Cute things make the day better

1:30:00 AM mandy 8 Comments

These weather conditions have been all over the place lately. Last week the east coast had Hurricane Sandy to deal with and before even fully recovering from that, there another storm...snow this time. But still, cheers for the first snowfall we are having! (It's been too long. I won't be this cheerful about snow in a few days hah!) Ahh, the sudden changes in weather and temperature just make me feel uncomfortable. I wish the change this year was more gradual. Just before Sandy came I was still wearing my Toms look-a-likes around. Now even thick socks and sneakers aren't warm enough for my toes, maybe I need to wear UGG boots already... Cold weather + rain/snow/mush = not a very happy Mandy.

Since I don't feel like being outside much in this kind of weather, I couldn't do any eye-oogling/window shopping after I took my two (very hard stressful) midterms today. I was completely pooped from pulling an all-nighter trying to cram info for 2 classes into my brain and in addition, I sat in an exam rooms for 3+ hours all together...back to back... My mind was in all sorts of knots by the time I came home. After a quick nap, I remembered I forgot to share some cute yet functional items I bought from eBay recently. At least I can look at photos of things that'll make me happier :]

Before I get to the highlight of my eBay frenzy, here was the dud of the loot.




Faux Leather DSLR Digital Camera Bag Satchel Shoulder Bag M from vivi_leather on eBay
I'm not sure if this bag is still available for sale but I wouldn't recommend getting this bag anyway. At first, I came across photos of this bag from a Korea based shop and thought "I must get that! It looks too cute and would be great for non-pro/hobby photographers like me." But sadly the item wasn't listed there anymore (I don't know why it came up when I searched through). So I did some more browsing and found some China-based sellers and one HK seller (vivi_leather) with the same exact photos as the Korean seller's. I couldn't believe it! And of course...it was too good to be true. I picked the Hong Kong shop to hopefully avoid chances of getting an imitation product. I just didn't think that there were imitations of such little things like this too. Don't get me wrong, the seller is very nice and shipping was ridiculously quick considering it's coming from HK. I can't speak for all their other bags, but I just wasn't all too crazy with this particular one I that got.

This is a photo from the seller's listing. Just in this image alone shows discrepancies. The left photo is the same I saw in the Korean store (I'll dub this "original" for easier reference). The bottom right photo looks like it is VERY similar to the left. But the bag I got looks more like the top right photo. Call me picky but I really care about these things. Especially because this wasn't particularly a cheap bag price-wise (~$35). I did thoroughly inspect and compare all the photos both sellers posted before I decided to hit the Order button. But I must have missed the little details...

• The overall structure of the bag I received is similar to the "official" photos. I was a little surprised by the size of the bag, but that is my fault for not pulling out a ruler to double-check. Definitely only big enough for a DSLR + standard basic beginner lens and maybe an extra battery or other small things. There's barely enough extra room for even a wallet. If I plan to go out and about I can't really go with just this bag. At least the camera is snug in there!...I guess?
• The bag is closed by 2 magnetic clasps. Nothing too fancy. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Magnetic closures seem to be pretty popular for satchels with a flap. The problem was one of the clasps wasn't very strong at all. Just a slight tap and it would detach itself. Imagine what would happen if I was outside and it just came undone so easily?!
• There was this separator included...that was made of literally just a piece of cloth with velcro attached on the edges. However, I'm not sure if it can even be called a separator. When it came, it was stuck to one side to look like a money/memory card slot (which doesn't work because there is no actual pocket created). Definitely not sturdy to be used as either the former or the latter...So I just took it out completely. Nice thought! (Not really...) To the fair, the "official" photos had a separator that looked more padded and seemed like it could actually be used as a true separator. Perhaps the people who made this were trying to copy all the details down to the last T.
• If they were...then they missed one feature. The two latches are missing the metal tips. It would have been a nice touch. Plus, it would keep the edges from fraying.

I hate it when impulse buys don't live up to my expectations. I'm still going to make good use of it. It would be too expensive to send back to HK so that wasn't really an option. I just hope that it'll last longer than I think it will. For now, at least I have a smaller camera bag dedicated just for my beloved DSLR.

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Anyway! Enough with my rant...Onward with the cute things!



lovely items actually from Korea this time from lonedaisy77 on eBay




I'm pretty sure this is an original product. Would imitators go as far as to copy a holographic sticker? A very detailed sticker at that too!


Shinzi Katoh Lock Up Earphone Winder in Mint
I love this earphone winder. I wonder now why I never got one before. (Ahh, that's right because I couldn't order for eBay myself.) It helps to store my headphones in my jacket pocket or bag much easier. Things are less tangled and messy. The cables wouldn't accidentally drag other things out of my pocket. It just makes life a little easier!




Ribbon Earphone Winder in Lavender
Another earphone winder. I got suckered in by the bow...heh. I found that this winder doesn't keep the headphone cables as contained as I liked so I repurposed it to organize my iPhone/iPad charger instead.






Shinzi Katoh Zip Around Clutch Long Wallet in Purple
This was the biggest surprise. I had no idea the wallet would come all nicely packaged like this. Makes it feels so luxurious. Is this how bigger companies also package their wallets? It is very nicely made and has lots of card slots and pockets for receipts, cash, and a zipped section for coins. LOVE! I haven't used this yet. I don't want to cause any unnecessary damage to it yet because I tend to carry a lot of heavy things in my bag for school.

There are quite a few Korean sellers who have Shinzi Katoh and similar styled items. I chose to buy from this particular seller because Bestie C bought from here before and recommended it. There are times where I'd rather pay a little extra and be assured that things will go smoothly. I've checked the prices on a Korean website that sold these same items and the prices are relatively similar. I guess Shinzi Katoh is a pretty popular accessories (wallets, cell phone cases, passport holders, etc.) brand? I've come to really like his items! I have my eye on a Diary/Wallet style iPhone case but...it is much pricier than what I'm comfortable with paying for a phone case. I shall wait and see if the prices will drop since the iPhone 5 is out! Hehe.