Big damage at a book signing

I kid you not.  It happened yesterday in West Hartford, Connecticut, where I did an UPLIFT signing at Lyn Evans Potpourri Designs.

Don’t know the name?  If you live in New England, you likely do.  There are eight of these stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut; they are specialty boutiques that carry chic clothes for women of all ages.  I‘ve bought many things over the years in my local Potpourri, but had never been to the West Hartford one.  Nor did I know that Lyn Evans, the owner, is devoted to doing charity events – in the case of UPLIFT, in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The minute I walked in the door, I knew the signing would be great. My contact, Carin Buckman, a longtime BD fan and the PR person for the store, had arranged multiple phone interviews for me prior to the event, but a final TV taping was to be done right there two hours before the signing began.  And the store looked stunning with its catchy clothing displays, an added book and raffle section, a cake to commemorate the event, and balloons.

The TV interview went off without a hitch.  Then came the damage.

Carin called it dress up time, and she wasn’t the only one in on it.  Lyn, Cindy – well, pretty much everyone else in the shop, too, started bringing me things to try on.  Like they needed to twist my arm?  Shopping is right up there with knitting as my favorite pasttime.  Lately, I’ve been combining the two, going for yarn when I get the urge to shop.  Let’s face it; a skein of yarn, even a hand-dyed one, costs less than the average scarf.

Yesterday, though, it was clothes all the way.  Between starting my new book and traveling for UPLIFT, I hadn’t shopped in a while.  So, in that single hour between the end of the TV interview and the start of the signing, I pretty much bought my winter wardrobe.  Sweaters, scarves, leggings, tops – all were coordinated by women who are experts at it.

BTW, the women who came to the signing were pretty cool, too. One of them, Sandy Mark, is in UPLIFT.  Though I felt I already knew her, this was the first time we’d actually met.  What a special treat it was!

An Uplifter, Sandy Mark, and me

That's Lyn Evans second from right and me second from left, with my dear fan and facilitator, Carin in the middle, and two cohorts who aided and abetted them with my spree.

A huge thanks to Lyn Evans and the other women who worked so hard to make the event such a success.  With typical generosity, Lyn donated a portion of the raffle and sales proceeds to my charitable foundation.  That more than made up for the damaged I inflicted on my personal budget.

BTW, I’m wearing the leggings and one of the tops today, and I feel great.

 

 

 

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3 Comments

  1. Carin Buckman on November 5, 2011 at 11:00 pm

    Thank you so much for posting this! To see your TV Interview that aired November 1st, please click on http://www.wfsb.com/video?clipId=6406946&autostart=true. I’ll also be sending you a DVD of the segment.

    • Barbara Delinsky on November 6, 2011 at 5:42 am

      Thanks so much for the link, Carin — and for orchestrating this event so brilliantly. Rain and all, you made it happen.

  2. carolyn kingsley on November 8, 2011 at 5:15 pm

    Thanks for those beautiful New England pictures. Brings back memories. My husband was from Rhode Island. I went to meet his family for the first time in the fall of the year. I love the changing of the seasons. Don’t have much of that in Florida.

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