September 2021

Relief Society Christmas Dinner

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Affiliate links may follow

In my church, we have an amazing group of women called the Relief Society.  We meet together on Sundays for spiritual instruction, and throughout the week we help members of our congregation and community through service projects, bringing meals to new moms and those who are recovering from illness, and the like.  We also get to do fun monthly activities to help us get to know each other and learn new things.

Every year we have a Christmas dinner and program.  This is the first year I’ve been in charge of the program, though I had a great committee of women to help me carry it out

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We decided our theme would be “The Best Gifts”.  So, all our decor centered around presents.

We used Christmas-themed patterned paper for the place settings, and a gift tower was the centerpiece for each table.


At the front of the room we had a few Christmas trees, along with some gaily wrapped presents (wrapping paper here).


I put together this fun oversized print, which is now displayed in my home.  It’s simple to make:

I downloaded this printable from Tips from a Typical Mom and had it printed at 16×20.

Then I used glitter wrapping paper from Walmart, cut to size, and taped it to a foam display board.


Finally, I attached the photo print with thumbtacks in the corner.  It was a great display for the dinner, and now it looks awesome in front of my fireplace!

For dinner, we had soup bowls with soups provided by some of the women in the ward, delicious tossed salad, and Chocolate Pudding Parfaits for dessert (layers of crushed oreo, cubed pound cake, peppermint marshmallows and white or milk chocolate pudding, topped with whipped cream!) 

 Here’s how we decorated the food table (obviously before the food was added!)


For our program, we showed three short videos reminding us that Jesus Christ is the best gift we have been given.  Since we have been given such an amazing gift, we need to give the best gifts we can in return, and we do that through serving others, and by giving our hearts over to God.  You can check out the videos here, here, and here.  They may bring a tear to your eye!

We finished with a musical number- four women sang “In the Bleak Midwinter” and it was just beautiful!

We sent the sisters home with a tile with vinyl reminding them that Christ is “The Best Gift of All”.  



This is a really frugal gift if you’re on a tight budget- the tiles only cost about 15 cents each and I cut all the vinyl on my Silhouette.  We had leftover black vinyl from our Craft Night, so this was super cheap!

I came away from the night with a desire to be more Christ-centered this Christmas, and to try not to let the hustle and bustle of the holidays weigh me down.  I’m thankful for the opportunity I had to put this night together, and I hope everyone had a great time!



Handmade Christmas Ornaments + Blog Hop!

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Here at Occasionally Crafty we are very DIY, and when it comes to the holidays you can’t get more DIY than making your own ornaments! 

Today I’m teaming up with Diana from The Girl Creative, and close to 40 other bloggers to share our handmade ornaments!


I really enjoy making ornaments for teacher gifts around the holidays, but I always am trying to find something that is easy on the wallet and can be mass produced easily. I actually had so many things I wanted to try that I couldn’t narrow it down to just one. Today you get 4 {four!} ornaments from me and two of those include a little tutorial!


First up are these darling Shower Curtain Ring Wreaths! You heard me… made from shower curtain rings!

These are super simple and customizable! Here are the materials you need:


  • Shower curtain rings (I got mine at Dollar Tree- 12 in a pack!)
  • Yarn/pipe cleaners
  • Hot glue
  • Embellishments like bells, ribbon, pom poms, whatever you desire!


You really just wrap the shower curtain ring with yarn until it looks nice and thick like a wreath! Hot glue the start of your yarn to the ring, and once you’re done wrapping, cut and seal with a little more glue, keeping all glued parts to the back. I experimented with different patterns and thickness for different results. I was also digging through my craft box where I found some sparkly pipe cleaners that were PERFECT for wrapping the rings, no glue needed.

Next is the Bottle Cap Snowman!

These ornaments are a perfect gift for teachers, and the kids can help you make them!

I purchased plain bottle caps online, spray painted them white and hot glued them together with a strip of ribbon down the back that also serves as the hanger. Embellish as you like! So easy!

The next handmade ornament is one we handed out to children in our church as a Christmas gift. 

We have over 120 kids so we needed something that wasn’t going to break the bank. We each took turns using 40% coupons at the craft stores to buy wooden doll pegs and a pack of wooden stars and crafting wire to complete the look. The baby was made from a regular size peg that was sawed just above the leg split. Add a little twine for a bow and a hanger and you’ve got a sweet remembrance of the true meaning of Christmas.

Last but not least are some awesome Sprinkled Glass Bulbs!

I’m sure you all have see the glitter glass bulbs, right? I still want to make some of those, but I saw these on Pinterest and had to try it out. I love the look of the sprinkles because it reminds me of the Christmas cookies we make every year!

Here’s what you need:

  • Glass bulbs- I used smaller ones, but any size will work. In fact plastic may work too
  • Varnish- this will be your sticky stuff!
  • Funnel
  • Sprinkles

After you remove the cap from your glass bulb, place about 1 TBSP of varnish in your glass bulb. Turn it around in your hand until the entire inside is coated.

Turn the bulbs upside down in dixie cups to let the varnish dry and become tacky. Wait at least 30 minutes. For me an hour was good amount of time. You don’t want the varnish to still be so wet that nothing sticks. It will create a big mess!

Once the varnish has had time to dry, use your funnel to add your sprinkles. Swish it around until all your bulb is covered! I can’t wait to try this with other sprinkles.These would be so cute for birthdays and other holidays too! 

I hope you found something you can create and enjoy! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Handmade Ornaments that are part of the blog hop today!


Connect with us! You can find us here:

Announcing the 2nd Annual Spring De-Junk Challenge!

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My house is in desperate need of a good de-cluttering.  I tend to hoard piles of paper that get moved out of sight when company comes.  It drives my husband nuts.  But hey- I might NEED one of those papers, and it usually happens just after it gets thrown away!

I’m the kind of person that works best with external motivation (like my recent weight-loss challenge).  So I am thrilled to announce that I will be participating in a Spring De-Junk Challenge with some of my blogger friends.  And, we want you to join in too!


We’re announcing the challenge a week early so that you have time to mark your calendar to be ready to join us on Day 1.
For 10 days, do one thing every day to make some progress toward de-junking or spring cleaning your home.  The challenge starts Monday, April 27th, and continues until May 7th. (That’s 11 days, in case you would like to take Sunday off. If you chose to continue through Sunday, you can end the challenge on May 6th.)

  • Each day, pick a spot in your home that you need to clean or de-junk.  (For some, this may be one drawer.  For others, it might be the entire garage.  Do what works for you.  Big or small, it’s still progress!)
  • Before you tackle the mess, take a before photo and share it on Instagram.
  • When you’ve finished dejunking or organinzing that spot, post another photo of your newly cleaned space. Include the hashtag #SpringDeJunkChallenge with both photos so that we can follow your progress and to inspire others to join the fun.
  • No Instagram account?  No problem.  Use Facebook instead.
  • The purpose of taking pictures and posting them is to make the challenge more fun and to inspire other people to join us.  Everything’s more fun with a friend, right?  If taking and posting pictures will keep you from completing the challenge, feel free to skip that part. (I think you’ll find that it’s pretty motivating, though!)

So, are you up for the challenge? Follow your hosts on Instagram (links are in the Rafflecopter for the giveaway) to see how we’re all completing the challenge and to get some ideas.
11 bloggers have accepted the challenge. To add to the fun, all 11 of us will share a special post about getting our home in shape for Spring on Day 1 of the challenge. Don’t forget to check back on Monday to get lots of inspiration for your own home.
What challenge would be complete without a prize? For most of us, the prize will be a clean and organized home. For one lucky de-junker, the prize will be a little bigger. How about a little something to improve your home? Maybe $210 to spend at Amazon.com?!!!  Sounds good, right? So enter away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you join the challenge, feel free to leave me your Instagram handle in the comments so that I can follow your De-Junking Journey.

Be sure to visit the bloggers sponsoring the series and check out the great ideas on their blogs. We all love new visitors, and we’d love to hear from you!


Heidi from One Creative Mommy

Ang from Juggling Act Mama

Christina from Christina, Plain and Simple

Vicki from Simply Vicki

Kathleen from Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Marilyn from 4 You with Love

Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama

Mary from Redo Mom

Valerie from Occasionally Crafty

Brittney from The Princess and Her Cowboys

Krystal from Krystal’s Kitsch

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and good luck with the challenge!






Girls Love Marvel Too: Superheroes aren’t just for boys

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AvengersUnite #CollectiveBias



My daughter just turned 10.  She loves all thinks pink, sticker books, Frozen, cute clothes and earrings, and Bath and Body Works, things marketed to girls.  But, she also loves science, robotics, Minecraft, and superheroes– all things generally marketed towards boys.



With the impending release of the new movie, MARVEL’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron, I thought this would be a great time to talk about how we parents can help overcome the marketing blitz that teaches us certain things belong to “boys” or to “girls”.




I talked to my daughter about The Avengers.  When they first came out, she was like a lot of girls and said it was a “boy” movie and she wasn’t interested in seeing it.  But since she has two brothers, she was OUTVOTED and we went to see it.  



Guess what–she loved it! 



Now, she’s not old enough to like it because the boys are good-looking or because she has a crush on RDJ.  (What? You don’t?)  No, she liked the movie because it was awesome!  Not only are there two strong female characters, Black Widow and Agent Maria Hill, but each of The Avengers represents a value that is important to my daughter.



In her words:

Captain America:  “He is always brave and a cool supersoldier.”

Thor:  “He protects others from getting hurt”

Hulk/Bruce Banner:  “He’s really smart and a scientist”

Iron Man:  “He’s funny and a really smart scientist too”

Hawkeye:  “He saves his friends”

Black Widow: “She can trick everyone and she’s a good fighter”



It’s important that we as parents teach our daughters that there aren’t “girl” things and “boy” things- there are just things, whether that be toys, interests, or even careers.  When your daughter knows all things are open to her, she will grow up to be a woman who can and will do anything!



When your daughter knows all things are open to her, she will grow up to be a woman who can and will do anything! #mightygirls
— Occasionally Crafty (@ocrafty) April 15, 2015


I purchased a few items at Walmart for my daughter so that she can be a superhero in our backyard. 




There were so many to choose from, so I went with Hawkeye’s crossbow (with foam darts) and a flying version of her favorite Avenger, Captain America.  I can’t wait to see her battle as an Avenger with her brothers.








You can also download the Super Heroes Assemble app,  available in the iTunes and Google Play store.  



My kids are so excited for MARVEL’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron.  That means a re-watch of the first movie, which we own, was in order.  I hit up Walmart to stock up on some The Avengers-themed food, lazy-mom style.   I bought some movie snacks- The Avengers-themed Doritos and Kellog’s Cheese-its, and then bought some The Avengers cereal to make into a snack. 


As we watched the movie, we made these delicious cereal treats. 




You need the following ingredients:

4 cups The Avengers Cereal

4 cups Golden Grahams

1 cup Karo syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine

Mix syrup, brown sugar, and butter together in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until butter is melted and mixture comes to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently.




While sauce is simmering, combine The Avengers cereal and Golden Grahams in a large bowl.  Stir to mix well.

When syrup is finished simmering, it should be thick like pancake syrup.  Carefully pour it over your cereal, stirring as you add it.  You may not need all the syrup.

Lay the cereal treat out on a cookie sheet to dry overnight, or place in the fridge for an hour or so.  Break off in chunks and serve.  Keep leftovers in an airtight container.






   

Be sure to check out all the MARVEL’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron merchandise at Walmart the next time you stop by.  Which superhero is your daughter’s favorite?  

Faith is Like a Seed- Printable Handout

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In my church, I teach Sunday School to the adults in our congregation.  It’s called Gospel Doctrine class and it just might be the most intimidating responsibility I’ve ever had.  I’m no scriptorian, but I do have a love of the scriptures and the gospel that help me teach this class. One of my biggest challenges is keeping my lessons interesting and “memorable” (meaning, I want them to HEAR what is being taught, if that makes sense).  Because I’m a musician, I often bring music into my lessons to help teach a point.  I find that sometimes music conveys the Spirit like nothing else can.

Recently, I used the children’s song “Faith” to teach about–what else– faith (Alma 32)

Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day. Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time I pray. Faith is like a little seed– if planted, it will grow Faith is a swelling within my heart; when I do right I know. I made a handout using a line from this song.  I like to put little reminders directly into my scriptures, so that when I am studying them on my own, the lesson will come back into my mind.
(I need to say a quick thank you to LDS Files for the seed image.  You can find it here.)

I’m sharing the handout if you’d like to use it.  It would be great for Primary, Youth, or even adults!  It will print four to a page, and you can DOWNLOAD IT here.   (the gray lines are just cut guides)

While I was putting this together, I thought I’d share a few thoughts about how I study and mark my scriptures.  I know that not everyone that reads my blog is interested in this, but it is something that is important to me.  I’ve looked online for inspiration before, so if this helps someone else, I’ll gladly share it! Scripture study is a very personal thing.  Everyone has their own way, their own system, etc.  I have read my scriptures many times, and in pretty much every way imaginable. My scriptures are dog eared, full of writing and color, and are stuffed with lesson handouts, as I mentioned above. I have quotations that I got from talks or lessons. I have lists  (Corianton’s 5 problems, The 9 “Wo’s”- wo unto the….) My favorite thing to do is to go through and mark my scriptures by topic.  I found these great colored pencils a few years ago, and I use them all the time!  Now being back-to-school time, you can find these at the store for cheap!    They are Crayola’s Twistable Colored Pencils.  No sharpening- what’s not to love? I read my scriptures cover to cover, looking for scriptures that talked about a specific set of topics that I had identified before I started.

Red–Qualities of God and Jesus Christ

Orange– The Holy Ghost
Pink– Charity/Service
Yellow= Faith and Hope
Tan– Repentance
Light Green–Salvation/Eternal Life
Dark Green–Prophecies Not Yet Fulfilled
Light Blue– Prayer
Dark Blue– Creation/Fall of Man
Purple– Prophecies Fulfilled or Being Fulfilled
Dark Brown–Baptism
Black– Miscellaneous I know there are lots of other topics I could have chosen, or ways I could have split them up, but this is what worked for me (and fit the colors I had!) When I find a verse that talks about one of these topics, I draw a dark line outlining the verse, then shade it in lightly (you can see what I mean in the above pictures.  I just like the way it looks.)  If a verse talks about more than one of these topics, I color half one color, and then the other half the other color.  I also make notes in the margins and draw arrows to footnotes, or underline words and phrases that stand out in a verse. I got this set of scriptures about ten years ago, and it is a treasure to me.  I love to reread them and remind myself of things I have discovered along the way.  I also often find a verse I missed that fits into one of my topics.  It’s amazing how you can always find something new in the scriptures.

By the way, if you’d like to read what I read, you can order a free, no-strings-attached Book of Mormon here.  I also read and mark my Bible the same way.

I’m linking this up to some of these link parties this week– I hope you’ll join in too!



Bow Tie Baby Shower

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It was a success!  We had a really fun morning, and can’t wait to hold that little baby boy!

Tell me- what does my friend NEED to know about boys?  Share in the comments below!

Linking up to some of the parties listed here


Clothespin Snowman!

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We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and are enjoying your weekend with family and friends. The holiday season is truly upon us and we have a lot of great crafts, gift ideas and recipes coming your way!

I love to peruse the thrift store for items that truly need a makeover. A few months ago I found this gigantic clothespin. I had no idea how I was going to use, but I had to buy it!

When I was looking for Handmade ornament ideas on Pinterest I saw a cute clothespin snowman. I knew right away that my gigantic clothespin finally had a purpose!

First I spray painted it white. Then I wanted him to look snowy, so I brushed on some Mod Podge and rolled it in Epsom Salt! It looks so awesome! Now he just needed the details. I used a pipe cleaner and some puff balls for the ear muffs, beads for his eyes and mouth, scrapbook paper for his nose, ribbon for his scarf, and some scrapbook stickers for his buttons! 

He’s darling!


Apparently you can buy huge clothespins at the craft stores, so quick go make one for your decorations this year!!


Connect with us! You can find us here:

Handmade Christmas Ornaments + Blog Hop!

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Here at Occasionally Crafty we are very DIY, and when it comes to the holidays you can’t get more DIY than making your own ornaments! 

Today I’m teaming up with Diana from The Girl Creative, and close to 40 other bloggers to share our handmade ornaments!


I really enjoy making ornaments for teacher gifts around the holidays, but I always am trying to find something that is easy on the wallet and can be mass produced easily. I actually had so many things I wanted to try that I couldn’t narrow it down to just one. Today you get 4 {four!} ornaments from me and two of those include a little tutorial!


First up are these darling Shower Curtain Ring Wreaths! You heard me… made from shower curtain rings!

These are super simple and customizable! Here are the materials you need:


  • Shower curtain rings (I got mine at Dollar Tree- 12 in a pack!)
  • Yarn/pipe cleaners
  • Hot glue
  • Embellishments like bells, ribbon, pom poms, whatever you desire!


You really just wrap the shower curtain ring with yarn until it looks nice and thick like a wreath! Hot glue the start of your yarn to the ring, and once you’re done wrapping, cut and seal with a little more glue, keeping all glued parts to the back. I experimented with different patterns and thickness for different results. I was also digging through my craft box where I found some sparkly pipe cleaners that were PERFECT for wrapping the rings, no glue needed.

Next is the Bottle Cap Snowman!

These ornaments are a perfect gift for teachers, and the kids can help you make them!

I purchased plain bottle caps online, spray painted them white and hot glued them together with a strip of ribbon down the back that also serves as the hanger. Embellish as you like! So easy!

The next handmade ornament is one we handed out to children in our church as a Christmas gift. 

We have over 120 kids so we needed something that wasn’t going to break the bank. We each took turns using 40% coupons at the craft stores to buy wooden doll pegs and a pack of wooden stars and crafting wire to complete the look. The baby was made from a regular size peg that was sawed just above the leg split. Add a little twine for a bow and a hanger and you’ve got a sweet remembrance of the true meaning of Christmas.

Last but not least are some awesome Sprinkled Glass Bulbs!

I’m sure you all have see the glitter glass bulbs, right? I still want to make some of those, but I saw these on Pinterest and had to try it out. I love the look of the sprinkles because it reminds me of the Christmas cookies we make every year!

Here’s what you need:

  • Glass bulbs- I used smaller ones, but any size will work. In fact plastic may work too
  • Varnish- this will be your sticky stuff!
  • Funnel
  • Sprinkles

After you remove the cap from your glass bulb, place about 1 TBSP of varnish in your glass bulb. Turn it around in your hand until the entire inside is coated.

Turn the bulbs upside down in dixie cups to let the varnish dry and become tacky. Wait at least 30 minutes. For me an hour was good amount of time. You don’t want the varnish to still be so wet that nothing sticks. It will create a big mess!

Once the varnish has had time to dry, use your funnel to add your sprinkles. Swish it around until all your bulb is covered! I can’t wait to try this with other sprinkles.These would be so cute for birthdays and other holidays too! 

I hope you found something you can create and enjoy! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Handmade Ornaments that are part of the blog hop today!


Connect with us! You can find us here:

Cute Summer DIY Pedicure

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If you’re looking for something cute to adorn your feet this summer, look no further!  I got this pedicure done a few years ago
I watched carefully to duplicate it, and minus the white underline, came up with this: Ready for the how to?  Here goes: By the way, sorry for the poor images.  Our digital camera broke, so I am using my HD video camera in the meantime and I CAN NOT figure out how to turn the flash off and otherwise adjust the settings!  Grrr…. Anyway, start with a base coat.  I use NYC base coat/top coat double. Take your color and, following the natural line of your toenail, paint down about 1/8 to 1/4 inch.  I usually extend mine just below the line to allow for some growth.  Don’t worry about being too precise- you’ll clean it up in the next step.

Next, dip a cotton swab or tiny paintbrush in some nail polish remover, and carefully even out the bottom line of your polish.  Also remove any polish that may have gotten on your skin. I have to admit, this tutorial is done on my 5 year old daughter, and I wasn’t as precise as I was on myself since I know she’ll just have it scraped off in a few hours. Next, take some white craft paint.  You could use white nail polish, but I find it easier to work with craft paint.  Load a toothpick with a small amount of paint, and lightly press to apply polka dots on the painted toenail.  I varied mine top to bottom, but you could be random, and even do different size polka dots. Let it dry for a few minutes.  While drying, apply flower nail stickers underneath the painted toenail.  I only do it on the big toe, but whatever suits your fancy works.
Finish with a double topcoat to seal in the sticker and the nail polish. It’s pretty easy, it’s cute, and you’ll get lots of compliments.  Enjoy!

Linking to some of these parties.

My Blog Got a Facelift: A Tour through the New Design

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If you’ve stopped by the blog today, you’ve probably noticed that it looks a little different around here! If you’re reading this in your email, click over so you can see what I’m talking about!  



I love the Blogger platform, and I’m not ready to switch to WordPress now (or maybe ever).  I was thrilled to hear about Kim from The Kim Six Fix, who specializes in optimizing the Blogger platform to make it cleaner, more profitable, and easier to navigate.  



Until now, everything I’ve done to the design of the blog has been done my me, through lots of research and trial and error.  It’s been wonderful to have another set of eyes on the blog, helping make it work even better for you and for me.   



So, let’s take a little tour on what’s new!  Let’s start at the top:



I’ve got a brand new header.  It’s basic and pretty, and I love it.  It really gets down to the meat of what I do here on the blog.  Underneath the header is my navigation bar, which you can click on to take you to any of the pages in my blog.

Since my co-author left, I needed a new “Hello Box”.  Here’s a quick intro to my friends and fans, and you can click on the link to go to my “About” page to get to know me even better.

I am in love with my social media icons!  I really want to connect with you wherever you “live” on social media.  So, when you first stop by, you can find me by clicking any of the blue icons at the top.  Or, as you scroll through the page, the gray social media icons will scroll with you, so if you are inspired to connect with me later, you can easily find them.

My “Subscribe” box for my Newsletter is easier to find.  If you don’t have time to read my blog every day, why not sign up for the newsletter and let my blog come to you, via email?  I’d love for you to sign up!

As you scroll down the homepage, you’ll notice my format has changed.  Until now, I’ve had three posts in their entirety on the front page.  While that kept you from having to click through to read, it also meant lots and lots of scrolling, as well as a longer load time.  Now my most recent post is larger on the top, while earlier posts are truncated in the layout below.  It should be easier to find recent content, and a faster experience for you as a user.

I’ve also consolidated my blog post categories so my projects are easier for you to find.  Almost all of my posts fit into these categories.  Looking for a Halloween project?  Click “Seasonal & Holiday”.  What about that Baby Shower Favor printable?  It will be under “Printables” and “Gift Ideas”.


I have a cool new scrolling Instagram Widget, so you can see what’s going on in my feed.  I often post sneak peeks of projects or behind the scenes details on Instagram, so if you’re not following me yet, what are you waiting for?



Finally, I didn’t ignore the important space at the bottom of my page.  Here you once again can connect with me via social media or by subscribing to my newsletter.  You’ll also find badges for affiliate networks I’m involved with.  Finally, my Privacy Policy and Copyright Statement are here for anyone interested in sharing my posts.



So there you go:  Occasionally Craft v 3.0!  Thanks again to Kim Six Blog Troubleshooting for the makeover.  She is wonderful to work with and everything was done quickly and just as I asked for it to be.  



What do you think?  Which new feature are you most excited by?  Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

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