Secret Lives Book Tour, Part Three: Albuquerque, Jersey Shore, Philadelphia, and Seattle Again

What a long, but awesome road, it's been! My third and final leg of book tour supporting The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts has come to a close, and if you have a few minutes (of course you do, you're on the internet! It's leisuretime here!) I'd love to tell you about my adventures.

(P.S. If you want to read about the first two parts of my book tour, here's part one, and here's part two!)

First was an event in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Don't you just love saying the word "Albuquerque"? I had an event at a bookstore called Bookworks, where my NAME WAS FEATURED ON A BIG MARQUEE. This was a great life moment, but even better was the fact that almost the entire audience was composed of people who work in the film industry in New Mexico. It made for a wonderful and varied crowd!

Next up was a trip to the Jersey Shore. Now, a trip to this part of the world is always dear to me because it's where I grew up, but it was especially wonderful this time because I had a book event close to my hometown. It was at a wonderful little bookstore called Booktowne in Manasquan, New Jersey, and I was delighted to see a nice-sized crowd of people who came, including some former high school classmates who happened to be in town and read about the event!

I also served some Smith Island Cake, which is never a bad thing. Did I mention they sold out of books? That made me feel like a Jersey Shore Superstar. 

Next up, on the same day, was a book event at a bookstore called Towne Book Center in Collegeville, PA (yes, I had an event at Booktowne then at Towne Book Center, one after the other). This was a super fun event because it was a dessert potluck, where everyone brought something sweet and we all got to taste it--then, everyone told us the story behind theirs. I tasted some really good stuff, AND got a really exciting Congo Bar recipe from one of the entrants that I can't wait to try out.

But one of the biggest highlights? Brett and Christina, both contestants from last year's Pillsbury Bake-Off, were in attendance! So we had a mini Bake-Off reunion. How cool is that? Christina won last year (winning recipe here!), so she's got a million reasons not to be at the contest this year. But I was so excited to hear that Brett (here's his entry from last year) will be a finalist again this year, with another delicious-sounding dessert called Heavenly Hazelnut Torte with Mascarpone Cream! 

That was a great event!

But that wasn't all to the Pennsylvania leg of tour. I also taught a baking class in Philadelphia, at a fine establishment called COOK. I wore a hot pink dress and had a great time teaching people how to make Smith Island Cake, Lemon Meringue Pie, and Alice B Toklas Truffles (Toke-less ones, you know). 

Then, I had about a week to rest and hang out at my house. I spent that time wisely, making milk fudge and learning how to make overnight French toast. I also made homemade croutons for the first time, which is ridiculously rewarding. Yumsies.

Then, I hopped a flight back to Seattle for a few more book events.

Hellooooo, Seattle! I was picked up by my sweet friend Nicole (bloggy persona: So Suzette) who is also the person I went to eat with at Wandering Goose Cafe the next morning. I got something called "Big Trouble" which consisted of a warm biscuit with honey, banana, and lots of peanut butter. It was. So. Good. Just looking at it should tell you that this is a biscuit that means business.

The same day, I did a baking demo at the Tom Douglas Summer Camp. This was probably the best demo I had ever done. Now, the fact that they gave me a glass of wine before my demo made me (in my opinion) even funnier than usual, and the crew was GREAT. We talked a lot about Nanaimo bars, which was one of the demo items. Smith Island Cake and Toklas Truffles, too. 

The next day, I had off, so I hung around Seattle and went to Crumble & Flake with my friends Laurie, Iris, and Matthew (they also happen to be a family). Actually, Matthew was on his way to do some book touring of his own, for his new e-book, Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo . It is about his family's eating adventures in Tokyo. You probably need it. Don't you love the cover? Well, don't judge it by the cover! Cos the writing is even better. 

Our pastries were also awesome. I got the kouign amann.

I also picked up some macarons to bring to the great staff at my publisher, Sasquatch Books. They liked me pretty well that day, I'd say.

I was then summoned back by the Tom Douglas people--apparently, this night was their closing party, and Tom himself needed a karaoke partner. I was happy to make a repeat performance! Here we are together, to prove it really happened.

The song we sung, by the way? "People who need people". Yep. 

There was still more awesome to come in Seattle, though. The next day I had a sweet signing at Mrs. Cook's in the University Village, and got to meet a bunch of cool people there. And I brought brownies from the book...

Whew! After that, I was pretty tired, but there was still more to do! I had a booth at the Urban Craft Uprising on both Saturday and Sunday, where I sold books, cards, and products. I left with fistfuls of money and good memories, and got to see my buddies Kristen of Schmancy and Rosalie of Ugly Baby and Kari Chapin, genius writer of many books.

And guess who else came to say hi? PEABODY! Of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody! My baking hero! She always makes me smile.

It was a great fair!

I got a tasty dessert with my friends Nicole and Ramon after the fair one of the nights...delicious Cupcake Royale ice cream! 

Monday morning after the fair, I hopped a plane and flew out of Seattle. Then, I headed for Los Angeles! There, I was a vendor at the Renegade Craft Fair, where I also sold my books. 

There, I saw many LA buddies and (hooray!) got to visit the Sprinkles cupcake ATM. The line was really long though, so I got ice cream instead. Their ice cream is good--the cookies they use for ice cream sandwiches are awesome.

I also went, on reader Zita's suggestion, to The Pie Hole, where I got their version of a Pop-tart. This thing was good, even though it cost as much as a box of pop-tarts! 

I also had the good fortune of sharing a craft fair booth with Vici Victual, a cookie baking business that is seriously awesome. The cookies may look like normal cookies, but the taste is extraordinary. Soft, but firmer on the edges (not quite crisp. I like soft so this was good for me). Beautifully balanced flavor. Seek them out in LA--they're at craft fairs and the like. 

Thank you to everyone who bought my book, came to my book tour events, and generally made my life sweeter.

And in case you missed out...buy the book here! The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts! And don't forget to buy my first book too, Cakespy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life!

Secret Lives Tour, Part Two

Part two of my book tour supporting The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts is now complete! Philadelphia and Chicago...you were great!

Now, if you're curious about what happened on the first leg, check out this post; for still-upcoming dates, look at the left side bar of this site! 

Now, let me tell you about what I saw, what I did, and very importantly, what I ate on leg 2 of the tour, in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Chicago.

First, I headed down to New Jersey. I didn't have an event here but I was staying with my parents, and using their kitchen to bake treats for the Anthropologie book signing in Philadelphia. I made three batches of Katharine Hepburn Brownies from the book. I had a little assembly line going!

Oh, yum. Then, we packed up the car and went to Philadelphia. I was greeted by this sign...I felt pretty cool...

Here I am getting out of the car and getting ready to share brownies and fun!

Wow, what an amazing event! Not only was it excellently attended, but there were brownies and prosecco. Lots of prosecco.

The crowd was enthusiastic and we had a lot of fun!

Here I am with my big sister Kelly.

I also got some unexpected treats at the signing. Bredenbeck's sent over some cookies just for me...

and (big hero moment!) Zoe (there's an umlaut in her name, but I can't find the symbol on my computer) from Whipped Bakeshop came, too! For an example of how awesome she is, just look at one of her cakes:

and Ginny of LivyLu's Gourmet brought some treats, too!

This was a signing that just made me feel great to be alive. Thank you, Anthropologie!

Let's just say I slept well that night, and it was a good thing, because I had to get up pretty bright and early to head to Chicago!

On my way to the airport, I had a surprisingly tasty (considering its healthy status!) cookie called the "Shazaam", purchased in Spring Lake Heights.

Next stop...Chicago! My reading was actually in Vernon Hills, but I had some time to spend in the Windy City beforehand. I made good use of it.

I popped in an Anthropologie store in Chicago...and guess what they had? My book! yay!

My first stop for sweets in Chicago was Glazed and Infused. You can read more about my visit there if you read this post, but suffice it to say I left fat and happy and SO excited to have finally met my (until now, online-only) friend James. 

Next, I headed over to Swirlz Cupcakes. Wow, Pam of Swirlz is so supportive! She had a little altar to me out to make me smile and share my work with her customers! AND she was kind enough to donate cupcakes for my event later that day.

Here's a picture of me with owner Pam!

Before I headed to Vernon Hills, I simply had to drop by to say hi to my friend Stephanie, owner of Angel Food Bakery. She has the same birthday as me, and she bakes cupcakes. What's not to love? We chatted and I picked up a few treats, including a brownie and a flourless chocolate cake. For later.

Then I headed to the Aspen Drive Library! I was greeted by this beautiful sign:

And then got to unpacking the sweets from Swirlz!

HERE'S WHAT WAS IN THE BAG. OMG ALL CAPS NEEDED.

Putting together this stand was easier said than done, but we figured it out (yes, it took more people than just me).

I had a great talk with a large audience at the library, and Lake Forest Book Store was on hand to sell copies of my book. Here I am doing my reading--don't I look like a kindergarten teacher?

An especially meaningful guest was my friend Sandy, who drove all the way from Milkwaukee. I miss this girl! We were able to have dinner and catch up. <3

Now, I know you're concerned that I'm getting enough calories, so I am happy to tell you that I was able to make one more sweet stop before I left the next morning, to pick up a cinnamon glazed old-fashioned doughnut at Do-Rite Donuts. Whew!

By the way, it wasn't til that night that I got to one of my other goodies from Angel Food Bakery, the brownie. Hold on to your hats, sweeties. It might look like just a brownie, but it is nothing ordinary once it's in your mouth. It's fudge-filled chocolate overload decadence awesometown, the experience of eating this brownie. I think they're some of the best in the nation!

Whew! So glad to have had these awesome tour times, but I'm happy to be home, too! See you next time, sweeties!

Places Mentioned:

Anthropologie, multiple locations; online here.

Bredenbeck's, 8126 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia; online here.

LivyLu's Gourmet; online here.

Whipped Bakeshop, 636 Belgrade Street, Philadelphia; online here.

Nature's Corner Natural Market, 2407 Hwy 71, Spring Lake Heights NJ; online here.

Glazed and Infused, multiple locations in Chicago; online here.

Swirlz Cupcakes, 705 W. Belden, Chicago; online here.

Angel Food Bakery, 1636 Montrose, Chicago; online here.

Aspen Drive Library, Vernon Hills, IL; online here.

Lake Forest Bookstore; online here.

Do-Rite Donuts, 50 W. Randolph Street, Chicago; online here.

Secret Lives Tour, Part One

Hello, sweet ones! 

Well, the first leg of my second book tour for  The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts, is now complete (remaining dates here! And a contest to win a copy HERE!). And oh, has it ever been sweet! Here's a mini review of who I saw, what I ate, and what magical things happened.

SEATTLE: 

I arrived in Seattle on the day my book was officially released, May 7th. Woohoo! I basically went straight to the reading venue, which was the University Bookstore. The event was co-hosted by the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, who brought cookies and offered a sweet discount on the book for all girl scouts (including former girl scouts!). Why Girl Scouts? Well, the book tells the story of the cookies! 

It was a fun event--to say the least!

The next morning...I woke up hungry.

I went to the Wandering Goose Cafe, new since I left Seattle. Man, was this place wonderful. They prominently feature biscuits, one of my favorite foodstuffs. I got a biscuit, of course, and a few other items. The standout on this visit? The "Charlie Brown" cookie, a deep, dark chocolate cookie studded with peanut butter chips. Oh yum. 

I recorded a radio program next, with Rachel Belle. She is so cool!

Next, I had an event at Book Larder where I demo'ed Better Than Sex Cake (it's in the book!). This was an awesome time. I saw many cake celebrities. 

One of the attendees? Dani of High 5 Pie. And she brought me some treats!

Related: The next A.M., I started out with a cherry almond pie from High 5 Pie.

 

and then I baked some Katharine Hepburn brownies (recipe's in the book) for an upcoming TV appearance in Portland. And then I headed to Portland!

Even though it's kind of a silly flight because the security line is usually longer than the flight...I flew. With the brownies. Here are the brownies on my lap. They were so cradled and loved.

PORTLAND:

Once I arrived, I enjoyed some non-sweet food and hung out with my fella. Then, in the morning, I was on TV. Before my appearance, in the Green Room, I reviewed my book with Haley, the publicity all-star for my book.

Then, I was on TV! You can watch the segment here. And here's a little behind the scenes look at the script.

 

Look, here I am acting casual (not) in front of the tv station!

Next was breakfast at Tasty N Sons (actually, if you want to get technical, Tasty N Alder). I got some prunes that were prepared with cheese. I know this doesn't sound like a glamorous food, but WOW! were they good! The prunes were nice and sweet but the cheese gave them a little savory saltiness.

Speaking of salt...it was about time for a visit to the deservedly famous Salt and Straw! Have I mentioned they sell my artwork there?

Now, it is a true fact that my artwork looks better when you gaze at it with a hefty scoop of Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache ice cream. Yes indeed.

But you know, the world is not so bad with a milkshake, either, so we picked up one of those, too. In chocolate.

Of course, nothing can warm you up for a doughnut snack better than ice cream, so we started heading on over to Tonalli's Donuts.

But--uh oh--on the way we were distracted by Pine State Biscuits! 

We kept on walking, and I found a heart. This is a great opportunity to show you how cute the shoes are that I was wearing.

Finally, to Tonalli's!

Donut or Doughnut? Actually, the sign says both.

Confusion aside, how could anything ever go wrong in a place like this?

We got an old fashioned blueberry glazed, and a plain old fashioned.

Very good stuff. Especially the blueberry. Not completely because of the flavor, but largely because of texture. The glaze kept it somewhat soft, whereas with the unglazed one, it got kind of crispy. Still very good, though.

Later that evening, we had to try Ruby Jewel, which was near the hotel. I got one of their famous ice cream sandwiches with bourbon butter pecan ice cream between chocolate chip cookies. Trust me, there is nothing wrong with that package. The Ruby Jewel ice cream is different than Salt and Straw, but I think very good. The Ruby Jewel ice cream has a longer, lingering creaminess, whereas with Salt and Straw it hits you right away: mega creamy! Both different styles. I like them both, a LOT. 

Now, I need to ask something too, because my guy got two scoops of ice cream with chocolate sauce and called it a "sundae". For me, this does not a sundae make--it has to have more toppings. What do you think?

The next morning, I did a yoga class (I KNOW) and there happened to be a cafe attached to the yoga center called Prasad.

If you're in Portland and like raw, vegan, gluten free (in some cases, all three) baked goods--hit this place up. 

Of course, if you prefer your sweets full of gluten and better yet fried, hit up nearby Blue Star Donuts. I have a lot to say about this place, so if you want to know more, look at my post about it!

After that, at least a quick trip was needed to Saint Cupcake, a place I really love. Don't you just want to dive into this?

I'd love to show you more photos, but the mini cupcakes purchased were consumed too quickly. 

And then...time to head to...

SAN FRANCISCO:

Hello, San Francisco. I'm hungry!

Unfortunately I did not have a ton of free time in SF. Before my first reading, at Omnivore Books, I was able to hit up a Whole Foods where I got a Ginger Biscuit which actually rather surprised me with how creamy and soft and tasty it was. Baked on site, I was informed.

And yes, I found time for a chocolate water at Dandelion Chocolate.

The Omnivore Books reading was great. Beforehand, I got to meet up with Hayley of The Domestic Rebel, someone I have wanted to meet for a while. And my friends Erin and Renee came to the reading!

The next day, upon the suggestion of readers at the previous signing, I hit up Bob's Donuts. It's open 24 hours, and it looks like it's been there forever. They have some huge donuts but I stayed classic. They are straight-up old fashioned non-fussy donuts. They made me so happy.

I headed over to Hayes Valley, where I indulged in my favorite guilty chain pleasure, the almond croissant from La Boulange.

And I maybe found 15 minutes or so to lounge in the grass.

Then...time for another reading! I went to Book Passage this time, a magical place if ever there was one. The staff is SO friendly!

I got to meet up with my friend Anna too. She's kind of a big deal - her first cover story for SF Weekly was just published!

The next AM, it was time to head to the airport. I didn't get to visit as many bakeries as I would have liked on this trip, but it was still TOTALLY SWEET. Because I tend toward good manners, I sent out thank-yous today:

Yay! I can't wait til leg 2 - I still have a few more dates left on the tour! You can find them here.

Places Mentioned: 

University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE; online here.

Wandering Goose Cafe, 403 15th Ave. E, Seattle; online here.

High 5 Pie, 1400 12th Ave, Seattle; online here.

Book Larder, 4252 Fremont Ave N; online here.

Tasty N Sons, Two Locations in Portland, OR; online here.

Salt & Straw, Multiple locations in Portland, OR; online here.

Pine State Biscuits, Multiple locations in Portland, OR; online here.

Tonalli's Donuts, 2805 NE Alberta, Portland OR; on yelp.

Ruby Jewel, 428 SW 12th; online here.

Yoga Pearl - Prasad, 925 NW Davis, Portland OR; online here.

Saint Cupcake, multiple locations in Portland, OR; online here.

Blue Star Donuts, 1237 SW Washington Street, Portland OR; online here.

Whole Foods, I went to the one on California Street in SF; online here.

Omnivore Books, 3885 Cesar Chavez, San Francisco CA; online here.

Dandelion Chocolate, 740 Valencia Street, San Francisco; online here.

Bob's Donuts, 1621 Polk Street, San Francisco; on yelp.

La Boulange, multiple locations in San Francisco; online here.

Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco; online here.

Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Book Tour Dates!

What's cuter than a cupcake and ten times sweeter?

CakeSpy of course! And if you want a piece of this sweetness, well, you're in luck, because I am headed on book tour next month! I'll be bringing not only my amazing self but stories to tell about baked goods--after all, that's the point of my delicious new book,  The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts. And in some cities, I'll even be doing a demo or bringing sweets with me. Just read below--I've detailed where I am going and what type of event is going down in each city!

Here are the places I will be (oh, and a printable text-only version can be found here!)

First Stop: Seattle!

Tuesday, May 7th: OMG! My book is released, officially. Go to the store and buy it, or go ahead and buy it online (it's ok. I know it's cheaper there). 

My first event!

• What: Signing and discussion
• Where: University Book Store, 4326 University Way NE, Seattle.
• When: 7-8 p.m. (this is still May 7th, in case you forgot) 

Still in Seattle! Wednesday, May 8th: 

• What: Demo and Signing
• Where: Book Larder, 4252 Fremont Ave. North, Seattle
• When: 6:30-8:00 p.m. 

Next Stop: Portland

Saturday, May 11: 

• What: Signing and craft sales at Crafty Wonderland! It isn't a formal signing per se, but most of the real estate at my booth will be dedicated to book sales and I will be happy to either sell you a copy, or sign the one you already bought online. 
• Where: The Oregon Convention Center - Exhibit Hall D (don't worry, there will be signs all over); 777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd., Portland (More information and directions here!)
• When: 11-6 p.m.

Next Stop: San Francisco!

Monday, May 13th:

• What: Discussion and Signing. Possibly in unicorn costume.
• Where: Omnivore Books, 3885a Cesar Chavez Street, San Francisco.
• When: 6-7 p.m. 

Tuesday, May 14th: 

• What: Discussion and Signing
• Where: Book Passage, San Francisco Ferry Bldg #42  San Francisco
• When: 6-7 p.m.

And then, after a few days off, I'm off to...

Philadelphia 

Tuesday, May 21: 

• What: Signing and discussion, with goodies!
• Where: Anthropologie flagship store, 1801 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
• When: 6-8 p.m. 

Chicagoland:

Thursday, May 23rd

• What: Signing and discussion
• Where: Aspen Drive Library, 701 Aspen Drive, Vernon Hills IL
• When: 7-8pm

And then a hiatus, then...

Albuquerque, NM

Thursday, June 20

• What: Discussion and signing
• Where: Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque
• When: TBA

And then to New Jersey...

June 29th:

• What: Signing and Discussion
• Where: Booktowne, 171 Main Street, Manasquan NJ
• When: June 29th, 11 a.m.

And then back to Philadelphia...

June 29:

• What: Signing and Discussion

• Where: Towne Book Center, Collegeville

• When: 4pm

June 30: 

• What: Cake Baking Class!
• Where: COOK, Philadelphia
• When: June 30, 2pm

Then, back to Seattle!

July 13 and 14 (Sat and Sun)

• What: Urban Craft Uprising!
• Where: Seattle Center, Seattle!
• When: July 13 and 14, 11-5pm (I believe

Sweet Times at Sweet Cupcakes, Boston

As you probably already know, I have been out of town a lot lately on something magical called Book Tour. This is a journey I've been taking to support my awesome new book CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life, which is conveniently available at Urban Outfitters, Barnes and Noble, and many other fine retailers.

But my book tour has been extra-special, because instead of conducting it at book stores, I've been going to BAKERIES. It's a Tour de Sweet!

And right now, I want to tell you about my first East Coast stop, which was at a magical place called Sweet Cupcakes in Boston. They have a few locations around town; I visited the one on School Street, downtown.

First off, I was greeted by a bevy of beautiful seasonal cupcake flavors in the bakery case:

...but things got far better when they brought out a tray of cupcakes with edible toppers featuring my artwork!

Now, you may think that it being that my artwork was featured on the cupcakes, it might be hard for me to eat them.

But this was not the case. They were freaking delicious. I wish I was eating another one right now.

Moreover, the aesthetic and color scheme in the place couldn't have been more appropriate.

...and as a bonus, I got to hang out with awesome people like Bethany and Tina of Scoopalicious;

and my buddy Phuong:

...Phuong is also going down as "favorite person ever"...because she also brought me some Boston Cream Pie from nearby Parker Hotel:

Shani, who collects my rubber stamp designs also came...and was packing her sweet supplies!

...and I got to meet Jill of Sugarbird Bakery, who came all the way from Providence! She rules!

My friends Dan and Kelsey also showed up from Rhode Island--making for a sweet treat on an extremely sweet evening. 

And I sold out of books, to boot. Best signing ever!

Visit SWEET when you're in Boston--here's their website!

Tom Douglas Restaurants Cookbook Social This Thursday!

You guyyyys. If you live in Seattle, you simply must come to this star-studded foodie event!

Scan to the bottom of this post to find the link to buy tickets and to see the roster of amazing cookbook authors who will be there.

Here are the details:

Tom Douglas Cookbook Social

Date: Thursday, December 1^st

Time: 4-7pm

Location: The Palace Ballroom, 2100 5^th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

Cost: $20 tax included

Ticket price includes entrance into the event, tastes from each author, and one drink ticket.

Kick off your holiday cookbook shopping at Tom Douglas’ 2011 Cookbook Social! Back for another year, this popular event brings some of Washington’s BEST cookbook authors together in one room for one evening only. 

Come join us on the first of December to purchase some amazing cookbooks direct from the authors themselves and try tasty nibbles from one of the recipes in their book.  This is a great opportunity to stock up on gifts for the food lovers in your life OR to build your own cookbook library at home.

Authors: Keren Brown, Lisa Dupar, Jessie Oleson, Amy Pennington, Becky Selengut, Ethan Stowell, Maggie Savarino, Kurt Timmermeister, Sharon Kramis & Julie Hearne, Lisa Dupar, Greg Atkinson, Brad Parsons, Frank Curtis, Mark Klebeck, Dave Hughes and Tom Douglas.

Buy your tickets here!

Cake Byte: CakeSpy at Crafty Wonderland, December 10 and 11 in Portland, OR

OMG, Portland. You thought it was awesome when I came for book tour, but I have news.

I'm coming back. And I'll have books and more to sell you.

That's right: I'll be back in the city of Roses on December 10+11 for Crafty Wonderland!

As they describe themselves,

TWO DAYS – TWICE THE FUN!
at the Oregon Convention Center
777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd, Exhibit - HALL C

OVER 250 VENDORS SELLING AMAZING HANDMADE GOODS!
FREE CRAFT ACTIVITIES AND MORE!
It's more important than ever to SHOP LOCAL + BUY HANDMADE!

All Ages * Free Admission
Goodie Bags for the first 150 shoppers EACH DAY! 

So, to review:

Dates: December 10 and 11 (saturday and sunday), 2011
Location: Convention Center, 777 NE MLK Jr. Boulevard, Hall C (there will be signs everywhere) - my booth is #173
Times: 11-6 both days.

For more info, visit craftywonderland.com!

Cake Byte: CakeSpy at Urban Craft Uprising, December 3 and 4 in Seattle!

Oh, get ready, sweeties.

It's that wonderful time of year when Urban Craft Uprising comes around, and as usual, I will be selling totally sweet stuff at this massive and magic-filled holiday art sale in Seattle.

Here are the details:

Dates: Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4, 2011
Times: 11-5 each day
Location: Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, 321 Mercer Street (click here to find it on a map and get directions)

I'll also be doing book signings, and of course will have plenty of books, cards, and art to sell you at my booth.

You can visit the Urban Craft Uprising blog to read an interview with me and enter to win a copy of my book in advance; for more info about the sale and the other awesome vendors, visit urbancraftuprising.com!

Tour de Sweet: CakeSpy in Chicago November 18 and 19!

Now, Chicago Sweeties, I don't want you to faint, or die, or go into sugar shock or anything...but I'm coming to town for book tour. And you know you want to buy a copy of my oeuvre, entitled CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-filled Life!

That's right.

And I have two sugar-filled stops on my itinerary.

November 18: First up is Angel Food Bakery. Now, if you've never been to this place, you're in for a treat, or maybe more than one, because they make crack-filled cakes. OK, not really, but they're that addictive. But don't take my word alone for it: it's also one of Bake & Destroy's favorite bakeries in Chicago! 

Details: Friday, November 18, 3-5 p.m. (just leave work early!). Angel Food Bakery, 1636 W. Montrose; online here. Facebook event page here.

November 19: Next up is a sweet stop at Bleeding Heart Bakery (where you can also buy mugs and cards featuring my artwork! Yes!). I will be making this sugar-filled location even sweeter from 11-2 p.m. 

Details: Saturday, November 19, 11 a.m - 2 p.m. Bleeding Heart Bakery, 1955 W. Belmont, Chicago; online here. Facebook event page here.

Hope to see you! But even if you can't make it, enter to win a copy here, or buy a signed copy here.

Tour de Sweet: CakeSpy in New Jersey November 16 and 17!

Garden State? More like Sugar State.

That's right: CakeSpy's Tour de Sweet is coming to New Jersey! I have two totally sweet events coming up on November 16th and 17th, respectively:

• November 16: Sweet in Hoboken, 5-7 pm. Facebook invite here.
• November 17: Sugarush in Red Bank, New Jersey, 4pm-6pm. I cannot guarantee that Jay and Silent Bob will be there. Facebook invite here.

But wait, there's more! There will be GIVEAWAYS! I'll have some sweet items to give away, like notecards and maybe even a pair or two of my cupcake-unicorn-robot socks.

Of course, if you're not in NJ, you can check out my other dates here and enter to win a copy of the book here.