10 Festive Nail Designs For Halloween
Are you looking to get a little festive for Halloween? Maybe you don’t plan on dressing up, but want to do a little something fun. How about some fun nail art? Here are 8 fun Halloween nail designs to get you started!
First up are these fun spiderwebs from My Nail Graffiti. I love everything about this. The black matte nail polish is awesome! Perfectly spooky. Add spider webs and it becomes a little creepy. And the glitter glams it up!
I think that you could stop at any of the layers for a great Halloween manicure!
(Looking for a black matte polish? Try this one!)
These mini vampires and draculas from One Nail To Rule Them All are really cute! A fun way to add some character that’s for sure! Bonus: She shows you a how to tutorial on creating them!
Create some creepy spiders like Miss Lady Finger did I love this orange polish and think it would be perfect for adding some spiders to!
I love this classic French manicure with a festive twist that was created by Crafty Nail.
Want to learn how to add a ghost? Crafty Nail has you covered!
The PolishAholic was inspired by candy corn. The dots and stripes combo are absolutely adorable!
These pumpkin nails are so fun. And once again One Nail To Rule Them All has a great tutorial for you.
Nails in Nippon said that these skulls and crossbones were easy so I will take her word for it! I think it’s a great look!
This is a great way to add a little pizzaz to your next mani!
(Image source unknown)
I love this mix. Chevron, dots, glitter, basics, eye balls. Awesome design from Get Nailed!
So during Halloween do you dress up or do you do something else to get festive?
Back To School Sharpie Card – Teacher Gift Idea
“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media, Staples and Sharpie, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #SharpieBTS http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV” |
For us school starts soon! I always like to send Josh into school with a little something for his new teacher. Gifts have to be fun and practical. And really, can you get any more practical than school supplies? I’ve seen the candy bar cards ALL over Pinterest over the years, so I decided to make our own version using Sharpies!
My son called this the Ultimate Pun Challenge and we were very happy with our result. This was SO easy, inexpensive and I think it will be easy to re-create for teacher appreciation and end of the year cards as well. Plus, I think his teacher will love it!
First, you need to go get your supplies. You can find Sharpie markers at Staples. All Sharpie Fine and Ultra Fine markers will be on sale starting August 10th while supplies last!
The only other supplies you will need are poster board and tape. We also included a Staples gift card with our gift so that his teacher could pick up more Sharpies and other back to school essentials!
The instructions are really simple. Write your note onto the poster board. Make sure you leave enough space for a Sharpie to fit in place of some of the words. Then, just tape the Sharpie in place.
Simple huh? Here is our letter:
Yellow (Hello) Mrs. Miller!
I just red (read) that you were going to be my teacher! All of my black (back) to school blues (blues) vanished.
The other kids will be green (green) with envy. Orange (Aren’t) you excited about this coming school year? I am! Pink (pinky) promise it’s going to be great.
Love Joshua
P.S. In case this didn’t earn me any brown (brownie) points, maybe this gift card will help!
Because every teacher needs a Staples gift card! 🙂
And that’s it! SUPER easy! Plus, it’s a gift that will be loved and well used! Starting August 10th all Sharpie Fine and Ultra Fine markers will be on sale at Staples! (While supplies last!)
Summer Bucket List – Host a Fruttare Party!
This shop is part of a social shopping marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group (C) and Fruttare (C). All opinions are 100% my own. #PMedia You can read more here.
I absolutely love summer. I love sleeping in, warm weather and being able to spend so much time with our friends. Our mission for summer is to get out and PLAY! Josh wanted to invite some friends to one of the splash pad parks to play so we decided to ‘glam’ it up a bit and host a Fruttare party!
What is the world is Fruttare? They are the most delicious frozen fruit bars EVER! You can find them at Kroger and they come in the most amazing flavors like Mango, Pineapple, Black Cherry, and Lime. But they also have flavors that are fruit mixed with milk – Strawberries and Milk, Peaches and Milk and they taste just like a milkshake – on a stick! YUM. (Bonus: While supplies last through July you can buy a box of Fruttare and redeem a music reward! Each Music Reward is good for $4! You can redeem them here!)
We wanted our get together to be low key, but still really fun! Summer is not the time for stress! 🙂
The Decorations:
We held our Fruttare Party at a local park that had a fun splash pad so our decorations needed to be easy to bring and easy to set up! Some fun garland was the way to start!
Easy Peasy Circle Garland
You will need:
Construction Paper
Circle Punch
Sewing Machine
Seriously, this project could not get any easier! Punch out circles from the construction paper. Then, run them through your sewing machine to make one long ‘string’ of circles! I absolutely love it!
Total Time: 15 minutes!
Sweet Fruttare Inspired Frozen Treat Garland
You will need:
Pool Noodles – I used 2 for different colors!
Ribbon
Craft Sticks – I used the Jumbo size!
Hot Glue
I am in love with this project. I think it turned out ADORABLE!! 🙂 And it was EASY!
Start by cutting your pool noodle into sections. (I cut mine into pieces about 6 inches long.)
Once you have your noodle piece, you will want to split it in half. Do this by cutting down one side and then the other. When it is cut you should have two pieces. One side should have a small indentation on it from the hole that ran through your noodle. This will be the side that is the front of your treat! The indentation will give the illusion that there are two treats!
Luckily noodles are super easy to cut! You will need to trim down your noodle. On the back of the treat (the curved side!) trim off the excess noodle so it is flat. Then, snip the corners at an angle and you have a frozen treat! Almost!
Repeat this process for all of your noodle pieces. Then, lay out your ribbon remembering to leave some excess on the ends for hanging. Place one ‘frozen treat’ front side down and hot glue two jumbo craft sticks to the noodle. Place the ribbon on top and glue another frozen treat (this time right side up!) on top. Ta da! Finish gluing your treats to the ribbon!
Total Time: 45 minutes
Craft Sticks!
You will need:
Craft Sticks
Hot Glue
We glued craft sticks to an empty box to put our fruit salad in. Easy. Adorable. Fun.
(Total time: 5 minutes)
We also glued craft sticks together to make a ‘runner’ for the top of our table. SUPER easy!
(Total time: 5 minutes)
Washi Tape Sticks
You will need:
Washi Tape
Craft Sticks
Just tape it on! (Doesn’t get any easier, huh?) 🙂
Total time: 5 minutes!
The Food:
What is a party without food?
We wanted to keep it light with fruit salad,
Watermelon (on our Washi Tape Sticks!)
Sandwich Kabobs (because everything is better on a stick!)
AND of course Fruttare Bars! The highlight! 🙂
To drink, we had lemonade. Served in blue mason jars with fun paper straws of course!
The Entertainment:
For us, the entertainment was the park! The kids got to run and play! And come back for seconds on the Fruttare Bars!
Glamming up our park play date was so much fun and an unexpected treat for the kids! I love making our summer days a little more extraordinary! I really can’t think of a better day than friends, the park and Fruttare!
You can follow Fruttare online and on their social media pages Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!
This shop is part of a social shopping marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group (C) and Fruttare (C). All opinions are 100% my own. #PMedia You can read more here.
Father’s Day Gift Guide
Father’s Day Gift Guide 2014
I Father’s Day is fast approaching! Are you ready? Father’s Day is about honoring the men in your life and saying thank you! I want the day to be special for my father and my husband and let them know that I appreciate the late nights, the early mornings, the dinners, bedtime stories, hugs, power tool lessons, tickle monster appearances, teaching me how to drive, and about a million other things that they do each and everyday.
We plan to celebrate in the morning with homemade cards, a yummy breakfast (probably French Toast and bacon – one of our favorites!) and then hanging out together doing some of dad’s favorite activities – hanging by the pool letting Dad work his magic on the BBQ! Oh and of course, we have some gifts for Dad! The kids LOVE helping to pick out a gift that Dad will love and they REALLY love giving it to him! What are you giving the Dad in your life? Lucky for you – we have a Father’s Day Gift Guide with some amazing options that any Dad would love to have!
Brooks Brothers Gingham Shirt
Non-iron sport shirt, made from Supima® cotton oxford. Original Polo® button-down collar. Center back pleat. Front placket. Golden Fleece® embroidery at left chest. Contrast color on inside collar and cuffs. Deep yoke. Machine wash. Imported. Also available in Slim fit. They have many different colors to choose from, though I’m very partial to this blue color. As the country’s oldest clothing retailer, Brooks Brothers is proud to uphold the same traditions and values for nearly two centuries. We believe these are the reasons why our customers consider us to be far more than a store. You can learn more about the Brooks Brother’s history and heritage HERE. Be Sure to take a look at their full Father’s Day Gift Guide! You’re gonna love what they have to offer.
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John Varvatos Washed Linen Boat Shoe
They’ve merged their signature Schooner silhouette with a classic boat shoe design for a remarkable everyday slip-on. Finished with details like a laceless closure, vintage hardware as well as hand stitching on the washed linen exterior. Size & Fit: This shoe runs small; Please order a half size up. Complimentary Shipping & Returns. John Varvatos is a brand that occupies a unique place in the landscape of American design. It unites old world craftsmanship and refined tailoring with modern innovations in textiles and a rock ‘n’ roll sensibility. Launched in 2000 with a collection of tailored clothing and sportswear, the brand now represents an entire lifestyle that includes belts, bags, footwear, eyewear, limited edition watches, luxury skincare and fragrances, as well as the younger, edgier John Varvatos Star USA collection and Converse by John Varvatos.
Tessemae’s Father’s Day Grill Pack
Tessemae’s All Natural is the world’s fastest growing fresh condiment company. It started when the oldest of three brothers marched a Tupperware container filled with their mother’s homemade salad dressing recipe into the grand opening of a local grocery store back in 2009. Over the next 5 years, the brothers have achieved national distribution in Whole Foods Markets and Safeway grocery stores with a complete line of “clean” salad dressings, marinades, rubs, and sauces.
Tessemae’s has just launched their new Father’s Day Grill Pack. Complete with Ketchup, Honey Mustard, Teriyaki Sauce, Hot Sauce and brand new Slow Roasted Garlic Spread, this pack delivers the same real, simple, bold ingredients that can be expected from Tessemae’s.
The must-have culinary accessory for any dad who wants to perfect his grilling skills this summer, Tessemae’s is the perfect complement to grilled veggies, meat or protein. Using only all-natural ingredients (ones you know and can actually pronounce!) and made with no refined sugars, these paleo-friendly, dairy free, spreads and marinades can turn any BBQ into a real culinary feast. From now until June 10th, Tessemae’s is offering a special price ($25) for the entire grill pack with guaranteed Father’s Day delivery.
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Powercase & Powermat Bundle
A great gift to give that special dad or grad in your life more power and protection for his iPhone 5s or 5. The Duracell Powermat wireless charging pad and PowerCase together make powering and protecting your iPhone 5s a breeze. The PowerCase’s built-in 2000 mAh battery provides up to 100% extra battery power, while shielding your iPhone from nicks and bruises. The PowerMat lets you recharge your iPhone and PowerCase wirelessly by simply placing them on the mat—no need to plug in your iPhone. And if you’re at a different location from the PowerMat, you can also recharge your iPhone and PowerCase with a micro USB cable through the USB port on the case. You can also find these at the Apple store!
Cabelas Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite Window Smoker
This smoker is literally SMOKING and amazing! The smoker comes in 30″ (4 racks) and 40″ (6 racks). The smoker comes with Window and Stainless Steel Door — See how your smoked meats, cheeses or vegetables are coming along through the integrated window. Built-in meat probe displays the food temperature. Digital temperature and time controls. Thermostatic-controlled temperature. Built-in internal cabinet light. Four racks provide 730 sq. in. of cooking space. Can hold six racks for a total of 1,095 sq. in. of cooking area. 25-lb. capacity. What Father wouldn’t want one of these?
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Ray-Ban REMIX Sunglasses
Ray-Ban is giving YOU the power to custimze your own mix of sunglasses! You get to choose your style frame, lenses, and more. Ray-Ban has been producing timeless classics in eyewear for over 60 years. From their Aviator Classics, to their ever-popular Wayfarer Sunglasses, Ray-Ban has been at the forefront of Eyewear style. Now with Ray-Ban Remix, you can fully customize the look of your Ray-Ban sunglasses. Choose your model, the frame color, lens colors and more. You can even get a pair engraved just for your Dad.
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Harry’s Father & Son Shave Set
This is definitely one of my favorite gift guide ideas! What a better way to bring Father & Son together to create bonding moments while shaving? I’m a huge fan of this! Plus, you can even get the razor handles monogrammed! Like most of the men in your life, they’ve long had to choose between over-priced, over-marketed razors that disrespect your intelligence, and low quality, cheap razors that disrespect your face. They knew there had to be a better way, so they created Harry’s as a return to the essential: a great shave at a fair price.
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Nike+ Fuel Band
The Nike+ FuelBand SE Silver features polished stainless steel clasp, bezel and screws. It has handworked, mirror polished surfaces to highlight craftsmanship and detail. This is the perfect gift for the active Dad or even one who might need a little encouragement to get moving more. Nike’s Nike+ platform makes it easy to start tracking your progress and work towards higher goals.
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Omaha Steaks For Dad – The Dad Pack!
It’s time to treat dad this Father’s Day with custom-built combos guaranteed to thrill! We’ve assembled our customer favorites perfect for gifting and grilling and when you select the Father’s Day Deal, Father’s Day Favorites, Father’s Day Griller Package, or The Dad Pack, we’ll ship your entire order FREE and include 6 FREE Omaha Steaks Burgers to each address in your order! There’s never been a better time to spoil dad, and at these prices, you might as well treat yourself too!
Impress Dad this year and still get a Deal from your friends at Omaha Steaks. Succulent and tender – Dad’s sure to love our Filet Mignons. Bold, beefy and naturally lean, Top Sirloins will take Dad’s grilling to new heights. Add genuine Omaha Steaks Burgers, ground from our own lean beef, and Boneless Pork Chops and you’ve got something to impress every pop! Order now – Father’s Day will be here before you know it!
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Wine.com – Wine for Dad!
Celebrate your Dad this Father’s Day with some great wine! Whether you buy a few bottles for dinner, or sign him up for a monthly wine club membership, Wine.com has the best selection of wines online. Check out their selection of 90+ point wines for under $20! With their convenient services, huge selection of wines, and easy delivery…I’m sure you will find some great bottles for him to enjoy!
I know that Dad would be more than happy to receive any of these gifts! (Heck, I might get some of them for myself!) Not only are these great gifts to receive, but they are a lot of fun to give!
Dads give everything of themselves everyday – make sure to take Father’s Day to let them know how much they are loved and appreciated! After all, Dad deserves it!
This post is sponsored by Mommerce and the participating brands.
Craft Supplies Every House and Classroom Needs To Have
A well stocked craft closet is like a well stocked kitchen! When you have something that you need to make – you have all the ingredients! Here is a list of supplies that classrooms and homes should have to make sure they are always ready to create!
Paper
Paint & Supplies
- Watercolor Paints
- Washable Paint
- Finger Paint
- Paint Cups
- Paintbrushes that are age appropriate
- Art Smock
Drawing
Craft Supplies
- Yarn
- Glue
- Mod Podge
- Tape ( Don’t forget things like Duck Tape, Masking Tape and Washi Tape!)
- Paper Bags
- Tissue Paper
- Craft Sticks
- Googley Eyes
- Glitter
- Clay
- Scissors
All of these items will lead to countless masterpieces and creations! Not to mention hours of learning and fun! Did I miss anything? What is your favorite and most used craft supply at your house?
Teacher Appreciation Week – Easy Gift Ideas with Free Printable Tags
It’s Teacher Appreciation week! Starting today!! Are you ready? If not, don’t worry! We have lots of quick, easy gift ideas and even free printable gift tags to help you! Teachers do so much for our kids, so even if you can’t buy a gift make sure to write a quick note to let them know that they are appreciated!
For a very ‘POP’ular Teacher – attach to a movie gift certificate or to a yummy batch of popcorn! (Try our recipes for Cookie Butter Popcorn or Cookie & Cocoa Swirl Popcorn!)
NAILED it! free printable gift tag to attach to a nail polish or salon gift certificate! Pamper your teacher! 🙂
You are a ‘Scent’sational Teacher! Add our cute tag to a candle!
You Warm My Heart! What goes hand in hand with candles? A candle warmer!
Get the free printable tag here.
Keep your teacher hydrated with a cute new water bottle! (Filling it with chocolate is optional!)
Get the free printable tag here.
You are ‘So-Da’ Teacher! Add a little variety by choosing different flavors of soda (or buy a case of their favorite!) and adding our cute tag!
Get the free printable tag here.
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
How to Paint Converse & Our Nintendo Converse Shoes
In a few days my baby boy will be turning 11. I really have to keep saying it over and over again, because I honestly just don’t believe it. Gone are the days of asking for a new toy for his birthday. This year it was drum lessons, video games and high tops. But not just any high tops. He wanted custom high tops. I’ve realized that I am the most un-hip person on the face of the planet. When I went shopping I didn’t even know where to begin. (I think there should be a place where you can rent a hipster – someone that can go with moms like me who are obviously not cool anymore and show them where to shop and what to buy. And of course they would need a catchy phone number – 1-800-GET-COOL or something.) Anyways. I came up with NOTHING.
So I did the next logical thing and Googled. I saw tons of cool things that were way out of my artistic abilities ( and trust me, there isn’t a ton of artistic ability in me!) But when I saw these I thought, I can do that! Just rectangles right?
Well, we are happy! I was happy that it wasn’t too hard and Josh is happy because, well they are awesome! 🙂 (Drummers need cool shoes you know!)
You will need:
A pair of Converse shoes! (We have plans to paint some slip on shoes too this summer!)
Paint Brushes (This is not a pull out your kid’s watercolor paint brush project. You don’t need the most expensive brushes but some good ones! Here are the ones I used: Spotter, Blender, Shader, & Blender. For the price, I wish I would have also picked up the Wash/Shade Brush set! A slightly bigger brush would have saved time on the bigger areas!)
Since I had the two buttons I also picked up a pack of stencil sponges. (These were only about $3 or $4 at the store I picked them up at!)
Acrylic paint (I used Apple Barrel by Plaid) Make sure you get acrylic paint!
Want to make your own? Here area few things I learned along the way!
– Go ahead and sketch out a rough design on the shoes in pencil.
– Work one shoe at a time! It’s easier!
-Most of the time I was painting I had one hand inside the shoe! It helps to give you some stability.
-Do your outlines first and then shade them in. If at first when you are painting, the color isn’t exactly what you were thinking, let it dry and give it another coat! Especially if you are using black shoes! 🙂
-The shoes are really forgiving! While I did have a light sketch on the I honestly did it mostly free handed. As you can tell above there were some blemishes. But you can always paint over a mistake! (Even on the black where I wasn’t painting anything – a small mistake just took a little black paint and you can’t even tell!) The style we did was a lot of squares and rectangles. This is why having good brushes will come in handy! They make it much, much, much easier to paint a straight line. And if there is a little curve in it – that’s ok! Honestly, no one will notice! Plus, they are hand painted! You will have a little quirk here or there!
-See? That light grey box with the two black buttons? If you look close you can see where I touched up my mistake with a little black paint to make it look even? See! What mistake? 🙂 Work in layers! The paint will dry pretty quickly! Layering details on top will save you lots of headaches as opposed to tying to work around them!
– Add your own touch! We wrote Josh’s name down the backs of his shoes. Not that he would get them mixed up with anyone elses! 😉
-Know that even though they aren’t perfect – they are still 100% cool.
And so I give you our Nintendo Converse shoes:
And yes, we did one side the controller side and one side the console side. Yep. We are kind of Old School.
If you make a pair please let me know!! I would love to see them!!
And don’t forget to pin! 🙂
Being A Great Teacher? Nailed it! Printable Teacher Appreciation Gift Tag
Teacher Appreciation Week is NEXT WEEK! If you are looking for a quick, last minute gift idea how about picking up a gift certificate for a local nail salon for an after school visit for pampering? Or even just a few fun bottles of pretty polish?
Just save our printable tags and print on to card stock (I took mine to a local copy shop!) Then, attach to an envelope and put your gift certificate inside!
I’m sure your child’s teacher will be more than excited for a little bit of pampering!
And it couldn’t be any easier! 🙂
Check out some of our other Teacher Appreciation ideas here!
For A Very ‘POP’ular Teacher Free Printable Tag for Teacher Appreciation
This past weekend was filled with amazing Cookie Butter Popcorn and Cookie & Cocoa Swirl Popcorn. While we were munching away — and I was wishing I had the will power to stop — I thought I know! Let’s be awesome and give some away! Who wouldn’t love this?
So Josh and I headed out and found these super cute Popcorn boxes at World Market. ($4.99 for 12 boxes)
No World Market? Check out Amazon! They have similar boxes available! (Check them out here.)
I love these because they are so easy to make and you can fill it with the popcorn ‘flavor’ of your choice! (Above is the Cookie & Cocoa Swirl Popcorn – get the recipe here)
This is our Cookie Butter Popcorn! (Get the recipe here)
Before sending these off to school, I suggest getting some plastic treat bags and filling them and then putting the treat bag in the popcorn box. That way you can seal it up and it will stay fresh! You can get them pretty inexpensively on Amazon. (See them here.)
Just save the picture to your computer and make to fit one page. I printed mine at a local copy shop onto card stock.
They would also be fun to attach a movie theater gift card to!
Check out some of our other Teacher Appreciation ideas here!
Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea: Candles & Candle Warmers (Plus a free printable tag!)
**** UPDATE ****
Get our free printable Christmas tag here!
If you haven’t heard yet, Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5-9th. So to get ready we have been posting lots of easy ideas for you to make your child’s teacher a special something to show how much you appreciate all of their hard work!
So far this week we have shared printable tags to attach to soda (You are ‘SO-DA’ teacher!) and water bottles (I just can’t bottle it up anymore!) Both gifts were super cute and something that I’m sure any teacher would appreciate. Today we have TWO printables that you can use to add to your gifts!
If you have a super awesome teacher you should definitely think about getting them a pretty candle warmer! I know teachers love to have their classrooms smell nice, but you aren’t allowed to have candles with open flames (due to obvious reasons!) burning. I know when I was teaching lots of teachers brought in candle warmers to plug in to keep their classrooms smelling nice!
This warmer is so pretty! It’s from Candlewarmers.com and is actually a warming lamp, which means it actually gives off some light as opposed to a traditional warmer.
It comes in black and white so it is perfect for any decor! (You can get one here.)
I *love* Candlewarmers.com! We have their products all throughout the house. See? Isn’t the owl candle warmer the cutest? (Get him here!) Their products are really top notch!
I promise – whoever you purchase a candle warmer for will be super happy! 🙂 Attach our cute printable tag (find it below!!) and some ribbon and you have a perfect gift!
Want to know what goes great with candle warmers or even as gifts on their own? Candles! City Creek Candles is hands down my favorite place to get candle and candle waxes! I love them because they are super awesome quality, but their site is so easy to find exactly what you are looking for! Their (tons) of scents are organized by categories like citrus + fruit, woods, sea + sand, green + herbal and more!
We have the frosted cake wax in our candle warmer and, true story, the first time we put it on Josh came up from the basement because he thought I had made cupcakes. (He was quite disappointed! No cupcakes – just a candle!)
This time they sent me Sugared and Citrus. You have no clue how amazing this sells! I’m obsessed!
(Check out all of the amazing scents and candles here.)
Make sure to print the gift tag (below!!) and add your favorite ribbon to create a fun (and great smelling!!) gift!
To attach the bow to the candle I just cut a piece of ribbon to fit snugly around the jar and hot glued it to form a loop and slipped it on.
If your ribbon is a little loose just put a small dot of hot glue on the glass and it should hold. When your teacher is ready to use the candle it should pull of pretty easily.
Just save the above image to your computer (or flash drive). I fit mine to take up one page and printed it at a local copy shop on card stock.
(Don’t forget to Pin!)
Check out some of out other teacher appreciation gift ideas here.