You love Bethenny Frankel. She is, of course, your favorite character from The Real Housewives of New York City on Bravo (guest star and her BGF (best gay friend) Francky L’Official comes in at a close second). However, it is her unique personality and drive that convinced us she would be the ideal cover girl for our 2009 Red Carpet issue. And guess what? We were the first to hear the news of her engagement!

Bethenny in Love
When we first sat down with Bethenny in May 2009, we accidentally stumbled on a scoop: Bethenny told us she had been dating a man seriously for eight months and that she thought he was the one. We heard an engagement and a wedding were in the works. She also told us at the time that her dream ring was a 6-carat oval-shaped diamond with micro-pave diamonds. We asked, “How can she be sure after such a short time?” She kind of convinced us though, even though we didn’t get to meet her “BF,” Jason Hoppe. Here’s the rundown:

Jason works in real estate. They are the same age (38), want the same things and enjoy the same hobbies (tennis being their favorite one). He is kind, modest and a good person. He can handle her success and her crazy lifestyle. He is the product of a very grounded and normal family. And, last but not least, he is tall and good looking.

Behind the scenes
As you can tell, we all enjoyed our day with Bethenny. Check out our behind-the-scenes video of our photo shoot with her. Although all the shots were gorgeous, we all fell in love with the shot of Bethenny on the rooftop of The Empire Hotel, though we were terrified that she might fall while teetering on her Christian Louboutin heels. She was also lovely in the Lela Rose tea party-style outfit…very elegant and proper. And on our cover shot she looked sweet and relaxed. But she rocked the house and gathered crowds of fans in the Veronica Lake-inspired look in the lobby of the hotel wearing a $22,500 special-order dress by Pnina Tornai that fit her cellulite-free body (sigh) like a glove. It’s amazing how far the SkinnyGirl and New York housewife has come.

Hard knock life
Bethenny grew up in an environment of alcoholism and abuse. For some people, such an environment would have been destructive, but it was probably what molded her successful career. Straightforward, drive, hard-working and smart, Bethenny, the SkinnyGirl, is the new up and coming household name. Move over Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray and Oprah. The SkinnyGirl empire is about to take over.

Bethenny’s first book, Natually Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting, is still near the top of the New York Times best-sellers list, and she already has four more books in the works. Bethenny’s second book will focus on her recipes. The third book will be about relationships, book four will deal with finances and the fifth book will cover entertaining – SkinnyGirl style.

The 7 things you want to know about Bethenny
1. What is her dog’s name? The irreverent 9-year-old Cookie loves to maul people with love.

2. What is her favorite color? Red.

3. What is her dress size? 0

4. Est-ce qu’elle parle bien Francais? Oui.

5. What’s her favorite drink? The SkinnyGirl margarita

6. What do you need to be her friend? A great sense of humor, integrity and to not take yourself seriously.

7. What are the flaws she hates in others? Lies, not owning it and insecurity.