What do you wear to a book signing?

It's like planning for a prom, only without the meringue-like poofy dress. Hair up or down? Will glasses instead of contacts make you look and feel more intelligent? These are the superficial questions that I find myself asking the "inner girl" in me, as I prepare for my first two book signings coming up this Spring/Summer. As the mom of two little boys under the age of 3 1/2 yrs., my no nonsense uniform of jeans/black khakis and a fleece pull-over (with sweet potato and drool stains, compliments of my 9 month-old) probably isn't the best look for a book event. On a serious note, it is the writing and how my future readers will identify with the ideas expressed that matters to me most. Oh, but what will my hair look like, when I read one of the poems? Just kidding. I have the perfect excuse to go shopping for "grown up" clothes if I can get some time to myself.

Getting started on the next writing venture weighs more heavily on my mind than fashion after completing a project. I already have several other collections of poems in the works. Depending on what subject or genre inspires me that particular day, I open up a new blank journal to match that inspiration and begin to open new worlds with words. Each story holds a mystery for me. It is only when I reach the last line, that I fully understand the message that I am being taught.