the day i met martha stewart

When I found out Martha Stewart was signing her new book at the Barnes & Noble down the street, I knew I had to go. My mom and dad are even bigger fans (they watch her show every day), so I invited them to come along.

We got to the store 45 minutes early, thinking it was plenty of time to ensure a spot in line. Luckily, there were no long lines, just wrist bands and letter groups. We were group H, as in the Hamptons, which meant we had time to kill, so we headed upstairs to use the bathroom and get a cup of coffee.

The 2nd floor, where Martha would be signing, was buzzing with people of all ages, shapes and sizes, hugging their copies of the book and comparing notes. The café, on the next floor, was a lot calmer.

I found a table near the the business section, while Mom and Dad went to the bathroom. I noticed a long line in the distance but thought nothing of it. A minute later, Martha Stewart walked right by me.

Oh my gosh! That’s her! I realized. But there was no pomp or circumstance. Preceded and followed by a handful of people, she simply walked on by, with purpose and looking straight ahead. I was giggling inside.

Mom saw Martha, too. She was coming out of the bathroom as my mom was waiting in line to get in. We were giddy like school girls who had just spotted our favorite movie star.

I know better than to rely on myself to say what I want to say, so while we waited for our group to be called, I wrote Martha a note. My mom did, too.

The actual meeting, of course, went by way too quickly. We handed our notes to Martha, and she seemed to genuinely appreciate them, thanking us like the gracious host she is, before tucking them away.

Then she signed our books and posed for a photo. “I’m so excited!” Mom said with glee. I was too, and that’s why I couldn’t think of a thing to say other than, “Thank you.”

Before I could even try to redeem myself, we were being shuffled aside for the next fans.

My favorite part about it all wasn’t seeing Martha’s perfectly coifed hair and smiling eyes in person or adding one of her gorgeous books to my collection. It was geeking out with my parents all day long about our celebrity studded day.

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