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Monday, June 15, 2015

Cozy Afternoon!

It's Here!!!


The Cozy Afternoon BOM starts today!  If you've signed up to sew along, you should have already received an email from Jacquelynne with the patterns for the first two blocks.  If you haven't signed up .... what are you waiting for?????  It's FREE!!! And it's FUN!!!  Go HERE NOW to sign up :*)

You can see Jacquelynne's wonderful blocks #1 and #2 on her blog post today HERE, and see how gorgeous they look in her fabric choices.  (She does still have a few fabric kits, but they're going fast so get one while you can!!!)  Her post shows many different ways to make the fun and easy blocks - applique, embroidered, or even just pieced with a yummy focus fabric!

All of Jacquelynne's guest bloggers are also posting the first two blocks today - including me! :*)  You can find all those super friendly, helpful guest bloggers listed below!  And as always, stick around to the end of this post, because Jacquelynne is offering a SUPER GIVEAWAY PACKAGE!!!

As I shared in an earlier post, my plan is to continue using the Laurel Burch panel cats that I used in Sew Sweet Simplicity last year...

Yes, I had to change the corners of the top block so it would "chain" with the others :*)

And by the way, if you missed out on the Sew Sweet Simplicity sew-along, don't fret!  You can still get the patterns at a very small cost from Jacquelynne's Shop HERE!

When I realized that the blocks for Cozy Afternoon (CA) are all rounded in design, I thought they would be perfect to set in between the SSS blocks - and I was right as you will see :*)

The first CA block is a super simple strip design.  Here are all my pieces cut and ready to go ....


It was a snap to simply sew those four hot-colored strips together in the order I liked best and then cut them into the required sized chunks for the block design ....


These bright fabrics make a very colorful frame for this gorgeous Laurel Burch Cat, don't they?  


There will be TONS of color and activity going on in this quilt, so I've decided to use this calming purple dot with black to make corner HST's on all of these CA blocks to pull it together.  I'll share more on my thoughts on that later :*)


I used Jacquelynne's instructions for making these hst's and then squared them up using my favorite new tool, the 6-1/2" Bloc-Loc ruler.  I'll explain more about these rulers in a little more depth later in this post :)

Here is my completed Block #1 .....


I just LOVE IT!!!

So now on to Block #2!

Lots of bright colorful hst's for this block!  First we make four hst diamond blocks - these were so fun!!!


You might notice that instead of pressing these seams open as Jacquelynne suggests, I decided to press mine to one side because I may end up quilting this block by stitching in the ditch (SID) and will need that fabric under the stitching if I do.  If you don't think you'll be using SID for your quilting, then pressing the seams open is definitely the way to go!  You can see in the top right photo that I also alternated the pressing direction on these so they would "nest" nicely for me when it came time to assemble the units....


I also used a Bloc-Loc ruler on these smaller units -  my 2-1/2" ruler was perfect for the job!


In the top two pictures, you can see that you simply line up the diagonal seam with the "groove" in the ruler and trim the first two sides, leaving room to turn and trim the remaining two sides to finish it up to a perfect square.  See how nicely that diagonal is kept true?  That makes for perfect hst's, and no tips floating or cut off when you stitch them together - pure bliss!!!

These rulers are a little pricey, but I have found them to be well worth it.  They are available in many sizes, but I actually use the 6-1/2" ruler for most applications because it will square up any size hst that size or smaller.  I couldn't resist picking up the 2-1/2" ruler at Quiltfest this year because I knew it would be a pretty common, much-used size - and I must admit, it is a luxury to have that convenience :*)  HERE is the Bloc-Loc site if you are interested in checking them out.

Once all the little hst diamonds were finished up and looking oh-so-adorable, Jacquelynne has us twist them around one clockwise turn around the block for additional interest - notice how each fabric travels around to a different position on each diamond?  I really like this fun effect!


Sooooo back to the star of this block - the Laurel Burch Cat!  I chose to use this wonderful feline for the center of Block #2 .... it takes me back to my groovy 70's days :*)  Flower Power baby!!!


And here is my completed block ....


Again, I love it!!!
Isn't this a FUN block?  

And here is my Design Wall with the two new blocks added ...
The circle shows where I fixed the corners of that center top block so it "chains"
Notice that I've chosen to use the hot colors (pinks, reds, yellows, oranges) in the side sections of the new CA blocks, and then contrasted with the cool purple dot/black hst's in the corners?  That's to give the design a framework, so the eye can rest on those cool areas :*)  The center block will be surrounded with the purple dot to tie it all together.

I hope my blocks will offer some inspiration as you start to play with your Cozy Afternoon version!  Be sure to share your blocks with us on Instagram at #CozyAfternoonQuilt - spread the inspiration!!! 

Block #3 will be released July 13, so be sure to come on back !!!



And now, for the GIVEAWAY you've all been waiting for!!!  This awesome Digital Pattern Package from Jacquelynne is going to the winner of my giveaway!!!  For your chance to win, leave me a comment telling me what you like to do best on a "cozy afternoon" - and keep it clean LOL!!!  If you are a follower, you can have a second chance to win by leaving a second comment letting me know how you follow!!!  The giveaway is open to all readers, domestic and international, and will end at midnight on Saturday, June 20.

Now - head on over to visit the other Cozy Afternoon guest bloggers - you'll be glad you did!!!  See their creative versions of the CA blocks, and get more chances to win the super GIVEAWAY!!!

A Quilt and a Prayer (ME!!!)



Lily Pad Quilting   




Red Letter Quilts



The Crafty Quilter



44th Street Fabric

http://44thstreetfabric.blogspot.com/                       



Kathy's Quilts




Hugs & Blessings!
Teresa
=^..^=

Also linking up with Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday and Freemotion by the River Tuesday Linky Party

91 comments:

  1. OMGosh, this is going to be adorable!

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  2. I didn't receive any emails for the Cozy Afternoon and I did sign up. Hope I get the email later today.

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  3. My favorite thing to do on a cozy afternoon is curl up with a book, a quilt, a cat, and a cuppa. Or work on a quilt - which I plan to do this afternoon!

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  4. Awesome job Teresa! I love your colours!
    I love to cuddle up under a quilt and do some hand quilting - the best relaxation there is!

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  5. Your blocks look fantastic -- perfect frames around those Laurel Burch kitties. Thanks for sharing about the Bloc-Loc rulers. They do look handy (although I already own SO MANY RULERS....) :-)

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  6. Thanks so much love your blocks! I just enjoy having time to quilt! Love those rulers too.

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  7. Thanks so much love your blocks! I just enjoy having time to quilt! Love those rulers too.

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  8. Those blocks look fantastic. I love the colors you are using with those great cats. A cozy afternoon is perfect for sitting with a hand stitching project.

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  9. Oh wow! your blocks are crazy Full of Color! I am not sure I have that much bravery! I may change up my color choices for some funky looking Halloween theme similar to your cats! Cool!

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  10. You are right Teresa! Those colors and the design are going to work great with your kitty cats! Thanks for the tip on the rulers! You go girl!

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  11. Great idea to use a focus novelty in the center. This will be a bright, fun quilt. mfhagopian@aol.com

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  12. I am a Laurel Burch fan and followed your progress during SSS, what a great idea to combine them! BRILLIANT!

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  13. So bright and colorful. I think you are definitely on the right track. Can't wait to see the whole thing when complete. I am hoping to do the Cozy Afternoon quilt, too. Should be fun.

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  14. It is always fun to see the creative way you interpret the designs. Your project is going to be great!

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  15. It is always fun to see the creative way you interpret the designs. Your project is going to be great!

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  16. Excellent plan. Your blocks are working so well together. This will be a stunning quilt!

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  17. I really like your bright colorway that you have used. More to think about.

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  18. A cozy afternoon involves hand stitching/quilting with a cat or two snuggled close, a hot cup of tea and some cookies. I love your blocks!

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  19. I love your choice of fabrics!! I love Laurel Burch! WOW!! For me a Cozy afternoon is setting with my Sewing Machine and my Embroidery machines working a way with a cup of tea or a glass of iced tea!!

    Thank you for sharing your very inspirational blocks!! Groovy!! Peace!!

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  20. My cozy afternoon involves a great movie playing in the background as I sit and stitch whether it's applique in the downstairs or machine in the upstairs room. In either case, I'd be happy.

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  21. I just signed up to follow your blog my e-mail. I love your sense of color.

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  22. My afternoon would be visiting friends. Love your colors.

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  23. My cozy afternoon would be having coffee with a friend and talking about quilting! :) I LOVE your Laurel Burch blocks!

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  24. I just started following you on Bloglovin

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  25. Thank you for the wonderful quilty inpiration! Your blocks from the two BOM patterns are perfect together and a perfect way to showcase the Laurel Burch Cats! This is my first visit to your blog and scrolling back to your previous post... will have to say I also love a cozy & relaxing afternoon on a blanket at the beach!

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  26. I like to SEW! of course! I printed my patterns off this morning. Now to pick out some fabrics from my stash. I LOVE my bloclock ruler! I have the 6.5" size.

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  27. I like to read a book on a cozy afternoon. I love your use of the cats on your blocks. So colorful and I have always loved those fabrics.

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  28. I follow you through Google friends.

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  29. On a cozy afternoon, either sew or curl up with a book.

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  30. I have been catching up on sleep whenever I can... so I would pick that, but if I was rested, I would be making some sort of craft, baking something or sewing!

    determineddebby at gmail dot com

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  31. I like how you put your own style on the blocks, very unique. For a cozy afternoon, I love to read a book and sip tea. villacrestfarm@gmail.com

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  32. Your quilt is looking good. Love the Laurel Burch panels.

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  33. Great colors in your quilt. Everyone swears by the bloc loc rulers. I may have to invest in some.

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  34. On a cozy afternoon I like to read a good book or if I feel like doing some hand sewing watch a good movie. It will be fun to see your blocks continued in this new BOM.

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  35. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished quilt!! it's looking great so far, i love the black background - all the brights really pop!

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  36. On a cozy afternoon I love to read a good book, it's one of my passions. But now, this cozy afternoon project may take precedence!! Your blocks are amazing, very modern. I do love the cat!!

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  37. I've had a Cozy morning on my day off - I watched the Game of Thrones finale while knitting on a lace cardigan for myself and drinking tea, then I did bobbin lace for an hour, and now I am printing off my BOM patterns to make a start on this quilt!

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  38. I love your first two blocks, as I knew I would. ;-) My favorite thing to do on a cozy afternoon is to sit in my recliner, with my feet up, and needle and thread in my hands. And I follow you through Feedly.

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  39. Thanks for the ruler tips! Your blocks just glow. The new BOM is adorable, but I have enough going on for now. I'll live vicariously through you as you make your blocks. :)

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  40. I am fairly new to quilting and would love to learn your technique.
    Nancy
    gandn74@ymail.com

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  41. I love to go upstairs to my sewing room, listen to a book on my ipod and sew.

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  42. On cozy afternoons I like to sew and take naps. I love your Laurel Burch cat blocks. cknapp3626(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

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  43. I just signed up to follow you by email. Thanks or the inspiration! cknapp3626(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

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  44. Cozy afternoons mean a nice nap or maybe some sewing time. I just started following you on pinterest.

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  45. Those bright colors are wonderful. I love to spend a sunny afternoon sitting at the beach watching kids jump of the warf.

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  46. A good book and a cup of tea would be my cozy afternoon. Thanks for the opportunity to win the patterns!

    Malggl@comcast.net

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  47. Your fabric choices are stunning, Teresa! Great blocks!

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  48. I love how you are continuing to use those Laurel Burch fabrics. Your quilt will get even more stunning!

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  49. Your two blocks came out really nice. A cozy summer afternoon with a warm breeze playing on my laptop visiting quilt blogs and pinterest. Inspirations.

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  50. Love your kitty fabric in these blocks! I love to cuddle in a big comforter, by a fire, with a good book to read for a cozy afternoon!
    Susie

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  51. I love the bright colors

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  52. Wow, after seeing one of the other ladies versions, I commented that my next version may be cats and dogs and what happens I visit here and wollah (I think that's a word) In my mind I pictured stitched cats and dogs, but I may have to see if there is a panel or fabric with features that I can cut up, I love it and I must mention I also like that it is a darker colourway - inspirational, thank you

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  53. I love everything about your blocks! The black background is so dramatic and goes so well with the bright colors. The combination of the prior BOM blocks and this one looks great, too!

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  54. I'm so tickled the two sets of blocks will play nicely together, because I adore your cats, and framing them in these blocks is such fun!! On a cozy afternoon I like a spot of tea (with a pretty pot and a matching cup and saucer), something sweet to stitch, something light to read, perhaps a little catnap, and maybe a grandbaby or two or five. Wait -- five grandbabies isn't very cozy -- better keep it to one. One for every weekday afternoon! :)

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  55. Love your kitty blocks. I have several Laurel Burch totes in the cat patterns. I just can't make up my mind how I want to do my quilt. I have seen so many great ideas.

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  56. very nice blocks. I like to blog hop on a cozy afternoon, or morning... :)

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  57. Hey, I didn't know the next block comes out July 13. That is the day after my company leaves. Perfect timing. I prefer dogs to cats (10 years of Westie rescue) but I love yours. Who am I kidding, I love all animals.

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  58. Beautiful blocks!! I love to quilt on a lazy day then curl up with a few cats and a good movie. with the dog at our side (he's a Great Dane, so he doesn't fit in my lap no matter how much he tries).

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  59. My fave cozy afternoons are spent with friends---chatting, maybe sewing, maybe shopping, maybe hiking or at a museum. But always filled with laughter.

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  60. Great color choices not something I would've chosen, but it inspires me. On a cozy afternoon I love to read and or sew.

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  61. Good idea to tie the quilt fabric together. A cozy afternoon for me is sewing, quilting or finding new inspiration for projects.

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  62. My best cozy afternoons are spent right here in SW GA sewing and drinking coffee!

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  63. As I have just found your blog through this blog hop, I signed in to follow you by email (yahoo) and by Google as gator

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  64. I love sitting by the window all warm and cozy while watching the weather outside and doing some embroidery.

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  65. Great blocks! I love Laura Burch's fabrics. I enjoy doing handwork or reading a book in the afternoon. Thanks for sharing.

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  66. Love your blocks, and this BOM. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  67. I love sitting with my embroidery or knitting on a nice cozy afternoon.
    Love your version of the block.

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  68. Fun and refreshing ideas on these blocks I love them

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  69. Gosh, those turned out really dynamic in the Laurel Burch fabrics! Love the color pop, and love the cats, of course. :)

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  70. Hi, I like your take on the blocks. The cats are great! A cozy afternoon is rare and since sewing isn't a breeze for me, a cozy afternoon is usually sitting somewhere quiet and reading a good book. Thank you for sharing your blocks.

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  71. Your quilt will be so fun!!!

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  72. Love, love, love your bright colors and the middle you chose. I hope mine will be just as nice.

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  73. Hi,
    Love the fancy colors in your blocks.
    If I'm by myself, a cozy afternoon means spending it in my sewing room. If hubby is at home, it often means just lying together on the couch and enjoying a good movie, simply forgetting all the tasks and works that have to be done.

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  74. I love to do hand stitching on a cozy afternoon.

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  75. YOUR Laurel Burch block in the Cozy Afternoon quilt has inspired me with ideas for my Laurel Burch Hummingbirds, Butterflies, and Dragonflies. Thank you- love your bright colors!

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  76. I love to sew or read on a cozy afternoon. Your blocks look wonderful!

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  77. Fabulous fabrics and cats! Love them!

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  78. I love Laurel Burch, too! I have not selected fabrics yet, and I was planning applique, perhaps going scrappy from my stash. NOW, I may head a different direction, using Laurel Burch machine embroidery designs in the center. Thanks!

    Now...to applique...to machine embroidery????

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  79. My cozy afternoon involves a good book, a comfy chair to curl up in, a fireplace (with a fire if it's cold or raining) and quiet.

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  80. On a cozy afternoon...I love to sit in my comfy chair with a hand embroidery project, stitch away while watching a movie!

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  81. After reading some of your posts and various aspects of your blog....oh yeah, I signed up to follow by email. Looking forward to reading more. Thanks for sharing and having this nice giveaway. Have a great day!

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  82. I want to make another quilt with the half circles pattern of the giveaway, so I hope I win it! I've just had a lovely and blessed week (not quilting) up at my church camp being a counselor for the Jr. High camp. Summers are marvelous in MT and so one needs to set aside the quilting and get out into the great outdoors; Quilting can wait until the wind blows cold, which will be soon enough

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  83. On Cozy afternoons I really love to sew! I just get lost in my own 'zone' while in my sewing room! Truly relaxing and enjoyable! I also do free motion quilting on my Long Arm, but not on a cozy afternoon!!

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  84. Oh! I've so been wanting to get some bloc loc rulers!!! I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and just do it. I can't wait to see how this quilt turns out my friend. So gorgeous!

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