Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending time with my very sweet, very amusing and very teenage “niece,” Emma. (She’s also a budding musician/poet.) Emma probably is not your average teenager. That’s what makes her so interesting. She smiles easily and mixes poetic thoughts with random silliness. She has a self-effacing whit and a disarming charm that makes you just want to spend hours and hours with her. I was lucky she put up with her old aunt all day.

Although we’re not technically related, she is family. Her mother, Kathy, is like my sister. In fact, as a child I was very confused as to why Kathy sometimes lived with us and sometimes didn’t, not fully understanding that Kathy actually lived across the street and just spent a lot of time at our house.

What does this have to do with T-shirt Tuesday? Well, during the visit I got to get a glimpse into her world and this.

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Yep, that is a t-shirt with a picture of her and Harry Styles (of One Direction fame.) Emma was quick to point out she did not actually meet him and would probably die of happiness if she did. This was a Photoshop masterpiece.

But, she has several other photos with celebrities that are real, including the cast of Supernatural. (What does it say about me, a 30 something, that I am super jealous about that Supernatural Dean and Sam Winchester hug?)

Her Harry Styles love even reaches life-sized proportions.

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My favorite thing about Emma? Emma reads and reads and reads. Last time I was over at their house, Emma and I talked books and she gave me a long list I should read. I’m hoping she’ll write that down and make it a guest blog – A Teen Girl’s Young Adult Book Suggestions for Not-So-Young Adults. (Emma, if you’re reading this, get on that already!)

And, to make her book-love even more amazing and envy-worthy, this is her bookshelf, which is much more than it seems…

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…that’s right, it’s a secret passage to another room. (#bestshelfieever) Again, is it sad that I am super jealous?

Since I write for teens (see my YA fantasy novel The Travelers), it’s nice to actually get to spend time with one, especially one as wonderful as Emma. I mean, I wish I was this cool as a teenager.

I think I need to write a book about her…