Life

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Business casual vs Business professional

Business casual vs Business professional

Business casual vs Business professional

Business casual vs Business professional

Business casual vs Business professional

Business casual vs Business professional

Business casual vs Business professional

Business casual vs Business professional

Today’s post was sparked by a question that I asked on my Instagram and that was simply, “What does your day consist of?”. Anytime I ask you all a question, I will answer it as well. But I couldn’t answer it as well as I hoped to because I still have not gotten a grasp on how the heck to manage my time as a “full time blogger”. I’ve said it once before but I was SO much more productive when I had two jobs (working full time and blogging on the side) than now when I just have the one.

I know it can’t be just me that struggles with staying on task and time management because I get asked all the time “how I do it all”. Or at least I did whenever I was working full time and blogging on the side. But to be frank, I am just now in a place that I feel like I can speak to that question. Funny enough, it’s when I don’t have a full time job taking up all of my time. In fact, I have ALL the time in the world.

Maybe it’s because it’s frowned upon to watch an absurd amount of Instagram stories in the workplace or because there isn’t a TV offering to play the newest episode of This Is Us but ever since I started blogging full time, I struggle DAILY to stay on task. Do I have time management issues? Most definitely yes. Although I wake up early, have a planner/notebook glued to me at all times, sit at my computer for 12+ hours a day, and stay up late most nights, the day normally ends with me feeling like I didn’t put a dent in the amount of work I needed to.

The thing is, when it comes to a corporate job, you are normally given a set of responsibilities that you are responsible for each day. You come to work and know exactly what needs to be done. There might not be a start and stopping point but at the end of the day, you know you can pick back up again tomorrow. You don’t go into work with open possibilities and completely free range of your schedule. Most of the time, you also aren’t having to tap into those creative juices.

Having that much “free time” and creative ability is both a blessing and a curse because it can take you in 500 different directions. This is not a great thing when you have a hard time staying on task and completing one thing before your mind jumps to another.  I want to work smarter, not harder. And to do that I’m realizing the important of what my full time job taught me. Why I was SO much more productive when I had 2 jobs instead one just one. So let’s start with the basics.

  1. Write EVERYTHING (yes, everything) down– I always assume “O, I will remember that” when in fact I most definitely will not. Although we literally have several means of doing this at our fingertips (computer, phone, Siri, notebook, etc), it’s easy to assume it’s a small enough task or thought that it does not have the significance to be written down. WRONG. The more you write down, the more accomplished you will feel when you check it off your to do list. It doesn’t matter how insignificant it is, write it down and you will thank yourself later. Taking a shower today? Write it down. Getting dressed today? Write it down. Waking up today? WRITE IT DOWN.
  2. Plan, Plan, Plan– Even if you have to start out small, plan out your time. Get a planner that suits your lifestyle the best and start planning your little heart out. I am a firm believer in planning out each and every day but if that seems like too much, start by planning out your month. The easiest step to start planning is to write down appointments, important dates, meetings, birthdays, etc. Then try to get more specific with your weeks. Monday- answer emails, Tuesday – plan out blog content, Wednesday- meetings, etc. Then take that one step further and plan out each day in hour increments. I am learning that planning out my days to the exact hour is critical, otherwise I wind up with an endless amount of time which inevitably results in wasted time.
  3. Get on a consistent schedule – I thought I hated consistency but what I’m starting to realize is that I thrive on somewhat of a set schedule. I actually need a schedule of sorts or I can’t function properly and if I had to guess you are probably the same. Even if it’s so much as making yourself respond to 20 emails before you have your morning coffee, devoting every Wednesday to focusing on XYZ, or putting a time limit on your phone usage, a schedule (and a consistent schedule at that) WILL make you more productive so that you aren’t left wondering what to do with down time. Play with your schedule until you find what works best for you. I have found that I am most productive on Mondays (maybe it’s because I just had two days off, maybe it’s cause I make my coffee extra strong, who knows!), but knowing this, I will always plan more thought provoking or time intensive tasks on Mondays. On Fridays I am not productive at all so I will plan easy tasks that don’t take much brain power to complete.
  4. Put your phone down– I might as well tattoo this to my own hand. Remember how we used to write things on our hands with cool gel pens in grade school to remember them later? *Insert permanent tattoo here* It is by far my biggest struggle. Some days I will purposely leave it in another room so that I am not tempted to get on my phone. Although my job requires me to be on my phone a lot (and I like to make that excuse for myself), there has to be a heathy balance. If you know that you are not productive when your phone is near you, leave it in another room or give yourself ultimatums. For ex: you have to complete XYZ before you can get on Instagram or you must devote 30 minutes of undivided time to work to get 5 minutes of social media time. I actually just ordered this timer for this reason alone. If you know something is pulling your focus away, learn how to combat it.
  5. Reward yourself– Remember when you were younger and your parents made you eat all of your dinner before you could watch TV? Or told you that if you made an A you could get the newest toy? Well it worked (most of the time) didn’t it? Adulthood is the same exact thing you just don’t have anyone telling you what you have to do. Now you handle your own bribery and rewards. The thing is if you have something to look forward to, most of the time you are going to work harder and faster to get to it. It might seem childish but it works and now that we are the ones making the call and not our parents, the reward can be way better (like wine!). The trick is setting the bar high enough to deserve whatever reward you are matching it with. For example, complete 20 emails and get 5 minutes of down time would be a reasonable reward not complete 20 emails and take the rest of the day off 🙂

I plan on doing an entire post soon with what a normal week looks like for me but since I know there are a lot of different professions out there, I wanted to share a few tips that could apply to everyones lifestyle. If you have any tips on how to work smarter instead of harder I would love love love to hear them even if it sounds like a no brainer!

In other news, both Kylee and I’s work wear are on sale or super affordable. My dress (get your true size) is under $30 and perfect for work, church or winter wedding! Kylee’s joggers are about the best invention to hit the work force and oh so comfy!

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Instagram Live Recap + 2018 Expectations + Survey

2017 was the year of growth for this blog but I want 2018 to be the year of community and connection. I’ve started to realize that I don’t care one bit what the follower count says anymore, I care about connecting with the ones I already have because it is SO fulfilling and I already have everything I need right here.

I am so happy that you are a part of the IACTM community and I am excited to make IACTM an even better outlet this year! It wasn’t until the very end of 2017, my “you only live once” phase that I just didn’t care what I put out there- the good,bad, the ugly. And you know what? Y’all seemed to really love it. I thought I had hit rock bottom but y’all loved it. Not the rock bottom part per say but the “screw everything, this is the real me, take it or leave it” part of rock bottom. And it made my rock bottom seem just the opposite. I realized I thrived at rock bottom. I realized what it meant to have and be a part of a community. So that’s exactly what 2018 is all about.

Things Happening in 2018

 

Weekly Giveaways

You all loved my 12 Days of Christmas giveaways so much that Santa Shelbi is coming out of retirement to bring you giveaways until you say “NO MORE!”. Since I want to get you more engaged and build this community, the giveaways will involve getting to know you better. That being said, as long as you follow along on Instagram and Instagram stories these are going to be EASY. You won’t have to follow any other bloggers or tag a million friends. The winner for the week will be chosen every Sunday evening.

The way it works: the first 100 comments on every Instagram post will be entered to win. This means you might want to have post notifications turned on or check Instagram each day. I usually post around 12 pm and 8 pm CST but that’s not always the case. The key is you will have to watch my Instagram stories each day to know how to enter. I will ask a question on my stories and you will then have to answer the question in a comment on the most recent Instagram post. I will also occasionally give fun ways for extra entries that might involve a secret emoji or something else simple and ultimately FUN!

How the winner is chosen: at the end of the week I will add up how many Instagram posts I did and generate two random numbers. The first random number will select which Instagram post, the second will select a number 1-100. That will be the number of the comment on that specific Instagram post aka the winner! I will do the drawing during the Instagram Live each week so that y’all can get the hang of how it works and be able to see who wins at the same time that I do!

 

Weekly Instagram Lives (“Chic Chats”)

So many of you want to see more real life shenanigans so from now on, I’m going to host a quick (30 minutes TOPS) Instagram Live every week. The majority of you picked Sunday nights at 8 CST/9 EST so that is what we are going to start off with for now but if I get enough people that want them on a different day I might trade off each week. For each live session there will be a topic of YOUR choosing. For ex: how to start a blog, best jeans under $100, spring trends, etc. I’ll have you guys send me your suggestions each week and then I will announce the topic the day of the live. This way you can decide if you want to tune in or not. I plan on giving away a $5 gift card to the most engaged person EVERY single week so it will help to tune into the live even though it will be saved for 24 hours.

 

Tuesday Ten

After many requests to shop my closet, I finally figured out a way to make it happen! Every Tuesday (or that’s what I’m aiming for) I will be selling 10 brand new or like new items from my closet at a MAJOR discount. This does not necessarily mean all clothes. It could be skin care, make up, fitness items, purses, shoes, vacuums (yes I get random stuff!), etc. While the clothes will primarily be my size (Top: XS/S // Bottoms: 25 or 0), this is not always going to be the case. I do get sent stuff sometimes that is not my size! I will host the sale every Tuesday evening on my Instagram stories at 8 pm CST. This will be first come, first serve. If you are interested in an item, you will email itsallchictomeblog@gmail.com to claim it. I will give each person an hour to pay before someone else will get a shot. I will put prices on each item and there will be a standard $10 shipping.

 

Blog Tips

So many of you are either bloggers yourself or just want to know more about how all of this blogging stuff works. You asked, so I am answering. I am going to start doing blog tips twice a month! Everything from how to start a blog, beginner photography, how to grow on social media, how to make gift guides/collages, etc. If you have topics you want me to talk about, please send them my way!

 

Styling/Business Coaching Services

I’ve been trying to figure out for the past year how I could connect more with you guys and bring my passion for fashion and building your own business to life. I love blogging but I’m also behind a computer all day. I am so much of a people person and find so much joy from sharing what I love best with others, I just haven’t known how. *Insert blog here* The blog has connected me to all of you and in 2018 I will be offering personal styling sessions as well as business coaching for beginner bloggers/entrepreneurs both locally in person and virtually. Stay tuned for more information on this 🙂

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How old are you?

I am 26 years young! I have 2 younger sisters and we are all within 4 years of each other.

 

What was your full time job?

I was a supply analyst for a retail power (electricity) company. My job in a nutshell consisted of forecasting power usage, buying/selling power, hedging our exposure, data analytics and lots of excel spreadsheets.

 

Why did you quit?

Ultimately I quit because of timing and I knew it was not what I wanted to be doing long term. Between my two hip surgeries, moving home, travel opportunities, and a burning passion to give the blog my all, I decided it was the right time for me to quit. Granted this would have never been possible if I was not living at home and the fact that I built my savings up over the last 3 years.

 

How did you manage your full time job with the blog?

Long story short – not very well. I would keep my blog email open at work so that I could star important emails and answer any time sensitive ones. I would write posts and answer emails after work. I would take pictures every other weekend, usually Saturday mornings where I would shoot 4-8 looks at one time with my photographer which would give me enough content for about 2 weeks. I didn’t have much of a social life between working 2 jobs but I didn’t mind at the time.

 

Do you plan on going back to work?

Yes! I am starting to look for work now and am hoping to go back to work in March or so. I still don’t really know what I want to be doing but I’m thinking something along the lines of marketing, public relations, social media, or event management. If you have a job that you love, I’d absolutely love to hear!

 

What surgeries did you have?

I had two PAO surgeries to correct hip dysplasia. I had the left side done in March and the right side done in October. Each were about a 2 month recovery. You can read all about it here.

 

How did you rehab after?

Yes, but not like I should have. After the first one I only went to physical therapy for a month because I was in so much pain. I don’t think the place I was going was very attentive to what my body needed and instead of finding a new place, I just quit. This go around has been harder because now I have 2 bad hips instead of just 1 so we are working both sides in physical therapy. I also have had 2 falls since my last surgery which have not been good for my hips. On top of that, I had to get my own health insurance and it’s been a constant battle so I am currently not doing physical therapy but desperately need to be!

 

Where did you go to college/what was your major?

I went to Texas A&M University and graduated with a Finance major and International Business minor. I actually studied abroad my sophmore year all over Europe – London, Paris, Nice, Monaco, Austria, Venice, and more!

Instagram Live Winners

Please contact me to claim your prize! And if you didn’t win this time, I will be doing it every week!

 

@keepingupwithgjones

 

@kiki_1978_

 

@babykakesss

 

2017 Feedback Survey

Thank you so much for making 2017 such a great year. I am so happy that you are a part of the IACTM community and thank you for answering these quick questions that aim to make IACTM an even better outlet! Remember these are anonymous and your HONEST feedback helps me the most! Thanks in advance for your response and taking the time to make IACTM a community – I am so glad that you are here!

*You can answer the questions below + submit the survey directly below!* 

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Dear 2017.

Dear 2017

Top of the Rock NYC, Holiday dresses under $100

Top of the Rock NYC, Holiday dresses under $100

Top of the Rock NYC, Holiday dresses under $100

Top of the Rock NYC, Holiday dresses under $100

Top of the Rock NYC, Holiday dresses under $100

Top of the Rock NYC, Holiday dresses under $100

Top of the Rock NYC, Holiday dresses under $100

Photography by: Banavenue

Dear 2017,

It’s not me, it’s you. I regret to say that I am NOT sad to see you go. So much happened this year. More than has happened in any year to date. I wish I could say that you rocked because that would be a cute blog post and all being that I am at the top of the Rock (Rockafeller Center) but to be honest, you mostly sucked. When I started trying to recap the year, I got stuck several times because there were only a couple major things that stuck out. The bad. The hard. The heartbreaking. And that made me sad that I couldn’t remember all of the good because of this. So I forced myself to sit down and remember all of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

January– I rang in the New Year in Seaside, Florida watching one of my oldest friends get married! Seaside is one of my absolute favorite places. I then traveled to Waco, Texas the following weekend to watch another childhood friend get married. This also gave me an excuse to visit the popular Magnolia Market for the first time and it did not disappoint! I ended the month with an early Galentine’s Day celebration at my favorite rooftop wine bar in Houston – Sonoma!

February– Not much more to mention about this month besides the fact a man entered my life that changed the rest of the course of the year for me. We will call him “bumble boy”. To be honest I didn’t really share much about this topic with you guys but it was a big factor this year.

March– By far my hardest month of the year. It started off great with a trip to Puerto Vallarta (my first sponsored travel opportunity) and with my best friend, Britt! Shortly after that, I moved home for the short term and had the first of two hip surgeries. Right after my surgery, the guy I met back in February and had spent almost every day with since, completely ghosted me. No text, call or anything to break things off. He just stopped responding to texts/calls. I regret to say I spiraled into a deep depression between these two things. I barely ate, got out of bed, or thought about anything else. For those of you that have been ghosted or had your heart broken by a boy, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy! This was the first time I had been broken up with and the worst part to this day, is that I have no idea why.

April– Since the hip surgery recovery involved being in bed and on crutches for 6 weeks, I had SO many friends visit me at my parents house. I am truly so grateful for all of these friends who helped me more than they knew by just being there in my lowest time. April brought LOTS of pool days and relaxing at hotel Adams. It was also the first (and only) time I opened up about “bumble boy” on the blog.

May– After being off of work for 7 weeks, I went back to my full time job. As much as I hated going back to my desk job, I needed the consistency of a schedule more than I knew at the time. I was still thinking about “bumble boy” every day, ALL day. My family also celebrated my youngest sister graduating from the University of Texas in Austin.

June– June was a fun month! I experienced my first two “staycations” at two of Houston’s nicest hotels! The first staycation involved a wine and taco convention. That’s right, unlimited wine and tacos. Need I say more? The second staycation involved a penthouse, my blogger babes, and a night out at Sonoma Wine Bar! The common theme in June was lots of wine 🙂 I ended the month with a spontaneous girls trip to Denver and Boulder, Colorado and it was by far one of the best trips with one of my oldest best friends and a new one too!

July– July 4th was spent with some of my blogger besties at her grandparent’s ranch and then again with new friends in San Marcos floating the river.

August– It was a full month of big blog collaborations (which I am SO thankful for!) with Academy and CStudio Home, traveling within Texas, wedding shenanigans, and birthday celebrations! August was also the month that Hurricane Harvey reeked havoc on Houston. Thankfully my house and family’s houses were not harmed but I cannot say the same for so many of my friends and it was heartbreaking to watch the people you care so much about, lose everything. As much as it hurt to watch these things, it was a good reminder to not take a single thing for granted, that there could always be worse, and to be thankful for all of life’s many blessings even when we feel God has wronged us. I also must add that my best friends and I got stuck in Fredericksburg (Texas wine country) during the flood and our sweet host comped the entire stay. If you are planning a trip to Fredericksburg, I highly suggest where we stayed for SO many reasons. More here.

September– While I HATE to admit that I was still thinking about “bumble boy” more days than not and after watching so many people lose everything, I had a major realization. What the hell was I doing with my life? Why was I succumbing to the devil? Why was I letting someone or something steal my joy EVERY day? For someone that thought they had everything figured out, I heard God say, “Let go, let go of everything and trust me”. And that’s what I did. I quit the job that was stealing my joy. I moved home. I booked several one way airplane tickets and I felt the most overwhelming sense of peace that I had EVER felt. Travels included: New York Fashion Week (for the second year in a row!), Boston, Nantucket, Copenhagen, Prague, Vienna, Milan and Cinque Terra. Read more about that big announcement here.

October– I ended my month long travel diaries and came back home to have my second hip surgery. While the recovery process ended up being much easier, the first week after surgery was AWFUL in every way. I battled severe nausea and migraines which resulted in an ER trip and trying over 15 medications to get these symptoms under control. I ended up having to completely forgo pain meds the rest of my recovery because of these side effects. Thankfully after the first week (from HELL), my recovery was mostly smooth sailing minus a severe amount of weight loss that I can’t seem to gain back. I ended the month by going to see Bruno Mars with the family. Best concert ever!!

November– November brought some exciting things for the blog! My biggest campaign to date with Olay, an event with Banana Republic, and my most profitable month to date! I cannot put into words how thankful I am that my leap of faith to blog full time (even if just for the short term) proved to be paying off in a big way. More than the money aspect, November brought so many opportunities to connect with all of YOU. If there is anything I have learned this year, it’s that this blog thing doesn’t have to be one sided! It has been so rewarding to start developing a community with you all and it is truly the highlight of my day when I get to chat with you via email or direct message.

December– December was a busy busy month and for that I am thankful. It was the first month that I did not think about “bumble boy” almost a single time. If you only knew how many times I prayed to God that he would erase that boy from my memory. Every day, y’all. My time was spent pouring myself into the blog. 12 hours a day. Between 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways and sharing tons of holiday gift inspiration, I didn’t sleep much but my heart was SO full. I finally felt like I was making a difference. Like I was helping you more than you were helping me! Other highlights of the month included my family taking a vacation to Cabo, ringing in the New Year in Chicago (my sister’s new home), Houston seeing it’s first snow in years, two slips and falls that set me back in physical therapy (clutz!), two amazing roaring 20s parties and more joy than I have felt in months!

While there were so many ups this year, most were regretfully clouded with sadness, grief, and anger. I put on a front to my family and friends that I was ok while I most certainly was not. But two things that stayed constant for me this year were God and all of you. When I think about what I am most thankful for this year, it truly is my faith, my steadfast friends that might not have known what was going on but loved me anyway and my growing relationship with each and every one of you. Most days I would be wallowing in my own self pity or not able to pull myself out of depressing thoughts and then I would get a message from one of you that would turn my entire day around. The thing is that you had no idea what you were doing. You had no idea what I was going through and yet God placed each of you and your voice in my life for a reason. I can only hope that I can return the favor to all of you this year. 2018- this is OUR year!

 

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A Moisturizer Christmas Miracle

Olay Whips experience

Olay Whips experience

Olay Whips experience

Olay Whips experience

Olay Whips experience

Olay Whips experience

Olay Whips experience

Olay Whips experience

Olay Whips experience

Sweatshirt: Nordstrom | Leggings: Aerie | Slippers: Target | Moisturizer: Olay Whips

Photography: Banavenue

Let me give you a little backstory on my skin. We’ve been in a complicated relationship for some time now. Basically since those teenage years when it decided to go all high maintenance on me. After years of breakouts, I swore off moisturizer because I was convinced it was making my skin greasy and therefore causing the breakouts.

Fast forward to my mid-twenties and I am just now reintroducing moisturizers back into my daily routine. I recently had the opportunity to partner with Olay on their new product launch of Whips! I got to be one of the first few to do a blind product test without knowing the brand behind it. This was my first time to participate in something like this and I thought it was genius! Not only was it intriguing to try and figure out the brand, it took away any predispositions or prejudices so that I was able to give a complete and honest review.

For my very first take on Whip I really had to use my five senses. Ok, maybe not taste or hearing but the other three were put to good use. Smell is a big one for me as I am very sensitive when it comes to scents. Whips definitely has a fragrance to it, whereas I normally prefer facial products to be fragrance free. While I will say the smell initially made me question if I’d like the overall product, it did not end up being a deterring factor for me.

The look of Whip is different than any other moisturizer that I have ever used. Instead of the creamy consistency that I was accustomed to, Whips was almost more of a translucent liquid. Think about what coconut oil looks like. That is what Whips reminded me of!

The touch of Whip is what intrigued me the most. It truly is the most light weight and refreshing product that I have ever felt. You would have thought you just splashed water on your face and let it air dry with how refreshing this product felt. You would also think with how light weight it is that you would need a lot of it to achieve moisturized skin but you really don’t!

After using Olay’s Total Effects Whip for the past month I can honestly say that it is one of a kind. It’s ability to leave your skin feeling hydrated all day without looking greasy by the end of the day is what sold me. For someone with extremely sensitive skin that is prone to breakouts, Whip has minimized the amount of oil and grease that I deal with on a normal basis and has left my skin feeling better than it ever has!

For the longest time if you had asked me what my #1 Christmas wish was, I would have told you perfect skin! My skin still has a ways to go, but thanks to Whip, I’m happy to say that I have finally found a moisturizer that my sensitive skin LOVES and craves!

*This post was sponsored by Olay Whip. As always, all opinions are my own.*

For shares that include a brand URL, please include the #ad hashtag in your social share.

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Christmas Home Tour

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Decorating for the Holidays, Christmas decorations, holiday tablescape, holiday mantle decorations

Photos by: Banavenue

There is no place that I’d rather be than home for the holidays. Every year my parents have tried to get us to go forgo the normal Christmas traditions and take a family vacation instead and every year my sisters and I say no. To me there is just something special about being home for the holidays.

Growing up my family always decorated the Christmas tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving. That tradition still holds true but this year it was just me, mom and dad since both sisters moved to Chicago and Austin. It definitely was a little sad putting up all of the decorations without them!

My favorite part about putting up the Christmas decorations each year is that we all would put on our Christmas pajamas, blare Christmas music and stop for hot chocolate breaks. It’s a tradition that I will no doubt hopefully one day share with my own little family.

A lot of my mom’s home decor is older or from Homegoods so it is not linkable but I was able to link some stuff for you guys and also went ahead and linked items that I put on my wish list for my own home next year! if you need a little more inspiration I shared a holiday decor gift guide here and whole round up of decor items here.

Christmas Tree


Fire Place Mantle


Living Room Decor


Dining Room Table Decor


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