Help a NEWBIE out!!!

[Guest jakes2030]

Hi,

Just bought my second android phone (ZTE San Francisco/Blade) and i think its time i started mod'ing it. A few reasons apart from curiosity is because the battery life is stupidly short, and the 2.1 ROM has its limitations(slow, cant place apps in sd card). Ive researched on the number of ROMs available and settled on either cyanogenmod7 or swedish snow RLS7(especially due to reported longer battery life)

So, i needed to know the ENTIRE step by step process of flashing a new ROM to my phone and avoid bricking it.

Anybody??? Need an answer ASAP. Can't handle my battery draining so fast like it has a hole in it.

Thanks.

P.S - Device has been rooted and ive confirmed its a Gen1 through 'Ask Mr.Pigfish'