Book Signing | Down Home Traveler

I’ve mentioned my love for Duck Dynasty in prior posts. Heck, we even found their shop in Louisiana. So last week my co-worker and I heard that they were going to be in Wal-Mart (go figure – of all places) signing their book, The Duck Commander Family. Willie and Korie, that is. So, I made sure I had nothing else to do and off to the Big-D I went!

I’ve attended a book signing before and to be honest, it was kind of hellish. It was just hours and hours of waiting in a bookstore line that never moved, however when we got to the front of the line, we spoke to her and got a picture. That part was great. This experience was a little different.

1. It is understandable that you would stand in line at a Wal-Mart to see a self-proclaimed redneck.

2. This line moved and it moved quick (thank you, thank you).

3. As opposed to reading books and sitting on the floor (as the case in the first book signing) we got to quickly go thru the aisles and shop a little. Or peruse in the sporting goods and auto section that is. Did I need any oil and new car seat covers? No, but I got some good Christmas ideas while I was there.

4. Babies. People love having their babies pictures taken with rednecks (and there were some cute ones).

5. Finally, we got to the front of the line. Here is my biggest quirk about the visit. It was super, super rushed. They could only take pictures while signing autographs and they signed quick. So I didn’t get to talk to them, although I’m not really sure what I would have said but it would’ve been nice to have a “moment” but I guess I got one below.

Let’s ignore how ridiculous I look and focus more on how wickedly awesome it is to have a picture taken with these two. More men should have these beards… just sayin’.

Love them – thanks for the signing! Next time, I need to meet Uncle Si and Jase!

On Valentine’s Day I found myself sitting in (a very long) line waiting to meet Ree Drummond. She is the creator of PioneerWoman.com and an accomplished author. There are many reasons that it was a very long line. Have you checked out her website? If you haven’t, you definitely should.

Ree Drummond found herself dreaming of living in the city. She had spent some time in Southern California going to college. She went back home to Oklahoma for a short stint before planning to move to Chicago however her plans detoured when she met her future husband, Marlboro Man. (He’s a cowboy.) In 2006, she started her Pioneer Woman blog which is about an accidental country wife and mother for four children. She is an accomplished author (New York Times Best Seller), cook, and photographer. (She is pretty much living my dream life.)

I first came across The Pioneer Woman when I received her cookbook “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl” as a Christmas gift. I was hooked. This is a recipe book which also showcases her photography and family on her Oklahoma ranch. This recipe book is a little different than the normal recipe book. Each recipe shows step by step photographs of the meal you are creating. This is especially helpful. The recipes are also fairly easy to make, they don’t require a ton of ingredients (don’t you hate those recipes where there’s 25 different ingredients listed? This isn’t it.), and they are darn tasty. Besides the fact that she lived on a ranch, was married to a cowboy and looked to have a pretty successful thing going on, I had to know more, so I looked up her website.

Her website is a compilation of her “Confession”, Cooking, Photography, Homeschooling and “Home and Garden”. Her “Confessions” page is stories of her life on the ranch. Her site also includes her photography (which is outstanding) and helpful tips to achieve the photography success you are looking for personally. Ree provides home and gardening tips, they did a home renovation a few years ago and she shares every step of that with you. She and her husband (did I mention that he is a cowboy and they live on a ranch) home school their four children. The homeschooling section (which is run by herself and another contributor) answers questions that people may have and show you the everyday life of being a home schooled kid. The cooking section of her site is her main focus as she loves to cook. This area provides some of her personal recipes and also brings you to a sister site called “Tasty Kitchen”. Here you have access to a ton of recipes which have been submitted by cooks from near and far. Her humor makes you feel as if she’s a friend that you’ve known forever. Her site is inviting and warm and is really a great learning experience. She also has three contributors on her site so you will always be getting an update in one area or another.

Her second book (which is the one that I attended the book signing for) is titled “The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels“. This book is her story of how she and her cowboy husband ‘Marlboro Man’ met – you’ll fall in love with him by the end of chapter 2 – I guarantee it. She has humor and wit and doesn’t hold back when she shares some embarrassing stories (pretty much sounds like things that would happen to me). If you are into great love stories – pick this one up.

Ree Drummond has won numerous awards and is currently nominated for some of the world’s best blogs. She was also featured on “Throwdown with Bobby Flay“. At the book signing she said that she has been approached for starting a show on the Food Network however it sounds like she is more focused on her family and life on the ranch. They were also approached regarding putting out a movie about her book “The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels” so who knows – they have three years to put it out there.

Her website has so much to offer, she appeals to so many people. Check out her site, go buy her book, you won’t be disappointed.