I have more clothes than any normal person actually needs. and I very much love shopping. Shopping is one of my favorite pastimes. And what better time to talk about malls and shopping centers than right now, during this lovely holiday season. I'm going to tell you about my five favorite shopping centers and/or malls in the Carolinas:

1. Northlake Mall

Northlake Mall is in Charlotte, North Carolina and it is something like a wonderland. It is big and beautiful! Northlake is a mixture of upscale and a mall for the common man (like me), and it has everything from Gap to Michael Kors. Plus, if you visit at Christmastime, it is filled with wintery displays white with snow. It's a beauty to behold.

2. Carolina Place Mall

Carolina Place Mall is in Pineville, North Carolina which is right across the border from Fort Mill, South Carolina. Carolina Place is your every day one stop shop. My favorite part about Carolina Place is actually the food: they have a Chick-fil-A, Auntie Anne's Pretzels and the first McAllister's I ever went to. Carolina Place also houses my closest Forever 21 and I must say I've spent unreal amounts of money in that location over the years. It's a fun weekend getaway!

3. Columbiana Mall

Columbiana Mall is in Columbia, South Carolina. It probably has about ten trillion stores (I'm exaggerating). But it is probably the largest mall I've been to. The traffic at Columbiana is absolutely horrific, however, once you get inside the mall, it is all worth it. Also, there are so many stores in the area around Columbiana that you could literally waste an entire day and your entire bank account over there.

4. South Park Mall

South Park Mall is in Charlotte, North Carolina and it's like the celebrity mall, as far as Charlotte goes. Not in the sense that you see celebrities there, but in the sense that going there just makes you feel good about yourself. There's the lovely Banana Republic and my closest Urban Outfitters in the South Park Mall, so needless to say, South Park is like a heaven on earth to me.

5. Village at Sandhill

Village at Sandhill is in Columbia, South Carolina. According to Google, it is a "300-acre lifestyle center." There are stores, restaurants and living quarters at Village at Sandhill. I vividly remember the New York & Company at Village at Sandhill being wonderful. I love the way Sandhill is put together and how it gives you the opportunity to walk around and experience everything.

In case it isn't obvious, I love shopping, and I love these places; so, if you get the chance to visit any, or all, you should definitely go.