We are so excited to welcome Image Craft as the newest Design Pool partner. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, Image Craft is nationally recognized for its design, production, and execution of visual communications, with a focus on environmental graphics. Our partnership makes it possible to print any pattern from the Design Pool library on any Image […]
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On Wednesday, March 24, 2021, Kristen joins a panel discussion moderated by Colorkarma’s Shoshana Burgett as part of the Texprocess America Virtual Symposium. The discussion, How Direct-To-Consumer Is Transforming the Supply Chain, begins at 2:30PM EST. Joining Kristen on the panel is Koskia Bello, Design Director Retail Markets at Greg Norman and Ryan Stanley, Senior […]
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Kate Huot Bruzzi is a graphic designer based in East Providence, Rhode Island. Throughout her career, she has designed for companies with a focus on branding and marketing. She has skills in packaging design and most recently works building digital marketing packages for businesses. When she’s not working at her day job (or running a […]
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A few months ago, Felix Wijaya from Chroma Imaging approached us about licensing Design Pool patterns. We were struck right away by Felix’s enthusiasm. He is passionate about the company he co-founded with his wife, and his energy is infectious. Just as Design Pool had to pivot because of everything 2020 threw at us, so […]
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All of us at Design Pool are excited to introduce one of our newest partners, Chroma Imaging. This partnership adds yet another option to make customization accessible and easy for interior designers and architects. Based in Herndon, Virginia, with another location in Kissimmee, Florida, Chroma Imaging is a design and production company. They specialize in […]
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“Trends don’t happen in a vacuum,” Kerry Rowe told me as we started talking about the work she does as a color, materials, and finish design consultant. When Kerry tells people what she does for a living, people are often confused. Color, materials, and finish design consultant, what’s that? Yet once she explains it, a […]
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Is there anything more frustrating than a creative block? At best they make you feel like you’ve wasted valuable time. At worst they can make you question all your life choices. When you make a living off your creativity, feeling blocked can be more than a nuisance. It can cause a lot of anxiety. Yet, […]
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A novelty print describes a particular type of pattern. Sometimes referred to as a conversational print, a novelty print has something about it that is, well, novel. These prints go beyond the familiar motifs of flowers, leaves, scrolls, and shapes. Instead, these designs contain unusual, but recognizable motifs. The novelty of the motif itself is […]
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“I have to find a light somewhere,” thought Luise Stromberg as spring turned to summer in 2020. Like most of us, Luise was spending most of her time home and was searching for a creative spark to get her through the dark time we were all experiencing. So, she turned to a passion of hers, […]
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In case you missed it, Kristen recently participated in a panel discussion hosted by Cary Sherburne, Senior Editor at What They Think, entitled Industry 4.0 and The Evolution of Printing. Joining Kristen on the panel were Kerry King, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Spoonflower, and Jonathan Tio, CEO of Prima-Tex Industries. Their […]
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With exciting new companies joining us as Design Pool partners, it is now easier than ever for Design Pool customers to print any design from our pattern library onto wallpaper. Our new partners Graphix Unlimited and Lucent Graphic Solutions, both offer options for printing on a variety of interesting wallcovering materials. As a result, interior […]
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As 2020 was winding down, things were really ramping up at Design Pool. To begin with, we were busy lining up three new companies to become Design Pool Partners. We are so excited to introduce these three new partners to you! In the coming weeks, we will highlight each of these partners individually in separate […]
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White. Bone. Snow. Ecru, Linen, Cream. If you’ve ever shopped for new paint or fabric, you’ve seen a lot of different names for colors. Is there really a difference between these colors? Maybe, maybe not so much. Sometimes, there is a definite difference. Most people would pick which color is white and which is cream […]
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Next week, our founder Kristen Dettoni joins a panel discussion at the Texprocess Americas Virtual Symposium: Monthly Webinar Series. Industry 4.0 and the Evolution of Printing takes place on January 13, 2021, at 2:30 PM, EST. Moderating the discussion is Cary Sherburne, Senior Editor at WhatTheyThink. In addition to Kristen, the panel includes Kerry King, […]
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No conversation about sustainability exists without mentioning transportation and cars. And most of that conversation tends to center around our driving habits and gas emissions. We don’t think much about the actual car interior that we’re sitting in. That is changing though. Helen Scott, Head of Fabric Design at Borgstena Textile North America, spent much […]
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Many of you have followed along with me this past year as I have volunteered with the Building on Hope renovation of the Nashua PAL Youth Safe Haven. My responsibilities included designing the lobby of the building. I knew from the start the lobby is what makes the first impression. Therefore, I wanted to include […]
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Our goal on the Design Pool blog is to create original content that you find inspiring, educational, or just plain entertaining. We love talking about our favorite topics such as trends, color, and pattern. We also love introducing you to designers and artists through our series of interviews. As we look forward and plan out […]
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Each year we like to round up all the paint companies’ colors of the year. It always gives insight into where we were in the year that’s closing out and where we’re heading. When it comes to picking a Color of the Year for 2021, the colors differ from company to company. Yet, their picks […]
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We’re heading into the weekend with hot cocoa on the brain. For sure, this marshmallow snowman here for all the snow tired vibes we’re feeling. This time of December is when Instagram switches from photos of pumpkin pie to photos of cute kids on a sugar high posing with their gingerbread houses. I love seeing […]
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Colors of the year for 2021 have been announced by Pantone and many major paint companies. The colors may differ from company to company, but their picks for 2021 Color of the Year all had something in common: comfort. For many, 2020 meant a lot of time spent at home and with a lot of […]
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It seems like everyone started decorating for the holidays early this year. For those last hold outs, Thanksgiving is officially behind us, there are no more excuses! It’s time to break out your winter decor. It’s easy to get overloaded on red and green this time of year, so we’ve been looking for inspiration in […]
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More than ever, this year we plan on shopping small this holiday season. We believe strongly that when local businesses thrive, so do our communities. Social media has made it so easy for the definition of community to extend beyond just our own zip code. To keep us from buying everything in our Instagram feed, […]
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Here at Design Pool we are so excited to finally share some exciting news. This fall we have been working feverishly to launch our very own on-demand shop, Domanda Design! Our shop features a selection of patterns from the Design Pool library, available on products for your home and life. Let’s be honest, 2020 has […]
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This week our color palette is inspired by Thanksgiving. This year, in particular, Thanksgiving has us reflecting on our community. Before we talk color, we want to take this opportunity to thank our followers, partners, customers, families, and friends, who have supported Design Pool this year. We know we are not alone in experiencing the […]
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Today we’re launching the first in a new blog series: Friday Color Palette! Our original color palettes are popular each week over on Instagram and especially on Pinterest, where we first began sharing them. They’re too fun not to share here also! For a little background, we started creating these palettes as a way for […]
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At Design Pool we’re excited about how quickly print-on-demand technology is growing. We see its potential to change the way manufacturers and designers have traditionally done business. Using our expertise and industry knowledge, Design Pool connects interior designers directly to both a rich library of patterns and the latest in print-on-demand technology through our partnerships. […]
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In our previous post about resist dyeing, we focused on the 4 most common techniques for creating shibori patterns on fabric. We talked about binding, stitching, folding, and pole wrapping as ways to add pattern to fabric. In this article, we’re going to dig deeper into the world of resist dyeing and discuss different types […]
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This month we’ve been poring over the 2021 Spring Ready-to-Wear collections looking for inspiration and trends to share. This year was particularly interesting given the collections were all created in the early days of the pandemic and there were few traditional runway shows. Designers responded creatively in both their collections and how they presented them […]
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DigitDigital printing on textiles has opened the door for a new level of accessibility for designers, as well as consumers. Technology is improving quickly and customization is only going to become more and more common. To best understand this technology, it’s helpful to know as much as possible about the materials and processes used. There […]
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VividBoard is committed to improving a patient’s experience in hospitals and outpatient facilities through clear communication. Their whiteboards make it easy to effectively communicate with patients and their caregivers. Whiteboards may not seem exciting on the face of it. Yet, VividBoard’s products stand out because they are well designed and unique to a particular environment. […]
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This month, we are excited to announce the release of our new Design Pool Terrazzo Collection. This collection of 9 patterns includes 3 allover textures and 6 patterns created using the textures as design elements in tile looks. All patterns work well on their own and also coordinate perfectly when used together in a residential […]
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After graduating with a degree in textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design, Cathy Wilkerson spent the early part of her career as a designer and then Design Director at Robert Allen. Each season she worked on their ubiquitous color books. This work kept her intimately in tune with current trends in the textile […]
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Whether chic and elegant or wild and punk rock, animal skin prints are seemingly always on-trend. In fact, it’s almost as if our affinity toward them is in our collective DNA. Animal skins and hides were used around the world to clothe people for hundreds of years out of necessity. Some cultures even believed the […]
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Even the best product can fall flat if the pattern and color are not right. You just spent a lot of time and energy into designing the coolest and best farmers market tote, but it’s not going to sell if it’s plain and boring, no matter how crisp it keeps vegetables. Product designers have […]
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When KwickScreen was founded by Michael Korn, he expected it to be a game-changer in healthcare. Rooms could suddenly be reconfigured to accommodate a patient’s needs by creating a private space instantly. With very few touchpoints on the screen itself, it is easy to clean and keep clean. These screens could have taken off purely […]
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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work with an interior decorator? We have, so we found one to talk to about the process. New Hampshire interior decorator Kelly Murphy of Décor&You has been practicing interior decorating in the Granite State for over a decade. She gave us the scoop her turnkey process to […]
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Plaids and checks. These two words often show up together, but they are not actually interchangeable. They refer to different types of patterns. Before we get into the differences between a plaid and a check, it’s important to know that both words traditionally describe a woven cloth. So, let’s start by talking about weaving. Plaids […]
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Digital printing has changed the way interior designers work. For years, custom elements in a room were the domain of special clients with deep pockets. Thankfully, times have changed. Today, any project can be personalized thanks to advances in digital printing technology. For instance, let’s say you want to customize vinyl flooring. Easy! Sheboygan, Wisconsin-based […]
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We’re excited to invite you to Customizing Made Easy, on Wednesday, October 7, from 12:00 – 12:30 EST. This free lunchtime webinar is hosted by Design Pool founder, Kristen Dettoni. During this half-hour webinar. Kristen will introduce you to the Design Pool library and all it has to offer as a valuable resource to interior designers. […]
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2020 has been nothing if not unpredictable. It wasn’t that long ago the major trend in office design was for open concept plans, with lots of opportunity for social contact. The Covid-19 pandemic pressed pause on that trend. Forever? That remains to be seen. Many designers speculate more of a hybrid in the future. The […]
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The world of textile design encompasses a variety of skills and techniques which fall into two main categories. The first describes the actual construction of a fabric out of individual fiber and threads. In other words, interlacing yarn through weaving or knitting, or interlocking just fibers through a process such as felting. Secondly, textile design […]
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At all of the meetings for the Building on Hope construction project, Lisa Law exudes a calm and measured energy that pulls you in and instantly sets a comfortable vibe. Lisa is an Essential Feng Shui practitioner volunteering her time to create outdoor spaces for the Nashua PAL. We caught up with her to talk […]
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Digital printing has changed the way interior designers work. For years, custom-made upholstery was reserved for big projects with big budgets. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. Today, any project can be personalized thanks to technological advances in digital printing. For example, do you want to customize faux leather upholstery? No problem! New Hampshire […]
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At Design Pool, we’re a little obsessed with trends. It’s why we send out a monthly trend letter and started this talking trends series. For our entire career, trends evolved in a recognizable cycle. But, like everything else, that’s not the case in 2020. Trends that had been developing for years stopped in their tracks. […]
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The Jacobean Age takes its name from Jacobus, the Latin form of King James I of England. This style of 17th-century decor is best known for intricate carvings, heavy oak furniture, detailed tapestries, and especially crewel embroideries with flowing designs. The type of patterning associated with Jacobean Design has its roots in two places. First, […]
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Anni Albers is best known for her time in the weaving workshop at the Bauhaus in Germany and later as a teacher at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. But that is only half of her story. In 1950, she and her husband Josef moved to Connecticut when Josef accepted a job at Yale University. […]
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Customizing elements and materials in commercial or residential interiors was once reserved for big projects with even bigger budgets. But with the rise of print-on-demand technology, that’s all changed. Interior designers can now easily and affordably customize anything, even privacy glass panels. Why pick a design off the shelf when digitally printed glass allows you […]
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Our latest trend letter is all about natural materials. Wicker, rattan and cane are catching our eye on modern pieces, geometric lighting and even with loud pops of color. Natural materials are inspiring products even in the automotive industry. But, natural materials are also extending into textiles and not just in fiber form. Natural dyes […]
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So, you need a design for a project or product. Great! Now what? It can be a big decision whether to license a design, design one yourself, or buy one from a designer. Like everything, there are pros and cons of licensing a design. Knowing them can help you make the best decision for your […]
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We’re always on the lookout for beautiful colors, color combinations and color trends. Even though Neocon was canceled this year, we still found inspiration following along with their virtual event, Neoconnect. We already talked about the 5 big trends we saw in terms of product and manufacturing. Now we’re looking at Neoconnect Color Trends Color […]
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“We believe we are setting the taste of our time,” said Amy Frascella, Director of Colour & Material Design at Jaguar/Land Rover, reflecting on how trend research has changed over the course of her career. Rather than looking outward toward other industries for trends, Amy and her team now look inward. They want to set […]
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Artists and designers from across disciplines often have something in common, a daily creative practice. It makes sense. Art takes work, practice, and most of all, time. Whether you make art for your job, your hobby, or your side hustle, the need to create is competing for your time with everything else in your life. […]
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Decorative vinyl flooring continues to grow in popularity for use in both commercial and residential interiors. As print-on-demand manufacturing capabilities have grown, so have the possibilities for more interesting designs on vinyl flooring. Previously, design options were limited to those meant to mimic traditional flooring, such as hardwood or tile. Today, customization makes the design […]
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Humans have been turning fibers into materials with which to clothe themselves, warm themselves and express themselves for millennia. Still, there are certain moments in time we can point to as having made huge impacts on the way textiles are made. The invention of the cotton gin and then of the spinning jenny are two […]
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Ikat fabrics are beautiful, intriguing, and always in style. While other types of patterning come in and out of fashion, there is something about ikat that manages to always stay relevant. It’s nothing new. This has been the case around the world and throughout history. What exactly is ikat? Ikat (pronounced: E–cot) is a method […]
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I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like June just wasn’t the same without NeoCon. To try and fill the void, organizers produced a month full of virtual content and events called NeoConnect. We attended a few of the seminars and followed along on social media. While it wasn’t the same as being there in […]
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As a textile designer, one of the best tools in my designer toolbox is my texture library. Designing patterns digitally, I sometimes felt the patterns looked a little flat. To breathe life into a pattern, I add texture to a design instead of a flat color. This technique optimizes a pattern by adding depth and […]
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If you’re not careful, work-from-home life can easily turn into work-all-the-time life. Spending more time at home, have you found yourself working more? At Design Pool, we’re definitely guilty of it. That’s why we’ve been so inspired lately by friends giving themselves the time for creativity. We’re particularly loving those with a daily creative practice. […]
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Design Pool is excited to announce a new partnership with Graphic Image Flooring. Choose any pattern from the Design Pool library to print directly on Graphic Image Flooring’s vinyl flooring. Based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Graphic Image Flooring manufacturers durable, recyclable, printed vinyl flooring. Using the latest in digital printing technology all orders are print-on-demand. Their products have a wide range […]
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In our series Talking Trends, we talk to designers in a range of industries, from contract textiles to finishes, to laminates. It’s fascinating to hear their perspective on what is trending, while at the same time, they are keenly aware of what’s a fad. That got us thinking about the difference between a trend and a […]
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Interior designers have more flexibility than ever now to customize projects. Yet, many don’t realize just how easy (not to mention affordable) it is thanks to advances in print-on-demand technology. What used to be reserved for big projects and big budgets is now accessible to anyone and for any project. There is one problem though. […]
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How do you make sure you get the right color from print run to print run? For us, it’s communicating with our printer and giving them a very clear reference from our color reference library. Whether printing on-demand or with traditional methods, the more clear you can be from the start, the better the outcome […]
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Next in our series Talking Trends, Kristen sat down with Mark Denecour, Director of Design, Wovens, at P/Kaufmann Contract. Mark has worked in the industry for over 30 years, most of those years in contract. He and Kristen spent some of those years working together back in their mill days. It was a treat to […]
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Picking the right material to use for digital printing is an important one. If you’re working with print-on-demand companies or thinking about customizing materials for your next project, you know there are a lot of options out there. That’s the fun of customizing! Still, it’s a lot to take in if you’re new to materials […]
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When recommendations were released advising everyone to wear a cloth face mask, we, like so many others, pulled out our sewing machines, reached into our stash, and started sewing. We sewed masks for our families, neighbors, and friends. With the news feeling overwhelming, it felt good to use our skills (not to mention all the […]
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Paula Stebbins Becker has worked in the textile industry for decades. In fact, she has designed for us at Design Pool. We know her to be a talented designer with a keen eye and rich experience. Yet, when we asked Paula to talk with us for our Talking Trends series, she was reluctant, uncertain if […]
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As we move through different spaces and environments throughout the day, our experiences are impacted by color choices made by the designers and architects who created that space. How we experience and perceive color can impact everything from our moods to our buying habits and even our healthcare outcomes. As healthcare facilities rethink the way […]
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Team Design Pool was already working remotely from our homes in East Hampstead, New Hampshire, and Providence, Rhode Island when stay-at-home directives were issued. BUT….our husbands hadn’t been. It was fun to watch them create workable spots in our homes. And then, over the weeks, to see how they’ve adapted to remote working. How did […]
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Occasionally, at Design Pool, I receive a request to replicate an antique textile, and I rarely say no, if I can. If the company making the request owns the copyright to the design, then this is something I can help them with. If not, I have to politely decline the project. Recreating an antique textile […]
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“I always like to start with the story,” said Resa Gray, partner at Honeycomb Design + Build, a collaborative group of design and construction professionals operating out of Winchester, Massachusetts. And Resa was handed one of her favorite stories to date in 2012 when hired to design Cakeology, a brick and mortar shop for Cupcake […]
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