Each week on the San Antonio Mom Blogs Facebook page I’m selecting a Fan of the Week. This week’s featured fan and San Antonio Mom Blogger is Tori Johnson. Want to be selected as a Fan of the Week? Like San Antonio Mom Blogs on Facebook and participate!

Tori Johnson and I sat next to each other at the same table at the very first BMPR (Business/Media/Public Relations Tweetup) in San Antonio in March of 2009. We bonded over PR, social media talk, and Mexican food but that was where our similarities at the time ended. Tori was (and still is) devastatingly stylish. I was a new mom to two young babies and I rarely left the house in anything but yoga pants. Tori was a newlywed, focused on her career with a Dallas PR firm. I was starting my own social media consulting business from home and trying to juggle it along with a demanding breastfeeding schedule, never enough sleep, and the daily challenge of a jealous toddler.

We stayed in touch online but rarely saw each other. It wasn’t until Tori had a son of her own, began writing a blog about new motherhood (as well as fashion, food, travel, and other great lifestyle topics), and started her own business, that our paths crossed again. Having been inducted to the wild and woolly world of motherhood and small business ownership herself, Tori and I greeted each other with the knowing smiles shared by those who can empathize over raising both a family and a business at the same time. We’re years apart in age and light years apart when it comes to style (as in, I don’t have any), but she makes me (and all of her readers) believe that being a mom and looking good don’t have to be mutually exclusive traits.

Parenting often keeps us in the trenches (and occasionally covers us in pureed sweet potatoes, dirt, and fingerprint). How can parents maintain (or find) their sense of style?

Since becoming a mother there have been many days where I feel like I’m lucky if I’ve actually had a shower and am not wearing my pajamas for the second day in a row. Being a parent frequently means that you have to put many things on the back burner including your style. I do think it’s important though to try and take some time when you can to wear things that make you feel good (and help you remember that you are not just a mom). Your style may have to go through some adjustments when you enter motherhood but you can still be fashionable. Some great options are switch out your four-inch stilettos for some cute patterned ballet flats or just add a scarf. Don’t have time to wash your hair? That’s OK – throw on a cute head wrap. Accessories are a perfect and affordable way to jazz up any outfit. And I say all the time that our children are the perfect accessory every day of the week!

What has surprised you most since becoming a parent?

There are really two things that have surprised me the most. The first hit me the moment I held Luke – and that is the new definition that love takes when you have a child. It absolutely blew my mind. I knew I would love my child but I didn’t know that I would love this little human being so much that it really becomes an obsession. The second thing that surprised me was how much work being a parent is! It really is a never-ending 24/7 job! It’s filled with stress and exhaustion but also filled with joy and happiness.

Your blog always showcases your beautiful photography. What photography tips can you share with other bloggers?

First of all, thank you so much for complimenting my photography. It’s actually one of the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of my blog. I never have anyone available to take pictures of me so I had to figure out a way to take them myself. I guess my number one advice is…invest in a good camera and get a tripod. All the pictures of my son and I are shot using a tripod. Secondly, just get outside, take lots of pictures and play with your camera. Lastly, find good editing software that you like. Many times I have tons of photos to edit so I just don’t have time to put them all in Photoshop. I recommend PicMonkey or Pixlr-o-Matic. Both are free online editing software.

Someone hands you a $100 bill and says you can only spend it on one of the following: a pair of shoes, an accessory, or a piece of clothing. What do you buy and where do you get it from?

I love a fancy designer label as much as anyone else but truly I’m a bargain shopper. I pretty much don’t buy anything unless it’s on sale. So if someone gave me $100 I’d buy a pair of shoes, a fabulous necklace AND a piece of clothing. I really enjoy discovering new, small designers (particularly other moms). Right now I’m really digging accessories from Three Bird Nest which I found on Etsy.

What blogs inspire you?

My list changes from week to week but as of this week here are my faves:

· The Wiegands: Casey Wiegand truly writes in a way that infects people. It gets down under your skin and you just begin to feel her emotions like they are your own.

· Sleeping Should Be Easy: Nina is my go-to blogger friend when it comes to motherhood questions. Not only does she tell it like it is but she analyzes it and then gives you a bulleted list to live by! Not to mention, she is now pregnant with TWINS!

· Cupcakes and Cashmere: Emily Schuman is my go-to fashion blogger. She’s every fashion bloggers’ idol.

· Mr. Kate: Style, quirkiness, fab DIY’s – Kate Albrecht does it all in this too cool for school blog!

Find Tori: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest