just a little bit sad... part 2...

alas... you might recall, a few months ago, all of us talking here about the sad little sadness of when we're about to use that very last piece of a certain kind of fabric.

the lament!
that feeling of a little bit of a loss.
of missing that beloved fabric.

well.. it's that time again.. time to say goodbye, in my crazy vintage fabric-obsessed world, to a couple more faves.

seen here... a sad sad goodbye to this beautiful moss green with white print as seen above....

alas....

and this sweet & dainty children's doggie print... *sigh*

and this lovely daisy floral... sadly, goodbye!

goodbye lovelies!

and then there is the last of the limited editions. here's my last 2 sets of these beautiful mod blue coasters! on sale now in my shop.... ( i LOVE that print!)

and i've made up the last 2 wallets from this fabric,
one of which is for sale now in my shop:

so, as always, i've saved the last last little piece of each as a textile souvenir for myself.
but i sure will miss these lovelies once they're all gone.
{sometimes, as luck would have it, they reappear again down the road as i gather more vintage fabrics... i'll keep my fingers crossed!}

are you fabric crazy like me?
do you cherish your arts & crafts materials in such a wonderfully obsessed way?
i'd love to hear!

have a lovely weekend, nicies! happy art supplies cherishing!

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congratulations!

thanks so much to everyone who entered the theme fragrance rollons perfume giveaway over the past week!

so nice to read everyone’s answers to the lovely modern fragrance’s they love from elizabeth’s shop, and see what you’re all loving from the other rikrak studio blog sponsor shops, too!

random.org kindly chose a winner for us… and congratulations goes to #81 ... suanne aka www.paperaffection.etsy.com. what a gorgeous shop you have, suanne! i just adore your beautiful beautiful origami work! what a wonderful new find! be sure to visit her gorgeous handmade shop!

please check back again soon for another great giveaway! and thanks again for entering! and a special thanks to the fabulous theme fragrance for sponsoring!

beautiful origami ornament by winner PaperAffection

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handmaking with kids: fun interactive websites with the kids

supercute kids kawaii keyboard stickers via nothingelegant's shop

need something fun & a wee bit educational for the kids to do inside as it rains rains rains, (at least in this part of the world!) this summer?

me too! :)

here's a roundup of fun, kid-focused, free websites you both might like to visit!

• San Francisco Symphony's kids' Site: http://www.sfskids.org/templates/splash.asp with lots of games and interactive activities on music, tempo, instruments and more!
  

• national geographic kids: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ for lots of fun animal videos, nature-projects and more!

• NASA kids club: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html for fun space games, facts & slideshows!

• tvokids.com: http://www.tvokids.com/ a fun site with 100s of interactive games for wee kiddies up to older ones. we especially love the math & science ones (pirates maps & traps is a fun navigational game, and seed ball is also great mathematical fun with grids & mapping!

• {note: tvokids.com also has a great parents' site to help parents search for specific Ontario Elementary cirriculum applications to work on thru their educational games: see the guide here!}

• cybermuse, the national gallery of canada's educational site, has a variety of fun activities for kids here, but even more fun (in my mind) is visiting the cybergalleries together to explore the fabulous collection at the gallery!

• looking for more fun art sites? the National Gallery in Washington's kids' site is full of great interactive art activites as well. http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm
  

as with any websites, of course i strongly suggest visiting them with the kids!

have a few kids faves you'd like to add? please let us know here in the comments! i'll try to feature as many as i can in a follow up post! thanks!

and don't forget to enter the theme fragrance giveaway! it ends tonight here!

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advertise with the rikrak studio blog!

thanks so much to the nicies who have come on board to advertise in these 1st few months here on the rikrak studio blog! it's almost the end of the month - and so i thought i'd let folks know that for the new month of august, i have three spots available, if you're interested!

if you feel that your shop, group or blog would be a good fit with the rikrak studio blog feel & focus, and are interested in rates, please email me at rikrakmail@yahoo.com . i'm a handmaker & mommy and know it's a challenging economic time out there... so i try to keep the rates nice & low!

i'm also happy to design ads for folks that need them, too! the rikrak studio blog is young but will hopefully continue to grow & grow! thanks so much for helping to build it, wonderfolk! so come & be part of the fun! thanks so much! k.

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edible flower delights!

raspberry & rose petal punch via cookiemagazine

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gosh. i just adore pretty flowers.
and pretty, edible flowers, used in lovely recipes? heaven!

i think back to attending beautiful summertime wedding showers or fancy parties as a little girl and being mesmerized by pretty flowers floating daintily in the pretty punch bowl! but now i know that gorgeous edible flowers needn't be reserved for special occasions only!

we have a dear neighbour that has crafted an entirely edible & gorgeous flower garden, and i just adore it! yay to edible beauties from the garden!

1st - check out this great article on suite101.com about edible flowers in general!

2nd - visit this superhelpful chart on about.com describing safe & unsafe flowers to eat, as well as various tastes you might expect in your flower garden!

3rd - start safely exploring delightful, organic edible flowers in your recipes!

4th- check out this easy candied flower tutorial on marthastewart.com. then add your candied flowers to anything and everything! what a pick-me-up!

how about this gorgeous honey-lavender ice-cream recipe on epicurious.com

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isn't this the most beautiful salad ever? filled with nasturtiums! via Sancho Papa's photostream!

and how about this baby greens with roasted beets & nasturtium blossoms salad recipe.

.......................

and aren't these tiny tiered cakes with
fresh pansies adorable for any special occasion (via southernliving.com)?

so lovely!

i'd love to hear if you use fresh, edible flowers in any of your recipes!
please feel free to share!
yay to the loveliness of edible flowers!

{ note: please be careful to check out & research flowers to ensure their edible-safeness before eating! there are so many great sites & books to help us out.}

and just two more days to enter the rikrak & theme fragrance giveaway! find it here!

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the handmade wedding: summer style {part two}

summer wedding style #4

pom kit by PomLove
bohemian cotton dress by deciduoussoul
bella donna veil by belladonnabykt
debbie ring pillow by MaiharDesign

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thanks so much to everyone who chimed in on yesterday's summer weddings { part one!}
here are 3 more DIY handmade summer wedding styles.

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summer wedding style #5
marissa earrings by eliwill
white gold & diamond ring by adornandcherish
gorgeous one of a kind dress by katetowers
custom wedding favours with personalized label by BathArtisanSoaps

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summer wedding style #6
Leila clutchby percyhandmade
Thistledown dress by englishdept
betsy wedding invitation by arippke
ayelet ring by toolisjewelry

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which style is your favourite?
i'd love to hear!
have a link to diy-style wedding ideas of your own? please include it below!

and don't forget to enter the theme fragrance giveaway on now here on the blog!
(perfect for any celebration!)

have a wonderful, celebratory weekend, lovelies! be well.

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the handmade wedding: summer style {part one}

summer wedding style #1
the flower girls shoe by FancifulDesign
summer petals headpiece by mollusa
ruffled dotted swiss wrap by paperhill
love at first twilight bridal necklace by alexkeller

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handmade celebrations = fantastic!
and a summer wedding! such fun. while i'm more of an autumn wedding girl myself (more on that later! :) ... i just love a beautiful summer celebration...
light, bright days. warm candle-lit nights, dancing under the stars and cheering on love in breezy summery dresses... such a wonderful thing.

i'm so proud of the handmade wedding movement! i love seeing all of the fabulous DIY style weddings in cyberworld, and in the beautiful, thoughtful weddings of our beloved friends and family. (& i just loved seeing Etsy admin Vanessa's gorgeous & colourful in martha stewart wedding's recently! what a fabulous handmade celebration!).... so here's to the handmade wedding.

be sure to tune in tomorrow for handmade weddings: summer style {part two!}

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summer wedding style #2
wedding invitation sample by mrsdstahl
red riding hood bow & brooch by AAliciaAccessories
wedding photography package by flywithme
carly wedding invitation by evapaul

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summer wedding style #3
satin edge organza in lt.yellow by atmtom
sky yellow dress by amandaarcher
vintage faux pearl necklace by GorgeousThings
wedding invite in marigold by mylittlebuffalo

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which style is your favourite?
i'd love to hear!
have a link to diy-style wedding ideas of your own? please include it below!

and don't forget to enter the theme fragrance giveaway on now here on the blog!
(perfect for any celebration!)

see you tomorrow!

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handmade signs and symbols: @ home

above
male/female bathroom sign by mooza
symbolism wall graphics by michellechristina
welcome home applique pillow by alexandraferguson

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signs & symbols. let me tell ya... i'm a fan!
& i've been loving all of the handmade signage i've been seeing around cyberworld of late. a little bit of beautiful lettering and i'm hooked!

so here's a fun new rikrakstudio series on the glorious signs and symbols all around us! today's the first... handmade signs & symbols @ home. cheers to gorgeous signage!

........................
below
and decorative symbol by tuckerreece
hello sticker by TastySuite
D is for.. wall wear by neawear

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collections & a giveaway! with theme fragrance

i just love seeing what folks are collecting. i guess i kind of feel it tells us just a little bit about what inspires them, what they love, and what they choose to surround themselves with in their home. today, i'm delighted to present the next in the rikrak studio's collections series: 11 & a 1/2 quick questions with a wonderful artist on what they're collecting, (apart from their art supplies! ) hope you'll just love: birds: with the wonderful elizabeth morrison of theme fragrance {AND she's offering ONE lucky reader a FREE prize pack, too! woohoo!}

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who (are you): elizabeth morrison of theme fragrance
what (are you collecting): bird objects
when (did you start): 5 years ago
how (many do you have?): lost count!
where (do you find them): antique stores,gifts,etsy,
where (do you keep them): if there is a space, there is a bird
what ('s a crazy/interesting story behind one) : n/a
what (piece would you like to add): Bird prints from Etsy shops.
why (do you love them) : you can't have too many! the variety keeps you going!
which (one is your favourite) & why : my lovebird, buddha (the real one)
what (else do you collect): antique doll parts, typography blocks,hands,old magazines, perfume bottles,perfumes,postcards

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oh heavens! what a gorgeous collection, elizabeth! you're amazing!

and i just love love love your fabulous photos! (you might be as fascinated as i was to hear that elizabeth is, among other talents, a professional photographer who has photographed Madonna, Daniel Day Lewis & Natalie Merchant, among others AND had her photography published editorially in Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone & Paper magazine! heavens! fabulous!

she's also an amazing handmade perfumer! she runs the very successful theme fragrance boutique, the gorgeous theme fragrances, on etsy. i love it! her beautiful shop is filled with gorgeous, modern fragrances that evoke wonderful thoughts! and now... her two newest scents can be YOURS!! for free!!



that's right! theme fragrance is offering 2 of her newest fabulous fragrances:
one Sarong Noir rollon and one Tehani Perfume Rollon, to one lucky rikrakstudio winner!


and i just love what elizabeth writes here: "I love perfumes! My first perfumes I created were made from a science kit when I was 8 years old. Unfortunately my creation of the rotten egg smell was not a success. I moved on to the cooking flavors in my mothers kitchen but alas somewhat limiting with only vanilla and peppermint on hand. Many years down the road, with many bottles of perfumes in my collection, I decided to study perfumery and Theme Fragrance was created." ... wonderful!

so....

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
here's how to enter the giveaway!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

1. go visit the lovely theme fragrance's shop: http://www.themefragrance.etsy.com ... take a look around ... come back here and leave a comment in this post about your favourite goodie from her shop & what the scent makes you think of! = 1 entry

2.theme fragrance is also one of my wonderful sponsors this month! thanks so much sponsors! ... so, for up to 3 more entries: you can also visit up to 3 more of my other sponsor shops. come back here and with a separate comment for each sponsor, tell us your fave summertime item from their shop, blog or zine! = 3 more possible entries.

PLEASE be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry so i can calculate the winner more readily!
this month's sponsors are:

http://www.buttercupbloom.etsy.com
http://www.rosyundposy.etsy.com
http://www.mchen.etsy.com
http://www.bornagainpurses.etsy.com
http://pinkpandafabrics.com

http://www.alexkeller.etsy.com

http://www.piggytailsstationary.etsy.com
http://www.theemptynest.etsy.com
http://www.KimsCraftyApple.com
http://www.prairieblossoms.etsy.com
http://www.emmarts.etsy.com
http://www.chiggerhillcottage.etsy.com
http://www.asterandsage.com
http://www.AprilLynns.etsy.com
http://www.paperhill.etsy.com
http://www.tanisalexis.etsy.com
http://www.fluur.etsy.com
http://www.hometowngirl.typepad.com
http://www.soapylove.com/learn.html

3. tweet on twitter about this giveaway and leave us a link to it in a separate comment here. = 1 more possible entry.

4. blog about this giveaway and leave us a link to it in a separate comment here.= 1 more possible entry

5. follow theme fragrance on twitter and leave us a comment about it here. = 1 more possible entry

6. become a fan of theme fragrance on facebook and leave us a comment about it here = 1 more possible entry.

7. Again... each entry must be it's own comment.. thanks!

RULES:
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 8 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) the winner of the theme fragrance giveaway will be chosen from random.org on wednesday, july 29th @ 9pm.
d) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.
e) thanks so much everyone! and yay summery fragrances.

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trashion event & giveaway: on now!

yay nicies! great news!
the Etsy Trashion Team is having a Summer Sale and Giveaway!

... to promote Environmental Awareness!

for just one week... July 20 – 27

just visit the following Etsy shops (including mine, rikrak!)
to save on fine and funky upcycled goods...
and come win this fabulous prize pack!

http://www.remaker.etsy.com 20% off everything in shop

http://www.loneweever.etsy.com 15% off everything in shop

http://www.rikrak.etsy.com/ 15% off various items in shop

http://www.ecogeneration.etsy.com/ 10% off everything in shop

http://www.alexkeller.etsy.com/ 10% off everything in shop

http://www.auclairdelalune.etsy.com/ 15% off everything in shop

http://www.beachchicken.etsy.com/ 15% off everything in shop

http://www.bellavioletta.etsy.com/ doe doe birds with purchase

http://www.junck.etsy.com/ 10% off everything in shop

http://www.lostandfoundobjects2.etsy.com/ 20% off in shop

http://www.palmfrondartist.etsy.com/ 10% off everything in shop

http://www.foundthings.etsy.com/ 20% off in shop

http://www.eyepopart.etsy.com/ 20% off everything in shop

http://www.westernartglass.etsy.com/ 10% off leaf collection
http://www.candycalamity.etsy.com / little yummies magnet with purchase

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& find other promotions and participating shops @

http://etsytrashion.etsy.com/

AND... there's a fabulous team giveaway on,too!

To enter the giveaway...

visit one of the participating shops,
then leave a comment about your fave trashion items on the
trashion blog post for the event on the trashion team blog!
you may make up to five entries.

Or…make purchases in participating shops to receive
additional chances for every $10 you spend!

The prize winner will be randomly selected on July 28th.

it's a great time to support fabulous eco-artists! the Trashion Team on Etsy is a group of artists that create art, jewelry, fashion and home accessories from materials that were leftover, discarded, or found! so wonderful & beautiful, isn't it!
happy discovering!

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my favourite things: peonies

handmade peonies
large peony flower bow clip by EnchantedlyYours
nostalgic peony silk-lined clutch by redrubyrose
peony blossom wedding invitation by pinklilypress

summers bounty II pillow by missmosh
songbird necklace by polishedtwo

peony dress by sweetplume
peonies textured photographic print by claireyhairey

antiqued ivory hairclip or brooch by cultivar
peony & swallow necklace by Gingeroni1

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one of my favourite things is fast fading.
i think i might have glimpsed the last peony bush in it's lulling glory today.

i just adore peonies.
there is something so wonderfully nostalgic & charmingly familiar about them for me.
they remind me, so fondly, of my grandparents' beautiful beautiful farm garden.

here's to you, lovely peonies.
& have a beautiful weekend, nicies.
may it be filled with wonderful delights, ever-how long they might bloom!

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and the winner is!

happy thursday, lovelies! i just want to thank everyone so very very much who entered the fun little STAY-cation giveaway this week! yay! it was superfun reading your great, creative, thrifty, close-to-home ideas for a stay-cation in your own hometown! i'd Love LOVE love to be able to jet to see you all and explore your cities with you! thanks!

random.org kindly chose a # for us... and the winner of a set of 6 eco. coasters from my shop is.... #3.... the lovely lovely ellen of elanknits! woohoo!





elanknits is a great canadian etsy shop, selling handknits, art & vintage patterns! be sure to visit her shop for some great vintage styles! love it! and hope you're having a great stay-cation seeing all of the great theatre you mentioned in london, ontario! fun! so thanks for playing, and happy staycations, nicies! it's been a great one here!


seen here: vintage knitting instruction booklet via elanknits

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great green-ies: miss courageous

greening.... i find it exciting and hopeful that while there sure are lots of terrible things going on to pollute & harm our planet, there are so many wonderful folks doing fabulous things to help make the world a greener, healthier place! so, the rikrak studio is happy to feature great green-ies : snapshots of amazing, inspiring. eco-forward-thinking folks & groups from all sorts of fields and paths in the greening movement. some inspire by greening at home, or in their business; in their art or the larger world, or on many levels at once! i've asked each green-ie to suggest an easy eco-idea or tip we might all be able to add to our daily lives. today i'm honoured to present the next in this series!

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record vinyl inlay belt buckle by the fabulous miss courageous

need an infusion of something fabulous, funky, eco-forward and stylish into your glorious wardrobe this season? look no further!

the wonderful, talented, ever-friendly millie of the shops miss courageous (pop jewelry & accessories) & buckle up is a brilliant recycler that has something stylish & fashionable for everyone! i just love her amazing belt buckles, made from inlayed record vinyl or upcycled jelly jar lid buckles. and i adore her record vinyl necklaces! what a great conversation piece her accessories would be!

storage belt buckle by buckleUp

so be sure to stop by her lovely shops, and follow her wonderful, fun & trashion-forward tweets on twitter! let's support upcycling artists whenever we can!

and here's millie's eco.tip!
..........................

"My tip is to re-use. If you can't there's probably an artist out there that can. For instance, I don't sew but I do swap supplies with fellow etsians. They give me jar lids & bottle caps, I give them old clothes to re-sew."

................................

thanks so much, millie!
& there's still today to enter my eco.coasters giveaway! find it here! yay recycling!

upcycled record vinyl necklace by miss courageous

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call for submissions!

DIY storybook blocks by nurserylove

morning, nicies! here @ the rikrak studio blog, i'm always looking for funfun folks to feature & funfun handmaking with kids projects to share with my lovely readers. so i'm putting out a call for submisssions. i'm looking for YOUR fun ideas!

as you know, i have a little series called handmaking with kids. you can read some of them here. in the series, fun artists share a little diy project, handmade adventure, or something along those lines that we can handmake with the little ones in our lives.

i'd love to hear your ideas for a project for the series! if you have a project/activity/diy recipe that you'd like to share, please let me know. just contact me directly thru rikrakmail@yahoo.com with your project proposal! if i decide to feature your project, i'll also happily include a little feature on you, or your shop, your blog, etc! it's a great way to bring new folks to your shop, and to share your handmaking with kiddies ideas! already have a project on your own blog or site you'd like to share? no problem. that's great too. just let me know about it!

thanks, nicies! looking forward to hearing from you!

{ ps: still another day or so to enter my little eco. coasters giveaway! hurry in!}

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greatest hits: with my red boots

what inspires you artistically & creatively? what would those inspirations look like visually? in this fun series, (please see the others here) ... i’ve invited some wonderful artists to share with us 4 images of inspiration in their artistic life, something of an interview in images! the guidelines were basically this: choose 4 visuals (something like your creative-stimuli *greatest hits!*) that you feel most inspires & expresses your art or craft today. for some, it might be a person, place or thing; a material; a pattern; a colour; a sound or song, etc. it might be a photograph, a drawing, a scan, etc. i’ve tried to leave it a bit open-ended so that we might better glimpse into these artists' motivations and their amazing, raw talent! today i’m delighted to present the next in the series: greatest hits! , with tricia of myredboots.

...................................................


happy monday, lovelies.
isn't there something just grand about the wonderful idea of collecting vintage children's treasures? the glorious nostalgia. the lovely designs ... and something somehow even more glorious about the idea of vintage treasures from beautiful france?
*sigh* ... what could be lovelier?

myredboots is a delightful new little vintage children's boutique on etsy, with finds from france.
the goodies are charming, inventive, beautiful & handcollected by the wonderful tricia.

many moons ago, tricia & i went to university together. since those undergrad days, she's gone on to craft amazing delights, in her home (i've seen some of her sewing work - gorgeous!), in the kitchen (what a chef!), in the world of academia, & now as a handmaking mommy in beautiful strasbourg, france.

tricia is a dear friend of my dear friend...
and for me, that's always a great thing to be.
so here's to friends of friends.
& the beautiful nostaligia of vintage de france!






........................

here's a little glimpse into what's inspiring tricia these days:

1. Scandinavian linen fabric
because of great colour (my favourite colour), natural fibre, northern flora (article credit: "Blueberry" dish towel by Kardelen www.kardelen.se



2. moon topography
because science incidentally creates great visuals (which my science-y work-day self encounters and questions) (article credit: "La Lune" Scan-Globe 1966. (a great find from a brocante in Strasbourg)


3. handmade cushion
for vintage imagery
(credit: pinkwagon http://www.pinkwagon.com)


4. snow
because it minimalizes landscape. and cleans my mind. (landscape: Caribou Plains Trail in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, Canada. / photo credit: Joanna Close, art in fibre. http://www.joannalclose.com)

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thanks so much, tricia.

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