Mar18

ALL Of The Coffee

Posted on March 18, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Back in the summer of 2022, the Great Kitchen Flood happened when a pipe burst in mine and Johnny’s apartment building. It was insane! The water was literally pouring out of the walls and it was so gross because the water was straight up dirty. It completely waterlogged all of my countertop appliances, including my Keurig, toaster, and air fryer. At the time, I wasn’t using my Keurig very often so I never bothered replacing it. Fast forward to this past year and my schedule changed to having to get up at three AM three days a week. Needless to say, I need ALL of the coffee those mornings!

For Valentine’s Day, Johnny and I simply told each other what we wanted and then we ordered it. A new single cup Keurig for me and a new Levi’s jean jacket for him. I have been using my gift religiously since receiving it and all I have to say is: How did I survive this long without it?! Prior to V-Day, I was more than fine with stopping at Starbucks for a coffee or McDonald’s for a crispy Diet Coke during my early mornings. While I miss my little treats during those shifts, I am perfectly content with the K-Pod challenge… AKA just using my Keurig now lol.

I have been enjoying testing out all of the different K-Pods and my mind is never not blown by the infinite selection at the grocery stores. I started out with French Vanilla by Green Mountain Coffee and have since graduated to a Snickers flavored blend by The Donut Shop. They are both pretty good! My favorite part of the Keurig, however, is not so much the coffee as it is the coffee mugs. Lol, I have a substantial collection of coffee mugs and although I use them for any beverage, they hit different with coffee! It is also nice to remember the occasions that they were given to me for because a majority of them were gifts. In fact, the one pictured above was a mug that I got forever ago from my bestie and the sentiments ring true… Coffee always comes first! 😀

I have had my Keurig for well over a month now and I am just as obsessed with it as the day I got it. So glad that my fallen friend from the Great Kitchen Flood of 2022 finally got replaced!

What is your favorite kind of K-Cup? How many cups of coffee do you drink per day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar17

Face Mask Festivities: Revitalizing Japanese Sake Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on March 17, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Revitalizing Japanese Sake Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities! While I was sick AF, I found myself growing rather fond of sheet masks. Surprising, I know, because I don’t really like them or find them to be effective. However, what I did like was the ritual of it. That twenty or so minutes of just sitting and being while the mask sat was relaxing, even if I was constantly adjusting the mask! Returning back to work this past week after being sick for a week was absolutely exhausting and I was hitting a slump by the time Wednesday rolled around. What I really wanted was to go back to watching TV at noon, but that’s (sadly) not in the cards for me until I retire lol. So, I decided to do a sheet mask instead. Check it out:

I’M SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my schedule allows for a brief break in the afternoon between shifts and I thought that was the perfect time to do a little pampering. Thursday morning, I selected the Revitalizing Japanese Sake sheet mask by GlamUp to bring with me to work. Then, I put it on at my mom and dad’s, which is where I go on my break. Let’s just say that they were completely floored by my beauty as I sat at their kitchen table for twenty minutes with my mask on. Lol, I kid you not my dad literally shuddered when he looked at me!!

I chose the Japanese Sake mask for no particular reason other than that it was said to be “revitalizing” and to “enhance radiance”. I definitely needed a bit of that! As I let the mask sit, I tried to take myself back to sitting on the couch at my apartment, watching TV, and snuggled in my blankets – the pinnacle of relaxation. It was actually pretty nice to take that time to close my eyes, rest, and focus on my happy place. The only thing that was missing was an episode of Euphoria. 😀

After the twenty minutes were up I was, for once, impressed with the results. Before I used the mask, I looked as tired as I physically felt. My skin was dull as dishwater and I couldn’t believe that this mask helped me get my glow back. It was seriously a night and day difference and even though I wasn’t well rested in the slightest, I looked it! I also found that my skin was soft and smooth to the touch. This little pampering break really helped perk me up and I felt ready to take on the rest of my day afterwards.

I am going to rate the Revitalizing Japanese Sake sheet mask with a six out of ten stars. This was, easily, the best GlamUp mask I have used and I think I found my new favorite way to spend a quick break during the work week!

How do you spend your breaks at work? How do you give your skin a radiance boost? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar16

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Mystery Guest By Nita Prose Edition

Posted on March 16, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Mystery Guest By Nita Prose Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club. Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. This is the sequel to a book that I love so very much called The Maid and I simply devoured it. It was so nice to be reunited with our delightfully quirky heroine, Molly, and I honestly miss her already. She is one of my absolute favorite literary characters and The Mystery Guest puts her smack dab in the middle of another murder in the Regency Grand Hotel. Before we begin the review, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Mystery Guest for murder and sexual assault. Now, let’s get to it:

We begin The Mystery Guest in the Regency Grand Hotel where Head Maid Molly is prepping for a very important day. In the newly renovated tearoom, the hotel will be hosting an esteemed guest for a lecture. His name is J.D. Grimthorpe and he is a world famous mystery author who skyrocketed to fame thanks to his novel, The Maid in The Mansion. Not only will J.D. be giving a speech, but he will also be making a surprise announcement and everyone is on pins and needles for it – especially his diehard fan group of middle aged mystery novel aficionados.

As J.D. takes the stage, Molly is in awe of the beauty that was created in the hotel’s new tearoom. She is also beaming with pride as her Maid In Training, Lily, delivers J.D.’s tea cart to him. Before he begins his announcement, he takes a cup of tea with a heaping spoonful of honey, sips, and drops dead. Yet again, another man of power has expired in the Regency Grand. Unlike last time, however, Molly is more closely related to the deceased than she originally leads on.

Once the celebrated author hits the floor, all chaos ensues and before she knows it, Molly is face to face with her arch nemesis, Detective Stark. She is a brusque woman who never quite understood Molly’s quirks or her eye for details. She’s more focused on how Molly always seems to miss the obvious. Oh, and how Molly and Lily both had handled the tea cart that J.D. died after drinking from. Whoever committed the deed is still at large at the Regency Grand and it is up to Molly to protect herself and Lily. Will the murderer be found? Or will the repeated phrase throughout the book “the maid is to blame” ring true? Read The Mystery Guest to find out!

Cracking open The Mystery Guest was like being reunited with old friends. I was elated to be back in Molly’s world with the people and places that bring her joy. The Maid series features characters that are just impossible not to fall in love with. Kindly Mr. Preston, Molly’s beloved Juan Manuel, and the other maids on her staff were welcomed back into my heart with open arms and it was like a warm hug. Even the Regency Grand felt like a familiar place to me and it was so easy to imagine myself there with Molly through her vivid descriptions.

The Maid series is your classic whodoneit and The Mystery Guest was no exception to the formula. It lacks in the true suspense of my usual “LifeTime movie thrillers”, but is there in a different way. Molly is finally finding her footing in the world at the start of this book and it was painful to know that it might be taken away from her. She is such an unlikely heroine and that just adds to her charm. Sometimes, it’s the most unlikely people who surprise us all, though, and Molly’s transformation throughout this book is a testament to that. So much so, that she might even be considering a change of career?! Fingers crossed for a third Maid book ASAP!!

I am going to award The Mystery Guest with the coveted ten out of ten stars. If you enjoyed The Maid as much as I did, you will be head over heels for its sequel. And, if you haven’t read the series, I can’t recommend it enough!

What is your favorite series of books? What book are you reading right now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar15

Treat Day!!

Posted on March 15, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past week, our darling niece turned five years old! Both Johnny and I are SO not okay about Val being the big five, but we had so much fun celebrating it. For Val’s birthday, we took her out for a Treat Day. What is a treat day, you might ask? It basically solidifies my husband and I as the “fun aunt and uncle” lol. On treat day, we take Val out for one major activity as well as lunch, ice cream, shopping or whatever her little heart desires. For her birthday outing, we went to Fun ‘n’ Stuff and Dairy Queen and it was the best, most exhausting day haha. Check it out:

Fun ‘n’ Stuff is a staple in Northeast Ohio and has been around for as long as I can remember. In fact, I went there for field trips in grade school! It is an indoor/outdoor attraction center, but we were limited to indoor activities because the outdoor ones aren’t open yet. This was fine, though, because there was so much to do inside that I couldn’t imagine doing anything else! The indoor attractions at Fun ‘n’ Stuff include a gigantic playground, a ton of arcade games, roller skating, laser tag, bumper cars, a mini rollercoaster, and so much more. We can’t wait to take Val again in the summer so she can do the outdoor activities too like bumper boats, go karts, and little amusement park rides!

For our Fun ‘n’ Stuff adventure, Val was extremely partial to the playground. It was the first thing that caught her eye and it would have been hard not to – this thing was like a McDonald’s Play Place on steroids! We spent a majority of our time there running after Val as she explored all of the different obstacles and ended up circling back to it at least three times. When we weren’t at the playground, Val loved doing the trampoline bounce and playing games with Johnny and I. We also took adorable photo booth pictures which I’m so happy about because those are my favorite keepsakes. ❤

At the arcade, we went for easy games that Val could catch on to quickly, but still reward us with maximum tickets. Johnny and I were dead set on getting ALL of the tickets for her to pick out prizes with! By the time we were finished with games like ball drop, token toss, and Wheel of Fortune we had fourteen hundred tickets for Val to shop with. We were thrilled that Val was able to get two stuffed animals and some extra candy for her stash with them. After we cashed out our tickets, we went to Dairy Queen for a snack, and dropped Val off at home. Then, we came back to our apartment and literally dropped!

Johnny and I legit couldn’t move after Treat Day, but it was a small price to pay for such a wonderful time. We all had a blast and it was the perfect way to celebrate our sweet niece! ❤

What is your favorite arcade game? Do you have an amusement center like Fun ‘n’ Stuff in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar14

New Hot Pink & Magenta Nails

Posted on March 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When I was sick AF, I had to cancel my appointment for a fill at Elysian Nails and it made me so very sad. Getting my nails done always perks me up and I really needed it because my nails were looking as awful as I felt! Thankfully, the owner of Elysian was able to get me in first thing on Monday morning to get me right and my nails are finally back to their former glory. It felt so good to get pampered after a long week of feeling like ass and I am loving how my nails turned out:

Prior to my go to girl leaving the salon, I would never dream about using anybody else for my nails. However, now that she is employed elsewhere, I alternate between a few different techs. This is fine by me because everyone at Elysian is excellent and I have never had a bad experience with any of them. Back in January, a new to me tech did my nails and she did an absolutely amazing job so I was excited to be back in her chair on Monday. I also couldn’t wait for the bright, poppy palette of hot pink and magenta I picked out to adorn my nails. I needed something fun and zippy after a long, gloomy week of being sick!

Because I couldn’t get in for my regularly scheduled time, my nails were in a worse way than usual when I go for an appointment. They were extremely grown out and the middle finger on my right hand was lifted badly. My tech blew my mind because instead of putting a new tip on the nail, she free painted it with acrylic and I can’t even tell the difference. Prior to my appointment, my nails felt very weak and she fortified them expertly. My acrylics feel so strong now and the length, shape, and color are perfect too. I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think I might have a new go to tech. 😀

This was one of the best fills I have gotten at Elysian Nails because it was so desperately needed. My tech was able to turn my busted nails into something beautiful again and I can’t stop looking at them!!

Do you have a go to hair stylist or nail tech? How long have you been their client for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar13

Paint Night

Posted on March 13, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! I don’t know about all of you, but I had a great weekend!! After spending an entire week being sick AF, I rallied hard and it couldn’t have came a moment too soon because I had big plans. On Friday, I attended a paint night with my brother and on Saturday, Johnny and I took our birthday girl niece out for a treat day. It felt so good to have some fun after feeling like death warmed over and I enjoyed every minute of it. Check out what I created at paint night:

On Friday evening, my brother Andrew and I went to the Solon Rec Center for a paint class hosted by the wonderful Melinda of So So Artsy. This is the second time Andrew and I have been to one of her events and she is just the best. Melinda owns a paint and sip studio, but she also teaches classes at community centers. Of course, this was a no sip class but that doesn’t mean that Melinda didn’t bring the party anyways. She has the brightest personality, is hilarious, and made our experience a million times better.

For our canvas art, we were painting cardinals and began with the background. For the top half, we mixed blue with the smallest touch of white and did the reverse for the bottom. To keep things moving full steam ahead, we blow dried the wet paint and began the next part. Step two was making the branch and the bird and we started that by making our outlines with chalk. I was surprised by how easy Melinda made the process for the bird’s outline. All we did was make a big set of parenthesis for the body, a small set for the head, and drew the tail by making a number eleven branching out at the bottom.

Once the outlines were complete, it was time to paint again. For our branches, we used brown with a hint of red and black and for the birds we used red and black. Before I knew it, all of the canvases were filled with sweet red birds perched on their branches. The last thing to do was add some more to the background. Melinda’s example used snow, but I was feeling inspired by cherry blossoms and used red and white instead. Once again, Melinda showed us a quick fix for painting the snow or, in my case, flower petals: Load up your brush with paint, place it flat on the canvas, and twist the brush to make a circle. Afterwards, we blow dried the canvases again and were on our way home with two freshly painted masterpieces!

Andrew and I had an absolute blast at Paint Night and I am looking forward to going to another class with him soon. I wonder what we’ll create next! ❤

Have you been to a paint night before? What did you paint? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar12

Date Night OOTD Bloopers

Posted on March 12, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Date Night OOTD! Despite getting sick the following day, Johnny and I had a wonderful dinner date at Mike’s Place and I can’t wait for our next night out together. Here’s to hoping I don’t get sick again afterwards smh because that really would be just my luck! I loved the look that I created for date night and it was so fun to show it off. Let’s keep the good times rolling with some pics that are not the most love-worthy of the bunch lol. Check it out:

Summoning all of my demon friends

Sassy lady

Yayyyy for bad pictures!!!!

Hello, is it me you’re looking for?

Out here having the time of my life with my weird looking hand

This durpy face lol

Ready to sleepwalk my way to dinner!

The irony is not lost on me that literally every time I take time off is because I am under the weather. I rarely take work days off because it does me no favors since I’m self employed. I wouldn’t say that I lived it up during my week of being sick, but I didn’t not enjoy the time to myself? I made my own little schedule of working from home for the first half of the day and then lounged with my shows until Johnny got home from work. Being able to put on whatever I wanted on the TV was SO freaking awesome and I felt spoiled by it even though I wasn’t feeling well.

Now that it’s back to work, I find myself yearning for my TV time around noon and I don’t know if that will ever go away. All I know is, that while being sick sucks, I was living my best life with that schedule! I mean seriously, how great is that? Work a handful of hours from home and then just be done? That’s the dream! I mean, I probably would get bored after a while but that didn’t happen at all when I was sick so who’s to say lol. Another thing I know for a fact is that I will be daydreaming about my sick leave schedule for the foreseeable future! 😀

It feels good to start getting back into the swing of things and now I have a new happy place for my mind to go to when I need it… On the couch, with my bunnies, watching all of the shows that Johnny despises!

What is one of your favorite TV shows? What is a show your partner likes that you can’t stand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar11

Face Mask Festivities: Refreshing Peppermint Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Posted on March 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Refreshing Peppermint Sheet Mask By GlamUp Edition

Hello! I spent literally all of last week being sick AF and while it was annoying, I would be a liar if I said it wasn’t kind of nice lol. For one glorious week, I got to sleep in however late I wanted, spend lots of time with my darling bunnies, and binge on Demon Slayer and Euphoria. Thursday was my last day at home before I had to work a must do shift on Friday and I decided to do a face mask in the afternoon for an extra dose of relaxation. I haven’t been too fond of the GlamUp sheet masks that I have a set of, but the last one I used wasn’t too bad so I was kind of looking forward to giving them another shot. Sadly, the Refreshing Peppermint missed the mark. Let’s discuss:

^^^ I’m sexy!!!!!

The last few days of being sick left me with cold symptoms and I was a snotty, congested mess. I chose the peppermint sheet mask because I thought it would help perk me up and I didn’t have peppermint tea to sip lol. Surprisingly, this mask fit way better than the other GlamUp ones I have used before and it made for a much more pleasant experience. I was able to hunker down with my show for twenty minutes comfortably and it was awesome to not constantly be readjusting the mask. I was definitely ready to take it off, though!

After the mask was off, I noticed a slight tingling in my skin and was able to smell the peppermint serum through my clogged up nose. My skin felt cool and *slightly* refreshed, but nothing to write home about. Although I never expect too much out of these masks, I admit that I was a little disappointed! This was the first time I have used a sheet mask that wasn’t a total hindrance in so long and I wanted more from it. The sensation from the peppermint mask was short lived and I wouldn’t use it again. Whomp whomppp.

I am going to rate this mask with a two out of ten stars. The fit was great and the scent was nice, but it did nothing for me besides that!

What is one of your favorite scents? What soothes you when you’re under the weather? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar10

Date Night OOTD

Posted on March 10, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Friday, I enjoyed a wonderful date night with my sweet Johnny. To me, there is nothing better than a night out with my husband because it means we will both be serving looks! I absolutely love getting dressed up with Johnny because we both have really unique personal styles and it’s fun to show that off together. We are definitely a couple that turns heads when we step out because of bold fashion choices, body mods, and big personalities. It just adds to that “night on the town” vibe and it is simply the best! This is what I wore for our dinner date:

Who? What? Wear?

Oversized Button Down: Zara

Tank Top: Rachel Zoe, TJMaxx

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Skeleton Platforms: Dolls Kill

Skeleton Hand Earrings: These were a Christmas gift from my bestie!

Wooden Necklace: Made by John Deveer

As per ushie in Ohio, you just never know what kind of weather you are going to get. On Friday, it was in the high forties and pretty overcast so I knew that I didn’t want to wear anything too heavy, but still be covered up against the cold. As I browsed my wardrobe boutique, my oversized button down by Zara caught my eye. Not only has it never been worn in an OOTD post before, but it was just what I needed for the weather. This button down clearly has a very grungy vibe given the color, length, and the phrase “there are no rules” plastered across the back. With a piece as obviously as one particular style as this one, all that was left to do was go grunge to complete the look!

The next order of business was a top to wear under the button down and I kept things simple with a plain white tank. While I could have gone the band tee route, I still wanted to be able to show off my shape. When you’re petite and rocking an oversize piece, it’s important that the rest of the look fits like a glove to keep from being totally overwhelmed by fabric! I slipped on my black skinnies afterwards and tucked the tank in so that the high waisted fit could be seen. Normally, I don’t care for high waisted, but this was a strategic move to give myself some more shape underneath the button down.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I immediately went with my skeleton platforms from Dolls Kill. These just scream “grunge” to me and I thought they made my legs look a mile long! I popped on a pair of gorgeous skeleton hand earrings my bestie bought me next, but still needed something more. After shopping my accessories department, I chose a handmade necklace I got in Atlanta with my mom and brother. It is one of my favorites and I thought it tied the look together beautifully because it blended so seamlessly with the established palette. With that, I was ready for a fabulous night out!

Johnny and I were both huge fans of my Date Night OOTD and it was compliment central when we were at Mike’s Place. There is nothing better than rave reviews for an outfit and it made me feel so good! ❤

How would you describe your personal style? What is your partner or best friend’s style like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar9

Pet Bunnies For Easter: DON’T

Posted on March 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Apparently, Easter is at the end of the month, which I just learned by looking it up lol. With Easter comes the decision of whether or not to get your children a bunny or another form of baby animal as a pet. I’ll make that decision easier by telling you… DON’T DO IT!! I have been happy to see lots of similar posts on my social media newsfeeds, which means it’s about time for my yearly PSA to say the same. Need more reasons other than it’s simply not a good idea to get an Easter bunny of your own? I’ve got you:

Melvin and Penelope sure are cute right? So cute, in fact, that it’s easy to forget how much work and care that two little balls of fluff require. I have wanted pet bunnies for as long as I can remember, but I am so happy that I got Mel and P as an adult because I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. Remember, bunnies can live for over ten years. That’s a long commitment and chances are a majority of their care will fall on you. Here’s some key points to know about bunnies that will hopefully leave you with getting your kiddos a stuffed animal instead…

Bunnies Are Shy:

If you think that bunnies are going to be happy immediately being cuddled, coddled, and held: You are wrong. I have had Mel and P for a year and a half and it took them a very long time to get acclimated to mine and Johnny’s touch. As of now, Penelope finally doesn’t mind being held and Mel still despises it. Even though Pen tolerates being held well, it’s something I don’t do often because I never want to break the trust that I have so carefully cultivated. Bunnies require a lot of patience to have them be friendly with you and anything less will simply traumatize them.

Bunnies Are Expensive:

You know what doesn’t require constant Chewy orders? A stuffed animal! Bunnies are a HUGE financial responsibility and I spend at least a hundred dollars on them on Chewy monthly – not to mention vet bills. You will need to get your bunnies pellet food, Timothy hay, bedding, toys, and don’t forget weekly trips to the grocery store for fresh veggies. So, in all reality, you are looking to spend closer to one hundred fifty per month. If you can’t commit to that financial responsibility for the next ten years, then don’t get the bunnies period.

Bunnies Are Messy:

Every morning, I spend an hour caring for my bunnies. This includes a thorough cleaning of their litter boxes and any accidents they had outside of it. It can be a really lengthy process. Then, the bunnies will come out to play and that means bedding, hair, and hay everywhere! Johnny and I are constantly sweeping our floors and the amount of dust bunnies after just one day is unreal. If you are not up for forever cleaning up after bunnies, then they are not the pet for you. I’m here to tell you and be perfectly honest – it is never ending.

PS:

All of these things are important to consider, but there is so much more too. Bunnies need lots of exercise to be happy and if you can’t be around to let them roam in a safe setting, they are not living their best lives. They are also very social creatures and it’s best to get them in a pair so they have a companion. Bunnies want your love and attention and if you can’t do the things that make them feel this way, they are not a good choice for a pet.

Having said all of that: Bunnies are absolutely amazing and my life is infinitely better because of Mel and P. However, any animal should not be adopted as a split decision or a gift and most bunnies adopted for Easter will end up back in a shelter. Make this choice wisely and stick to traditional treats for Easter, instead.

How does your pet get exercise? What is your pet’s favorite treat? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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