I went to NYC! And wait...it gets better...I attended the taping of the Project Runway Season Six Finale! Jealous? Thought so.
Here's how it went down.
I flew in Thursday and had dinner with my friend Alex who lives in Brooklyn. The city is somewhat overwhelming at first, not to mention that my shuttle dropped me off at the wrong hotel. Awesome. We headed to Carnegie Deli, taking the long way around to see the sights. After dinner we headed to Vlada for drinks. Vlada is possibly the smallest bar I've ever been to, but fun was had. I actually had difficulty sleeping Thursday night. It felt like Christmas! A really big, gay Christmas, with Heidi Klum starring as Santa.
Friday morning came, and I got up super early to primp. I arrived at the tent fairly early, and started to get giddy when I saw Korto and Chris March appear in line. Once inside the tent, I lost all control of my giddiness when I saw the "Project Runway" screen. Soon after Jay entered, and Kara Janx, and Jack Mackenroth, and Christian...the giddiness just kept coming.The show itself seemed rather subdued. Heidi talked about how "sad" she was regarding all the litigation stuff, and Tim reflected the same feelings in his closing comments. The collections themselves were good, though I think there was a clear winner (#3!). I was sitting in full view of the judges and I can tell you that Nina did NOT enjoy collection #2. Oh, Nina. You and your condescending glares make me so happy.
I was rather disappointed with the celebrity presence. Dinah Lohan is NOT a celebrity. The runway was quite chaotic after the show. I had to prioritize picture-taking, and luckily grabbed Korto before she headed out. I love love love her. Christian was mobbed with reporters, so I headed to Kenley and grabbed a shot with her.
In the meantime I ran into Laura K and Scarlett from BloggingProjectRunway.com. These classy ladies (plus TBone!) are the reason I attended the show, so I must bestow all sorts of gratitude in their general direction. They also kept me properly fed, so my mother thanks y'all as well.
Speaking of which, an amazing brunch sponsored by BPR followed the runway show. I met fellow ticket winners and designers galore, and talked at length with Stella and Jerell. I had to take a moment during brunch to calm myself, as the Project Runway-ness happening all around me had finally reached a breaking point. After taking my moment, I was able to hold a rational conversation with the designers, and not freak out a la a 14-year old girl at Jonas Bros concert. Or a la me at a Jonas Bros concert. They have strange hypnotic powers, those Jonas Bros.
Anywho, brunch was amazing. Talked a lot about the new collections and realized that I don't hate Kenley all that much. She actually reminds me of one of my best friends...super sweet and pretty girl with just a little bit of a bitchy streak that makes her fun. Actually that describes most of the girls I know. Huh.After brunch I toured Central Park, ate a hot dog from a cart, and headed to the Met. I sprinted around the first floor trying to take it all in, but that place is freaking HUGE. Good Lord you could spend a month in there and not see everything. I luckily escaped within an hour after being summoned to dinner at Craft Steak - Tom Collichio's restaurant. Unfortch Tom wasn't there, thereby dashing my hopes of meeting every Bravo-lebrity ever in one solid weekend. Way to crush my dreams, Tom.
The rest of the weekend was spent frolicking through the city. Headed to Chelsea on Saturday, saw a show with Alex and Alyssa Saturday night (Altar Boyz...I highly recommend). After the show, I used my phone to find somewhere to eat, and found the gayest sushi restaurant in existence. It was more like a gay bar that happened to serve sushi, and there was a drag show going on in the back room. Again, fun was had.
Sunday was rainy and drizzly so I shopped for a bit and headed to the airport early. I actually shopped quite a bit throughout the weekend. I think my H&M count was up to five by Sunday (I shopped at two different ones).
In short, I absolutely loved the city and would move there in a heartbeat if I could find a job. There's so much energy and pretty lights everywhere, and with as ADD as I am, that makes me feel right at home. I can't wait for the new season of "Project Runway" to air, no matter the network. It'll be *that* much more intriguing watching the season knowing that I was part of the experience.
