Tag Archives: shopping

Oct26

Flannels For Fall OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hellooo everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Flannels For Fall OOTD! This outfit was super simple to style, but it felt so fabulously fall and fresh with a black and white color palette. I loved it and it was the perfect outfit to find the perfect tree to pose under. However, that was easier said than done! Let’s take a look at some of the shots that definitely didn’t make the first cut and we’ll discuss that further:

Looking like I’m about to cry but I swear I was having a good time!

What are these… LEAVES?!

When your husband has got you like

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There’s nothing funny about this shot but I think the cigarette earring looks hilarious lol

A surprise cameo by Johnny in the bottom corner

A big surprise cameo by Johnny in the entirety of the picture!

In the good ol A-K-Rowdy, it is peak fall time and it is absolutely splendid. The temperatures are cool, but not unbearable and the trees are spectacular this year. I can’t recall the changing of last year’s leaves to be as pretty even though I’m sure it was. This year, however, it feels like everywhere I turn there are bright red, orange, and yellow leaves adorning every tree. It is gorgeous and are you really a fashion blogger if you don’t take pictures underneath a tree? I think not!

Despite all of the beautiful trees surrounding us, it was actually rather difficult to find just the right one. Most of the trees around Timber Top were almost empty already and smaller, colorful trees in my parents’ neighborhood were all on someone’s property. While I am not above knocking on someone’s door to ask to borrow their tree, I wasn’t in the mood lol. This left minimal options and we decided to use a tall, red leafed tree as our backdrop. The only issue? You could only see the trunk! The tree was tall AF and I was nowhere near close to any of the branches. On the bright side, there were plenty of red leaves on the ground so at least all of you got the point. 😀

When it comes to picture backdrops, I take what I can get. And if it’s not exactly what I want, then who cares? At least my outfit is fire! 🙂

Are the trees changing colors in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite leaf color? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct25

Flannels For Fall OOTD

Posted on October 25, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! After the excitement of seeing The Wiz last last weekend, Johnny and I spent a lazy weekend together and it was just what we needed. I feel so much more rested after a few days of vegging out! With nothing on our agenda other than hanging out with family, I decided to style a look that was cool but oh so comfy with my new Lucky Brand flannel. I love how it turned out and it was warm enough to beat the fall chill in the air! Check it out and peep all of those Lil Red leaves:

Who? What? Wear?

Flannel: Lucky Brand, TJMaxx

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Heeled Combat Boots: Forever 21

Cigarette Earrings: Punk N Junk

The hat was a gift from an ex’s family and I like it too much to throw it out lol

Flannels are such an amazing piece of clothing because they look good on everyone and are a staple that is synonymous with fall. As soon as the weather turns cool, it’s all flannels everywhere and I’m so not mad about it. So much so, that I bought the flannel you see above due to a mere accident. During my last TJs shopping trip, I needed a shirt to try on with a jacket, grabbed the first one I saw, and it just so happened to be said flannel. I wouldn’t have got it if it weren’t so darn cute but, obviously, that wasn’t the case!

I was excited to style this flannel and thought it would be fun to create a black and white ensemble to play off of its pattern. With this in mind, black skinny jeans were the go to choice and also my only choice anyways lol. I don’t own one single pair of blue jeans! While I enjoy wearing all of the beautiful jewel tones of fall, it felt nice to go back to my emo roots with the muted palette I was establishing. As soon as the base of this look was settled, I could definitely picture my teenage self rocking it haha.

Shoes and accessories were next and since this outfit essentially built itself, this was an easy decision. I knew I wanted to wear my “Bad Hair Day” beanie and went with my stark white heeled combat boots from Forever 21. I liked this for several reasons. Of course, it worked with the color palette. However, I loved how the hat and boots were the reverse of each other. The hat was black with white text and the shoes were white with black laces and heels. This really tied the look together and made it flow seamlessly from top to bottom.

Finally, it was jewelry time. I kept things minimal for jewelry because I didn’t want unnecessary bling muddling up the crispness of the outfit’s palette. I toyed around with a collar length necklace, but it wasn’t doing anything for me. So, I decided to wear a pair of statement earrings with a lot of length. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure earrings that look like cigarettes definitely make a statement! 😀

As always, fall is my favorite season to dress for and I am loving my Flannels For Fall OOTD. This look gave a nod to so many different autumn essentials and is one that I will most certainly be wearing again!

What is your favorite fall staple? What warms you up on a chilly day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct23

A Night At The Theater OOTD

Posted on October 23, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Last weekend, Johnny and I enjoyed a fantastic evening at Playhouse Square where we saw The Wiz. Like TJMaxx, Playhouse Square is my happy place. I love attending the excellent plays and musicals that are put on and, of course, I love the fashion. Getting dressed to the nines for A Night At The Theater brings me great joy and it is such fun to see other people’s interpretation of a night out look. This is mine:

^^^ Wondering why there are so few pictures? Find out during the blooper reel tomorrow!

Who? What? Wear?

Topper Jacket: Happily Grey, TJMaxx

Sweater Dress: Forever 21

Lace Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Snakeskin Pattern Boots: Marc Fisher, TJMaxx

Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

The necklace was my grandma’s ❤

A few days before attending The Wiz, I purchased my new Happily Grey topper jacket from TJMaxx and I knew that I wanted to wear it to the show. Playhouse Square is the fanciest place that Johnny and I go to and the topper jacket screams luxury to me, making it a perfect choice. The look that I styled for our date night is actually what I pictured in my head when I first tried the jacket on. I am pleased to report that it turned out exactly how I envisioned and I felt like the belle of the ball!

To start, I put on my burnt orange sweater dress from Forever 21. This dress is literally old as dirt, but I wasn’t concerned about it because I kept my jacket on all night. It was also a strategic decision to wear it. The color was just what I needed for the rich fall palette I was establishing and most importantly, it had length. While the jacket would have been fine over jeans and a top, I wanted something more than that. The sweater dress was high low, hitting at the bottom of my knees and down to my ankles and it gave the peek a boo pop I pictured underneath the jacket. (It is worth mentioning that for the sake of being warm, I did wear jeans under the dress. It was freaking freezing the night of the show! This dress was also quite low cut, but that is nothing a lace trimmed cami top can’t fix.)

Next, it was onto shoes and accessories and I had just the pair in mind. For shoes, I selected my gorgeous pair of cobalt blue snakeskin pattern heeled boots by Marc Fisher. I am so enamored with them! I love the more burnished hues of fall like the gold in the jacket and orange of the dress. However, I wanted to perk things up by adding in a jewel tone and these boots gave me that opportunity. Their length was also ideal because they hit right where the “high” portion of the sweater dress ended. This allowed for the jeans I had on to be fully covered and kept the outfit moving seamlessly from piece to piece.

Finally, it was time to wrap things up with accessories. Because a more delicate pair of earrings would have gotten lost amidst the faux fur jacket collar, I went bold with a huge pair of gold hoop earrings. These babies by Argentino Vivo are my favorite! I thought that the earrings would be enough, but the outfit felt like it was missing something. To fill the open real estate on my neck, I chose a beautiful necklace from my grandma of forest green. It tied the outfit together perfectly and added another color to my All Fall Everything palette.

I felt like a star in this OOTD and it’s always nice when an outfit I dreamed up turns out the way I wanted without making any tweaks. Johnny and I had a fabulous Night At The Theater and here’s to many more!

What is the fanciest place that you go to? Do you go to the theater often? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct22

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on October 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! During my last shopping trip to TJMaxx, I went with the intention of finishing up my in store Christmas shopping and I am pleased to say that I did. The last thing that I want is to be in a crowded store, browsing through a picked over selection as the holiday season gets closer! Of course, I couldn’t say no to a few treats for myself either and I’m amazed I made it this long into my early shopping without purchasing a gift for myself too lol! While I was at TJs, I decided to restock the skin care items I needed to get me through the rest of the year. Now, I really don’t need to be in a store until 2024. 😀 Check it out:

^^^ All of these products are cruelty free!

Thanks to previous Skin Care Hauls from TJs, my beauty care hoard was still fairly well stocked. However, it wasn’t good enough to bring me into the new year and that was the goal. The first order of business was more of my beloved micellar water by Evoluderm. I am halfway through my last bottle in the stock pile and that simply won’t do! There have been several products that I have gotten from TJs that I have loved and never seen in stock again. Thankfully, that is never the case with my micellar water and there was still plenty to spare on the shelves after picking up three bottles!

As a rule, I like to have three of each item in my beauty routine readily available. I was all set for eye cream but definitely needed to achieve my perfect balance for moisturizer and serum. For a new moisturizer, I found a Palmer’s cocoa butter night cream that I think will be fantastic. I am a fan of anything cocoa butter and I’m sure this cream will be lovely once it starts getting really cold out. I also went with a collagen serum by Provence Beauty. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the skin care options during this shopping trip as a majority of the products weren’t cruelty free. I probably would have selected a different serum if more choices were available, but maybe this one will surprise me.

The last item on my restock list was a new face wash and I am excited to try the Hydrate Foaming Cleanser by ValJean Labs. I have never heard of this brand before, but foaming cleansers are my absolute favorite. A foaming formula always makes my skin feel squeaky clean without drying it out and I was glad to find one for the winter months. The brand name also reminds me of my niece’s name, Valerie Jane, so it was like a sign that I had to get it! 😀

With my beauty hoard fully intact again and my in store holiday shopping complete, I am thrilled to be done. Now, all that’s left to do is online shop till I drop for the remainder of my gifts and it will be smooth sailing all the way till Christmas Day! 🙂

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? What are your winter skin care staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct20

New Lucky Brand Flannel

Posted on October 20, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! I have been dwindling down my holiday shopping list as often as I can and I decided to spend an afternoon off at TJMaxx so I could put in some more work. Obviously, it turned into a shopping trip for me too, but I needed a little treat!! I should have known that my willpower wasn’t strong enough to simply go in for Christmas presents lol. This flannel was actually purchased because I didn’t plan accordingly to a surefire clothing shopping outing. Check it out and let’s discuss:

^^^ That TJMaxx price adjustment! Score!!

When I am going shopping for clothes, I always make sure that I have a T-shirt on in case I need to try on a jacket. However, this time around, I just had on a hoodie with nothing underneath because I told myself I was only shopping for the holidays. Naturally, while I browsed the clothing selection I found the Happily Grey jacket that you all saw yesterday and I didn’t have on a shirt to try it on with. As soon as I put two and two together, I grabbed any old shirt in my size and made my way to the fitting rooms. The shirt just so happens to be the Lucky Brand one you see above.

I had absolutely no intention of buying this flannel… That is, until I tried it on lol. I am a huge fan of Lucky Brand and this flannel is definitely the best one I own. It is soft as can be and fits just right. It’s not too tight or too loose and is very flattering. I was also blown away by the button down detailing on the back. I have never seen anything like that before and thought it was the cutest! This flannel will be perfect for an All Black Everything OOTD and I already have a look planned for it so be on the lookout for that soon. 😀 Also, can we talk about the price going from eighty bucks to twenty-five at TJs? You can’t beat that!

Flannels are a must have fall staple and I am loving my new one. I was technically not supposed to have tried this Lucky Brand number on if I wore a shirt under my hoodie but I consider that to be a happy accident! 🙂

What is your go to fall staple for clothing? Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct19

New Happily Grey Topper Jacket

Posted on October 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! This past Tuesday, I had an afternoon off and decided to do a little holiday shopping at TJMaxx. However, I am in the phase of my early Christmas shopping where I need a treat too and it turned into a shopping trip for me! Lol, when I got home with TJs bags in tow I told Johnny that “I did some shopping for XYZ” to which he said “And…?” My reply: “…And a little something for me too”. Haha, he knows me so well! But, obviously, I just couldn’t say no to this gorgeous topper jacket by Happily Grey:

I am a huge fan of topper jackets and I clutched my pearls when I saw this number by Happily Grey. Johnny and I love the 70s era of fashion and this jacket gave me all of those vibes. It was one of those pieces that I just knew was going home with me and I considered it a steal at just thirty dollars! I have a feeling that I will be rocking my find all fall and winter long. I own maybe two or so full on “winter jackets”, but I much prefer a topper instead. I like that it gives you the option of layering and that I’m not sweating bullets as soon as I get into a car with the heat on!

I was drawn to my new Happily Grey topper for many reasons, the first of which being the colors. Burnished gold is one of my favorite hues and the cream filigree detailing looked so rich and lux against it. I also live for a faux fur collar, which just added to the expensive aesthetic that this topper gave. The length was lovely too, hitting at the mid calf and I could already picture wearing it with my knee high winter boots. Pair it with cable knit tights and a knee length skirt or dress? Yes, please. 😀

I am so happy with this TJMaxx purchase and I already put it to great use. You can peep that soon in an upcoming OOTD that I created for seeing The Wiz at Playhouse Square. If you are in need of new cold weather duds, hit up TJs ASAP because it is all there for the taking. PS – their holiday decor is out too!

What is your preferred style of winter coat? Does your winter wardrobe need a refresh? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct17

Wedding Dress Delight OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Wedding Dress Delight OOTD! My sis, nieces, and I loved attending a Disney Princess Party together and I invoked the princess vibes from my wedding day by wearing my wedding dress. Yes, I am that extra aunt lol. Although I felt like royalty in my outfit, there are always some pics from an OOTD shoot that don’t make the first cut. I’m pretty sure I have never seen a Disney princess making these faces:

Who, me?

Lol, my fingers look like straight up nubs

The face I make immediately after scratching myself

Just standing here

Gazing forlornly into the distance

Gazing stupidly into the sky

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Johnny has been my master OOTD photographer for over four years and we have our system running like a fine tuned machine. This shoot was different, however, because my sister was the one who took the pictures. This was my requirement for her because I paid for the tickets to the party – the sibling barter system at its finest! After we rubbed elbows with Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff it was time to head home and I posted up by a brick wall to get my OOTD on. You guys all know how much I love a good brick wall! 😀

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned my awareness that literally every picture from my OOTD shoot featured the same pose. This was purely out of necessity because it was cold out!! Val chattered her little teeth and I knew we had to get the girls back in the car ASAP. So, I stuck with poses that I knew would work and faces that I knew would be flattering so we could go home with the heat blasting. We took pictures for barely two minutes, I saw a few that were winners, a few that were questionable, and called it. Huge shout out to Val for being a trooper for her ol’ TT – she’s such a star. ❤

Although my sister did a stellar job as my OOTD photographer, I’ll be happy to have Johnny back to doing what he does best… Making me look good! It’s nice to know that I have someone else on standby, though!

Do you like to get your picture taken? Who usually takes your pictures? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct16

Wedding Dress Delight OOTD

Posted on October 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Two weekends ago, I attended an adorable Disney Princess Party with my sister and darling nieces. Princess costumes for the little ones were encouraged and I figured that offer would extend to adults too lol. As the most extra auntie on the planet, I decided to get my princess on by rocking my wedding dress to the party. I was definitely the only big person that dressed up, but that’s okay because it made the experience even more fun! Val AKA Elsa and her “death princess” TT (as Johnny described me) looked like royalty during our grand entrance and I know we’ll both look back on it fondly for years to come. ❤ Check it out:

^^^ And, yes, I am SO aware that all of these poses are exactly the same lol. My sister took these pics after the party and the girls were cold so I just had to do what works for maximum success!

Who? What? Wear?

Wedding Dress: EricDress

Vertebrae Heels: Show Story

Pearl Headband: Francesca’s

Flower earrings that aren’t seen in the pictures are from Francesca’s too.

My wedding dress is one of my most favorite things that I own. It was bought for a song online, tailored to perfection, and was everything I hoped for on my wedding day. I always pictured myself in a black wedding dress and it was like this one was made for me. After Johnny and I tied the knot, I felt sad that I would probably never have an occasion to wear my dream dress again. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to wear it to the Princess Party. I felt like a princess IRL when I got married and I couldn’t think of anything better to wear to a royal celebration.

For heels, I kept with the theme of my wedding and wore the same shoes for the partay. The high low dress screams for a killer pair of pumps and the Show Story pair are, surprisingly, the only ones I own. Even if I had different heels to select from, I still would have chose my wedding heels anyways. The “low” portion of my dress runs dangerously low to the ground and I needed all of the length that I could get to keep it from dragging. Huge shout out to the tailor for my dress because she was able to create a bustle with the super lengthy train!

There wasn’t much to do for the base of this look so it was onto accessories next. I desperately wanted a tiara, but don’t own one and all of my nieces’ toy tiaras are broke lol. So, I improvised and used my pearl headband from Francesca’s. I LOVED how the white pearls created contrast with my hair and the dress and it felt like a grown up take on a plastic tiara. Then, I put on a pair of dangly iridescent flower earrings and was ready to be the belle of the ball. I know I werked it, but Val stole the show in her Elsa costume! 🙂

I am beyond thrilled that I got to break out my wedding dress one time for the one more time. My girls and I had the best afternoon at the Princess Party and it is something that I will always cherish!

What is something that makes you feel like royalty? Have you ever worn something from your wedding again? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct15

Double Dinner Date OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 15, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Double Dinner Date OOTD! I wore this look to meet my boss and his wife with Johnny at a new restaurant called Akron’s Farm Table. This was an exciting night out for me because I got to meet my virtual boss IRL and conduct an interview with the restaurant owners. Double dates are also always fun and Johnny and I haven’t been on one in forever. Although I was really feeling myself in my outfit, I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t nervous about this outing. More on that later, first let’s take a look at the pics that definitely didn’t make the first cut… Until now!

Somehow always managing to trip during OOTD shoots. Whoopsy daisy!

Gazing off into the distance with this stupid look lol

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just having a laugh in this pic and having one now because wtf

Clearly I thought I was really working it

Apparently I was in a perpetual state of shock during this shoot 😮

I like to think that I am a fairly outgoing gal. However, it takes me a while to get warmed up when meeting new people. I admit that I have quite a bit of anxiety in those situations and I find myself thinking if new friends, colleagues, or acquaintances like me or if I said the wrong thing throughout the meeting. I was very nervous to meet my online boss IRL. Of course I wanted to make a great impression, but I also have not had much practice meeting anyone new in a while. Johnny and I already know the people we want to know lol.

I am pleased to report that I didn’t let my nerves get the best of me during our Double Dinner Date and I thought I rocked it. Yes, I was anxious for things to go well, but I kept reminding myself that it’s not like my boss and I don’t have a phone conference almost every day. I know him, I just had not met him. I gave myself positive affirmations like “I’m great at what I do”, “I have a wonderful personality”, and to “just have fun” and it helped put me much more at ease. It must have done the trick because we are planning to check out another restaurant all together sometime soon! 😀

I kind of forgot that I had a hard time meeting new people until this outing because it had been so long. I am really proud of myself for putting my best face forward despite the anxiety and I think this will be a most helpful situation to remember in the future if I am around someone new. I consider this to be excellent progress so hurray for a GREAT SUCCESS!

Do you have an outgoing personality? What is something that you struggle with in social situations? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct14

Double Dinner Date OOTD

Posted on October 14, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Friday was so lovely because I went on a double date with Johnny, my boss, and his wife. Starting in January, I started a position as the in house writer for a local tech entrepreneur. We handle everything virtually and just didn’t have a need or occasion to meet IRL. On Friday, however, we were working with a new restaurant for one of the businesses we manage and thought it would be fun to make a night of it with our partners. I was SO excited to have a night on the town all together and wanted to create a look that showed off my personal style while still looking professional. This is what I came up with and I was loving it:

Who? What? Wear?

Dress: MaxSport LA, TJMaxx

Boots: Formentini, TJMaxx

*** The earrings are Lucky Brand, the bracelet was bought at a vendor fair, and the necklace is from American Eagle Outfitters.

When I began styling this look, I knew I wanted to wear a dress. The only question was “which one?”. I didn’t want a dress that was too tight or too showy because the night wasn’t about my outfit. It was about helping out a small local business and meeting my boss. So, I decided on something that I would wear for a business lunch or coffee and chose my dress by MaxSport LA. This was a ten dollar steal from TJMaxx and I thought it served its purpose very well.

I selected this dress for many reasons. First and foremost, I love it. But it also checked off all of the boxes that I required. It was form fitting without being tight, knee length, and something I could picture myself wearing to an office if I worked in one lol. The colors featured on this frock are gorgeous and it felt so perfectly fall with a fun nod to the 70s. The pattern was another huge plus as it was bold, but didn’t feel like too much.

The weather on Friday night was still nice and warm so a jacket or tights weren’t necessary. So, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with one of my favorite pairs of heeled boots by Formentini. I am as obsessed with these boots now as I was the day I got them and they paired beautifully with the MaxSport LA dress. These little numbers added a classy amount of length and tied into the retro vibe that the dress invoked for cohesion’s sake.

Finally, it was time for accessories. To start, I put on a dangly pair of turquoise earrings by Lucky Brand. These were a gift from my mom and I love them so very much. Turquoise, burnt orange, and burgundy are a match made in fall color heaven. The lower neckline on my dress provided real estate to add on a delicate necklace and I put on a tiny charm one from AEO for some modest bling. The capped bell sleeves of the dress offered room for a bracelet too so I went back into the jewelry box and came out with a bronze chain bracelet with a turquoise bead and feather. The feather was another understated tip of the cap to all things 70s and the bead matched my earrings. Total win/win!

I felt like a class act in my Double Dinner Date OOTD and this is one that I can definitely picture wearing in a work environment or another night on the town. A wonderful time was had by all and we cannot wait to get together again soon. I would say this business/fun dinner out was a GREAT SUCCESS!

How do you rock a business casual look? Have you ever met someone you work with virtually IRL? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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