Last Minute Holiday Outfits & Gifts with Ann Taylor

Can you believe Christmas is one week from tomorrow? I have approached the holiday so differently this year, and I'm not sure if I like it more this way or not yet. In previous years, the past ten or so to be exact, I am generally done shopping by Cyber Monday. It was my thing. Everything has always been done this way, I start early and finish before most get started. This year, well this year is much different. I'm going to blame it on the early Thanksgiving date, but there was no real sense of urgency to start shopping. My kids had no clue what they wanted...heck, anyone I asked had no clue what they wanted. So I waited. Now, we have one week until Christmas and I still have to shop for nine of my forty-one gifts! In an odd turn of events, I'm not hating the last minute crowds. I'm enjoying how festive the malls look and my kids are having fun going with me when I dash out to cross off two or three more people from my list.

Speaking of malls that are looking beautiful, have you been to Oakbrook Mall lately? Wow, is it growing and changing. It's my old stomping grounds and any excuse to make it out this way, I'm all over it. I was recently asked to stop into Ann Taylor at Oakbrook Mall to find some great last minute gifts and holiday outfits. Yes please! I'm such a fun of this brand as you guys know by now, and I couldn't wait to pop in and see what they had for the people on my list, and for me to wear to my party.

When I first walked into the store, my eyes went right to the leopard print. Ann Taylor has so many amazing leopard pieces right now, I decided I must do a try-on first. I pulled dresses in red and emerald, velvet pants, print pants, denim, coats, sweaters, and a few blouses. In our family, Christmas Eve is a dressy event, but Christmas day is much more casual. By casual I mean pajamas for the first party and denim by the second. I wanted to find outfits that would work for whatever kind of party you are attending. Head over to my IG stories today for my try-on videos, I did pull some great pieces!

As you can see, I ended up getting this red blouse, skinny jeans, and faux fur coat. Plus, I recently picked up these boots as well, so I decided to add them to my Christmas look. You guys, I am in love! The entire outfit is effortless and chic, plus I love how you can wear it so many times before and after the holiday as well! The blouse is timeless and I love the color. In a surprise turn of events, I got a pair of skinny jeans. To be honest, I had no plans to pick up new denim. I actually grabbed them so I had denim to pair with my try-on items in the dressing room. However, once I tried them on, I was hooked! Holy cow you guys, if you have never tried on Ann Taylor denim before, run don't walk to Ann Taylor Oakbrook to get yourself a pair. The fit is amazing and oh so flattering. So yep, those are coming with me! ;) In the end, the jacket was meant to be. I put it on and was not able to take it off. I kid you not, this beauty was calling to me from the second I walked into the store. I'm so glad it did as it ties my entire look together! 

Next up, it was time to look for some last minute gift ideas. As you saw above in my video (and you will see in my IG stories as well), I'm loving the idea of gifting sweaters and/or accessories from Ann Taylor. First off, sweaters. They have so many wonderful options to choose from, and pretty much everything in the store is on sale right now. (Score!) Sweaters are an item we all love to get cozy in and wear for the better part of winter. So why not gift something your sister or aunt would actually love and wear? The other thing I was drawn to for last minute gifts, was accessories. They had everything from jewelry cases and dishes to scarves and hats. I was also loving the pajamas and velvet clutches I saw. Again, check out my IG stories for more gift ideas and swipe up links to shop!

Coat, Blouse, Jeans, & Boots: c/o Ann Taylor // Bag: Forever 21 (old)

Do you still have Christmas shopping to do like me? What are you wearing to your holiday party? Thank you so much from stopping by the blog today. I hope you make it a great day! xoxo 

*This post was sponsored by Ann Taylor however all opinions above are genuine and my own.