merry christmas!!

happy holidays from every person and furry animals at flora&fauna!!
xoxo
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portobello west and canamade!!


portobello west market last weekend was FUN!! we met so many other local artists, and even got to do a little bit of xmas shopping ;)

if you missed our sale at portobello west last weekend, come catch us at Canamade in Gastown!! It will be an awesome show+party!! some of my favourite designers and crafters are there this year, AND there's even a bar serving coffee and baileys, rum and eggnog, mulled wine, and hot cocoa and schnapps!!

print and bring this flyer with you for a 2-for-1 admission :) see you there!! xoxo


Canamade is held at 151 W Cordova Street, in Storyeum.
Friday 4pm-9pm
Saturday 11am-9pm
Sunday 11am-5pm

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we flew, we conquered... and we shopped.

it's true. our dog bitta and i were in ontario last week! we flew, we conquered... and then... we shopped.


this is what a jet lagged dog looks like.

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see? we were really there!!
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inside Shopgirls, 1342 Queen Street West in Toronto, they carry our fall-winter collection!! YAY!!
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a very lovely wall off jewelry, feathery and reclaimed leather earrings by deedeebird
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we already miss ontario and all our friends and family there!! hope to visit again soon!!
xoxo
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flora&fauna in Las Vegas with Snugabell Mamas!!


we heart Snugabell, the creators of must-have breast feeding products for busy moms. Wendy, the founder (on the right), is such a sweetheart, and a model mom for successfully juggling her thriving business, loving family (2 super cute daughters), and being an expert at breast feeding and natural births, AND mentoring new small businesses too!! WOW!

we were so flattered when Wendy approached us for a custom design eco top for her team to wear at trade shows!! inspired by Wendy, we named the top "think tank" encouraging everyone to think about their lifestyles and habits, and what they can do to create positive change at home, at work, and how we can help others do the same.

the "think tank" will be available in Spring 2010!


(photo zenaida kwong, model kimiko yoshida)
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cute story today in the globe and mail about a hobby sheep farmer. illustration by a friend, leeay aikawa.

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metro + brandi + flora&fauna


nothing quite like waking up the day after a fab fashion show... to see one of your designs on the FRONT COVER of Metro ^_^ and it's worn by Canada's Next Top Model contestant Brandi!!

we are having the best week ever!!

okay okay, i'm done gloating about how cute my dog is, and the awesome press we've been getting... sorta. (did i mention we're in FLARE too? and StyleFinds? and StyleAddict? and Evolved Fashion? haha... thanks everyone! you sure know how to make a gal feel special.)

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BCFW!!


last wednesday, we unveiled our new Spring-Summer 2010 collection at BCFW, as one of the 3 top finalists of the Generation Next Competition!! Congratulations to the winner of the contest Su-hui, and also to Patty for on their wonderful shows, exciting new fashion business ventures!!

we had a great time, and met lots of new friends!! okay, so the event was dampened by a few mishaps. luckily our show was amazing, thanks to the amazing+lovely models, backstage helpers, and all of our friends who came to cheer us on! YAY!!

thanks to wayne mah for capturing the show on camera!!

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the COVER of style section in Vancouver Sun!! OMG OMG!!


guess what? we rock. read all about it in the Vancouver Sun's Style Section.

(and does anyone find it odd that the "monster dog" wolf hybrid looks just like our dog Bitta? and it just so happens to be in the same day's paper?)

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puppies galore!! part 2... the most wonderful thing


last weekend, we attended the first annual reunion for Dog Bless Rescue in Victoria, BC. it was the most wonderful thing!! Over a hundred people and their adopted dog pals all came out, and in the group were many of the volunteer organizers, and foster families.

our dog bitta had the chance to reunite with her 5 siblings - CUTE OVERLOAD!!

thank you thank you thank you so much to all the organizers and volunteers at Dog Bless Rescue.

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puppies galore!! part 1...

we raised over $800 dollars at the Paws for a Cause walk for BCSPCA!! YAY!! Thank you so much to all of our supporters, and everyone who joined us for our walk, especially JK Models who was a fundraising powerhouse!!

we had so much fun, here's a couple photos from the event:


a shot of the crowd - this was only about 1/4 of it. the turn out was great!!


our dog bitta is ready to start walking!!


the furries loved bitta...


we look forward to participating in this wonderful even to help our shelter animal friends next year!!

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fan photo!!

WHOA!! here's a fan photo of christine with mad hoola hoop skills, wearing our new black jellyfish tube (yeah! back in black!!) and shrug!! COOL!!

thanks christine for sending in this fab photo!!

got a cute photo in your flora&fauna wear? we'd love to see it!! email me your photo at info[at]floraandfauna.ca

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fall news!!


oh boy oh boy!! there is sooooo much exciting stuff!! i hope everyone had a wonderful summer. i am looking forward to some cozy and cute fall eco-stylin' (like the 'bear paw' long sleeve top in Panda Bear colour in the photo above)!!

we have some jaw-dropping exciting news!! we're one of the TOP 3 Finalists for the Generation Next competition!! come see our runway presentation of our spring-summer 2010 collection, along with fabulous designs from my fierce competitors Ella Peru, and Pure Magnolia at BC Fashion Week!!

The show will be held on Wednesday, September 30th at 2pm. Tickets are $15 at the door. There will be a "Dress Local" competition for attendees, where you can win stuff!! so come in your best local designer outfit!!

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we are doing a fundraiser for Paws for a Cause!! we'll be joined by JK Models, friends, and our dogs for a long walk on Sept 13 at Jericho Beach. we're soooo close to our fundraising goal!! every sponsor (no matter how much or how little you donate) will be automatically entered into our draw for $50 flora&fauna dollars!! so sponsor us now!!

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we've been spotted in the press lately! have you seen us on the cover of WE (Westender magazine?) and Gloss Mag?

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last, but not least - our new fall-winter 2009 collection is now in stores!! this season, we've partnered up with a Critter Care again, where $2 of sales from each of our 'bear paw' long sleeve top, and 'bear's picnic' dress goes towards our sponsorship of our foster black bear cub Mani! AND $2 from each of our 'bumble bee' sleeveless hoodie goes to help our friends at the EYA (Environmental Youth Alliance)'s 'Community Hive' project!! We are proud to be able to help these wonderful groups continue their amazing work ^_^

check out our new collection in stores and let me know what you think!!

swell, bellingham

...and now available online!!

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can't get enough of flora&fauna? join us on facebook and twitter !!

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flora&fauna + jkmodels + paws for a cause = happy healthy animals!!



enter our $50 gift certificate give-a-way, AND help save shelter animals!!

we are walking with jk models and friends and our dogs to raise money for our local animal shelter :)

every sponsor for our Paws for a Cause walk-a-thon will be automatically entered into our draw! Gift certificate is good for our sales booth at Portobello West market
November ...28/29!! or online store!! ...okie sponsor us now for your chance to win (and your chance to help rescue animals!!). follow link: http://ow.ly/hlrh


(already sponsored us? then you're already in the draw!! THANKS!!)

yes! we made it into gloss magazine!!


read the full article here!!

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WE covergirl!! wheeeeeeeeeee!!!



behind the scenes at flora&fauna - check out this article on WE (WestEnder magazine) about how our very own designer kicks it in high-gear with hard-work, dedication, the help of intensive self-employment training!!

read the article online here: http://westender.com/articles/entry/self-help

many thanks to andrea warner for shedding light on the self-employment programs, and doug shanks for the fab photos!!

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magnifeco and stuff

happy monday!! i was just browsing around the internets and found us on magnifeco!! cool!! thanks kate for noticing us and the write up!! check it out here.

we have an end of season sale on right now!! visit our online store for deals on your fav eco-clothing!!

fall stuff, coming reeeeeeal soon!!

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it's a beautiful thing - planet claire fashion show!!

we had a blast at Planet Claire's fashion show last night!! Claire threw on the most rock'n-shock'n knock your socks off party!! Our pieces were show along side with some of many local eco designers including Project Runway Sweetheart Carny Love!!

here's a couple shots from the show!




many thanks to stanley lau for the photos! more here.
and check out Planet Claire at 212 Abbot Street in Vancouver!! local designers, sustainable fashions, size 2 to 22!!

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treehugger!!


OMG OMG OMG i just got a message on facebook from my friend stephanie - who is a garbage princess warrior check out her website here: http://www.thepapertrail.org/ (she's known for her dumpster diving expeditions, wearing mis-matched socks, and being super quirky cute ^_^)... oh back to the point of the blog post (more about steph later ;p):

we are totally surprised + happy + animals jumping up and down in excitement to be in treehugger's "20 Green Fashion Designers You've Never Heard of (But Oh You Will)" slide show!! we are truely truely humbled to be featured alongside with some of the world's most amazing eco-designers, some of which have been my favs for long time ♡

did you know that treehugger has been my home page for more than 5 years? srlsy!! love them!!

now please excuse me while i jump up and down with the cats and dog in happiness.

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paulo, you never told me...


i just stumbled across this while procrastinating!! vancouver stylist paulo vallejo incorporated our cute squirrel tube top in one of his shoots!! check out his blog here.

string magazine spotlight

hello!! last friday, our line was featured at the string magazine spotlight at Metropole!! we had so much fun working with the beautiful models, and making friends with other amazing local designers, morena, drew william, nixxi, and chapel couture!!

happy birthday and many thanks to string magazine for featuring flora&fauna at their big bash!! xo

here's a little review of the even on stylefinds!!

rosa







thanks to stanley lau for photos!! and models amrit, natalie, rosa, pamela, chantelle, cecilia, carmen, and camille!!

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park bench at whey ah wichen (cates park) in north vancouver

find peace beauty love skip jump laugh play today
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it's late but...

it's late but i couldn't help posting this cute photo...


and now that i'm already here, i would like to announce:

On September 13th, I will be joined by my dog Bitta, along with many of our friends
(including JK Model's very own Jennifer and her doggie Nakia!!) for the "Paws for a Cause" Campaign, to raise funds and awareness in support of BC animal welfare.

We would be so grateful if you would help us help animals by sponsoring us! There no amount too small to give. And you will get a tax receipt for your donation. Please follow link for more information: http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?Lang=en-CA&TSID=236603

click on "donate to pack" button to donate, or "join pack" button if you would like to join us in raising funds, and on the day of the walk!! ^_^

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me+claire+epic=string magazine ♡

hey! there's a photo of me and claire (of the fabulous gastown boutique planet claire ) from Epic Expo last month, in string magazine!! cool!!

check it out here.

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business time... sorta...


so... after a couple days of being super sick with this killer cold/flu thing - i am finally back in the studio!! got all caught up on all the admin stuff (i.e. emails... facebook, twitter... but not bookkeeping) and am ready to hit the drawing board... and there she was, my kitty sleeping on my sketchpad.

guess i could have lunch first, and check back with the fuzzy boss later to see when nap time is over?...

btw, in case you were worried, bitta is doing just fine after her surgery ^_^

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more from shoot with yvonne chew, the lovely kimiko, and awesome design+conquer jewelry!!


here's more from yvonne chew's back to nature shoot!!

photos - yvonne chew
model - kimiko yoshida
hair - kimiko yoshida
make up - tomomi sakagawa
jewerly - design+conquer
clothing - flora&fauna

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shopping for contractors/suppliers...

(kittens love shopping too..!)

early on the f&f blog, i started a mini-series called "shopping for..." which documents the eco-criteria of some suppliers and contractors i was sourcing. the series was short-lived, or rather, forgotten when we got into the real work of designing and producing the clothing.

chatting with vanessa of next door style about eco-friendly screen printing today, reminded me of the little series, and i decided to pick up where i left off.

first off, here's my checklist when looking for a contractor or supplier, screen printing or otherwise...

1. public transit accessible, and not too far from my studio (the less carbon, the better)

2. committed to maintaining environmentally responsible practices: using recycled paper, must have recycling program, etc.

3. happy employees: this is very important to me. even if employees are paid well, but treated like sh*t, it's not worth it. chat with the employees, do they get vacation time? are they overworked? do you get emails from them at 2am?

4. happy work environment, and general good vibe: here i trust my instinct - it's hard to miss if a place feels sketchy. sometimes i'll look for signs - i know a workplace is more relax and lenient towards it's employees when there is lots of little personal effects around: music playing, maybe a guitar laying around, or some photos and artwork, and neat cultural stuff around?

5. owner involvement: i like to see that the owner is still very much involved in the business, driven to succeed, and passionate in their craft. god knows that few people work in the fashion industry to become wealthy - so it takes someone who LOVES their job to do it, and do it well.

6. it's a special bonus when they love animals. (my screenprinter has an office rescue dog! sure it means an occasional dog hair on the garments, but they also take super extra precautions to vacuum and clean to keep it minimal - so far i have honestly only found ONE dog hair, and it was likely my fault for playing with the dog and then looking through my garments).

7. pricing is also important - if they seem cheap, it's probably because they are cutting corners - which almost always mean all of the above criteria are not met. (though high prices does not mean they are using the best practices either - do your research!!)

8. size of the business: the size of their business should be a good match for yours. are they willing to accept a small order from a small designer like me? is there room to grow together as my business grows? (personally, i like to support local indie businesses, so i'll shy away from bigger chains whenever possible.)

9. a reference: if you know anyone who is using the same contractor/supplier, ask them what they think. they can often give you insights on the quality of work/products the contractor/supplier provides.

10. an open mind and healthy attitude towards sustainability.


as for screenprinting specifics, i look for the below...
1. lead free inks
2. phthalate free inks
3. recycled inks and solvents
4. eco-friendly cleaners and filters

love to hear any feedback and suggestions!!

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epic raffle results... finally!!


epic raffle results
are finally here!! thanks to everyone who entered our draw for $100 gift certificate to the flora&fauna online boutique!! and congratulations to catrin hughes!!

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summer news!!

(miss bitta looking rather surly upon news of her vet appointment)

summer is officially here!! and at flora&fauna, our department of fun has lots of plans!!

tomorrow, our resident puppy is going to the hospital for to be spayed!! eek!! it's sad to know that little bitta's perfect genetics won't be passed onto future generations, but we are happy to be responsible dog and cats parents, and also know what happens to puppies and kittens that are without homes T_T... and hey, speaking of homeless dogs and cats - there are many waiting for their forever homes, visit them at your local shelters and get ready to snuggle!! (we ♥ dog bless, petfinder.com, vancouver orphan kitten rescue, and BCSPCA)

for our friends at the vancouver aquarium, we have donated a men's glow-in-the-dark jellyfish tee shirt (the men's version of the infamous jellyfish tube) to the vancouver aquarium's volunteers raffle, which is a part of June 12th's night at the aquarium gala!! we hope they'll like it!! ...and many thanks to the volunteers for their hard work and dedication.

we have a few parties coming up, and you are all invited!! join us at:

*string magazine anniversary party, where flora&fauna is featured in a spectacular fashion show!!
june 26 - metropole @ 320 abbot street, vancouver - 7pm til late!!

*fraser valley young professionals fashion show featuring flora&fauna with local designers kulus and innergypsy!! proceeds to benefit bc cancer foundation.
june 27th - location and details TBA

*don't miss a wonderful opportunity to meet the animals and amazing staff at critter care's open house!
july 11&12 - critter care wildlife society @ 481-216th street, langley - 11am-4pm

wishing everyone a wonderful summer!!
love,flora&fauna
xoxo
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vancouver, british columbia
humgranville island organixplanet claire

100 mile house, british columbia
the lakes

calgary, alberta
green bee boutique

online
next door styleflora&fauna boutique

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PARTY!!


string magazine is having a 1 year anniversary party, and you're all invited!!

come spend the night with the hottest local bands/DJ's, and don't miss the fashion show featuring Morena Clothing, Nixxi, Alicia Grunert, and flora&fauna!!

Friday, June 26th - 7pm til... way past my bedtime
Metropole (The Met) at 320 Abbott Street

contact for more info about the show: contact@stringmgazine.ca

shoot with yvonne chew, the lovely kimiko, and awesome design+conquer jewelry!!

my favourite model+hairstylist friend pal kimiko is taking off for montreal!! we were lucky enough to cramp in one more photoshoot with her before she left ^_^ we hope you have a fantastique trip filled with magique!! i'll miss you, and you better be back for our SS10 shoot!!... or i'm kidnapping bailey.

check out a sneak preview here.

credits and THANKS!! and ♡:
photos - yvonne chew
model - kimiko yoshida
hair - kimiko yoshida
make up - tomomi sakagawa
jewerly - design+conquer
clothing - flora&fauna

also check our morgan (design+conquer)'s blog here!!

Green Bee Boutique!


our summer 09 collection is quite literally on it's way to Green Bee Boutique for our friends in Calgary!! YAY!!

drop into Green Bee next week and check out our yummy summery tops and dresses!!

The Lakes Salon & Eco-Boutique!!

hey, did you know flora&fauna is in The Lakes Salon & Eco-Boutique in 100 Mile House, British Columbia?

Lakes Hair Studio
7536 Sheridan Frntg
Bridge Lake, BC V0K 1E0
(250) 593-4987


View flora&fauna stores in a larger map

epic expo 2009!!


i owe this blog a review about the awesome time we had at Epic Expo earlier this month. truth be told, i was just exhausted after the 3 day eco affair - but am finally caught up on work and rest and puppy/kitties snuggles!!

we had so much fun, and were happy to make some new friends!! we were a part of the fashion high market at Epic Expo this year, joined by many other awesome indie eco-friendly designers including nate organics, nixxi, monkey100, inkspoon, bueno style, two of hearts, and gastown boutique planet claire, just to name a few!!

some of our pieces were featured in the eco-fashion show! check out fashion show photos, thanks to photographer yvonne chew!! and to fashion high for putting together a fab show!!

and a very very special thank you to kyle and sophia for all their help ^_^
xoxo

p.s. we had a raffle for a 100$ gift certificate for flora&fauna online boutique - will announce the winner soon!!

almost forgot about this one...

did i forget to post our review on fashion news blog Liberté Égalité Défilé?

better late than never!! this was one of my favourites, we were compared to alexander mcqueen!! *blush-blush*!!

merci!! xoxo

Eco-fashion Local Designers Highlight on Granville Magazine!!

yay!! (okay, this is not my dog, just one i found it on the internets on a nice blog that's all out nice! - anyway the photo pretty much sums up how i feel... happy! but also a bit sleepy)

i was taking a break from work and reading an article from the granville sustainable city living magazine's e-newsletters...

...can you imagine how surprised i was when i scrolled down the page and saw flora&fauna?? we're joining the ranks of some of my favourite local eco-designers!! love it!! check out the article here!!

YAY!!

exciting news for MAY!


I hope everyone has been enjoying a lovely sunny spring! We, here in Vancouver, have been blessed with awesome weather!! We've had a fun and hectic month doing fashions shows with Vancouver Fashion Week, and Portland Better Living Show!! And a few appearances in the press!!

This month, we will be a part of Epic Sustainable Living Expo this weekend (May 8-10), come check out our earth-friendly clothing, and hundreds of other businesses showcasing their leadership in sustainability (read: free wine tasting... heehee...), and notable speakers!! And don't miss the fashion shows!! What a fun place to spend mother's day!!

Epic Fashion Show Times are:
Friday May 8 at 7pm
Saturday May 9 at 11:30am and 6pm
Sunday May 10 at 2pm
Get your discounted tickets online now!

A dollar of each sale at our booth will to go towards our foster black bear cub sponsorship with Critter Care!! I will also have some info on hand, if you are interested in sponsoring a little bear of your own!!

Hope to see you there!!

Keep up-to-date on everything flora&fauna (yup, lots of photos too!) on our facebook page, and twitter!

Happy Spring and Summer! Peace&Love,
flora&fauna
xoxo

Hum Clothing!!


our spring-summer collection has hit the shelves at hum @ 3623 main street, vancouver!

can't make it to the store? shop their online store for the comfort of your home ^_^

p.s. they have an awesome selection of second jeans!! YUM!!

awesome weather math equations


awesome weather = spending lots of time outside with our new puppy. it's been almost 2 months since we took her in from Dog Bless Rescue, and she has transformed from a very timid puppy to a beautiful well-adjusted doggie.

awesome weather + puppy love = free canadian ground shipping from flora&fauna online boutique! from now until june 30!! YAY!! coupon code = ilovepuppies


epic deals!

save $5 on your Epic Expo tickets here!!

don't miss out on epic deals on cute flora&fauna clothing at our sales booth (B27) in the Fashion High Market!! And a chance to win $100 gift certificate for our online boutique!!

Better Living Show - Portland

OMG!! our fall-winter collection was shown in Portland at the Better Living Show!!

more photos on our facebook page ^_^

a very special thank you to Aysia and her crew at GreenLoop for organizing the show (and look for our label Autumn 2009 on their awesome online eco-boutique http://www.thegreenloop.com)

also many thanks to OSI photography for awsome photos of the show!! (find more photos from the show on their website)

come join us at our next show at Epic Expo in Vancouver!!

meet mani!!


it's official! we've fostered a black bear cub from Critter Care Wildlife Society!

we named her Mani, adapted from from 'Om Mani Padme Hum' from a tibetan buddhism mantra of Avlokitesvara, one who is invoked as the Protector from danger. It is claimed that one who recites this mantra will be saved from all dangers and will be protected.

the wonderful volunteers at Critter Care will help us take good care of her, until she is ready to be returned to the wilderness next year.

p.s. a dollar from each sale at our booth at Epic Expo will go towards the Mani!! ^_^

paul norman's photos!!


we had the pleasure and privilege of having vancouver fashion and conceptual lifestyle photographer Paul Norman shoot our show for VFW a few weeks back.

you can find the photos here!

...and thanks paul!!