Sunday 29 November 2015
Chic Life | Fall Outfit Comfort yet Chic
Hey Dolls!
I have been seeing so many Vancouverites dressing chic, but still really cozy in the dreadful rain and cold. It has inspired me to put together a look that will keep your relaxed and cozy, but looking on pointe!
Distressed boyfriend jeans are definitely much more relaxed compared to skinny jeans. If you are anything like me, you get skinny jeans that are practically glued to your legs. I cannot even squat in mine without feeling the pain from how tight they are...probably not the best for my leg circulation. Ah the pain of fashion!
Going in the theme of boyfriends, a pair of Vans low-top classic sneakers. They are perforated leather and rubber sole - good for the wet Vancouver - and are unexpectedly chic! I have actually been seeing a lot of fashionistas rocking a pair of these. These pair of Vans are unisexual that is why I said continuing with boyfriends! Hehe, but I would never ever share a pair of shoes with any boy as they tend to have really stinky feet and when they take off their shoes, I practically faint from the toxic fumes that are emitted from their shoes.
Any fun graphic tee is great for this look. I think a black and white one with a little bit of embellishment might just do the trick. Loose fitting will give you more comfort. TIP - wear a tight cami of a similar colour [ I would choose white with this T ] to give yourself some extra warmth!
Because it is cold out, you will not be able to get away with just a T. To keep with the comfortable cozy, a long - like we are talking below the knees so you can practically just swaddle yourself in it! - cardigan is not only going to keep you warm, but you will look tres chic versus just throwing on a hoody!
Lastly, since I have extremely sensitive ears that tend to ache and the pain is sometimes unbearable for me :( This is why you will rarely catch me without a toque or beanie during the colder months. A relaxed fit cable knit beanie is trendy and give you a bit of an edge! But because a huge pompom lover, my toques and beanies need to have a fluffy pompom!
This outfit can virtually be put together with your current items in your closet since it is combination of basics! YAY! I love when you can achieve a great look without needing to invest in a huge number of new items!
BYES!
Thursday 26 November 2015
Savvy Student | Shop Local Discounts for Black Friday!
Hi Dolls!
November is coming to an end which means, the holidays are only a blink of an eye away. However, Black Friday is also only a day away for us to get some great savings on presents for our friends and families!
This morning I was reading in the newspaper how consumers are more likely to turn to e-shopping to avoid the chaos and past traumatizing stories of shoppers being trampled during Black Friday. However, when consumers turn to the web to get great savings, many local artisans and companies are missed. That is because larger over the border (USA) companies tend to have a better online shopping experience. There is nothing wrong with getting your Nars fix from Sephora; however, there are some really great fabulous local brands and companies offering equally great discounts as the big over the border companies.
These are some of my top picks for local- and Canadian-based company black Friday savings! And for those who prefer to online shop, I have some discount codes for you too!
Also, in Vancouver, this Saturday November 28 is Shop The Neighbourhood Day! These discounts are an added bonus to the already fabulous savings you can get this Black Friday - which kind of is more a weekend of savings! You will need to download the YP Shopwise app to access the savings. But since I love you all, I have taken the liberty of sifting through the app and picking my favourite stores that are participating.
I know it may seem a little early for holiday shopping; however, if I can get a good discount, then I would be able to gift more items! Versus my entire budget going towards one item. There is nothing wrong with shopping smart!
Everything is down below! I might be adding more as stores release more discounts! These are just shops I would consider purchasing from :)
BYES
Black Friday/Weekend Savings:
Arrow House | 20% Off
Kardz Kouture | 40% off $20 purchase (BFRIDAY)
Paper Felt | 25% off (BLACKFRIDAY)
Lil Fox Shop | 15% off (SHOPSMALLCA)
The Latest Scoop | 20% off everything black
Party Skirts | $20 off
Hills of Kerrisdale | Receive a $25 GiftCard when you spend $100 or more
Shop The Neighbourhood Saturday November 28th
XO Bella | 25% everything in store
Middle Sister Boutique | 25% off select merchandise
Wishlist Boutique | 20% off on candles and beauty products
Front & Company | 25% off new Native Shoes
Lute Boutique | 20% off mens & women's clothing
Nineteen Ten Boutique | 20% off stationary
November is coming to an end which means, the holidays are only a blink of an eye away. However, Black Friday is also only a day away for us to get some great savings on presents for our friends and families!
This morning I was reading in the newspaper how consumers are more likely to turn to e-shopping to avoid the chaos and past traumatizing stories of shoppers being trampled during Black Friday. However, when consumers turn to the web to get great savings, many local artisans and companies are missed. That is because larger over the border (USA) companies tend to have a better online shopping experience. There is nothing wrong with getting your Nars fix from Sephora; however, there are some really great fabulous local brands and companies offering equally great discounts as the big over the border companies.
These are some of my top picks for local- and Canadian-based company black Friday savings! And for those who prefer to online shop, I have some discount codes for you too!
Also, in Vancouver, this Saturday November 28 is Shop The Neighbourhood Day! These discounts are an added bonus to the already fabulous savings you can get this Black Friday - which kind of is more a weekend of savings! You will need to download the YP Shopwise app to access the savings. But since I love you all, I have taken the liberty of sifting through the app and picking my favourite stores that are participating.
I know it may seem a little early for holiday shopping; however, if I can get a good discount, then I would be able to gift more items! Versus my entire budget going towards one item. There is nothing wrong with shopping smart!
Everything is down below! I might be adding more as stores release more discounts! These are just shops I would consider purchasing from :)
BYES
Black Friday/Weekend Savings:
Arrow House | 20% Off
Kardz Kouture | 40% off $20 purchase (BFRIDAY)
Paper Felt | 25% off (BLACKFRIDAY)
Lil Fox Shop | 15% off (SHOPSMALLCA)
The Latest Scoop | 20% off everything black
Party Skirts | $20 off
Hills of Kerrisdale | Receive a $25 GiftCard when you spend $100 or more
Shop The Neighbourhood Saturday November 28th
XO Bella | 25% everything in store
Middle Sister Boutique | 25% off select merchandise
Wishlist Boutique | 20% off on candles and beauty products
Front & Company | 25% off new Native Shoes
Lute Boutique | 20% off mens & women's clothing
Nineteen Ten Boutique | 20% off stationary
Tuesday 24 November 2015
Edible Obsessions | Rain City Juicery
1. All Greens 2.Ginger Beer 3. New West Sunshine 4. Pinks |
If you have checked out my Smart List for Yellow Pages Vancouver, you would have seen I listed Rain City Juicery as one of my picks for Cold Pressed Juice. It is located in historic New Westminster, tucked away in a corner under the parkade, so you will need to hunt for it! But I promise you, the search is well worth it!
Unlike most cold pressed juice bars, Rain City Juicery has made a cozy atmosphere that feels like you are in a cabin in the woods. Vastly different from the bright sterile hipster vibes of most juice bars.
I was elated that Rain City Juicery read our minds and gave us the JUICE FLIGHT! It is hard to know which juice flavour combinations you are going to like. Unlike ice cream parlours, you cannot have little samplers before choosing the flavour you like.
In each flight, you get a total of 4 cold pressed juices 4oz each. You can choose any four from their list of cold pressed juices. I got the All Greens, Ginger Beer, New West Sunshine and the Pinks.
My favourite was probably the New West Sunshine! If you get it in a full size bottle, the pour the juices create an ombre effect, changing from yellow to bright red. It was a combination of orange, carrot and beet.
Ginger Beer - let me start off by saying it is like BAM. Expect the unexpected with this one! They actually add carbonated water to this juice and the bubbles almost make the ginger almost spicier to your taste buds. I think the carbonation just really threw me off because it was unexpected. The Ginger Beer is a combination of lemon, ginger, filtered water and sugar cane.
The green one, you guessed it is the All Greens. A refreshing combination of celery, ginger, kale, apple, spinach and lemon. Not my favourite. I am definitely a person who enjoys more sweeter flavours. This was a predominate celery flavour.
The bright magenta hued one is the Pinks! A lovely combination of grapefruit, lime, beet and mint. Just be sure to avoid the Pinks if you are on blood pressure medication as it can be hindered by grapefruit.
I also think Rain City Juicery is the first and only place that does growlers for their cold pressed juices! Move aside craft beer!!! Haha I think it is a fun way to encompass Vancouver's extensive craft beer culture.
I definitely suggest checking RainCity Juicery out and giving their juice flight a try. And if you are a smoothie kinda person, they have lots of yummy combos to choose from!
BYES
Sunday 22 November 2015
Edible Obsessions | Sunday Bruch at The Acorn!
Hey Dolls!
Brunch is by far my favourite meal ever. It is a mix between sweet and savoury and is just the perfect combination between comfort food and healthy food. Brunch is just a magical moment of the day!
This week, I had brunch at the much raved vegetarian/vegan restaurant The Acorn. Located along the shopping district on Main St, this little restaurant is a a gastronomical dream waiting to be discovered. This vegetarian forward restaurant prides itself in using the freshest ingredients cultivated right here in BC. Each morning, farmers bring them fresh vegetables, roots, and fungi which the chefs turn into exquisite dishes that allow the vegetables to shine.
I was so happy to see that The Acorn does their food real and not work to mimic popular meat dishes. And oh my gawd, was the brunch AMAZING!
Acorn started our table with complimentary bread and butter. The butter was real butter and it was flavoured with tomato and herbs. It was tangy and aromatic and just delicious with the soft bread! There was an option for gluten free vegan bread, but my friends and I did not have any dietary restrictions. Do not worry, they gave us more butter because we kind of just eat the butter with bread versus bread with some butter.
It was tough choosing what I wanted for brunch because everything sounded so amazing. It is also funny how I had such a hard time choosing from a list of only 7. Imagine how indecisive I am when I am at one of those restaurants with a million and one options! I decided to go with the Fried Egg [fried poached egg, smoked peppered sauce, corn bread, sautéed dandelion greens] and a side of baked beans because why not! This was my first time having a Fried Poached Egg! I honestly was more excited about the fried poached egg then anything else ahah. But does it not sound super cool?! I think The Acorn is probably the only restaurant that does this preparation of egg in Vancouver.
My friend had the Artichoke [ southern fried artichoke, house waffles, pickled shallots, bourbon maple syrup, mushroom red-eye gravy] plus he added a fried poached egg because the curiosity! The southern fried artichoke was really amazing and had a great crunch plus that bourbon maple syrup like YUM. The waffles though, they were sort of soggy and just did not bring much to the overall dish. I loved the plating!
You know vegetarian restaurant succeeded when they have a carnivore wanting to return soon for another meal! The Acorn is a fabulous restaurant and you must check it out! The service was fabulous, but be warned, the restaurant is tiny and there can be long lines. As well, no reservations unless it is a big party.
Have you been to The Acorn before and think I should try any other restaurants? Let me know in the comments below!
BYES
Saturday 21 November 2015
Boutique Bliss | Cross Designs 12 Year Anniversary!!!!
Hey Dolls!
most of you probably are familiar with the gorgeous Cross Designs in Yaletown - if not, you are deeply missing out on gorgeous home decor! On Thursday, Cross Designs celebrated its 12 year anniversary by hosting a store wide 20% off sale! It included everything from little knick knacks to custom furniture! Holy MOLY!
In true Cross Designs style, I was greeted by a canopy of white fresh cut flowers. It made you feel like you were stepping into fairy tale! They absolutely set the tone for the festivities inside right from the first step you took. The canopy of flowers filled the air with the scent of sweet freshness. And it was framed by flowing white chiffon, could I please have this as the canopy to my bed? Imagine waking up to fresh white flowers on the ceiling and taking and the room filled with freshness.
The 20% discount on all items was amazing; however, many of their goodies are not cheap. I did need to pace myself and make sure I did not grab everything in sight! Since the holidays are approaching quick, it was the perfect opportunity to get some beautiful ornaments. I did need to be a little picky since many of their ornaments were ranging in the 20 to almost 40 dollar range each. YIKES! But that is okay because I found a couple that were as equally cute and did not hurt the wallet. haha
I am in love with my snow igloo! I love the way the blue shimmers and the bed of glittery snow! As well my baby polar bear to match. Since I am a sweets girl, I just had to get the icy pink cupcake because I just had to okay! And being the savvy student that I am, I picked out the snowy white card holder which simply can have a ribbon strung through to use as an ornament.
I really wish I had more time to look around, but I had two other events to attend that same night. The Cross was packed with guests and shoppers so I felt like a ninja trying to shop and snap pictures as quick as possible!
Thank you for sharing your 12th anniversary with us Cross! As well for making me feel like a princess entering the enchanted forest hehe!
BYES!
Friday 20 November 2015
Latte Moment | Prado Party for their new Fraser St Location!
Hey Dolls!
The Vancouver Coffee scene has grown! Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the opening party of Prado's newest location on Fraser St! I cannot tell you how excited I was to attend their PradoParty because I was officially invited to this event. As in they emailed me with an official invite where I got to RSVP and I got to RSVP if I were bring a Plus ONE! The celebration was open to the general public; however, it was not advertised from what I know of. If it were, I suspect there would have been a HUGE line out the door! So those of us who were invited, knew what was up!
I did not get a chance to see what sort of food will be served at this location. There is a kitchen and I did see a guest enjoying a perfectly golden panini, the sides oozing with cheese! I will most likely need to revisit PRADO on Fraser st. in the near future to sample the food! hehe
Overall, a fabulous new Prado Cafe joining the Fraser district of Vancouver. I do wish this location had a large communal wood table versus smaller two people tables and some bar tables. I personally like to spread my work out on a large work surface haha! Prado Cafe's use Parallel 49th coffee beans - local supporting local - YAY!
Are you excited for the new Prado on Fraser St? Let me know in the comments below! Hehe as well as any other places you think I should visit. BTW the pictures were taken when it was dark out and I am still using my 55m lens. I am hoping to get a new lens soon for my Nikon DSLR that will bring in more light and keep the vivid colours alive!
BYES
Sunday 15 November 2015
Edible Obsessions | Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe
Yup, that is the almond croissant in my hand. Beaucoup Bakery has the cutest sign! |
I finally got to visit Beacoup Bakery and it was well worth the wait! This adorable rustic chic bakery is nestled across a park by the South Granville area in Vancouver. It is almost like a well kept secret just behind the main road! Regardless of its out of sight location, it remained constantly busy during my visit and I can tell you why!
Their house made pastries are so darn amazing. The croissants have got to by hands down the flakiest croissants I have ever had. There is no way to eat the flakey pastry without leaving a flakey mess behind you hehe. Plus, they contained a fabulous amount of butter. My favourite one was the almond croissant, wish I had grabbed some to take home, but they probably would not have made the trip home.
Clockwise from Top Left: Chai Tea Latte, Almond Croissant, Hot Cocoa, Apple Tart! Beaucoup again such a cute card! |
With my yummy treats, I had a Chai Tea Latte and no surprise that it too was made to perfection. The perfect ratio of spices and sweetness with its creamy texture. I think it will be my go to drink from Beaucoup Bakery. I wish the bakery itself was a little bigger with more sitting room as I would love to spend some mornings or evenings sitting there munching on an almond croissant and sipping my Chai Tea Latte as I studied away. Hoping they are able to expand the bakery in the future.
Apple Tart garnished with gold leaf = perfection! |
BYES
I wish I grabbed this maple syrup haha the packaging is too cute! Wax sealed wow! |
Saturday 14 November 2015
Gurly's Life | Once Upon A Time, Exploring StoryBrooke
Hello Dolls!
okay, if you do not watch Once Upon a Time, I am unsure what you are doing with your life... but to be fair, I only discovered the show on Netflix a few weeks back; however, I am all caught up now! I knew the show is filmed in my home city, Richmond BC, but I never have been one to stalk celebrities. Perhaps it was fate because when I went to Steveston Village a few weeks back, the area had been transformed into StoryBrooke!
Nothing was being filmed that day,they were just working on finishing up the set for next days shooting. But regardless, it was pretty cool to walk down the street and see all the store fronts and signs being changed into StoryBrooke.
The coolest part was seeing the clock tower. Looks like it becomes a casualty during a magical fight because it crashed into intersection. Super cool seeing it up close! It was huge!!! Yes, I was very cool and took selfies with everything, but you would too! Just because I am not a crazy stalker does not mean I do not get excited when I stumble across a TV set!
Also, Emma's little yellow bug gets scorched to a crisp :( . I hope it was Lilliath's fire breath!
I took these pictures on my laptop as the sun was setting. The quality is not the best, but hey, they give you the gist of it all!
Hope you enjoyed the pictures! Also, if anyone ever does wanna go with me to check out StoryBrooke the next time it is in town, give me a shout! It could be a fun adventure --- Okay, now I do want to stalk the cast of Once Upon a Time!
More pictures of the storefronts below.
BYES
Friday 13 November 2015
Latte Moment | 100th Blogpost Give Away Winner!
The lighting went so wrong on this picture - I blame the dreary Vancouver rainy days! |
Thank you to all those have entered my little give away for reaching 100 blog posts. All of your responses were so lovely and sweet. They only encourage me to continue blogging for all of you! Blogging would not be the same without my lovely readers like you!!!
It was not an easy decision for me to pick the winner. I read through all the entrants several times and even had to enlist the help of my friends to help me come up with a short list. I truly wish I could give everyone a prize! Perhaps someday!
If you did enter and are not the winner, I do still want to send you a little card. So please send me an email: pinktealatte@gmail.com with your address information!
CONGRATULATIONS @hannah.samantha ! You are the lucky winner for my first ever give away! Please send me an email with your information, so I can send you your goodies!
Again, thank you to everyone who did enter!
I hope to do more give aways in the future!
I love each and everyone of you!
BYES
Tuesday 10 November 2015
Chic Finds | Prezzie from Thistle & Oak
Heyhey Dolls!
Charlotte, the fabulous women behind Thistle & Oak had held an instagram contest in mid October. To my surprise, I won the contest and received a one of a kind painting by Charlotte. It was an acrylic painting of my zodiac sign, Scorpio. Winning the contest was almost like an early birthday present for me :)
Not only did I get that gorgeous painting from Charlotte, I also got to meet up and chat with her over Starbucks Lattes. Firstly, I want to say the pregnancy glow is real because Charlotte looked absolutely radiantly! Not only did she have great skin - jellliees - she had some pretty rad tattoos. Her forearm tattoo of a chair by her favourite designer, Charles Eames, is intricately detailed, but also feminine which complemented her petite figure. My future tattoo aspirations!!!
This cool mama to be started Thistle & Oak last winter, December 2014. It was actually due to her boyfriend nagging her to post pictures of the pinterest worthy wrapping job she had done for Christmas gifts. Once she started blogging, her passion grew!
Since I have spent so much time working on rebranding Pink Tea Latte, I needed to know why Charlotte named her blog Thistle & Oak. It is such a unique name, so it must have a meaning behind it. Oak in Finnish is Tammi, which is her family's name and heritage. She decided to combine it with her favourite flower, the edgy wild purple Thistle to match her personality.
Charlotte expresses herself through her artwork. She loves all types of painting and using a mixture of medias to create varying textures and depth in her pieces. Currently, her artwork is available through her Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ShopThistleAndOak
As an artist herself, Charlotte respects the passion and work of all artisans. She shares various artists and makers with her readers through Thistle & Oak. I thought it was really cool how she has worked with and interviewed artisans from across the globe! SO COOL!
This winter, December 2015, Charlotte is launching the first ever Thistle & Oak Monthly Gift Box. I love that this box is going to be featuring pieces by local and artisans & small businesses across North America.
It makes me really excited to see I am not alone in wanting to make Local the new Loubiton. Hehe Wishing this soon to be mama all the best with her new venture as well as the arrival of her baby soon!
BYES
Monday 9 November 2015
Gurly's Life | Capilano Suspension Bridge Adventures
Hey Dolls!
Living in the Lower Mainland gives you access to so many fabulous outdoor activities. We live on the beautiful west coast of Canada and we should take advantage of all the gorgeous outdoors.
Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver is a hot tourist spot, but that does not mean us locals should shy away from it. Being a BC resident allows us to have a an annual pass for the cost of one entrance ticket. And being a student, my entrance ticket was only $31!
I ventured out with a friend early morning to explore the North Vancouver Mountainside. It was a very chilly morning so I made sure to wear a toque, scarf and gloves. Plus my cozy knit socks!!! It was my goal to be at the bridge before it got busy with other visitors, so I caught the first shuttle, 9AM. Oh yah, there is a free shuttle that runs every half hour from Canada Place! Yup, it does not get any easier to get to bridge. Just take the skytrain to Waterfront and board the shuttle. The shuttle ride is a mere 20mins. I highly suggest taking the shuttle so you do not have to worry about parking and wasting gas in traffic.
Ah it was so worth it getting to the bridge early!!! It was so serene being there early morning. I could here the birds chirping, there was a light haze, and a cool breeze brushing my face. Just absolutely stunningly peaceful. Plus, it is really cool to walk across the bridge when it is empty. Plus, I could shake the bridge as much as I liked without scaring others on the bridge.
When I was there, they were in the midst of setting up the Christmas Lights Season. Only a few lights were up, but it made the experience a little more magical. I just do not know how to express it in words, you need to visit it yourself.
We did the Tree Tops Adventure walk and when we exited, we ran into a little chipmunk friend. It was SOOOOO CUTE! Ah I wanted to scoop it up in my hands and snuggle it! The chipmunk had an adorable furry tail and even got super close to us.
All in all, we finished up our adventure in about two hours. If you plan on going out to the bridge, I highly suggest going there in the morning. It is far more beautiful and you really get to take it all in without a million other tourists bumping into you and being loud. Plus, it is honestly so much cooler feeling like you are the only one there and you kind of get to be one with nature.
Let me know if you have ever been there and if you loved it as much as I did!
BYES
Sunday 8 November 2015
Working Gurl | Tips from MadeInPrint on Branding + Logos
Hey Dolls!
as I promised in my business cards post, I would be doing another post in collaboration with Made in Print on do's the don'ts as well as TIPS on creating your first logo as well as branding. (My post on my business cards is here )
Lily from Made in Print gives me the insight on first time branding. She gets her ideas for logos from everywhere because anything thing can inspire you. For her, she is most inspired on the new things she sees on her travels! When Lily sees a logo, she is looking for overall harmony of the elements like colours, font and shapes. As well if the logo represents the business. And since Made in Print primarily does printing work, Lily pays attention to if the logo can be reproduced in print. She makes sure no lines or text is too thin.
To make this post really clear and as helpful as possible to all my readers looking to design their first logo, I am going to go Q&A format :)
Q | Key Elements to a good logo?
A | 3 things make up a logo: company name, tagline and a symbol that summarizes the company. If you do not just want a good logo, but the best logo, it needs to be simple, memorable, versatile, enduring and most of all appropriate for what the business is about.
Q | The one thing to NOT do when creating your first logo?
A | Do NOT use Photoshop!!!! Use a vector graphic program such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel draw. Creating your logo as a vector will ensure the logo is visually consistent across multiple sizes. As well, avoid using too many fonts as it can confuse the viewer and will take them more time to recognize your logo.
Q | Should the Logo be Text or Symbol based?
A | This is dependent on the stage your business is in. Enduring and versatile logos evolve, like McDonalds and Starbucks. If you look at the evolution of their logos, you will see the earlier years were predominately text based, but after many years of branding and marketing, consumers have been conditioned to recognize the symbol without the company name.
Q | Why not start with symbol for first logo?
A | For start-ups, it is best to establish your symbol and text as one so your audience can be trained to recognize your brand and name. The green siren alone can now be recognized as the symbol for Starbucks after years of intensive marketing. Starting your business with only a symbol for the logo is risky since no one knows about your business name. You essentially put yourself at a disadvantage since audiences would not be able to search up your business.
If you are really determined to have a symbol only as your logo, one solution is to have it your website attached to it. However, this still requires you to get your businesses' website to your audience.
Q | Is there an ideal number of colours a logo should have?
A | Like all good designs and all things in life "balance is key." As long as it is all balanced, you can have as many different colours as you want. An example would be if you use contrasting colours, make one colour the dominate one.
Q | What is the key to making a logo that can be used across multiple platforms - cards, websites etc ?
A | Horizontal logos are the trend at the moment because this shape works well with headers on websites and mobile devices. As well, by using a vector graphic design program to create your logo means there will be no pixel issues.
Lilly's biggest branding tip is to establish a distinctive identity by defining what your brand (business) represents. Be innovative, bold and daring so it stands for something you believe in. Most importantly, stay consistent in your marketing across all your platforms to not confuse your audience.
I hope this helps everyone who is looking to create their first logo or revamping their current brand! I had a lot of fun when I designed re-designed my logo and I hope you all do too! Have fun and do what feels right to you.
BYES
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