Strange & Charmed

How to Speed Up a Slow Mac

If you have noticed that your Mac isn’t running as quickly as it once did, don’t panic! It is completely normal for your computer to begin to slow down within a few years of purchase, mostly due to normal day to day build up. There are many things that can cause system lag and likewise, many ways to remedy the situation. Although there are software applications you can buy to help you speed up your Mac, I suggest trying some free options before jumping to software support and spending money. So, I have compiled a list of 10 things you can do to speed up your Mac. I suggest trying all of these for the best results, and since these are all free options, you have nothing to loose!

1. Keep your computer clean. It may not seem like an important step in speeding up your computer, but a tidy computer is a faster computer! This is especially crucial if you are using a mac laptop because dirt and dust can make their way into your computer through your keyboard and build up over time, dampening critical air circulation. Make it a regular habit to clean your computer from time to time with dedicated screen and case cleaners. Also, using products like condensed air to force out excess dust from under your keyboard may help to release any particles that may be building up under there. Also, make it a rule not to eat by your computer. I know so many of us are used to eating and working, but its just not good for your machine to be so close to crumbs, especially food crumbs! So, make sure to keep your laptop clean, and try to prevent crumbs from sneaking in through your keys to keep your machine running at top speed!

2. Keep your computer elevated. Again, if you are using a laptop this is another critical factor in the performance of your machine. Airflow is such a determining factor in the performance of your laptop and can be a major reason your laptop isn’t as snappy as it once was. Now, this doesn’t mean you necessarily need to run out and buy one of those stands for your laptop and an external keyboard, but it means you should always use your laptop on a clean hard surface, minimizing the time it spends sitting on fabric like sofa’s, beds or carpeting. Fabric can be a problem because it usually contains a good amount of dust particles and the fan on your laptop will end up sucking that in like a vacuum and inhibiting the flow of air in your laptop. You can help to increase air flow to your laptop, not only by sitting it on a hard surface, but also by propping up the back of the machine with objects like erasers or books. The goal is to give air the space to move around your computer which will keep your device cool and free of dirt and dust.

3. Keep a clean desktop. You may not know it, but the number of icons you have sitting on your computers desktop actually contributes to the speed of your computer. I try to only have my “Macintosh HD” startup disk on my desktop so that I have as few items as possible for my machine to render upon startup. So, go through any items you have on your desktop, file them away properly and see the speed of your machine increase.

4. Clean up your hard drive. Make sure to keep an eye on your hard drive space by right clicking your “Macintosh HD” icon and selecting “Get Info.” From this menu you can see how much space you have available on your machine. If you are running low on space (less than a quarter of your original drive space remaining) I suggest you go through your computer and remove excess files. You can move anything you don’t need to the trash (make sure to empty the trash when your done!) or you can move files off your computer and onto an external hard drive. If you are not sure what is taking up space on your mac you can always download the free application Disk Inventory X. This simple to use software can help you identify what applications and files are taking up the most space on your computer and you may be surprised that your precious hard drive space is being eaten up in the most unusual ways! If applications are your culprit, you will need download the free application, AppCleaner that helps you safely remove unused or unneeded applications and there associated files.

5. Reset Safari. If you are having an issue with the speed of Safari especially, you may need to Reset Safari to clean out its cache. From the Safari Menu, select “Reset Safari” and a box should appear with checked boxes asking which items to reset. I suggest resetting everything, but check the list and make sure there isn’t anything you don’t want reset because the reset will basically wipe all stored information (but not your bookmarks). Things like your downloads file, the autofill forms for websites, and stored passwords for sites will all be wiped. You may be a little nervous to do this, so before you take this action, I suggest visiting any important websites to figure out what your usernames and passwords are for each (because after the reset they won’t autofill again until after you have revisited and reentered your information). If you have a computer that is a few years old, you would be surprised to see how many websites Safari has been storing information for, even ones you haven’t visited in years! This action can take a few minutes, depending on the amount of information you have stored, so don’t worry if you see the beach ball pop up, or if Safari has a little lag once it reboots! That will go away momentarily.

6. Make sure your software is up to date. Apple is frequently sending our Mac’s software updates for everything from iTunes, to Safari to Mail! If you don’t have your Mac set to automatically check for updates, you may need to go in and manually check every once in a while to make sure your computer is running on the most up to date software! From your Apple menu, select “Check for Software Updates” and let your computer scan for any new updates. You will need to be connected to the internet to do this, so make sure you are connected via Wifi or cable.

7. Close out of applications. This may seem like a simple solution, but you would be surprised at the amount of people who do not realize that they have not properly closed out of applications. With a Mac, you can “X” out of an application, but the application may still be running in the background. To check this, take a look at your dock and see if any applications have a little glowing light under neath them. If they do, that means they are still running. To close any applications you don’t need running at the time, right click the icon and select “Quit”. If the application doesn’t quit within a minute or so, you may need to try again and select “Force Quit” as sometimes applications time out while they are running and stop responding to normal commands. Don’t worry if you have to use “Force Quit,” it will not damage your computer or the application.

8. Unplug any peripheral devices you aren’t using. This is a common problem with desktop Mac’s that are stationary. Often times, because we don’t move our computer around, it tends to have lot of extras plugged into it, even when those extras are not in use. Things like printers, external hard drives, card readers and usb thumb drives can all slow down your Mac’s performance. So, unless you are using the peripheral device, unplug it so it doesn’t weigh down the performance of your computer.

9. Restart your Mac. Sometimes temporary lags in performance can be stopped with a simple restart. It is recommended that you first close out of all your applications before attempting the restart. Once you have quit out of everything, you can proceed to “Restart” from the “Apple” menu. If you get an option in the dialog box to “Open Windows upon restart” make sure that box is unchecked so that you get a clean reboot.

10. Shut down your computer. Although Macs do not need to be Restarted or Shut down in between uses, if it has been a while since you last shut down your computer, you may want to give your Mac a rest with a Shut Down. From the “Apple” menu, select the “Shut Down” option and once your computer has shut down completely, give it some time to rest before starting it back up. I recommend running the shut down sequence in the evening before you go to bed, and then giving your computer a quick cleaning while its off. Make sure to leave it on a hard, dry surface, and keep it unplugged if it is a laptop.

If you have trouble or are unable to complete any of these tips, I suggest reaching out to Apple directly for assistance. If you do complete these tips and still see a good deal of system slowdowns and lag, reach out to Apple via the AppleCare hotline or your local Apple retailer to get further information on diagnostics that can check to see if you are having a major system issue that is causing the lag. Lag can sometimes be a warning sign of disk failure, so always keep your files backed up just to be on the safe side!

books

Start Journaling with the Carpe Diem Journal

At various times in my life I have attempted journaling. Journaling is said to be a great relaxation technique that helps to release stress by giving you an outlet to express your emotions. Its also a great way to keep a certain clarity of mind if you are someone who often feels like you have too much information and too many thoughts just clogging up your brain! As often as I attempt to put my mind to journaling, I always find that I eventually just loose interest in it. Either I don’t think I have enough to write about or I feel so overwhelmed with options that I just can’t focus on a topic. Its like I need writing prompts to successfully and consistently journal.

That’s where the Carpe Diem Journal comes in! Not only is this journal inspiring to look at, it provides short writing prompts and dedicated space in which to write. It isn’t a daily journal per se, although you could certainly treat it as such, but its more like an occasional exercise in self exploration. Many of the prompts, like the cover of the journal suggests, pertain to outlining major and minor life goals. Seize the day is certainly the theme, as each page takes you on a short, unexpected adventure with your own thoughts. I have flipped through some of the pages, without spoiling all the fun for myself, and am excited to start filling it with my own ambitions and aspirations.

So, if you are like me and like the idea of journaling, but find it too cumbersome a challenge to take on daily, perhaps this little journal is a good place to start storing your short term and long term ideas and plans. Check out the Carpe Diem Journal and let me know in the comments below if you journal or have ever wanted to start journaling!

Quirky Uses

5 Quirky Uses for a Mint Tin

5 Quirky Uses is a new periodic feature for Strange & Charmed. For each post, I will select an everyday item and suggest five alternate uses or ways to upcycle the item in a fun or unusual way. Keep up with these posts with the Quirky Uses category!

I love breath mints and especially the cute tins they are frequently stored in. But what do you do with those tins once your mint supply runs out? It seems such a pity to just toss the empty tin, so put yours to good use with these 5 Quirky Uses!

Wrap up your earbuds and store them inside the tin.
Use your tin as a travel pill box.
Store quarters for parking meters in the tin and leave it in your car.
Use the tin to make a mini first aid or on the go sewing kit.
Keep hair ties and bobby pins in the tin for quick, organized access.

tech

The 5 Best iOS Apps for Writers

As someone who has an unnatural obsession with iOS devices, I have gone through my fair share of productivity apps, searching for the perfect combo that will allow me to maximize my iPad as an on the go writing solution. Since I now do a majority of my writing from an iPad, I have found that there are a few key apps that keep me productive and focused while I am working, which I can do practically anywhere thanks to the portability of my iPad. I do use a ClamCase Pro keyboard style case to turn my iPad into an ultrabook, which I have written about here. But these are the apps that help me get not only my writing done, but also plan, organize and research my writing topics.

1. Plaintext

When it comes to a perfect writing app for iOS devices, nothing hits the mark like PlainText. It’s simple interface combined with a few key features, such as document organization and word count, make it a word processing gem. As someone who has used countless word processors, I can safely say that PlainText is one of those apps that just gets out of the way and allows the user to write. A full screen mode helps keep you focused on your words without distraction. Since this is one of the view writing apps that is available in a free version, you can give it a whirl without risk, but once you try it, I suggest upgrading to the paid version for a few bucks to remove the ads for a more more immersive and clean writing experience.

2. Paper by 53

A major part of writing for me is processing my ideas and sketching out thoughts. Paper is one of the best sketching apps for creating idea lists and artwork to help you explore your creative side. You can organize your ideas into virtual Moleskine like journals where, like a real journal, you can get creative with handwritten notes, lists and drawings. Again, its free to try but it has a plethora of paid upgrades that you can pick and choose from to customize your own experience. I use it to make lists and outline rough ideas for articles and posts, but it can be used an nearly an infinite variety of ways.

3. DropBox

DropBox is one of those apps that is so useful you hardly remember your using it! It can help you sync DropBox enabled apps like PlainText, so that all your work is available to you on all your devices, or it can be used to transfer and backup your work. Use it to store PDFs and images for reference that can easily be moved from your computer to your iOS device without using valuable space on your portable devices. DropBox is a free app with a limited amount of space on a free subscription, but if you need more you can always upgrade and pay for additional space.

4. MindGenius for iPad

A great add on app that I find infinitely useful is MindGenius, which is basically a full featured mind mapping application for in depth concept development. Its not something that every writer will find necessary, but many will appreciate its simplicity and free price tag. If you are not someone who usually uses mind mapping software, I suggest giving this app a try and see if its something you would find useful for developing your ideas especially for longer pieces of writing.

5. NoteSuite

Every writer needs an app to help them organize their ideas and research. NoteSuite is a simple, low cost app with a variety of uses. Type or handwrite notes, create to do lists to organize article topics, clip webpages for research and reference, and annotate pdf’s and images all from one app. It works with a variety of document and image formats and syncs with DropBox, Google Drive and your Mac, so you can easily backup or move files between devices.

tech

The 5 Types of People at an Apple Store Opening

The other week I attended my second Apple Store opening! I am not exactly sure why I love attending these so much, but my husband and I like to collect the free Apple Store shirts they hand out at the door. So, whenever a store opens up in our area, we have a little tradition going to attend the opening, usually video taping the experience (I know, we are that couple)! What’s interesting though, is that each time we attend an opening, we notice that there are always a specific set of people who are in line with us. In case you have never experienced an Apple opening for yourself, I thought I should share my (comical) thoughts on the five types of people in line.

The bragger: Like the name suggests, the bragger is constantly talking about the apple products they own or have owned while they are waiting in line. I’m not sure if this sort of event brings out a sense of nostalgia in these people or what, but you can always spot them with a small group of people surrounding them as they lament how its a pitty indeed that they already own one of everything in the store, because they would really love to make a purchase if only there was something they actually needed during this visit. Clearly, like most in line they are just here for the experience and the free t-shirt, but they don’t want to admit that, so they focus their efforts on trying to figure out something they could buy!

The late comer: The last comers are an interesting group because you’re never quite sure if they just heard about the event and decided to show up, or if they planned to show up late. These folks have arrived 10 minutes before the store’s opening and are bewildered at why they aren’t at the front of the line. Clearly, they have no concept of how an Apple Store opening works, or really understand that people show up hours in advance to line up! Heck, they didn’t even know the mall opened that early! I secretly believe, however, that these types of people are actually the cleverest, because they do minimal waiting and still end up with a shirt. Seriously, who needs to waste 3 hours of their Saturday morning standing in line at a mall that isn’t even open just to get a shirt and be one of the first in the store?

The android user: These types of people always confuse me the most, not because I question why they are there, but because its always amazing how many of them there are in line. You are never exactly sure why they are there, and sometimes I think they can’t even answer that, but I am pretty convinced that they think it’s a game, denying a spot in line to a true apple fanboy or fangirl! You will usually hear them talking loudly about how androids phones are much better than iPhones and how PCs are far superior computers for gaming than Macs will ever be. Oh, and they will probably just sell the t-shirt on eBay! Such a waste!

The dedicated fanboy: These types are easiest to spot because they are carrying multiple apple products to the opening, including their iPad mini in a dedicated man purse and trying desperately to use more than one iOS device at a time. They are usually documenting their experience to a varying degree through pictures, videos or tweets, and wearing an Apple shirt from a previous event or some screen printed T with an obscure geek reference. You really can’t hate on these guys though because you know they have been planning this social outing for a while and really respect them for their dedication, although the android users are secretly mocking them!

The apple noob: This group includes mostly teenagers and some elderly folks who maybe own an iPhone or iPod? They really have no clue about apple technology but OMG couldn’t miss this! They are either with their parents, who couldn’t tell you the difference between a iPad and an iMac, or with a group of friends that may or may not include an android user. They are also very loud and taking an obsessive amount of pictures with Apple employees to share via social media. They will most likely spend a few hours in the store trying to download illegal music or switching the default homepage of each computer to a soft core porn site or the desktop background to their current favorite meme. Sigh!

lifestyle

My Fave Five June 2013

Hello Everyone and Happy 4th of July to those of you in the U.S! Since today is a holiday for me, I didn’t have a post planned, so I wanted to share a video I uploaded on my YouTube channel today! It’s my monthly favorites for June 2013, aka my Fave Five! Hope you enjoy this video and the holiday!

xoxo Alexis

Solutions tech

10 Summer Tech Tips

With July 4th right around the corner I thought it would be a great time to discuss some of my favorite Summer Tech Tips. Some of these tips you may already be familiar with, others, not so much, but I keep all of these tips in mind when it comes to the summer because tech, gadgets and the summer time all have a very precarious relationship. After all, no one wants water damage on their tablet or to drop their iPhone off a roller coaster! So, here are my 10 Summer Tech Tips to get you and your gadgets through the summer months!

1. Keep your earbuds safe by keeping them wrapped up in a dedicated cord organizer or in a small contact lens case.

2. Store your charging cables and extra wires in a hard clam shell eye glass or sun glass case for easy protection and organization in your summer tote!

3. Use a dedicated hand cream like my favorite Caudalie or JR Watkins hand creams to prevent smudging on your touch screen devices.

4. Give your devices a deep clean every now and again by using anti-bacterial wipes. I use Wet Ones, and I always may sure my device is turned off before I begin cleaning it and always avoid any openings in the device housing!

5. Use a waterproof bikini bag to store any tech gadgets like phones or tablets when you are going to the beach or too the pool.

6. Use dedicated dust plugs to close up any openings in your device while you are at the beach. After all, sand always finds its way into the most unexpected places!

7. Use a heavy duty case for your smartphone while out and about this summer. Some brands even make waterproof cases that are perfect for those hiking and white water rafting adventures!

8. If you plan to use your devices outdoors this summer, make sure to invest in an anti-glare screen protector for the best viewing on your smartphone or tablet.

9. Pack a backup battery for long days out of the house or away from outlets.

10. Make sure to password protect your devices and activate any device location services you have available. Summer is a heavy season for theft and you don’t want to loose your device to crooks or the casual opportunist!

I hope these tips have been helpful to you! Hope you guys have a great summer and make sure to keep your gadgets safe and sound!

lifestyle

Issue 6 of Strange & Charmed Magazine!

lifestyle Solutions

How to Avoid Drinking in Social Situations

With July 4^th coming up, I thought I would take a moment to talk to you about drinking, or rather, how to avoid drinking in social situations. This information doesn’t just apply to July 4^th weekend, but can be applied all year round if you are someone who prefers not to drink but finds it had to avoid drinking while others are indulging.

Reasons to avoid alcohol

While you certainly do not need a reason to avoid drinking, there are many legitimate reasons why one would choose not to drink in a social situation. You may be in a recovery program in which you are voluntarily prohibiting yourself from alcohol, in which case you have made a commitment and would not want to stray from that. You may be on certain medications that interact negatively with alcohol, or you may be the designated driver for the evening. These situations tend to have the least amount of pressure from others to drink. Usually, people who know this information will not offer you drinks or try to compromise your integrity or health while out at a bar or a barbecue, but what about other reasons when your avoidance of alcohol is not so clear cut?

I for one, generally do not drink when I am out, even if I am with friends who are drinking. I have no problem defending my position that I don’t like alcohol and the affects it has on my demeanor. I find that alcohol makes me feel tired and gives me a stomach ache, and even if I keep my drink count low, having alcohol in my system usually makes me feel laggy for days. I personally also do not like to drink my calories in alcohol or any other beverage for that matter so that factors in as well.

The Stigma of Sobriety

For me, its not hard to avoid drinking because most people know this about me and will not offer me drinks, but what if you were someone who usually drinks with friends but now, for whatever reason, has decided to stop?

The first thing you have to know is that sometimes people find it hard to understand why someone would not be drinking alcohol if it was offered. People almost take it personally or feel like they are being judged when someone suddenly stops drinking. There is definitely a stigma around sobriety and it usually leads to the assumption that you are recovering from an alcohol addiction (whether you are or not) or that you’re pregnant (if you’re a woman). These questions can lead to a feeling of peer pressure that could cause you to fall off your own wagon in a way and choose to drink just to fit in.

I know some people who end up doing this. They may want to avoid alcohol for one reason or another but when they get together with their group of old drinking buddies, they find it hard to avoid drinking and since they don’t have a strong reason to withhold they end up imbibing. I think this stigma sucks, but luckily there are some things you can do to avoid it!

Tips to Avoid Alcohol

If you feel like you cannot survive the stigma around sobriety, there are a few things you can do to avoid suspicion. If you have an event at a bar or restaurant, I would suggest arriving a bit early before the others and talking to your bartender or waitress. If you let them know you are not drinking this evening, but you don’t want anyone to know, they can make you fake drinks that appear to be alcoholic beverages, but are really just club soda or mixers without the alcohol. Many times, the glasses they use at bars and restaurants denote alcoholic beverages from non alcoholic beverages, so if you arrive ahead of your friends and they see you with a clear glass filled with ice and garnished with a lime, they will just assume its your usual gin and tonic, even if its clear soda or seltzer water.

Just make sure if someone wants to try your drink you keep it to yourself. Its easy enough to make up an excuse like “I think I may be coming down with something so its probably best if you don’t drink from my glass.” And if you can’t make it early to to location, don’t fret, just try to pull your waitress or bartender aside and discreetly let them know your preference for the evening. Bartenders especially will understand this and are usually more than willing to oblige. Just make sure you pass them a good tip at the end of the night for keeping your secret safe, after all, you are saving a good amount of money if your drinks are dressed up sodas without the shots of alcohol!

Now, these tips may work when you are out with friends, but what about when you’re at someones home or a barbecue? Obviously, its a little harder to control this situation, but there are things you can do to avoid alcohol without people pestering you about it. First, I suggest bringing some drinks of your own. Usually, if your attending a barbecue or a party at someone’s house, or at a public place like a camp site or local park, you would bring something like a side dish or a bottle of wine etc. Well, make sure you bring yourself something to drink without alcohol in it.

I suggest one of three things. First, if you are normally a beer drinker, I suggest picking up a 6-pack of a micro brew root beer or ginger ale that you can find at your local grocery store. Often times these microbrew non alcoholic drinks appear to be actual beers as they are packaged like them. You don’t need to say anything about what you brought, but if someone asks you and notices its not a beer, you can say something like “I really love this stuff, its my new addiction!” People may offer you something alcoholic, and you can politely pass on it with the legitimate excuse that you brought your own. I find with situations like this, people aren’t so concerned with what you are drinking as long as you are drinking something that looks familiar.

My second suggestion would be to bring a pitcher of a beverage that looks like a mixed drink. Remember in college when you used to drink “jungle juice” and it was basically Kool Aid with tons of clear alcohol in it, but for some reason you couldn’t taste the alcohol? That’s the concept with this one. Make a colorful beverage and stick to it for the event. If someone asks for a sip, let them have it and revel with them in amazement at the fact that you just can’t taste the alcohol! “Maybe I didn’t put enough alcohol in,” you can suggest. Your not lying and your friends will probably end up avoiding your beverage for something stronger anyway. In the end, everyone wins and you most of all win for avoiding alcohol without feeling the peer pressure of your friends.

My final suggestion would be to use a colored solo cup or your own opaque pitcher to drink from during the event. At parties, the non alcoholic beverages are normally sitting right next to the alcoholic ones, so its easy enough to fill your cup with a soda or juice instead of the hostesses homemade sangria. As long as they can’t see whats in your cup, no one can notice what you are or are not drinking. If comments arise as to the quality and taste of the sangria, make sure you give your thumbs up to be polite to your host. She certainly won’t know you didn’t try it!

Conclusion

Even though you may find yourself in social situations where you would normally enjoy a drink with friends and family, its often tough to avoid alcohol even if you want to. Compound that with the fact that many people find it odd when friends suddenly change their drinking behavior, and certain social events can turn into a pressure filled time instead of a fun event! Although honesty is always the best policy, what your friends and family don’t know won’t hurt them, and its not like your hurting yourself by not drinking. So, with a little forethought, you can make sure you look and feel like you fit in with your crowd while also maintaining your personal integrity. After all, alcohol is a tricky thing. It may be fun to loosen up with a drink, but it can also have short term and long term affects to your well being that just aren’t worth it to some people. So make sure you’re doing what you need to do to get by and I hope you have a great July 4^th wherever and however you are celebrating!

Solutions tech

How to Install and Remove a Kate Spade iPhone Case

I absolutely love my Kate Spade iPhone hard case, but when I first purchased it, I will admit, I couldn’t figure out how to install or remove it! The case did come with a short set of directions, however, I found those to be utterly useless, so I headed to YouTube to find the answer. There weren’t many videos on the subject but I eventually found one that helped me get my case up and running. Recently, I decided to return the favor and filmed my own “How to Install and Remove a Kate Spade iPhone Case” video that shows the best way I have found to deal with the case. Above is the video in case you want to watch it, but I thought I should give a brief written overview in case your not able to watch the video.

To Install the case

The Kate Spade Hard Cases come in two pieces, a front section that includes the front lip and sides of the case and a back section that is just a flat backing with raised grooves that will lock into the front portion. To open the case for installation, simply push the backing out away from the inside out. Make sure to firmly hold onto the front lip of the case and push the back plate out of place. This made be hard to do initially, so don’t be afraid to use force.

Once the two parts are separated, you will drop your phone face first into the front portion of the case and then fit the back plate in behind it to close it up. You will then need to push firmly all around the back edges of the case to get the back plate to snap in. If any sections around the sides seem to be lifting away from the case, push firmly on those side sections while also pushing down with on the backplate until you hear that section snap into place.

On a side note, these cases are so well fitted that you cannot use a thick screen or back plate cover while using this case. For example, I had one of those thick mirrored screen protectors when I received this case and it wouldn’t go on properly so I had to switch my screen protector out for a simple thin one. Just keep that in mind when using a Kate Spade hard case!

To Remove the case

Removing the case is the tough part, especially since you are going to feel like you’re breaking the case, so this next part is not something to rush through without thought. The best way I have found to remove the Kate Spade Hard Case is by pushing the front portion away from the back portion at the cut out for your volume rocker. That is really the only spot on the case where you can get a good grip with your thumb.

So holding the case face down in your hand so that you are looking at the back plate, position your thumb into the opening for the volume and begin to firmly pull it down away from the back plate. You will see a little section pop up away from the front portion and with that you will use your fingers or finger nails to peel the back plate away from the front section of the case. The first few times you do this may be difficult and if you are having trouble definitely watch the video to see how I do it, but this method is the easiest, you just need to do it carefully because you don’t want to break the casing around the volume rocker because it is thinner plastic, so it could break theoretically with too much force.

I hope this information was helpful to anyone out there who has a Kate Spade iPhone Hard Case or was thinking of buying one! If you are interested in the case I have, I have included a link to mine through Amazon where you can buy one pretty inexpensively!

{Click through the image to get to product information}