I Met Elin Hilderbrand and Was Totally Girl Crushing

I’m BACK for a month of blogging!

This was a long year. I’ll share details and escapades over the next month, but thought I’d start with a high note: I met my favorite author this summer!

As someone who is always writing their first novel, I find people who can write a really great book fascinating. The ones that write multiple books that I enjoy? The are truly amazing.

Elin Hilderbrand is that author for me. If you aren’t familiar with her work, she has written almost 30 novels, most of them set in Nantucket (with a few set in St. John). They are easy, entertaining reads, and if you don’t want to pack up and move to Nantucket after reading them then we can’t be friends.

She was touring this summer for her novel “The Five Star Weekend“, a novel about a woman bringing together friends from different times in her life for a spectacular weekend on Nantucket. She tends to visit independent book stores around the country, and her stop closest to me was in Mystic, Connecticut. Every book signing has a theme, and mine was “The Preppy Handbook: Pink and Green”.

If hordes of women all dressed in bright colors standing around talking about Veuve Clicquot and Jessica Hicks jewelry (#iykyk), then an Elin book signing might not be for you.

Proudly, I attended this book signing by myself. I took my place in line, met other Hilderbabes (as her fans are called), and nibbled macarons and sipped pink lemonade. My ticket included a hard copy of The Five Star Weekend, which would be personalized by the great Elin herself!

I took the color theme very seriously, and made sure I was as preppy as I could be. My actual meeting was a bit of a blur – handing off the book, saying hello and sounding cool, posing for a photo, then being guided on my merry way. My encounter was probably about 8 seconds long total, but I am so happy that I did this small thing for ME.

After the signing, I wasn’t ready to drive an hour home (after waiting in line for an hour), plus it was getting ready to storm. I headed over to one of my favorite restaurants in the area – the Shipwright’s Daughter – where they have a delicious happy hour. I sidled up to the bar BY MYSELF, ordered a few appetizers and a wine, and started reading The Five Star Weekend. Soon more Hilderbabes found their way and I chatted with a few women at the bar, but for the most part, I was enjoying my own company.

As someone who doesn’t have any “heroes” (well, besides Ina Garten, of course), having the opportunity to meet someone whom I admire so much, who makes what I want do to (write a book) seem so effortless, was one of the highlights of my summer.

Elin was gracious and kind, giving time to each person who came through the line. AND, my outfit was so on point with the theme that I was featured on Elin’s Insta stories! (My 2 seconds of fame!)

Also, I truly enjoyed The Five Star Weekend! It was a great early summer read, and it got me thinking who I would invite on my own five star weekend from the different stages in my life and if there would be any drama. (likely not drama, but lots of wine and cheese!)

Welcome to November, and a full month of my nonsense!