What will the consumer world do without Oprah's Favorite Things??  Last week, Oprah taped her last ever episode of Oprah's Favorite Things, where she selects her favorite items that holiday and gifts ALL of them to her audience.  In true Oprah spirit, the audience is usually made up of good samaritans and deserving citizens.  My personal favorite this year was the woman who has taken in over 40 foster children.  I don't know how she'll divvy up all the goodies amonst her brood, but I feel good about her being one of the lucky recipients.

So who were the lucky brands featured?  Forget the lucky audience, the brands who get this star billing typically blow out of their featured product and gain tons of exposure in the two most important months for retailers - November & December.  Personally, I would love the Ralph Lauren cashmere throw because I'm always cold.  The Judith Ripka yellow crystal drop earrings might have appealed to me the most, but I'm sure the techies of the world were wowed by the flat screen TV, blue-ray DVD player and the 5 year membership to Netflix (if everyone in the U.S. wasn't already a Netflix member, they will be now!)

Why am I writing this article though?  Oprah organized for each audience member to get a new closet, designed by The Container Store.  If only I could track down an audience member for an interview - I would love to know how that turns out.  Who wouldn't want someone to design a closet just for your needs, FOR FREE?!  Container Store, if you need any help with this project, let me know.  I'm in.