Kevin's Celeb Pics

Martha Stewart stopped in St. Louis Friday afternoon and she brought cookies!

Stewart was at Macy's in West County Center to sign copies of her latest cookbook, Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook. While waiting in line, we were served some yummy sugar cookies and double chocolate chip cookies (Martha's recipes, of course) and bottles of San Pellegrino. Martha knows how to do a book signing!

As I approached the table, I noticed a sign outlining the usual book signing rules (no posed photos, no personalizations, no other items, etc.). As luck would have it, I was the next to last person in line, so I decided to ask for the personalization and for the photo and was rewarded with both, although the photo is the dreaded "bend and twist over the table shot." I don't imagine that would have happened if I was near the front of the line. Accompanying Martha at the table, sitting quietly on each side, were her two French bulldogs, Francesca and Sharkey.

As the signing concluded, she posed for a group shot with Macy associates and then headed to an office area to sign more books. About 15 minutes later, she emerged and browsed through her namesake collection in the linen department. As she left the area, I asked if she'd stop for a better photo and she politely agreed to take another.

Later in the evening, I caught up with pop singers Richard Marx and Matt Scannell as they arrived back at their hotel from their sold out show at the Argosy Alton Casino. Marx, a 2004 Grammy Award winner, signed a platinum record award for my collection. The award is from his first release, Repeat Offender. We chatted about his new disk with Matt and about a tour he did with Warren Zevon in the early 90's that I saw in Springfield, Illinois. Marx, by the way, has written 13 number 1 singles and 40 top 40 singles. That's quite an accomplishment! Scannell is the lead singer of the band Vertical Horizon.

The evening wrapped up at the Touhill Performing Arts Center with a new photograph with folk singer John Prine. Prine posed for this shot and signed a picture of the two of us from a encounter about a year ago in Springfield, Illinois. I forgot to ask if he played, "Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian." It's one of my favorite Prine tunes.