Step right up to the wall ‘o fun! Sounds like a carnival ride, right? Don’t worry, there will be no clowns or motion sickness. It all started when we moved Clara’s crib out of her room, and shifted the dresser that used to be on this wall to the former crib wall (more on that here). Which left the wall to the right of the bed completely bare. So we decided to bring in a lot more fun to that blank space, now that there was room for it. Clara already has some baskets of toys and books along with a play-table where she loves to build castles and draw, but things like her play kitchen, refrigerator, and food cart were all relegated to other rooms for lack of space before the crib got the boot.
Yeehaw! Amiright?
At first, it wasn’t looking very exciting. Check out all of that bare white wall going on.
And here’s where I show you my chaos and say “welcome to the first ten minutes of any project.” It almost always looks like this. There was a lot of fun and colorful art leftover from her nursery and her playroom in the last house that I couldn’t wait to hang up on that blank white wall. So I just started laying things down on the bed (Clara helped me pick her favorites) and we ended up with this gorgeous progress shot.
She also really wanted a mirror at her height, which was a request that John and I couldn’t wait to fulfill. It was a lot like her “I want a clock” request (the blue cuckoo clock that I made her is still her favorite thing in the entire room) and we knew she’d really appreciate if we hooked her up with a place to study her funny faces and show her dolls the latest hairstyles that she was giving them instead of having to trek into our room and use our big leaning mirror in there.
This mirror is actually the one that we removed from our half bathroom back in July, although the brassy finish wasn’t exactly complementing the silver hardware on her play kitchen and refrigerator, so I thought I could spruce it up for Clara with some fresh paint and a fun little pattern. First I laid it down on a big piece of cardboard at the kitchen table and wiped it down with liquid deglosser, just to get it paint-ready.
Then I used leftover white paint (Simply White in semi-gloss) that we use on all of our trim and doors, just to give it a clean base coat. You’ll notice that I got a little paint on the mirror pane itself, but that’s easy enough to remove (more on that in a second). So the most important thing is just to get a nice even coat. That includes that crack where the mirror meets the frame. Then just let that dry and give it at least one more coat if it needs it for the coverage. Mine just needed two coats and it was good to go.
As for how to remove any paint that gets on the surface of the mirror, I’m a big fan of just scraping it off with a straight razor. And for curved shapes like this, an exacto knife can actually be really easy to slide along the mirror’s surface to peel off any paint that’s on there, just like this:
Now for the fun part. I had some metallic silver paint among my little tubes of acrylic colors, and I thought it could be fun to add some pattern to the mirror with it. So I just squeezed out a blob of it on the cardboard…
… and used a small flat craft brush to make little arrow-like shapes all the way around the mirror. I just spaced them by eye, and I liked the almost heart-like effect of them. I also didn’t mind the imperfect “painted by hand” look, so I resisted the urge to go back over anything and smooth it out or futz with it.
Once it dried, I hung it back up, and voila! Clara was ENAMORED that we fulfilled her mirror request, and we both love that it adds some pattern and interest to the wall while bouncing around more light (and allowing me to watch Clara even if she’s behind me, which further convinces her that I have eyes in the back of my head).
Bonus points for being able to spy on Burger too…
Here’s a panned out shot of the wall. I also hung the shelves that John built for her very first nursery along with her favorite art picks and her new mirror. All of the frames were light enough to be held up with a regular old picture nail into the drywall (no anchors) and the shelves got some extra long screws and anchors, just to be sure they could hold some weight. The mirror also got an anchor and a screw since it’s on the heavier side, along with two 3M heavy duty velcro strips at the bottom (so it’s even more secure and can’t hop off the wall on anyone).
We love that the shelves can come in handy for kitchen items, books, toys, etc. And now between using those to store and display things, playing with her kitchen/fridge/food cart, looking at her favorite art, and enjoying her reflection in the mirror, well – there’s a lot to do on that little wall of hers.
And it looks pretty darn cute with her pink door and wall full of raindrops too. Here’s a shot of her getting in on the fun, just to show you the scale of things. She can easily reach that top shelf and see herself in the mirror (with a little headroom for when she grows a bit more).
Now that there are no longer bare walls everywhere, the room is suddenly feeling a lot more finished, although I’m sure it’ll continue to evolve as she grows. Just kidding Clara, no more growing is allowed! Plus I still have some pretty lofty goals for her big walk-in closet (that thing is destined to be a hidden playhouse within her room – she actually picked this room for that closet).
Oh and with seven days to spare, we’re officially working on Clara’s Christmas present (it’s a tradition of ours to hand-make something for her, like this, this, and this). Looks like it’s going to be down to the wire again… which seems to be an annual tradition for us as well. Are you guys doing any last-minute holiday shopping/building/decorating? How about adding little pockets of fun to a kids room? Or finally hanging art that you’ve been meaning to get to for, oh, half a year now?
Psst- A few folks have told us about an unsavory ad for League of Angels on our sidebar and an annoying pop up for Aveeno, both of which aren’t authorized, so we’re working on blocking ’em. Please let us know if you ever see anything inappropriate (or any pop-up whatsoever) since they’re never cool with us, and we’d love a screen grab and the url/site that it links to so we can get them blocked. Sorry for the trouble!
I spy happy succulents! :D
Wahoo! The secret? Ignore them completely. I haven’t even watered them once. And they love it!
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I am 31 years old and I want to play in this room :) Cannot wait to see Clara’s 2013 Christmas gift. Hope you all have a happy holiday!!!
Thanks Vanessa! You too!
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This room looks lovely! It makes me wonder why we have so much junk in our kids’ rooms? How do you avoid overload? Is it the toy closet in the entryway? I think I let too much collect and we aren’t even home full-time like you guys.
We made a big dress up box for our 4-year-old for her birthday earlier this month. That we did with time to spare but now the Christmas presents are going to be down to the wire. We’re turning on old antique footboard into a toddler daybed for our son (just need to paint now) and we’re adding to their kitchen (like yours) by attaching a couple of shelves to it. Good luck with Clara’s!
Yes, I think it’s a combo of the toy closet in the foyer and the spreading out of things (ex: her dollhouse is in her closet since she ducks in there and plays, and she has an art desk in our office to use and a basket of toys in the family room and office as well. By parceling things out like that so it’s not one giant room full of stuff it seems to help. And also by paring down and donating things (or storing them for the next baby) once she no longer uses them seems to help. Oh my gosh, and your toddler daybed sounds so awesome! Would love to see photos!
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It looks totally wonderful! It’s amazing to me how cohesive you manage to make everything, Clara’s input included.
What is the print to the right of You Are Loved? It looks like a dog and a little girl with hearts trailing upward?
Oh man, that’s my favorite print ever, and we thought it was lost after book shoots and only found it when we moved (over a year later, I cried with joy!). That’s by a woman named Roz on Etsy and it’s a little girl with her dog (like Clara & Burger). Here it is in her nursery with some closer shots of it I think: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/04/nursery-progress-adding-some-art/
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Looks great! I’m done with shopping but not wrapping. My dad is building my daughter a Barbie doll house (from Ana White’s plans) and that’s his tradition. He built her an easel, a three piece PB knock off kitchen, and a swing set with giant, curved slide over the years. Now I’m going to have to figure out ideas for my little guy!
Holy cow, that’s awesome! He’s like a toy factory! A real life Santa!
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My neighbor’s dad built his grandson the. cutest. toybox. ever. for his 1st Christmas. It’s red and black and looks like a train caboose. Adorbs.
Sounds so sweet!
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Half a year is nothing…I am finally getting around to painting and organizing our pantry after 3 1/2 years. Removing 50 years’ worth of contact paper made me realize why I waited so long.
That’s going to feel awesome when you get it done! Go Jenny!
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Cute additions to Clara’s room. If she doesn’t slow down on growing, you guys are gonna have to put telescoping legs on her kitchen, to keep up with her :)
Seriously! She’s a tall glass of water these days! Totally takes after dad…
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Shutterfly pop-up/survey. Just FYI. Room looks awesome!
Oh no, right now? Do you have a screen shot? Knowing which ad spot it’s coming from really helps us pin it down (ex: if there’s also a shutterfly ad on the top box, or the box under the search bar, that helps us block it more quickly since we don’t always see things ourselves).
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No screen shot, but I’ll try to get one if it happens again. But there WAS a Shutterfly ad along the bottom of the page at the same time I saw the pop-up (if that helps?)…
Thanks Tonianne! Totally helps!!
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Oh, SUCH a fun wall! Love how everything’s arranged to Clara’s scale, but not too tiny/low to the ground.
I just rearranged my toddler’s room to fit a small toy kitchen in there. He loves “Cooking” and arranging the plates on the table for his toy animals. It still needs work, but it’s getting there.
I also hope to finish a “bed nest” for him. He’s been sleeping on his toddler-sized mattress that I just had put on the floor with some pillows around it as borders. I’ve been meaning to make a proper structure to have a soft cushion all around, but figuring out the pattern for the “slip cover” part has me overwhelmed. I already ruined some fabric, but I think now I know what to do.
Oh man, the word slipcover gives me chills! I’m in awe of your project, and I’m sure it’ll turn out so awesome! Best of luck Tanya!
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Really cute & cheerful! I want this for my big girl room!! ;0)
IM IN LOVE!!!! Its perfect really!!;) Great job once again!!!
A little sad that your “welcome to the first ten minutes of any project” is what my house looks like now, but I’m mucho inspired lately to do some DIY art project. I also love the white walls. I’ve been thinking of white a lot lately, but wasn’t sure because we have less than perfect walls that no amount of spackeling and sanding will ever fix. I have to look into the best wall colors for yucky walls…
Ooh, I think white flat paint on bad walls is one of the best ways to hide imperfections. Then load them up with art and curtains and furniture and you’ll hardly notice them (the white recedes and the flat paint hides the most issues). Good luck Eilene!
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Looks great! I am not sure if it was intentional or not but it sure was a fabulous random moment to have the print, “You are SO Loved” hanging right above the mirror! I am a Professional Counselor who specializes in adolescent and women’s issues, specifically Eating Disorders, and it is more and more clear that the younger girls are when they start to learn and hear about healthy body image (especially from their Fathers) the more successful they will be in fighting the inevitable battles that will come as they grow and mature. This simple yet profound message above a mirror in her room will only serve to support the healthy messages we all want our children to learn as they grow. As Clara learns to read and understand that message she will no doubt be reminded of the true meaning as she looks at her reflection in the mirror. Bravo Mom and Dad!
That’s so sweet it had me tearing up! It was a complete accident, but I love that print and always want her to know we love her just the way she is. Such a sweet comment Tracy. Thanks so much for sharing!
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What a bright and cheerful room! Love how it’s coming together!
Love the wall of fun! I’m still trying to finish a couple gallery walls of art in our house inspired by your projects in the old house – just about ready to pull the trigger and start hanging! Love this extra layer of “fun”, the ledge shelves are super cute and practical for rotating objects. Any chance you are going to bring your old gallery wall of frames and move them over the staircase?! Holding out for instructions on that one! To the reader who asked where Clara’s kitchen cart came from, we have one from container store (it’s silver) but was more then $4- you got a deal! It does serve as my daughter’s shopping cart too. :) Happy Holidays to you all!
Love that cart tip! Thanks for sharing! And as for hanging frames up the stairway, I think we’re interesting in some there, although we might go with a smaller amount of larger ones (we worry a bunch of small ones like the frame wall had might be too busy with the striped runner and the right angles of all those stairs). Will definitely keep you posted!
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I love her room! I like how you worked with white to keep it bright and then added lots of colour. You guys are such an inspiration and I have already used a lot of your ideas for my place. Thanks for sharing your talents and being such awesome people!
Thanks so much for the kind words Annelies!
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This is so fantastic. Clara is one lucky duck! I love that, while it is still adorable and photoworthy, you made her room kid-friendly and awesome as well. It’s actually themed around her, not having a “perfect” house (though it seriously is absolutely beautiful and I love it!!). Way to go. I love that you hung the pictures on her level and let her be part of picking them out. Adore.
Kiss good bye her staying in bed now! That is just too much fun! Love it!
Haha! Thankfully she stayed in bed last night as usual – here’s hoping she doesn’t get more exploratory in the pitch dark night! Haha!
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Do you have plans to paint the one black frame white?
That one’s navy (a bunch of navy frames hung in her playroom) and I think for now it doesn’t bother us since it’s sort of a mix of sizes and shapes on that wall. Maybe down the line if it bugs us we will though?
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Oh. my. goodness. I bet you guys can’t help but smile from ear to ear every time you walk in her room. I just adore how bright and cheerful it is! :) Keep up the great work!
This room is so much fun! I have to admit… when you first painted the room white I had my doubts. Plain white walls for a 3 year old? But now it’s all come together! So fun and colorful. It makes all the small personal touches stand out more. Clara is very lucky!
Aw thanks Elaine! I was hoping the white walls would let us play around with more fun stuff in other places (colorful ceiling, lighted canopy, bold patterns and colors, bright art and birdcages, etc) without the room feeling too busy. We’re such newbies at white walls, but so far it has been awesome for layering all of that fun stuff in!
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The room looks beautiful guys. Clara is a very lucky girl :) I especially love all the fun and colorful art. I’m slowly trying build my own collection. I’m lucky that my parents instilled a love for art in us from the very beginning and also lucky to have already inherited some of the pieces they purchased as a couple. On my last trip to Puerto Rico I purchased a print by a local artist of a turtle (a nod to the conservation efforts of the beaches where they nest) and as crazy as it may sound, it reminds me of you ever since I read your moving story from the 1st to the 2nd house :) I got one of those annoying pop-ups and took a screenshot. I’m going to email it to your “youngsters” email right now. I’ll put pop-up in the subject line.
Oh no! Boo pop ups! Thanks for the screen grab email Isabel! And as for the turtle print, it sounds so cute, and totally takes me back to that snowy moving day!
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Oh my gosh, what a fun space for Clara!! I love the colors of everything, and the little shelves you added in for her. So cute that she asked for her own mirror, and I love that you hand-painted it :)
Bailey
http://akabailey.blogspot.com
Clara is so lucky to have such a nice big room that is as cute as a button!
I am such a fan of a child’s room being THEIR room. You have done this for Clara. It is designed for her. Not a sleeping room but a room for her. I prefer this to a playroom and then a room to sleep in. I think this gives her a room to feel private in and play in and dream in. Fabulous job you two. I am in love! Can’t wait to see the nursery, or the dining room or the…… Hahaha
It would be awesome if you had some dry erase markers near the mirror so Clara could draw funny faces on it and try to mimic them herself. My little ones love to do that!! :)
That’s such a fun idea! Or some sticky decals like mustaches and bunny ears!
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So, this is totally unrelated to your post today, but I wanted to share that I’ve been wanting to recreate the frame look you did over Karl in your last two living rooms but not wanting to shell out the $$ for the frames all at once. Today I got an email from IKEA for 50% the Ribba frames and a few clicks later, I had six frame for our bedroom wall at $9.99 a pop with reasonable shipping (since we’d have to spend quite a bit in gas to drive to IKEA from where we’re at). Just passing on the deal for those who also love the look!
That’s amazing! What a sale! Now I’m feeling a dangerous pull to ikea.com. Somebody stop me!
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Love Love the wall. Can you tell me where you you got that worm art? I can’t wait to see what you guys made for Clara for Christmas the whole kichen play set is my favorite!
That’s by this sweet etsy shop called Audrey & Gem: http://www.etsy.com/listing/117006146/the-clara-worm-85-x-11
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I pretty much just jaw dropped when I saw Clara’s wall o’ fun – it’s absolutely spectacular! Great job guys! Clara is one lucky lady :)
Seriously Adorable! I wish I was a little girl again and had a room like Clara’s. I love love love this room! The colors and decor are FAB. She is one lucky little girl ;)
Happy Holidays!
Uh. So cute.
Love how the room has progressed! So many good ideas for me to “steal” for my little girl’s room! :)
Question, did you paint the wall intercom white to match the wall color or was it already that way? We have a smilar 90’s fabulous whole-house system, but ours are all faux wood and BIG eye sore/wall warts! Just wondering if we should/could paint them to blend a little better with the wall? Thanks!
That’s just the color it was, but the one in the kitchen is about three times as big and all wood and black! Haha! I am totally not above painting them or even hanging a canvas over them to hide them! I think in her room we’re hoping to eventually switch it out with a newer system that might allow us to play music throughout the house or something fun.
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What’s the square footage of that room? It seems enormous! I’d love to have all those different play areas in my kids’ room. Dream big, Stevie. Dream big.
It does seem big, right? It’s actually 13.5 x 12.5, which is about the same size of her last playroom, but the big rug makes it feel really sprawling I think!
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Love it:) Have you ever posted about painting doors different colors inside. I love Clara’s coral door, do you have different colored doors throughout the house? Or is that just a closet door? Love everything you guys do:)
We just have that accent in her room, and our front door is blue (both front and back) which is a fun pop of color in the foyer. We definitely have been having fun with colored doors, so maybe we’ll do one on the pantry or something someday!
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Cute! Did you see that you guys got a brief mention in the RTD this morning?
http://www.timesdispatch.com/sports/college/vcu/vcu-basketball-players-praised-for-hospital-video/article_238d54c3-ada8-59d8-bf51-67686cca8ae3.html
Aw, that was so sweet of them! We couldn’t love those VCU players more for their awesome role in that amazing video.
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Ahh! The Piegeon book! Theron is obsessed with all of them. Love that your Clara likes them, too!
That’s one of our favorites!
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I love how that wall turned out! Her room looks so spacious too! Great job with recycling the old mirror :)
I love that you are giving her options and listening to her opinion. It makes the room more “her”. I’m curious, has she gotten up in the night to play with her kitchen now that it’s in there?
I’ve been reading the blog since before I had my little man and have been so inspired by all of your DIY gifts to Clara. I’m a couple years behind, but am making my son a busy board full of latches, swivel casters, and mini-flashlight because the boy loves to watch lights turn off and on. Next year or for his birthday this summer a DIY kitchen is in the works.
Looking forward to this year’s gift idea. Merry Christmas!
That sounds so cute! I bet he’s going to love that! And as for her getting up, thankfully last night she stayed in bed, even with her tempting new wall. I think since it’s pitch dark in there (no nightlight, she actually prefers it super dark with the door shut) she can’t see much of anything, so she just stays in bed until morning when we come get her.
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Aw, I think I love it as much as Clara does. I want a fun wall in my bedroom, too! Seriously, so precious. I love the different dimensions you added to the frames. Great job, guys!
Thanks so much Michelle! Hope you’re feeling great! I love seeing your little belly grow on Instagram!
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So sweet! It looks so good!
It looks like the most awesome kids room ever! Clara is so lucky!
It’s going to be so much fun to see her with her baby brother. I predict “games” of school at her little desk.
Wow, that looks fantastic! I would have a hard time tearing myself away from imaginative play if this were in my house.
“Sorry honey, we’ll have to order a pizza for dinner. The kid and I been busy making pretend meals all day long.”
Great job!
Haha! This morning we made fried ketchup (still in the container) and put some cheese in the toaster!
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Yeah! I’ve been refreshing all morning looking for this. Then I remembered you guys usually post around 10 and I relaxed then forgot about it and here I am now. Necessary to share? guess not, but I did want to say I was excited for this post. I love to see what you guys to for Clara because I have a daughter who is a little less than a year younger than her and I love to make stuff for her! This year for Christmas I updated the play kitchen my parents made for my sister and I when we were younger and I can’t wait for her to see it on Christmas morning! Her birthday is a week later and I “redecorated” a dollhouse for her that I found on craigslist for $25. So cute! waiting to the last minute is the only way I don’t just finish the gift and hand it over immediately thereby ruining any suspense or surprise or growing in patience! :) Can’t wait to see what you guys are working on for her Christmas present this year!
Aw, that’s so sweet Danielle! I bet she’ll love that!
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It certainly is the “Wall O’ FUN FUN FUN!!!
Love all the colorful art – I see a worm pic made the cut :)
Do you have a growth chart for Clara? Seems like she’ll use up that ‘extra head room’ for the mirror in no time – she’s a “Bean Sprout”.
Yes, I finally got around to hanging her growth chart on the back of her pink door (inside the closet, with her cute hanging garland you made!). She’s shooting up like a beanstalk!
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HaHa! Love all the “Bean” references :)
So cute! Her gallery wall is adorable :) xo Kristin
Adorable! Love it!!
Where did you get the “you are so loved” piece! I adore it! I would love to get it for my niece!
And as always, you two have impressed me with your ability to work together and make something beautiful! I just bought a house with my fiancé, and we argue about nearly everything… “Put that picture over there!” “No, the couch should be put this direction, not that one!” I am always amazed that you two are still alive after three houses and making such beautiful things happen!
Keep it up!
That’s by Katie Daisy! She has an etsy shop called The Wheatfield with the most awesome prints!
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Everyone should have “You are loved” art hanging over their mirror! That’s my favorite part, though the whole thing looks great.
You guys inspired me to make a play kitchen for my daughter… and a painted train board for my son! Neither are finished. I’ve been busy painting the board on our dining room table at night and my husband needs to spend a little more time in the garage finishing up the kitchen. I’m so excited to see their faces on Christmas morning.
Aw, I bet they’ll love those! Good luck getting it done Candice!
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I absolutely love this wall! As a lover of all walls painted warm colors I appreciate the crisp wall color in Clara’s room. It’s so fresh (and so clean, clean!) and has given me some inspiration for my son’s playroom.
I’m sure you’ve noted this somewhere before, but where did you get amazing hot pink bunny print? I LOVE it!
That was from an awesome craft fair here in Richmond a few years ago, but I think she has an online shop too! Here’s that post for you: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/12/holiday-by-hand/
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