Pre-Bino

It was June 28th, 2009, a warm and breezy summer night and we were headed down to Meatpacking to celebrate Lindsey's 23rd birthday. STK an NYC hotspot famous for their tender steaks, a flashy downtown crowd, and rail thin models, was the location of our first over priced beverages of the night.

Lindsey and I met 2 years before, over Craigslist. She was moving to New York to do an dual internship with Chanel and W Magazine, I had just moved from Texas in hopes of becoming the next Bobbi Brown. The only way I agreed to live with her was because she was a sweet Southern Belle from Georgia. We had something in common, I knew we'd be friends. Lindsey met me for drinks in Hells Kitchen, where I was throwing back Pear Martini's with my two adorable Gay's, Jayson and Kieran, or as they liked to be called, KierJay. I was a little nervous for Lindsey to meet them, I wasn't sure if she had been exposed to the lovely world of gay men, like I had. I was raised with a gay uncle, and a plethora of gay friends in high school. Un easy at first, Lindsey seemed to warm up to them after a few drinks. I was also nervous to tell her, KierJay would be sleeping on our living room floor, if we decided to get an apartment together. They begged, and I couldn't say no to them! They were my first friends here! When Lindsey slipped off to the bathroom J whispered in my ear that tonight was the launch of a gay porn magazine, and it was obviously going to be an X rated show. I was terrified for her sake. I thought, she'll think I'm insane and tell her parents I'm some crazy girl who likes gay porn! Luckily she still wanted to live with me, and the next morning we signed our lease together. I then told her, they would be living with us temporarily and it would cut down our rent. She agreed.

From then on L and I took New York by storm. We settled into our first apartment in Brooklyn, in a cozy little neighborhood called Crown Heights. We lived there for approximately 2 months, after getting my laptop stolen out from under me at our local coffee shop, and realizing we were the minority. The four of us parted ways, and promised to keep in touch. I was sad I wasn't going to be able to catch the drag show at Barracuda every Thursday night with K&J. But, Lindsey and I were so excited to be moving into the city! We moved to a small studio on East 60Th St, and 1st Ave. I raved to everyone about our Upper East Side pad, when really it was a grimy Midtown East apartment with one closet. We shared the side of our building with Scores, the strip club, so glamorous. However, we lived in a prime spot for our jobs at the time. Right next to Barney's, where I was freelancing for Bobbi, and Chanel was equally as close for L. We were both miraculously maintaining 3 jobs each, she took on W Mag, Chanel, and Deans, a restaurant we both waited tables at in Tribeca. I did the waiting tables gig with her, Bobbi, and Domino Mag. Somehow we still managed to blow all of our money on expensive French Martinis at PJ Clarke's, it was walking distance from our crib, so needless to say we were regulars on Friday nights. The bartenders were our best friends. I'd play Johnny Cash, and Lindsey would play Frank Sinatra, and we'd dance around like we owned the place. I even managed to meet someone there, who I became shortly obsessed with. He looked just like Vince Vaughn, we talked for a few months, and then I realized he was just a typical NY/Yankee/East Coast ass. (Believe me, they have their own special category)

The days of Domino were the highlight of my time in NYC. I had just moved here and my dear Uncle David, had the hook up, and got me the job. I was clueless, thrown in with the wolves, but caught on quick. I was the Fashion and Beauty intern, and was working under the Fashion Assistant, who was in charge of two very important lives and schedules. The Fashion Director, and The Beauty Editor. Coffee runs at all hours of the day, running to shoots with 20 different colored pairs of tights, filing look books, and rummaging through the beauty closet. I got to meet celebrities, and people I had only dreamed of meeting. I once got to attend an event at The Box on the Lower East Side, where Mischa Barton was taking interviews and speaking about the launch of her new line for Keds. I had a press pass with Domino, and pretended I was an editor. I went up to interview her but I had thrown back so many cosmos in line that I froze up when she said hello to me. Jayson attended the event with me, he boldly said, "Sorry Misch, shes just been obsessed with you since you were little. Do you mind taking a picture with her?" I could have killed him. I walked out happy, drunk, but very happy, with a signed napkin that read, "To Houston, Love Misch, XOXO." I met Heidi Klum once at the launch of her skincare line for Guthy-Renker, she came up to me and said, "Hi I'm Heidi." We then compared nail polish colors, and discussed the anti aging products in her line. Went to the launch of Paris Hilton's Hair Extensions for Sally Hanson, that was not at all interesting, she tried to put a sentence together, I ended up leaving before it was over, embarrassed for her. The best moment of my life was when I got to meet Bobbi Brown for the first time. It was the launch of "Customizable Beauty". I was wearing a black Ralph Lauren cardigan and my favorite pair of Seven Jeans, pearl earrings, pearl necklace. I perfected my make up for hours. Before I walked into the office, I broke out in hives, and had a small asthma/panic attack. I caught my breath and confidently walk through the doors of 575 Broadway, up to the 4Th Floor. There she was, chatting amongst other beauty editors. She was smaller than I expected, wearing Seven jeans as well, and her signature pink scarf. I walked around the room nervously, trying to avoid her, and there we were standing right in front of each other, I had to say something. I put my hand out to shake hers, and introduced my self. I could feel sweat running down my back. She smiled, and asked who I worked for. We chatted a while, and expressed to her my love for her line, and that I had idolized her since I was 13, and that was why I moved to NY in the first place. It was all a little blurry after that, I remember looking down at her writing me a letter of recommendation to work for her line. This was my golden ticket! I clenched onto the letter, we took a picture together, and I jetted out the door, called every person in my phone book! Those were the days.....

After about 6 months of me interning there, the fashion assistant was moving to another magazine, and they had to fill the position fast. I was asked to temp until they hired someone. Then, Domino truly became my life. I had to quit Bobbi, and drop the restaurant. All of my meals were consumed quickly in the Conde' Nast cafeteria. I would sometimes spot Anna Wintour and her posse sipping thru straws and sucking back on diet coke. The women in this cafeteria were not normal. They had yogurt, or clear soup for lunch everyday. Stick figures walking in Louboutins and size 0 Chloe dresses. Needless to say, I felt like an outcast. I knew about fashion, and style, but not like these people. To me splurging was at Banana Republic on a nice dress and a pair of shoes from Nordstrom Rack. Picture a room full of anorexics, all dressed like they just walked out of Carrie Bradshaw's closet. I remember getting scowled at for picking up a piece of bread, or standing in the sandwich line, oh and God forbid I get the frozen yogurt too!

Shortly after accepting the temp position, I became slave to my boss. She was tall, lanky, blond, an NYU graduate, and her knowledge of fashion was beyond me. I would get into the office at 7AM every morning, I was literally the only one on my floor, the receptionist still had two hours to arrive. I'd unlock my bosses door, straighten her desk, open and sort her mail, and have her Skinny Vanilla Latte hot and ready for her by 9, or whenever she'd decide to stroll in. I could hear her slamming her things down on her desk, and right away say, "Houston, darling?" Id jump out of my seat in my last season Tory Burch flats, and scurry into her beautifully decorated office. She had gifts from every editor in the building, fresh flowers from her boyfriend, who I was convinced was gay. She'd give me a list of things to do for the day, week, month. I'd schedule her lunches with "The Chanel Girls", at Fred's every Tuesday at 1. Book her flights, hotels, cars for whatever shoot she had to attend. I knew everything about her, I could tell you every account number she had. I could do her expense reports in 20 minutes. I would RSVP her the shows she requested at Fashion Week, the ones she didn't go to, I would slip my name on the list, and try to go on my lunch breaks. She was the most intense person I have ever worked for. I once used colored tacks, when I was putting up different looks for a story we were working on. I worked on this for countless hours, trying to perfect it, I even had Lindsey come in and give her opinion. I left it in her office and left for the evening. The next morning I get in, and she had beat me to work. She was sitting with her arms crossed staring at me. "These tacks!", she screamed. "They're blinding me! Why did you choose the colored ones?! We always use clear! Fix immediately!" Sometimes I could hear her and the other editors laughing about me, and how I wasn't even near being qualified for this job. I remember feeling so small, but knowing I'd worked so hard for her. I interviewed for the full time fashion assistant position. She laughed in my face, and I tried to explain to her that I was being serious, and I really wanted this job. Her eyes were mean, and her voice was cold, by the end of the interview she had me in tears. I decided this was not meant for me. I am a sweet person, I like to shop on the sale rack, and I enjoy eating a cupcake or two if I'm feeling down. I needed to move on.