Tag Archives: fun

Jul28

Patrick Durham Meet & Greet

Posted on July 28, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone!! The Lego Brick Convention that I attended this past weekend was so great! The displays and shopping with the vendors was fun, but the highlight of the day was meeting a former Lego Masters contestant. Patrick Durham of Team Grandpappies in season three was the piece de resistance of the convention and we couldn’t wait to see him. Johnny and I got a huge kick out of him and his partner, Kerry, during the show and I was on pins and needles to meet a Lego celebrity. Check it out:

After Johnny, my brother, and I made our rounds throughout the first section of the convention, we approached a very long line. We all assumed it was the line to meet Patrick, but it turns out it was formed to get a closer look at the displays. So, we bypassed it completely and went on the prowl to meet the Lego Master. And, we were in luck!! Patrick was literally just standing at his area beyond the line and we only had to wait briefly for our turn at a meet and greet.

Saying Patrick was the nicest person ever is the understatement of the century. He greeted my crew and all of his other fans with such warmth and good humor – it felt like having a chat with your own grandpappy. After exchanging pleasantries and quips, we asked about Kerry and learned sad news. He had passed away from heart complications on June 11th. This was such a disappointing thing to hear and we extended our deepest sympathies. Not only were Patrick and Kerry beloved grandpappies to their own grandchildren, but they were America’s grandpappies too.

We got to spend almost ten minutes with Patrick and after he signed my autograph, we had a photo shoot! Johnny snapped lots of pics and Patrick was SERVING. At one point, he assured Johnny that he wasn’t flirting with me and I let it be known that I was most definitely flirting with him! Lol, we all had a laugh. We were also so flattered when he told me and Johnny we were the coolest looking people he had seen that day. What a guy!

Spending time with Patrick Durham at the Brick Convention was one of my favorite things I have done this year. It was just really cool and it’s always awesome to meet someone on TV and finding out they are exactly how they appear on screen in person. Thanks for the laughs and your time, Patrick. Long live Team Grandpappies! ❤

Have you ever met a celebrity? Who were some of your favorite Lego Master contestants? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul27

Brick Convention 2023

Posted on July 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I had a fantastic weekend! On Friday, Johnny and I went to the shooting range and on Saturday, we attended the Brick Convention with my brother. The Brick Convention was an ode to all things Lego and it was an absolute blast! Johnny and I are avid fans of Lego and this event did not disappoint. There were displays, vendors, and even a contestant from Lego Masters. The only not great thing was that the building the convention was held in wasn’t air conditioned. It was hot as bejeezus and even though we had a lot of fun, we were ready to get the hell out of there lol.

Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the awesome displays from the convention. Keep it posted this week for more because we have an OOTD, my convention haul, and meeting Patrick Durham! Let’s get started:

Talk about WOW, right?! Walking through the Brick Convention was like being a kid on Christmas day. It was Lego as far as the eye could see and it was incredible to take it all in. While it was nice to shop around with the many different vendors, the most fun was looking at all of the displays created by such amazing artists. Every single piece begged the question of “how did they do that?!”. Johnny and I love to build Lego sets together and sometimes I have difficulty with that let alone free building masterpieces. It was like being in our own personal episode of Lego Masters!

It was hard to get a close look at some of the builds because the convention center was very crowded. It was basically get in front of the build, snap a picture if you want, and move on. While all of the creations were excellent, I was extremely partial to the art gallery that was set up. There were Lego pictures of Mario and Luigi that moved, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, The Child, and of course the Lego rendition of the Creation of Adam. That was my favorite and my mind is still blown by it. Seriously, how did they do that?!

Despite the fact that we were sweating bullets the entire Brick Convention, I am so happy to have gone. I have never been to an event like that before and it was an experience I’ll always remember. Tune in tomorrow for more about my meeting with the one and only Patrick Durham of Team Grandpappies!!!

Do you like to build Lego? Have you ever been to a similar event before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul26

Date On The Range

Posted on July 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I are still going strong with our weekend date nights and we had a literal blast this past Friday. We went to the shooting range with our downstairs neighbor and it was a hoot! Going to the shooting range is something that Johnny and I have always wanted to do together and just never did. He grew up shooting guns with his dad and I have only been to the range once in my life. We are also avid fans of the short lived competitive shooting show, Top Shot, and wanted to feel like our favorite contestants!

After finding out that our new-ish neighbor and new bestie liked to go to the range when he could, we decided to make an evening of it. We hit up Range USA in Canton, then returned back to my apartment where I cooked dinner. It was such a fun and different night out and you just can’t beat the “Friday date night” promo that Range USA runs. It’s buy one lane get one free! Check it out:

Before I went to the shooting range for the first time, I never saw the appeal of guns. After firing off a few rounds, however, I understood it and it was something that I wanted to do again. If you are in a safe and secure setting, why not? And, I hate to brag, but I did really good that first time and was eager to see if I still retained anything I learned from the pro at the range who taught me!

Once our waivers were signed, targets were purchased, and our safety gear was on, we were ready to go to our lanes. The target selection at Range USA was excellent and Johnny and I chose the shooting gallery one. Yes, because it was delightfully reminiscent of Top Shot challenges lol. Every gun I shot was a new experience and it was really cool – even though the rifle kicked like a mule. I was definitely done after four rounds and Johnny had a sore shoulder the next day.

I was really impressed with Johnny’s performance and mine wasn’t so bad, either! Johnny did so well and hit several bullseyes which was awesome to see. I was a bit disappointed with how I did, but then I remembered that this was only my second time shooting with entirely different guns. When I thought about it that way, I was proud of how I did. While I had lots of shots that weren’t on target whatsoever, I had a lot that were and felt great about them!

We had such a good time at the range that we are going to make it a thing. Every other week, we plan on hitting the range and making use of the date night special. We have even recruited two of our other friends to join our club and, of course, have dinner at my place after. Our Date On The Range was the most unique one we have been on yet and we are still chattering away about the good time that was had by all. 😀

Next weekend, it is my turn to select our date and I can’t wait for it. We are going to go shopping at some adorable boutiques in downtown Cuyahoga Falls and get Olive Garden for dinner. Long live Middle Class Fancy!!

What is your favorite competition show? What is the most unique date you have been on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul22

Dinner & A Movie Date Night

Posted on July 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Last Friday, Johnny and I had a fabulous date night of dinner and a movie. Applebee’s was running a promo for spend X amount of money and get a free ticket to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and we were so there for it! In fact, we got our Middle Class Fancy on so hard that we ended up with three free tickets lol. It was an absolute blast and was so typically us. Whether we’re all dressed up for Taco Bell or a date night at The Bee’s, we treat everything like a special occasion because it is! Check it out:

Okay, is it just me or did Applebee’s really up their game? Perhaps it was the Margaritas we were enjoying or the thrill of a night out, but our food was so good. We started our meal with Crispy Cheese Bites as an appetizer and they were bomb AF. They were like a mixture of a cheese curd and mozzarella stick and came with Ranch and Firecracker sauce to dip in. If we didn’t have actual dinner ordered too, we easily could have ate the whole plate! Our leftovers were also A1 when we air fried them later that weekend. 😀

For the main course, Johnny got his usual of a bacon cheeseburger and I got the Three-Cheese Chicken Penne minus the chicken. As you can see, Johnny loved his burger and my pasta was awesome. It wasn’t as good as something from Olive Garden, but it was close. My meal also inspired our next Middle Class Fancy outing because I want to hit up the OG. Maybe when I drag Johnny to the Barbie movie with me?!

After we were done eating, we headed to the theater to settle in for the movie. This was the first movie we have seen since we took our niece to see Sing 2 for her third birthday last year! Pre pandemic, Johnny and I used to see movies together pretty frequently and I’m hoping we bring that back. The Regal we went to was so fancy with big reclining chairs that were insanely comfortable. It was the perfect setup to get our Indiana Jones on and I only want to go to that theater from now on. Once you see a movie in a recliner, you can’t go back!

Johnny and I have had a date night two weeks in a row and nothing makes me happier. Even though we are always dead tired by the end of the week, stepping out with my main squeeze is like getting a caffeine IV. I can’t wait for our next date night at the Olive Garden because it’s going to be my turn to pick! ❤

What is your favorite Middle Class Fancy restaurant? What was the last movie you saw in theaters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul20

Groovy Movies: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Edition

Posted on July 20, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Groovy Movies: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Edition

Hello everyone! This past weekend, Johnny and I enjoyed a fabulous date night of dinner and a movie. We went to Applebee’s because it was running a promo of spend X amount of money and get a free ticket to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. We truly went all out in a Middle Class Fancy fashion because we ended up getting two free tickets lol. 😀 Tune in tomorrow for more about our night on the town!

After dinner, we hit the theater to see the new Indiana Jones and we were excited! Johnny LOVES the Indiana Jones movies and has never seen any of them in theaters. I like them well enough and only saw them when Johnny and I started dating! Without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss this popcorn flick more because it was a HOOT:

We meet an elderly Indiana Jones in New York City and he is ready to retire from his job as a college professor/professional adventurer and live the good life. Of course, we all know he can’t hang up his hat without one final hurrah and that comes from his estranged goddaughter, Helena. Helena is an archaeologist with a great interest in the Dial of Destiny. This Dial is said to reveal time fissures that could allow for time travel. However, if it falls into the wrong hands, the Nazis could go back in time and avoid the mistakes that lead to their demise.

With Helena and her young comrade, Teddy, in tow, Jones and his crew begin the hunt for the two halves of the Dial. Acquiring both won’t be easy and the Nazis are hot on their tail. Their quest takes them all over the world to places and time periods unknown. Jones’ final mission is a lot more than he originally bargained for, but a little help from old friends can go a long way – hopefully. Will Indiana save the day and life as we know it? See The Dial of Destiny to find out!

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was an absolute blast from start to finish. Although Johnny and I live for Harrison Ford in his youth, seeing his eighty-one year old self kick major ass was awesome! The Dial of Destiny featured an all star cast including Mads Mikkelsen as the villain, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena, Antonio Banderas, and the wonderful John Rhys-Davies reprising his role as Sallah. Other than Waller-Bridge, whose work we aren’t familiar with, we love all of these esteemed actors and that made the viewing experience even better.

The Indiana Jones movies are totally far fetched, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a ton of fun! The action, the adventure, and the nods to previous movies and characters all added to the celebratory vibe that The Dial of Destiny invoked. It was a complete tip of the cap to Harrison Ford and we were so there for it. Sure, this movie would have been great to watch at home, but it just hit different seeing it on the big screen. Johnny and I had to do everything in our power to not whoop and cheer during every scene!

If you are a fan of the Indiana Jones series, RUN don’t walk to the theater. This is one that you are not going to want to miss and I am so happy to have experienced it with Johnny. We have been looking forward to this date night for weeks and it was everything we wanted it to be and so much more!

What is your favorite Indiana Jones movie? Have you seen The Dial of Destiny yet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul12

BFF Garden Party

Posted on July 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! My bestie, Lea, recently moved into a beautiful new house and it is awesome! I am so proud of her and want to do everything I can to assist in the projects that she needs help with. That’s what best friends are for, after all. One of the major things that needs done on her property is the gardening. The upkeep from the previous owners had been nonexistent and it all fell on Lea’s shoulders. Luckily, I am a huge fan of gardening and couldn’t wait to get to work! 😀

This past week, Lea and I headed to Meijer’s to buy some plants, Peach White Claw, and sushi for dinner. After our surprisingly good store bought sushi, we set off to our first task of clearing the planter boxes around her porch and filling it with hostas in various colors and sizes. It turned out GREAT! Check it out:

How It Started:

How It’s Going:

Our first order of business was to give ourselves a blank canvas for the hostas. We began pulling out the weeds, rocks, and random plants that peppered the planter boxes. Everything was going swell until I noticed an ant crawling on my arm. Then, I looked down to find that my gardening gloves were covered with them. It. Was. Awful. While pulling out a bushel of dying tall grass, Lea and I discovered that I had unearthed a ginormous ant colony. It. Was. Terrifying. Lol they were literally everywhere! 😮

The Attack Of The Ants happened at the far edge of the planter box and we refused to go anywhere near it. But, we completed the opposite end and stopped about two feet shy of the scene of creepy crawlies. To start, I taught Lea about the merits of cutting the plastic container the hostas were in so we wouldn’t hurt the plant while attempting to pull it out. Then, I showed her how to break apart the roots to make it perfect for their new home. After the demo, we began working separately and she did wonderfully. With the know how to DIY, she planted the remainder herself once the ants cleared out a bit. We were both very happy with the end results. 🙂

Lea and I had a fantastic time during our Garden Party hangout and we already have our next project planned out. I can’t wait to get our hands in the dirt again and get some flowers planted soon!

What projects are you working on around the house? What is your garden like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul10

Beauty & The Bell

Posted on July 10, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Mine and Johnny’s Moulin Rouge date night came as a surprise to us. We knew we were going, but we thought we were seeing it on the eighth instead of the first! I planned on making us reservations at my favorite restaurant, Pepper’s, but that plan got foiled with the mix up of dates. Lucky for us, I have another favorite eatery – Taco Bell, and that is where we went for our pre Moulin Rouge meal. Lol, check it out:

^^^ VERY NICE!!!!

Taco Bell is, was, and always will be everything I could ever want and more. We strolled into The Bell in our theater’s best, used the touch screen ordering device like seasoned pros, and naturally took pictures. You’re not going to not when you’re at the Taco Bell in fancy clothes! There was another perk to this particular TBell location, the fact that it is right next to a really awesome bar called the Funhouse.

After we got our food at the happiest place on Earth, we brought it over to the Funhouse to eat there and enjoy a libation. The combination of TBell and the boozy blue raspberry slushie was a match made in heaven! Not only does the Funhouse have great drinks for on the cheap, but it is literally the coolest bar I have ever been to. It is decorated with pictures of carnival side shows, coffins, and skulls everywhere. There is also a nice selection of arcade games. So, obvi it’s right up mine and Johnny’s alley!

Once we were done breaking bread or should I say burritos, we played ski ball which is both of our favorites. We started out pretty rusty because we haven’t played in almost two years. By the time our quarters were gone, we were scoring left and right and that was much more like it! Then, I dragged Johnny into the photo booth to get a commemorative photo strip of our night on the town:

Lol these pictures sum up our relationship beautifully and I love them so much! I truly can’t think of a better, more fun, more us beginning to our night at the theater than a trip to Taco Bell and the Funhouse. We had such an amazing date night and I can’t wait for more. BTW, we deff got Taco Bell again on the 4th of July lol!

What is your favorite bar in your neck of the woods? What about your favorite fast food eatery? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul8

Moulin Rouge At Playhouse Square Review

Posted on July 8, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past weekend, Johnny and I had a wonderful date night seeing Moulin Rouge at Playhouse Square. We had an absolute blast and you can read more about the rest of our outing and peep a brand new OOTD later this week! Playhouse Square is my happy place and even though Moulin Rouge wasn’t my favorite, it was still phenomenal as per ushe with the shows put on there. Let’s get to the review:

Johnny and I went to Moulin Rouge knowing nothing about it. We have never seen the movie and the only songs that I was familiar with going in was Lady Marmalade and Because We Can. Long story short… The Moulin Rouge is a nightclub that is falling on desperate times. If a financial windfall doesn’t happen, it is sure to close. Luckily for the crew at the Moulin Rouge, a wealthy man called The Duke takes an interest in Satine, the “sparkling diamond” of the club. Satine knows what she needs to do to get The Duke’s money and as she awaits him in her boudoir, a mix up happens. *gasp*

Instead of The Duke coming into Satine’s room, Christian who is an aspiring songwriter and hoping to audition for Satine arrives first. It is instant love and a love triangle is born between Satine, The Duke, and Christian. The Duke agrees to fund a new play and as rehearsals are underway, Satine and Christian are sneaking around like teenagers. That’s not the only secret Satine is harboring, as she is in poor health. As opening night at the Moulin Rouge draws nearer, The Duke becomes more controlling, Christian and Satine’s love amplifies, and her condition continues to decline. Will the Moulin Rouge have to shut its doors? Will true love win? Go see the musical to find out! 😉

Before we discuss the good of the show, let’s get a few bugaboos out of the way. My main qualm actually had nothing to do with the performance itself, but the theater it was in. Moulin Rouge was showing at the Keybank State Theatre and the sound quality isn’t the best there. Johnny and I had great seats in the middle of the first row of the balcony and while we could hear the songs perfectly, all of the spoken lines were near impossible to hear. This was frustrating, to say the least, but unsurprising. Every show that I have seen at the Keybank is like that! *face palm*

My next gripe was both a good and a bad thing. More good than bad, it’s just a matter of preference for me. The songs in Moulin Rouge were all popular hits and each number would end in a mashup. You could basically turn on the radio and there is a 95% chance you would hear one of the songs from the show. I much prefer a musical with songs written specifically for it. But, on the other hand, it was fun to hear songs that you know instantly throughout the show. It was hard not to sing along!

Despite my personal preference for songs from musicals, the set list was full of bangers. Banger after banger lol. We’re talking Britney, we’re talking Beyonce, we’re talking Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Adele, Elton, and so much more. My favorite number was to Sia’s Chandelier when Christian goes on an absinthe bender. I also loved the tango set to Roxanne and the adorable love song mashup with songs that included I Will Always Love You, Heroes, and Pride (In the Name of Love) just to name a few.

And, finally, let’s discuss the wonderful performers who graced the stage. Courtney Reed as Satine was phenomenal. That girl could SANG and I was so impressed with her range and ability to capture the essence of each song perfectly. John Cardoza as Christian was a formidable leading man and I liked his sensitivity in contrast to Satine’s strength. Both Reed and Cardoza worked so well together and carried the show beautifully.

Another character that Johnny and I loved was Harold Zidler, the owner of Moulin Rouge, played by Austin Durant. He was hysterical and a really fun addition to every scene. While all of the performers held their own well, I wasn’t overly impressed with Denzel Tsopnang as The Duke. His character is not a good person. The Duke is controlling, menacing, and aggressive and I just didn’t feel that in his portrayal. He definitely fell flat in comparison to the rest of the cast, which was disappointing as it is such a major part.

Moulin Rouge was, overall, an awesome show. It wasn’t the best thing that I have seen, but I’m really happy that I got to see it. In fact, Johnny and I enjoyed it so much that we are going to watch the movie! If Moulin Rouge comes to your neck of the woods, I highly recommend getting tickets!

What is your favorite song from Moulin Rouge? Have you seen a musical recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun24

Eye Spy In Nature

Posted on June 24, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! In Ohio, it is currently hot AF and is a drastic change from the cool to moderate temps we experienced last week. That is my preferred style of summer weather, so it made for perfect days to go on hikes with my clients. During our walks, we were seeing wildlife left and right – Oriels, frogs, and turtles too! In total, I saw two Oriels, six turtles, and six frogs and I truly felt like the nature whisperer lol. It was a blast and it felt like a real life version of Eye Spy! Check it out:

On my first walk of the day, my client and I saw a HUGE turtle in the middle of the path. From far away, it looked like a rock or a bundle of dead leaves. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I realized what it actually was! I was a bit worried about my turtle friend because of how little movement I saw and the fact that the water he was trying to get to was a bit of a trek away. Thankfully, after snapping a few safely distanced pics and walking away, the turtle was back on the move. I guess he just needed a little break. Also, when you see a turtle in the road (or path, in my case) it is said to be good luck and something great happened on Monday so maybe I have the turtle to thank for it! 😀

On my next walk with a different client, we went to a local Metro Park that has lots of ponds and not quite lake size bodies of water. We were determined to find frogs and on the first trip around a pond, I didn’t see jack. Then, I decided to take a closer look and realized the error of my ways. They were all around us, but camouflaged and I just wasn’t looking hard enough! It was so cool to see the frogs hiding in plain sight and they did a great job – if I didn’t inspect further, I definitely wouldn’t have seen them. We also saw five turtles lounging on logs from afar that also did a very nice job of blending into the scenery. It was a hoot. 🙂

Nature walks are always fun, but they’re even better when you can see the local wildlife. I am still delighting over the pictures of my froggy and turtle friends!

What kind of wildlife is in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite summer activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May30

Fun Aunt & Uncle

Posted on May 30, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I pride ourselves on being the Fun Aunt & Uncle to our two sweet nieces, Valerie and Raya. They are the absolute best and we cherish every minute with them! With all of the craziness going on in my life, it had been hard to see our nieces as often as we would like and that was my first order of business to change once things (Thankfully!) slowed down. This past Wednesday, we hosted our darling Val for a slumber party and it was a blast. Val claimed that Wednesday would be “the best day ever” and she was so right, as always!

Val arrived fairly late into the evening on Wednesday and came prepared with all of her slumber party supplies; A sleeping bag, stuffed animals, jammies and slippers, and books to read before bed. It was like she consulted the “what to bring to a sleepover” manual and it was adorable. To kick start the party, we had her favorite meal of spaghetti and Parmesan cheese and both of our favorite dessert – ice cream sundaes! Extra sprinkles for Val, of course! While we ate, we had a viewing of Ugly Dolls, which I had never seen before and I LOVED it. It was such a fun, sweet movie with an awesome message and an all star cast. Huge shout out to Val for her selection!

Once dinner and a show was complete, it was time to play, play, play. We hung out with Melvin and Penelope, and I didn’t think anyone could be as obsessed with them as I am, but I met my match with Val! She enjoyed petting and brushing both Mel and Pen and our shy Penelope graced us by letting me pick her up so Val could hold her. They both did great! After bunny time was done, we kept the theme going by playing a rabbit themed board game: Uncle Wiggly. This was Johnny’s favorite game in his youth so it was really special to play it all together and introduce a new generation to it.

Since Val arrived late, it was time to wrap up the evening and start heading to bed after our bunny jamboree. Val and I snuggled up and watched Home while surrounded by all of our plushies. We were both fast asleep as soon as it was over! Before Val was picked up in the morning, she assisted me in caring for the bunnies and making chocolate chip pancakes. Unfortunately, she decided after one bite that she didn’t like them lol so we just had spaghetti for breakfast! She is so much like me because that is honestly my favorite thing to have in the morning too. 😀

After Val left from our slumber party, I was missing her like crazy! She is mine and Johnny’s number one best girl and we are all looking forward to many more “best days ever” with her! ❤

Did you have a favorite aunt and uncle when you were little? Do you prefer regular food or actual breakfast food in the morning? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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