The Sentimental Twist

Brittany | The Sentimental Decorator
  • 5.0 (28)
  • Home & Garden

The Sentimental Twist is a weekly podcast where vintage decor meets heirloom recipes, and every conversation is steeped in Southern charm. Hosted by Brittany Shepard and Melissa Austin-Weeks  – two friends from different generations with one shared love for meaningful spaces and gracious hospitality.  You’ll hear inspiring stories, home styling tips, easy entertaining ideas, and reflections on creating a life (and home) filled with beauty, tradition, and heart. Whether you’re a sentimental soul, a vintage lover, or a curious hostess, you’re in good company here.

  1. Oct 1

    Season 4 | Episode 10: Finale! Pull Up a Chair & Make Room for What Matters

    Summary It’s the Season 4 finale! Brittany and Melissa dream up the fall gatherings they’d actually want to attend,..from a Storykeepers Friendsgiving filled with dishes and stories to nostalgic outdoor movie nights under the stars. They swap fall hosting ideas, debate Trader Joe’s seasonal finds, and look back on favorite moments from The Sentimental Twist. During Porch Talk, they share the dishes their mothers made for company and reflect on the quiet lessons in hospitality they inherited from them. Then, a listener preparing to build a smaller home asks how to give a new house the character and warmth of an older one, inspiring plenty of ideas for creating a home that feels collected, cozy, and personal. Plus, Melissa shares her new Cottage Coaching offering, Brittany shares her exciting Cottages & Bungalows Ambassador opportunity, and they close Season 4 with a Toast to Sentiment about gatherings that don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful and making room at the table for what matters. Highlights: Mama Dawn’s “Company Chicken” Recipe: Brittany shares her mother’s handwritten recipe and remembers the meal Dawn often served for special company. Get the recipe here: Mama Dawn's Company Chicken.pdf Melissa’s Bless It: Cottage Coaching – Melissa’s new one-on-one hosting mentorship designed to help women build confidence, solve hosting dilemmas, and open their homes more often. Learn more at www.homewithatwist.comBrittany’s Bless It: Vote for Brittany! – Brittany is officially a Top 4 finalist in the Cottages & Bungalows Magazine 2027 Brand Ambassador search! Vote for Brittany through October 5… https://www.cottagesandbungalowsmag.com/2027-brand-ambassador-vote/ Takeaways The best gathering isn’t necessarily the most elaborate one—it’s the gathering you and your guests will genuinely enjoy.Give guests an easy way to contribute. A favorite movie candy, potluck dish, or recipe with a story can make entertaining easier while helping everyone feel part of the gathering.Build sentiment into the details. Childhood-photo place cards, meaningful dishes, vintage glassware, family recipes, and other personal touches turn a gathering into an experience that tells a story.Hospitality is often something we inherit by watching. The way our mothers and grandmothers welcomed, fed, and cared for people can become a kind of “silent lesson” we carry into our own homes.A new home can still have character. Thoughtful millwork, warm flooring, furniture-style cabinetry, built-ins, solid doors, layered textiles, ambient lighting, defined rooms, and collected furnishings can make a newer house feel personal and lived-in.Think about how you actually live when designing a home—from where morning light falls to where lamps need outlets and how guests will move through the space.Meaningful hospitality isn’t about perfection. People remember how they felt, the stories shared around the table, the laughter that lingered, and the feeling that there was a place for them. Contact The Sentimental Twist: Follow The Sentimental Twist on Instagram @thesentimentaltwistpodcast. Email: thesentimentaltwistpodcast@gmail.com. Follow the Co-Hosts: Brittany: @brittanyshepard and www.thesentimentaldecorator.com and YouTube.Melissa: @homewithatwist and www.homewithatwist.com and YouTube. Chapters 00:05 Welcome to Season 4, Episode 10: The Finale! 03:09 Fall Gatherings: Creating Meaningful Connections 17:05 Trader Joe's Fall Haul 21:25 Pumpkin Everything: A Seasonal Debate 25:45 Porch Talk Speed Round 37:59 Reader Email: Making a Newly-Built Home Cozy 48:27 Bless It, We Had to Share It 56:00 Finale Toast to Sentiment Send us Fan Mail

  2. Sep 24

    Season 4 | Episode 9: Fall Trends or Timeless Style? + Culinary Jump Scares

    Summary Fall is officially here, and Brittany and Melissa are diving into what’s trending, what’s timeless, and what absolutely should have stayed in a 1960s cookbook. They share listener stories inspired by the Hagerty sisters and draw the silver care giveaway winner before heading down the fall internet rabbit hole for Try It or Pass It. They debate on what the interenet says is trendy for fall and decide whether they’ll try or pass. Then Porch Talk takes a less appetizing turn with some truly questionable vintage recipes involving tuna, ham, bananas, ketchup, and entirely too much Jell-O. They wrap up with a few things they’re loving, Brittany’s Storykeeper’s Guide to Meaningful Gift Giving, and a reminder from Martha Stewart that good hospitality is ultimately about making guests feel welcomed, loved, and cared for. Highlights: Brittany’s Bless It: The Storykeeper’s Guide to Meaningful Gift GivingMelissa’s Bless It: Modern Grace & Co.The Martha Way: Essential Principles for Mastering Home and Living by Martha Stewart Vote for Brittany for Cottages & Bungalows Magazine’s 2027 Brand Ambassador https://www.cottagesandbungalowsmag.com/2027-brand-ambassador-details/?brand=brittany-shepard Takeaways A collected home will always feel more personal than a purchased “look.”Trends are most useful when they help you lean further into what you already love.Hosting doesn’t have to mean a formal dinner party.If paper plates make the difference between gathering and not gathering, use the paper plates.Coffee, dessert, soup, appetizers, or a simple “come over” are reason enough to open your door.Hospitality is less about creating a perfect experience and more about creating connection.Being a good host means being present with your guests—not spending the entire evening in the kitchen.Meaningful gifts begin with noticing the person, their story, and what matters to them.Some vintage traditions deserve a comeback. Celery-flavored gelatin may not be one of them. Contact The Sentimental Twist: Follow The Sentimental Twist on Instagram @thesentimentaltwistpodcast. Email: thesentimentaltwistpodcast@gmail.com. Follow the Co-Hosts: Brittany: @brittanyshepard and www.thesentimentaldecorator.com and YouTube.Melissa: @homewithatwist and www.homewithatwist.com and YouTube.Chapters 00:05 Welcome to The Sentimental Twist Season 4, Episode 9! 01:40 Reader Email! 08:57 Hagerty Giveaway Announcement 10:01 Exploring Fall Trends in Home Decor 30:57 Porch Talk Speed Round: Vintage Recipe Edition 42:10 Bless It, We Had to Share It 47:04 A Toast to Sentiment: Martha Stewart's Hosting Wisdom 51:05 Exciting Announcement: Brittany is Cottages and Bungalows Ambassador Finalist Send us Fan Mail

  3. Sep 17

    Season 4 | Episode 8: The House Has a Memory + Casserole Carol's Legacy

    Summary What makes a house remember? In this episode, Brittany and Melissa explore how the objects we use, display, and bring out year after year become memory markers in the living story of home. Brittany shares why familiar platters, recipe cards, quilts, candleholders, and seasonal treasures matter—not because they are trendy, but because repetition turns them into tradition and connects the past, present, and future. They also answer listener Teresa’s questions about finding quality taper and pillar candles, including how to shop by diameter, keep tapers standing straight, choose candles for the dinner table, and remove spilled wax. Melissa celebrates listener Beth Reeves and the newly published Southern Living story honoring her mother, Carol Barclay—better known as “Casserole Carol, ”whose recipes appeared in the magazine for decades. Brittany offers a simple storykeeping challenge: choose one meaningful object, photograph it, write down where it came from and why you keep it, and share the story while the people who love it can still hear it. Highlights: The Legacy of Casserole Carol in Southern LivingCandle IdeasColonial Candle Classic TapersRoot Candles Dipped Tapers Colonial Williamsburg Bayberry Candles The Storykeeper’s Shelf Story Cards BundleTell Me Its Story Guide Brittany’s Bless It: Ember Mug Melissa’s Bless It: Five-Year Journal Takeaways A home becomes a living story through the objects, rituals, and memories repeated within it.Seasonal objects become memory markers when we bring them out year after year. Repetition is often how an unintentional tradition begins.Decorating for a season is different from bringing memory into a season. A meaningful platter, painting, recipe, or figurine can carry more emotional weight than newly purchased, trend-driven decor.Buy seasonal pieces because they speak to your heart and can become part of your home—not simply because the retail industry says they are current.Shop for taper candles by the diameter of the candlestick opening, not by the word “taper” alone. Many traditional holders take a 7/8-inch base.To steady a taper, try melting the base into the holder, using gallery putty, or wrapping a wide rubber band around the bottom.Unscented candles are often the best choice at the dinner table so the fragrance does not compete with the food or bother sensitive guests.Stories do not preserve themselves. Photographing an object and writing down its origin, memories, and meaning gives future generations more than an item—it gives them context.Storykeeping is continuity. It connects what we inherited, how we live with it now, and what we choose to carry forward. Contact The Sentimental Twist: Follow The Sentimental Twist on Instagram @thesentimentaltwistpodcast. Email: thesentimentaltwistpodcast@gmail.com. Follow the Co-Hosts: Brittany: @brittanyshepard and www.thesentimentaldecorator.com and YouTube.Melissa: @homewithatwist and www.homewithatwist.com and YouTube. Chapters 00:05 Welcome to The Sentimental Twist Season 4, Episode 8 00:06 Seasonal Changes and Personal Updates 04:13 Reader Mail: Candle Tips! 14:41 Reader Email: Souther Living Celebrity Casserole Carol's Daughter is Our Listener! 21:07 The House Has Memory: Home as a Living Story 32:17 Storykeeping Homework Assignment! 39:46 Porch Talk Speed Round: Quickfire Questions 50:37 Bless It, I Had to Share It 55:59 Toast to Sentiment: The Heart of Storykeeping Send us Fan Mail

  4. Sep 10

    Season 4 | Episode 7: The Stories in Our Silver with Hagerty USA

    Summary What does it really mean to care for the things we inherit? In this episode, Brittany and Melissa share a listener email about savoring summer, documenting the stories behind meaningful belongings, and making time to listen while loved ones are still here. During Porch Talk, they swap stories about habits inherited from their mothers, their most delightfully “old lady” tendencies, and the ordinary objects that hold extraordinary meaning. Then Melissa sits down with fifth-generation family members Dawn Hagerty and Dianna Leinen of Hagerty to explore the story behind one of the most trusted names in silver care. They share how their great-great-grandfather created Hagerty Silver Foam in 1895, how family traditions preserved the company’s history, and why caring for silver is really about caring for the memories connected to it. They also answer common silver-care questions, including how to distinguish sterling from silver plate, which products to use, how to store silver, and which cleaning methods can cause permanent damage. Plus, Melissa shares an organizing event and nostalgic new venture, Brittany introduces her newest Storykeeper resource, and the episode closes with a toast to the things that carry our stories. Highlights: Guests: Diana & Dawn from  HagertyUSA Follow Hagerty on Instagram: @hagertycare Find a retailer: Where to Buy Hagerty Products Brittany’s Birmingham Event Reconnection: Rahab’s Rope Beautiful Table Settings Bash in Vicksburg Melissa’s Bless It: Get Organized HQ Virtual 2026 (Get the All Access Pass for freebies and recordings) Brittany’s Bless It: Seasons of Story: A Storykeeper’s Guide to the Rituals of Home***Hagerty Silver Care Kit Giveaway: Email thesentimentaltwistpodcast@gmail.com with your name, address, and a short story explaining why you would love the kit or what silver means to you.Takeaways Savor each season, document meaningful belongings and family stories, and make time to listen while loved ones are still here.Ordinary objects become precious through the stories, relationships, and memories attached to them.Family history survives when people gather, share stories, write them down, and intentionally pass them along.Hagerty began in 1895 when William Joseph Hagerty created a faster, easier way to polish the family silver.Sterling silver is generally marked “925,” while silver plate may still hold value because of its maker, craftsmanship, provenance, or sentimental history.Use the right silver-care products and tools: Hagerty Silver Foam is a helpful starting point, while tarnish-preventive polish and a soft horsehair brush can protect frequently used or intricate pieces.Avoid damaging cleaning methods and storage: skip baking soda, aluminum foil, vinegar, boiling water, toothbrushes, dishwashers, and plastic wrap; instead, store silver in breathable, tarnish-preventive bags or cloth and use heirlooms often so their stories continue. Contact The Sentimental Twist: Follow The Sentimental Twist on Instagram @thesentimentaltwistpodcast. Email: thesentimentaltwistpodcast@gmail.com. Follow the Co-Hosts: Brittany: @brittanyshepard and www.thesentimentaldecorator.com and YouTube.Melissa: @homewithatwist and www.homewithatwist.com and YouTube.Chapters 00:05 Welcome to Season 4, Episode 7 of The Sentimental Twist! 07:39 Reader Email: Slowing Down & Becoming a Storykeeper 11:02 Porch Talk Speed Round: Quickfire Questions 32:19 Guest Interview: Dawn & Diana Hagerty of Hagerty Silver USA 33:21 Guest Interview: Dawn and Dianna from Hagerty USA 33:21 The Legacy of Haggerty Silver 01:19:56 Silver Care Set Giveaway from Hagerty! 01:22:26 Bless It, I Had to Share It 01:32:35 Toast to Sentiment: Something About an Heirloom Send us Fan Mail

  5. Sep 3

    Season 4 | Episode 6: Collecting a Timeless Home with Guest Erica Vevurka from Dogwood Interiors

    Summary What makes a home feel like yours? In this episode, Brittany and Melissa share a sweet listener email and get a little sentimental during Porch Talk, reflecting on how home changes over the years, what their mothers taught them, and the clothes that still feel like a hug from someone they love. Brittany sits down with Erica from Dogwood Interiors to talk about the joy of vintage and antiques, why younger generations are drawn to old things, and how to discover your own decorating style. Erica shares four elements she looks for in every room, advice for beginning a collection, and the story of a china cabinet she became the next caretaker of. Plus, we’re sharing cake-themed table linens, a colorful necklace find, and a toast to the comfort of home. It’s a conversation about collecting what you love, using what you treasure, and letting your home tell your story. Highlights: Guest: Erica from Dogwood Interiors — https://dogwoodinteriors.co/ Follow Dogwood Interiors on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogwoodinteriors/ Lisa’s Fragrance Recommendation: Bewilderment https://bewilderment.com/ (her favorite scent is Simmer Pot)Content Repurposing Tool: Repurpose.io https://repurpose.io?fpr=739592 Melissa’s Bless It: Lesley Evers cake-print napkins and placematsPlacemats: https://lesleyevers.com/collections/cakes/products/placemats-set-of-4-cakes Napkins: https://lesleyevers.com/collections/cakes/products/napkins-set-of-4-cakes Brittany’s Bless It: Colorful beaded necklace from Amazon https://rivr.link/tSd-QA_BUZ Meme’s boutique in Perry, Georgiahttps://memesperry.com/ Picture-Hanging Reel: The measuring-versus-eyeballing debate https://www.tiktok.com/@cindymchor/video/7230058198672117034  Takeaways What home means to us can change with each season of life.Comfortable guests don’t need to be entertained every minute.Our mothers’ everyday ways of making a home can become part of our own.Vintage finds can connect us to the past while giving us something well-made to enjoy today.You don’t have to inherit an heirloom. You can adopt them and become their next caretaker.Shopping vintage helps you discover what you love beyond what’s currently on trend.Start small, explore, and give your taste room to evolve.Try Erica’s four room essentials: something warm, something from nature, something porcelain or ceramic, and something shiny. Then add art that speaks to you.Use and display treasured pieces now, even if you give them a different purpose.Whatever the day brings, home can offer comfort, peace, and a place to rest. Contact The Sentimental Twist: Follow The Sentimental Twist on Instagram @thesentimentaltwistpodcast. Email: thesentimentaltwistpodcast@gmail.com. Follow the Co-Hosts: Brittany: @brittanyshepard and www.thesentimentaldecorator.com and YouTube.Melissa: @homewithatwist and www.homewithatwist.com and YouTube. Chapters 00:05 Welcome to Season 4, Episode 6 of The Sentimental Twist! 00:05 Home and Personal Connections 02:15 Listener Email: LIsa's Memories of Mott's 06:31 Porch Talk Speed Round 21:01 Guest Interview with Erica Vevurka of Dogwood Interiors 59:49 Bless It, I Had to Share It 01:05:54 Toast to Sentiment: No Matter What Happens Send us Fan Mail

  6. Aug 27

    Season 4 | Episode 5: Recipes are Heirlooms, Too, with Guest Sarah Peterson

    Summary In this episode, Brittany and Melissa read a sweet listener note, debate everything from mayonnaise brands to overrated foods during Porch Talk, and share a few things they’re loving right now. Brittany sits down with Sarah Peterson, author of Dish and Tell: Recipes from the Heart and creator of Vintage Dish & Tell, to talk about why family recipes deserve a place alongside our photographs, letters, dishes, and other treasured heirlooms. Sarah shares how her love of vintage, storytelling, and tried-and-true recipes grew into a passion for preserving not only the dishes families make, but the people and memories behind them. It’s a conversation about gathering around the table, asking the questions now, and remembering that recipes are more than instructions for making food. They’re heirlooms that connect us to the people and places that made us who we are. Highlights: Guest Sarah Peterson of Vintage Dish & Tell:  https://vintagedishandtell.com/Instagram: @VintageDishandTell https://www.instagram.com/vintagedishandtellDish and Tell: Recipes from the Heart https://rivr.link/tSd-BU6Ufj Sarah’s Substack/Newsletter https://vintagedishandtell.substack.com/ Melissa’s Bless It: Swedish Candy Culture https://swedishcandyculture.com/Brittany’s Bless It: Amaryllis & Caladium Bulb Company https://www.amaryllisandcaladiums.com/Vintage Southern Living at Home Thermal Carafe on eBay https://on.ltk.com/+EUu2I1fBraq8D5o4iYdyXA  Takeaways Recipes are heirlooms, too.Don’t wait to ask for the recipe—or the story behind it.Start small: preserving one meaningful recipe is enough.Whenever possible, make the recipe alongside its “keeper.”Write down the little details that never make it onto the recipe card.Take photos, record video, and date the day you learned the recipe.A lost recipe doesn’t have to mean a lost tradition.Recipes can bring people we’ve lost back to the table.Gathering around familiar foods gives younger generations a way to know the people who came before them.The best family recipes are about far more than what’s on the plate. Contact The Sentimental Twist: Follow The Sentimental Twist on Instagram @thesentimentaltwistpodcast. Email: thesentimentaltwistpodcast@gmail.com. Follow the Co-Hosts: Brittany: @brittanyshepard and www.thesentimentaldecorator.com and YouTube.Melissa: @homewithatwist and www.homewithatwist.com and YouTube. Chapters 00:05 Welcome to Episode 5 of Season 4 of The Sentimental Twist! 08:06 Reader Email from Lynn! 14:06 Porch Talk Speed Round 31:24 Introducing Sarah Peterson: Dish and Tell 01:11:04 Bless It, We Had to Share It 01:16:00 A Toast to Sentiment Send us Fan Mail

  7. Aug 20

    Season 4 | Episode 4: The Joy of Handwritten Letters Guest Interview with Shannon Howard

    Summary In this episode, Brittany and Melissa talk about the seasons we’re in...on the calendar and in life. A listener email reminds us that every season has a purpose, even the hard ones. Then Melissa talks with Shannon Howard, founder of Dear & Always and Heirloom Letters Studio, about preserving the stories through handwritten letters. Shannon explains how these letters can become heirlooms and how to get started simply. It’s a conversation about slowing down, writing things down, and recognizing that the stories we leave behind matter. Highlights: Guest: Shannon HowardDear & Always: https://www.dearandalways.comHeirloom Letters Studio: https://www.heirloomlettersstudio.comInstagram: @dearandalways https://www.instagram.com/dearandalways/Instagram: @heirloomlettersstudio https://www.instagram.com/heirloomlettersstudio/Melissa's Bless It: Friday Finds Vintage https://www.instagram.com/fridayfindsvintage/Melissa's Bless It: Beautiful Table Settings Bash in Vicksburg, Mississippi — Brittany and Melissa will both be speaking in January! https://www.btsvicksburgbash.comBrittany's Bless It: Beehive Meals freezer-to-slow-cooker meal delivery at https://www.beehivemeals.comListener Giveaway: Shannon is gifting one listener a keepsake letter-writing system! Listen to the episode for details on how to enter! Takeaways Every season has a purpose, even the ones we wouldn't choose.The seasons of our lives deserve to be acknowledged, not rushed through.An heirloom's story can be just as valuable as the object itself.You don't have to document everything. Start with one meaningful object.Handwritten letters can become heirlooms in their own right.Don't assume the next generation knows the stories you've always known.The words we write aren't only for someday; reflecting and writing them can be meaningful for us now, too.Start with the story that matters most to you, not necessarily the most valuable thing you own. Contact The Sentimental Twist: Follow The Sentimental Twist on Instagram @thesentimentaltwistpodcast. Email: thesentimentaltwistpodcast@gmail.com. Follow the Co-Hosts: Brittany: @brittanyshepard and www.thesentimentaldecorator.com and YouTube.Melissa: @homewithatwist and www.homewithatwist.com and YouTube. Chapters 00:05 Welcome to Season 4, Episode 4 of The Sentimental Twist! 03:27 Reader Email: Savoring Each Season 13:14 Porch Talk Speed Round 30:38 Guest Interview Shannon Howard from Dear & Always 01:15:09 Bless It, We Had to Share It 01:23:08 A Toast to Sentiment Send us Fan Mail

  8. Aug 13

    Season 4 | Episode 3: A 2nd Act for Dishes Guest Interview with Marieli from Tiers of Joy

    Summary In this episode, Brittany and Melissa answer a listener's question about making dinner parties easier when cooking the main course isn't your strength (spoiler: outsourcing absolutely counts!), take a nostalgic trip through childhood stores during Porch Talk, and share a few things they're loving right now. Melissa sits down with Marieli, founder of Tiers of Joy, whose beautiful tiered stands give vintage, new, and heirloom dishes a whole new purpose. Marieli shares how her business began, the care that goes into transforming treasured pieces, and why meaningful entertaining doesn't require a cabinet full of fine china. It's a conversation about using what you have, giving treasured things new life, and remembering that hospitality is less about having the “right” things and more about making room for beauty, story, and connection. Highlights: Guest: Marieli Cruzado from Tiers of JoyInstagram: @tiersofjoy.txMelissa’s Bless It: Southern Living Insiders Brittany’s Bless It: The Storykeeper’s Shelf + Quiz Renee from @lucybettynjune  Melissa’s Poppyseed Chicken RecipeAlexandra Stoddard’s Daring to Be Yourself Takeaways Hosting doesn't mean making everything yourself.Time counts as an ingredient, too.Old dishes can have a second act.Beautiful entertaining can start with just a few pieces.Use beautiful serveware beyond the table.The stories behind our belongings are worth capturing now.Create a home that “smiles” at you. Contact The Sentimental Twist: Follow The Sentimental Twist on Instagram @thesentimentaltwistpodcast. Email: thesentimentaltwistpodcast@gmail.com. Follow the Co-Hosts: Brittany: @brittanyshepard and www.thesentimentaldecorator.com and YouTube.Melissa: @homewithatwist and www.homewithatwist.com and YouTube.Chapters 00:05 Welcome to Episode 3 of Season 4 of TST! 02:44 Reader Email: Entree Ideas When Hosting 11:28 Porch Talk Speed Round 25:18 Guest Interview: Marieli from Tiers of Joy! 26:21 Guest Interview with Marieli from Tiers of Joy 01:17:21 Takeaways from Marieli's Interview 01:25:21 Bless It, We Had to Share It 01:31:46 A Toast to Sentiment: Does Your Home Smile? Send us Fan Mail

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About

The Sentimental Twist is a weekly podcast where vintage decor meets heirloom recipes, and every conversation is steeped in Southern charm. Hosted by Brittany Shepard and Melissa Austin-Weeks  – two friends from different generations with one shared love for meaningful spaces and gracious hospitality.  You’ll hear inspiring stories, home styling tips, easy entertaining ideas, and reflections on creating a life (and home) filled with beauty, tradition, and heart. Whether you’re a sentimental soul, a vintage lover, or a curious hostess, you’re in good company here.

Information

  • Creator
    Brittany | The Sentimental Decorator
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Sentimental Twist
  • Show Website
    The Sentimental Twist

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