August Favorites 2012

Two things I want to announce before I start this post:  Firstly, I got a Twitter!  Now I can officially quote Betty White ("You can find me on Facebook...and the Twitter" *wink*).  My username is Aidylvice, so follow me! :)  Secondly, I have a new email address which is aidylvice@yahoo.com.  Those who have my old email can still contact me at it, but this new one is on my contact page now.  Also, I posted a video on YouTube about my August favorites that are in this list.  You can find it at the end of the post, but I'm not too crazy about it.  To me it feels like it makes my blog seem...cheesy?  Idk.  But let me know what you think - I  may have just stared at it too long or something.  Okay, now we can continue!

Here's a list of my favorite items from the month of August, in no particular order. ♥

Hello Kitty watch set
I actually got this as a present  for my high school graduation a few months ago, but I've worn it so much these past few months.  There's a ton of versatility because you can change the face as well as the bands, so no matter what I'm wearing I usually can make this watch match.  Also, there's just enough Hello Kitty to accent it without looking to cute-sy.  The next time you buy a watch, I would get a kit similar to this one.

Thoughts: Why do girls care about "being beautiful"?

  An interesting question was posed the other night when my family and I were watching America's Got Talent.  Edon, a singer in the competition, sang "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction (possibly the most catchy song ever).  The question posed was this - "Why do all girls long to be told they are beautiful, especially by a boy?"

  I'd never really thought about this.  My first answer was that the media pushes girls to be beautiful and if they do not match "worldly" standards (or do not think they do) they tend to feel less than.  My mom pointed out that this was not really true, because even in the Bible women wanted to be beautiful, and there was no media in those days (though there may have been some pressure from society).   

  So why is that?  Why do girls (myself included) feel such a need for approval from boys our age?  If we have not had a father figure to tell us we are beautiful, the need is even worse.  But I've found that all girls, no matter what type of family they come from, have this same, universal need -"Just tell me I'm beautiful."  Is it because we all have a bit of insecurity about this issue?  If so, why is it still such a big deal to us?  Guys have a need to feel important, strong, and capable.  But they still don't usually have a need to feel beautiful.  Maybe it's because, generally, women are the prettiest creations.  Maybe we recognize this and when nobody has pointed out we're pretty we automatically assume we're not.  Maybe it's different personalities and levels of confidence that make some girls needier of this than others.  Maybe it's a trust issue - that it's not enough for just one person to tell us how nice we look because they might be lying.  We need more and more confirmation.

The bottom line is that I wish women would not seek this attention from guys that are unworthy of them - guys who will just make the girls feel worse about themselves.  This need for affirmation is something we need to fix in ourselves somehow.  Because girls, you may think a boy's affections are the answer to your insecurity, but unless you are fully at peace with yourself and how you look the relationship will just crash and burn.  Remember, we're all beautiful because we are humans made in God's image.  And the most "comely" face is ruined if the heart is not being cared for.

Why do you think girls long to be told they are beautiful?

P.S.  Have you guys been liking these sort of advice/thought posts I've been doing (the last one was here)?  Let me know in the comments.  Also, don't forget about the giveaway I'm hosting here.  You have no chance of winning if you don't enter. :)

Craft swap came!

My package for the American Girl Playthings 2012 Back to School Craft Swap came the other day! :D  I asked for some paper goods for my 1930's Kit doll.  Check out what I got below!

I was not expecting to get an outfit for this swap!  This outfit came with little black shoes too.  It's one of my favorites now. :)

Woven Bracelet Giveaway! ♥

So this is Eternal Simplicity's first giveaway!

What you're going to be entering to win is a handmade, woven bracelet in your choice of THREE colors. 

Bracelets can be worn with absolutely everything, and with the bonus of being able to choose your own colors, you can customize it to match your wardrobe and personality! :)
The pictures in this post are of one I made in shades of pink and white:

The bracelet will be woven in the basket weave pattern shown in the photo.

Here's the colors available to choose from:
- Light blue
- Dark blue
- Black
- Dark pink (shown in photo)
- Light pink (shown in photo)
- Brown
- Red
- Light purple
- Dark purple
- Lime green
- Dark green
- Orange
- Yellow
- White (shown in photo)

The following are ways to enter.  Sorry, but I cannot ship internationally, so only enter if you live in the USA.  Please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

Mandatory Entries:

~ Follow Eternal Simplicity and comment saying you have/already do.  Remember that following is not the same as subscribing by email - use the Google Friend connect widget on left sidebar to follow.
~ Please make sure that there is someway I can contact you by either emailing me your email address, or making sure you comment with your Blogger profile.  Comment saying you've done so.

Other Entries:

~ Post about the giveaway on your blog, then comment with a link to your post.
~ Tell me in a comment the three colors you'd love your bracelet to have.
~ Follow me on Instagram (my username is aidylvice), and comment telling me you did so.
~ Follow me on Tumblr (my username is aidylvice) and comment telling me you did so.
~ Follow me on my deviantART (my username is aidylvice) and comment telling me you did so.
~ Subscribe by email and comment telling me you did so.

Giveaway ends September 7, 2012.  The winner will be announced the following Monday.

Thoughts: The Guy of Your Dreams.

What should the guy you marry someday be like? Here's a list I made, in no particular order:

1. He will not make fun of you.  He will build you up and edify you.  If something you are doing is wrong, he will criticise you gently for your own good - not to make himself feel better.
2. He will appreciate you.
3. He will talk good about you in your presence as well as your absence.
4. He will care about you.
5. He will be respectful of your feelings.  We all make mistakes, but he will never try to purposely hurt you.
 6. He will know that you alone are the girl he is dating/courting/married to, and will purposely divert his eyes from other women.7. He will be secure and confident in himself.  He will be whole without you.  In other words,  yes, you can be an example, but no, you cannot be in a relationship with someone and hope he'll change.  That's his and God's job - not yours.
8. He will not cheat on you.
9. He will not manipulate you.
10. He will think of your needs above his own

YOU'RE IT : 32 Questions Get to Know Me Tag!

I was tagged by Angel from Beautifymeeh to answers these questions. :) So here we go!

1. Is it cute when guys kiss you on your forehead? Yes, I think so.  It's cute, and it seems really sweet and loving without being creepy haha.
2. A big poofy dress or a short party dress? Mmmm...I like short (not TOO short) flowy dresses better I think.
3. Are diamonds a girl's best friend? I have one ring with little diamonds in it that I got for my 16th birthday, and I wear it a lot.  So yes, I guess so!
4. Is your hair up or down today? It's down.  And curly! :D
5. Do you straighten your hair? I do sometimes.  I roll it first, and then use the straightening iron.  I usually straighten it again the next day, too.
6. Favorite mascara? My favorite is Bare Escentuals' Flawless Definition Mascara in black.  But I use another one because it's better for you.
7. Do you get your nails done? No.  I do them myself. :)
8. Small or large purses? Large. :)
9. Jeans or sweats? Haha sweats.  I've gotten so addicted to sweat pants.
10. Do you wear clothes/shoes/jewelry that's uncomfortable?  No, not usually.  Sometimes for a funeral I end up having to wear more uncomfortable items, but otherwise no.
11. Do you text message a lot? I used to more than I do now.  I'm more of a Facebook message person.
12. Whats your favorite color? Purple.
13. Heels or flats? Heels, but I usually wear flats because I have some lower back pain, and heels sometimes hurt it.
14. Would you ever leave the house without makeup on? I have before.  I usually feel more comfortable in makeup, but yeah I would.
15. Walmart or Target? Target.
16. Do you think lip gloss is the best! I don't think it's the BEST, but I do use it some. 
17. Do you own any big sunglasses? I have big ones for my face, if that makes sense.  Because I'm a smaller person I have to be careful not to buy things that overwhelm me.
18. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? That depends too haha.  If I'm going somewhere I put on more makeup.  So that paired with doing my hair and getting dressed usually takes at least 30 minutes.  I usually get ready in about 15-20 minutes on regular school days.
19. Gold or silver? Silver.
20. Do you like to wear dresses?Yes, but I usually wear pants.
21. In the last 48 hours have you hung out with a guy? No, it's been a week lol.  And now he's back at college.
22. Do you like to hold hands? Yeah. :)
23. What do you notice when you first meet a guy? There hair and how tall they are.
24. Do you like making eye contact?  It's according to who it's with.
25. Would you kill for chocolate? No lol.  I prefer vanilla.
26. On a scale from 1-10 how fun is shopping?About a 7 or 8.  It's according to how long I've been shopping, and what I'm buying.
27. Do you yell a lot? No.  I'm loud though. xD
28. Do you wear sweatpants/pajamas to school/work? I wear sweatpants.
29. Have you ever dressed unlike yourself to impress a guy? No.  Be yourself. :)
30. What makeup could you not live without? Probably my Bare Escentuals' Mineral Veil to knock off that shine on my face.
31. Do you fall in love easily? Yeah actually I do.  I'm working on it haha. ;)
32. Do you have cramps? Not right this minute, but when I do they're KILLER.

I tag everyone that reads this! :)

dreams never die when we sleep beneath the open sky.

"Lomish Plant"

"when people laughed their worries disappeared"

 Check out my deviantART, Tumblr, and Flickr where I post some of my photos, too! :)

Transition from summer to fall

Transition from summer to fall by aidylvice

  I know it's difficult for a lot of people to transition from summer to fall fashion wise.  It's the time between loose, flowy summer tops and flip flops, and heavy sweaters and tall boots.  So here's my solution:

1. A nice bright colored summer peasant top under a denim jacket (which are so in style this year, by the way).

2. Skinny pants instead of jeans, leggings, or shorts.

3. Muted sandals and bag  in a tan-ish brown color.  This will keep you from looking to summery with bright colors.

4. How about a pair of white sunglasses to finish the look off? ;)

Awesome song alert - "I Just Wanna Run" by The Downtown Fiction

  "I Just Wanna Run" is one of those songs I cannot only relate to, but is also one I could listen to over and over and over and over and over and....well you get the idea.  A pop rock/powerpop/alternative rock band, The Downtown Fiction mixes some pretty interesting melodies together in this song (especially when there's a switch to an almost scale-like progression of notes when the lyrics "I'm feelin' like I keep on talking, I'm repeating myself, My words lost all meaning, I keep talking, I repeat myself" are sung).  My favorite lyrics:

"Like a game of chess
I predict your move
I think I know you better
Better than you do

I'm sick of feeling cheap
Cheated and abused
Sick of losing sleep
Thinking about you

I'm feelin' like I keep on talking
I'm repeating myself
My words lost all meaning
I keep talking, I repeat myself."

25 Questions

1. Do YOU HAVE ANY PETS?  No actually, I don't.  I used to have two fish though, who I named Napoleon and Wonka. :)

2. NAME 3 THINGS THAT ARE PHYSICALLY CLOSE TO YOU. My water glass, a list of study questions from my Biology class (smothered in green ink from writing out long answers), and my ear buds which are in my ears haha.


3. WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE RIGHT NOW? It's so sunny!  I went outside and collected a bunch of specimens for my Biology class, and it was a perfect day for it.  It's nice and cool, too.

4. DO YOU DRIVE? IF SO, HAVE YOU CRASHED? I do drive, but no I have never crashed (thank goodness).

5. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING? 6:50 am. :)

Simple photo editing techniques. ♥

Today we have a tutorial!  I posted this a while back on another blog. If you have any questions, or you would like to request a different tutorial, please comment below and I'll get back to you. :)  But anyway, here we go!  My camera is a Canon Powershot A560, so it's a point and shoot camera. It has just the amount of settings I need, but it automatically adjusts things like the aperture setting, so I don't always get exactly the look I'm wanting for my photo. So, to the GIMP!



This is the photo I'll be working on. See? It's not too shabby of a photo, but it could use a little boost to the color as well as the sharpness of the image. Also, the background could use a little more blurring. Let's get started!

Easy Out-And-About Outfit. ♥

  I went out to lunch the other day, and came up with a pretty good outfit for that sort of thing.  Wanna get the look?  Then let's go!  Firstly, I wore the flax-blend dolman shirt in that picture on the right.  I got it for Forever 21 over a year ago now.

  It's the cutest shirt (though I will admit it gets kind of stretched out in the sleeves easily...:P).  I wore it off shoulder, but you definitely wouldn't have to.  I paired it with some Lauren Conrad blue skinny pants (which I could not find a picture of grrr....but you could wear jeans just as easily).

   I put on a pair of cute jute wedges, and I went pretty simple on the jewelry wearing a white Hello Kitty watch and big silver hoop earrings.  I also wore some brown and shimmery off white Tarte eyeshadow with my normal eyeliner/mascara inspired by Beautifymeeh's Everyday Makeup tutorial below:

  So the next time you have no CLUE what you are going to wear, trying putting together something similar to this.  It was really comfortable and casual, but modest/nice looking too.

Have a great weekend!

Picture from Google Images.

and when you scan the radio, I hope this song will guide you home

  Wanted to share some songs I've been learning on the piano recently. :)  The first one is "June Barcarolle" by Tchaikovsky.

  Mine was a different arrangement then the video above (I think - it sounded like there were more chords in her version), but it was SO enjoyable to play once I figured out the fingering and everything.  I don't have pedals for my piano since I play on my keyboard, but I've been trying to move my feet with the pedal marks as if I had pedals and boy, THAT'S NOT EASY.  I also learned a theme from the ballet "Swan Lake", but I couldn't find the exact one on YouTube.

  Here's the one I'm learning right now:

  It sounds like a carousel lol.

  Sorry for the lack of updates, by the way!  College just started, and so I've been pretty busy with that and my family.  However, I have many more posts in mind and I'm also possibly going to have Eternal Simplicity's first giveaway soon, so keep an eye out for that. ;)  Oh, and if anyone would like to do any guest posts, please shoot me an email!   I'd be more than honored.

Awesome song alert - Home by Phillip Phillips

   
  You've probably heard this song in the commercials for the Olympics starring the United States gymnastics team, and I must admit when I first heard it I thought it was Mumford and Sons.  I was so pleased to find out it was Phillip Phillips who sang this awesome song.  I didn't keep up with American Idol this past year, but I ironically did see Phillip's audition, and was rooting for him to win.  And he did!  :D  His voice is so interesting and comforting.  Give it a listen! :)

Summer Hairstyles ♥

  Yes yes yes, I know summer is ALMOST over.  But the summery season will still be with us several weeks, and why not take advantage of that with some pretty hairstyles?  The video below has some AWESOME tutorials for fun, easy hairstyles that are both cute and keep you cool in the heat.

The first hairstyle she does (the "Cute Side Bun") I tried the other day - and it is really easy and super comfortable.  Plus it looks casual + cute.  What more could a girl ask for?  I can't wait to try the others!

Don't forget the beachy waves either!

  The best way I've found to do the style above is to first wash my hair and blow dry it.  Then, because my hair tends to be frizzy, I put in hot rollers and let those stay in my hair about an hour.  After that, I take my hair down and twirl a section of the top layer into a lock that I then run the straightening iron over.  I repeat that across the top section, and voila - beachy waves!  If your hair doesn't tend to hold curl very well, you can always spray your hair with water and sleep with it in a bun to create a similar effect.

Picture from Pinterest.com

This week: college, fashion, lots of music, The Little Rascals

♥ Oh my gosh, I can NOT believe this is the last week of summer vacation!  And honestly, it seems like I've had some much I wanted to do this week that I reaaaalllly don't want to start school back. :(  It's my first full year of college, too!  I mean, technically I took like 5 college classes during my senior year in high school, but I can now consider myself a COLLEGE student, which I'm actually kind of enjoying. :D  I'm going to be living at home, and probably will take the majority of my classes online since my school is like, 30 minutes away. :P

♥ Along with being a COLLEGE student, I want to kind of update my style to be a little more "adult", but not look like I'm trying to be older than my age.  Does that make sense?  I just want to kind of separate this season of my life a little from my last, even though a lot of things will still be the same.  But anyway I've been experimenting with makeup and different hairstyles, and I've actually been having a lot of fun with it. :D  I need to figure out the best way to sweatpants though - since I'm going to be home a lot with my classes, I still want to be comfy and not spend too much time in the morning making myself all dolled up when I'm not going to be anywhere.  xD

♥ Last.fm is like, my new addiction.  Seriously.

♥ Nina and I are going to watch the 90's version of The Little Rascals today (which we've been putting off like, all week).  Yay for fun time with my big sister! :)  Oh this is funny:

♥ Worked on my first photo manipulation that I want to share with you guys sometime next week.  There's a few problems with it that I had some people point out that I might try to fix before I share it. :)

Have a good weekend!

Image from Pinterest.com

Fancy by Jessica Simspon Eau De Parfum Spray Review

  I'm kind of wanting to do some more posts on fashion, style, makeup, etc., so I thought I'd give you a bonus post today (since I was lazy yesterday and didn't do one :P) and share a review on some perfume I got recently.

  I've been pretty into vanilla scented perfumes for awhile now...probably a couple of years and my mom is SO good at finding THE best versions of things - including my perfume.  A while back I had used up my Vanilla Lace perfume by Victoria's Secret (which, by the way, my mom got off eBay - we don't frequent that store lol).  She got it for my sister's birthday, but it turned out my sister preferred Vera Wang's Rock Princess perfume, which my mom uses as well.  So anyway, I personally like the sweet, confectionary type smell of "Vanilla Lace" and that sort of fragrance fits my personality better since I'm sort of a girly girl. :)  After I used it up I switched to "Vanille Abricot" by Comptoir Sud Pacifique, which had more of a PURE vanilla smell rather than like, just a tone.  I've gotten pretty used to it, but it smells almost like cotton candy and a little TOO sweet.  It's pretty much used up now though and after a little research for the best vanilla perfume, my mom bought me this

which is Fancy by Jessica Simpson. 

   Now when I first sprayed it on me, I wasn't sure if I would like it because it smells more like perfume rather than a pure vanilla scent because...that's what it is!  ;)  It's actually kind of growing on me though.  According to Macy's website, the "heart" notes of the perfume are pear, apricot nectar, and red fruits followed by gardenia, jasmine, toasted almonds, and caramel.  The base notes are sandalwood, vanilla creme, and amber crystals.  It does actually kind of have a warm, fruity, apple smell to me.  It seems more like a fall/winter scent because it is sweet whereas in the summer it seems like you need to wear a more fresh scent, but I could definitely see me wearing it year round. 
So if you are looking for a way to kind of update your style, or are looking for a vanilla fragrance to wear, I would recommend Fancy. :)

Happy Birthday, Angelyn!

Angelyn!!  It's your birthday!  :D  YOUR 18TH BIRTHDAY!!  And the dino above will stand in my place to celebrate it with you in Malaysia (he travels over internet because he's cool like that).  I got to thinking - it has probably already been August 9th in your country, but I woke up in the USA today and thought - "IT'S ANGELYN'S BIRTHDAY!!!"  And yea verily, for me it is. ;)  So here is your birthday post!  I hope you have such a sweet birthday!  And don't get nostalgic about being a young adult.  It just means you have SO many new memories to create.  I hope you eat lots and lots of cake, get ALLLLL the presents you want.  You're such an awesome, creative person and I'm so glad we met back on LJ all those years ago.  Never stop being yourself.  ♥ Oh, and one last time:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGELYN!!

Who really needs the past with the allure of something new?

"to infinity and beyond"

"Side of the road."

"Oh, there you are."

All Holga pictures above are from my deviantART. :)

I'm Currently Reading...The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (Part 4)

Okay, I'm going to highlight the main events that happened in the last 3 books:

Book Five: Wheat and Tares: - Maggie starts meeting Philip in the woods, without anyone knowing.
-  Tom finds out about Maggie seeing Philip (surprise surprise), and Maggie swears she'll never see him again without Tom's permission
- Tom pays of his father's debt.
- Mr. Tulliver beats up Mr. Wakem and, after Maggie stops him, Mr. Tulliver becomes sick again and dies.

Book Six: The Great Temptation: - A few years later, Maggie comes to stay with cousin Lucy and meets Stephen Guest, Lucy's boyfriend.
- Maggie asks Tom for permission to see Philip, who will be coming to Lucy's house.
- Philip is still in love with Maggie, and Lucky knows it.  She automatically wants Maggie and Philip to be together, and is doing all she can to settle the dispute between the Wakems and Tullivers.
-  Maggie and Stephen, however, are falling in love.  Stephen convinces Maggie to elope with him.  But Maggie, though she knows now everyone will be angry with her, changes her mind about marrying Stephen and goes home.


Book Seven: The Final Rescue: - Maggie returns to the mill, and Tom has this to say:

"Tom did not hear the gate; he was just then close upon the roaring dam; but he presently turned, and lifting up his eyes, saw the figure whose worn look and loneliness seemed to him a confirmation of his worst conjectures. He paused, trembling and white with disgust and indignation.

Camera Giveaway @ The Plaid Barn

Oh my gosh, wouldn't it be AMAZING to win this camera?   Click here to check out the giveaway and enter! :D

This Week: Flowers, rants, lyrics, happy moments

 "the flower that blooms in adversity" from my deviantART

♥ This new AWESOME place to eat has opened up in my town, and it has such fresh, vegetarian options.  The atmosphere is really cool (kind of hipsterish and laid back), and they play SUCH good music (Green Day anyone? ;) ).

♥ I've been really aware recently of all the lies the media tells young boys and girls.  It's not like I didn't know it, but TV and music is just saturated with implications like "you have to be half-naked to be beautiful" and "if you boys aren't players and with tons of girls you're not really all that manly".  It just breaks my heart, because it's like everybody takes the life we've been given for granted.  Don't they know beauty is fleeting?  That true love can exist if you wait for the right guy?  That your standards and morals are more important than trying to please people that will never be satisfied?

♥  I was not thrilled with The Mill on the Floss's ending.  My thoughts on THAT will be posted soon in my next review.

♥ I'm so happy that Nela did a guest post for me!  Didn't she look just radiant in pink? :D

♥  Favorite lyrics this week:

"I'm letting myself off the hook for things I've done
I let my past go past
And now I'm having more fun
I'm letting go of the thoughts
That do not make me strong
And I believe this way can be the same for everyone"

♥ Also I'm really liking "How Far We've Come" by Matchbox Twenty.


♥ School is starting back in August!  Eeeeep I'm signed up for General Biology 2, General Psychology, and Expository Writing.  :0

How was your week?

"The Summer of Pink" {Fashion Post} || Guest post by Nela

(My little brother Henry and I)

blouse:wal-mart//tank-top:wal-mart//skirt:an attic find//necklace:gift from a relative//flip-flops:Dollar General

When I was a youngster, back when everything seemed new to me, pink was my ultimate favorite color, I kid you not. ;) Ever since I watched the Pink Power Ranger in action during the TV shows on Saturday mornings, my love for pink grew even stronger and stronger. As of late, my love for pink has died down a bit, but hasn't been forgotten. I think the reason why I like this outfit so much is because it brings back the memories that I had for the color pink. (Plus, people say that it brings out the color of my skin, but I really don't know if that's true. ;) )

What's your favorite color?

Hello! I'm Nela Holmes, an authoress of "Beloved Star" & Nel's Home Cooking. My hobbies and passions are photography, martial arts, cooking, baking, exercising, reading, writing, and of course, blogging. ;) I am a sinner saved by the grace of God through faith in the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

So come on over and visit for awhile. I would love to meet you. :)

Awesome song alert - "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons

  Imagine Dragons is a new Indie rock band I discovered recently and I'm extremely impressed - especially with their song "Radioactive".  The song is  a mix of calm music and singing (somewhat like Coldplay) and heavy instrumentals coupled with loud singing (like Awolnation).  It's an emotional song, but also seems to me a bit revengeful (think of "Waiting for the End" by Linkin Park).  Oh, and it's EXTREMELY good in HD.  So turn that sucker's quality up to 1080p - it's worth it.

My favorite lyrics:

"I'm waking up to ash and dust
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust
I'm breathing in the chemicals
I'm breaking in, shaping up, checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa."

  Give it a try, and listen to some of their other songs, too. :)

i'll admit I'm just the same as I was.

"it is not only fine feathers that make fine birds"

"Solitude"

 Check out my deviantART, Tumblr, and Flickr where I post some of my photos, too! :)