This is the face of hip! No, not broken hips, but cool vintage threads. In case you haven't seen it yet, we've released our Best of Citysearch results and I named the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Thrift Shop as my fave vintage shop. Sure, it's not as hipster chic as fantastic new contender Fox & Fawn, but the combo of designer donations, totally eclectic selection and good cause (the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center) made me stray from the LES-Williamsburg vintage nexus just this once.

Check out the results:

Best vintage shop

Best gift shop

Best used bookstore

No, I haven't become an egomaniacal dictator; I've become an egomaniacal tourist! I bought these stamps at the United Nations, where, besides attempting to prevent global violence, disease and hunger, they take pictures of tourists and put them on stamps that are only good at the United Nations. The dude at the counter told me that the stamps are most popular with middle-aged Chinese tourists, but that doesn't mean your mom won't enjoy a postcard with a [Your Name Here] stamp mailed from New York City. What other tchotchkes would your out-of-town guests enjoy?

How about a cool memo pad made from old Metrocards, or a baseball with a subway map printed on it? Whether you are a tourist or just hosting one, check out our "Souvenir Hunter: NYC's 5 Top Tchotckes" feature.

Yep, we're cutting out early and will be back after the holidays. Citysearch has about a million and one gift guides to keep the desperate slackers occupied who have yet to actually shop for Christmas (like a certain someone we know over at Imbible).

People Pleasing Gift Guide
Gifts for Him
Gifts for Her
Gifts for the Kids
Gifts for the Pets

Not to mention, a whole slew of new Best of Citysearch shopping Top 10s: From naughty to nice.

Most of us love fashion yet hate the trampede of shopping bags and credit cards during the holiday season. Aside from dropping your dough on incorrect sizes, fits and colors at online retail shops, may I suggest fashion books as a safe and educational alternative? Thanks to the internet gods, it's easier and sometimes cheaper to buy books online than face the threat of elbows and "sold-out" signs. Here is a list of my favorite fashion books this season:

For the trendy, wardrobe-flipping best friend who seems to always be on top of the fashion world, get her a subscription to Fashion Trends - The Forecast Book, $385.

For the wanna-be do-it-yourself co-worker who needs a lesson in sewing, pick up Built by Wendy's Sew U, $17.15.

For the Facehunter and the Sartorialist stalker who longs to emulate  street fashion, pick up The New York Look Book: A Gallery of Street Fashion, $16.47.

For the arty, avant-garde fashionista who has it all, an issue of Visionaire, which is more like an art object, may be a wonderful treat.

For the budding fashion historian and collector of encyclopedias, pick up The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Costume and Fashion History: From 1066 to Present Day, $16.47.

1. I don't mean to get all macaroni-glued-to-construction-paper on you, but I just can't help it--'Tis the season for craft fairs! For an entry fee of $1 you can hit up Bust Magazine's Craftacular and a get chance to meet Amy Sedaris.

2. For a less crowded, non-commercial feel, roll out to Bushwick, the struggling artists paradise, for the Handmade Holiday Craft Fair at 3rd Ward.

3. Squeeze in some Native American art while you shop at the holiday market at the National Museum of the American Indian this weekend. The 36 Native American artists will be selling handmade art, apparel and jewelry.

4. Fashionistas who cringe at the thought of wearing the same thing as someone else should check out the Style Market at F.I.T. for one-of-kind threads, accessories and jewelry.

5. Tired of the old dinner and bar Friday routine? Go for some baked yumminess and tea at Alice's Tea Cup II before taking in a fashion discussion at the French Institute between Pamela Golbin, a Parisian fashion curator, and Olivier Theyskens of Nina Ricci.

(Photo Courtesy of Bust's Craftacular)

The holidays are here, and you find yourself in the uncomfortable position of shopping for your girlfriend/sister/mother/homeless cat lady. Don't worry guys (or women who hate shopping), we have the perfect solution: Our Gifts for Her roundup!

For your first stop, check out the Taschen store in Soho. Paris Mon Amour ($14.99) is a collection of Paris scenes from some of the city's most renowned photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Doisneau. What girl doesn't love Paris?

Next, stop by Jonathan Adler's West Village shop for some extremely hip home goods. Mod pillows, scented candles and absurdly cool pottery all make for amazing gifts.

Finally, if your relationship is in the meet-the-parents stage instead of the maybe-I'll-call-after-the-game stage, you should consider opening up your wallet and splurging. This Hayden-Harnett "Tharpe" hobo bag in grey leather ($548) from hh design: shop is chic, subtle and perfect for everyday use.

Check out six more shopping suggestions in the rest of our Gifts for Her feature. Enjoy!

Etsy Labs in Brooklyn

It's starting to get cold out there, meaning you can: a.) spend tons of money on sweaters and scarves b.) drink nothing but vodka for the next four months c.) make your own cool outerwear and accessories.

I would go with option c. (I'm more of a whiskey man myself), and luckily we at Citysearch have a brand new feature for you. It's called D.I.Y. 'Til You Die, and no, it's not a guide on how to spike your hair (egg yolks!) and look dissaffected in a Misfits T-shirt. Think more along the lines of cool craft shops with classes on sewing, knitting, embroidery, hat making and other fun ways to make your own duds, although you can still sew on that Cramps patch to your newly knit sweater.

Still scrambling for last-minute Father's Day gift ideas? Bad child! There's not enough time to be down on yourself, though. We've come up with a few ways to say "thanks" to dad properly including the truly stylish shirts at Steve Allen and gourmet suds from Park Slope's Bierkraft. If eating out is more your celebrating style, we have ideas for where to take dad out to dinner, too. Does dad truly not want anything? Donate to charity. Former nightlifer turned charity man Scott Harrison has made it simple. Donate $20 in dad's name and all the money goes to helping Africans get access to clean water. Plus, you get a cool e-card.

Mother's Day is right around the corner! No gift? Then do some last-minute shopping with the help of our Mother's Day gift guide, which has lots of helpful suggestions like handmade jewelry from Cog & Pearl or oh-so-hip house wares from Jonathan Adler. Need to know where to get her flowers and spa treatments, or where to take her out for brunch? Don't worry, we have suggestions for all those as well.

Mother's Day is soon, and this year might be time to graduate from the Duane Reade-bought greeting card. Why not get her something that she actually wants? A few suggestions:

Cupcakes from Sugar Sweet Sunshine--delicious baked goods without the Magnolia lines.

Adorably hip pottery and other house wares from the new Jonathan Adler store.

Colorful journals, picture frames, fun stationery--crafty moms will love pretty much anything you get them from Kate's Paperie.

Buy handmade jewelry from local artists at Cog & Pearl.

Check out our complete list of Mother's Day gift suggestions here.