By 
It’s the most wonderful time of the year; parties, family, friends, gifts, giving, food, festivities, generalized merriness, and the MONTANA AVENUE HOLIDAY WALK. It’s a night of fun on one my favorite streets in Los Angeles, where almost every shop stays open and celebrates the season with festive drinks, goodies, and good sales. Rumor has it Santa tends to show up too. So in the spirit of the holiday season, here’s you’re shopping guide, one lovely stop on my favorite Montana Avenue at a time. See you December 4th, 5-9pm. Cheers!
Holiday parties, Friendsgiving’s, and family gatherings all tend to involve amazing food and a good dessert goes a long way! After hearing the cherry pie at Sweet Lady Jane was on Oprah’s list of favorite things, it was a no-brainer contribution, and if I may say total crowd pleaser, at my co-worker’s Friendsgiving! They have quite the array of baked goodies for any occasion or just a sweet treat for yourself and busy to do list!
Before any good shopping run I always make sure to stop and get a good caffeine buzz. Caffe Luxxe is one of the best places to do that, with the most delectable selection of latte’s, espresso and treats.
Couldn’t resist a little chocolate croissant and americana pick me up!
One of my favorite accessory shops happens to also be my go to place for waxing too. The front of Frilly Lilly‘s beauty boutique on Montana is full of gorgeous baubles, perfect for stocking stuffers and as an addition to any holiday party outfit. I’m obsessed with the gold statement necklace (pictured above)!
All of the wax care/beauty/bath products are top notch and beautifully packaged, that’s the winning combination in my book! I particularly love the Argentinean lemon collection, how cute are these mason jars with all the minis from the lemon inspired line? But if you can only pick one, my favorite is the scrub and the lip butter!
Williams Sonoma never disappoints and has become a staple for celebrating the holidays. They also have the best peppermint bark, which they tend to give out at the holiday walk. This year, I am obsessing over copper cookware. Despite the fact that I tend to rely on take out and the microwave, I really think a set of beautiful copper pans would ignite my inner top chef, or at the very least, instill some kitchen confidence!
One of my favorite gifts I have ever received was a super soft hotel robe with my monogram. This year, maybe I need some sweet pajamas to match and Sleepy Jones has some uber soft and comfy selections!
Good shopping sessions tend require frequent breaks, meals and snacks, especially when shopping for other people! Art’s Table is a perfect quick lunch spot, the tana cobb really hit the spot, delicious but light. I honestly never thought I’d crave a salad so much, but if I could I’d have it every day for lunch.
The gift of good hair will always be in vogue, but I just love the fun that comes along with it at Drybar (a coffee, glass of wine, fun movies & gossip). Also another easy stop before all those holiday parties starting up. Don’t forget to treat yourself too!
As always, a good hostess gift goes a long way and I personally love receiving flowers for any occasion, especially after having company over. It’s the gift that keeps pretty for a few days and there’s something really precious about that. I’ve found Whole Foods to make some of the prettiest bouquets, particularly the one I posted awhile back on Instagram here and conveniently located right in the center of Montana Avenue.
Celebrations would be nothing without some festive decor to get everyone in the holiday spirit and Stephanie Grace is the place to truly deck those halls and hang the mistletoe. A leader in design for events and weddings, they have the best selection to make a home merry and bright. 
When in doubt, head to Brentwood General Store, the one stop shop for all the goodies, linens, candy, & gourmet food. They have tons of adorable home goods perfect for stocking stuffers, hostess gifts and entertaining supplies. A long time resident at my one of my favorite places, the Brentwood Country Mart, the general store is now in a larger space with even more to offer on Montana Avenue.
One major task I find every year around this time is finding the perfect holiday attire for all the festive parties and of course New Year’s Eve. Despite my usual pre-occupation with anything that sparkles, I am even more inclined to go all out around this time of year, aka, say yes to the sequin, fur, metallics, and shimmer. And Jane seems to have it all, at a particularly good price point too, all pieces under $98. Now that’s something to be merry about.
And at the end of long shopping day on Montana, I highly recommend a glass of champs, along with the best pasta at Forma. The pasta is not only hand made, but then polished off in a cheese wheel for your enjoyment. The result is delicious and I highly recommend the chicken meatballs, broccolini, polenta fondue, spaghetti ‘cacio e peppe’, filet mignon with gorgonzola sauce as well as any combination of all the great cheeses offered.
I hope you enjoyed all my favorite places to get ‘holidazed’ on Montana Avenue. Don’t forget to stop by the Holiday Walk on Friday, December 4th, from 5-9pm and partake in all the festivities!
Cheers,
Xx, Monica
Authentically,
