Latest Design - The Last Bit of Wedding Fever

Well sort of. I kept this one a bit quiet as I Joni and Joe have the occasional nosey over on my Facebook page and I didn't want them to see this before their wedding last Friday. So here it is, Joni & Joe's Wedding Card.

I also designed Joni and Joe's wedding invite a while back and this is what they used to create their amazing favours. I pinched a couple so I could eat one and then keep one, it's now hanging up in the office. 

I couldn't have been happier to design their wedding invites and wedding card. Knowing that I helped towards someone's special gives me a massive hit of the warm 'n' fuzzies and is definitely something I could get used to so if you have a wedding coming up or are looking for a uniquely designed card for someone you know, please don't hesitate to give me a shout!

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Weekly Wishes #7

Last weeks wish was to figure stuff out. Since last Monday I'm feeling way better, so I think it must have just been one of those days - good stuff!

I also got all my Comic Con and Nerd Machine panels watched which led to the best moment of geekery in our home since we moved in. If you're a fellow Batfan then watch this:

Big woots and air punches are still going on in my household over this, Peter and I have geeked out many times :)

I also loved all of the Nerd Machine's Conversations for a Cause this year, as I have done for the previous two years it's been running. Each year Nerd HQ raises ridiculous amounts of money for Operation Smile a charity that goes in to developing countries and helps children with cleft lips and cleft palates. It's an amazing charity so go check it out. This year my favourite conversation was with Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion, they both sat for an hour or so answering fans questions and auctioning off some random stuff they found at home in order to raise even more money - totally amazing. Have a watch and try not to fall in love with the whole thing.


So with the warm 'n' fuzzies in our bellies after watching that I'll move on to this Week's Wish. Last week Crystal over at The Happy Type posted about a fitness regime she had going. As with all fitness regime's I thought "I can do that", but then in walked the negativity, right in to my brain - how rude! "You can't because you never stick with any routine, blah blah blah". Then Melyssa over at The Nectar Collective posted about non comformity and how we should stop letting our past behaviour and experiences dictating what we do now. It was like both of these ladies were in my noggin telling me to get a grip and get it done!

Well I'm listening because this week/month I'm challenging myself to a 30 day arm challenge, why not start with the one thing that bothers me the most. Plus I'm going to try and get to the pool at least once a week during my challenge so I can at least try and get my stamina and strength back... wish me luck!

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Top 5 of All Time - Movies About Love (with a difference)

Friday marked the end of our fortnight of weddings, but I think I have one more love themed post left in me and I also want to try something new.

I've wanted to do a list feature since I started planning my blog, possibly once a week or maybe every fortnight. I think fortnightly might be best as it gives me more time to argue with myself about list order - yes I argue with myself, doesn't everyone?? Don't answer that!

I thought this would be something cool that everyone could get involved in and share their own thoughts, plus I love a good Top 5 list and need an excuse to list my favourite things. So... welcome to my new "Top 5 of All Time" feature. Each fortnight I'll share some random things that I love in numerical order.

This week in honour of all the love spread over the course of July I wanted to kick off the feature with my Top 5 alternative movies about love of all time. Now I say "alternative" as I'm not much of a fan of your conventional lovey dovey movies - except The Notebook. Good God that is trauma in a box! Nopers, I'm more drawn to the action genre, or even the genre of Statham. So with this in mind, let's begin.


5 »   Lethal Weapon - You heard!

Quite possibly the origins to one of the greatest movie loves of all time... the Bromance. Riggs is on the edge of a breakdown, Murtaugh is on the road to retirement, then fate steps in. Riggs and Murtaugh are thrown together in order to bring down Gary Busey. They must put aside their differences and work as a team to see it done, even if Murtaugh is feeling "too old for this shit"

Best Bit: Any time Danny Glover yells RIIIGGGGS and Mel's crazy face!

Now you know the kind of track we're on, I'll continue.


4 »   Anchorman

Super-tached hero Ron Burgandy loves one person - himself. He's a pretty big deal. He thought he had it all, career, leather bound books, the love of a dog fluent in Spanish. That was until he met the second love of his life, Veronica. Anchorman recounts the journey of one man's road to true love and redemption.

Best Bit: Too many to count!


3 »   Con Air

Cameron Poe is a deadly weapon, the judge that sends him to prison says so. One night while defending the honour of his lady love, he "accidentally" kills a guy. Locked behind bars, he dreams of the day he'll be reunited with his wife and baby daughter. The day finally comes and armed with only a bunny he boards a plane to freedom. Unfortunately bald and creepy John Malkovich has other plans. Desperate to get home, Poe must kick so much ass in order to take back the plane.

Best Bit: "Define irony..."


2 »   Die Hard

Die Hard is the story of one man in a vest trying to save his beloved wife from the cluthces of evil terrorist Hans Gruber and his band of scary, giant German friends. John McClane has to do this with no shoes (wtf?), taking them out one by one while his love is forced to put up with this guy. Only John can save her, well he's the only good guy in the building so who else is going to do it?

Best Bit: When Bruce jumps off the roof. When Bruce says yippe-kay-yay. When Bruce is in the vent. When Bruce... pretty much the whole movie is awesome! Also anything Alan Rickman says and when he dispatches of this guy.

1 »   The Terminator

Now this is one of the most romantic movies of all time. No I'm serious! Kyle Reese travels across time to fight Arnie for Sarah - that's love! Future mother of the worlds saviour Sarah Connor is on Skynet's hit list - Cue Arnie, sent back in time to kill her. Kyle, having all ready fallen in love with Sarah in the future from only a photo (awww), is sent back to save her. Like all time travel movies, when you start thinking about too much you're head will explode, but it's good and oh so romantic! Plus Linda Hamilton is my hero!

So what's your favourite romantic movie? Are you an action junkie like me or do you prefer a more traditional romantic style? Leave a comment and share your top 5 romantic movies of all time!

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More Wedding Finds

Yesterday we had the pleasure of watching another awesome couple get hitched, which means we're at the end of our two week wedding frenzy so I have another wedding themed Finds of the Week for you. This time however,  instead of random finds, I've picked two amazing wedding illustrators.

Jolly Edition

Jolly Edition are my newest find from a Google hunt for wedding illustrators. They're style is so unique and beautiful and my Lord the typography in the first image?! ugh, ridiculously pretty!
I love their bespoke bride and groom portraits too, they're so lovely, romantic and they just feel so warm and loving. Yup I'm in love with these guys' illustrations!

Julie Ann Art

I've been a fan of Julie Ann's work now for a while, it's totally different from anything I've ever seen. I bought one of her awesome cards for our anniversary in March for Peter and another for my brothers birthday and both of them loved their cards. Julie Ann's designs never fail to bring a smile to my face. They're quirky, funny and cute as hell! If you're looking for a card that's a little bit different, head over to Julie Ann Art, you will not be disappointed!

 
What do you guys think? Do you love these talented folk as much as I do?   //Website//Twitter//Facebook//

Blogging 101 - What I've Learned So Far

I've been blogging (properly) for a couple of months now and have had some pretty cool things happen. I've met new folk who share awesome content and comment on my blog - makes my day every time. I've felt more motivated than ever to follow my bloggy and design dreams. I've sponsored amazing writers who in return have given my little space in the blogosphere shout outs and most importantly I feel like I'm a part of a great community of talented and inspiring people that encourage and support each other.

How did this all happen? Research! I researched the crap out of blogging tips, tricks, 101 posts and eBooks. I also asked around for help which was something I was pretty intimidated by at first, but was so glad I did as everyone was helpful and understanding.  

Today I wanted to share some of the best resources that helped me and still do – I have them all bookmarked and read them from time to time to keep me in check, but I also wanted to share some of my own thoughts of my own about what I’m working on to grow my blog’s community.

These are a few of the most useful resources that I’ve read and use to keep on top of my blog and the work I need to do in order for it to grow: 

Blogging 101 by Amanda at Living in Another Language  

How to Grow Your Blog {Like a Boss} by Melyssa The Nectar Collective 

The Growing Your Blog series by Abbi at Seasons of a Homemaker 

Determining the Success of Your Blog by Erin at Two Thirds Hazel 

Why Hello Google Analytics by Belinda at Found Love Now What?

What Barney Stinson Can Teach Us About Blogging and by Kenzie at Chasing Happy

The Building Your Blog's Brand series also by Kenzie

Each of these posts and articles has helped me in some way along the line and I owe a BIG thank you to all the lovely ladies who wrote them! 

Now I’d like to share some of my own experiences and blogging practices. Like most of the posts above have mentioned I try and respond to every comment made on my blog and in turn comment on others. This was the mistake I made in the past. I've been blogging on and off since 2009 and used to think "why is no one reading this?" - cue the face palm! It was simply because my lazy ass wasn't taking the time to interact. You can use all the SEO tricks in the book, but unless you actually get involved you're never going to get anyone reading your blog. However, it's all about quality over quantity. I'd rather have low numbers and high interaction than hundreds of followers and a community devoid of life!

Speaking of SEO, Belinda's posts on Google Analytics were really useful as I've always found it pretty confusing and didn't know what metrics to focus on. I also stressed a bit about SEO and if I was doing it right or failing miserably. Belinda put my mind totally at ease, saying that we don't need to go SEO crazy, just cover the basics and you'll be fine if you focus on great content and interacting with the blogging community.

The other thing I wanted to share is the importance of social media in the plugging of your blog. Its soooo important, but the trick is to get the balance right. While I worked as a Digital Production Assistant I tried to implement the 70/30 rule - 30% you and 70% other content that's awesome! No one wants to hear about you, you, you, but if they follow you chances are they're interested in things you like. So if you think that blog post, article, video or pic is interesting or just plain awesome then share it! And don't forget to say why, chances are the original author will thank you for it and you'll give em' a smile. If folk are following you and engaging with you, it's a sure fire way to know you're doing it right.

Blogging for me has been great fun over the last few months and is only getting better as the days go on. I hope you've found all the resources gathered together as useful as I did and take something new from them.

Have I missed anything? Share your tips, tricks and ideas in the comments. That's the best bit about blogging, sharing experiences and knowledge to help each other, now let's hug it out!

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What Happened this Weekend - In Pictures

I'm not going to write much with this post, but invite you to have a wee looksee at some of the pics we took from the wedding last weekend. Admitedly theres not many as we were havnig such a blast and enjoying the night too much so we kind of ignored the camera.

I have to weigh in on this one. This beautiful cake was made by Peter's younger cousin Lauren. Her cakes are incredible and so beautiful. As soon as Lauren gets a website I'm sharing it with you guys so you can see how awesome her creations are!

{UPDATE} Lauren's Facebook cage is here: Something Sweet

... and here's some shameless self promotion...

We had an amazing time and it was great to catch up with everyone and dance my ass off! Here's to our next wedding on Friday which will be equally as awesome!

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Weekly Wishes #6

Well I failed miserably at last week's challenge. Well not miserably, I did get to the pool once and I put the lack of swimage down to being so busy, which is always a good excuse if it's designing I'm busy with! Got another design to do this week, but I'm determined to get the swimming in to my routine. Now for this week's wish, I did feel a bit anxious about hitting the publish button on this one, so stay with me.

So today I'm feeling like my positivity has taken a kick in the face. I don't whether I'm just tired from the travelling and wedding at the weekend or something else is the culprit of my negativity today. Let's hope it's tiredness as I really can't be bothered with the other thing. I don't know why I'm being so vague about it, sharing the story might be a bit therapeutic and possibly help others with a eureka moment.

Long story short I've been on the pill since I was 18. I had a brief stint off it where I can remember feeling happier and more positive, even with the stress of university, but never really put it down to the pill. Going back on it was a must so I did and over the past 6 and a bit years I felt a dip in my mood, some days a big dip. Three months ago I did some research in to depression and found a lot of articles by women who were saying that since coming off the pill they've been happier, more energetic and clear. One of things I kept saying to Peter was that my brain felt foggy sometimes and I would sit staring in to space thinking of nothing, like someone had hit the off button. We talked about it and I decided to do an experiment. I stopped taking my pill and low and behold my mood changed. My head felt clearer, I felt more energetic, I wasn't getting down about things or easily agitated and annoyed.

However, I knew that I had to do something for both our piece of mind so phase two of the experiment needed activation. I spoke to a really nice nurse who did something the nurse all those years ago never did - told me every single option I had and also told me I wasn't crazy. She made me feel so at ease about the whole thing and gave me another pill to try. I've never felt like I had the support of my GP or any other FP nurse and this woman put my faith back in the system a bit. 

Today I feel the same as before, my brain is foggy and I'm totally void of any motivation. So, it's a bit deeper than usual, but my weekly wish is to figure it out. I know it may take longer than a week, but I need to keep an eye on this. It could very well be tiredness from my crazy dancing antics at the wedding, but I'm paranoid my moodiness will return. I know if it does it's a quick fix, just change again or take another road all together, but it's the people in the crossfire of my experiment, the ones I affect with my mood and annoyance, that I'm worried about.

Anyhoo, to lighten things up a bit I also have another weekly wish, to catch up on all the Comic Con and Nerd HQ panels I missed over the weekend, that should bring me plenty of laughs :D

Want to link up with your Weekly Wishes? Join in over at The Nectar Collective.

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ONA Camera Bag Giveaway

I'm back in the house for five minutes after a three and a half hour drive and already writing a new post - that's dedication for you! It's a quick post to share an awesome giveaway that some equally awesome ladies and I have teamed up like Power Rangers to bring to you. We've powered up to give you one ONA camera bag, a Little Miss Gee camera strap and some Starbucks Bucks!

Enter below for your chance to win and spread the word!

Lost in Travels // The Nectar Collective // Postcards from Rachel // Until Only Love Remains // Brachel Boulevard 
Perpetually Caroline // Lego House // Side Street Style // Daisy Bisley // Kimchi Sweet Tea
Mr. & Mrs. Foster // Found Love, Now What? // The Happy Type // Treasure Tromp // Home Sweet 'Homa
Oh the Places We Will Go

ONA Bowery Canvas Bag // Little Miss Gee Scarf Camera Strap // $10 Starbucks Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules

1. Open to all participants living within the United States.

2. Winner’s entry validity will be verified by me and if an entry proves to be invalid, you will be disqualified.

3. Giveaway ends on the 27^th of July at 12:00 AM EST. Winner will be chosen by Rafflcoptor and contacted by email no later than the 28^th of July. Winner has 48 hours to respond, if the winner does not respond, a new winner will be picked.

4. Lost in Travels is responsible for the payment and ordering of won items but not responsible for any packages lost in transit. 

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Finds of the Week - Wedding Edition

As this week and next week are all wedding crazy I thought it fitting that this weeks finds all be wedding related. This will be a real quick post as I have so much to do right now before I set off with a suited and booted Pedro  - Nice!

Have a wee looksee at some of the beautiful wedding stationery I found on my web travels this week. There's so much inspiration that I can barely sit still and can't wait to get stuck into next weeks card!

Also there's a little giveaway at the end of this post. Check it out if you'd like to win a fabby dabby ONA Bowery Canvas Camera Bag and a Little Miss Gee Scarf Camera Strap - very swish!

 

Plus here's a little sneaky peek at my card for Rebecca and Ermanno, I'll share more pics next week.

Have a great weekend all!

The season of 'GO GO GO' is upon us, so why not GO in style? That's why I've teamed up with some very lovely ladies to give away one ONA Bowery Canvas camera bag, Little Miss Gee camera strap and a Starbucks gift card (because we all know coffee is needed when we go anywhere.) These are such great bags to carry all of your camera gear in without screaming 'tourist' wherever you go! Enter below for your chance to win and spread the word!

Lost in Travels // The Nectar Collective // Postcards from Rachel // Until Only Love Remains // Brachel Boulevard 
Perpetually Caroline // Lego House // Side Street Style // Daisy Bisley // Kimchi Sweet Tea
Mr. & Mrs. Foster // Found Love, Now What? // The Happy Type // Treasure Tromp // Home Sweet 'Homa
Oh the Places We Will Go

ONA Bowery Canvas Bag // Little Miss Gee Scarf Camera Strap // $10 Starbucks Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules

1. Open to all participants living within the United States.

2. Winner’s entry validity will be verified by me and if an entry proves to be invalid, you will be disqualified.

3. Giveaway ends on the 27^th of July at 12:00 AM EST. Winner will be chosen by Rafflcoptor and contacted by email no later than the 28^th of July. Winner has 48 hours to respond, if the winner does not respond, a new winner will be picked.

4. Lost in Travels is responsible for the payment and ordering of won items but not responsible for any packages lost in transit. 

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Sunny Day Tunes

Well I did it. I was failing miserably with my Weekly Wishes challenge this week, which is fine because there's so much running around my noggin right now, but today I was determined to get my ass in the pool. So at 2pm this afternoon my ass was indeed in the local pool!

Peter's car's flat tyre shenanigans have had me giving him a bright and early lift in to work the last couple of days which has been surprisingly enjoyable. I'm not sure if it's strange or weird, but I love to drive, especially on sunny days and nothing beats the morning air on a sunny day. On the way in to Glasgow I decided to stay and have a wander. I've been in desperate need of a new bra for this wedding and had been putting it off for ages. I know you feel my bra shopping pain ladies and know why I was putting it off. Well, I was successful in my bra hunting and also managed to pick up my little prezzie for the Snail Mail Collective as well as a couple of goodies for my very first giveaway -woots!

 

After my epic bra hunt in Glasgow I left the flat for the short walk to the pool. I was missing some essential Sunny Day Tunes and thought of what I could put in a playlist for my work later. My lack of tunes was rubbed in my face when the guy in the lane next to me had an mp3 player and headphones attached to the back of his goggles! Technology has amazed me again! How did this happen? When did this happen? Where do I get one? Has anyone else seen this?

Shocked and amazed by modern technolgy I enjoyed my first swim in a year, all the time pondering where I could get a waterproof mp3 player and headphones. Would they make me swim more? I wonder...

After about 45 minutes of Swondering (swimming and wondering- get me, new word) I remembered I still have a wedding card to finish and got my ass out of the pool for the walk home. There was a slight detour on the way home as a Weekly Wishes reward was in order so I stopped off for a 99, well deserved I thought. For my international buddies that don't know what a 99 is, it's a vanilla ice cream cone with a chocolate Flake stuck in. It's incredibly yummy and essential for summer survival! I'm so lucky we live two minutes from the best ice cream place in town, it's pretty much why we bought the flat.

So anyway the main point of this post was to talk about some good tunes for sunny days and to share my favourite playlist with you. It's a nice mix of chilled and fun songs to sing along to in the sun. I hope you enjoy :)

What's your favourite summer tune? Tell us all about it in the comments, super cheesy tracks are always welcome!

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Wedding Design Catch Up

Today I thought I'd do a quick catch up post to show you how I'm getting on with the wedding card design. I've been having major issues with Illustrator at the moment which has slowed me down, but after getting it all fixed last night it looks like I might just get it finshed by Friday. I just need to finish a couple of letters and then decide on the colours and it's good to go. What do you think? If you have any thoughts on colour ideas, feel free to share in the comments.

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A Positive Step Forward - Trying New Things

This weekend we took a trip to Cumbernauld's Outdoor Centre with Peter's sister and Brother in Law. We celebrated the boys' 30th back in April and they both received vouchers from a friend who thought they needed some axe throwing in their lives. An unusual gift I know, but they're usually the best kind.

So off we went not knowing what to expect, happy the sun was out and the feeling of a good day ahead of us. We were expecting a small axe, maybe like a tomahawk, but instead were greeted with a large, frightening double edged beast. They guys' eyes lit up at the chance to feel like Viking warriors, or in Peter's case, axe wielding Roman gladiator.






As Lucia and I watched on with a hint of jealously wanting to channel our inner Xena, Peter and Johnny were shown the axe lobbing ropes and started to take it more seriously. Peter was especially, frighteningly good at it and I say frightening due to his laid back approach - casually strolling to the line, throwing with ease and hitting the bullseye.

We all had a great morning, the guys feeling more manly and us girls proud although slightly worried our gardens would be turned in to practice ranges. It just goes to show how trying something new can set up a whole day of fun and positivity.

Our weekend and my 30 before 30 list have really brought this to the forefront this week. I've already done some pretty cool things in my life and it's important to keep that going. We should all strive to shake things up once in a while, try something new or even better, something that scares us.

One of the things I'm most proud of on my list was riding a rollercoaster, something I had been terrified of since before I can remember. A couple of summers ago we all went to Alton Towers and I made a deal with myself to go on Nemesis, one of those suspended ones that freaked me out the most.

We spent almost two hours in that queue for Nemesis. Two hours of my heart in my throat, hands sweating and shaking and the gut instinct to bolt! Eventually we got to the station, my gut is churning and I'm squeezing the life out of Peter's hand. I get in the car, feet not touching the ground. I'm about to get up and run away when BAM the restraint comes down and we're moving.

Now you'd think the clanking of the chain lifting the cars was the worst sound, but it wasn't. It was the silence and intake of breathe right before the freefall. It was like slow motion until gravity took hold and we were off.

The whole thing was a blur and over in two minutes, but something happened I never thought possible. The car stopped in the station and I yelled "AGAIN!" like a three year old. It's ridiculous, but it felt so liberating, I had conquered a fear.

I'm still no rollercoaster junkie and definitely prefer wooden dippers to crazy corkscrew things, but I did something new and scary that I'd do again in a heartbeat.

So get out there, try something new or conquer a fear, its one hell of a feeling! If you've conquered one already share in the comments and we'll all bask in your awesomeness!

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Weekly Wishes #5

 

First off, look at the lovely countryside just 30 minutes from my doorstep.

Moving on. My weekly wish from last week was to flip my 30 Before 30 list on its head and do a 30ish things I've done before 30 list to celebrate all the awesome things (if I do say so myself) that I've done in my 28 years of planetary life. It's a great way to look back positively and to encourage yourself to do more cool things.

I'll post my list after this week's wish as it's a tad long. So this week's challenge is simple - to go for a swim at least three times this week. I love to swim, have done since I was tiny, it's relaxing and makes me feel awesome like a fish! We've moved round the corner from out local pool so it is pretty shocking that I haven't been yet, time to change that.

Anyhoo, here's the list. I recommend trying this for yourself, you'll be amazed what you've forgotten and then remember with an air punch!

30(ish) before 30

Meet the love of my life
Volunteer abroad
Visit Budapest
Go GoKarting and win a medal – bronze, but it totally counts
Swim in the ocean without being afraid
Make someone laugh when they are blue
Go to Italy
Go to Florida
Learn to sew
Become a dressmaker – 10 weeks after learning
Ride a horse
Get a first class degree – oh yeah, I could have BA Hons after my name, get me!
Look off the edge of Scotland - Just picture me, curly ginger locks blowing in the wind like Merida - Epic!
Go to a movie premier – Scottish Premiers count!
Start Blogging
Meet someone famous and get an autograph
Ride a rollercoaster – A lifelong fear conquered... well almost
Pet an elephant



Hold an owl – a terrifying one!
Go camping
Run a 10k
Pass my driving test
Drive a long journey – (3 weeks after passing)
Go to a festival
See Bon Jovi live – twice, YASS!
Sell a painting
Learn Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator – 100% self taught BOOM!
Teach a class – most terrifying thing EVER!
Get credited in something – I’m famous
Grow my hair long again – ugh finally
Read Lord of the Rings - Twice
Have my art tattooed on someone’s skin
Worked in a record store
See Lee Evans live
Meet true friends
Sell a dvd to Terrence Stamp – and kneel before Zod
Watch It’s a Wonderful Life in the cinema
Learn to make my Grandma’s veggie soup – Yummers!
See movie music played live by an orchestra
Take a jewellery making class
Be part of an awesome digital creative programme

Say please and thanks in 5 languages

Keep a plant alive – so far so good
Work in a TV production office
Travel the US without Parentals

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