Wood Elf

It's very costly though... I leveled my smithing to 100, but I wasn't making money because of all the supplies I needed. I don't regret it though.

You get to improve weapons and armor...

Normal

Fine

Honed

Superior

Flawless

Epic

Legendary

Whatever your level, add an enchantment to your bow to make it better. When you find an enchanted bow that captures souls, keep it and use it for the finishing shot on things. This helps with filling soul gems and racking up your enchantment level. Goats
make easy kills. I have sneak and one shot kills on most things is pretty easy.

I really love Skyrim's new lockpick system.

Light Armor works it's way up the line...

Hide

Fur

Leather

Elven

Scaled

Glass

Dragonscale

Usually to get the higher ones, Elven and on, you have to have the smithing skill for it.

Same thing with the bow, whatever the best you can make, and I like stuff that looks good too, so see if you like the look.

Glass is my personal visual favorite.

I'm playing as a wood elf. And I am not sure about what you mean but "not being able to customize it". There was more options for customization than I wanted to go through. Just let me play the game, dammit! I can't see my character anyway.