Egypt

So you might have read a while back that i was using my birthday money to go to Egypt with my boyfriend in February. I was really excited to get away and get some sun seeing as how the weather here in England has been something of a joke and is just not warming up at all! Boooo snow.

We had a lovely time although because of Jay's work we could only book it slap bang in the middle of the half term break, and because we had booked one of the "splash" hotels you can imagine it was crawling with kids! We would probably have liked a more chilled, relaxed kind of vibe but we knew when we booked it that we likely wouldn't get that and we still enjoyed ourselves anyway. The weather was beaut, really hot! and we did nothing but eat, drink, sunbathe and enjoy the onsite water park for the whole week. We left the hotel once for a meal at TGI Fridays (which was weirdly different to our own) but still nice, but other than that the complex had it all. 

I'd probably go back to Egypt again in the winter time because the flight time isn't too long for the weather you get but i'd definately look at some adults only hotels next time!

Here's some snaps from the trip.. (P.S i look very young in all these pictures! a 15kg luggage allowance meant no straighteners, no curlers, half of my normal make up selection and lots of au naturelle ;) haha enjoy)

(this face is cracking when you zoom in haha!)

The pictures where i'm in the blue dress are when we went to the NICEST restaurant ever! You actually cooked your own meats on a special stone grill right infront of you so i cooked my steak just how i liked it! The food was gorgeous and it such a fun experience although i was petrified i was gonna burn my fingers off haha!

As you can see i didn't opt for the bandaeu bikini so my strap marks were so blatant! but i thought it wouldn't really matter much anyway seen as we came home to arctic temperatures and my coat came straight back out of my wardrobe.

Overall a lovely break away, can anyone recommend any other nice hotels in Egypt for next time we go?

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Much Love

JessLoren x

Back Again

Hola! I'm baaaack.. (again)

 I can be such an unreliable blogger at times.. Sincere apologies!

 I think the last time i left off i was super excited about my holiday to Egypt, i was attempting some kind of healthy fitness regime but failing miserably and i was eagerly waiting to hear about the date i could put my sky suit back on and get up in the air on ze planezz.

So, following on from that.. my holiday was lovely! and i'll do a proper post on that later on today for no other reason than i need an outlet for my unhealthy addiction to taking and sharing photo's. My exercise regime is very much up in the air and i'd like to crack the whip on this pronto. Last week i was super good and went swimming about 5 times but this week i've not been once! Hmmm.. i think it's this miserable weather that's preventing me want to go outside AT ALL, even to walk to the car! But i have been busy with interviews which leads my on nicely to my final point that i have finally heard my long awaited return date to work. Unfortunately it's not until May :( which sucks major amounts. So i've managed to find myself a little receptionist job to keep me going until then which i start on Monday! I am soooo excited to get back to work and actually have something to do in the day. I am not cut out for this unemployed business - bored bored bored!

I have spent a lot of time reading other blogs in my time off and i'm really getting into the whole you-tubing thing (yes i know very late to this party) But i'm really enjoying watching everyone's video's and seeing all the lovely bloggers in person is really nice! I'm considering doing my own video although it does petrify me because i always detest my voice when i hear it back but i think most people do so i should just suck it up and do it anyway. I don't really have a great camera either and none of this tripod equiptment which always helps so it would probably be via my crappy webcam.. still worth doing? i don't know, what do you think?

Stay tuned anyway got a few post idea's in mind and gonna get cracking with this Egypt one shortly. 

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Much Love

JessLoren x

Time To Dig Out The Suitcase!

So guess what i did today..

Showered, ate some toast, watched a bit of telly.. and booked a frigging holiday! BOOM! :)

I'm officially going to Egypt with my man on the 20th of Feb. We've been wanting to book something for weeks, but we were finally pushed into action today when the price shot up.. luckily we managed to get away with paying the price we'd originally seen! We're staying in a hotel called Coral Sea Splash Resort, and Jay is super excited because they have tons of slides and stuff which appeals to the big kid that he is. I'm looking forward to kicking back with a book and catching some rays, not much else!

I'm affording this holiday thanks to all my lovely friends and family who generously gave me money for my 21st birthday back in December. I was considering keeping it in my savings and spending it on something more "sensible" but quickly snapped out of it and thought, where's the fun in that?! To be honest i don't think people gave me birthday pennies expecting me to spend it on boring stuff like bills anyway, and i like knowing that i can say i did something worthwhile with it!

This is my last chance to get away before i go back flying, as i'm not allowed to take proper holidays in the summer.. so i'm really going to make the most of being the passenger before the tables are turned in the months ahead!

 Jay also worked all over Christmas this year including Christmas Day, so i feel he really deserves this holiday more than anything.

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To be quite honest i've always said i don't fancy Egypt. I know people get poorly quite easily because of the water, the locals can be a bit pushy and there has been times when it's been a dangerous country to visit.. but currently things seem to be quite safe, especially in Sharm, i don't plan on really leaving the hotel to have to deal with the locals and i'm planning on being really careful with what i eat and drink.. and maybe overdoing it with the hand sanitiser!

It's really the only place i can afford that has the temperatures i want at this time of year, and i can't wait to see some sunshine after the miserable weather we've had here the last few months.

For the first time ever i only have 15 kilos luggage allowance and i do not know the meaning of "travelling light" so packing for this should be interesting!! Note to self - it's only SEVEN days.

Has anyone been to this Hotel or Egypt in general and got any tips for me? 

Digging out my summer stuff now is going to feel SO weird.. 

xxx

Burn Baby Burn

I don't know what it is about candles that makes us women go a little bit loopy? Probably same thing that makes us buy those pointless bowls with pebbles in or 20 thousand cushions for one sofa.. We like things that look pretty - regardless of how much substantial use we have for them. I mean let's face it, candles are just big chunky objects that take up ALL of our space and have the least impressive flame you have ever seen.. and despite knowing all this i am still a little bit obsessed with them.

Oh who am i kidding?! i'm a lot obsessed.. epecially with the scented variety. 

There's just something really therapuetic about having that little dancing flicker of light in the room and when it smells like heaven, bonus!

I used to be a proper cheapskate with my candles. I'd only ever buy like Primark ones cause you could get about 400 tealights for 30p (slight exaggeration) Don't get me wrong i still purchase those every now and again but my new found favourite is the hugely popular Yankee Candles. I got my first ever one for my birthday in December and i was so excited. I'd been eyeing them up in Clintons for donkey's but couldn't bring myself to part with the cash so getting one as a present was perfect. I love the sleek little jars they come in, a bit more grown up than the candles i'm used to buying. They also last considerably longer than cheaper alternatives, with the larger ones exceeding 100 hours burning time.

 This was the scent i got for my birthday - Vanilla Cupcake! The picture on the front literally makes my mouth water. I'm such a heffer.

Anyways I was kind of dreading lighting this in a strange way because my mum has this weird thing with vanilla scented anything, it makes her go a bit nuts and she starts biting everyones head off - not fun! But i was pleased that she didn't seem bothered by this one at all. 

However despite this small triumph, i was a little bit dissapointed with my first Yankee Candle because i myself could hardly smell it at all. I expected an explosion of smelly goodness to fill my bedroom but I literally sat almost burning my eyebrows off hovering over the jar to try and get a whiff - in my opinion this particular one is just not strong enough at all.

But I pressed on with my quest to find the perfect one and eventually stumbled across the Yankee Candle shop in the Lowry Outlet Mall. When i went inside i was absolutely bouncing off the walls with excitement, my boyfriend wanted to put me on a lead. I'd never seen so many pretty colours and interesting names that i just wanted them all, but i was immediately drawn to the reduced section that had all the christmas/winter stock at 50% off - meaning i got my hands on a large jar for around £8-9. How's that for you Primark?! I regret not buying more whilst i was there but i was low on cash and had my sensible head on.


And this was the one i ended up with!
Cranberry Ice :)

This time i was not dissapointed. It smells gorgeous.. a really warming sweet wintery smell that seems to last for ages even after you've blown it out. The deep red colour doesn't match my bedroom at all but i'm starting to realise that i'm less bothered about everything being "matchy matchy" and more bothered about getting the most out of my pricey purchases. If i didn't want to try all of the other ones out there so badly then i would definately purchase this again.

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I've got about half of it left now but at the rate i burn it'll be gone in a matter of weeks so i'm wondering if anybody else has any suggestions on which one i should try next.. baring in mind the milder scents don't seem to reach my nose and i dont like anything "spicey"

I also received a (very) late Christmas present off my gran the other day in the form of a Lily Flame candle, wohooo another one to feed the addiction. This is another brand i've heard brilliant things about and have been dying to try so I'm gonna give it a whirl soon and i'll let you all know what i think.

I hope this post put a bit of cheer back into my blog after my god awful rant yesterday.. I am feeling much better today despite forking out for my car insurance! - ouchies on the purse.
Anyway thanks for all the lovely messages i got on that post, they made me feel a whole lot better!

Hope your all good and enjoying February :)
P.S - when is Pancake Day?!

xx


x

The Baking Itch

So the other day i was cracking on with the time consuming task of transferring all the photo's from my iPhone to my laptop - I've been forced into this as my phone is now protesting severely at the 2,000 odd snaps i have clogging my memory and it refuses to work properly, grrr. Anyway, in doing so i came across this picture that i hadn't seen for a while and it really made me smile!

This is a snap of some little cupcakes i baked for Valentines Day last year (yes i am a soppy romantic sad case) and it got me thinking that i haven't actually baked at all since then! I love baking, infact i think most girls do.. and i'm not entirely sure why i haven't thought to do it again since. Now i have to admit this was very much a packet mix job and i by no means claim to be the next Betty Crocker, but i was pretty proud of them afterwards and couldn't wait to give them to the boyfriend..

From what i can remember Jay was pretty chuffed with them too and it was the perfect little something to give him without spending a fortune on a bunch of embarassing valentines tatt that as a boy he wouldn't even want anyway.. (yes Card Factory you are guilty of almost conning me into purchasing him one of those god awful mugs)

I am a bit of a romantic though, and no matter how much people try and tell me that Valentines is purely a money making scheme for shops i will always have a soft spot for it and secretly look forward to much more than i should! So i've decided that this year i'm going to get my bake on again! although maybe try something a little more impressive than this.. I'm on the hunt for the perfect recipe and hopefully i'll be posting again soon with pictures of masterpiece of a cake and not an update on how i burnt the house down haha! 

Has anybody else got any nice Valentines ideas?

xx

Tears and Goodbyes

This is a post that i genuinely wish i wasn't writing, but in the last week i've really struggled with what's happened and i feel like blogging about it might just help me come to terms with it too.

This beautiful little man is Toby - I named him :)

 He was one of the litter of three tabby kittens that my cat Coco gave birth to almost a year ago. When she first had them our idea was to keep one and find homes for the other two, but as time went by in the weeks that followed each member of the family got attatched to one kitten in particular (in my case this little guy) and when it came time to choose which one to keep, we just couldn't! So we ended up a "mad cat family" with 5 in total. Everybody always said we were crazy to have that many, but each one was such a huge part of the family with their own little personalities that we didn't really care what anybody else thought, we were just happy to have them all.


 

Unfortunately last week i came home from work to find my step dad in floods of tears. I panicked immediately because he isn't a crying sort of man, and braced myself for imminent bad news.. we'd lost Toby.. He'd been hit by a car just outside of our house and died almost instantly. My beautiful little man was gone in seconds and nothing could have prepared me for the amount of grief i would feel. I cried more than i ever have in my life, my days went by a blur and i felt constantly numb thinking about nothing but him and how much i missed him. 

My friends all sent kind messages and even work colleagues i barely knew sympathised, but i felt like nobody really understood how i felt and it frustrated me that to others he was "just a cat" when to me he was so much more. I think people without pets struggle to realise the depth of love you can have for one little animal

 They love you unconditionally regardless of how you feel or what you look like.. you spend countless hours in their company and share some of your most memorable days. He gave me snuggles on my 21st birthday, he ate half of the turkey on christmas day and he played with the streamers from the party poppers on new years eve.. You don't realise it on a day to day basis but they are such a huge part of your life and when they're gone its really hard to come to terms with in a way that doesn't make you feel pathetic. I know he wasn't a human being, and i know these things happen, but it doesn't make it any easier.

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We eventually buried him at my grandparents house, which was actually really lovely because they have the most beautiful huge garden and now he's just a part of it. It's always a happy family time when we visit there, especially in the summer when we're all outside.. so i'm hoping in a few months when the pain has worn off and we're all round there sat in the sun, that i'll really smile and think that he's there enjoying it with us.

I'm not sure if my boyfriend ever reads my blog, but i want to thank him for being my rock this last week. He was so loving and supportive when i was at my lowest and i'm very very lucky to have him in my life. Although i am feeling a whole lot better than i was a week ago, it's still really hard and it'll take a while for me to get back to feeling normal.


So i guess this is my little goodbye.. I love you Toby - Kins, you brought me so much happiness in your short life and I really hope there are lots of lovely cardboard boxes and big chunky carriers bags for you to play with in heaven. Sweet dreams little man x

 

xxx

Overdue Day of Rest!

So i know the typical day of rest for most of the world is a Sunday, but this week Sunday was ANYTHING but chilled for me. It was the busiest, most hectic shift yet at my new job, and i have to say that i literally almost had a meltdown!

 Somehow we were so low on staff that i ended up looking after all of the tables pretty much by myself. That's 18 tables relying on me! (poor buggars) I was running around like a headless chicken taking orders, being baffled by computers, running food and drinks, clearing in plates, wiping down tables. etc etc etc! It did feel a bit unfair as i have only been there a week and i am still very much learning the basics, but i was pretty proud of the way i handled everything. 

So,  needless to say i am taking full advantage of today, my official day of rest :) and relaxing to the max.

 

I have slept in, eaten crap, lounged around in my PJ's and generally done just about nothing all day. (slobasaurus) The snow in my area has melted away now and the sun is absolutely beaming, it is a very pretty winter day. I do kind of keep looking out of the window telling myself i have wasted it indoors but minus temperatures just don't tempt me to do much else.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that i have actually asked to go down to part time at this new job as the amount of hours i have been doing and the fact you get next to no breaks was really getting me down. I so didn't want to quit and have to start the job hunt over again so i decided this was the next best thing, and i know i'd rather sacrafice a few pennies for the sake of my sanity! I just keep trying to remind myself that A - this is only a short term thing and i'll be back doing what i love in no time, and B - i should count myself lucky to even have a job at all. 

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So yes, i am currently lay on my bed as i write this, curtains wide open, watching all the planes fly by and kind of wishing i was up there too.. I don't know if it's just me but there is something really calming about watching planes in the sky, and it reminds me that the world is still going about it's business even if i'm not! 

I'm also the saddo with the iphone app that also tells me where they are going haha! CRINGE.

*que strange girl pointing phone out of window* 

My neighbours must think i'm bonkers!

x

January Blues

The 10th? Is that it?

 Wow. We're only a 3rd of a way through this horrible month and i'm already 100% bored of it.

  January is seriously God’s way of slapping us around the face with the post-Christmas wet fish of reality, but why does it have to last an eternity?

 I'm so fed up of every advert on the box telling us to lose weight, join a dating website and start saving for next christmas?! No wonder people feel depressed in January, with the tv convincing us all we should all be skinny, in a relationship and totally organised. 

I've also heard this morning that the big winter freeze is finally kicking in, and we're gonna see a lot of the white stuff over the coming weeks; which is sure to make the whole country grind to a halt as usual! I'll probably still jump up and down like a big kid when i spot it falling, but as soon as i have to dig my car out of slush in the morning it'll be a totally different story.

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On the plus side of things i have finally got myself a "Winter job" to tide me over until i go back to flying in the Spring. It's a waitress/bar staff position which i was extremely excited about as i've always fancied it but could never get the interviews due to lack of experience. Luckily enough for me, the place who have employed me prefer to hire people without experience and i finally got a chance to give it a go. 

I had a trial shift on Monday night and went in all guns blazing, totally ready to get stuck in and back to work. 4 hours later i emerged feeling like i'd been hit by a bus! I was SO tired, so overwhelmed and ached in places i'd forgot could ache.

 I have to say i have a new found respect for waiting staff, because the job is much harder than i anticipated. There's so much to remember i really felt like a fish out of water, and it took me back to how i felt when i first started flying - clueless! I know i'll pick it up eventually and i am still really excited about the job, but let's just say i may think twice about how much i tip when i am eating out in future, those guys deserve medals!

Does anybody with experience in this area have any tips for me?

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How is this month faring for everybody else?

I'm willing on February like there's no tomorrow because let's face it.. PANCAKE DAY! :)

xxx

 

Hello 2013

Hi Beauts :)

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year! Again i have been slacking on posts with no real excuse.. But i'm in the mood for a natter and seeing as how my lovely boyfriend surprised me with a brand new laptop at crimbo (lucky, lucky girl) i thought it was about time i posted from my new baby.

The boy did good when choosing my new lappy! It's bright and white and shiny and the keys have that look about them that just makes you want to write an absolutely essay and savour the sound of the clicking. I'm not sure what to do with my old Dell as it is kind of falling to pieces, but still works fine if not a little slow? I'll hopefully find it a new home as it seems a waste to chuck it..

& This is my new one! Yaay. Preddy.

I got some other lovely bits and bobs for Christmas too, including some new Yankee Candles which i was absolutely buzzing about because my obsession with scented candles is now beyond unhealthy.

I also got some new Converse, Daisy Perfume, Clinique Make-Up, the Real Techniques brushes - Finally! Some new PJ's, the comfiest dressing gown EVER and umpteen bottles of Bailey's .. yummyyy.

All in all i didn't do bad at all considering i'm 21 now and supposedly thats the year that it all goes down hill! I love Christmas and i'm always on a bit of a downer as is everyone when it's over, but i am so pumped for the year ahead now that i just wish it would get rolling! I can't wait til the temperature heats up and the sun shows it's face because it always puts a smile back on mine!

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My main goal for this year is to continue saving towards a house and maybe even put a deposit down by the end of the year.. realistically this might not happen until 2014, but we shall see!

I'd also like to start collecting bits for my new home, otherwise it's going to be a bit bare when we first move in!

I'd love to watch less crappy TV and replace it with reading which should be easier now i have my kindle. There's so many books out there that i've seen and thought "i'd love to read that" yet i still find myself tuning in to Jeremy Kyle first thing in the morning instead :/ (apalling but addictive, right?)

I'd like to go swimming more and become a bit healthier. I get into it on and off throughout the year but i'd like it to be a permanent part of my lifestyle from now on.

Although i plan to save a lot i still want to make the most of the fact that i'm young and without any sproglettes! I want to go on a few lovely holidays and see some more of the world. I have Paris and Egypt in my sights!

I really want to develop my personal style a bit more as i don't feel like myself in a lot of my clothes anymore. I know i can't go ahead and buy a whole new wardrobe in one so collecting bits and pieces here and there should hopefully do the trick in time.

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2012 was amazing for me, i got myself a new car, had a fantastic flying season with Monarch, celebrated 4 amazing years with my boyfriend and had the holiday of a lifetime in Mexico. I've got faith that 2013 will be just as good and i can't wait to get cracking with all of the above!

a week late but hey - Happy New Year Everyone :)

xxxx

Cancun Part 2

So this is the second post about my holiday to Mexico but before i start i just want to share a little something with my blog readers.

I'm really enjoying getting back to blogging and writing these holiday posts at the moment, and i have to say that recently whenever i've thought about blogging my idea's all seem to have been fairly lifestyle based. I know i used to do a lot of  product review style posts but i seem to have lost my passion for that in the last few months - that might just be because i'm completely skint and can't really treat myself to much right now but either way i only want to blog if i'm going to enjoy it. So i think for the time being you will see more posts like this on JessLorenx and a little less of the make-up and skincare rambles. I'm not sure if that will suit everybody's tastes but for me that's what i feel happiest writing about :)

So having said that let's pick up where i left off the other day..

So these pictures are from the night we went on the Thomson bar crawl, and it was absolutely mental! To explain the first picutre we got the local bus to the first place but it stopped just short so we had to walk along the pavement for about 5 minutes and after a while we noticed we kept coming across these signs.. Basically we were right next to the lagoon which is apparantly filled with crocodiles!!!! and these signs were to warn people! I'd took far too long getting ready to be a crocodile snack to i practically ran all the way there.. big wimp :)

We went to four different clubs, starting off in Senior Frogs which is really well known for being a bit of a crazy place! The minute we arrived we were handed the biggest cocktails i've ever seen, i really wanted to bring the cup home but it wouldn't fit in my bag haha. Everyone was up dancing on the tables and doing stupid stuff, there was even a WATERSLIDE upstairs that went into the lagoon! Needless to say i avoided that at all costs but i think it's a big hit when everyone's really wasted.

The next two clubs were pretty cool, Sweet was really futuristic with lots of cool lights and Mandala was an open front club with no windows and an amazing atmosphere. We had open bar wrist bands for all the places and the waiters were fantastic at keeping us topped up with drinks. It beats fighting your way to the front of a bar in Manchester that's for sure!

And finally we finished up at Coco Bongo's which is probably the most famous club in the world! It was INSANE. Basically its a club that also has constant shows going on throughout the night, we got to watch Moulin Rouge, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Queen. They do all kinds of acrobatics above the audience and have streamers and confetti going off all the time. I've never been anywhere quite like it and we loved it so much that we booked to go again but in the VIP area. More on that later!

We booked a dolphin swim trip for the Saturday and the place we went to do it also happened to have a pretty cool water park. Turns out that the trip we'd booked included park wrist bands too so we got to go on a bunch of fun slides (one of which had me landing on my head literally) They also had a really big wave pool which was a workout in itself! and a nice chilled out lazy river that seemed to go on forever. It was such a fun day, we caught so much sun and got a good 5 hours of playtime crammed in before we had to head to the dolphin pool.

Now we decided months beforehand that we wanted to swim with dolphins whilst we were in Cancun but i was a little bit nervous about it and not entirely sure i'd go through with it. You see i'm one of those people that if you sing the jaws theme tune whilst i'm in a swimming pool or even the bath (yes really) i will jump out screaming like a great big girl and refuse to get back in again.. so i thought i might see the fin in the water and refuse to get in, but i was so wrong. I fell in love with them the minute i saw them. They're absolutely beautiful little things, with such brilliant personalities. I knew they were clever but i was literally amazed at the stuff they could do and felt totally at ease when i got in the water.

We were really lucky in that we got to do it totally by ourselves, as sometimes you have to participate in a group which means they're in all your snapshots too! It was really lovely, just me, my boyfriend and a dolphin each! I can't recommend this experience enough to anyone who hasn't done it because it's something i will never forget for the rest of my life. Jay said he didn't think he'd ever seen me smile so much :)

So me, Jay and our friends decided to go and explore a little in Cancun town one night. We had a bash at haggling on the flea market (which i am truly awful at) but we did get some good bargains! And we'd spotted a "hooters" when we were on the bar crawl so for the sake of saying we'd been to hooters, we went for a drink. Well, our friends ended up with LITRES of beer. Yes thats right, one whole litre in a glass. Each! So that was them in the mood for a good time, but we didn't quite enjoy having to pay for our drinks so back we headed to the hotel to make the most of our all inclusive, and that's where the fun began..

What started off as a few friendly games of pool quickly turned into "losers do tequila shots pool" andd needless to say we got very drunk very quickly! It was such a good night with such lovely people that it's another really memorable part of the holiday for me and i'll never forget how much i laughed that night. You can't see it on these pictures either but my white vest top was covered in blue pool chalk too because i kept leaning on it by accident haha! fashion fail.

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And that wraps part 2 :)

I could defo do a 3rd part to this cause i have so many photo's but i genuinely can't be bothered.. It's also pretty depressing re-living it when i want to go back so sooo bad! So i hope you've enjoyed these 2 posts

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JessLoren x