iPhone.

Down with fever cough & cold n the worst kind of sinus ever… the headache is unbearable in fibro it’s paining in my eyes and front too cuz it’s severe sinus - mostly due to the wisdom tooth. As an Update: I'm feeling suicidal again even after all this because who wouldn't? You know my problem & there's no end to it, it has been a long winded never ending story... it just doesn't end on a happy note. Please ignore all the errors and typos if you can.

If at all we do my second phase of renovation then that’s a throwback moodboard below… I wanted to do a 1920s authentic (slightly Gothic) Victorian panelling & coincidentally I came across a post where they had the same ruffle cushions as me in linen (the only difference is mine are in Organza silk and gold) their's were cream coloured, as for me cream was sold out, they too had a similar paneling done. It was a bit challenging to find moulders in India cuz they know basic moulding and no one here has ever done that skirting either, we use tile pieces even in Lodha London, so nonetheless luckily I found one place where they gave samples to my father; they chopped off tiny pieces from the display ones and I chose exactly what I needed to put something together from that era, I would’ve elaborated but I can’t share it for now. The capping rail has that typical style and for the skirting too I wanted a mountboard + slight moulding on top so we decided to use more samples resourcefully, and we came up with separate pieces for that part. Next comes the framing and for that I’ll be trying more samples. Since I like keeping positive vibes and anything gothic no matter how much I love it would’ve been darker I’ve got this frame which is both like mystical as well as Elysian it has that innocent charm cuz they are angel wings, I was initially looking for one with carvings and and stuff and then stumbled upon this, it’s a small frame but pocket sized although I love those as well they look very unique. I had to try around 20 shades in paint because of the new tinting machines where a lot of colours are turning out different, maximum even the ones which were supposed to have warmer tones had a lot of blue for some reason and they were all purple. I luckily found 2 amazing shades, but both from different brands so we’ll be putting them one on the plain wall and the other on the panelling, one of them is again almost the same shade I’ve mentioned for my charger below in the next moodboard it’s like Vanilla or White Chocolate but with a warmer undertone not cool because the other one was literally looking like butterscotch, and that’s not a very versatile shade, although it’s pretty. I wanted a golden white colour and for the panelling I’ve chosen something more deeper and pigmented, I found one earthy brown as well which will look great in today’s tones especially with our new sculptural abstract trend but for me it wasn’t very ideal. Cuz Victorian panelling requires delicate colours and that’s better if you either have a complete raw wall or you are doing some mix & match, or if you have a more barn style paneling such as the ones with grooves, either Beadboard or Shiplap or even Board & Batten which has become a popular City style thanks to Hamptons. The brown shade however is very beautiful less earthy and more chikoo I really liked it. I have picked a different colour which would go with my Victorian panelling more and I’ll be keeping it a surprise till my work is done, sorry. All I can say is it’s very rich and it also looks like one of those sophisticated expensive shades, it goes well with both warm as well as colder lights cuz sometimes colours can look very different, and I’m a huge fan of warm amber lights. I’ve checked it in both daylight as well as white spotlights and I also flashed my LED candle to see how it would look in warm lights. This other paint brand had also paired it with a similar shade which I’d already chosen from the other one - ie. a warmer shade of vanilla. We will have to change my window frames too cuz we had just used the old ones previously as I was very ill and they are quite loose so when it gets windy I feel cold, ill be putting white ones and a faux white marble for granite which is like cream coloured with white specks in it. I’ve put the same one in my bathroom for the window and the door frame.

I’ll be keeping my flannel wallpaper as it is in the passage as it’s in very light neutral colours so it’ll match my new colour scheme as well and I’m a huge wallpaper fan at heart, the plaid print also goes with my Stag plaque (it’s not very edgy it’s just a small wooden canvas with a vintage stag print on top (but the base is not textile it’s again mdf so it looks very vintage and different 🦌 & goes with the theme) I can’t type much so I’m gonna rush through everything else now sorry…

I tried getting that Succulent cover’s dupe cuz I got a panic attack when I realised I’ll have to fish out additional 10 grands for more storage, I’m taking this phone for the camera and RAW shots taken in 48 px will be requiring more space, done vlogger said during her unboxing that she had to take her’s on EMI 512 GB, that too after a trade in. I didn’t have any pro to trade as such and mini doesn’t incur much value, anyway she too was looking for some alternatives to their silicone covers and the wireless charging pad. Cuz they are for 5k each and the power bank is for around 12k. The panic attack was real. Some people don’t want branding… I feel it looks very boring without the Apple logo, I had an official Apple cover when I was 18 it was in leather but back then the prices were less 2500/- and luckily because of that I knew that microfibre lining has to be very plush almost like suede, I’m not sure how it is currently in Apple but I’m hoping it’s the same. I found one cover and I got it on returnable basis but they don’t take it back if the paper packaging is torn luckily for me, they’d sent a very old spoilt box so I could flash my phone’s light from top and see from the ripped area. I also understood what Succulent was like, it looks like a mini plant like its name or my moodboard on top but the actual beauty lies in cooler lights, that’s where you’ll see it’s real Blue-ish Vintage Green colour. The case was exactly the same from too but from inside the edges obviously were poorly cut and they were very shabby, not worth 900 it wouldn’t have lasted, I sent it back and I got my refund. My head is paining a lot even more due to sinus so please ignore the typos. I then saw the one that she got (it was some blogger from US with an unboxing video) I found the same cover but I zoomed in to check every detail as minutely as possible, it was for 399 or so without any logo as such, but again the microfibres lining was the same as the previous one. I mostly prefer completely fluid silicone covers, this I’ve has a stiffer base inside under the soft silicone hence I prefer Apple’s microfibre. I didn’t order those, after successfully dodging such sellers twice I eventually fell for one and I lost my money there… again it’s not my fault. It was a private website where they had a logo and metal trimmings everything to privilege additional safety for your camera as well, the images had Apple’s Suede-like plush microfibre inside and iPhone embossed in a similar manner, I wouldn’t have believed the pics especially die to their high quality and solid backgrounds thinking of them as digitally made renders but they had a video with an Indian boy who was tossing the covers in his hand with the same backgrounds so that gained them a little bit of credibility and I ordered it.

The colour is very dark and loud in real life, I took their pink shade as an alternative to Chalk Pink. I didn’t get succulent as it was not available, the metal trimmings have the cheapest quality ever, there are lose threads so it lacks proper finishing near the camera & for some reason they have stitching there, the microfibre lining was completely fake in the images, it’s the same one which they have in those Amazon covers which only cost 399/- Other than Apple's signature Liquid Silicone I wanted an Aesthetic cover like the one I had for my previous Mini... with collage stickers, you know how much I love bears 🐻 like Ralph Lauren?

Like I said I mainly wanted an Aesthetic cover with collage stickers other than an iPhone lookalike but this time my regular website doesn’t have any 14-14 pro covers, and it’s hard for everyone including some supermodel from my generation she has the same phone as me but she too had to settle on something slightly comical or vibrant when it came to stickers, it’s literally impossible as of now to find collage one’s in 14… they’ve become so elusive and they mostly selling pop sockets or wristband covers that too most of them are very tacky. I found a Bunny Cover and it’s the Year of the Rabbit 🐇 anyway so I’ll be using that, the quality is okay-ish it’s average it’s not something I like but it’s soft and it has a snug fit. Speaking of Rabbits, someone had dumped a bunny on the railway tracks somewhere and he was hyperalert as most bunnies so he would stand up and open his long ears to see if any train was approaching and curl up to burry his head, he has been very strong and smart too, he was able to protect his head luckily but the skin on his back has turned pink under the fur due to abrasion cuz a few trains passed from there, he’s safe now, animal rescuers found him on the tracks and someone has taken him home. Don’t get pets if you can’t take their responsibility and stop being cruel to them.

I found another cover with stickers, the quality should be better considering the fact that it’s printed locally, after the initial episode I didn’t want to get cheated again I didn’t want to spend either cuz I was like maybe I should learn a lesson :/ but like I said the images and video were completely misleading so it wasn’t my fault. The other site has charged 120 for shipping and COD I fetched their 15% coupon after that cuz I thought I won’t be needing anything behind 12% lol it’s for 375/- now original price would be 299, it’s a basic clear silicone cover with Starbucks stickers, they also have a Reserve cutout from Starbucks Elite range and a receipt 🧾 so there’s a collage full of stickers. I have taken it as an extra cover. And here’s my accessory haul… in the moodboard below, I’ve created certain PNGs on my own even in this horrible sinus headache, I did a pretty good job in fact better than usual. Just like my paint and next room’s theme I’m getting everything in White Chocolate or Vanilla. And here’s the surprise… I finally got my night lamp in Vanilla too to match my next theme as everything going to be that including my Marshall and all. I had taken green last year after waiting for vanilla, they didn’t even receive in the next shipment, only one guy got that colour and it’s very elusive everywhere all around the globe…  got some reason they were only circulating the green and peach colours, I was crazy about Vanilla shade which they finally got and this time they didn’t get the other colours, just that. I’m glad though… I love this night lamp, it has a pop up spring where the toaster lights up and it’s made out of silicone, the spring is a little delicate as in the switch so you have to handle it gently, you can not only dim the light but also set a timer and go to sleep without worrying about turning it off.

I have created certain PNGs on my own for my moodboard even in this horrible sinus headache, I did a pretty good job in fact better than usual. The Gold Centurion/American Express card is looking so sauve and glamorous there with my sequinned purse, I love collecting baguette purses but I didn’t have a single party purse till now… the credit card isn’t mine 💳 but I always admired it, if I had a card company I would’ve chosen a similar icon to build a heritage brand like their’s.

I have created these Aesthetic layout for my old phone using a free version of some app, I had to do all the work, all wallpapers and app icon backgrounds are mine

The colour of the iPhone isn’t like a Deep Gold, hence I have called it Platinum Blond cuz it’s more of that, I would’ve anyway picked Starlight from the normal 14 but that’s like a dull milk white shade it’s perfect for aesthetes but I wanted something more warmer so this was the right choice for me cuz even if its “off white” from certain angles then too it goes with my new Vanilla or White Chocolate theme but it had to be a warm shade. I didn’t want anything darker cuz I love aesthetic collage covers which require a lighter base. Out of the deeper ones however I like Space Black more than Purple but it's still very subjective, in my opinion the Purple one is more of a "Cyborg Gamer Boy" colour, as an Aesthete I find Black very classy especially cuz this time it's all matte with just a glossy rim in contrast; some people call it a fingerprint magnet but the glossy bands look good you can always protect them with a cover. Gold definitely goes with all kinds of transparent collage covers but Silver has an altogether different cult following, there are bloggers who have come up with a new aesthetic it’s Black & Chrome so they obviously take shots of their shiny steel Delonghi machines and chrome edges in completely dark high contrast vignette videos to maintain that black in it, what was once basic has now become a glamorous shade of white. I had taken my iPhone 12 mini long ago after a trade in, I had a fresh, almost brand new iPhone X to give so I only had to pay 35k balance. I always use my products very carefully hence they look "new" and even when I had taken my iPhone 7 I had traded 6 which was again considered almost box packed by the store (back then we didn't have an official Apple Store but a few other places would offer trade in) I was putting it off this time but I saw a blogger who had this iPhone and I always admired her videos, when it was confirmed that those super HD videos were taken on this one I immediately got it, I had some money saved since the past 3 years which were given to me for a new iPhone cuz the home button had spoiled on my iPhone 7, I finally used it but it wasn’t enough as it was given for mini (and I already had a mini which I'd taken for 35k like I said, I wasn't expecting it but my father added that money into my account so I saved it instead of buying a new one even though I always keep two phones but since I've been bed ridden I had no professional use) then I collected more money to add more there, they have to do something about the exorbitant prices because I wasn’t even able to buy it using my Debit card… it was declined no wonder Apple has more money than the entire US government, it was declined cuz the total amount was exceeding my spending limit, when I went to increase it I realised it was set to the highest possible transaction rate. Luckily due to the iPhone money which I’d saved for years even my credit limit was increased on my credit card but this amount was exceeding that as well. Then this is what I did - obviously in this case I had to do a Bank Transfer. I told my mom that the phone should’ve been at least within 1 lakh, it’s exceeding even 1.25 which is actually a lot, it’s undoubtedly overpriced. I do admire their image resolution or video quality, even though Samsung offers more pixel count but I choose iPhones cuz I’m used to IOS and secondly I love the warm undertone or colour temp. that they have, it’s very sophisticated and it can turn everything which is bleak and dull in reality into something cinematic which is by far my most fav part of having an iPhone but it’s too pricey and something has to be done about it. I got a panic attack due to all the monetary stress/pressure. One more suggestion - for those like me who have destabilising illnesses please bring back mini or launch smaller sizes in your Pro range. Speaking of the pro camera will click 12 mp by default to save storage space but you can always use RAW for 48 mp and there are options to preserve the setting.

I’ll return to my haul now… I got a white Tripod/Selfie Stick which is also called gimbal, it has a focus light which is my fav 799/- I don’t think you can twist the light though so it’s mostly for front facing selfies, I gave the 1500 one to my brother as he too was planning get gimbal stick he can twist the light around, I realised there was one with a bigger light which I got for myself 1250/- I had checked the return policy for the 1500 one but they changed it within my return period after buying so I gave it to my brother, I always check that before making a purchase, now I’ll be more careful (that’s cheating, they even started recommending you to buy at least two as in one in spare anyway I got my other one with a bigger light (I love the white one where the light is brighter but it can’t be turned around) this one has a slightly diffused light as it’s bigger but it lights up the entire corner so there’s ample of lighting which is also pretty cool and I love the softness here, you can detach this light completely and charge it wherever you want and it comes by default for the rear camera (something that I needed) but you can remove it and put it anywhere, this one’s a little bigger than the other gimbal, it also has rubber padding so it won’t harm the phone, and a separate on and off switch like the 1500 one, my brother wasn’t interested in the light as he wanted one of those high end brands which he knew he would be getting for 2500-3500 but I prefer these I’m not sure how long they are going to last, the expensive 10-15k ones have finger panels for better grip but again they are too expensive as a shooting equipment (that too for novice consumers) they don’t even have any light which is very helpful and it should be included as a basic feature. Without "Lights" there can’t be any Camera or Action 🎬 So far people have shared good reviews and I like the quality, it’s sturdy but at the same time lighter to carry. My previous Sony Camera which I had more than 10 years back had better quality, a lot of people are complaining about the same thing, I’m glad I went through the reviews first, it’s not impressing all the chappis (cheap crowd) I also realised they had more money than us, there reviews were not even written in proper English so I’m assuming that’s Sony India’s demographic now… all those who were educated were giving 1 rating and sounding equally frustrated, we are more poor than the chappis so we will snap back. My previous 12 mp iPhone shot better photos than their Vlogging camera’s 20 mp, ridiculous… someone else also said the image quality is very poor or basic. The videos are HD but they remind me of all those dull boring gloomy Indian vlogs no offence, I had taken a video on my 12 mini which I never shared in proper lighting and it was close to all the international vlogs we have seen, so iPhone is actually the closest you can get to match USA’s quality cuz it’s designed there.

I still remember there was an NRI fam in my building they were settled in London & they had a wonderful camera which they had got from there, the images were nothing compared to what we have even in the most expensive “Canon” cameras here and their’s was a mere local brand from London, extremely crisp high resolution bright photos… there’s one more issue, no wonder they are selling the vlogging camera for 60k instead of 70 with a FREE 10k worth gimbal stick it’s more posh than mine with a proper navigation and all but the camera’s battery drains out within 20 minutes (which reminded me of my old professional camera from Sony which I’d taken 10 years ago) I still remember I would hard take 1-2 shots and it would keep prompting me to charge it, the quality was way more superior I found my 3 year old toddler cousin’s pic which I had taken in the Toy Cam mode. Wasn’t it good? Well it’s nothing like that now and no matter how cool it was, I still couldn’t take as many shots as I wanted die to the weak battery life, I would hardly take 2 shots and it was impossible to shoot videos, there’s another problem which they haven’t resolved yet… other than the battery the camera constantly prompts you to add the memory card even when it’s inserted, it keeps flashing that message and people are sick of it now, they’ve just dumped the camera and they use it anymore cuz they said the image quality was anyway poor, some have also complained about how small it is, almost the size of a cigarette pack. I decided to add the same amount of money in whatever money I had in my acc for an iPhone to take a pro.

This was shot on my old alpha 10 years back in Toy cam mode but I’ve shared all the issues I would face.

Finally threw a cheque & got my iPhone

Quality looks better in full size when you click on the arrow

On a serious note, I had to do a bank transfer like I said cuz it was exceeding even the highest possible spending limit and I’m pretty sure in the future we’ll be writing cheques if this inflation at Apple doesn’t stop. I’ve shared all the pros which I’ve seen in iPhones other than that I can’t comment anything else as I’ve not received my phone yet and I’m too sick right to describe anything further. Well the bathrobe was there in most of my boards, it's something I got during member sale because I didn't have any neutral shade I love the Stone colour, the material is light but at the same time very shiny and rich, it's a long robe so it'll make you feel very cosy after leaving the bathroom, I had a pink one and then directly a waffle bathrobe in Orchid/Taupe, the vintage green robe (again plush and warm) which I got during my Ralph inspired coffee shop haul is for the bedroom to match my flannel nightsuit. That couch from the moodboard has a recliner seat, in case my iPhone gets bigger or gains additional pounds during Cov, it can comfortably sit in an upright position or lounge around horizontally as well, the cushion is also detachable. Its a great alternative to those boring charging pads or all other high end expensive ones and it enhances my iPhone's overall appeal as well, it was for approx. 2570/- after applying my mail subscription disc. 15% I got the lens cap for 360 + free gift, they'll ship it soon. But I am not too sure about using them cuz I saw someone complaining about the glue and how it damages the actual camera so I'm wondering whether to accept the delivery or not. I have taken the 3.5 mm headphone jack also to use my vintage looking spiral wire (inspired by Radio transmitters) from Marshall. I always opt for the tempered glass with a glossy finish to protect my screen and I have already taken the sim, I got it delivered within an hour, my service provider's executive showed up with several number series and a blank sim immediately after placing the request and the one on call also guided us properly so we took the new SIM at just 100 bucks extra under a Family plan. I found a good combination of my fav number sequences. The sim has been activated too, all I have to do is create a new iCloud account and then I'm all set to use my iPhone 14.

More essential items

Bags & Organisers:

I was using my iPhone 7's USB adapter for years but it has developed a crack now so I finally got a USB-C one and a local dual charger with USB A ports for all my other stuff which requires that, the LED cutouts are shabby and I'm not happy with the finishing but it was only for 299/- and there was no other alternative for port A so I have kept it and I'll be using it somehow. I had to settle on a pink pouch but they sent me this brown one 499/- and honestly it goes better with the Cream and Gold couch (wireless charger) it's a soft plush pouch which looks luxurious but the quality is strictly okay, I have kept my wireless charger and all of its components inside. I was very sick today and I was palpitating a lot, moreover I also got my flare up due to which my nerve had the sharpest pain ever and I've been in tremendous pain since last night which happens throughout the body then, I was feeling as if I'll die and it was numb in my chest and I was not able to sit cuz I was feeling really down, my voice was quivering too and I wasn't sounding the same but I somehow finished organising things in my bag and went to sleep. It was the other mauve one which I got for the rest of my chargers and cables 1170/- I had my eye on the brown leather one but it was too small and it was more expensive and leather can flake very easily, this bag has multiple sections where I can store everything in a neat manner, I have kept my white selfie stick/tripod inside + one of the adapters, all of my charging chords, aux cables, lens cap, connecters, extra cables & all other utilities. The colour reminded me of my keyboard & mouse which I had taken in 2021, I had never done a complete gadget post before so I never got to share it, it has soft round keys which make zero sound while clicking and it comes in two shades mauve and white, I went in for the mauve one, if taken with the mouse it can cost 4500/- or so. if you don't avail the combo offer you'll have to pay additional 1000 bucks like me and originally without discounts it can cost approx. 8k (total) but that's the max retail price, however it's cheaper than other options and they do offer discounts wherever they are selling it. Its a great alternative if you have really rough use when it comes to your regular keyboard or if you need one with your tablets and other such devices. When I was writing my book it had almost spoilt my previous laptop's keys which are very delicate and the trackpad is also not meant for a lot of dropping & dragging, so if you love designing things like me then you would require an additional one. The trackpad had also stopped working but luckily restarting the laptop fixed it, I then decided to get a separate keyboard and mouse with my new one.

As an Update: I'm feeling very suicidal again even after all this because who wouldn't? You know my problem & there's no end to it, it has been a long winded never ending story... it just doesn't end on a happy note. Thanks for reading.

Xoxo

Zara Sauleh