutes away, so I had to make a game time decision that day as to whether I was going to brave the crowd to meet Ina and get a book signed, or stay home and wonder what could have been. At 11 am I decided to call, and the store told me there were still some books left, but the line was already really long. If I didn't get there soon, I might not even get a book!

My whole reason for going was to get the book for my sister, she LOVES Ina and was the first person to get me watching her show. Suddenly my schedule cleared for the afternoon, I saw my window of opportunity, so I took off to try and meet Ina.

When I got to the William and Sonoma store front, the line had already wrapped into the mall and back on itself. There had to be about 800 people in it. I thought, how am I going to pull this off? I need to get back to work? This is going to take hours! But I was already there, and decided, let me at least buy the cookbook, and see how quickly the line starts to move once Ina has arrived.

As I stepped into the back of the line, I heard something that always makes me smile, "Krisburke! What are you doing here?" Anyone who calls me Krisburke has to be an old friend from college, and in this case it was my APK sister Carlotta!!! Turns out Carlotta was slightly more prepared than I was and got to the mall very early that day. Anyone reading this who knows the two of us, is not surprised by me winging it, and Carlotta being early to this event, but we do have one thing in common we share a birthday, and Carlotta was there for a similar reason. She was getting the cookbook for her mother because her mom is also a huge Ina fan.

Carlotta was only about 100th in line and she had convinced the women around her to let me jump the line and stand with her. In the end, I met Ina, got 2 cookbooks signed,(I got one for Erin too), I got to hang out with my dear friend Carlotta, and I was out of the mall in about 40 minutes. It was a huge blessing because my work got nuts for the rest of the day. I never would have been able to wait. Thank you Lottie!!!!!

Even Ina knows how awesome Carlotta is. Here she is asking Carlotta advice on how to roast the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.

and here is Ina signing Carlotta's cookbook. I think Ina wants to be an APK girl now....
Ina is still on her book tour, check to see if she will be coming to a place near you!

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/book_tour.shtml