Girls who inspire: Liz of Sequins and Stripes

It's been a while since I have featured anyone for Girls Who Inspire, and today it's back with one of my absolute favorites. I had the pleasure of photographing Liz of Sequins and Stripes for Jess LC a few weeks ago. She is sweet, stylish and absolutely adorable.

There is something so authentic about Liz. Just stop by her blog and see what I mean. The girl has some fun with her fashion posts. No serious + pensive expressions. Lots of smiles. I love it. And the girl has got style. In fact -- I need her to set a date with my closet. It needs some help.

Name + Age: Liz Schneider, 25

Hometown: Hinsdale, IL, a lovely western suburb of Chicago

Current Home: Chicago, IL, Lincoln Park area

Photo by me

Meaning behind my blog name: Sequins and Stripes was sort of a no brainer for me. For one, they are two style elements that never seem to fail and hold up season after season. Secondly, they are a constant in my wardrobe and if you follow my blog, you may notice that I tend to wear them a lot!

Current Job: I recently left my day job to dedicate all of my time and energy into Sequins and Stripes.

Dream Job: I dream of transforming my lovely little blog into a place where people seek my help in achieving stylish lives – whether it be a personal shopper, closet makeover, event styling, and/or a wardrobe overhaul – I’m your gal! In my next life, I will own a bakery.

If I could travel anywhere…I think I would travel everywhere. I would love to pause life for a year and visit all of the magic this world has to offer. However, if I had to choose one place, I think I would visit Switzerland. It looks so breathtakingly beautiful!

Something unique about me: I am a HUGE perfectionist when it comes to writing. If I hate the way my to-do list looks, I’ll start over.

I like to: wake up early, be outdoors, enjoy my morning coffee, get dressed up, spend time with my family + friends, go out to dinner, sing in my car, try out new hole in the wall bars, watch a good movie, and catch up on my favorite blogs!

I watch: Friends, Modern Family, Sex and the City, Glee, The Office and Dexter. My favorite movies are Big Fish, Bridget Jones Diary, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Titanic {sadly…but Leo was in his prime and you can’t fight that}.

Listening To: Mumford & Sons, Amos Lee, The Avett Brothers, Hall & Oates, Van Morrison, Sara Bareilles, and country music.  As I’m writing this, Hold On by Wilson Philips is playing on my iTunes, so I’ll give them some love too.

Crushing On: Emma Watson, she is so comfortable in her own skin, sophisticated, sweet, has impeccable style, and seems so lovely. If I have to be straight, then Jake Gyllenhall , he is such a rugged, handsome man. 

5 things that inspire me: browsing the internet, my amazing support system, spending time away from reality, chatting with the lovely ladies of the blog world, and music.

Favorite nail polish: Essie Lollipop

Favorite Perfume: Viva La Juicy for Fall/Winter and Jo Malone Orange Blossom for Spring/Summer

Favorite way to spend a Friday night: Drinking wine and chatting with my best friends

Thing you are most looking forward to this year: A month long trip to Europe with my sister {leaving in a month!}, and challenging myself to make Sequins and Stripes the best that it can be.

Favorite thing about living in Chicago: The lake. Not every city sits on a beautiful body of water lined in sandy beaches and miles of bike paths and parks!

Favorite clothing lines and designers: My favorite lines to wear: J.Crew, Joie, Club Monaco, Rag & Bone, Rebecca Taylor, and DVF. My favorite designers include: Christopher Kane, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, Peter Som, and Jenni Kayne.

Who or what inspires my style? These are tons of elements that go into inspiring my wardrobe, but I never stray too far from my personal sense of style. I’m inspired by current trends, stylish bloggers and socialites, the use of color, lovely textiles, feminine silhouettes and detail, and try to mix these elements into my somewhat classic style. Style is what you make of it! As long as you leave the house feeling confident, your personal style speaks for itself.

A big thank you to Liz for taking the time to answer these questions.
For more inspiration, check out Sequins and Stripes!