Poolside Style

Everyone wants to look good in bikini season but often we are so worried about our fitness we forget about our actual style for when we get to go to a pool, lake, ocean, or other fun area of water where we spend our Summers.

First off, hair for me is always a problem because I have thick curly long hair and it gets really knotted when I go swimming. I've tried the signature topknot but it never seems to stay on top of my head and instead slowly falls out of position to the nape of my neck. Those of you who can pull that off I am eternally jealous. However, last time I went to the pool I tried braiding my hair 2 hours before hand in a fairly loose single braid and went into the water like that. After I came out and dried off a bit i took out the  braid and my hair was what you always want it to look like at the pool at least for awhile. NO frizz, very wavy, and a little bit damp but not dripping so you long haired gals try that next time.

Next off makeup. I hope most people know less is more in almost all scenarios but especially when you go swimming. If you have a godsend of a waterproof mascara that you can't live without then go ahead but if you can help it avoid the full face of foundation, contouring  (which is still confusing to me), and anything else you might put on your face. 

Another important part in style is always accessories. Sunglasses are the easiest form of accessory to use in summer because they are also necessary. In the picture above I wear my Michael Kors sunglasses and in the picture below I'm wearing a gold cuff from Forever 21. (P.s. check out Aimee Song's book Capture Your Style it is the best read to learn more about Instagram but also has so many beautiful pictures inside.)

Finally clothes, while I always bring clothes for after, an extra shirt, things to wear under your clothes ;), I find that I enjoy wearing a pear of cutoffs and especially when you wear a one piece you can use that as your top temporarily (shirts like that actually exist anyways!).

I hope this helped all of you so enjoy your local swimming pools, water areas, or vacations and find what works for you!

Spring Cleaning: Room Edition!

 Whether you're just organizing, redecorating, or starting all over I'm here for you. Organizing can seem like a daunting task. But I'm gonna break it down.
 First things first: Get rid of crap you don't use, or pieces you don't like.  You know that hatstand that your aunt gave you. And please try not to hoard stuff under the pretense that it's "sentimental". I've been there and all it does is collect dust.
 Now go through all your magazines. I don't mean look at the cover and decide you like the model on the front. Look through every page and if a must tear out your favorites. Bonus: If you find organizing or decorating tips (Pottery Barn and PB Teen are great for this).

 Next up makeup. Depending on the item you'll want to throw it out if it's over 6-8 months old. Tip: Store lip glosses and mascaras in cute gift boxes like the ones shown below.

 Finally, now that your extra stuff is out of the way, you can clean. Yes I mean vacuuming, dusting, and whatever it takes to get all the dust and dirt out. This will make it easier to decorate whether painting, moving furniture, or adding in some cool light sources. Not to mention dust can give you allergies, and clutter causes stress which means you could be losing valuable beauty sleep!
 So I considered putting jewelry in a closet blog post but I figured that most people keep their jewelry in their room. This goes without saying but if you don't wear it toss it; the same rule goes for everything. If it's broken and has no sentimental value I wouldn't keep it. As for storing, there are all kinds of cute options on online boutiques. Once again PB Teen is great for this.



 This next part depends on your personality, but I always struggle to find places to store my books and where I want to read my books. Fun Fact: I have a timer light over my bed that is perfect for late night reading. Back to storing your books, as you'll see my bed doubles as a bookshelf and I have even more bookshelves along my wall. Sometimes that still isn't enough! I know I have a small reading addiction. So for your more photogenic books or ones that match your room decor you can stack them on corners and put cute little ornaments on top.

 Fun Thing To Try: firefly lights from Urban Outfitters. They're cute and add a little ambience to a space. They also come with little clips for easy hanging or attachment. I have them on top of my bookshelf/bed.
 I hope that helps make organizing a little more painless. Until next time.

xoxo,

Sophie

My Journey to Canada

Near the beginning of August my grandpa, my aunt, my mom, and I started to drive to Canada with one planned stop in Saugatuck, Michigan.  Saugatuck is a beautiful, artsy town adjacent to Lake Michigan.  We spent about a day there looking around, shopping in cute little boutiques, having ice cream at cute parlors, and eating lunch at Mermaid Bar&Grill.  While we were walking around we saw a black squirrel who, as I walked closer, just stared at me and let me take its picture.

There were many art galleries filled with unique, upbeat, and in the case of a chicken I encountered made of silverware - hilarious.   That night we drove a little farther and had dinner at the Salt and Pepper (which had hundreds of salt and peppers shakers as decoration) and stayed in another town in Michigan. I deeply regret not having tried the Bubble Tea, as shown on the cute chalkboard sign, it just didn't occur to me to order any at the time.

Post again soon. Until then, xoxo Sophie Lichty

Your Guide to Back to School

The time has come for back to school shopping. Although summer is filled with late nights by the fire after a long day of swimming in the lake, back to school shopping is something to look forward too. Here is a list of some of the stores I like to check out for school clothes.

1. Charlotte Russe
2. American Eagle
3. Aeropostale
4. Hollister
5. Francesca's
6. Victoria's Secret
7. Target 
8. DSW
9. Forever 21
10. Old Navy

Some of the things I look for are high waisted skirts, loose boho shirts, graphic tees, and skinny jeans, boyfriend jeans, white jean shorts (you may have some white shorts from summer but sometimes the dress code may not allow cut offs or the short ones that were great for the hot weather).

One of the most important things to have for school is a functional and stylish backpack. I would look for something that could go with a lot of different outfits. I found my backpack at target, I picked out one that is black leather and will go with nearly anything I where.

Now to what to wear for the first day. The first day outfit is important because you probably haven't seen a lot of your peers in awhile. So you want to Leave an impression. I'm already back to school in early August and my side of the school has no air-conditioning so it was hard to come up with something that was stylish and comfortable. I ended up going with an army green loose shirt and white shorts and beaded sandals. Below are a few looks (makeup, hair, and outfits)that may work for whatever location you live in.

What to Wear for a Day on the Town

Whether you're going to get groceries, shopping, or getting your nails done it's natural to just want to wear sweats. But I'm always worried about running into someone I know from school or meeting a cute cashier. So I always try to look semi presentable because I also feel more motivated when I'm wearing something cute. So here are some tips from makeup, to hair, to wardrobe for a casual day out. 

Makeup

During the day I hardly ever wear any makeup because it always feels like a chore. If  you prefer any or want a little coverup my favorite is the Revlon color stay concealer. It covers up practically anything flawlessly.

Hair

If I don't go with a topknot or ponytail I usually just flip over some of my hair and leave it naturally curly. My hair is extremely thick so it takes a while to style. So unless I'm going to dinner or a party I tend not to curl or straighten it.

Clothes

I usually don't get as dressed up as below. Usually I go with Denim shorts and a loose tshirt. But I had sunburn and anything that covered the sunburn hurt so I went with the tank and I thought the creme and lace complimented the maroon really nicely. My sandals had light pink beads on them that matched my purse.

Below: lace shorts bought while antiquing, a maroon tank, beaded sandals,and my Rebecca Minkoff purse.

xoxo,

Sophie

Camping in Style

Camping is kind of a tradition for my family. We've gone for years with a few families. What we  do is really glorified or glamorous camping... It's glamping! We have a fifth wheel camper and most of the time we go to campgrounds instead of out in the middle of nowhere. Last week we went to a campground called Riverbend in Wisconsin for a whole week with about 8 families. We always have fun and usually spend about a week at this campground then head to another campground for the weekend. As i've said I've been camping for years but more recently I've been more conscientious of how I look while camping. So this is a kind of guide for packing and how to get ready with little resources and wet hair.

Rules for Packing

1. Forget any kind of curling iron. It's no use it your hair is wet and tangled.
2. Don't bring the heels. You won't have fun waltzing around in 5 inch stilettos in the mud. Bring a cute pair of flip flops instead.
3. Bring a pair of sensible boots. Combat boots are great if you have them.
4. If you plan on running around, hiking, or working out I would bring tennis shoes as well.
5. Pack more than one suit. Just so you have options and depending on how long your staying.
6. Don't forget to bring sunscreen and REAPPLLY! (I got burned really bad when I didn't reapply. 
7. Bring 2 pairs of jeans and 2 pairs of jean shorts.
8. Bring a few tshirts and tanks depending on how long you're going to be there.
9. Don't forget pajamas!
10. Bring a comb for when your hair is wet after the pool to detangle instead of a brush.
11. Bring aloe in case of sunburn. 
12. Bring a lot of hair ties. If your like me you will wear your hair up a lot for lack of styling.
13. Bring a good book for downtime or the pool.
14. Bring a cute sweatshirt for the campire and for late night strolls.

My Go To Hairstyle

My go to hair style is a topnot. It keeps my long thick hair out of my face and it looks messy in a good "I just got out of bed" way.

  This is my guide on how to pack for camping and how to use minimal resources to look styled. I hope this helps.

P.S., I got bit really bad by mosquitos so bug spray isn't a bad idea either.

xoxo,

Sophie

Your Guide to Urban Farmgirl

Urban Farmgirl was held at Midway Village this year.  It had a lot of amazing pieces!  It had just rained so it was extremely muddy and humid.  My mom and I loved all of the pieces the pieces and booths they had to offer.  She bought and antler shed and I got a tshirt. I wore a jeans, a Miranda Lambert t-shirt, a Miranda Lambert hat, a belt with a Junk Gypsy camper buckle, and my favorite Buckle ankle brown boots. My mom wore MissMe jeans, a Junk Gypsy t-shirt, her favorite cowboy boots, and a belt buckle with a camper on it.