September 11

Posted on September 11, 2011 by jamie
In Memory of a Victim of September 11, 2001 terrorist attack ... a family member holds yellow roses and an American Flag

Always remember. Always hope.

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Music Cabinet Revival: Resurrecting an Old Piece

Posted on March 12, 2011 by jamie

Trying something new today! A guest blogger–who just happens to be my little sister…She really has outgrown the bratty stage and is a wonderful photographer and better sister. (She should have a photo blog, if you ask me, but you didn’t and neither did she!)

In this furniture makeover, she has worked miracles on an old music cabinet that had been my dad’s from his early years. (And he’s no spring chicken!) Many people would have kicked this to the curb, but Meredith saw its hidden potential. This piece is a testimonial to diving in and not being afraid to try! What’s the worst thing that could happen?…What’s the best?

Enjoy the photos and the play-by-play. Hope it inspires you to not give up on old things!

Thanks, Mere (yeah…nobody calls her bratty)! It’s awesome! Hug my nephew for me.

Guest Blogger here!   Allow me to introduce myself.  I’m Cozy’s youngest sister, Bratty.  Yes.  I’ll own it.

Okay – mostly, this blog will be in photos.

You’ve read my sister’s words about our parents and how last year we moved them out of their abode of 32 years, and into a much safer, less cluttered patio home/condo type dwelling.  Sometimes, I look around my 115 year old house, and think maybe….maybe a condo is a good idea!  But, for now, I’m happy to be the custodian of this house.  I hope I can keep it standing and maybe even improve it.  It’s a work in progress. I think maybe it always has been.

After the auction of all the things that remained after the big move for the parents, a few pieces remained.  A few pieces that were too rough!  No one even wanted to buy them for fire wood!

This piece of furniture tugged at my heart a little.

Pretty sad, huh?

 

Look.  Ew.  Mold.

This is it’s good side.

Not it’s good side.  Surely someone set an iced tea glass here repeatedly.  For many years.

Please turn to the left, ma’am.

Um… excuse me.  Is that a moving company’s sticker?  Really?  That sticker was stuck in 1978.  That’s some pretty serious stick.

One of my passions is music – playing it, listening to it, making it – I love all of it.

Our Momma and Daddy loved music back in their day, too.  Mother was a church soloist with an incredible contralto voice and could whistle like a songbird. Daddy always used to sing bass in the church choir, although having sat next to him in church a time or two, I will more fondly remember his appreciation of music rather than his musicality!  I remember some specific musical days in life, such as the day we got a Radio Shack Stereo that had an 8-track player.  It was HI-TECH!  We were big time.  Then sometime later we got a REAL stereo, with a balanced turntable with a diamond head needle, a system equalizer and big 2’ x 3’ Pioneer box speakers, supplemented a few years  later by a CD player.  Wooooo……

Long before Cozy and I were twinkles in our padre’s eyes,  he had a Victrola and a super sweet collection of 78’s  (if you’re so young you don’t know what a 33-1/3 or a 45 or a 78 is, you’ll need to look that up on Wikipedia.)  I wish I had room in my house and life for all the things that I associate with my parents and their house.  But we had to let go of so much – so many things.  This cabinet held all of Daddy’s 78 LPs; it was chock-full of them.   Although the auction-goers were eager to have the 78s, they were not at all interested in this worn out cabinet they lived in.  Water damaged.  Dried out.  Unloved in the last 40+ years. Probably more like 50+ years.  Largely in storage in a damp, musty basement with boxes of old receipts and Christmas decorations stacked on top of it.

I couldn’t put it in the dumpster.

So, I dragged it home, and commenced to thinking about it, and it’s potential uses.

Here’s what happened next:

I went out and bought a Sunday paper.  (See, color ads and stuff.) Yes.  I had to go buy one. I don’t take a paper.  It’s my little contribution to the Earth.

Next,  I figured, “Hey, you can’t hurt this thing anymore than it’s already hurting!”  What kills mold?

Clorox.  Bleach. I know, that ain’t no way to treat a lady!  But, my goodness.  Did you see all that funk and dirt and mold and I will tell you – there were some empty spider egg sack thingys tucked in one of the corners.  Bleach kills spiders, right?

Honestly, I was kind of surprised how much better it looked just with the cleaning and scrubbing with the Clorox spray!

I couldn’t just stop there.  She needed exfoliation. Serious exfoliation.  That’s where these friends came into play.  VERY handy, prepared sanding sponge blocks by 3M in two different grits:  Medium and Fine.  Then, well…I sanded.

Lots.

The beautiful thing of these cool sanding sponges is that as their grain becomes filled with dust and dirt, you just dunk it in your nearby bucket of water, and magically the sponges are ready to go again!  With the added bonus that the water keeps down on the massive dust cloud caused by my machine like speed and precision sanding.    You need to sand EVERY surface.  Roughing up the surface will help your finishing – whether paint or stain – adhere because paint or stain or what have you has a hard time sticking to other paint or stain or other old exterior finishes.  Think shellac, wax, polish, tung oil, mold, spider egg sack thingys.

Be sure to sand and scrub every little nook and every little cranny.

Sand and sand and sand until you cannot bear to sand any more at all.  No palm sander for this girl, just working on my forearms and biceps.  That’s right.

See?  You can see how dusty it is again?   That’s all my hard work.  After this step, you need to wipe down your piece of furniture again.  I didn’t use the bleach product this time – - just paper towels and water.

Now the fun stuff begins.

I had the idea that this piece might work in my son’s room.  He’s 17.  Bedside table shelves now, cool living room piece in his first apartment someday?  My son’s room is kind of sparse and clean-lined.  More so than any other room in my house.  So, I thought an Asian-American  scheme might look just right, and would grow with him.  Red and black it is.

But not ordinary red and black.

The highest gloss red paint I could find.  Shiny.  Look….a bunny!

Here’s the first coat.

Two coats? Right?

Okay.  If you insist.  Three.

It is so shiny now, it’s almost glowing!

But, it’s still looking not quite right to me.   So, I went with five coats.

That’s right. F I V E coats of super-high-gloss-candy-apple-red oil-based-paint.

Have I mentioned that I thought I’d bust this project out in one evening?

That kind of thought process is genetic, by the way.

The exterior was much easier. Maybe because the future owner of said cabinet hounded me by saying “Um, Mom…when are you going to finish my beside table?” Needless to say, I was shamed!  So I had him paint all the black surfaces.   2 coats of flat-black furniture paint, applied to all the primary surfaces.  He did a great job!  I faced the shelves so that the black wouldn’t leak onto the red.

Can I just say, this is one of my favorite pieces of furniture in this house now!

The back side looks awesome.  I love a good backside.  Except for those plastic chairs I painted red last summer.  Apparently, I didn’t care enough to thoroughly paint the back side of them!  Let’s keep looking at the cabinet!

There! In the background you can see the fellow who painted the outside of the cabinet.  He has his dog on his lap.  So sweet!

So there you have it.  One saved memory, repurposed, renovated, restored in a new way.  Total cost for this one day two week project:  (**NOTE:  Super-high-gloss-candy-apple-red oil-based-paint takes at LEAST a full day to dry between coats.  Sometimes you need two days if you’re weather is humid and sticky.)  About $15.00 for the paint and disposable brushes and pans, another $5 for the sanding sponges, and $1 for the Sunday newspaper.  I threw in the paper towels and bleach spray since I had them already.

I’m really glad to have saved this quirky little record cabinet. I’ll always think of  my Daddy when I look at it, and hopefully, my son will, too.

Thanks for reading ~

Bratty

Check out some amazing projects! Click on these links…but only if you have time to look around:

linkparty

 


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Pamper Me!

Posted on March 5, 2011 by jamie

Need a great, inexpensive, easy-to-make gift? Thanks to my sister, Meredith (who will be sharing a make-over project here later this month), I have a great idea to share: Homemade Sugar Scrub.

What you need:

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar (cheap is fine)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus a wee bit more
  • zest from a piece of citrus fruit

This is so easy and so wonderful!

Steps:

  1. In a pretty glass bowl (just because the pictures are prettier), mix sugar and 1/4 cup olive oil. The consistency should be a little like lumpy, cold Cream of Wheat. It will hold together in a ball but will crumble apart when rubbed. If it is too crumbly, add a wee bit more olive oil.
  2. Zest a piece of citrus fruit. I used a micro-planer because my sister told me to, and I am compliant. (A zester or fine grater really will work, too.) One lemon and one lime, an orange, or a grapefruit is all you need. This adds a delicious smell, a little color, and probably plays a crucial role in the exfoliating properties of the scrub. Not really. But it does smell good. (Hint: If you want a manly version, add a tiny bit of an essential oil–maybe vanilla or peppermint–instead of the zest. This will smell good, but it isn’t nearly as much fun as using a micro-plane.)
  3. Mix the zest into the sugar and oil mixture.
  4. Put the sugar scrub in cute little canning jars. Mine came from Target, but grocery stores carry them, too. Wide-mouth jars are easier to fill, and one recipe will fill one pint sized jar. Or two, if you fill just a little over half.
  5. Tie a ribbon, add a simple tag, and there you have it. A simple, useful gift for everyone. Especially the girly types.

Give these for:

  • Bridal shower party favors
  • Thank you gifts
  • Teenager gifts
  • Hostess gifts
  • Christmas

Instructions for use:

  1. Dampen hands (or feet, elbows, knees, etc.)
  2. Scoop a rounded tablespoon of scrub and rub thoroughly for a minute or so.
  3. Apply one pump of gentle liquid soap and rub another minute.
  4. Rinse completely.
  5. Moisturize with a small dot of Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Unscented Hand Cream.
  6. Ask everyone, even strangers on the street, to touch your hands and remark on their softness.

*Caveat: Do not use the Sugar Scrub and then attempt to play a basketball game. My daughter discovered that soft hands and sweat make holding onto a basketball really difficult.

Linking up here:
giveaways


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Mexican Beef for the Crock Pot

Posted on February 22, 2011 by jamie

Don’t you just love a crock pot? There’s not much better than walking in the house at the end of the day and smelling dinner, cooked and waiting.

I’ve been on the lookout for crock pot recipes and found this one in my file from an old friend. It’s delicious, and I had forgotten all about it! This one is great in the winter and summer. I have pictures of the “getting ready” phase, but it is currently cooking, so the “ready to eat” pictures might not be posted. It all depends on how hungry I am later!

Mexican Beef

  • 2 lb. London broil
  • 1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
  • cooking spray
  • 1 c. chopped onion
  • 1 T. white vinegar
  • 1 small can chopped green chiles

Trim any fat from meat and rub both sides with taco seasoning mix. Put into sprayed crock pot (or use a liner–which I bought and then forgot to use). Add onion, vinegar, and chiles. Cover and cook on LOW for 9 hours. Remove meat from crock pot, keeping liquid in the pot. Shred beef with forks (it pretty much falls apart) and return to pot. Mix with liquid.

Serve on burritos or make nachos. We add black beans, jack/cheddar shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, guac–it’s all good!

Missing the 2lb. London broil 'cause it's already in the pot!

Raw, but already smelling good!

And just to make you snicker, the liners that lay unused in my drawer:

Pure, unused liners...I've heard they work great! Can't wait to try them.

I’m sure I’ll be laughing later, as I soak and scrub my crock pot.

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Adding-on to your Pantry

Posted on February 18, 2011 by jamie

If your pantry is like mine, it is a jungle of cans, boxes, and bags–some stacked two or three deep and constantly falling or getting lost. What every pantry needs is more space.

No words are necessary--except to say that it takes a very secure person to share the inside of her pantry. :)

Thanks to my friend, Jill, and to my own nosy self, I found a partial solution. One day, I had been invited to lunch at Jill’s house, and she got up to find some cracker or something. When she opened her pantry doors (she has two), it was as if a light from heaven were shining, lighting a solution to my own messy pantry: shelves added to the inside of the doors!

She pointed out to me that there is a good 12-14 inches between a closed pantry door and the shelves–at least, that is true of my pantry. So, in problem-solving mode, she went looking for the shelves that would fit and take advantage of that space. Brilliant!

Luckily, there are brilliant people already working to bring us products just like we need. Thank you, ClosetMaid.

This was my mini-project for the day. It took under 45 minutes. And I am S-L-O-W. The hardest part was finding the right anchors for the door. (Remember: If you screw into a hollow door, the screw will work its way out, sometimes gradually, sometimes not, making your door a mess and your shelves useless. So, use anchors.) Did you know they actually make 6-panel-door anchors? More brilliance!

The steps were on the package for the shelving unit that came from Home Depot. I also needed a pencil, level, power drill/driver, and anchors.

First, I clipped the shelf holders to the shelf unit. Then, I positioned the shelf, checked the level, and marked the holes with a pencil. Next, I drilled holes big enough to allow the anchors to rest snugly inside and inserted the anchors. (I used a hammer for a bit of gentle persuasion. If you use aggressive persuasion, you’ll either bend the anchor, ruin your door, or scare your children. Be nice.)

Once the anchors are in, you are practically home free.

Now, hold up the shelf and screw the screws through the clippy holders and into the anchors. (This is one of those times when it would be oh-so-wonderful to have an assistant. Or just another hand.) Tighten. I had to follow my own instincts about where to position the screws due to the size of my door. Just try to get the most solid, even fit possible. That is, avoid the recesses and the panels.

That is one of two teenagers (above, right) that live in my house. They used to be small and cute. Now, they are big, but I still like ‘em!

Ta-Dah! Ready for loading.

Who knew I had 3 boxes of lemon-poppy seed muffin mix?

Did you hear that? I think it was my pantry breathing…Creepy, but you understand. Don’t you? And yes, I know what you are thinking. The shelves really don’t hold a ton of stuff. It’s true. But it really did help!

The mess on the floor is a mini-project for another day. First, I need to go steal another idea. Anything you’d like to share?

Have a great weekend!

I’m linking this post to:


and also hoping to reconnect with some Company Girls over coffee!

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New Favorite: Swiffer Vac

Posted on February 16, 2011 by jamie

Short, but to-the-point post:

If you have wood floors or tile bathroom floors, try this:

It’s the Swiffer Vac. Yep. It will pick up Cheerios. And dog hair. And people hair. And dust.

Now, I’m no clean freak. (Just ask my husband.) But I do like a clean house, and this little device actually makes the job easier.

It costs between $35-$40. Check out the Swiffer website for coupons and technical information. It is worth the money. Trust me.

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Dining Room Accountability

Posted on February 11, 2011 by jamie

In an effort to actually finish a project, I have decided that posting pictures along the way might actually keep me moving forward. Sometimes it’s money or time that stalls my projects, but more often it’s just my own lack of focus and determination. That’s a nice way of saying “I can be lazy.”

I have posted some of these pictures before, so forgive any repetition. Hopefully, from here on out, I’ll be a little better organized (with photos) and focused (not lazy).

The flooring was hired out; everything else will be done “in house,” unless I tell you otherwise.

First, some before:

Former DR Chandelier--Pay no attention to the Christmas decor. It was my attempt to cover as much shiny brass as possible.

New Chandelier. I am much happier. Notice the floor-to-ceiling green walls in the background. Loved the color--just not in this room.

Walls had to be primed. At this point, I still wanted a green--just a lighter, brighter green...And I was considering a board and batten wall treatment like we had done in our bedroom.

I mentioned the idea of board and batten to my husband, who loves doing projects…Well, he loves them when they are finished! I decided to go ahead and decide on a green (no easy task), painting from about five feet off the floor and up. I figured we would get to the woodwork this summer…

Ah…The perfect green (for me!) It is called “Jekyll Crane Cottage Green” by Valspar. And I love it. It took three samples before I got the right one, and honestly, this green is much nicer in person. Notice the lovely fabric? I bought it first. I picked it because of all of the color, the soft floral print, and the linen feel. But, then…Plans change. Later, you will see what I mean.

So, I painted.

I tape because I can not paint a straight edge. And no, I don't drink.

Then, I left town for the weekend to visit my parents. When I came home, my husband who is really wonderful had done this:

Board and batten

OK. He had not painted it. The man does not paint. It’s possibly his greatest fault. It is forgivable, though…Notice the cap rail? It definitely gives a more finished, slightly formal look.

More pictures:

Baseboard detail

The only shocking thing was that the carpet disappeared! Shocking, but totally fine. The carpet was in bad shape, and we had talked about replacing all of the first floor with wood. I just didn’t know we were actually going to do it. But we did. More on that later.

Next installment: How to Make Your Dog a Little Wacky: Install Hardwood Flooring

See ya’!

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My Decorating Resolutions

Posted on February 2, 2011 by jamie

This post is about a month late, but at least it is here–with few pictures. (I am trying to learn a quick way to post pictures so the process doesn’t feel quite so cumbersome.) I don’t want to give up–even thought it has been a while since I posted anything. I am working on some organization and scheduling that might make my life a bit more productive! This list is part of the plan.

Happy Groundhog Day!

photo by Digging For Fire

10. Keep a written plan. Maybe a few years ago, I could actually remember something. Not today. So, even if I change my mind (and you can bet that will happen), at least I will know what I thought would look good—back when I wrote down my plan.

9. Sew. Sew. Sew. Pretty self-explanatory.

365 Project | www.thePHOTOblog.ca, Jeff Moss

8. Start with a clean slate room. It is so much more fun to decorate, even a small change, if the room is half-way presentable. If I hang a nice collection of photos in my hallway, but the carpet is still littered with fake pine needles from the Christmas garland that has been put away for weeks, run the vacuum cleaner! Dust the banister! Get the piles of laundry into the laundry room.

7. Sort through the mega-files of photos on my computer and actually print some favorites to go into frames (which still have the fake family picture that came in the frame when I bought it.)

6. Sew. Sew. Sew. (See #9.)

5. Buy and use a Magic 8-Ball. Should I have the cabinets painted rather than replace with new? Are the cabinets nice enough to invest the money in a professional paint job or will that paint job cost half of what new cabinets would cost? Are they worth it? Yeah. Tough ones. I’m beginning to think the Magic 8-Ball would have the answers. It is doubtful.

photo by somegeekintn

4. Sew. Sew. Sew. Sound familiar?

3. Ask friends if I can look inside their kitchen pantries. Photograph good ideas for organization. Steal Implement those ideas in my own kitchen pantry.

2. Paint some furniture. That old oak desk comes to mind. Yeah, it’s oak, but I can’t stand it, so maybe some Painter’s Touch would help it!

1. Actually complete some projects. Break big projects into manageable pieces so that I don’t feel overwhelmed. It will feel nice to check off some items from my written plan of 2010. And 2009.

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Say Goodbye to 1985 Window Treatments

Posted on October 15, 2010 by jamie

Ever walk into a house that is stuck in the eighties? Lots of mauve, seafoam greens, and peach. Some definite Art Deco influence and highly structured window treatments. I don’t exactly know what the floral pattern on the fabric was, but you can recognize it almost instantly. And it was all good. In 1985.

from Ugly House Photos.com

This photo from Ugly House Photos might have been in our own little condo, but it wasn’t. Still, it looks awfully familiar. They have some other great examples in this article, “Design through the Decades,” on 1980s style.

But now, twenty-five years later, my life is a bit more relaxed. My color preferences have changed, my home is very different, and my tastes have taken a 180. I’m not saying there was a problem with 1985 home style. OK. I might be saying that. But only because I was queen of mauve. And seafoam green. And peach. (I still kind of like peach. The deeper, rusty kind.) My husband made us some bookcases in our 1986 condo. (That was an engineering feat!) And they were painted a very pinky, purpley, mauve.  They looked great. In 1986. So, if anyone should be allowed to criticize the 80s, I am that person.

But time marches on. A person can either continue on down the road or get stuck in the middle of the road. And then get hit by a bus. Yeah, we all know those people. They still wear their Farrah Fawcett hair today! (Again, I can criticize. I had big–very big–hair. In the 80s.)

The epitome of big hair

But I digress.

It seems to me that most people are living a more casual lifestyle than a few years ago. This is evident in almost everything, but particularly in home decorating. I want our home to be warm, inviting, and comfortable; I do not want to rope off the living room. I want it to look put together over time–not perfectly matching and rigidly styled. The 1980s were great. I have some very fond memories of those years. But it is time to move on!

New window treatments can give a room a big update. Look around you. Are you stuck in a past decade? Think about updating with less structure and a more casual look and feel.

If your windows  need to be dragged out of the 1980s, start looking in current magazines or on websites and create a file of things you like. Take a good look at window treatments. Collect pictures that appeal to you. You do not need to use terms like jabot or cornice; simply clip pictures of window treatments that make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Notice how few pouf valences there are in any post-2000 magazine! (If you love the pouf, ignore that comment please.)

Start thinking about change. About updating. About comfortable and relaxed. Think classic. Think casual. Think twenty-first century. You’ll be glad you did.

Next time, I have some pictures to share that show the huge change a new window treatment can make. Not as big as jumping from 1985 style to 2010, but still big.  And the best part is that it is not difficult.

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Home Improvement Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

Posted on September 3, 2010 by jamie

Get ready to feel sympathy…Yesterday, I sustained a caulking injury—actually, two.

The hurt finger. I will spare you the thigh picture.

My index finger has an abrasion from caulk smoothing. (OK. A more skilled caulker probably wouldn’t have to use a finger.) And I have a sore thigh. Yes, just one sore thigh. Go figure. When you see the vertical nature of the project you will get that I did a lot of slow squatting, then back up again. I truly cannot explain why only my right thigh is sore. (OK. A younger caulker probably wouldn’t have a sore thigh, either.)

The scene of the crime. Yes, that's a lot of caulking. All around every one of those rectangles...So, you feel my pain?

These little reminders that we are do-it-yourselfers are not so bad. But there have been some slightly more serious injuries over the years: a shock from an outlet as I used a razor to cut around the opening as water dripped down the new wallpaper I was hanging (yikes); a perfectly round burn on the underside of my forearm from the old Hollywood style light bulb that apparently got really, really hot (this was the same wallpaper project as the little shock treatment; the burn hurt quite a bit, and there is still a perfectly round scar today—almost 20 years later); some smashed fingers; some non-stitch-needing cuts; and one trip to the emergency room for stitches to the eyebrow (an unfortunate shelf-building, drill-butt-to-the-head incident. My husband had the good sense to get the bleeding stopped before calling me. I still had to assume the fainting position just thinking about it. I am a total wimp.)

Once (I am getting woozy as I write this), a neighbor came over wondering if we could watch their kids while his wife drove him to the hospital. His hand had been on the receiving end of a pneumatic nailer. He had somehow removed the nail. (Ugh. Excuse me while I lie down for a moment.)

My point in mentioning these graphic incidences is not to cause swooning or intrigue. (Well, intrigue would mean interest, so I guess that’s ok.) My tales are cautionary. Yes, accidents do happen. But we can do some things to minimize the chances of injury.

  1. Think through each step of your project before you begin. Some problems can be completely avoided this way. How are you going to climb the ladder with the 25 pound mirror, hammer, stud finder, and hanger?Maybe two trips?
  2. Take time to prepare your area. Gather all needed tools and supplies. Be sure the area is cleared of hazards. And for goodness sake, either turn off the electricity or cover the outlets with duct tape. Electricity doesn’t mix with much of anything—especially water.
  3. Wear protective eye wear. It isn’t pretty. It’s actually pretty dorky looking, but you sometimes don’t get second chances with your eyes. Now, you probably don’t need protective eye wear for some things. Duh. But if there is sawing, drilling, sanding, metal cutting, etc. involved, put on the lovely goggles. You can thank me later.
  4. Take your time. I’m not talking about dragging out the paint-the-kitchen project for a week. I am talking about not trying to get three more boards cut before you have to leave to pick up the carpool when you know you are already late. I haven’t done research on others, but in my own experience, most of my injury-causing mistakes were made when I was doing something in haste.
  5. Use common sense. No explanations here. If you don’t have common sense, consider hiring a professional.


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