when did it become popular to...

Lately I've been straight up perplexed about life and fashion and people and just the whole bunch of mess. I feel like I must have fallen asleep for 100 years and woken up to a cluster bomb (that's me using my "lady language" because about half of you can guess what I really wanted to say) of confusion. So let's just start with the first thing that's on my mind, people. Like, the general population of human beings...

When did it become popular to look like a poster child for "People at Walmart" when flying on an airplane??? Air travel use to be a glamorous event where people would wear nice clean clothing and actually shower before cramming into a metal container and flying off to wherever their destination might be. I'm not even trying to get on a soapbox about how we need to look like Audrey Hepburn and glam the heck up to travel. Travel is long and exhausting and usually annoying as all get-out. What I'm saying is that now days, and it feels like it just magically happened, people are rolling into airports in the same pair of sweat pants that they've been wearing for a week straight and a clear disregard for any and all hygiene (dental, personal, you name it!). Now look, no judgement if you want to rock crusty sweats with stank breath (wait... who am I kidding?? I am definitely judging you.) but do it in the privacy of your own, presumably filthy, home. Have some common courtesy (which apparently is not so common anymore) and put on some clean clothes and brush that cave of gingivitis so we can all fly in harmony.

In a nutshell, do this...

 

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Not this... 

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When did it become popular for a "beautiful" woman to look so dang sad in photos??? What was wrong with the smile? We all need to look pained and out of breath to be beautiful now? Hell nah (oh snap, here I go getting a little more unfiltered. You can tell I'm getting heated over here!)! Let me tell you how I came to this shocking discovery... I am casually browsing Pinterest this morning, per usual, and I'm picking out hair styles that I want to try, and I say to my husband, "I would never look like these people if I cut my hair like that.". And his response is... wait for it... wait for it... "well no kidding. These women look pissed. You smile too much to really get that look.". Shocking and not the response I was looking for --- I was going for more of a, "Babe, you are much hotter than those chicks.", but whatevs. However, with the help of my blunt hubs, I noticed that nearly every fashion or beauty or whatever shot you see is of a woman NOT smiling. Life is hard, believe it sister! But life is really really hard if you can't learn to smile. We are all going to get wrinkles. Don't you want your wrinkles to show proof that your life was fun and exciting and amazing?!? Smiling should be what's trendy and beautiful; I think that, I'm sure you think that, so starting now we are going to start a smile-lution (smile revolution, if you will). Perk up buttercup!

We are going from this... 

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to this...

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What has you asking "when did it become so popular to..."? Share your thoughts; I'm sure we are probably thinking the same thing. haha!

xoxo,

ToFromLove

Hair Problems

Dear Readers,

Have any of you noticed that women with amazing hair can wear almost anything and look may-jer (translation = perfect)?!? Seriously, rock any questionable outfit with amazing hair, red lips and big sunnies and you will instantly be having a seriously drool-worthy moment. Well, I am not one of those people and I am begging for your help!

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But it's almost always homeless... and it's not "homeless chic", it's "homeless, oh my gosh, I wonder how that happened? Does she know? Here kids, don't get too close to that.". What I'm trying to say is I have not mastered this mop on my head and I need to, immediately if not sooner. 

I need to find that needle in a haystack product that women swear by. Every woman has their own magic bottle of hair wonderful that, when they eventually find, they live and die by (and have a mini-meltdown when they discover it's no longer available), and I want mine! 

So I'm ready to take your suggestions... starting.... NOW! Background info -- I have long, fine, part wavy/part straight and limp hair. Gracias in advance friends :)

xoxo,

ToFromLove

WINE! not just a drink, my friends

Admittedly, I've been a little M.I.A. lately... my bad dawg. And I'm just going to spare you in explaining where I've been, and all that jazz, because it really isn't that interesting and we have much more important things to discuss; like wine! 

I love wine. Period. --- I could probably just end this post there and 99% of you would feel satisfied with the effort you took to read my thoughts, because you feel the same way, but I won't. --- And I love love love how fall brings the richness of Malbec, Pinot Noir, etc and drenches our clothes in that deep, beautiful, full bodied hue of color. It literally flatters everyone's skin tone and is the perfect pair for my other favorite fashion color... black (black is back! I mean, did it ever really leave?!?!).

Anyways, back to the wine... it is here and having a full on trend moment, and I am drooling over every piece (especially every piece that we have coming in for www.tofromlove.com --- check it out! We will be set to sell in just a few weeks!). So before I show you some of my favorite wine moments of  the season, remember this... DO - wear wine inspired colors. DON'T - take that as an excuse to get sloppy schlobered and spill wine all over your clothes. That does not fall "on trend" and I will judge you. Just saying. 

This is it! I don't know who she is, but that ensemble is EVERY-THANG!

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Ugh, this feels so NYC chic... I drool; drooooool darlins! 

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A little harder to see, but check out those sneaks'! Get it B!

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I hope you are loving this moment as much as I am. And if not, tell us about what color is catching your eye! 

xoxo,

ToFromLove

Lust List, Must List; po-tay-to, po-tah-to

These days there are boxes and boxes of adorbs clothes being delivered to mi casa on the daily, and I literally have to put something else in my hands to avoid pulling out every piece and doing a fashion show for my dog. This is one of those rare moments in opening a new business that you actually have to wait to share the goodness with the rest of the world (yes, the world! Because in my mind we are totally going to be international #positivethinking) since we are still prepping for our launch November 1st! Boom, I said it. November 1st. Mark your calendars! 

Anyways, one of my favorite things to distract me from the boxes of fantasticness is to surf the web for the latest trends and act like I have an unlimited amount of money to actually buy it (which I don't, at all). And although Miley Cyrus has made it insanely difficult to maneuver the internet without seeing her twerk and jerk all over the place (seriously child, seriously... ), I've managed to find some of the most amazefest garms ever! This may or may not end up being my most favorite Fall ever! Here is a little collage, vision board, polyvore-ish, collaboration of some of my favorite fall lusts and musts...

Dainty necklaces, leather bombers, maxi skirts, winter whites, chunky watches, leather skirts, boyfriend jeans and a classic pump... oh my! 

What are your lusts and musts for fall???

xoxo,

ToFromLove

lookin' good for your man-friend in your boyfriend's...

JEANS! 

Boyfriend jeans (the cut, not actual jeans from a boyfriend. And definitely never jeans from an ex-boyfriend! And while we are throwing around this jeans and boyfriends and ex-boyfriends talk... ladies, if your boyfriend is wearing girl jeans just walk away... and if you find him wanting to straight up share your jeans, RUN! Run and never look back. Alright, now back to our legit topic...) are the jam! There are literally so many great things about this cut of jean, I'm not even entirely sure where to start. 

Let's just start here... What I am about to say is not for the faint at heart, so brace yourself. These jeans are probably your vag's best friend. Finally, a pair of jeans that let's your lady bits breathe! It is virtually impossible to sport a camel toe with these. Now I love a good pair of skinnies as well as the next girl, but c'mon. These jeans were made for the bend-and-snap (Legally Blonde anyone?!?!). Skinnies were made for the uh-I can almost bend-and I'm fairly positive that the only snap is going to be the seam on the backside. 

Aside from the aforementioned health benefits of these jeans, they are friggin' sexy in the I'm-not-even-trying-to-look-so-hot-I-just-do kind of way. Don't believe me? Just take a look at our favorite celebs rocking their boyfriend jeans...

Get your sassy strut on in a pair with a slouchy tee and wedges = amaze! Check out Miss Aniston; she is probably these jeans' biggest fan.

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Throw on a fantastic trench and some super fierce stilettos, a la Zoe Saldana, and BAM! Hotness! 

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And finally, to take it more Fall-ish, we salute a duo of gorge! Jessica Biel and Eva Mendes... rockin' their's with ankle booties and tons of swagger. Bravo ladies, bra-vo!

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I'm not going to lie, I fought this look hard for a hot minute... but when it's good, it's good. So dare to let your love tunnel breathe and slip into some crazy, sexy, cool jeans (that is my tribute to TLC, the first  ladies to really go hard with boy cut jeans. Don't go chasin' waterfalls...)!

How do you feel about this look? What are your favorite ways to wear this cut? Spill it! 

xoxo,

ToFromLove

Be Inspired... but be smart

I am a huge fan of people following their dreams. My stone cold heart literally hurts thinking about people waking up day after day in a miserable funk because they hate what they have committed their lives to. For example: I love numbers. I love solving numerical problems. I love balancing financial documents. But I would hate hate hate (that's an ugly word) really really not like being an accountant. I just don't have it in me to do that for a living. However, I have friends who are accountants and they love it! It is genuinely satisfying work for them. And doctors... saints! I could never dig around a woman's love tunnel all day (OB-GYN) or poke around a funky halitosis mouth (dentist) all day. Never. Just never! But thank God there are people who actually love that mess because people like that make the world go round. And you too should do what you love. Life is too short! Find your passion and run with it! But before you do, consider this...

I am not a huge fan of people just jumping off the cliff of stability without any sort of lifeline and crushing the future of anything they can cling onto on the way down. And I am most certainly not a fan of people, following their dreams, being successful and then turning into a maj' d-bag. Don't do it folks, not cute. Don't just quit your job that gives you a paycheck to support yourself and/or your family. Being responsible is awesome. I'll take that one step further and say "being responsible is friggin' sexy".  You know who else is sexy? Ryan Gosling.

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I mean, hello! HEL-LO! Rumor has it this guy is also super nice and socially responsible. Stopping fights between randoms on the streets and pulling girls back from getting hit by cabs. Sigh... Mr Gosling, I salute you. And I lurve you. But you know what would make him remarkably less attractive? Being a douche. Not paying his bills. Mooching off others. Owing the IRS money. Shall I keep going?

So moral of the story. Do something you love, yes! But do it responsibly and do it humbly. Here are my Top 5 things to "Do" when following your dreams:
- "Do" have a plan, and a back-up plan, and a get-out-alive plan!
- "Do" surround yourself with supportive peeps who can keep it real with you, and keep you centered.
- "Do" good things. Period. Do good and you'll feel good. Give thanks, show grace, and just be nice!
- "Do" keep trying. Success is fleeting, so never stop trying.
- "Do" take time to re-fuel. Even if you love love love what you do, it is so important to take "me" time. You are important, you are worth it.

xoxo,

ToFromLove 

for Love or Money

Drool. That's right, drool. I drool over designer clothes, bags, jewelry... I drool. Drool-ee-la-la, if you will :)

(But let's just be real for a hot second - I only legit drool about 87% of the time. Just because you are a designer does not mean you always have great taste. Some of the crap people put out there is just fugly and it needs to be stopped. Stop saying it's your "creative vision" or it's "before it's time", that's a load of you-know-what. It's fug'! So just stop it.) --- I digress, let's get back to it...

Ok, drooling... but just because I love a certain designer's chunky metal watch, and own a few of them, doesn't mean I need (and by need, I mean have the financial means) to fork out $400 every time I want a different color. Girlfriend needs to eat (and by eat, I mean drink copious amounts of wine and blocks of cheese -- no judgement please, it's still cheaper than therapy and meds)! And just because I love the look of true leather, doesn't mean that I can't find a sweet little vegan piece that still looks amaze and costs like 1/4 of what a cow carcass would (again, don't get crazy, I'm not going all red-paint-splashing-PETA on you. Do what you do lady friends.).

And, admittedly, as much as I love the real deal designer duds... I kind of lurve (don't get it? say it out loud and you will get hooked on how fun it is) when a super fashionable friend says "Oh my gosh, I love your dress. Is that ____?" and just fill in the blank with whatever designer. I swear I get like a little adrenaline spike knowing that I look like $800 and only spent $60. Boo-yow!

Moral of the story? Splurge. Go Nuts. Buy whatever designer item you want (within your financial limits. Being broke for fashion is not cute on anyone. Truth.). But don't limit yourself to only buying the big names. You can look just as fresh and bang-bang-pow without having to dish out all your dough.  

xoxo,

ToFromLove

It's coming!!!

Seriously beyond excited right now! 

So we went on our first buying trip a few weeks ago - ya know... to get some serious cuteness for our store (coming to you Fall 2013 - like November'ish - www.tofromlove.com - holla!) - and our purchases have started coming in and we are dying over  every.single.piece! 

It is all so femme, so chic, so affordable and basically so perfect! Leather (vegan, so don't freak out) and sheer and fabulousness - oh my! There are a few things from our wish list that we are missing, which is cool because we have total faith that it will all come together - can't rush true perfection :)

So if you are finding yourself too old to need a fake ID, and too young for dentures... you are 99.9% going to love www.tofromlove.com and we will love you back! 

Stay tuned friends, stay tuned...

xoxo,

ToFromLove

Leather... not just for bikers, my friends

When you think of leather, what comes to mind? Harley Davidson? "Fifty Shades of Gray"? PETA? A gross old man in a bar that smells like smoke and moth balls? Not anymore... Leather is back in a super chic way and we are pumped about it! 

No lie... when I was a little girl I was obsessed with la' leather. I loved the smell, I loved the look, I just loved it. Outfit of choice for playing "dress up" with my best friend? A sequined maxi dress (which was probably her mother's shirt... but for current reference, if you need to question whether it is a shirt or a dress... it is a shirt! Always a shirt!) and her mother's leather jacket. That, my friends, is a stylist's dream child. Sequins and leather... I mean seriously, Rachel Zoe would die to see how amazefest USA I was (or thought that I was). But where was RZ when I needed her?!? 

And now, several decades later, leather is back baby! And... And... And... it is back in super animal friendly and wallet friendly ways. Ohhhh this all makes my little cold heart melt and flutter like a school girl. And I 99% guarantee that it will make your's too because you are going to l-o-v-e what we just got for y'all on our first buying trip! 

Eeeekkkkkk cannot even begin to handle this excitement! Go to our Pinterest page and check out our latest pins. It will give you an idea of what to expect from us in the next few months! Whoop Whoop! Raise the roof! (that's right, we are bringing that back too!)

Pajamas, like Lindsey Lohan, should be on house arrest.

Ladies, Ladies, Ladies... and let's be honest boys, this applies to y'all too... get it to-geth-her! 

We are all guilty of walking out of the house looking like a hot mess, but isn't enough enough?!? I too use to watch 'What Not to Wear' and would think, "Seriously Stacey, it's not that serious. It's sweat pants!", but I have admittedly changed my tune... and you should too. So here is my take on 'What Not to Wear: Pajama Edition'... it's more like a "Don't do this, do that. But if you are going to do this, do it like this!". Make sense? Probably not. Just give me a minute...

- Pajamas are NEVER ok to wear in public! And just a little FYI, "public" begins at your front door. Nobody wants to see that, period. It's not cute, it's not fresh, it's not inviting... it's just a little awkward for everyone. However, if you must run out to the mail box or grab something out of your car or even drop of your child at school (from the carpool line, not a full on walk to class thing. Don't you dare get out of the car at your child's school if you are in pajamas!), there are a few rules to follow to make it acceptable:

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1. The pajamas must be stain free. Do not, and I repeat do not, allow your neighbors to play the "what kind of stain is that? why doesn't she wash her clothes?" game. 

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2. The pajamas cannot be sheer in anyway, shape or form. We do not need to see your naughty bits, we do not need to see your under garments of choice, and we do not need to see your college mistake tattoo on your lower back (probably a butterfly = classy AND original or some tribal kind of thing = WTF, there isn't a thing in this world that is "tribal" about you).

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3. Run a comb through it or pull your rat's nest (aka your crazy bed head hair) up into a cute little top knot and throw on some big sunnies. Don't give people the pleasure of seeing you with smeared mascara, bad hair AND pajamas. 

In closing, just get it together people. Life is too short to look busted! 

xoxo,

ToFromLove

Words to Live by...

When life gets a little cray (nope, that's not a spelling error. I said CRAY, hold the "z"), I search through some of the most elite and intellectual websites like Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook (you know, the really really smart ones) for quotes that encourage me to pump my brakes and get my mess together... And these are a few of my fave:

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What quotes inspire you? What makes you stop and check your crazy meter? Find something that helps you stop the madness and soothes your soul, because Life is too short, friends... life is too short. 

xoxo,

ToFromLove

awkward things we do to look good

I am no stranger to getting weird for the sake of looking good. 

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I've adorned a tin foil tiara and sat under a rotating heat lamp, for like an hour, to give the illusion is natural sun-kissed highlights. Who am I kidding? The only light my hair gets is flourescent lighting; I haven't seen the sun in weeks! Which leads me to my next episode of getting weird... 

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I've stood buck naked in a box and let a machine spray dirty stanky liquid on my body and all up in my face in the hope that it will evenly stain my skin for at least the next 5-7 days. Don't be fooled y'all; this orange tint and rancid smell on my skin isn't from a week in Mexico. But if you were to spend a week in Mexico, you're probably quite familiar with this one... 

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I've even let a strange woman with broken English put hot wax on some of my most delicate areas and rip it away with every hair follicle in it's path. Am I a masochist?!? Who voluntarily walks into a business and pays someone to make them want to scream like a banshee and kick the sweet little foreign lady in the face?!? That ish hurts! 

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I've frequently waddled to my car after a mani/pedi sesh. Hands spread wide like I am auditioning to dance in Fosse. Toes spread, walking on my heels like I am trying to maneuver around in scuba gear. (side note- I was walking home from an ice cream date with the hubs last night and I saw a girl in this exact situation trying to open the door to a Middle Eastern restaurant. So being the sweet Southern Belle I am, I opened the door for her. I totally expected her to turn around and say "thank you", but instead she turned around and said, "This is embarrassing, but can you get my debit card out of my back pocket for me? I just got my nails done but I NEED to eat!". ARE.YOU.KIDDING.ME????? Awwwwkkkkwaaaarrrrrd, but I totally did it. Been there girlfriend; been there!).

So what kind of awkward things do you do to look good? Go ahead, spill it girlfriend! 

TGIF!

I hate to wish time away, but lately I have been living (and by living, I mean working excessively) for the weekend! And this weekend I vow to take my own advice and do something for myself. Maybe a little mani/pedi action? Or some porch drinking (I feel like that is super Southern terminology for having a cocktail outside... which is a MUST now that this heatwave has finally passed!)? 

Regardless of what I do, I am going to be super conscious to treat it as a gift... because life's too short... to me, from me, love me!

xoxo,

ToFromLove

PS - What is your favorite way to treat yourself for working way too hard all week?

Why Online Shopping is la'JAM!

I seriously don't think that there has been a better invention than this glorious thing we call the world wide web. Besides being able to provide me random facts that make me look super smart to my friends and colleagues, it has made life super convenient. Seriously, the internet may or may not be my best friend (no judgement, please). It makes me laugh, makes me cry, it can even deliver food to my front door without having to actually talk to anyone (which is amazing because somedays I seriously think I might lose my mind if I have to talk to one more person!). I love being able to sit in the comfort of my home, a cute coffee shop, or an awkward economy class airplane seat and browse for homes, gifts, clothes etc. 

So without further a due, here are the my Top 5 Reasons Why Online Shopping is la'JAM! (la'JAM = the jam = awesome = amazefest USA = a great thing!)

1. Sip and Shop is acceptable, and arguably encouraged regardless of the fact that we aren't all a RHOC

2. No screaming rugrats

3. Weather can't get in the way of my shop-flow (seriously, how do you carry and bags in that mess?!?)

4. No shower and pajamas are perfectly acceptable attire (ummmm no judgement, but this aint cute on nobody!)

5. No crowds (Good Lord, this picture just makes me want to crawl out of my skin! CANNOT handle that mess!)

I don't have much left to say... basically because that last picture has induced a mild panic attack... I got to go... drink some wine or something... Mercy! 

Why I strongly dislike shopping in stores

Ohhhhh girl, I could talk about this subject for days and days and days because I pretty much hate (eww "hate" is such an ugly word. I just really really really don't care for...) shopping in actual stores. ... but I won't bore you with all of that. I will, however, exercise my obsessive compulsive tendencies and outline what I'm about to elaborate on.

- The real shopping experience: fellow shoppers need manners more than I need air in my lungs
- That awkward moment when you realize you are way too old/young for the store you're in
- Are the numbers on this tag correct? The ones after the "$"? Are you serious?!?!

Every time I go shopping in the real world, this is what happens...

Option A:
Imagine you are at the mall and you spot a super cute top across the store. There isn't a soul near the rack so you make your move and start to zoom in on your target, and suddenly every.single.person in the entire world finds the need to pick over your shoulder and around your arms to sort through the same rack that seemingly did not even exist 5 seconds ago!!! It's called manners, people! If I am clearly standing in front of a rack of clothing, do not come and squeeze your way into my zone... rude! This is a clothing store, not a yard sale. If I wanted to have my bubble of personal space invaded, I'd go to Wal-mart; but I don't want to be a person of Wal-mart because that is a slippery slope my friends (don't believe me? check out www.peopleofwalmart.com and see if it does not scare you straight into a Target shopper for life.). Fail.

Option B:
You walk into a store with a little extra pep in your step because you see an outfit that is all sass (for those of you who are not from the South, "all sass" is the ultimate!) and has your name written all over it. You are literally filled with hope and excitement that you may have finally found my go-to store because, let's face it ladies, finding that store that speaks to your inner fashionista is nearly impossible to find. Maybe it's because you have so much adrenaline pumping or maybe you are blinded by the fluorescent lighting; regardless of the reason, you literally scan the store with crazy eyes until you see the outfit you came in hunting for and beam yourself right over to it and it's not exactly what the mannequin in the window was sassin' to you, but it will do. And since you found this gem, surely you will find tons of other pieces of fabulousness for your wardrobe... and freeze! Your eyes focus and you realize, "holy mother of sweet baby Jesus... where am I? What is this stuff Who wears this?". Maybe this store doesn't have your name written all over it. Fail.

Option C (and we are going to keep this option short because I feel like I may or may not be getting a cramp in my hands from typing this novel):
Finally! You have found a store with great basics. White tees, black skinnies, cute blazers, rockin' accessories... it's like the Holy Grail of stores for women who are old enough to buy their own drinks but young enough to still want a guy to do it for them. You pick up that white tee that is PERFECT! Easy to dress up, dress down AND (wait for it... wait for it...) isn't see through!! (-- side note, why are all clothes friggin' transparent?!!) You and I both know that things like this don't happen every day, so you start to make your way to the register and you casually flip over that tag and you lose all blood in your face. There is no way... seriously no way... how much?!?! Ugh, forget it, can't get it, I can't eat for a week if I get this shirt. Fail.

...Stay tuned for why online shopping is la' JAM!!!

Celeb Style Inspirations

What we love about these celebs' styles? Seriously, what's not to love?!?! These ladies are modern and classic, sexy and classy, trendy and timeless... basically they are everything we want to be (and everything we want to offer to you... stay tuned to shop ToFromLove Fall 2013)!

Blake Lively

Diana Agron

Eva Longoria

Jennifer Aniston

Who we are...

Chances are, we are just like you because, like it or not, us girls really are not that different from each other. We want to be happy (which is why ToFromLove was born), we want to be appreciated (which is why ToFromLove was born) and we want to feel pretty (which is why ToFromLove was born... do you see a trend here?!?!). 

So sad news for anyone out there who wants some crazy dramatic background on us, it's just not that complicated. We are just two Southern spitfires who think life, shopping included, should be fun, shouldn't break the bank and should make you feel good (inside and out). Like it or love it, take it or leave it (but please God, take it)... this is who we are. 

xoxo, 

ToFromLove

ToFromLove... you're probably thinking, "I don't get it"... believe me, you will!

"To From Love" is probably the best advice my mom ever gave me. I've always been able to guilt myself out of treating myself to anything. I would, and still sometimes do, pick up a shirt at a store and walk around with it for 20 minutes only to put it back on the rack because I've talked myself out of it. I have this incredible talent of being able to stare at a bottle of Prosecco in my refrigerator for days, only to leave it for a "special occasion" or for when I might have guests over. It's probably a stellar combination of being extremely frugal and an underlying feeling that I wasn't worth it, and the more I talked to other women about it, I realized so many females struggle with the same thing. What is the deal?!?! 

So one night, after a miserable day at work, my mom called and basically ordered me to open that bottle of Prosecco and enjoy it. Yes mam! She said life is too short to not treat everyday as a celebration, don't wait for something better to happen, enjoy today. Don't wait for someone else to give it to you, give it to yourself! Do something for yourself EVERY SINGLE DAY! It doesn't have to be extreme (not everyone is living like a Kardashian) but it does have to be something. Drink that extra cup of coffee in the morning, unashamedly blast Britney Spears on your way to work, buy yourself that oh-so-cute blazer you've been eying... and when you do, think "To me, Love me, From me", because YOU are worth it, and that's always worth celebrating. 

xoxo,

ToFromLove