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Toddler Sides Up

Simple easy toddler style.
First make a square part on the left side of her head and secure with an elastic. 
 Next take a small amount of hair across the front top of her head.  I secured it with an elastic on the right side of the part as shown below.
 Then I pulled both ponytails and the rest of her sides up into a final ponytail.
 Last step is I used a flat iron and made ringlets in her hair.


Fall/Winter 2010 - Week 13

Sunday
I was finally able to get some time to shampoo, deep condition, and steam my hair after removing the yarn braids. I shampooed with Giovanni Smooth As Silk (SAS) shampoo, deep conditioned with Giovanni SAS conditioner, and sat under the steamer for 15 minutes. Instead of pulling my hair back into a bun, I wanted to enjoy the "free hair" feeling for a day or two so I put about 6 two strand twists in my hair using SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie.

Monday
In the morning I untwisted each section and fluffed. The outside air was not as dry because it rained a little here - this was perfect timing to have my hair out. On Monday night I re-twisted each section because I worked out without properly pulling my hair up.

Tuesday
Tuesday morning was a repeat of Monday morning. It's been a while since I have styled my hair each morning and I forgot that it is not always time consuming. Tuesday night I decided to co-wash my hair so that I could pull it back into a bun for the rest of the week. I used Suave Naturals Aloe Vera and Ginseng to co-wash and applied a leave-in conditioner afterwards. To slick my hair back into the bun the only product I used was shea butter.

Wednesday - Thursday
Wearing a bun requires very little maintenance. Since I did a damp bun (bunned my hair while still wet) I did not have to moisturize the ends at night. The only thing to do at night was put on my head scarf.

Friday
Friday night I set my hair in some two strand twists and flat twists for an "out" style for Saturday's meet-up.

Saturday
I wore my twist out to the meet-up and then reset the style at night for Sunday. The look received a lot of compliments and questions so I did a brief tutorial on how I achieved the look, it will be posted later this week.

Fall/Winter 2010 - Week 13

Sunday
I was finally able to get some time to shampoo, deep condition, and steam my hair after removing the yarn braids. I shampooed with Giovanni Smooth As Silk (SAS) shampoo, deep conditioned with Giovanni SAS conditioner, and sat under the steamer for 15 minutes. Instead of pulling my hair back into a bun, I wanted to enjoy the "free hair" feeling for a day or two so I put about 6 two strand twists in my hair using SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie.

Monday
In the morning I untwisted each section and fluffed. The outside air was not as dry because it rained a little here - this was perfect timing to have my hair out. On Monday night I re-twisted each section because I worked out without properly pulling my hair up.

Tuesday
Tuesday morning was a repeat of Monday morning. It's been a while since I have styled my hair each morning and I forgot that it is not always time consuming. Tuesday night I decided to co-wash my hair so that I could pull it back into a bun for the rest of the week. I used Suave Naturals Aloe Vera and Ginseng to co-wash and applied a leave-in conditioner afterwards. To slick my hair back into the bun the only product I used was shea butter.

Wednesday - Thursday
Wearing a bun requires very little maintenance. Since I did a damp bun (bunned my hair while still wet) I did not have to moisturize the ends at night. The only thing to do at night was put on my head scarf.

Friday
Friday night I set my hair in some two strand twists and flat twists for an "out" style for Saturday's meet-up.

Saturday
I wore my twist out to the meet-up and then reset the style at night for Sunday. The look received a lot of compliments and questions so I did a brief tutorial on how I achieved the look, it will be posted later this week.

Meet-Ups Are Good Because...

  • You can make new friends
  • You can swap products and try new things
  • Networking is always beneficial
  • Looking at gorgeous hair is so much fun
Saturday afternoon a few of the ladies (quite a few) from the Triangle and other surrounding areas met up for an afternoon lunch and product swap. Food, fun, and products...what more could a natural girl ask for? ☺

January 2011 Triangle Meet-Up


Do you attend meet-ups? What do you like about them?

Meet-Ups Are Good Because...

  • You can make new friends
  • You can swap products and try new things
  • Networking is always beneficial
  • Looking at gorgeous hair is so much fun
Saturday afternoon a few of the ladies (quite a few) from the Triangle and other surrounding areas met up for an afternoon lunch and product swap. Food, fun, and products...what more could a natural girl ask for? ☺

January 2011 Triangle Meet-Up


Do you attend meet-ups? What do you like about them?

Yarn Braids Reviewed

Oh.My.Gosh! Removing the yarn braids was the worst process ever! I can not even pretend that it was not that bad. It took me 2 evenings and 1 day to put them in and it took about the same amount of time to take them out. I saturated some sections with Suave Tropical Coconut conditioner and when removing those braids, they would slide out when I got close to the roots. For the braids that I did not saturate with conditioner, I would have to un-braid carefully all the way down to the root. I opted to use conditioner all over just to make the job go a little bit easier.
Final Thoughts


Other than the installation and the removal I absolutely adored the yarn braids. The ease of being able to get up and go in the morning was lovely. 



On Long Hair
At this point, I assume that yarn braids would be a lot easier for someone with a shorter length because you could cut off the excess yarn and will not have to un-braid much of the length. The length of my hair did not allow me to cut off much for fear of accidentally slicing off some hair that I actually want to keep.

Maintenance
I have a satin pillowcase so I did not wrap them up at night, I just pulled them into a high ponytail so that they would not interrupt my sleep.

At least twice a week I would sit under the hair steamer for 15-20 mins to restore moisture to my hair and scalp. Once the braids were removed I noticed that my hair from the roots down to about 8 inches was very soft and had a nice sheen. The last few inches felt kind of hard and dry. I did not do a good enough job with keeping the ends of my length moisturized. Note: Keep the entire length moisturized to prevent breakage.

I washed the yarn braids with no problem and to decrease the chances of that dreadful mildew-like smell I washed my scalp and rinsed the braids early in the day. I used a nozzle on the top on my shampoo bottle to ensure that I only got the shampoo on my scalp and lightly massaged the scalp under running water. Then I let the suds run down the length when I rinsed. Basically, I did not shampoo the length. I cared for the braids similar to they way I care for my husband's locs.

Styles
I did not expect my style options to decrease with the yarn braids because I sought out the styling options of ladies with locs like BronzeGoddess01 & Chescalocs. The only thing that kept me from doing more styles was time. After installing the braids my scalp was sensitive to movement of the braids for about 1 day. Any longer than that and that would have been a sign that I braided to tightly. I did not have any redness and no "hair bumps" from tension so I did them just snug enough.

So, will I do them again?  Probably not, because of the amount of time that it took to put them in and take them out. If I ever cut my hair shorter I will definitely do yarn braids again.

If you are transitioning, have a TWA, or just a shorter length and you are looking for something affordable and lasting to do to your hair - I recommend yarn braids. It cost me a total of $2.50 to achieve this style that lasted a little over 1 month and could have possibly lasted even longer.





Hmm,......Did I miss anything?

Yarn Braids Reviewed

Oh.My.Gosh! Removing the yarn braids was the worst process ever! I can not even pretend that it was not that bad. It took me 2 evenings and 1 day to put them in and it took about the same amount of time to take them out. I saturated some sections with Suave Tropical Coconut conditioner and when removing those braids, they would slide out when I got close to the roots. For the braids that I did not saturate with conditioner, I would have to un-braid carefully all the way down to the root. I opted to use conditioner all over just to make the job go a little bit easier.
Final Thoughts


Other than the installation and the removal I absolutely adored the yarn braids. The ease of being able to get up and go in the morning was lovely. 



On Long Hair
At this point, I assume that yarn braids would be a lot easier for someone with a shorter length because you could cut off the excess yarn and will not have to un-braid much of the length. The length of my hair did not allow me to cut off much for fear of accidentally slicing off some hair that I actually want to keep.

Maintenance
I have a satin pillowcase so I did not wrap them up at night, I just pulled them into a high ponytail so that they would not interrupt my sleep.

At least twice a week I would sit under the hair steamer for 15-20 mins to restore moisture to my hair and scalp. Once the braids were removed I noticed that my hair from the roots down to about 8 inches was very soft and had a nice sheen. The last few inches felt kind of hard and dry. I did not do a good enough job with keeping the ends of my length moisturized. Note: Keep the entire length moisturized to prevent breakage.

I washed the yarn braids with no problem and to decrease the chances of that dreadful mildew-like smell I washed my scalp and rinsed the braids early in the day. I used a nozzle on the top on my shampoo bottle to ensure that I only got the shampoo on my scalp and lightly massaged the scalp under running water. Then I let the suds run down the length when I rinsed. Basically, I did not shampoo the length. I cared for the braids similar to they way I care for my husband's locs.

Styles
I did not expect my style options to decrease with the yarn braids because I sought out the styling options of ladies with locs like BronzeGoddess01 & Chescalocs. The only thing that kept me from doing more styles was time. After installing the braids my scalp was sensitive to movement of the braids for about 1 day. Any longer than that and that would have been a sign that I braided to tightly. I did not have any redness and no "hair bumps" from tension so I did them just snug enough.

So, will I do them again?  Probably not, because of the amount of time that it took to put them in and take them out. If I ever cut my hair shorter I will definitely do yarn braids again.

If you are transitioning, have a TWA, or just a shorter length and you are looking for something affordable and lasting to do to your hair - I recommend yarn braids. It cost me a total of $2.50 to achieve this style that lasted a little over 1 month and could have possibly lasted even longer.





Hmm,......Did I miss anything?

Crimped Hair

My oldest daughter has been on a I want crimped hair phase. 
The first time she wanted it crimped I took her hair right out of the bath so it was wet and made 4 french braids.  I figured this would be the easiest way to get crimps without all the work. **NOTE** when she wakes up in the morning make sure the braids are dry.  Hers were not so I took the blow dryer to them for a few minutes.
The picture below is the next morning hair.  They turned out really cute.
 Only a day later she wanted crimps again.  I decided since the braids worked so well the first time we did them again.  This time I did 5 braids because her center braid the day before was much bigger than the rest.  She decided to be helpful and pull the braids out before she talked to me.  Needless to say they were not dry.  The whole center and back of her hair was straight. 
So mom to the rescue we had a crimping iron and the work began.  
Luckily we did not have to crimp the entire thing we just touched up the straight areas.  
Below are the results.   

So for my personal opinion if anyone would like it.  The french braids were much easier and much faster.  However the crimping iron gave us a more even crimp. 

Toddler Simple Pony

This is truly a simple ponytail.  her hair is finally long enough for a ponytail.  We used the flat iron to give the ponytail really cute curls.  I posted a couple of pictures to show everyone the personality of my little Monkey.
The key to keeping the ponytail looking smooth is doing it while its wet or using a spray bottle to wet the sides.

Toddler Poof and Rolls

Start by making a small poof in the front of her head.

 I then started on her right side and rolled the side hair back to the center of her head as shown below.
Roll on the left side the same way until it meets the other roll.

 Secure the 2 rolls together in the center of her head along with the hair from her poof. Shown below.
 Then we made ringlets with the flat iron to give her hair some body.
 Below is the top view of her hair.


Sunday Style: Dry Twistout

On Saturday night after removing the yarn braids I did not have the time and energy to wash & deep condition my hair. As I removed the braids I did twist each section with Suave Tropical coconut conditioner to keep the hair from getting tangled. When I was done I was so happy that I chose to twist each section because this lead to a last minute style for Sunday. This look is simply a twistout from those twists.

Twistout
The hair is not as curly as my twistouts normally look because the hair has been stretched out from the braids.  The ultimate goal was just to come up with something quick that I could wear out in public. If this did not work I was planning to pin my hair in some form of an updo. I happier that the twistout worked out okay.

Curl Shot


Sunday's Message
What to Realize When Sin Abounds
Romans 5:15-21
1. WE ARE justified - All the good works you do can not justify you , justification is a gift from God and Grace is not measured according to merit. {Romans 3:20-24,28}
2. Power is made available through our faith - Faith is the key because it releases power; it is the key that activates the power of God's grace in your life.{Romans 5:1-3}
3. Our responsibility is to righteousness - God wants us to act responsibly and righteously. Act, walk, talk, be, and give right! {Romans 5:17-18}

Sunday Style: Dry Twistout

On Saturday night after removing the yarn braids I did not have the time and energy to wash & deep condition my hair. As I removed the braids I did twist each section with Suave Tropical coconut conditioner to keep the hair from getting tangled. When I was done I was so happy that I chose to twist each section because this lead to a last minute style for Sunday. This look is simply a twistout from those twists.

Twistout
The hair is not as curly as my twistouts normally look because the hair has been stretched out from the braids.  The ultimate goal was just to come up with something quick that I could wear out in public. If this did not work I was planning to pin my hair in some form of an updo. I happier that the twistout worked out okay.

Curl Shot


Sunday's Message
What to Realize When Sin Abounds
Romans 5:15-21
1. WE ARE justified - All the good works you do can not justify you , justification is a gift from God and Grace is not measured according to merit. {Romans 3:20-24,28}
2. Power is made available through our faith - Faith is the key because it releases power; it is the key that activates the power of God's grace in your life.{Romans 5:1-3}
3. Our responsibility is to righteousness - God wants us to act responsibly and righteously. Act, walk, talk, be, and give right! {Romans 5:17-18}

Fall/Winter 2010 - Week 12

I started out this week SLACK because I was looking forward to removing the yarn braids. I did oil and steam my scalp but I didn't put much effort towards any type of style for the week.


Sunday and Wednesday
I oiled my scalp lightly with Castor oil and sat under the steamer. This became one of my favorite things to do with the braids.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
It took me Thursday evening, Friday evening, and all of Saturday to get the braids completely removed. I was hoping to have the braids removed in time for me to shampoo and deep condition my hair - it didn't happen. It was late, my hands were cramping, and I was tired.

As far as length retention is concerned, I did not measure my length before braiding but I could tell by the roots that I gained ½" - 1" of growth all over. Some areas displayed more growth than others and that is a characteristic of my hair that I have come to expect.

Full yarn braid review coming...stay tuned!

Fall/Winter 2010 - Week 12

I started out this week SLACK because I was looking forward to removing the yarn braids. I did oil and steam my scalp but I didn't put much effort towards any type of style for the week.


Sunday and Wednesday
I oiled my scalp lightly with Castor oil and sat under the steamer. This became one of my favorite things to do with the braids.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
It took me Thursday evening, Friday evening, and all of Saturday to get the braids completely removed. I was hoping to have the braids removed in time for me to shampoo and deep condition my hair - it didn't happen. It was late, my hands were cramping, and I was tired.

As far as length retention is concerned, I did not measure my length before braiding but I could tell by the roots that I gained ½" - 1" of growth all over. Some areas displayed more growth than others and that is a characteristic of my hair that I have come to expect.

Full yarn braid review coming...stay tuned!

Hippie Headband

Since my oldest is in a hairdo lull we have to try and be creative with the hair being down. 
So we decided to do the every trending hippie headband.
All we did was straighten her hair and those of you who have followed me knows how bad I hate the butt part. (or the center part politically correct term).
So with that said I did a side part and swooped her bangs to the side.
Put the head band around the top of her head.  We also accessorized our Hippie Head band look.
 The left side view
 The right side view.


This is exactly how I feel sometime...

DO YOU!!



Visit whoissugar on YouTube

The key thing to remember when taking care of yourself is that the individuals that have the biggest opinions are usually the ones that don't have to dress you, style your hair, live your life, and most importantly they are the ones that ARE NOT YOU! So always DO YOU!



This is exactly how I feel sometime...

DO YOU!!



Visit whoissugar on YouTube

The key thing to remember when taking care of yourself is that the individuals that have the biggest opinions are usually the ones that don't have to dress you, style your hair, live your life, and most importantly they are the ones that ARE NOT YOU! So always DO YOU!



Hello Kitty Flat Iron


Since we have been doing a lot of ringlets with our flat iron and loving them.  I thought we should let everyone know about this wonderful flat iron.
We just love our Hello Kitty Flat Iron by http://www.sparklebee.com/  This site has the funnest Hello Kitty products.  If your girls love Hello Kitty as much as mine you must check this site out.  They are also on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sparklebee-from-Marino-Andriani/141538819235849. 
This flat iron is perfect for all the hair tasks the are presented to you. Even if it is as simple as just straighten your daughters hair.
  Or putting ringlets in your hair this straightening iron does it all. 
 One of my favorite parts of this straightening iron is that my daughters just love it because of course it has Hello Kitty.  We give this flat iron 2 thumbs up in all categories. My girls always want me to use this flat iron on their hair.
Once again you can purchase your own flat iron at http://www.sparklebee.com/ 

Eyebrow Threading

There are not a lot of things that I do to treat myself. I don't go to a professional for hair care, I don't get manicures regularly (maybe once a year) and, I don't do any time of regular beauty treatments. Recently, a friend convinced me to get my eyebrows threaded and I went (because I am trying to make a change and take care of me). I must say, the experience was a lot better than I expected and for $7, you can't beat that!



For more on Threading:
Threading (epilation)
Eyebrow Threading

Eyebrow Threading

There are not a lot of things that I do to treat myself. I don't go to a professional for hair care, I don't get manicures regularly (maybe once a year) and, I don't do any time of regular beauty treatments. Recently, a friend convinced me to get my eyebrows threaded and I went (because I am trying to make a change and take care of me). I must say, the experience was a lot better than I expected and for $7, you can't beat that!



For more on Threading:
Threading (epilation)
Eyebrow Threading

Confessions of A Blog Vixen

Happy Hump Day!

I follow westNDNbeauty's blog and I am also subscribed to her Youtube Channel - recently I was featured on her blog and I am quite flattered. Please pop on over and check her out - especially the Her Confessions and His Confessions features - love reading the interviews that reflect the male perspective.

Confessions of A Blog Vixen

Happy Hump Day!

I follow westNDNbeauty's blog and I am also subscribed to her Youtube Channel - recently I was featured on her blog and I am quite flattered. Please pop on over and check her out - especially the Her Confessions and His Confessions features - love reading the interviews that reflect the male perspective.

Trends and Observations of Hair Growth Aids

Kelis
Long curly hair - so many in the natural hair communities desire the look. On almost every site you can find ideas and theories that consist of recipes and regimens that promise to yield amazing growth.

I have browsed blogs, Youtube channels, and a number of websites for years and the one thing I noticed is that many of the hair growth regimens/products come and go in waves. Depending on the website that you are visiting at the time the the hair growth product/regimen that people are raving about will vary.

Teyana Taylor
The common denominator of all the sites is "fast growth!" Why do we go to such extremes to obtain the length that we will eventually achieve with time and proper care? What is the fascination with long hair? I know 1 Corinthians 11:15 states that "if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?" However, not everyone seeking long hair is seeking that goal based upon biblical principles. Is it prettier? A challenge to conquer? Easier to manage? (haha...sorry)

As for myself, I've never had really short hair or relaxed hair. So dealing with my length and curliness is actually easier for me but still a lot of work. A few months ago I had my hubby cut off a few inches because I was annoyed at the amount of time and work that styling was beginning to take.

I've always admired the look of some individuals with shorter hairstyles. I have two friends that both wore TWAs for a while and they looked so fierce all the time. I was sure to let them know that often. Basically what I am saying is that it's okay to have short hair - it can be beautiful.


Some of the "grow long" claims on the internet today:
Miconazole Nitrate
Mommy Moe's Moegrow Oil
Mega-Tek
Wild Growth Hair Oil
The list goes on...

My personal feelings on growth aids is that I don't believe in them. I've tried a few of them and did not notice any drastic growth with any of the regimens or products. I actually experienced the most growth and length retention when I simplified my regimen and started being more consistent with my hair care practices. Another thing I noticed about many of the hair growth regimens is that they include massaging the product into the scalp. So I figured why not just follow my regular regimen and take some care in massaging my scalp when shampooing and conditioning. So far so good...

What are your thoughts on this subject?

This post is not purposed for bashing of any kind on any hair growth aid claims - it is just a summation of observations made throughout the years.

Trends and Observations of Hair Growth Aids

Kelis
Long curly hair - so many in the natural hair communities desire the look. On almost every site you can find ideas and theories that consist of recipes and regimens that promise to yield amazing growth.

I have browsed blogs, Youtube channels, and a number of websites for years and the one thing I noticed is that many of the hair growth regimens/products come and go in waves. Depending on the website that you are visiting at the time the the hair growth product/regimen that people are raving about will vary.

Teyana Taylor
The common denominator of all the sites is "fast growth!" Why do we go to such extremes to obtain the length that we will eventually achieve with time and proper care? What is the fascination with long hair? I know 1 Corinthians 11:15 states that "if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?" However, not everyone seeking long hair is seeking that goal based upon biblical principles. Is it prettier? A challenge to conquer? Easier to manage? (haha...sorry)

As for myself, I've never had really short hair or relaxed hair. So dealing with my length and curliness is actually easier for me but still a lot of work. A few months ago I had my hubby cut off a few inches because I was annoyed at the amount of time and work that styling was beginning to take.

I've always admired the look of some individuals with shorter hairstyles. I have two friends that both wore TWAs for a while and they looked so fierce all the time. I was sure to let them know that often. Basically what I am saying is that it's okay to have short hair - it can be beautiful.


Some of the "grow long" claims on the internet today:
Miconazole Nitrate
Mommy Moe's Moegrow Oil
Mega-Tek
Wild Growth Hair Oil
The list goes on...

My personal feelings on growth aids is that I don't believe in them. I've tried a few of them and did not notice any drastic growth with any of the regimens or products. I actually experienced the most growth and length retention when I simplified my regimen and started being more consistent with my hair care practices. Another thing I noticed about many of the hair growth regimens is that they include massaging the product into the scalp. So I figured why not just follow my regular regimen and take some care in massaging my scalp when shampooing and conditioning. So far so good...

What are your thoughts on this subject?

This post is not purposed for bashing of any kind on any hair growth aid claims - it is just a summation of observations made throughout the years.

Christmas Hair by Katherine

First of all I just want to thank Katherine for sending all the cute hairstyles.  Here is another cute one she did for Christmas.
 An easy and favorite hairdo on my daughter is the small ponytail, then put it and some more hair into another ponytail. I do two rows that go from the front to the back of her head. For Christmas Eve, I put a ribbon between the two rows like a shoelace.
If my daughter would let me use more than one elastic I will be trying this style on her as well.

Sunday Style: Side swept yarn briads

I've been wanting to have some fun with styling my yarn braids since day 1 and so far I like this style the best (more styles to come later). It was quick and easy. To achieve this look I flipped the front section back to get the look of a bang and then wrapped the rest of the braids around themselves to achieve the side ponytail.



Sunday's Message
Where To Be When Sin Abounds
Romans 5:20
1. You should not be close to the sin - You don't have to be sinning to be close to sin. Meaning that you're not doing anything sinful yet but you're thinking about it. {James 1:14-15}
2. Don't be with the wisdom of man - Sometimes we believe that we are so holy that we can't be around other folk. People should see the God in you, they should see that something is different in you and just because you are with them does not mean that you have deserted God. {1 Corinthians 2:1-5}
3. You should be with God - There are times when the enemy will set a trap for you but God will use that trap for your good. God makes a way for you to come out of situations if you stay close to God. {2 Kings 6}

Living righteous does not mean living free from sin - it means living in the right position God has for you (which is in the will of God).  The thing that makes one thing possible and one thing impossible is the position.

Grace makes the impossible possible [Luke 1:37]; sin makes the possible impossible.

Sunday Style: Side swept yarn briads

I've been wanting to have some fun with styling my yarn braids since day 1 and so far I like this style the best (more styles to come later). It was quick and easy. To achieve this look I flipped the front section back to get the look of a bang and then wrapped the rest of the braids around themselves to achieve the side ponytail.



Sunday's Message
Where To Be When Sin Abounds
Romans 5:20
1. You should not be close to the sin - You don't have to be sinning to be close to sin. Meaning that you're not doing anything sinful yet but you're thinking about it. {James 1:14-15}
2. Don't be with the wisdom of man - Sometimes we believe that we are so holy that we can't be around other folk. People should see the God in you, they should see that something is different in you and just because you are with them does not mean that you have deserted God. {1 Corinthians 2:1-5}
3. You should be with God - There are times when the enemy will set a trap for you but God will use that trap for your good. God makes a way for you to come out of situations if you stay close to God. {2 Kings 6}

Living righteous does not mean living free from sin - it means living in the right position God has for you (which is in the will of God).  The thing that makes one thing possible and one thing impossible is the position.

Grace makes the impossible possible [Luke 1:37]; sin makes the possible impossible.
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