Fashion after babies...

Hello all! I am SO happy to be here today as Chrissy is recovering from surgery. She is such a sweet, sweet person and a dear friend of mine. Get well soon, my dear! For those of you who don't know me, I am Julie-- and I blog over at Back to the Basics. I started this blog about 5.5 years ago, right before my husband and I got married. It started as more of a journal, and while it still is much of that today, it is about our life in Central IL, our kids, my love of fashion, and my aspiring photography business.

  

I documented both pregnancies on my blog, and let me just say, my fashion sense since then has changed a LOT in my opinion! Even BEFORE I was pregnant with Brayden, I was a pretty strict t-shirt and jeans kind of girl

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I owned long sleeve and short sleeve tee's in almost every color you could imagine, and I was comfortable that way. I wore tennis shoes more often that not, or moccasins in the winter, rarely EVER would you catch me in heels. Fleece pullovers? LOVED them. Still do, just more for loungin! Jewelry? I had a few select pieces, mostly those given to me by Brandon, and I really could have cared less about ever wearing them. Fast forward to me now-- one year after Kenley was born--and I have decided to be bolder. I still love my long sleeve tees, but I don't have them in every color. I have embraced dresses, leggings, pattern, scarves, accessories, and COLOR. It's been awesome. Here are just a few of my most recent outfits---

  

Just because I am a stay at home mom of two doesn't mean I lounge around 24/7 in yoga pants. I mean yes, I do LOVE my yoga pants, but I also like feeling put together. If I get up and spend even 5 extra minutes putting on jeans and a cute scarf and a little makeup, my outlook for my entire day changes. You might know of the What I Wore Wednesday on The Pleated Poppy's blog-- I LOVE participating in this! If you haven't yet, I encourage you to do so! You might find a new combination using clothes you already have! Start small-- add a scarf, a new piece of jewelry, or try a color you wouldn't normally wear. Buy classic pieces and build on them. But most importantly, don't stress-- it should be FUN!