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Outlet Shopping for Spring

03/09/2010 in Buckhead, Deals + Steals, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating, Where we're Shopping by Lindsay | 2 comments

On Saturday, Dana + Jenny + I trekked up to the North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville for a little outlet shopping.  The weather has been warming up (yea!!), and as a result my winter wardrobe has been relentlessly begging me for some warm weather additions.  I resisted for a while, but recently I’ve had a hard time saying “no.”

It took us about 45 minutes going up 400 N to get to the NGPOs from Buckhead.  We easily spotted the NGPOs from the highway, and we were excited to park across from Off Fifth(Saks Fifth Ave. outlet) to begin our mini-spree.  Thanks to the grande Starbucks ice coffee I finished during the ride up, in less than ten minutes flat I was standing in the check out line at Off Fifth with an incredible lined winter coat (for next year) and a very-Lindsay-style gold bracelet.  And like a flash, we were off again…

In the interest of keeping your attention, I won’t break down every stop we made.  However, I will tell you that my favorite stores at the NGPOs were: Cole Haan, Burberry, Coach, Off Fifth, Kate Spade, Juicy, Polo, BCBG, Michael Kors and J. Crew.  We were afraid to step foot into Pottery Barn or Nike – which were absolutely swarmed with eager shoppers.  Even though it wasn’t a holiday weekend, we found excellent deals everywhere!  Coach was running a one day promotion for 20% off of the entire store, and Jenny and I walked away with adorable new purses.  Polo had some noteworthy deals, too, convincing Dana to stock up on shirts for her wonderful fiance who is in Iraq until May.  Overall, I thought the shopping was great. 

North Georgia Premium Outlets

Here are a few tips on efficient outlet shopping that I picked up during our mini-spree:

1- Wear flats or comfortable shoes.  You will regret it if you don’t.  However, if your feet begin to hurt while you are shopping – you can run into Adidas, Nike or Cole Haan (love their shoes with the Nike technology) and purchase yourself a brand spankin’ new pair.

2- Go to the bathroom prior to standing in line for a dressing room.  Lines can be long and there is nothing worse than nature calling while you are trying to shimmy your way out of a pair of skinny jeans…

3- Eat before you go – or bring snacks.  I wasn’t impressed with the food options at the NGPO’s – or the lack thereof.

4- Develop patience.  The lines are long for the dressing rooms, registers and bathrooms…there’s really no way around it.  And, there were a ton of slowly walking people w/ strollers.  Just keep that in mind…

5- According to a colleague, the best time to go outlet shopping is the week(end) prior to a holiday – so for instance the week before Black Friday or Fourth of July.  Apparently, the outlet stores will already have their stock out for the holiday weekend and start running their sales early.

6- Bring an umbrella.  The weather happened to be gorgeous on Saturday and we were fine - however it’s important to note that not all of the walkways between stores are covered.  It would be a shame to drive all the way out to the NGPOs and not be able to visit all the stores on your list because you’ve become a drowned rat in a rainstorm.

jenny's trunk @ the end of the day...

Four hours later on our drive home, we realized we were absolutely famished.  So, at 4:30 p.m. on a Saturday we sat down for a three hour sushi meal complete with sake bombs!  Yea! 

yu-ka sushi bar

"i say SAKE - you say BOMB!"

We went to Yu-Ka Sushi Bar - right next to the disco Kroger in Buckhead.  I did not care for the sushi or the atmosphere at all, but the service was good and the sake bombs hit the spot.  I called it an early evening and ventured home with my bags upon bags of outlet loot and redboxed The Hurt Locker + A Serious Man (both nominated for Best Picture @ the Oscar’s – The Hurt Locker won).  I really enjoyed both. 

What a Saturday!  I’m already looking forward to heading back to the NGPOs in a few months to stock up on summertime gear… 

xx, L

North Georgia Premium Outlets
800 Highway 400 South
Dawsonville, GA  30534
706.216.3609
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=16

Sushi Bar Yu-Ka
3300 Piedmont Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.233.6700
Sushi Bar Yu-Ka on Urbanspoon

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Buckhead Restaurant Week: 03/06 – 03/14

02/24/2010 in Buckhead, Deals + Steals, Events!, Restaurant Weeks, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 1 comment

I am ALL ABOUT various neighborhood restaurant weeks. It’s a combination of my favorite things: restaurants, good deals, and hype.

That said, you should know that the inaugural Buckhead Restaurant week is right around the corner! 3 courses for $25? Yes, please!

Here are a few of my favorite participants:

Anis
Anis is such a perfect little date spot! It’s this amazing little French resto in a charming little house off Grandview. They have an outside patio (and allow pups!) as well as cozy inside seating. Love!

Aria
(Or Aria’s as my mom calls it.) If you have never been, you are seriously missing out. Aria is one of my favorite restaurants in the city – it’s romantic, the food is amazing, and it’s very glam in an understated sort of way.

Bistro Niko
You know a restaurant is cool when EZ elects to celebrate her birthday there!In the bottom of the Soverign building, this chic little French bistro is the newest addition to the Buckhead Life restaurant group. The bar area is especially cool.

Capital Grille
Two words: Stoli Doli. When l lived in the Eclipse (located just behind the restaurant) this was my go-to happy hour spot. It’s a higher-end steak joint, and everything on the menu is delish, but the lobster mac + cheese will change your life and the calamari is out of this world. Their signature cocktail is the “Stoli Doli” – a martini made with pineapple infused vodka. DELISH. Plus, it has the whole country club chic thing going on and I love that.

Kyma
Another Buckhead Life participant, and Lindsay’s favorite big fat Greek restaurant. Go get your taramasalata on, yo.

Nava
I celebrated a landmark birthday here and will always have a special place in my heart for blue cornbread, prickly pear margaritas, and lobster tacos…

Other participating restaurants are Aja (it’s pronounced like Asia, FYI, not Ah-zjh-ah- I asked!), Aqua Bistro, Atlanta Fish Market, Blue Pointe, Cantina (where Lola used to be), Craftbar, Gordon Biersch, Home, Market, Paces 88, The Palm, Pricci, Prime, Ruth’s Chris, Shula’s 347, and The Grape.

You can make reservations by calling the restaurants (duh) or on Opentable.com, a sponsor of the event.

Please note that alcohol and gratuity are not included in the $25.

Happy fine dining on a dime!

xx, L

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Pita Chips Are So 2009…

02/02/2010 in Deals + Steals, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 3 comments

BORING. 

dsc_84451

"you're so 2000-and-late..."

I’ve moved on…

crazy deliciousness

crazy deliciousness

Tom Clark Confections Yaya’s Premium Kettle Corn is ridiculously good.  I found it in the health food section @ Kroger in Ansley Mall and have been eating it almost constantly for the past week.  It satisfies both my salty + sweet cravings – and I don’t feel guilty about eating it AT. ALL.

Check this out:

Yaya’s Premium Kettle Corn Nutritional Facts
2 cups = 120 calories
1.5 g fat  (no saturated or trans fats)
27 g carbs
3 g dietary fiber
2 g protein

Basically, I’m losing weight eating this stuff.  Give it a try!  The massive 8 oz. bag is a mere $3 big ones at your local Kroger.

Bonus points:  Can you name the purple background behind my empty Yaya’s bag??  :)

xx, L

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I’m about to change your life.

01/06/2010 in Deals + Steals, Organizing, Where we're Shopping by Lauren | 6 comments

So…remember my refrigerator?

empty fridge

Not my actual fridge (mine at least has vodka in the freezer)

Yeah. Well, my closet is the exact opposite. In fact, up until just recently it didn’t look much better than this:

NOT my actual closet. (mine is 90% black clothes)

NOT my actual closet. (mine is 90% black clothes)

Listen, as far as I’m concerned it’s an entire closet FULL of “nothing to wear” but I’m unwilling (and unable) to rid myself of some of these pieces. I’m super picky and trust me, each article of clothing represents countless hours of debate.

Anyway. Until I am able to afford an enormous, digitally enhanced closet (a la Cher in Clueless) I had to come up with a solution. And here it is!

VELVET. HANGERS.

VELVET. HANGERS.

Here’s the Q+DD: I got them because we use them at the theatre (for our 9342391 costume changes). The main benefit I saw is that they are ultra skinny, so you can cram so much more into your closet just by switching the hangers out.

But that’s not all: the velvet texture keeps your slinky little tops in place…instead of slipping off onto the closet floor, where a lot of mine had permanently taken up residence. ALSO – the rounded corners prevent “hanger peaks” (as my sister and I like to call the lovely little teepees some hangers will produce in the corners of starched shirts.)

Just get them. 10 of these bad boys will set you back about 8 bucks at Bed Bath and Beyond (click here) and you can use the bazillion 20% off coupons you have in your junk drawer OR: a set of 50 are about $15 at Costco.

(I may or may not have just thrown out 5 empty boxes...)

(I may or may not have just thrown out 5 empty boxes...)

You. Are. Welcome.

xx, L

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Cancel Your Lunch Meeting!

01/05/2010 in Deals + Steals, Holidays, Where we're Shopping by Lindsay | 2 comments

(I will try to keep this as brief (pun intended) as possible in hopes of not alienating any of our male readers.)

It’s a secret no longer!  (I’m on a roll today…)  There is an amazing sale going on at Victoria’s Secret right now!

Love.

Holiday gift cards burning a hole in my wallet + the first workday after New Year’s weekend = a tiny shopping spree last night at Lenox.  There are a number of great sales going on right now, but the one at Victoria’s is really worth checking out during lunch today.  Their version of  Hanky Panky’s are on sale in a variety of colors for only $5.99.  What an excellent deal!

world's greatest undies

world's greatest undies

Attention Men:  V-Day is right around the corner.  This may be a good opportunity for you to pick out something special for your lady friend.  :)

T-41 days and counting...

T-41 days and counting...

Hurry – check it out today before everything is picked over!  You’re welcome! 

xx, L

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Guilty As Charged

12/30/2009 in Deals + Steals, Guilty Pleasures, Jewelry, Where we're Shopping by Lindsay | 7 comments

I love shopping online. 

I sit in front of a computer all day – in prime shopping hours – and, well, let’s just say I excel at multitasking.  It’s never a problem for me to participate in a conference call while sending work and personal e-mails, reading Perez Hilton and paying for a pair of shoes I found online that I just can’t live without.  That being said, I do not enjoy waisting time surfing the Internet looking for good deals.  Instead, I rely almost completely on the most glorious website - Gilt Groupe (www.gilt.com).

Gilt Groupe button

If you aren’t already a Gilt member, you absolutely must sign up immediately.  It’s free – you just have to provide your first/ last name and e-mail address.  Each day at noon, Gilt Groupe sends out an e-mail to its members with the day’s incredible sales on luxury and designer goods for up to 70% off of retail from names like Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Cole Haan (my favorite!), Theory…the list goes on and on and on.   The sale alert e-mails are very user friendly.  And, unlike other similar websites, you don’t feel overwhelmed or bombarded with sale items – like you are at a massive online garage sale. 

Gilt Groupe Sale Example

Gilt Groupe Sale Example

Gilt Groupe’s sales are broken up into Gilt (women + home + children), Gilt Fuse (less expensive and funkier items), Gilt Man (for men…) and Jetsetter (Gilt’s incredible travel site).  You can sign up to get e-mails specifically from any of Gilt’s subgroups, if desired, but they are all accessible from the general home page. 

I don’t buy from the site all the time, but I look at the sales every day and use the function on the website to put reminders on my Outlook calendar for specific designer’s sales I am interested in throughout the week.  You have to act fast when the sales start at 12:00 p.m. each day because they only have a limited number of items and they tend to sell out fast. 

Also, you can e-mail a sign-up link to your friends from the Gilt Groupe website and when a friend signs up for the sale alert e-mails and makes his or her first purchase – you get a $25 credit to use on the website towards a future purchase.  That seems like a pretty sweet incentive to me!

I’m just saying – it’s worth a look.  Maybe you’ll be guilty, too…  Enjoy!  :)

xx, L

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A Designer Holiday!

12/18/2009 in Deals + Steals, Gifts, Guilty Pleasures, Holidays, Where we're Shopping by Lindsay | No comments

In an attempt to spread holiday cheer, I’d like to bring your attention to some ridiculously amazing sales going on at Gucci.com. 

Exhibit #1: This Medium Hobo is on sale for $149.40 (from $350)

Exhibit #1: Medium Hobo for $149.40 (from $350)

Exhibit #2: Large Cosmetic Case for $62.30 (from $120)

Exhibit #2: Large Cosmetic Case for $62.30 (from $120)

Exhibit #3: Leather B.B. Hobo for $257.40 (from $610)

Exhibit #3: Leather B.B. Hobo for $257.40 (from $610)

Exhibit #4: Continental Wallet for $146.30 (from $290)

Exhibit #4: Continental Wallet for $146.30 (from $290)

Here’s the link for all the other great sales at Gucci.com:
http://www.gucci.com/us/us-english/us/sale/special-savings/

untitled

Just saying…I know a good deal when I see one.  :)

xx, L

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Turn Your Gold Into Green

11/20/2009 in Deals + Steals, Entertaining, Parties, What we're Doing by Lindsay | 2 comments

When the going gets tough – I get resourceful.  A few months ago, when the economy was at its worst and my wardrobe was looking sad-ish, I decided to get creative about my cash flow.  I’d seen commercials about selling your old or broken gold and how profitable it could be, but I was pretty sure that it was some sort of scam.  That is, until a colleague told me that she hosted a “Gold Party” for her girlfriends and made a killing.  My wheels started to turn…

"i love goooooooold"

"i love goooooooold"

If my well-dressed, proper and very southern colleague could host a Gold Party, why couldn’t I?  I asked her for all the information I needed to set it up, called the company, set the date, sent out an Evite and hosted my own Gold Party.  And, I made a little over $600!  (Yep, that’s right!!)

post-gold party

post-gold party

If you are strapped for cash this holiday season, I seriously encourage you to at least consider hosting a Gold Party.  You would be really surprised about how much you can make off of gold earring backs and broken pieces. 

Here’s the Q+DD on hosting your own Gold Party:

3d8epncd8Q- What is a Gold Party?
A- A gathering of girlfriends from your neighborhood, work, tennis, bunko, book club, etc…  GOLDSWAP deals directly with the refinery and pays top dollar at the party for your old gold jewelry.  Now is the best time to sell your old 10K or higher jewelry – all your outdated, mismatched or broken chains, bracelets, rings, earrings, etc.  The GOLDSWAP representatives assess your jewelry at the Gold Party and tell you how much they can give you for it.  You leave the party with cash in hand.
gold-coins-images
Q- Who will be evaluating my gold?
A- The GOLDSWAP Team is an Atlanta family trained to be a direct agent for the refinery.  Two of the GOLDSWAP representatives will come to your house for your Gold Party.
gold
Q- What happens to the gold?
A- Since there is no middle man, the gold is sent directly to the refinery for smelting.
mens-gold-jewelry-300x300
Q- How much does GOLDSWAP pay?
A- GOLDSWAP bases their prices on the London Gold Fixed PM Listing each day.
20080117_turkish_gold_jewelry
Q- What if I am not sure if some of my jewelry is real gold or costume jewelry?
A- No problem, there are methods of testing that the agents perform to determine if your jewelry is in fact gold.
22
Q- What if I decide I don’t want to sell some of my gold after it is evaluated?
A- No problem, again.  The decision is entirely yours.
101892_rd002skex1
Q- What if my gold jewelry has precious stones in the setting?
A- Easy…they will be removed for you to take home.
616730_goldfish_cracker
Q- How do I host a Gold Party of my own?
A- Contact Mary Beth Wegener at wegenermbw@aol.com for information regarding hosting a Gold Party with GOLDSWAP.  Mary Beth came to the one I held at my condo and she was great!  All you need to do is run to Trader Joe’s and grab some wine and appetizers, have an area ready for Mary Beth and one of her associates to sit and evaluate the jewelry and then hang out/ relax – that’s it!  If you host a party, you get 10% of all the gold sold that evening.
gold-bars
Seriously, what else is your old or broken gold going to do?  Without sounding like too much of a bad infomercial – there is no reason not to e-mail Mary Beth at GOLDSWAP today and TURN YOUR GOLD INTO GREEN!  (Couldn’t resist…) :)
416TMXE8Q0L._SL500_AA280_
xx, L

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My New Favorite Carb

11/19/2009 in Appetizers, Deals + Steals, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 7 comments

I am addicted to Whole Foods 365 Tandoori Naan. (Indian flatbread)

gjl

It is delicious, cheap (around $3-$5/ package) and versatile.  It makes for great pizza, tasty sandwiches and is perfect for shoveling hummus or spinach artichoke dip – I will admit to using it for salsa, too…  I love the consistency of naan and it’s more filling to me than bread or crackers.  Plus, it looks cool on a plate:

 

naan

Check it out next time you are in Whole Foods.  It is a great accompaniment to any meal!

xx, L

whole-foods-logoWhole Foods Market
77 West Paces Ferry Rd.
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.324.4100
www.wholefoodsmarket.com

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Good Morning!

11/04/2009 in Deals + Steals, Guilty Pleasures, PSAs by Lauren | 4 comments

I’m Lauren. And I’m a Coffee Addict.

"Hi, Lauren!"

"Hi, Lauren!"

I think that arguably, the most annoying part of my personality is that I am an extreme morning person. I’m the bound-out-of-bed and sing-in-the-shower type. Regardless, I also go 90 to nothing starting at 5am, so I need my morning cup o’ joe. NEED. (and ok, sometimes one at 4pm or so…)
coffee-you-can-sleep-when-youre-dead[1]The second most annoying part of my personality is that I can be less than punctual, so often times in my morning rush I don’t have time to brew a pot of coffee. Let alone drink it and clean out the pot.

I adore lattes at Starbucks and Caribou (grande or medium, respectively, skinny, with 2 Splendas, please.) but at 3 bucks a pop…that can add up! (I did the math. If I did that daily it adds up to $60-$90/month. That, my friend, is money better spent on cocktails, a fancy dinner, or in some boutique in the Highlands. Fact.)

THIS is why my life was forever changed by this fabulous invention:

The Keurig single-cup brewing system

The Keurig single-cup brewing system

Y’all. It’s amazing. I just pop my little “K-Cup®” into the machine and within seconds I am drinking one perfect little cup of coffee. Plus, when I do it, I feel a little like Jane Jetson!
janehiswifeNow, I realize that the “perfect cup of coffee” is different for everyone, and so do the lovely people at Keurig.

There are a LOT of options on your machine. I have the special edition version and I can customize the size of my cup as well as the temperature. (My seestah + Brian have the extra fancy deluxe model and can do all that AND make iced coffee and even have a special function for to-go cups!)

Plus, there are a zillion K-Cups® to choose from as well! There are over a dozen brands available offering hundreds of varieties of coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Click here to witness.

How it works. It's science.

How it works. It's science.

I like strong coffee, green tea, and hot chocolate. My favorites are:
Paul Newman Organics (Extra Bold)
Emeril’s Big Easy Bold
Caribou Blend Coffee (you can also buy this version in bulk at Costco.)
Twining’s Green Tea
Green Mountain Hot Cocoa

And I’ll tell you, I have never been a flavored-coffee girl, but lately I’m having a bit of an identity crisis because Kindredly brought me some Emeril’s Vanilla Bean BAM! KCups® and they kind of rocked my world and those fabulous Keurig people (gosh I love them!) sent me a sample pack of the “Donut House Collection” with my last online order… donut house collection…and I am kind of obsessed with the Cinnamon Roll coffee. It’s such a treat! So maybe I am a flavored coffee convert??? Whatever. If loving flavored coffee is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

BONUS: with every $45+ order on Keurig.com, your shipping is FREE!

Go to www.keurig.com to see all the different versions of the brewer. However, I would recommend purchasing yours at Bed Bath and Beyond (so you can use one of the hundred 20% off coupons you have accumulated in your junk drawer at home!)

It’s economical, it’s tidy, it looks cool in your kitchen, and it’s fabulous. LOVE.

xx, L

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Specials at Aja in Buckhead

11/02/2009 in Buckhead, Deals + Steals, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 1 comment

Halloween was a blast – and I am still recovering…  My brain feels kinda mushy and my creativity is running low, but I wanted to make sure and let everyone know about a few specials at Aja in Buckhead that I think are super duper.  (Lauren + I went last night to celebrate our friend, La’s birthday, and we had some pretty delicious sushi.  Yum!)

Bar @ Aja

Bar @ Aja

- $10 All You Can Eat (AYCE) Sushi: 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Monday – Friday

- $15 AYCE Dim Sum: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Sunday

- 1/2 Price Bottles of Wine on Wednesday

Dining Room @ Aja

Dining Room @ Aja

I definitely recommend taking advantage of these specials if you are in the mood for Asian fusion/ sushi in Buckhead.  The scene is pretty cool – love the decor – and I really enjoyed all the food we ordered.  Also, don’t miss the 10 ft. brass Buddha they imported from Thailand located in the dining room.  It’s impressive!

xx, L

aja

Aja Restaurant + Bar
3500 Lenox Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30326
404.231.0001
http://www.h2sr.com/aja/

Aja on Urbanspoon

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“A Magical Encounter b/t Man + Horse”

10/27/2009 in Deals + Steals, What we're Doing by Lindsay | 3 comments

I am dying to see Cavalia!

cavalia

Have y’all heard of it yet or spotted the big top pitched in Atlantic Station?? 

If not, here’s the Q+DD on Cavalia:

Tagline: “A Magical Encounter Between Man and Horse”
I mean…  That is really my only complaint.  I am trying to be mature here, but it’s making it hard to convince Slick to buy into this with that tagline.  He’s asked me about four times already if I am sure that this is NOT “Equis” b/c he has “no interest in seeing the Harry Potter dude get in on with a horse.”  Rest assured, it’s not…

Cavalia (not Equis)

Cavalia (not Equis)

People are referring to the show as “Cirque du Soleil w/ horses,” but don’t get confused, Cirque does not use animals – so it’s technically not affiliated.  It’s definitely a similar upscale performance experience, though.

From the Cavalia website:

Equestrian arts are infused with unprecedented magic and emotion in Cavalia, an innovative multimedia extravaganza.  Homage to the poignant history and fascinating bond between human beings and horses, Cavalia is a poem written in the language of sound, image and extraordinary performance.  Blending dramatic visual effects, live music, dance and acrobatics with the bold presence of over sixty magnificent horses, Cavalia raises the bar for spectacular entertainment in the 21st century.

Cavalia is presented under the largest touring big top in North America, a totally white structure rising about 100 feet above the ground.  The seats are arranged theatre-style, facing an enormous 160 foot-wide stage, which allows the horses to gallop and play with the artists.

Cavalia

Cavalia

The show is running from October 27 – November 15 in Atlantic Station.  Tickets range from $29.50 – $189.50 depending on the night of the week and seat location.  Order tickets one of three ways:

1- Call the Cavalia Box Office: 1-866-999-8111
2- Visit the Cavalia Box Office in Atlantic Station
3- Online: www.cavalia.net

(Use the promo code: Taste of Atlanta for a 30% discount on tickets if you buy them for the evenings of October 29th, 30th or 31st.)

Don’t miss it!!

xx, L

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