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Scrapbook Haul: Tuesday Morning, Michaels, Beverly’s

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Well, I haven’t written a good “scrapbook haul” post in a while so here you go :) These are treasures I’ve collected over the last month or so.

These are from TUESDAY MORNING:

2-packs of Thickers for $3.99 each

These were the last 3 sets and I actually liked them all. Yes, the teal ones have come unstuck and are falling off the sheet but that’s okay. I run most of my Thickers through my Xyron “X” anyway. The chipboard and vinyl ones are notoriously un-sticky in the long-term.

On the left are “Paper Crush” by COLORBOK journaling stickers. You get 6 stax with 12 sheets per stack. I thought these would be really cute on school pages.

On the right are 2 sets of Sticky Alphas by Colorbok. These 3 things sold together for $3.99 … great price!

Here’s a Scrapbook Paper Kit by HEIDI SWAPP. The line is called “Street Smarts” and has some really cool-looking papers … think skater dude, sports dude, cool dude … that kind of thing :) The papers are cardstock-thick, double-sided, and you get 20 of them. The retail price was $19.99; got it for $3.99.

The 2 sets of chipboard letters were only $2.99. I was so glad to find these again. I’ve used the black and white set a couple of times and need more! They look really striking on a page. The stack of notepads are going to great use on my desk. The 3-pack of American Crafts Flair was a great deal at $3.99. The Dear Lizzy one is my favorite.

Do you see anything wrong with this picture? Specifically, the price tag? Yes, there is just one epoxy embellishment there, and while the price of $1.99 could seem reasonable, I still thought it was mis-priced. The retail price shows as $8.99. Um, yeah. I showed it to the cashier when I checked out. It took me a few times explaining it before she would believe me, but 1 pack of epoxy stickers, no matter how stinkin’ cute, would not sell for $8.99 retail. Unless they were made of crushed diamonds or something. I think they were meant to be bundled in packs of 2 or 3. I don’t know if they really fixed them but, hey, I did my civic duty, right?

In case anyone is in the market for a Cub Scouts 12×12 album, Tuesday Morning has ’em!

They also had a lot of paper packs by the likes of AMERICAN CRAFTS. However, they were the 25 sheets of the same paper kind so I didn’t get any. But for those of you who do classes, kits, etc., this is a great deal.

Tuesday Morning also had the Making Memories “Hulabulu” packs, and lots of 12×12 postbound albums … I just didn’t get photos.

I got some books at BARNES and NOBLE. The one you might be interested in is on the top … “Tragic Magic” by LAURA CHILDS. She writes a series of scrapbooking murder mysteries set in the Big Easy that I really enjoy. Been waiting to see this one in paperback since I don’t usually “do” hardcovers.

I got these three older issues (April, May, and June 2010) of Scrapbook Trends magazines online recently. They were having a clearance sale for $5 an issue. I think these sell new for $15 each so I was happy to find the sale. It’s true what they say … these are more like idea books that magazines so well worth the dough.

These were from a message board “for sale” section. I love it when people clean out their scrap rooms and sell stuff I want for dirt cheap, LOL! I got collection packs of Basic Grey “Black Tie” for $5, Scenic Route “Background” for $6, and she only charged me $4 shipping. AND threw in some Anna Griffin border stickers for free. Awesome blossom!

These are the bling stickers from Michaels I mentioned in a PAST POST. Purdy, huh? You get 2 layers worth.

The rest of these things are from BEVERLY’S CRAFTS …

I had a 40% off coupon and was going to use it on the Making Memories storage jars (I’m re-doing my ribbon organization), but when I got the check-out, she told me they were on sale for 40% off. So the coupon went to one of the Basic Grey “Jovial” items. Then some Tiny Type alpha stickers that I can’t seem to get enough of. I guess you know what I’m using to scrap Christmas in this year, eh? Love these colors …

Come to find out, I should’ve gotten another set of the jars. After getting my ribbon sorted, I realized I need 3 more and I can’t find them at Michaels anymore. Shukes.

Have you heard of Studio 112? It’s a new line of scrappy stuff I’ve been seeing around. Here are the pretty lasercut papers they had.

Yep, every single thing was only 99 cents.

Bling, flowers, all kinds of embellishments …

Even some borders …

I dunno’, it wasn’t really my style. Some of the lasercut papers were pretty but nothing really blew my dress up. To each their own … maybe you’ll love it. At that price, you should at least check it out! M’kay?

Have you had any great shopping finds lately?

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Memory Works: My Latest Haul :)

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The new MEMORY WORKS catalogs came out recently and I needed to order some. What a perfect excuse to “not let that shipping cost go to waste” and buy some scrapbook pretties for myself.

Here’s everything fresh out of the box.

From left to right …

Memory Works 2010 Fall Catalog: I love how they featured SIMPLE STORIES on the cover. It has been a big seller so, as a Memory Works Consultant, I appreciate it being featured so prominently.

CRATE PAPER “RESTORATION” SEW BRADS: I have the Restoration THEME SET and CHIPBOARD; been wanting these, too. This is my favorite new line from CHA-Winter 2010.

FANCY PANTS “TRADITIONS” RUB-ONS: I have to admit I pretty much bought these because of the blue bird holding the ornament. I just couldn’t resist that image for some reason.

AMERICAN CRAFTS CARDSTOCK SWATCH BOOK: Memory Works used to sell only Prism cardstock, then made the switch to American Crafts CARDSTOCK. I think it’s been a good switch. The AC cardstock is thicker and has that great linen texture like BAZZILL. I also like the wide ranging color choices we have, and all the packs of mixed or single colors.

AMERICAN CRAFTS “ROBIN EGG” THICKERS: These are chipboard and super cute with the tiny white polka dots on them. They’ll be great for spring or Easter layouts.

AMERICAN CRAFTS “DEAR LIZZY” SHINY FLAIR: I loved this whole introductory line by ELIZABETH KARTCHNER. It was so unique, pretty, and special. I already have the theme set and was glad to add the flair to my Lizzy K collection :)

RANGER “GLOSSY ACCENTS”: I love using this on embellishments to “bring them to the next level.” They make everything look so much more special, kwim? Like on my recent “Wicked” layout … I painted some naked chipboard Thickers with black acrylic paint but then they looked so flat. Put on some Glossy Accents and ~ VOILA!~ lookin’ good!

{Forgive the wavy look, LOL! I took the pic while the letters were drying. Once they were dry, I tacked that ribbon down to the page with sticky tape :)}

FANCY PANTS “HAPPY TOGETHER” THEME SET: I just love the colors of this line … the rich browns and teals with beige and white. Soooo pretty in person!

So that’s my latest Memory Works haul. If you’d like to purchase any of these items or check all the other scrapbook eye candy we carry, just check out MY WEBSITE and let me know if you have any questions. You can leave a comment here, or e-mail me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. Have a great week!

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Memory Works: Mama-Razzi, Dear Lizzy, and More …

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As I mentioned HERE, the new Memory Works catalog is out for Spring 2010, along with a lot of the new scrapbooking items from CHA-Winter 2010. As soon as I heard the catalogs were out, I placed an order right away and, as always, it arrived within just a few days.

I’m gonna share pics of everything I ordered so you can see what it REALLY looks like, K?

My favorite part … opening the box … it’s so fun! Here are the catalogs right on top, and a peek at the embellies I ordered.

In case you’d like to order a catalog (how to do that is HERE), I thought I’d show you some sample pages of what it looks like inside.

Here are the pages for DEAR LIZZY by AMERICAN CRAFTS, and a company that’s new to Memory Works called GIRLS PAPERIE. I’m so excited to have them on board. Their products are very cute. I’ll have to do a separate post about them later.

Here’s two of the pages showing our new SIMPLE STORIES products that have been amazingly popular.

Here’s a line that’s going to BE very popular, I’m sure: BASICS* by BASIC GREY.

*Basics is not released yet so it will currently show Out of Stock at the above link, but it’ll show as available as soon as it’s in stock. Not too much longer, I think!

Okay, now the fun goodies. Here’s the Dear Lizzy premium RIBBON including that adorable rose ribbon that I’ve been dying to have.

These are the front and back sides of the “Dear Lizzy” THEME SET.

I got these “Flower Child” FLOWERS by BO BUNNY to use with my Simple Stories album; the colors will coordinate very well. I ordered an extra to sell at crops. I love how they’re embossed which kind of gives them a rounded petal, and the dark red large flower is such a deep red, it’s gorgeous.

Here are the “Green at Heart” RUB-ONS by BASIC GREY. They are definitely prettier in person; the colors are bright but not super, blind your eyes bright, kwim?

These are “DELIGHT LEAF” Thickers by American Crafts, and they’re made of fabric.

I tried to take a closer photo with my iPhone to show you the texture, but it doesn’t look like I succeeded. {I finally ordered my new camera and should have it in a week or so. I can’t WAIT!}

Here is the “Kioshi” THEME SET by Basic Grey. The colors are SO amazing in person! This reminds me of the Old School BG that I knew and loved. {Front and back sides}.

Finally, the piece de resistance, all the MAMA-RAZZI line by BO BUNNY!!! I’ve been talking about Mama-razzi since way back HERE, so you can imagine how excited I was to get all this.

I got two packs of the LAYERED STICKERS; one for me, one to sell. Also, the iCandy glazed BRADS.

The stickers are 3-D … :)

Here are both sides of the CUT-OUTS. I can’t believe they’re only $1. Think of all the mileage you can get out of this one sheet. I’m going to order another one, so I can use both sides. I can’t see any parts that I don’t want to use.

These are the COMBO STICKERS, where you get border stickers, regular stickers, AND an alpha. Pretty kewl.

Here is the ADHESIVE CHIPBOARD. I love me some dimension like this.

Could this sheet of die-cut paper BE any prettier!?!? I don’t think so. Love it.

It comes from the THEME SET, the rest of which is below (front and back sides).

Oh, and just ‘cuz I love Bo Bunny, I got these “Roughin’ It” CUT-OUTS. Won’t they be cute for camping layouts? This is the front and back …

Okay, I hope you enjoyed the tour inside my Memory Works shipping box, LOL! I’m so excited to get all of it.

If you’d like to order anything from Memory Works, HERE is my website and HERE are some instructions. If you have any questions, please e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.

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Memory Works: Spring 2010 Catalog is HERE!

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Squeee! I’m SO excited! The new scrapbook items from CHA Winter 2010 have been rolling in to my Memory Works WEBSITE. I’ve been posting about some of them but not all. Here is what we have so far:

AMERICAN CRAFTS including Dear Lizzy, new Thickers, awesome new adhesives, and our NEW line of AC CARDSTOCK! (see my post HERE for the Dear Lizzy)

BASIC GREY Green at Heart and Kioshi (see my post HERE)

BO BUNNY Mamarazzi, Sophie, Flower Child, Paradise, and Roughin It (See my post about Mamarazzi HERE and you KNOW I’m so stinkin’ excited about that one! I already have 2 of each item in my shopping cart … 1 for me, 1 to sell :)

COSMO CRICKET Garden Variety, Material Girl, Joyride, and Tiny Type alphas (I blogged about them HERE)

CRATE PAPER Paper Doll, Brooke, and Pink Plum

JENNI BOWLIN Vintage Buttons and Embellished Butterflies

MY LITTLE SHOEBOX Flying High, Away We Go, Just Add Butter, and All Aflutter (What a great company! They’re completely new to Memory Works and I’m loving all the bright, fun colors)

MY MINDS EYE Jack and Jill, Little Boy Blue, and Little Miss Muffet. We also have all the “Lush” lines … Black Lush, Red Lush, Pink Lush, Brown Lush, Blue Lush, and Green Lush.

TERESA COLLINS BeBe Boy, BeBe Girl, Mr. and Mrs., and Welcome Home

THREE BUGS IN A RUG Great Outdoors, Savannah, Little Chick, and Animal Stackers

*If an item says Out of Stock, that just means it hasn’t arrived in the warehouse yet but is on the way. Please try back soon. If you’re waiting on something specific, e-mail me { scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com } and I can notify you when it arrives. Most consultants don’t do that, but I DO because I respect your scrapbook jones like no one else does :)

Okay, all of THAT is exciting enough, right?!?! I mean, MAMARAZZI people! Remember when I hoped so badly that Memory Works would carry it and now they DO! I am SO going to find that class kit and make that adorable mini-album with it.

So today home office also released our new Spring 2010 catalog, like, WAY early! We usually don’t get them until late March/early April. I have .pdf downloads (they broke it up into 4 sections for faster download times) and will post those soon.

Better yet, you can order a REAL paper catalog from me and I’ll mail it to ya. {JINGLE, did those cupcakes catch your eye? They are throughout the cattie, LOL!}

Here’s what I’m gonna’ do … I’m going to order 10 catalogs today. They cost me $3 each, and to mail them out costs about $2-3 depending on how far they’re going. Honestly, it’s always been a big money loser for me because I spend about $5 per sent catalog. I just can’t afford to do that anymore, I’m sorry :( But if you would like a catalog (and believe me, you do ~ they are SO pretty in person!), please e-mail me { scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com } and let me know. I’ll invoice you $4 via Paypal and send it right out. Sound fair? That’s a great price for such a nice piece of eye candy, and way cheaper than those “other” direct sales companies charge, am I right?

Okay, so all this just totally made my day. Let me know if you’d like a catalog or for me to “scrap watch” any items for you. Also, you can order HERE any of the above fabulous new items, not to mention all the existing products we have :)

Have a great Friday, my friends!

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Memory Works: “Dear Lizzy” by American Crafts

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I haven’t heard excitement over a new line like this for a while. It’s called “Dear Lizzy” by American Crafts and it’s the talk of the message boards and blogs. So happy to find out that MEMORY WORKS now carries it!

Before we get down to that, let’s talk about ELIZABETH KARTCHNER, the designer of this new line. Let me lay it down for ya’ …

~ Elizabeth Kartchner is also know as Lizzy K.

~ She was CREATING KEEPSAKES magazine’s “Scrapbooker of the Year” in 2007.

~ She is a wonderful photographer, has an adorable and fun family, and one of the greatest blogs around (I linked it above).

~ In November 2009, her idea book came out; it’s called “52 MORE SCRAPBOOKING CHALLENGES” {a follow-up to “52 Scrapbooking Challenges” by Elsie Flannigan, both published by Creating Keepsakes … make sense?}. Here’s another LINK to it.

~ She partnered with AMERICAN CRAFTS on a scrapbooking line which was introduced at CHA-Winter 2010, and Lizzy has started a LIZZY K CRAFTS blog to keep us in the loop about it.

And honestly, could she BE any prettier? Funny and cute, too :)

HERE and HERE are looks at the line from when American Crafts showed their sneak peeks of it prior to CHA. I’ve been drooling over it ever since, and am thrilled that the time has come to buy some!

Here are a couple layouts showing what you can do with the Dear Lizzy line …

BY ELIZABETH KARTCHNER, from the American Crafts blog

BY ELIZABETH KARTCHNER, from the American Crafts blog

Do we all want that rose ribbon or what???

Shipments from this line are just coming in to Memory Works, and some items are not “in stock” yet on the website. However, I’m going to list them all in this post anyway because I’m sure everything will be here soon :) Besides, TOTAL EYE CANDY!

If you click on BUY IT, you’re not committed or anything, LOL! It just links you to the item on my MW website so you can see the price and if it’s in stock.

Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Theme Set
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Fabric Paper, “Apricot Afternoon”
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Fabric Paper, “Garden Gala”
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Clear Stamps, “Warble” large set
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Whistle” small set
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Large Fabric Brads
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Shiny Flair
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Chirp Details
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Lovely” Ribbon
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – chipboard Thickers, “Bliss” accent in coffee
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Flutter” Dimensional Stickers
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Fancy” Phrase Stickers
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Pounce” Rub-On Phrases
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Fire” Thickers, Pink, Puffy
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Bliss” Thickers, Coffee, Glitter
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So, are you a fan of Elizabeth Kartchner’s? What do you think of her new line? Ya gonna buy* or “wish list” any of it? Here’s my Top 5:

1. Theme set … I need a little bit o’ all those papers.
2. “Lovely” ribbons … Got to have that rose ribbon fo’ sho’.
3, Thickers “Bliss” chipboard accents … Love that they are glittered.

Oh, and both sets of Thicker letters, of course, but those are a given, a staple, a ‘must have so why bother wish-listing it’ kind of item.

* Truly, NO pressure whatsoever to buy it from me {Go LSS! Go 2peas! I support them all!}, but if you’re planning to, don’t wait too long. I have a feeling it will sell out fast. If the listing says “Out of Stock,” it means we haven’t gotten it from the vendor yet. Once it’s sold out, the listing will disappear. Let me know if you have any questions: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com K, bye!

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Friday Night Scrap Randoms #4

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So the latest scrapbooking industry news is thatAMERICAN CRAFTS purchased PEBBLES INC.! You can read about it HERE on the Pebbles Inc. blog and HERE is a link to the announcement on the American Crafts BLOG. Here is an excerpt from the AC blog entry:
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We’re excited to announce the acquisition of Pebbles, an amazing scrapbooking brand that we’re certain will be a great compliment to the American Crafts product lines. Pebbles will remain a separate brand under the American Crafts umbrella. We will continue to offer their current products and plan to introduce new products over time. And the core of Pebbles design team will join us to ensure a continuation of their fun, fresh style.

Pebbles was created in 2001 as an extension of the Pebbles in my Pocket retail stores that are located in Utah. They make simple, cute, and easy-to-use products, including patterned paper, craft chalk and stencils, decorative Chips chipboard shapes, self-adhesive Candy Dots, themed die cuts, ribbon and more.
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This sounds like a good fit to me. Their product styles are very similar – think bright, cheerful, fun, and the opposite of shabby chic. I wish both companies luck for a smooth transition and much success in the future :)

Speaking of cheerful and fun, did you know Stacy Julian has a new WEBSITE?!? She re-named her blog from “Altogether Too Happy,” (which I’ve always loved because of the little story that goes with it), to “Playful. Productive. Present.” The new website also has her personal music playlists, her teaching/speaking schedule, something neat called “Sprinkles,” an A to Z list of her favorite products, etc. It’s really fun and colorful, just like Stacy herself. You really should check it out :)

If you’re wondering if I got the SHELF, I won’t know until this Sunday. The lady who’s selling it on Craigslist lives about 50 minutes from me. It happens that I’m going to her town on Sunday for an event, so if she still has the stamp shelf by then, I’ll buy it! I’ve just decided that if it’s meant to be mine, it will be. If not, I’ll know it made some other stamper or scrapper as happy as it would’ve made me :)

My-favorite-band-of-all-time-ever-since-I-was little ~JOURNEY~ was supposed to be on OPRAH today. The theme of the show was to be “Don’t Stop Believin;” with the band performing that song. I think the focus was to be the inspiring story of their “new” lead singer, Arnel Pineda. {Some of the Peas have no love for Journey without Steve Perry, and have dubbed the current version, “(un)Journey” LOL! However, my motto is, “Journey without Steve is better than no Journey at all.”} Anyhow, Journey was rescheduled for next week (Oct. 5) and the rumor is that it was because Oprah had more Olympics stuff to do. I mean, really, Oprah??? I love ya, but you need to get your priorities straight. Olympics more important than JOURNEY???? Pish. I’ve lost loads of respect for you, girlfriend…. Oh, and Chicago did NOT get the Olympics after all. Coincidence? I THINK NOT.

Speaking of Journey, this is interesting….Thursday night at the Farmer’s Market in a California town, there was a FLASH MOB of people walking through the streets singing, you guessed it, “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The story is HERE. Super cool. I keep hearing that song on my favorite new show, GLEE, too. It’s all making this Journey Girl very, very happy :)

I’m hoping to get more work done on my scrapbook room MAKEOVER this weekend. We’ll be running around all weekend, and I need to work some overtime at some point, but I really need to get back in there and make some progress! Thanks for all the great comments, questions, and encouragement you’ve been leaving for me. I’ll try to do a post answering questions soon. Do you have any scrapbooking plans this weekend?

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Cropping, Journaling, Inking and Decisions…

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I went to a crop Saturday, the one I talked about HERE. Only 4 of us ended up being able to go. I talked more than I cropped, and we stopped to eat twice (lunch/dinner) so I didn’t get much done. I completed 5 pages and started a 6th, and I was there from about 11:30 to 9. One thing I did different this time is that I promised myself I would get the journaling done AT the crop. I can’t tell you how many unfinished layouts are sitting on my desk from past crops, that were done, they “just need the journaling.” Ya’ got any of those on your desk? I mean, they’re, like, 30 minutes of effort away from being in a scrapbook for everyone to enjoy and yet…they’re on my desk. Why is journaling something I put off? I really do like to write, it’s not that. It’s like I lose my mojo to work on that layout once I leave the crop. But anyhow, that’s why I forced myself to journal these layouts and I’m glad I did. They are going straight into the album, baby!

Another new thing I tried was a technique that’s been around awhile but I’m always late to the party. I had a white Bazzill background, and I laid out the title of my layout with letter stickers (a block style of cardstock sticker alpha by American Crafts; $1 from Big Lots, LOL!). Then I went over the title in a circular motion with deep turquoise chalk ink by Martha Stewart (it’s just like the kind by COLORBOX). Then I removed the stickers and, voila! The white Bazzill showed through the turquoise ink and it looks rad. The only problem was some bleeding around about three of the letters, but it’s not that noticeable. At least, that’s what my sweet crop friends told me, LOL! I learned my lesson, though…make sure those suckers are stuck down pretty well before you rub the ink on. I like this technique so much, I used it again when I started that 6th layout. I used a different kind cardstock alpha sticker, made sure the letters were stuck down really good, and it came out great.

The Memory Works “party” part of it didn’t work out because, like me, everyone is broke, LOL! The hostess ordered some things and I’m going to split shipping with her and throw in something with her order. I can’t decide….the new Basic Grey ‘Junebug’ or ‘Lemonade’ (see them HERE and HERE), or Little Yellow Bicycle ‘Traveler’ (which I shared HERE). Tough decision. If you could get something from these lines, what would you get?

I’ve also been eyeing this for a while…THE COTTAGE Theme Set by Scrap Within Reach, which is a company that’s new to me and I have nothing of theirs yet. I’m curious what the quality is like/what it’s like in person. I love the colors and it seems a very versatile set to work with. And the price is good ~ you get six 12×12 sheets of double-sided patterned cardstock paper for $5.75, so less than a dollar a sheet for double-sided cardstock PP…not bad.

Yeah, decisions, decisions…

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Thickers at Big Lots: For Me, Not So Much…

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Well, THIS post has been going for a week at 2PEAS, about all the lucky ladies finding THICKERS letter stickers at Big Lots for only $2 a pack (they are usually $4-5). I finally made it to my new Big Lots (I wrote about when it first came to town HERE) and….remember the Soup Naz! on Seinfeld?….”No Thickers for you!” Nope, my Big Lots had none.

Rats. Double triple rats.

As one who likes to take lemons and make scrapbook lemonade, I found a few other things and did not leave Big Lots empty-handed. Here is what I found:

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Some AC foam shapes, an 8.5×11 cardstock pack in pretty, muted colors, All Dressed Up adhesive ribbons by DCWV, and 2 packs of tropical colored mini brads. Also, 2 black/1 purple DCWV alphas. I got a pack of the black alphas on my last trip and have since used them on 2 projects so I got me so mo’….

Here’s what comes in the American Crafts foam shapes:

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Not bad for a grand total of $14, eh? That includes a binder (not shown) that I needed for work.

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But I’m still bummed about the Thickers….Hey, have you been a lucky Big Lots shopper? Tell us which Thicker packs (or anything else) you got!

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Scrapbooking Stuff at Big Lots

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I’m sure this isn’t a very big deal for most of you. But for someone who’s main scrap shopping opportunities are Michaels, Target, and Walmart, you have to understand my excitement. WE JUST GOT A BIG LOTS!!!!!

I have always been so jealous reading those lovely, enabling message board posts about ‘the finds’ everyone has at places like Archivers (never been there), Joann’s (don’t have any), Hobby Lobby (nopey, nopey), and Big Lots. So now, I’m at least 1/4 of the way into that exciting world. And luckily for me – She of the Empty Wallet – it’s the most bargain-minded store that came to my ‘hood. So forgive my overdoing it with the photos but just thought I would share all the scrappy stuff I found at MY – yes, MY – Big Lots the other day.

LOTS OF STICKERS, MAT STACKS, and AMERICAN CRAFTS EMBELLIE JARS

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QUOTE STACKS….for Cinco de Mayo…Hey, you never know!

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8.5×11 CARDSTOCK PACKS

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PHOTO STORAGE BOXES

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A BIG HONKIN’ SCRAPBOOK KIT – I heard a lady in the aisle say that she saw this kit at Costco for $40, but it was only $25 at Big Lots. And there was only one.

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TEEN KITS, CHRISTMAS KITS….

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COLORBOK GOODIE BAGS – Tons of misc. stuff for only $12….”$100 value!”

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SCRAPBOOK STORAGE OPTIONS AT A GREAT PRICE – I was eyeing those 3-drawer things but I have to see if the dimensions work for my space.

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A PRE-DONE SCRAPBOOK – Hey, I’m not opposed to them as long as they are cute….great timesaver! And you can add embellies to make it your own.

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CUTE 8X8 ALBUM FOR 5 BUCKS….

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YOU 3-RING SCRAPBOOK LOVERS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THESE – I didn’t recognize the brand but the quality seemed good and you can’t beat that price!

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LOADS OF 8X8 AND 12X12 ALBUMS!!!

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CLOSER LOOK AT AMERICAN CRAFTS RUB-ON BOOKS….

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… and AMERICAN CRAFTS ‘ELEMENTS’ RIBBON, AND PRESSED PETALS ‘CHIP CHATTER SHAPES’….

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AS SEEN ON TV! THE CRAFT LITE CUTTER – I assume that’s a great price if you’re in the market for one…

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A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DIE CUTS WITH A VIEW 12X12 ALBUMS – A stunning $8 each! Even the turquoise velvet one…

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AND HERE IS WHAT I ENDED UP BUYING: DCWV ‘Old World’ album ($8), AC red ribbon (it was unmarked so she gave it to me for $2), AC ‘Happy Birthday’ rubons, great for card making ($2), Pressed Petals ‘Chip Chatter’ letters in metallic green and red; I’m thinking Christmas layouts ($2 each), DCWV ‘Pocket Full of Posies’ mat stack ($3), so pretty, and metallic words ($1 each). All that shizzle for under $25. Made out like a bandit, I’d say.

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Personally, I don’t care if something is NEW or HOT or JUST INTRODUCED AT CHA! If it’s “old” and I like it – and I get a great deal on it – I’m a happy girl. If you’re the same way, don’t forget to check out your Big Lots once in a while. You never know what you’ll find….

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I’m Goin’ A-Croppin’ Tomorrow

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Yay, yippee, woot woot!! It’s been quite awhile since I’ve either held a crop or been to one. Actually, this weekend was APPOSED ta be an annual scrap retreat with my mom and 4 friends. But the dear friend who usually organizes it is going through some personal stuff and couldn’t handle the planning this year. I offered to take over the reins but the other girls were gone on a SCRAPPING CRUISE so I couldn’t reach them in time to reserve the lake cabin for the retreat. But since my mom was coming down anyway, I called one of the retreat girlies this week and said, HAY-AYYYYY! Why don’t we just have a croppy Saturday at your clubhouse? And she was all for it. Thus….I’m goin’ a-croppin’ tomorrow. And I couldn’t be happier. Well, okay, technically I COULD be happier. I could already be at a crop RETREAT but let’s not split hairs, shall we?

So it’s about 8:45 on Friday night and I just finished packing for my croppy Saturday. I’m getting pretty good at packing for crops. I’ve learned that it does not pay to take every thing I own. Rather, I figure out 1 big project I want to work on {this time it’s finishing up the Santa Cruz part of my San Francisco/Santa Cruz trip album}, and all the things I need to work on that project. In this case, it’s the 12×12 album with enough empty page protectors to hold the pages I’m going to complete, and an Iris clamshell case with all the papers, embellies, and Thickers I’m using for this album. Then I usually bring maybe 4 or 5 other sets of photos that are of similar theme, colors, etc. and then a paper stack and chunk of embellies/letters that I can pull from for these layouts. For tomorrow, I have photos of a birthday, a bike race (Lance Armstrong’s race came through our area yesterday!), the kids playing with the puppy, and a Superbowl party. Do you see what these event photos might all have in common? Yep, bright mostly primary colors. So I’m taking the American Crafts “Celebration” paper stack that I just got (talked about it HERE), a “kid’s life” stack, several kinds of primary and black or white letter stickers, and a handful of colorful embellies.

The one place I guess I overpack is with cardstock ~ I always pack all 3 Cropper Hopper vertical files full of Bazzill ~ because I cannot STAND being at a crop and not being to find the exact right shade of background cardstock I need. Usually, I take my Baby Bug (little Cricut) and cartridges but decided not to this time. Maybe someone else will bring theirs and if they don’t, I can get by with the Thickers and such that I’m bringing. Finally, and most importantly, I always take my Cropper Hopper Flat Pack and a mini Tote-ally Cool Tote with my often used tools, adhesives, scissors, etc., my 2 Basic Grey Magnetic Mats, and my Ott Lite. This time, I also threw in a few border punches, and my “baby X” Xyron adhesive machine. So, miracle of miracles, I got all my stuff into my XXL, Crop In Style shoulder tote, and a small rolling tote. Wish me luck that I didn’t forget anything crucial! Although the great thing is that, at crops, everyone is more than willing to share anything you might need.

I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. Not just for the creative opportunity to make some fun layouts, and the accomplishment I’m going to feel when I finish my travel album, but the time I’ll get to spend with my mom and my friends, just gossiping the day away, laughing, listening to music, having a nice dinner, and coming home feeling de-stressed, refreshed, and gung-ho to keep cropping in the coming weeks. Going to crops always gets me motivated in my scrapping again and I’m really needing that right now.

Have a wonderful weekend, dearies!

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Christmas, Basic Grey, and Scrap Calendars at Michaels

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I’m notorious for complaining about the lack of “new stuff” at Michaels, right? Yeah, I know, whine and complain, it’s what I do. Mama always told me, “If you’re good at something, stick with it.” But blow me down, I have to actually give Mike some props for all the new shizzle they got goin’ on these days. It was to the point where I wasn’t even !GASP! spending my coupons there every week because there just. wasn’t. anything. But my fine friends over at 2peas started posting about spying new stuff at Mike’s HERE.

So Friday night after work, I went by the Mike’s in my town to see what I could see. I was Stealth Girl for ya again and took some pix with my iPhone {sorry for the poor quality…it was the best I could do}.

In that Designer Scrapbooking section in the front of the scrapbook area, here is what I found….buncha new K&Co. and MAMBI Christmas stuff. This is 2 sides of the carousel; the other end and opposite side had all the Christmas stuff by Martha Stewart. I don’t like her stuff, so I’m not showing you, nanner nanner. If you must, you can see some of it HERE.

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Sorry, those hugamic glitter snowflakes do absolutely nothing for me. But the rest of it was pretty dang cool. I restrained myself from buying yet another pack of shaped/die cut papers, tho’ the K&Co. Christmas ones were mighty tempting. I was so very well-behaved…I used my 40% coupon on one of these:

And I got the K&Co. rub-ons with the Christmas tree in the top left of the top photo. Also, the MAMBI green word JOLLY in the third photo.

Yep, that was all. Even though I had just sold my Clip It Up and all my non-Bazzill cardstock on Craigslist, and had a buttload of cash in my pocket. No, don’t be too proud of me. I knew I was doing more shopping on Sunday, so I wanted to save some of it. My friend, ABBY aka ScrapbookFrenzy, told me about some bargains she found at TUESDAY MORNING which just happens to be in The Big City where I do my Costco shopping, and right next door to another Michaels, the one that usually has all the new stuff when my Mike’s has just a taste of it. So today I hit those two mamma jammas. At Tuesday Morning, they had as promised a bunch of Making Memories stuff. All I got were two 12×12 K&Co. albums for $7 each (I get two of any albums I will use for our yearly family album, as I feel the need to scrap every single photo ever taken, and therefore need two albums per year). Again, I didn’t SPEND $14, I SAVED over $25 {stick with me, kid, I’ll show you how it’s done…}. They are really pretty, with embossed covers, subtle colors, the raised frame window on the cover, and a space where you can spell out your family name or whatever you want. If anyone wants to see a photo, leave me a comment and I’ll get one posted. But it’s almost 1am and I have to get up at 6 o’clock. Who invented mornings and jobs anyway?

At The Big City Michaels, here is what I found…

The American Crafts cardstock I’ve been hearing so much about. It comes in the cool cardboard vertical holders, so you don’t even have to unpack it when you get home, just throw on the shelf. But be careful and pick one from the bottom of the pile…I noticed the ones on top had had their corners rifled through so many times, they were looking a bit shabby.

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Here is a crappy, blurry picture of the Basic Grey Christmas paper pad (got me summa that) and a gorgeous Christmas pad by My Minds Eye. I already have several of those papers from page kits I bought last year, so I passed. But it was very pretty. If you’re looking for something classy and subtle to make your Christmas cards with, I would recommend the MME stack.

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Here are the calendar kits by MAMBI (left) and Basic Grey (right). I so wanted both of them. I literally picked up and put down the BG kit THREE times. It is so freakin’ adorable. Oh, I {heart} Basic Grey! I liked the smaller size too. The MAMBI one was cool because it’s 12×12 spiral bound so it could be kept on your shelf kind of like an album when the year is over. The colors are bright and cheerful, a calendar project I’m sure your kids would enjoy doing with you or making for Gramma and Grampa..

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There was a Bazzill cardstock pack in Christmas colors that I also had in my hot little hands, but when I compared the price to the AC cardstock, it was much more expensive (if I’m remembering right, it was the same price but you got half as much??). The quality of the AC seemed comparable, so I got it instead. If you’ve tried both AC and Bazzill cardstock, let me know how you think they compare, okay? I used my 50% off newspaper coupon and my 50% receipt coupon, so I didn’t spend $20, I SAVED $20. That’s what I told DH anyways…

And of course, while in The Big City, I went to Barnes and Noble…got my December CK and a cool mag about making scrapbook photo albums. I skimmed through it tonight while watching Kung Fu Panda with the fam, and I really liked it. Read more about it HERE {psst…but don’t order it from CK; their customer service *sux*…}.

So those were my shopping adventures. If you’ve been avoiding Mike’s lately like I have, you should go check it out…you’ll be pleasantly surprised :)

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HSN Scrapbooking Takes A Step Up

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I recorded two ‘shows’ today of HSN Scrapbooking and was in no hurry to watch them, as lately they’ve been kind of a bust. It’s been anything from sewing machines to Paperazzi, neither of which are on my shopping list. But after everyone settled in bed tonight, I sat down and watched the first hour and was impressed and surprised. They said all the items were new to HSN, although I had seen one of them before (btw, how can they lie like that? isn’t it false advertising of some kind?). But there were actually some rockin’ items. There were a few things by American Crafts including a paper and embellishment kit, and 2 choices of Slick Writers sets (glitter and metallic), but my favorite from AC was a Thickers set. For about $24 including shipping, you get 8 packages of chipboard Thickers, 4 alphas and 4 matching shape stickers. They were in basic colors like black, white, metallic gold and metallic silver. Around here, the Thickers alphas sell for $4 each and the shapes for $5, so the HSN deal is clearly a good one. HSN also offered the Pebbles Inc. Share and Tell system, and tons of Fancy Pants stuff…acrylic shapes and acrylic stamps. I haven’t watched the second hour yet, but I zipped through the preview at the beginning and it looked like many of the same items were re-run, plus some additional things by Fancy Pants. Again, just a pleasant surprise from HSN tonight and I thought you’d want to know, so you can add HSN Scrapbooking back into your Must See TV line-up.

I also watched Big Brother 10 and, wow, I feel so sorry for Ollie (or Ali, as Michelle calls him, LOL). I guess he was kind of silly to trust Dan completely…he should have been working some other angles in case Dan let him down. Then again, I can’t believe Dan swore on his girlfriend, his family, and the Catholic school he coaches at…and then went back on his word. That’s harsh, dude….

Well, I’m all packed for my last crop. Not that many people signed up (due to Labor Day Weekend?), so it’s not good financially because I have to pay a lot to rent the room {I’m going to see if I can sweet talk the manager, Vic, into lowering the price since my attendance is low…wish me luck}. But it will mean more scrapping time for me and I’m really looking forward to working on my School Days albums for the online class I’m taking. Hope you all have a lovely 3-day weekend and I’ll blog ya’ later…

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Previews of CHA Winter 2008

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For the Scrapbook Obsessed, you could say that CHA time is even more anticipated than Christmas, Mother’s Day, and your birthday all smushed together. I mean, am I right?? Well, it’s that time again and the excitement to see all the new products is building. FYI: CHA Winter 2008 is being held in Anaheim, CA on February 10-13. The keynote speaker this year is financial diva, Suze Orman. According to the press release, “Orman will help attendees understand how their relationship to money affects their businesses and lives.”

I’ll keep adding any product previews or news I find to this post, so keep checking back (most recent entries will be on top). Please let us know what ya think, what ya might buy, what ya must have, and what ya won’t buy even with a 40% off coupon at Michaels…

And away we go!!!

DAISY D’s

I usually LOVE their stuff, one of my favorite brands, but…
Sorry, me no likey at all…

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There is tons more…see it all HERE.

MY MINDS EYE
Now THIS I’m loving…

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AMERICAN CRAFTS
Lots of their usual bright, cheery, easy to use stuff. There’s so much, I can’t post it all here. Just CHECK THIS OUT ~ it’s all laid out very nicely!

QUEEN & CO
This is from Q&Co’s blog; make sure to read the fine print!
“Introducing… the NEW Valentines line….

Queen & Co is excited to announce the arrival of our new Valentine products. Included in this release are new 3/4″ Felt Ribbons, two new Clear Stamps sets plus several fun styles of brads! Products are starting to ship this week. Look out for them in stores soon!

(note that these are not our CHA Winter releases – these are an extra mini release …keep an eye out for CHA releases soon!)”

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UNITY STAMP COMPANY (new company!)
See everything on THEIR BLOG

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PAPER HOUSE PRODUCTIONS

New chipboard – see more at THEIR BLOG

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CHERRY ARTE
18 new papers: His & Her Basics, Girl Power, Boy Story

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Okay, so much cute Cherry Arte but I have to stop! Go to CHERRY ARTE to see it all.

AMERICAN CRAFTS

Papers, glitter letters, and vinyl cut letters

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FLAIR DESIGNS

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TERESA COLLINS

From Teresa 1/2/08: “Here are all the details I have so far….

1. BELLA GIRL (tell me what girl does not love pink/black and crowns…) enough of a hint….

2. BOARDWALK (this line is bright fun colors…just what I’ve been wanting to do…did someone say SURFBOARDS,eh?????)

3. DAMASKED (enough said….sophisticated and rich)

4. Journal- It (this line will make you journal in a whole new light-)”

Details are from HER BLOG and she will release a new sneak peak each Friday. Here is the first one…
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SEI
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SCENIC ROUTE
Lynden, the new Easter/Spring mini line

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See more Scenic Route HERE.

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Scrapbook Secret Santa @ CKMB

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ss loot      

Well, I missed out on it last year because I joined the CK Message Board right before Christmas.  So this year I made sure to say “sign me up!” at the first mention of a Secret Santa gift exchange.  These are the goodies I got.

American Crafts ELEMENTS metal tags

Almond Roca!

Making Memories Boho Round chipboard alpha

K&Co K-Ology Addison 6×6 paper pad

Bazzill Creative Cafe 12×12 multipack cardstock (red, pink, orange, green, blue)

Patterned paper (unk. co.) w/kraft background (5 sheets)

KI Memories Pop Culture paper (6 sheets)

Quick Quotes Instant Journaling rub ons about Family

Studio G/Mikes stamps, Christmas series (7 sets)

and a Mount St. Helen’s postcard from “Lisa.  The return address was WA state.  So, I posted on the CKMB a big fat “THANK YOU” and calling my Secret Santa out of hiding. 

 ETA 12/13/07:  Yippee, I know who my Secret Santa is!  She left me a Comment here (thank goodness, because I missed her post on CKMB).  I pasted it here:

Hi Erika!
I left you a message on the MB, but I’m not sure if you saw it, so I thought I’d post here as well. I am your SS and I’m glad you like your goodies! I was a bit worried.
I’m really enjoying your blog. That is how I found out about the new BG line (which I now love) and the Pop Culture line is perfect for my daughter. I like reading your reviews too. I’ve been wondering about the MM Magnetic Mat system as well. That is on my Christmas list.
Anyway, enjoy your stash!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Lisa 

THANK YOU LISA!!!  What a generous gift.  I {heart} every single thing.  I can’t even get those Mike’s stamps around here, and my LSS doesn’t have Pop Culture yet so you are DA BOMB.  And YOU RAWK!  As a mommy who doesn’t get much under the tree, you can’t imagine how much this gift made my Christmas :)  I was good all year, I promise…

PS:  As you know, I’ve been having “issues” with my blog formatting.  I’m now trying to edit it from my work computer…let’s see if this holds…pretty please, pretty please, pretty please….

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