I LOVE MY "NEW" PHONE!

How have I used iOS all this time?
Gooooo Droid!

So I received my LG Voyager not too long ago and have been customizing the HECK out of it.
The only thing is..the phone only comes with 170 MB internal memory -.-..
Even old school mp3 players come with larger minimum storage capabilities! (Usually 250 MB..)
So I ended up downloading all these cool home screen launchers, aka customization/themes to make the home screen look awesome, but couldn't keep them cause they were taking up too much space. I also had to run out and buy an SD card for other apps (some apps can be stored on the SD card, but home launchers cannot).
So I searched, and searched for the most lightweight launcher and found..
LIGHTNING LAUNCHER!
It's seriously amazing stuff; if you have an old-school/basic smartphone with tiny internal memory, this is the launcher for you! It is available for free at the google play store and is only 196 KB :)
Even better, it's super liberating cause it has absolutely no restrictions. You can make icons any size/place anywhere/etc.
Not going to lie, for a first timer like me it was pretty overwhelming. But seriously, its SO easy to catch on to! I decided to stick to a simple horizontal scroll layout with the five docks on the bottom. I ended up with:

Beaut.

Isn't it preetttty? 

Hehe. Another great thing about the launcher is that you get to hide bloatware (un-deletable apps) and change icon fonts (I'm using helvetica).

The widget I used on top is Glass Widgets , again free and only ~180 KB; much better than the ugly stock weather widget.

On other things, just purchased two "Focco" bags on eBay.

They are basically bags inspired by Alexander Wang's Cocco/Rocco, but are GUILT FREE aka vegan. They also come with a much smaller price tag. The ones I got are in black with gold hardware and grey with silver hardware:

1. Black/gold 2. Grey/Silver

I got these in two colors mainly because I wanted something with silver hardware, and something that was an alternative to black. I didn't like the black/silver combination because it looked a bit cheap, but the grey looks phenomenal in all the blog posts I've seen about it. I'm not a fan of grey paired with warm tones so the choice only seemed natural. I purchased from this seller, for $31.50.

In closing, a random OOTD from the past week..

Okay, so more like just a self shot.

Awkward smile+glasses+bummy outfit, but the point is the pretty phone! 

Idk why I'm so happy with it honestly lol...Best $20 ever spent? 

CHARM✌참

Short phone customization haul..

So..Since the last post, I've been hunting for cases and/or decals to hide dents and customize the "new" phone.
I couldn't find anything super cheap, so stuck with a reasonably priced wolf case.

1) Clear screen protectors, 2) Mirror screen protector, 3) Wolf plastic case

The case is super Christopher Kane x Topshop circa 2009-esque. Only, it seems that the trend is officially catching on here in the states so its a win-win for me. I also got three screen protectors: one mirror and two clear. I know that the mirror is for the HTC MyTouch, but the ones for the LG Vortex is so outrageously priced! I'm going to just use the clear ones as a stencil to make the mirror protector fit. I got the mirror one because the seller's picture of the Vortex is pretty LQ, so I couldn't tell how badly the screen is scratched up. If its really bad then the mirror protector should do a good job of hiding it. 

Honestly, there doesn't seem to be many scratches on the screen so I also picked up the two clear protectors (other than to use as stencils). I think the mirror protector will eventually get distorted badly, so I want to have backups at hand. 

I get bored of phone cases/themes super quickly, so I know I'll eventually pick up another case for this phone - I'm already debating between a baby pink or blue (mint-ish). I can't imagine using more fobby/cute themes with the wolf case! My OCD won't let that happen, hehe. Annnd, a solid color case is so much more versatile in general..It'll match with every season! :x 

If I weren't so broke from spending so much, I'd totally get the color case now. Sigh. 

I'm seriously so impatient. I can't wait to get my hands on this baby so I can play with all the Android customization options. I legit just spent two-three hours looking up Go Launcher themes..ㅡㅁㅠ..

Talk about priorities..Did I mention that spring break is officially over, and I have school tomorrow?

CHARM✌참

"New" Phone

Remember my phone dilemma mentioned in the previous post?
I received the digitizer, did some more research, and definitely decided to return it. Apparently, not only is it almost impossible to replace lcd/screen parts separately, it's a complete scam. Surprise, surprise.
Strangely enough, my seller bumped up the product price to about $60 after my purchase - which was a mere $10 in comparison.

I decided to get:

 The LG Vortex (VS660)

An iPhone to a low budget smartphone, what an upgrade huh? 

Despite the sarcasm, I'm actually really really grateful to have been able to find such a great deal. The description says the phone is really scratched up and stuff, but what matters (to moi) is that it functions perfectly. Its only a month or two; I should be able to make due!

I tried eBaying some cases to cover up the dings, but they're all so expensive! Like, almost as expensive as what I paid for the phone! What happened to all the Chinese sellers who have cases for a dollar? Non-existent for this phone. Hmm, I'm going to try finding decals next.. 

I guess the Vortex can also function as a good transition from iOS to Android, since I'm planning on eventually upgrading to the SIII or SIV. I can use some practice.
Life is SO slooooow without a phone.

CHARM✌참

Thinning wallet..

Ack; I've been shopping way too much lately, especially online.
Recent purchases include two pairs of high-waisted jeans (one from ebay, another from punk.com), and a couple of basic tops, but those are pretty self explanatory/boring because they're cookie cutter generic/everyone-knows-how-they-look things.
An interesting thing I did buy is:

"Veggie twister"

A spiralizer! Well, a spiral vegetable cutter, or "veggie twister" as deemed by the seller. I was looking for an affordable spiralizer since going raw vegan, but couldn't find a well functioning one for less than $25. No way I was going to spend that much for what is essentially plastic! So I turned to trusty ebay and came across this guy, MUCH more practical (and cheaper!) than the traditional versions. Very very excited for future zucchini pastas. 

To try and save money on contacts, I also placed an order with pinkicon. They're a circle lens distributor based in China, and one of the few that had clear lenses.. Spent ~$55 on a pair of clear Geo yearly disposables and a six pair pack of monthly Neo disposables (just in case I lost the Geo pair, etc). Quite frustrated with the site because when I try to login to track my order, the password is wrong, but when I try to register, they claim that my ID already exists. It's ridiculous that they require logins to track; I just hope it gets to me, if not thank God for paypal claims!  

The most exciting purchase is:

The Ninja Mega Kitchen System with lifetime warranty

EEEEEE! Lol, I'm so super happy about this purchase. I did TONS of research for a Vitamix dupe and was previously set on the Omniblend V, but came across this baby! Though reviews show that the performance of the Ninja clearly does not match up to the Vitamix or Blendtec, the lifetime warranty sold it for me. The problem I have with cheap blenders is not that they produce chunkier smoothies, but that their motors have such a short life span! A lifetime warranty guarantees that the Ninja will be a consistent tool in my life. Not that I don't appreciate the 2-horse power/1500 Watt motor, which is totally comparable to higher cost models. The versatility of the product is another plus; it is also a food processor! I've been wanting a food processor and now I have it allll. Hehe. 

Apparently it'll be shipped out next month because it is on backorder now, but for the price (and lifetime guarantee) I can wait! 

I guess I would be okay with how much money I've spent/been spending if not for what's tipped me over the edge. My iPhone frigging broke.

It was my fault - I was exiting a car in front of my house when the phone slipped out of my pocket. I noticed it was missing right after I got out, so I assumed it slipped out in the car. However, after checking the next morning, it wasn't there! I assumed it was in the one other place I thought it could be, church. So I go to church and search - again, not there. Later that day, my brother gets a call from my aunt who got a call from the nearby Verizon store, and apparently someone turned it in! I was so relieved, until I actually went to pick it up. When I got to the store, they informed me that the touch screen wasn't working, so I didn't get lucky as I thought. The store staff told me that whoever turned it in claimed they noticed the phone because they ran over it with their car. Yeah right.

I'm guessing that whoever picked it up, did so with the intention of keeping it, but since the phone was out for so long it was already messed up. Since the phone was messed up, they decided to turn it into the store. If they ran over it, the phone would definitely not have survived without a scratch. And my headphones are gone too. Sigh..

So I bought a digitizer,  or touch screen, replacement from eBay, only to read the description AFTERWARDS saying that it did not come with the "liquid clear display" - whatever that means. When I looked more clearly at the pictures, it looks like the frame where all the screws are supposed to go is missing. I think I'm likely going to return it once it gets here. I'm bidding on some cheap smartphones so hopefully I'll win one at a low low cost. I'm due for an upgrade, but want to wait for the Samsung Galaxy SIV release so that I can either: 1) have the latest model or 2) get the SIII at a much more discounted price.

I don't think its worth upgrading to the SIII at full price now, only to have the price drastically drop in about a month. 

Arg, just so annoyed that I couldn't finish off the last month financially strong.

I'm definitely going on a budget plan from this moment on til the summer, when I'll have a job. I don't want my savings depleted!

CHARM✌참