Travel Savvy: Packing

I've just finished packing my clothes for Spain and decided to type up this quick post (including some pictures of my suitcase and how I packed). I don't really feel like typing a lot right now, so I'll just get to the point of this ;)

Packing Tip #1: Know the weather.  This one doesn't need much explanation, you've gotta know what you're packing for! Just look up the weather for the time period you're going to spend in the certain place -- it'll only take you a couple of minutes and save you a ton of hassle and luggage space.

Packing Tip #2: Make A List. I love making lists for a reason -- they can help you so much! Just make a list of the things you think you'll need for your trip (including the number of things). The number of clothing items as well as the clothing items themselves that you pack will differ, depending on the time you spend in the certain place. For example, if I'm going to Spain for a month and I plan to swim, hike, and walk around the city, my list will look somewhat like this:

• 10-13 t-shirts
• 2 pairs of jeans
• 3-4 pairs of shorts
• 3-4 skirts
• 2-3 dresses
• 2-3 swimsuit cover-ups
• 2 pajamas
• 2-3 cardigans/sweaters
• 2 pairs of socks
• 2 pairs of tennis shoes
• 1-2 pairs of flip-flops
• 1 pair of flats
• 3-4 bikinis
• 1-2 hats
• *underwear*

Packing Tip #3: Fold. Or roll. Or fold. When it comes to the actual packing process I prefer to fold my clothes. Everyone says how it saves space and time to roll your clothes but, honestly, it never worked for me, so I just fold them -- that way they don't wrinkle and are neatly packed away. I like to lay out all of my clothes that I'm taking on my bed first, then fold them, then pack them away.

Packing Tip #4: Categorize. When you arrange your clothes in your suitcase according to the purpose of the clothing, it is much more comfortable and convenient to unpack when you get to your destination. For example, if you have all of you tops in one stack, all of your bottoms and dresses in another stack, and all of your sweaters/scarfs in a third stack it will be much (and I mean much) easier to unpack or quickly find a clothing piece if needed.

Packing Tip #5: Leave your carry-on...empty. Okay. I'm just gonna put this out there. I love shopping. And, yes, I shop. A lot. So whenever I go somewhere I need extra space in my suitcase and preferably in my carry-on. As you can see by the picture my carry-on is practically empty. Well, on the way back, I can assure you, it will be jam-packed full. So if you're a girl who loves shopping (like moi) make sure to have tons of extra space.

xoxo,

Liz

pics from here ;)

My 10 Summer Essentials

I am totally and utterly obsessed with summer (if you couldn't tell yet). I love it. I look forward to summer all year long -- just everything about it is fun, sunny and hot. And here I came up with yet another list, this time talking about my 10 summer essentials. So, without further ado, I'd like to start.

To kick off the list,

#1: Hawaiian Tropic Tanning Oil SPF 8 Yes, I know, I know, tanning oil is bad for you, skin cancer and yadayadayada. Well, I want to be tan, and this is the only way I can get that tan. I do use sunscreen before I put on the tanning oil, but oh my gosh, let's take a minute to swoon over the wonderful smell of  the product. LOVE. LOVELOVELOVE.

#2: Sunscreen Any kind of sunscreen. I just get any kind that I see first on the rack in Target -- they all work fine for me. I prefer the spray-on kind, though, I find it easier to apply and it dries faster.

#3: White Short Shorts White A&F shorts for the summer are definitely a must-have for me! They accentuate your tan and they are perfect for the hot weather and comfy to run around in!

#4: EOS Lip Balm Chapped lips is the worst thing that can happen to me in the summer. Or any time of the year for that matter. I just hate the feeling of that dry skin on my lips! So I make sure to always keep them nice and moisturized with lip balm. I don't really have a preference, any kind will work for me, but the EOS lip balms are definitely my favorite.

#5: Neon Swimsuit I have 3 letters for this one. O. M. G. Okay, first of all, they're neon. And who doesn't love neon?! And neon is always trendy for the spring and summer. And neon shows of your tan. And neon looks like it's glow-in-the-dark. And...oh, this can go on forever!

#6: A Book While laying out on the beach or by the pool, or on a road trip with your friends the one thing you cannot leave the house without is a book. Well, at least I can't. So this one is definitely an essential for me -- will not go anywhere without it!

#7: Sunglasses Sunglasses can totally change the way you look -- I love them! I don't own many (just 2) but both of them are good quality and expensive, so it's enough for me. *Remember, quality over quantity*

#8: Knit Cover-Up This is perfect for the beach, where it's hot but windy at the same time. The bagginess of the sweater makes it look effortless but cute, and because it's knit it'll save you from the cold wind.

#9: Victoria's Secret Body Splash These. Are. Epic. They smell amazing, they aren't as heavy as perfume and they make you feel so refreshed on a 100+ day (especially if you keep them in the fridge!).  A definite must-have.

And finally,

#10: My Phone This was a no-brainer. My phone is always in my hand, I cannot go anywhere without it! I use it for everything -- pictures, taking notes, Temple Run... :p

Yeshhhhh, so I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think!

xoxo,
Liz

4th of July Outfit Ideas

Since 4th of July is coming up, I decided to share this fun post with you! I put together 4 outfits for 4 different occasions that you might go to on the 4th of July. I absolutely adore 4th of July and I hope you find these outfits somewhat helpful!

Occasion #1: A Night Out With Friends I love this outfit! I think it's perfect for a 4th of July party or just a night out. Denim jackets are very trendy right now, and the wedges are comfortable, yet they give you the heel.

Occasion #2: BBQ at the Beach This outfit is very has that beach-y, boho vibe. The Kate Spade beach bag is uh-do-ra-bul and the straw hat adds to the beach-yness of the outfit.

Occasion #3: Pool Party This is one of my favorite outfits -- it's so chic, yet so effortless! The red J Crew swimsuit reminds me of a lifeguard and the american flag shorts are so tumblr. The Hollister leather flip flops are the best thing that's ever happened to me -- they are so comfortable! I just love everything about this outfit, and I'm kinda bummed I won't be spending 4th of July in America this summer, because this is what I would wear to the 4h of July pool party that I go to every year!

Occasion #4: Chiling With Family This is definitely my favorite out of the 4. It totally represents my personal style and I love every single part of this outfit -- the little brown leather bag, the wooden bracelet with the American flag, the extremely cute and girly Miu Miu skirt, the boatneck striped top that reminds me so much of Chanel, and finally, the Toms. LOVE.

xoxo,

Liz

Travel Savvy: Airport Fashion

I'm so excited about my trip to Spain this summer (I'm getting so bored just sitting at home doing nothing)! And I can't wait to share some tips and tricks that may help you travel with ease. So, I decided to start my very first series on this blog, called "Travel Savvy". In this first post out of the series, I'd like to share some tips on how to dress to the airport. Hope you guys enjoy and find this helpful!

Tip #1: Long Hair, Don't Care! Well, you should care. If you have long hair, it's best to put it up during the flight. It can be such a pain, especially if the flight is a long one -- your gorgeous locks will get all tangled up and messy (and very oily). So it's best of you put your  hair up in a cute pony or a bun, that way it won't bother you during the flight.

Tip #2: Less is More. When it comes to on-flight makeup, less is definitely more. Keep it simple with some mascara, powder, and some lipgloss. You're not going on a fashion show or anything, so it doesn't matter if you don't look your best.

Tip #3: Bundle Up! When it comes to what accessories to wear to the airport, a scarf is your best bet. You can easily take it off if it gets too hot, or bundle up in it if it gets too cold! You can also use it as an extra pillow or blanket if you decide to take a nap. The scarf in the picture is from American Eagle -- I love their scarfs, they have so many cute patterns and designs!

Tip #4: Keep it simple. Dark washed jeggings and a loose tee is the comfiest you can get without the outfit being too casual (you don't want to look like you just got out of bed!). Let the scarf do all the talking, don't put too many bracelets or bangles on, as it can be a pain to take them off while going through customs. Also, it's best to wear slip-on shoes, because lace-ups can get a bit uncomfortable tying and untying in customs. I personally love UGGs as 'airport shoes' -- they feel like slippers!

xoxo,
Liz

photos from here, and here :)

What's on my iPhone?

I've always been a tech-y kind of girl... I got my first phone very early (I think I was 5 or 6), which, of course, was a privilege. I remember it being a Motorola, the screen was black and white, and there was only one ringtone. Then I accidentally dropped it and it broke :p. From then on, all of my phones have been Nokia. I know, I know, people make jokes about them and say that they're impossible to break (they really are!) but I just loved them so much! When the first iPhone came out I didn't even think about getting it. I loved my Nokias and I never thought I would go back to any other phone. Then my parents both got iPhones and I hated them. I couldn't type on them at all and I just didn't like anything about them. After that, I was beginning to see more and more people with iPhones, but I still kept my vow to Nokia and I was still strongly agains iPhones. But then, my friend introduced me to Instagram. That's when I started really growing on the iPhone. I borrowed my Mom's iPhone whenever she wasn't using it and I pretty much abandoned my Nokia. After a couple of weeks of using my Mom's iPhone non-stop, my parents decided that it was time I got an iPhone, and I have to say, by that time I really wanted one. So, about a week ago I got my very first iPhone. I got the iPhone 4S (mine is black, I didn't want a white one) and let me tell you, I LOVE IT. I've been using it 24/7! Ok, enough about my phone, I'm going to get to listing the apps on my phone that I have for this moment and telling you guys a little about each one.


1) Facebook
Just the average Facebook app, it does make browsing Facebook much easier on the phone than just using the web version.



2) Twitter
Even though I don't use Twitter, I still stalk people from there, so it's comfy to have the app ;)


3) PicFrame
This is an amazing app for stitching pictures together/making a collage and I use it a lot to post pics on Instagram. You can choose from tons of options of different picture "frames" and the borders of the frame can be different colors and I just love it!


4) Instagram
Hello, my name's Liz, and...I'm an Instagram addict. >.< I can't say enough about this! This app, as I already said, is what sparked my love for iPhones. It's basically an app where you just share your pictures that you can filter through different filters and make them very tumblr-esque. I Instagram every. Single. Day. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah, I love it!

5) Emoji Free
This app is used by a lot of my friends who have iPhones and it's basically an app that installs a different "language" keyboard with a bunch of little cartoon-y smiley faces and cars and animas and whatnot. It's a very easy and fun way to send smiley faces through texts.

6) Yelp!
Yelp! is a cool app if you don't know your town/city that well or if you're just looking for new places in town. It locates where you are and then shows you different restaurants, bars, cafés, salons, gyms, etc. I live in Russia, so it doesn't work where I live, but when I'll be in America, I think it'll help a lot.

7) Fitness Buddy
This is a good app if you're into working out (like moi). It has tons of great exercise moves for your, lower body, chest, shoulders, back and arms, as well as stretches and cardio. You can keep an exercise log and make your own workout schedule and such... It's kind of confusing and hard to figure out at first, but it gets easy after a while (I still don't know how to use it properly).

8) MyNetDiary
This app is my new obsession. It's like a food log, except it'll calculate your BMI and BMR and it'll tell you how many calories you have to consume a day... It just helps me a lot and if you want to keep a healthy lifestyle this app is for you.

9) Shazam 
Everyone raves about this app and they do for a reason. It is. Amazing. So you know that moment when you're driving in the car or listening to music from the speakers in the gym, and then you hear this song that you really want to get, but you don't know the name of it or the artist? Well, then this app is for you. You record a couple of seconds of the song using the recorder in the app, and it gives you the name of the song, the artist, and the album which the song is from. So helpful!

10) Countdown+
Just your average countdown app. Nothing much I can say about it. It's okay, nit the best, but at least it's free ;)

11) HauteLook
This is for us girls who love bargains. Okay, who doesn't love bargains? I'm sure a lot of you know about the HauteLook website, where everyday there are flash sales for designer brands that are super discounted. Well, this is the same thing, except an app. The convenient thing about the app, though, is that you can choose for it to send you notifications so you know when a certain sale is going on.

12) Hollister
OMG, I can't explain how obsessed I become with Hollister for the summer time! This is basically just an app where you can view some of the bestsellers from Hollister at the moment as well as new items.

13) Abercrombie and Fitch
Same thing as the Hollister app, except it's Abercrombie :p

14) Etsy
Etsy is an amazing online store where you can buy/sell handmade or vintage items. It's amazing, I love to shop there for accessories and cases for my phone. The app is basically just a website viewer for your phone that allows you to view the items more conveniently than on Safari.

15) OPI
Just a nail polish viewer where you can "try on" the different OPI colors on your skin tone and browse the colors.

16) Temple Run
I've been playing this game 24/7 for the past 3 days and my high score is about 750,000 ;) Pretty good for me. I'm sure that you already know this app, so I'm not going to go all into describing that game, basically you just flick the screen and the character runs around and the further you go, the faster the character runs and after a while it gets really hard...

Hope you guys enjoyed and let me know what kind of apps you haven your iPhone ;)

P.S. Feel free to follow me on Instagram, my user name is lizzyfurs

xoxo,
Liz

photo from dis awesome website

Top 7 Favorite Stores

I'm a girl. Girls love shopping. I don't shop much during the school year, but when summer starts...you can't stop me. And since summer is already here for me I already did some serious shopping at some of my favorite stores. And, since I like making lists, I decided that it would be a good idea to make a list of my top 10 favorite stores of all time. It was pretty hard for me to decide on my favorite stores -- there are so many! But, after a long time of hard thinking and researching...here are my Top Seven Favorite Stores:

1) Tagret
I absolutely adore Tagret! You can find anything from food to school supplies to clothing and fashion and makeup there -- I ❤ IT

2) Zara
Zara is definitely my favorite clothing store. They have amazing fashion pieces and the prices aren't that bad, either (plus, the pieces are always on trend).

3) TopShop
TopShop, to me, is a very urban, trendy and modern store that is perfect for teenagers. I call it the "tumblr store". I love their dresses and their MOTO high-wasted shorts are the BOMB.


4) Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is definitely my top pick for swimsuits, pajamas, undies, and body splashes, as well as makeup cases and cute sweatsuits. I can't tell you how much I'm obsessed with the VS swimwear right now! (Shhh, I just ordered some really cute neon bandeau tops)

5) Lush
Lush is a great store that sells all-natural bath and skincare products. The smells of the soaps make me want to buy all of them! Love. Can't really say anything else. Just love.

6) Abercrombie and Fitch
First of all, let's just take a minute to drool over the amazing, gorgeous, and steaming hot models in Abercrombie. I think I go to Abercrombie just for a fit shirtless guy to greet me at the door. Their clothing is on the more expensive side, but let me say, their quality is amazing! I've had jeans from A&F that I've had for 4 years and they're still in great shape. Okay, I'll stop raving and just proceed to my next pick ;)

7) Bath and Body Works
Love their candles, shower gels, hand sanitizers, body lotions -- just everything! I have one of their mini hand sanitizers and body lotions in my bag 24/7 and I always have a BBW candle burning in my room whenever I'm at home. Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what your favorite stores are :)

xoxo, Liz