The bright side of fangirling – as quoted from my mission statement in the sidebar – demands a fluffy post every once in a while. No major content to see, just a bit of blabla on the occasion of me finally taking the plunge and replacing my old iPhone with a brand-spanking new one. It really was time. The old iPhone 8 was not trusty anymore. For the last two years, it didn’t hold its charge for longer than about 2.5 hours – and even that time span was sketchy and unreliable. I had taken to carrying a powerbank with me at all times, and those yokes are heavy! My plan had always been to replace the phone after 5 years. Having bought it in May 2015, last year time would have been up. But then the pandemic hit and somehow, without any travelling, there didn’t seem much point in buying a new phone. In fact, I had started leaving my phone at home most of the time, after scientists had initially warned about the hygiene problems with handling mobile phones – just too many germs that you pick up with your hands, spread on your phone, and then hold close to your mouth. So I didn’t need a new phone then. But with the restrictions now easing and an end of the pandemic in sight, the time had come to get a new toy phone *now*. Sponsored by the lovely Mr Guylty, I received my new phone last week. Oh, it’s heavenly. All the apps work, the battery lasts for 48 hours, I can facetime and take videos again. 😍
And where does the fluffy fangirl post come in? Well, a phone needs a protective cover. For the last 8 years or so, I always used the same cover design, with a coat of arms for Armitage fans, designed by a fan. Time for something new. One reason why I liked the previous design, was that it was somewhat discreet – it looked like a coat of arms, but didn’t really scream “I’m a Richard Armitage fan”. At least not to the un-initiated. 😁 So I wanted something similarly discreet but different. And this is what I came up with.
What do you think? Discreet enough? 😬 I know, the name “Armitage” features pretty big… So does the bow-tied, be-smokinged thesp himself. But hey, I think I might still get away with it 😉.
What about you? Have you got a protective case for your mobile? Does it somehow relate to your favourite actor? What does it look like? Share a picture on the social media platform of your choice and leave me a link in the comments. Or if you haven’t got any SM accounts, you could upload it to imgur.com. The service is free and does not require registration. I am curious to see *your* phones 🙂
Right, the fluff really has lifted my spirits. The whole day has been great, despite initial rain. We’ve had really warm weather the last few days, and I was out today meeting my sis-in-law in town. We had a great wander around and ended up browsing in my favourite charity shop. Top tip: If you like charity shop browsing, *now* is the time. At least here in Ireland. All non-essential retail has been closed since Christmas, and in the meantime many shops had reorganised, renovated or simply tidied up their shop floor. *Particularly* the charity shops. I got lucky with a whole heap of botanical/animal books that I need for my junk journaling, and spent very little money on them. Big win! – I hadn’t planned on it, but as a fully vaccinated person I actually could not resist when sis-in-law suggested we have lunch in a café. In Ireland, pubs and cafés also finally reopened last week, after having been fully closed since Christmas Day. We only have outdoor dining at the moment – indoor dining/drinking is still prohibited, but to facilitate that and in order to give pubs/cafés the economic boost they badly need, Dublin City Council has made the streets narrower and widened the pavements, creating space for tables and chairs. It has been 15 months since *I* last sat in a café – and wow, it was lovely yet felt very luxurious and special to order lunch in my favourite café. In fact, my (French) sis-in-law insisted on ordering a glass of Crémant to celebrate the occasion. With ample distance to the next table and a slight breeze in our outdoor spot, all was safe. Here’s to a return to normality…
Guylty Pleasure 
Ir’s a fab phone case Guylty and I bet un-fans would just see news pribt, while the initiated would see the man. I can’t believe the case contains the word ‘ beardy’! My phone case is boring black shock-absorbng rubber, after dropping my old phone on too many concrete floors. Have fun with your phone and new freedoms!
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Hehe, I carefully adjusted the image so that „beardy“ would turn up on the case. Don‘t ask me why – I am Team Lawn and not Team Shrubbery *haha*…
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That’s a classy elegant photo case! Love it! Mine is plain sparkly red 🤷♀️ I changed my old iPhone 7 in December 2019 and has been enjoying using it since then 😁
(Reading your phone case) What is still his first love btw? 🧐
I’m glad life is slowly getting better 🤞🏻❤️
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Sparkly red sounds pretty good I have to say… (red is my favourite colour).
The text on the case is all from original newspaper articles about him – literally the way they appeared in the newspaper. The „first love“ refers to theatre. I think the headline was „Theatre is still my first love“.
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I love your creativity! Thank you for clarification about “the first love” 😉
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☺️ 😘
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What a gorgeous phone case, discreet and stylish! I used to have a Thorin case on my old iPhone 4, but now my 6 has a gold cover with protective rubber edges.The 6 has everything I need so I’ll hang on to it as long as I can, but I know it will reach the point where I’ll have to update, that’s the way Apple works.
It’s great that you’re coming out of lock down, a collective sigh of relief from business and customers alike at being able to get back to some semblance of normality. Small business has been decimated here, it will take years to recover economically and mental health is a worrying issue as a result of the lock downs we’ve had, in children too.
OT I’ve been watching a drama series on TV called Smother, with Dirvla Kirwan, set on the west coast of Ireland, the family house location is Moy House near Lahinch – stunning scenery, wide sweeping shots of the coastline, Cliffs of Moher and The Burren which have had me in viewing heaven. 😊
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I am with you on holding on to a phone for as long as possible. (Especially when they come with the hefty price-tags like the Apple products. For me they only make sense, if I get at least 5 years out of it.) I really resent the fact that many app providers eventually stop supporting older versions of phones, forcing us to buy a new device just in order to be able to continue using the apps.
We have the same problem here with small businesses. Especially the hospitality sector has suffered really badly. They have been closed for basically a year. (There was a short period before Christmas when they were allowed to open.) Having a coffee in a café now serves two purposes – my own enjoyment, but actually also supporting them to get back on their feet.
I saw Smother advertised on TV all the time. It did look interesting, and maybe because of Dervla Kirwan, I felt reminded of The Stranger all the time. However, I didn’t watch it – during the pandemic, I have somehow developed an aversion to anything that is too dark – it’s as if I only want light-hearted stuff because the reality is so challenging already… But like you, I love it when there is stunning scenery in the drama, and even better if it is places that I recognise from my own travels. Moy House looks stunning – and it’s a hotel, so anyone could experience the beauty of that particular spot 😍
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My phone case is strictly utilitarian. Boring grey and blue sturdy plastic. It is a hand-me-down from my daughter who prefers the raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy.
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Practicality has its advantages :-). My first case was a sturdy see-through affair, and in fairness, it was actually more protective than the fan cases I have bought since then…
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LOL! That’s a very clever phone case cover! Mine is actually clear, upon a black phone. But inside (my phone), it contains oodles of RA pix! Cheers!
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And that is probably better, anyway, Grati! Lots of full-colour goodness. 👍🏻
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I still habe the same phone I had at RDC which is why I’m late answering things because it is not up to snuff anymore. It refused to pull up comments for this thread repeatedly. 😤
My case is clear, just to protect the phone. I have a sticker on the phone, but have lately added a momo stick for easier handling/carrying, so a fancy case wouldn’t work for me. I love yours though. I’ll see what my next phone brings when I eventually break down and replace this one.
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That whole issue with apps that do not fully work anymore, contributed to my decision to finally get a new phone. 😡
What’s a “momo stick”? One of those round handles you can attach to the back of the phone?
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Yes, it’s becoming clear that I have to upgrade. Argh!
Yeah, sort of. A momo stick is like a strip of material in a guide rail that can be made into a loop that you can adjust to various settings. You can slip a finger through to carry or hold the phone and you can make it almost completely flat when you’re not using it.
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Sounds a very practical gizmo. But yeah, as you said, they kind of obstruct the design of a protective phone case. Nevertheless, might be a good thing to have.
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I read a lot on my phone nowadays, so this helps when I hold the phone for long stretches of time slouched on my sofa.
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Lovely phone case and wonderful that you got to sit outside a café again!
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I love your case! I finally got a new phone a few months ago after the battery wasn’t staying charged as long as it should so I upgraded from a Samsung Galaxy 5 to a 21. I’m a big android fan. I took the opportunity to change my boring gray but highly protective Otterbox for a TARDIS design. I didn’t know I might get a custom case with HRH (His Royal Hotness) Armitage. I must research this option.
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LOL – HRH sounds great. If you do get the custom case made, I’d love to see it!
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