This week: Laptop, driving, being 18, future posts!

 ~ My laptop will not boot up. NOOO!  The rootkit and bootkit got deleted when my dad helped me run a program to get rid of a virus, and system restore want work either.  It's possible I might lose all my files on it if my dad has to do a clean re-installation of Windows7. :(  Needless to say I'm a very unhappy Lydia at the moment.  At least I learned my lesson - back up your files before trying to get rid of a virus!  I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier.  Does anybody have any ideas on how to fix this problem and still save my files?

~ I love driving.  Like seriously.  I got my license this past Wednesday and I just LOVE driving around town and listening to my new Owl City and Cage the Elephant CDs.  It's so much fun.
 
~ My mom ordered some items from Ulta, which I helped pick out.  I'm getting all these great items and I can't WAIT to share that haul with you! :)

~ My hair has been super dry lately.  Anybody know a good leave in conditioner?

~ Being 18 is shaping up to be my favorite age ever.  It's been SUCH a cool week.  It's like nothing bothers me, I have this strange "what will happen will happen" attitude...I dunno.  I just really love it so far. ♥

~  I need to work on my September Favorites for you guys.  I have the list of items that made it to my faves in my head, but I actually haven't put any work into getting the post together.

~ I'm thinking about doing a post where you can leave me questions in the comments, and then I'll answer them.  Would you guys ask me questions if I did that kind of post?

Also, how was your week?

I'm Currently Reading...Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Part Two)

Part Two: This update is way overdo lol.  Sorry it took so long!  And yes, I am using images from the movie version of the book because it has no illustrations.  Hope that's okay with everybody. ;)
 
  Part Two describes the realization Scarlett begins to have that she is no longer a damsel training to "catch" a husband.  No; she is a widow with a son.  Scarlett resents this fact, taking it out on Melanie and even her baby Wade.  She also behaves in ways that embarrass her family.  She sees the harsh reality of war and the terrible consequences it has on the families around her.  But Scarlett, being the self-centered belle she is, can only see her own petty problems.  Romance begins to bud between Rhett and her as well, and the forbidden romance between her and Ashley continues.

  I liked reading this part, but when I got about halfway through with it I remembered that I hadn't liked it as much as the first part (and still didn't).  I feel a little bit like Scarlett in the fact that reading about the ultra-Southern "party" times is more interesting than the war.  Also, as other school projects and responsibilities have doubled for me, I've had less time to read.  But I'm already on Part Three, which has presented plots I'd forgotten about.  Onward! :)

Picture from Google Images.

Birthday Haul! ♥

Hey guys! So Sunday was  my 18th birthday.  I had a really great day spent with my family!  We went out to lunch at this little coffee house/bistro in my town (I got a mock chicken salad sandwich and some yummy veggies).  Later we had chocolate cupcakes, had pizza for dinner, and watched Mirror, Mirror.  In the morning though I got some gifts from my family and sister!  I wanted to share them with you here.  I might do a proper review on some of these items later on, so if you see any you are particularly interested in and would like for me to do a review, just leave a comment or send me an email! :)

I got two pretty rings.  One was this super cute owl ring.

The other one was this ring that has red sapphires, and a little diamond in the middle of the flower.  Both of these look really cute on.  The owl ring is really heavy actually, which I wasn't expecting.

I got three CDs for my birthday: Thank You, Happy Birthday, All Things Bright and Beautiful (which my parents actually gave me as an early gift), and The Midsummer Station.  These are SO good!  The one I have enjoyed the most was The Midsummer Station.  Everybody was saying it wasn't enough like Owl City's regular things, but I liked it a lot.

Feminine Fashion

Aren't these pieces of clothing so feminine and pretty?  I've really been liking soft, pretty feminine fashion lately.  You know - pretty colored fashion paired with hoop earrings and high heels or bejeweled sandals.  Lacy tops and floral prints.  Dresses or silky, flowing tops.

P.S. I'm going to try to post my Birthday Haul either tomorrow or Wednesday.  Keep a look out for it!

What style of fashion have you liked lately?

Infinity Scarves Picspam

I wanted to share some pics of one of my favorite fashions this fall - infinity (sometimes called eternity) scarves.  And here is a tip, ladies, as you look as these pictures: most scarves can be made into an infinity scarf.  Just tie it in a knot, and made into a loop that you can wrap around your neck several times.  The knot can be hid under one of these loops.  Anyway, look at Jessica Alba sporting that leopard print infinity scarf.  Doesn't she look cute?

Followers to Friends Blog Party!

I just linked up at the blog party here. You should join, too! :D

Thoughts: Online Classes

  As many of you know, I'm started my FIRST semester of college this year.  I've chosen to take my classes online for a few reasons.  The first reason is that I don't want to drive all the way to campus back and forth everyday because I live a good ways off from it.  I'd rather spend my time studying during that hour (or writing blog posts).  Another reason is that I want to live at home because it saves me money and it's just more comfortable (especially for an introvert).  People like them for so many reasons, but those are just mine.
I personally was a little confused how to go about spending my time with the online courses because, even though I homeschooled, these classes are harder AND require more reading/writing/exercise work that traditional on campus classes.  I wanted to share how my schedule looks:

- On Mondays and Wednesdays I get up at about 8, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I sleep more like until 7:30.
- On Tuesdays and Thursdays I work on my biology for about 1 1/2 hours when I first get up - and I ONLY work on that class.  It's a little hard not to get distracted by other classes but for me I really need to spend sole time on each class.  So I check updates, do discussion boards, read lecture notes, and maybe work on some reading/writing/exercise assignments if I have time.  I take a break in this time too and check my sites and get breakfast. I do the same thing Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays except I work on homework.
- At 9 is coffee time with my mom and Nina! ;D
- At 10 I put my makeup on, clean up my stuff, run errands, whatever.
- At 11 on Mondays and Wednesdays I work on Pychology.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays I work on English.
- 12:30 is lunch time!  I read, check websites, balance spoons on my nose, and whatever else.
- At 1:30 I practice piano.
- At 2:00 I work on homework, or another 1 1/2 hours of biology on Mondays and Wednesdays. 
- Sometimes after all of that I still have work  I have to do ESPECIALLY if I have a project coming up.  If that's the case, I just work on it in the evening sometime.

  That's how online classes work for me!  I like make schedules and to-do-lists because I like to be really structured, but you can be as flexible as you want/need to be.  The only thing I dislike about online classes is I tend to get a bit of cabin fever lol.  But as long as I can get outside and run errands, I'm good.  This semester has been a LOT easier than my last because I think I've been less stressed.  I really, REALLY recommend designating certain days for certain subjects instead of doing a little bit of everything each day.  I also recommend pulling your hair back and wearing comfy clothes - after all, you don't have to literally GO to class, so rock those sweatpants and cute tee shirts. ;D

Have you ever taken an online class?

Picture from Pinterest.com

What's In My Purse? ♥

Hi guys!  So I thought I'd do the famous "What's In My Purse" post that all the cool fashion bloggers do. ;) 

The purse that I carry pretty much everyday is my brown leather Calvin Klein bag.  My mom bought it for me off eBay when I was going to driver's ed, so I've had it a good two years.  I swear, I carry it ALL the time.

I love the hardware on this bag.  It's silver-toned, which is awesome for me because so much of the jewelry I wear is as well.

 

I love the clasp on this bag.  It has a little rectangular lever that you push to open and close the bag.

It hangs down to about my hip, and has a nice long handle.  It's also big put not overwhelmingly so which is great since I'm petite.  When I got this bag, I wanted a "hobo" look without looking like I could fit inside it. :P

Jane Austen and Charles Dickens Quizzes!

Take the Jane Austen Character Quiz here!

You are Marianne Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are impulsive, romantic, impatient, and perhaps a bit too brutally honest. You enjoy romantic poetry and novels, and play the pianoforte beautifully. To boot, your singing voice is captivating. You feel deeply, and love passionately.

Take the quiz here!

Your Jane Austen Hero is; Colonel Brandon!
Yours is a steady man, patient, and solemn at times. Though you may hurt him with your actions, he will remain constant and wait for you no matter what. He will be there when you really need him, and never let you down.

Take the quiz here!

Estella Havisham is the female lead in Great Expectations. Not exactly a heroine, Estella leads Pip Pirrip on under the guidance of Miss Havisham. Though Estella is cruel to men, she resents the way she was brought up and wishes she could show her true feelings. After a disastrous marriage, she realizes she should have married for love. In the end, Dickens leaves it up to the reader whether she returns to Pip or not.

Take the quiz here!

David Copperfield is kind and generous, and in the book of the same name, he outlines his life from his birth to adulthood. David tends to have a passion for silly girls, and sometimes overlooks the love right in front of him. But once he knows the truth, there is no one more devoted!

  Okay first of all - Marianne and Estella.  Wow, I'm certainly a character. ;)  I think I'm more like Marianne, but I can see some Estella definitely in me.  Also, I think David is going to have a handful with me compared to Dora. XD  I think I like the choice of Colonel Brandon better than David...but I could see me liking both of them lol.  Though I don't think I would be as insensitive as Marianne.

What are your results?

I Got Bitten by the Blog Bug

Jasmin over at Jasmin Tries to Blog gave me this Blog Bug Award!  I was so excited when she did! Her blog is so cool, and she wears the best clothes! :D 

Here are the rules once you are awarded/tagged: 

• If you are given the Blog Bug award, You must answer the questions that follow and the title of the post should be "I Got Bitten by the Blog Bug"

• You must give the link of where you originally got this award, and you can tag as many bloggers as you want. Link their pages on the post and also inform them through comments in their blog. :)

• Optional: You must post a banner corresponding to the site that you are using to blog in your sidebar and it should link back to your post about the Blog Bug Award.

Questions:

1)When and Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging last December, but I didn't really start updating/working on it that much until May/June of this year.  I started blogging because I felt like I was really wasting my time on Facebook and just basically doing nothing.  I wanted a place where I could help and inspire people with reviews, posts on fashion and literature, and by sharing my favorite music and photography.

2)What do you love to blog about and why do you like it?

My favorite things to blog about are beauty/fashion, music and literature (yes, I had to choose three;D).  These things are my favorite because I tend to know a lot about it.  I listen to music all the time, I read a ton (especially in the summer) and beauty/fashion is something I'm really a fanatic about it.

3)How did you get your blog name?

Well, I'm a pretty simplistic person who leads a pretty easy going life.  I like people to tell me exactly what they mean, I'm an honest person, I hate when people over complicate something that is easy, I try to be true to myself, and I enjoy the little things in life like a good book, a pretty day, good music, or just drifting off into thought.  So "simplicity" is something I generally have in my life, and strive for everyday - which of course reflects into the writing I do on my blog.  I also plan on keeping this blog for as long as possible, and even though it technically won't be around eternally, I believe that I will be.  Hence, Eternal Simplicity. :)

4)What do you think is your best post yet?

I think my best post is probably "Thoughts: The Guy of Your Dreams".  It was one of those topics that I'm really passionate about, and so it was really easy to write.  It was something I felt everyone needed to know.

5)What is your inspiration for blogging at present?

My inspiration is the posts I see by other people on their blogs, and on YouTube as well.  I'm also trying to reach my goal of getting 100 followers (fingers crossed!) by next August, so that really motivates me, too.

6)Message for your readers:

I hope you guys really enjoy my blog!  If there is any post you'd like me to write here or at your blog, if you'd like to guest post here, if you'd like to sponsor a giveaway at my blog, please just shoot me an email at aidylvice@yahoo.com.  I'd love to hear any ideas or questions you might have. ♥

Bloggers I would like to award: 

1.) Nina

2.) Nela

3.) Angel

4.) Biancarosa

5.) Allison

6.) Daniel

7.) Rissi

8.) Jessica and Megan

9.) Angelyn

10.) Kari

Early Fall Style Picspam

  Here in the south, it is FINALLY getting cool enough to feel like fall!  Yes! ♥ I thought I'd share some of the pretty early fall fashion I've been seeing on Pinterest.  The picture above is of Gwen Stefani (who will probably get her own picspam sometime *cough cough*), and isn't that polka dot shirt paired with the scarf and boots ADORABLE?!

I'm Currently Reading...Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Part One)

 This is the version I'm reading.

Currently reading: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Reason: I've read it before, and I've been wanting to reread it, so I'm completing this read along HERE.

Part One: Reading Gone With the Wind for really the first time since I was 13 has started a nostalgic journey for me.  "Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful..." chapter one begins, and I am instantly transported back to Georgia during 1861.

  Part One introduces us to the main characters - Scarlett O'Hara (the charming, selfish belle of Tara), her sister, her parents Gerald and Ellen, Ashley Wilkes and his wife-to-be Melanie Hamilton, and of course the infamous Rhett Butler.

  Scarlett is apparently still in love with her beau Ashley, who she hears is to be married to his cousin Melanie Hamilton, a Scarlett makes fun of but she is secretly jealous of nonetheless.  She meets Rhett Butler at the Wilkes' cookout and, when Scarlett makes her unladylike declaration of love to Ashley on his engagement day, neither Scarlett nor Ashley noticed Butler had been lying on the couch the whole time.  After Ashley leaves the room, Rhett addresses himself to Scarlett, and she is furious that he knows her secret.  Embarrassed that everyone might know now, Scarlett recklessly accepts a marriage proposal from Melanie's brother Charles.  They're married, and Scarlett is pregnant when their marriage is cut short by the death of Charles in the war.  The O'Haras decide sending Scarlett and her baby Wade to live in Atlanta with Charles' sister Melanie and his Aunt Pittypat Hamilton will the best thing for their daughter.

  It's take me awhile to write this review (because I had so many other blog posts I wanted to do first) so I'm already a fair way into Part 2.  I really had forgotten how much I love GWTW.  It's kind of an easy read, and the story is so intriguing.  I'd forgotten how selfish Scarlett is though - she's a nut!  My favorite chapter out of this part was chapter fifteen.  I love the description:

" It was ten o’clock in the morning. The day was warm for April and the golden sunlight streamed brilliantly into Scarlett’s room through the blue curtains of the wide windows. The cream-colored walls glowed with light and the depths of the mahogany furniture gleamed deep red like wine, while the floor glistened as if it were glass, except where the rag rugs covered it and they were spots of gay color.
  Already summer was in the air, the first hint of Georgia summer when the high tide of spring gives way reluctantly before a fiercer heat. A balmy, soft warmth poured into the room, heavy with velvety smells, redolent of many blossoms, of newly fledged trees and of the moist, freshly turned red earth. Through the window Scarlett could see the bright riot of the twin lanes of daffodils bordering the graveled driveway and the golden masses of yellow jessamine spreading flowery sprangles modestly to the earth like crinolines. The mockingbirds and the jays, engaged in their old feud for possession of the magnolia tree beneath her window, were bickering, the jays strident, acrimonious, the mockers sweet voiced and plaintive.
   Such a glowing morning usually called Scarlett to the window, to lean arms on the broad sill and drink in the scents and sounds of Tara. But, today she had no eye for sun or azure sky beyond a hasty thought, “Thank God, it isn’t raining.” On the bed lay the apple-green, watered-silk ball dress with its festoons of ecru lace, neatly packed in a large cardboard box. It was ready to be carried to Twelve Oaks to be donned before the dancing began, but Scarlett shrugged at the sight of it. If her plans were successful, she would not wear that dress tonight. Long before the ball began, she and Ashley would be on their way to Jonesboro to be married." - Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.

Thoughts: I'm an introvert.

  The other day I was fangirling over Owl City (that happens a lot) and I ran across a post Adam Young (the mastermind behind Owl City) had written about the 10 Myths About Introverts.  You can read the myths and Adam's responses to them HERE.  He talks about how he never really thought of himself as an introvert, even though everyone would basically describe him that way. 

  On that note, I always though I was more of an extrovert.  I mean, since I always liked to go out places, I figured I was more social.  But after reading the list of myths Adam talks about (and taking this quiz HERE to see if I was an introvert or extrovert) I realized people act that way towards me and that I really am an introvert.  The truth is, when I go out I generally like to go by myself, or with just a person (like my sister) or two (maybe one of my parents or another friend) to small places like a cafe, library, or grocery store even.  But I'm not a huge fan of hanging out in big groups, especially with kids I don't know (or like) that well.  I also like one on one time better, because I like that better.  We have each others' full attention, and I get really nervous around people I don't know, which apparently  doesn't show because my family rolls their eyes and are like "Yeah, Lydia's always nervous."  The other people are entertaining to me (for short time periods) but I tend to start watching them like it's a TV show which comes off as a little bit rude or judgmental, or people think I'm unapproachable.  I'm really friendly! People like me, and like to be around me.  I just have a FEW close friends.  I smile, laugh, and talk a lot - with people I know well and like.  I've had people say that I've given them mean looks before, and the only thing I can figure is that I was in my own world and thinking when I looked up at them. 

  So like the article said, I'm not weird.  I'm not even unfriendly.  I just don't care for parties, loud noises, clubs,  groups of people, drinking, or things like that.  I just like being alone.  With my music.  Or a book.  Or with one or maybe two close friends that I can REALLY trust and have stuff in common with.  I like driving just for the sake of being independent and going to the grocery store.  I like meeting new people and learning about how they think, and see what they wear and what music they listen to.  I just don't have to be AROUND them all the time.  I like going some place kinda low key and "hippyish" and having a good time - then go home and have some alone time.  I like blogging, reading, listening to music, thinking, playing music, driving, watching TV, sewing, reading magazines, trying new hairstyles and makeup, coming up with new outfits.  THEN I can go out and show off what outfits I've come up with.  See how it works?

  And I like that!  I like not feeling like I HAVE to do that stuff.  It's cool!  And it's just as cool for people to be extroverts.  I'll be me and you be you.  It's freeing, isn't it? :)

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Picture from Pinterest.com

Giveaway Winner Announcement!

I know I said the winner of the Woven Bracelet Giveaway would be announced Monday, but I couldn't wait.  So the winner is Nela from Beloved Star.  Congratulations!  I'll email you soon with the details I'll be needing from you. :D ♥

Thoughts: You can't lose a true friend.

My mom said this recently: "You can't lose a true friend."
And you know what?
You can't.
It's kind of hard to get your head wrapped around, but think of it.

A true friend....
1. Does not lie about you, to you, or about other people. 
2. Will not be mean to you or about you.  If they have done something insensitive, they will apologize (and mean it) as soon as they realized they have hurt your feelings.
3. Will not accept other people who are being mean to you - because if you are a true friend, they will know that this other person is just out of line.
4. Will add to the relationship.  They will not always be taking from you.
5. Will respect you and your morals, even if they are different from theirs.
6. They will not ignore you.  They might get busy, but if they will not purposely avoid you for no reason.

Now think of everything you think a true friend is.  No matter what you can come up with to be mad at them about, most things that would ruin a relationship is premeditated and mean on the other person's part.  That's not a true friend. So you can't lose real ones.  You might both get busy at times and not be able to talk or hang out as much as you used to.  You might have a disagreement or squabble like you do with your family members, but it won't tear you apart.  You shouldn't have to worry about someone lying, being mean, being a bully, being selfish, or being rude to you because a true friend doesn't do that.  If you feel like you are losing a friend, it might be time to question if they are a friend in the first place.  It might just be time to let this friend impostor go.

What do YOU think a true friend is like?

P.S.  Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the Woven Bracelet giveaway.  Enter today at this link! :)

When I Read...The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Book I read: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

When I read it: October of 2010, when I was 16.

Reason: I was doing the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge at the time (which I've put on hold right now because of other books I want to read first), and this looked like an interesting one on the list.

Review:  When Angelyn asked me to do a book review on The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, I was actually pretty excited about the idea even though I hadn't read it in nearly two years.  It stirred up some nostalgic/hurtful feelings in me from the time that I read it, which actually helped me to remember why I liked the book at the time and all that it examined.  

  The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel by Sylvia Plath, published under her pseudonym "Victoria Lucas" at the time.  The story is about Esther Greenwood, a girl trying to find her place in the world as a woman.  It follows her life, including her downward spiral into depression and ultimately her suicide attempt.  Identity, feeling oppressed and used by men, the fears of becoming a housewife and losing one's self are some major themes.  Often call a roman à clef, the book echoes some similar events that happened in Plath's life.  

  The book was started in 1961 after Plath had published her book of poems, The Colossus.  The novel disappointed her publisher Harper and Row, but was eventually published in the UK in 1963.  Plath committed suicide a month after its publication.  Working titles for the book included  Diary of a Suicide and The Girl in the Mirror.

  I haven't read the book, as I've stated, in a little over 2 years, so I don't remember all the details about it.  I do know that I really enjoyed it and this book was written so interestingly  that I became a big fan of Sylvia Plath, even to the point that I got her Unabridged Journals for my birthday last year.  The book is pretty dark and kind of disturbing sometimes.  It has some underlying sexual tones as well, especially at one point when she has slept with a boy and begins bleeding excessively.  Shock treatments are also examined in the novel, and these descriptions could get a little rough at time.  

  I would recommend this book to anyone 15 and up only because of some of the darker themes.  If you don't like any sort of semi-depressing books, I would avoid this one.  But if this sort of thing is intriguing to you, definitely give it a shot.  

“...because wherever I sat—on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok—I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air.” - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

Giveaway ends Friday!

  Hey guys!  Just wanted to remind you all that the Woven Bracelet Giveaway ends on September 7th.  So you only have a few more days to enter!  You can read all the rules and enter at this link.

 
  I will add that I cannot ship internationally, so please - only enter if you live in the USA.  Also, this is my 100th post!  Can't believe I've had so much to say already. ;p

Kate Middleton's Style Picspam

  Kate Middleton is pretty darn famous for her fashion sense.  Although I wouldn't normally dress like her on a day to day basis (a cute dress and pumps aren't really that practical for biology experiments), I do see things that she wears and think of certain ways I could channel that in my own wardrobe.  The outfit she's wearing above is one of my overall favorites, but the ones I'm posting below are brilliant with bright, vivid colors and amazing accessories.

Gone With the Wind Read Along 2012

 Hi guys!  Wanted to alert everyone to a Gone With the Wind Read Along going on here.  I haven't read it in 5 years, and I have to say I'm really enjoying it again already.  Make sure you sign up! ♥