When I wrote this post a week ago, I had just gotten home from a whirlwind day that involved spending time with Bethenny Frankel and winning a trip to New York City to attend a taping of her new show “bethenny”. The next day was still overwhelming to me as friends and family called to congratulate me after seeing pictures of Bethenny and I in local newspapers. It was just craziness. Is it wrong that the only thing I kept thinking was “Damn, I wish I had paid more attention to what I was wearing when I left the house that morning!”?
If you’ll remember from the post I wrote about meeting Tim Gunn and Andy Cohen, I’m a veteran at the book singing thing. If you are lucky, you get about 30 seconds with the author and potentially capture a so-so picture. I didn’t worry too much about what I was wearing that day – I was dressed “work-like” as opposed to “fashion-like”, if that makes any sense. In hindsight, had I realized I was going to be facing a bank of cameras and have a bunch of pictures taken standing next to the original “Skinnygirl”, I certainly would have picked a more fashionable outfit! At a minimum I wouldn’t have had ponytail-and-sunglasses-on-my-head hair.
The top right picture is my favorite because Bethenny and I are on the phone with my bestie Kari from A Grace Full Life, telling her that she was coming with me to New York City!
I’m honored that I was able to a little time with a woman that I admire personally and professionally. I’ve watched Bethenny on television since her time on Martha Stewart’s ‘The Apprentice”, through ‘The Real Housewives of New York”, “Bethenny’s Getting Married” and Bethenny Ever After”. She’s not afraid to bare her soul and be honest down to her core, regardless of who is watching. Those that write her off as a “reality star” need to remember that she is a self-made business woman who has busted her ass to get where she is. First with Bethenny Bakes, and then with the Skinnygirl brand. No one handed it to her – she worked for it, and that’s just one of the things I really admire about her. The first book of Bethenny’s I read was “A Place of Yes”, and I just got it. I felt like she was talking only to me. And for the first time, I felt like I wasn’t the only one who was a motherless daughter. Something I shared with her when she was kind enough to sign it for me last Tuesday. For a woman that’s been upfront about feeling like she’s broken because of her childhood to be able to make others in the same situation feel like they aren’t alone is an incredible gift. I’m grateful I was able to thank her for it.
After the whirlwind of the morning book signing, followed by interviews with members of Bethenny’s show staff, two members of the local press and then a discussion with instructions from a producer, I left the bookstore in a daze. I knew that I had about four hours to pull myself together and find a way to make myself look more presentable than I did at that moment. Which involved a hair cut and style, dress shopping, and finding a plus one for the#CallingAllMyGirls cocktail party since Kari was unable to attend.
Several hours later, I was at the party inside the Roof on the Wit in Chicago, signing prize winning paperwork and standing in front of a glittery, bedazzled step and repeat with Bethenny for pictures. My plus one for the evening was my friend, children’s book author Amy Logan (gotyourcape.com). Once again I admired how stunning Bethenny is, and how thrilled I was that she is a TALL girl (even with killer heels on – she’s no 5’2″). A few cocktails, more pictures with some other fabulous women who were there (Alison Ray,Meredith Sinclair, and Jessica Ashley), fun party games moderated by Bethenny, a sneak peak of the show and a fun “confessional booth”, Bethenny was back on a plane to New York and I was headed home to my baby girls.
Kari and I were FINALLY able to get together this weekend and catch up on the craziness of what has happened. We are THRILLED to be going to New York City to attend a taping of “bethenny” and can’t wait to get our dates. I used to live in NYC and I am so excited to be able to share a city that I love with Kari, who has never been. I’ll post more details as I get them, and Kari and I will definitely be blogging our adventures through New York.
Bethenny, we can’t wait!!!
You can grab your copy of “Skinnygirl Solutions” available in bookstores now. And make sure your DVR is set for the “bethenny” premier September 9th on Fox! Check out the clip below for a sneak peek at the show, as well as information on what channel and time the show will be on in your part of the country:
Thank you to Marie Wilson from The Daily Herald for the wonderful article that included a nice snippet about my blog!