Merry Christmas Week Everyone! I am so excited for Christmas this year and I hope you are too! Now, I know I have had my Christmas shopping all wrapped up for a few weeks now, but I know that last minute gifts and stocking stuffers are always popping up. So, I decided to share with you today a video I posted for Vlogmas on my YouTube Channel that covers 25 Gifts Under $25! Many of these gift ideas are simple to get ahold of, so I thought this may help you finish crossing gifts off your list! Enjoy!
If you are someone who knows me personally or has been following me and my blog for a while, you know I am a gadget person. Not only do I like to own a lot of gadgets, but I am also just interested in them in general. Tech is a language I speak, so its no surprise that friends, family members, co-workers and even acquaintances often come to me with questions before they make a major tech or gadget purchase. Recently, the question I have been asked the most is “Alexis, you have both, which is better, the iPad (Air) or the iPad Mini?” Now, this happens to be a very loaded question because of the way its phrased and completely subjective, but really all I am being asked is “Alexis, which iPad should I get?” Now that’s a question I can help you answer!
If you have never owned an iPad before, the choice between the iPad Air and the iPad Mini is difficult! In fact, I couldn’t choose myself, so I have both! So, as someone who owns both devices and uses both of them in very specific ways, let me point out some factors that I think are important to understand in order to help you decide which model to buy.
Internal specs
I want to cover the topic of internal specs of the devices for one sole purpose, and that is to explain that if you are planning on purchasing the latest iPad model (either air or mini), this point is moot! Now, if you are trying to decide between models of iPad’s, your options are currently iPad 2 vs iPad Air and iPad Mini non-retina vs iPad Mini Retina. Out of those choices, my opinion is clear, if you are worried about money, just buy the cheaper model. The non-retina screens aren’t going to be noticeable to you as an average consumer, so if you can’t afford the recent model or just don’t want to pay the price for them, go non-retina and proceed with your life!
Size isn’t just a number
When it comes to the two iPad sizes, you may think an inch or two wouldn’t make that much of a difference, but it does! In fact, to me, my iPad and iPad mini are like completely different devices. The truth is, you can do everything you do on an iPad Air on an iPad Mini, but a certain size screen may feel more natural with some activities. For example, if you are someone who wants to use your iPad as an ereader, the iPad mini is the perfect fit for reading. Yes, you can read on the iPad Air very successfully, but the smaller screen is better suited for the task and more closely mimics the size of a book. Conversely, you can take handwritten notes and sketch on your iPad mini, but the iPad Air or other full-sized iPad feels much more natural and less cramped because it’s about the size of a sheet of paper! When it comes to activities like surfing the web or gaming, however, I will have to say, both iPads do an excellent job!
Storage space & connectivity
When it comes to choosing an iPad, not only do you have two sizes to choose from, but you also have to choose the amount of storage space you want in your device and whether or not you need to connect via cellular data networks. When it comes to storage, I suggest buying a model with the most amount of space you can afford, especially if you intend to have your iPad for numerous years. There is nothing worse than buying an iPad and then in a year, realizing you have filled it up and must either delete files and apps or upgrade to a model with more storage space. Now, as for connectivity, usually a Wifi only model will suffice for most users unless you know you do not have access to Wifi in the places you plan to use your iPad.
If I had to choose one
Now, in the interest of being completely honest, I think its only fair that I explain to you which iPad I would choose if I could only have one! That would be the iPad Air or any full-sized iPad. Why? Because I am more than just a casual iPad user and the full-sized iPad, in my opinion, is the place I feel most comfortable doing everything! I don’t always feel like I want to do everything on my iPad Mini, mostly because the screen is smaller and harder to use in certain circumstances.
How I think you should choose
Below I have listed out a bunch of different points that reflect the use of the iPad Air and iPad Mini. If you are choosing between the two devices, I suggest reading these lists and tracking how many of the points apply to you, your lifestyle and your needs. Tally up which device checks the most points and hopefully that will help you better understand which version of the iPad is right for you!
iPad Air
I plan to use my iPad for everything I possibly can or want to replace my desktop or laptop computer with the use of an iPad.
I will most likely use my iPad at home or carry it in a case when I am outside the home.
I am used to writing in large notebooks or have large handwriting.
I want to use my iPad for work or school, taking it to meetings, saving materials to reference or working remotely without my desktop or laptop computer.
I want to use my iPad to draw, sketch, design or write.
I want to use my iPad to access apps that will help me create content, like iPhoto, iMovie, or Garageband .
iPad Mini
I will use my iPad mostly for reading or in place of an ereader.
I need an iPad that is very portable and can fit into a small bag or can easily be carried or stored.
I want to be able to hold my iPad in one hand and use the other to navigate.
I want to use my iPad to entertain my small child.
I plan to use my iPad for browsing the web, email and playing games most of the time.
I use my iPhone or other smartphone for apps and internet more than I do a desktop or laptop computer.
So, what did you come up with?
Did you find this post helpful to you in deciding which iPad to purchase? Do you own an iPad and have any other points you think are important that I may have missed? Let me know in the comments so we can help everyone make the best choice to suit their needs!
I happen to be a major fan of the J. Crew Pixie Pant. If you have never heard about them or worn them before, let me explain that they are like the ultimate leggings! They are slim fitting like a legging, but made from a thicker material that is similar to a pair of black pants, which means you can wear these guys places where you wouldn’t normally wear plain leggings because of the casual factor. They also have a stretch waist band and an overall stretch to the pants that make it easy to get a nice fit in them despite your shape and also make them incredibly comfortable. I live in my Pixie Pants for work because they are so easy to wear and easy to style that it makes dressing for work a breeze!
Now, the one thing about the Pixie Pants that I am not in love with is the price tag! They retail for $98 a pair and although I can see the value in them, it is hard to justify purchasing multiple pairs which is pretty much a necessity since these guys are dry clean only! So, since its holiday time and loads of retailers are having amazing sales, I decided to run over to my local J. Crew Factory Outlet to see if I could get a few pairs of Pixie Pants on sale. After looking around for a while, I came across a pair of pants that was a near duplicate for the Pixie, except they had a side zipper instead of the back zipper. I spoke to an employee about whether these were Pixie Pants and she explained that they are the Factory duplicate of the Pixie Pant. Many times, Factory Outlets do not like to sell the exact products as their retail counterparts, so similar items are made with slight differences just to be sold exclusively in the outlet and the pants I had found were actually called the Gigi Pant, a dupe for the Pixie! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any Gigi Pants in stock at my outlet in my size, but the employee that assisted me explained that their online store was having a 50% off sale with an additional 10% + free shipping deal right now and that deal was better than the in-store deal! So, I promptly pulled out my iPhone and ordered myself 2 pairs of these Gigi pants online and they were about $35 dollars each!!!
So, if you are interested in the Pixie Pant, but are afraid of the price tag, perhaps you should give the Gigi Pant a go! If you shop soon, you can even take advantage of the awesome sale going on at the J. Crew Factory Online Store as well! Oh! One more little tip for you on the pants! For some reason, J. Crew Pixie & Gigi Pants run large, so make sure to order one size smaller than you normally wear! I almost didn’t believe it when I was told to get a smaller size, because that’s never how my luck runs with clothes, but it was true and I wear one size smaller than normal in my Pixie Pants!
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Do you wear the J. Crew Pixie Pant? Do you love them or do you think they are overpriced? Do you know of any other more affordable alternatives? Let’s discuss it in the comments!
If you have been following my YouTube Channel and watching my daily Vlogmas Videos, you will already know that this week I was in Rhode Island for a work conference through Wednesday. I just got home last night at 1 am, which was technically this morning, and was so exhausted that I basically just woke up! I didn’t intend to get home at 1 am, but I was unfortunately stuck in some major traffic exiting New York that threw off my travel time home by 4 hours! Crazy!
I didn’t have a post planned for today and since I woke up late as well I just thought I would take today off for some rest & relaxation! If you have ever traveled for work, you know it can be very tiring and very frustrating when travel plans go amiss, so I am sure you can understand how I am feeling! So, today I am just going to take it east, try to get a little administrative work done at home and try to catch up on my sleep since I got far too few of it over the last few days!
Hope you all had a wonderful week and are as excited for the weekend as I am!
About a week or so ago, eBay had an auction for some limited edition CFDA USB Charging Bracelets that were designed in conjunction with major designers like Rachel Zoe and MILLY. When I found out about the auction, I decided that I would get in on the fun and ordered the MILLY bracelet! These things are quite cool because they are wearable tech accessories that can be used to charge multiple devices. The bracelet itself is a USB to mini USB, but the pack came with two additional heads that conform to the Apple 30 Pin dock connectors and the new Lightening cable. See guys, tech can be fun and fashionable too!
What do you think of these wearable charging chords? Do you like the idea of wearable technology and blending fashion with our ever increasing dependency on gadgets? Let us know in the comments!
As of late, it really seems that I have been pretty obsessed with Kate Spade, so I decided that I would dedicate a post to this obsession while it lasts! First off, I just want to say that Kate Spade has been on my radar probably since I was in high school, but I honestly wasn’t too interested in any of their items until very recently. The first Kate Spade New York item I ever owned was actually the teal jewel bar necklace that my husband bought me for Christmas last year! I had been perusing Kate Spade’ website as I usually did and then suddenly I actually liked something… a lot! After that, it was mostly accessories like iPhone cases, some more cute jewelry and some small purse accessories. When I received the Beau Bag, it was my first Kate Spade New York Bag!
Now, I own my fair share of designer handbags, so when I say the Beau was my first Kate Spade bag, it was only because it was the first bag of theirs that I loved! I am not the kind of person that buys a bag to own one from a designer, and I only buy a designer bag if I LOVE IT! There is no room for like when you’re dropping a few hundred dollars on a bag, and I would hope all you smart ladies out there follow the same rules when your shopping, because as nice as it is to have nice things, you don’t want to go broke trying to accessorize and I find that when you wait for that one special bag, you love it so much more because you waited and didn’t settle… sort of like with Mr. Right!
So, if I own so few items from the designer, why do I love Kate Spade so much?
In all honesty, I think that the brand is absolutely lovely and represents a kind of sassy independent woman that I think myself to be! Although I only own some jewelry and accessories, when I use those items they never fail to make me smile from their quirky girliness! I especially love the Kate Spade iPhone cases for my iPhone 5 because of the lovely prints they use that are whimsical as well as practical! I don’t think you have to own every piece in a designers collection to truly appreciate their style, in fact, I think its much more special when you only own a few key pieces that you feel were designed just for you and your unique style, and that’s how I feel about my Kate Spade pieces!
As you may remember, I was recently gifted the new Kate Spade Beau Bag and ever since I have been meaning to do a What’s in My Bag with it, but I haven’t gotten around to it until now! I am taking a little inspiration here from my blogging buddy Kristin from My Life as a Teacup, because last month she did a similar post after we had a Skype chat about both utterly loving the What’s in My Bag phenomena. In all honesty, I can get obsessive about these sorts of posts and videos on YouTube. I can spend hours looking up pics of What’s in My Bag posts on Flickr and Pinterest, and then watch a marathon of videos on the subject on YouTube. It’s kind of odd, but I have found that I am totally not alone and this is actually a weird fetish for lots of women! So, here you go, have at it! I have included some good close ups of items so you can see exactly what everything is. If you have any questions about a specific item, let me know in the comments and I will give you the info on it!
Do you enjoy What’s in My Bag Posts? Do you have a similar post on your blog or YouTube channel? If so, please link it below in the comments so we can all share!
Welcome to the first installment of my Holiday 2013 Gift Guide! Today is all about finding that perfect gift for the Chic Geek in your life. Diamonds are no longer a girls best friend when she has a smartphone or tablet in hand! So give your favorite techie gal a gift that will keep her precious gadgets safe, sound and stylish! Just choose her style and leave the gift ideas to me!
Do you have any Chic Geeks in your life that you are buying a holiday gift for? What are you getting them? Feel free to share some more gift ideas or links to other blogs/sites with similar gift guides in the comments!
Good news everyone! This year I have decided to partake in Vlogmas! If you are not familiar with that term, Vlogmas is when you put up a video blog everyday from December 1-24th to celebrate Christmas and the whole spirit of the season! Each day in December through December 24th, I will be posting a holiday themed video to my YouTube channel. Here is my first Vlog for December 1st which I posted yesterday on the topic of my Christmas Tree! So make sure to check it out and to subscribe to my channel to follow along with all the festive fun!
Have you ever partaken in Vlogmas or followed YouTubers who have? What sorts of topics would you like me to cover in my vlogmas videos? I am open to suggestions since I have 23 more days of content to film! So, please share your ideas in the comments!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I know fashion posts are rare on Strange & Charmed, but I have been planning my Thanksgiving #OOTD for at least a week now and I am really excited about it. It’s nothing incredibly fancy since I do have to cook, travel, and of course eat today, but I am loving the look so much I thought I would post it here!
Top:: Forever 21 Crazy Bow Dolman Sweater :: I don’t think this top is available online anymore, but if you check your local Forever 21 they may still have a few in stock. The bows are actually a fuzzy texture which I love!
Pants:: J Crew Pixi Pants in Black :: These are my go to pants for the fall/winter because they are thick yet comfortable and give an effortless chic appearance!
Shoes:: Black pointed toe flats from Forever 21 :: I bought these a while ago, but I wear them for work and they go nicely with my pants.
Bag:: Kate Spade Beau Bag in Black :: This is my go to bag at the moment and since I will be carting a lot over to my in laws, this bag will be perfect for storing everything I need!
Accessories :: Michael Kors Runway Watch in Rose Golden :: Kate Spade Blue Stone Earrings :: Kate Spade Goreski Glasses Bangle :: Since I am going for a black and white look, I decided to warm it all up with a bit of gold and rose gold, and those earrings match my birthstone Aquamarine so I love them!
Other:: Dior Addict Eau Fraiche :: Dior Addict Lipstick in Diorkiss :: Kate Spade Festive Bubbles iPhone Case :: I love this Dior perfume because its clean and sweet. The lipstick is my favorite day to day shade because it produces a lovely natural pink, and finally, I just received this new Kate Spade iPhone case from Shopbop.com and its my go to holiday iPhone case!
Are you dressing up fancy for Thanksgiving? Let me know what you are wearing in the comments or feel free to Tweet or Instagram a pic of your outfit and make sure to tag me @MissTrenchcoat in your comments so I can see them!
