4 minute read

Earlier this year, you may recall I partnered with The Shops at Columbus Circle team to share some of my favorite fall trends and where to find them in The Shops. Today, I'm so excited to bring you my next installment, a behind the scenes look at the making of their holiday gift guides.

When it comes to holiday shopping, I'm a one and done kind of gal, which usually works against me most years, since I'm also a wait until the last minute kind of gal. While I may have an unhealthy relationship with my Prime membership (guilty as charged), there's nothing quite like shopping around a bustling shopping center, right after Thanksgiving, once the decorations go up, Bing Crosby starts crooning overhead and every once and a while, you catch a glimpse of a man in a red suit breezing by. In fact, there's something quite nostalgic about that, right? I remember as a little girl, every year right after Thanksgiving passed, I'd head down to our local shopping center with my mom and dad to shop around, listen to carolers and oggle all the decorations in the windows and on the trees. Hot chocolate was practically mandatory as you snuck away with your shopping list, so no one knew what you were getting for them. It was all too easy to get caught up in the magic of the season.

And this is a huge reason why I love The Shops at Columbus Circle so much -- especially in a city like New York, which is already brimming with the magic of the season (side PSA note: you need to check out their Holiday Under the Stars installation -- it's breathtaking). As a New Yorker, it's easy to get overwhelmed with holiday shopping that can seemingly leave you trekking all over the city -- uptown to downtown, to Brooklyn and back. Since I'm a self-proclaimed one and done kind of gal though, I'm a huge fan of the breadth of stores at The Shops, which means I can pick up pretty much everything for everyone on my list, from the gourmand to the beauty lover, from mom to dad, from best girlfriends to the hard to shop for boyfriend. Here's a rundown of my holiday gift guide, all of which you can find over at The Shops! Plus, don't forget to check out my gift guide video right this way.

For the foodie: Williams Sonoma is just one of those stores you need to walk into, am I right? Practically every time, I do, I discover something new -- whether it's a gadget for a new in-store offering (like their cooking demonstrations!). This time around, all of rosegold accents caught my eye while I was in store and I think anything from their full copper cookware collection would be a beautiful gift for the person who loves to entertain!

For the music lover: While walking around The Shops the other day, I discovered a new wireless speaker brand -- Devialet. They have a fully equipped, sound booth right there on the 3rd floor, so you can experience each speaker to its full potential, which then got me thinking about certain discerning music fans on my list. The sound capabilities are breathtaking, and while yours truly might get evicted if she blasted one even just at 30%, I think it would also be incredible for surround sound at home movie or TV show binge watching.

For the beauty buff: MAC can be tricky for holiday shopping, mainly because I always end up walking around with more than I intended for myself as well (I'm a Ruby Woo lip gal myself)! Come holiday time, I love that they always merchandise and curate the best stocking stuffer gifts -- from beautifully designed brush sets to travel lipstick packs -- perfect for any beauty lover (or in my case beauty vloggers) in your life.

For him: Guys can be the easiest to shop for and the hardest -- which is why I tend to rely on timeless classics when it comes to the guys on my list. This year, I'm eyeing a herringbone coat from Hugo Boss for my boyfriend, but shhh...don't tell him!

For YOU: Anddddd naturally, no shopping trip is complete without picking up a holiday frock (or two)! Of course, when I was browsing around Hugo Boss, there were a few cocktail dresses that caught my eye. Best part? If you happen to have a party, say that evening, Hugo Boss offers in-store tailoring to make sure your purchase is JUST right.

For Mom: Whenever my mom comes to visit me here in NYC, she inevitably tries out a lot of my different perfumes (and I swear, there have been a few times, they've mysteriously gone missing after her visit!), which is why I love heading to Jo Malone to pick up a few of my favorite scents for her to keep. This particular year, I've also been eyeing their advent calendar, which I think would keep her busy on 24 different Jo Malone products -- fingers crossed she shares with me!

For Dad: My dad is currently in the process of building a custom home up in a beautiful forested area outside Spokane, Washington. I'm sure anyone who's done the same will agree with his opinion that it's an exciting but very long process! I personally think if you want a custom home, then buying a modular home like those from this custom home builder north carolina is the best way to go as it is far easier and a lot quicker. But he wanted to build his home from scratch, so that's what he's doing. He knows people in Texas who've done the same, and they sold their previous property to these San Antonio house buyers that do what they say to get the cash quickly and start building their own dream. They'll be breaking ground in the spring, but since he's doing a lot of property visits up until winter hits, I'm eyeing a few of Hugo Boss' cashmere scarves and lined leather gloves for him, to keep him warm and stylish!

Video by Bobby Hicks

This post was in collaboration with The Shops at Columbus Circle. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!