Project Runway alum Nick Verreos is the softer side of Sears this holiday season in a new ad campaign called "Wishtories" that also features Ty Pennington, LL Cool J and Vanessa Hutchens. Each spot has a celebrity sitting down and talking about a childhood Christmas gift they received that helped them reach their dreams. Uncle Nick's is of course, a sewing machine.

The ads are wonderfully heartwarming with the underlying theme of "Please, oh God, please buy stuff this season, even if there's not going to be any stock market or auto industry and we'll all be fighting each other off with hand-carved sticks come January. Pleeeeeaaaaassse" which is done primarily through orchestral strings and nostalgic childhood memories. Seriously, by the time Nick gets around to talking about how he thanks his parents every single day and tells them "my successes are your successes", every kid who's ever even glanced at a thread and needle will be getting a brand new Craftsman sewing machine under the tree this year. Don Draper would approve.

Nick told Queerty all about the experience:

"I was approached over a month ago-in the midst of making my Spring Collection for the Bahamas Fashion Week-by Sears to be in their upcoming Holiday Commercial and ad campaign…

Well, needless to say I was floored-and started jumping up and down like a little girl!

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Did someone forget to take their disco nap? Neil Patrick Harris didn't look very pleased during the photo call for HRC's Ally Awards last night.

Meanwhile, George Takei's sudden case of permasmile left guests wondering about his acting future, to which Takei replied, "I guess I'll just have to be type cast: gay!"

Project Runway winner Christian Siriano seemed the gayest to be there. Speaking of smile happy PR alums, why did WireImage credit designer Nick Verreos as an "actor". Even more importantly: what would Shakespeare say about reality shows?

HRC also wrangled wild woman Judith Light for last night's Ally Awards. The Ugly Betty actress seemed randy as ever and got rather cozy with Point Foundation's Jorge Valencia. Hot new couple alert? Speaking of hot couple - check out Ricki Lake's diamond earrings. We're not crying, baby!

Old friend and Ally honoree Anne Hathaway loomed large over HRC honcho, Joe Solmonese, who later gave Miss California Raquel Beezley a bit of a squeeze at the actual ceremony. Do we smell another political sex scandal?

The always handsome John Amaechi also joined the fun and Thea Gill flaunted her seamless skin. And, of course, it wouldn't be a gay event until Wilson Cruz starts the so-called party. Thus it was done…

See the pictures - in that order - after the jump…

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Nick Verreos is Project Runway’s sassy front-runner. The funny Californian recently told Bradford Shellhammer how he really feels about Santino, why he dislikes celebrity designers, and why Kark Lagerfeld looked better chunky.

We both worked for FIDM. What was your experience like at the school?
Several years ago, they asked me to come in and speak to the students , as an alumnus of the school who had "succeeded" in the industry. The response was so positive, that consequently, they asked me if I had time to teach some classes part time. I did, and I discovered that I enjoyed teaching the students and "giving back" all the knowledge I've acquired so far working 12+ years in this industry.

No surprise that I sort of enjoyed being "on stage." The feedback I get from the students is that they find my methods and instruction to be refreshing and rewarding at the same time. Overall, I love teaching, it just takes up a lot of time(outside of class) and sometimes it can be really annoying to deal with students that are there for the wrong reasons: rich kids who have been told my their mommy or daddy that they have “great style” or they can “put outfits very well together,” etc. As well as the current phenomenon of “celebrity designers,” which leads kids to think that it really doesn't require hard work and struggle to do well in the gritty Fashion Industry and that it can happen overnight. I sometimes wish the school would do more of a selective /weeding out process BEFORE they got to us.

Do you read blogs? If so which?
When I have time I do. I am humbled by the support and positive feedback and comments that most of them say about me. Some of my faves are Queerty of course, Blogging Project Runway, Television Without Pity, and Four Four is pretty funny! The whole "whickety whack" and "Uncle Nick" threads are slaying me!!!!!!! Wish I would have made a T-shirt with that written on it!

Also, my friends are always sending me stuff that is being thrown out there in the electronic atmosphere. Good and bad stuff. Fashion and designing/creating fashion is very emotional for me, so to read people's critiques of what we do, which for me comes from my heart—can affect me emotionally. It's especially difficult when I read or hear comments from people that have really no knowledge of what we go through, and the time constraints, etc. My sister, a former Miss Venezuela and a model, used to say the following to people: "If you are not a Make-up Artist, don't talk about my make-up; if you are not a Hair Stylist, don't talk about my hair; and if you are NOT my brother, don't comment on the clothes that I am wearing." But I know that people feel compelled to put in their two cents, heck I used to do it as well, after watching America's Next Top Model or other shows like that. Needless to say, I don't do it anymore, my outlook and views have changed: I have become the commented-on, not the commentator!

After the jump Nick tells us about his relationship with Santino.

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