how to wear – Peculiar Porter

10×10 Spring Challenge: 10 Pieces, 10 Outfits, 10 Days

Published on April 10, 2018April 10, 2018 by PeculiarPorter27 Comments

After reading articles on how to appreciate what you have more, I stumbled across Style Bee’s 10×10 challenge. She developed a challenge to force people to become more creative with their clothes. While she was going through a shop-free fast she decided it would be the perfect time to create a challenge where she only wore 10 items for 10 days. Since I love a good fashion challenge, I decided to try.

Rules:

Pick any 10 items you already have in your current closet
Style those items in 10 different ways
Use 10 days to do it

PJs and workout clothes also do not count. Lee, from Style Bee, recommends that if you’re a beginner you start off with:

2 Pairs of Shoes (1 heel + 1 flat)
4 Tops (Consider pieces that layer well like a fitted long-sleeve, a button-down, and a cardigan)
1 Dress
2 Bottoms
1 Top Layer

I ended up picking 2 pants, 1 dress, 2 jackets, 4 shirts, and 1 pair of shoes. If I do the challenge again, I would pick a cardigan instead of a pink blazer because it is comfier and more versatile. Otherwise, I really liked my picks. I think for the summer challenge I would pick a few skirts instead of jeans.

Nonetheless, here are the 10 different outfits I ended up creating. If you want to see these outfits in action make sure you check out my Instagram page here.

Day One | Friday

I felt like a total rockstar in this outfit. There is something about a solid black and white outfit with a pop of color that always looks good. I ended up hanging out at friend’s new house (talk about major adulting) after work. I can’t believe I’m starting to embark on the age where my friends are all growing up. Please make it slow down ASAP please and thank you. This bag was definitely the highlight of this outfit due to it’s bright color.

Day Two | Saturday

I did absolutely nothing on Saturday and it was soooo nice. Most weekends I’m running around with my head chopped off so it was so lovely doing nothing. Well, I did take these pictures with a makeshift tripod (I set up my camera on a stool outside my house and hoped to God that my neighbors wouldn’t see me acting crazy). This layered outfit is perfect for spring because you never know how cold it is really going to be. Plus, I’m a huge fan of olive and light denim paired together.

Day Three | Sunday

Easter Sunday was a big day for me! I started the day going to church with my mom and ended the day with watching my brother propose to this girlfriend! Talk about a good day! An awesome outfit to match an equally as awesome day. I was slightly worried about doing this challenge during Easter because I knew I needed a fancier dress for Church. I ended up being able to transition this dress a few different ways. If I were to do the challenge again I would have picked a dress without a pattern because it was a little too recognizable for my taste. However, I would have still picked this bright yellow because it is perfect for spring!

Day Four | Monday

The best thing about this challenge was that it convinced me to pull out this scarf I purchased in high school. I bought this neck scarf thinking I would wear it one day and never did… until now. I love how the pattern looks contrasting with the stripes! This is definitely an outfit I would have never of tried if it wasn’t for this challenge so I’m super soaked about that.

Note: I did have to cheat on this day! It ended up randomly snowing so I needed to pull out my winter coat. I ended up wearing that winter coat on top of some of my outfits as the challenge went on. I felt guilty, but Lee said herself that this challenge is meant to be fun not stressful. Thus, I felt like it was okay for my first time ever trying this challenge.

Day Five | Tuesday

This outfit definitely got the most compliments out of all of these. One of my coworkers told me he liked my shirt three different times. I mean, I love a good green shirt but I’m not sure it deserved three different compliments. Anyway, I did end up tucking this shirt into my pants and throwing on my white belt just because I wanted to make sure I didn’t show any of my belly at work. During this challenge, I ended up wanting to wear this green shirt the most because of the bright color and soft texture. The power of a good t-shirt is really underrated.

Day Six | Wednesday

Since my coworker complimented my green shirt from the day before, I was worried that people would notice that I’m wearing the same shirt. Not one person noticed. This challenge was definitely a great way to refocus on the fact that not everyone cares about what you and other people wear. Often times what you say is much more important than what you wear. As someone who is very passionate about fashion, this is something that often escapes my reality. My work is very casual so it was really nice to be able to wear a fancier dress to work without it being a really big deal.

Day Seven | Thursday

Thursday was just another casual day at work. I love wearing my chambray top like this because it is the comfiest thing in the world. It’s like wearing a thick cardigan but wihtout the extra warmth. Out of all these outfits, this one was definitely the comfiest.

Day Eight | Friday

I wore this outfit to work but ended up throwing on my white belt from this outfit and making the necklace a lot shorter (check Instagram if you want to see the real deal). Robert came to visit me this weekend so we ended up going out with my friends to see a live band and play some games. I did end up switching into my outfit on day one but with blue jeans because I would be devastated if anyone split alcohol on my white pants. None of my coworkers noticed that this was the same stripe shirt I wore on Monday. My boss even complimented my top.

Day Nine | Saturday

I didn’t end up wearing this outfit the entire day because I was actually taking future blog pictures (eek, I’m so excited to show you them later). I love this outfit but it would have been a little too dressy for the day. I ended up going to Puerto Vallarta with Robert, taking pictures, and then watching Deadpool… laugh all you want but it was a great movie! I could definitely see myself wearing this outfit for a girl’s brunch or spring birthday party.

Day Ten | Sunday

If you followed my Instagram stories, this actually wasn’t what I wore on Sunday! Since I took these pictures on Saturday when I was planning out these outfits, I thought I was going to wear this. I ended up getting a little bit more creative and throwing on a thrifted belt alongside my chambray button up. I love this outfit too but definitely loved wearing a belt that I rarely get to wear instead.

My takeaways

I ended up trying new accessories that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

I loved being able to try out new accessories in order to spice up different outfits. It definitely made my challenge myself to rethink how I wear things and how to make them unique. Plus, I found out what items I gravitate towards more than others. I’m loving these white jeans and my green shirt!

No one noticed that I was wearing the same items over and over again.

Literally, no one noticed. I thought for sure someone would have said something about wearing my white pants twice during a work week. No one noticed or cared. This was a great reality check that not everyone cares about what you’re wearing so you might as well wear something that makes you happy. For instance, I’m never trying the wooden basket bag trend… maybe the woven ones but definitely not this bag. It’s more important to find stuff you like wearing instead of what other people like wearing.

I need to appreciate what I do have more.

It’s so easy to get swept up into the idea that I constantly need to buy new articles of clothes to keep things fresh. I really need to look at the items I already have and develop new ways of wearing them. Plus, I really need to appreciate that I’m fortunate enough to have all these clothes.

It’s more about a positive attitude than what you’re wearing.

People don’t care what you’re wearing, they care about who you are as an individual. It’s better to be positive and optimistic than negative and pessimistic. People want to be around you because of who you are not because of what you wear.

What do you think about the 10×10 challenge? Would you ever try something like this? What is your favorite outfit out of these 10? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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How to Style My Favorite Spring Trend: The Wrap Dress

Published on March 15, 2018March 15, 2018 by PeculiarPorter38 Comments

Ummm… is it spring yet? I literally cannot stand another northeastern. We’ve literally had a snowstorm every single week for the past three weeks and I’m so over it. Although I do admit, it’s March and I oddly hum Christmas tunes every time it snows. Hey, it’s never too early to be in the holiday spirit.

So unlike mother nature, I’m ready to bring out the spring outfits as soon as possible. Bring on the floral print, pops of color, and a whole lot of sunshine. If you saw my s ummer barn wedding guide, you know that wrap dresses are a curvy girl’s secret weapon. It hits you in all the right places and makes you look like a million bucks. Seriously, invest in one that you know you’ll wear again and again and you can thank me later.

Go for a bold color for double the impact.

To me, yellow isn’t that bold of a color because it’s just something I’m naturally drawn to because of my pale skin and reddish-brown hair. What I mean by a bold color is picking something that is bright as can be. This yellow is bold because of how in your face it is. It can easily be toned down with some neutrals like this black jacket and booties or it could be played up with a green jacket and white shoes. Regardless, it’s fun to play with something out of your comfort zone once in a while.

Don’t be boring, try something daring.

The fun thing about wrap dresses is that they have so much added texture to them. For example, this one has florals and ruffles so it creates this extremely dramatic silhouette. Just like I did in this post, I love mixing this edgy, studded jacket on top of a feminine dress. It’s an outfit that instantly makes me feel like I can take on the world. Plus, it such a mix of textures that no one will ever expect so you’ll look instantly chic.

Ditch the flats and wedges and grab a classic, black bootie for the perfect winter to spring transitioning outfit.

Don’t sacrifice your little toes just yet! I love pairing booties with literally everything. They will look perfect next to your feminine dress due to their inherent need to be edgier than flats. Personally, I love the comparison of the leather jacket and booties next to this floral dress because it adds so much interest to the look. You almost don’t know where to look without being super overwhelmed… my kind of outfit.

Try wearing your dress as a skirt to get double the use.

As you probably know, I’m trying to incorporate more and more sustainable ideas and principles into this blog. What better way to achieve this than bringing up ways where you can get the most use out of your wardrobe! The best part about dresses is that you can wear them in so many different ways. Throw a shirt over the dress and you now have a skirt (seen here) or throw a turtleneck under the shirt and you now have a warmer look (seen here). With different colors, graphics, and accessories, you can make so many interesting outfits out of one piece. To me that is the best part about style: you get to be creative with it.

Personally, I can definitely see this dress in a million and a half ways. I can see it being paired with a bright green shirt and a jean jacket for a more casual look. I can see it with a pair of strappy sandals for when it finally stops snowing. I can also see it without a jacket to finally embrace the warm weather. Don’t stop at just one look… find a few ways to wear it!

How do you feel about the wrap dress trend? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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DIY Graphic T-Shirt in Less Than 15 Minutes

Published on January 30, 2018January 30, 2018 by PeculiarPorter15 Comments

Are you ready for the easiest DIY ever? I actually did this DIY 15 minutes before I left for a shoot with a few local bloggers. It is that easy. All you need is a crew neck shirt, iron-on patches, scissors, an iron, and a sprinkle of creativity. Slap that all together and you get a boss babe shirt. Just in case you need a few pointers here and there… I’ll offer you my words of wisdom.

If you have no idea what you want your graphic-tee to say, go on Pinterest.

I’m a big fan of quotes. I even have my own little album on Pinterest you can check out for inspirational quotes. I actually asked one of my friends what I should put on my shirt and she gave me this idea. We studied abroad in Italy and had the most incredible time. This little Italian saying means “The beautiful life.” Something that I strive to have each and every day. You can easily make fun quirky sayings like “Boss Babe”, “Just Be Nice”, or “Gobble Till Yah Wobble” (perfect for Thanksgiving). I also like the idea of making a graphic tee that says “we are all connected” and iron on the letters in a big circle. The options are limitless!

Try on the shirt and mark where you want the letters to go with a safety pin.

Before I started placing my letters to their assigned seats, I decided to put on the shirt and pin where exactly I want the letters to go. Since your fabric may stretch when you put on the shirt you want to make sure you mark it so that it is placed in the correct location it needs to be. I’m so glad I decided to do this because I was picturing the letters much higher than where they were supposed to go.

Buy more than one pack of letters.

I had no idea what I wanted to say on my shirt so I grabbed two packs of Horizon Transfermations from Michaels. They have a few different fonts online that are different from what I saw in the store (my brain is stewing with new possibilities now). If you know what you want to put on your shirt you may only need one package but I needed two because I used three “L”. Better to be safe than sorry! If you don’t want to drive to the store they have endless options on Amazon.

Lastly, be creative.

Place the words in different areas. Make the words descend downward like stairs, have them all scrunched up in the middle, iron them on your sleeve, iron them in the bottom right corner. You can do so much with different placements, colors, and fonts. I love this simple DIY just because it has so many different options. Plus, you get to show off your personality in a fun, new way.

Stay tuned for Thursday where I’ll show the full post on how to style a fun graphic like this. Plus, if you want some other wicked cool DIY inspiration click on here. I’m trying to come up with a few DIYs this year to spice up my wardrobe so stay tuned.

What kind of graphic t-shirt would you like to make? Any fun sayings? Let me know in the comments down below. Who knows… I might make that shirt next!

As always,

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12 Fall Outfits to Get Inspiration From

Published on December 21, 2017December 29, 2017 by PeculiarPorter32 Comments

Happy first day of winter! I’m always so sad to say goodbye to fall because it is my favorite time of the year. Regardless, I’ll open my arms up wide for a little bit of snow. Before I do all that, let me recap my favorite outfits of this fall season. After all, a good outfit should be seen more than once hehe.

I finally got daring this year and purchased my first leather jacket. The quirky studs drew me into this jacket but the warm, buttery texture made me fall hard. This fall I loved pairing it with different patterns such as this striped outfit and this floral outfit. This jacket was finally one thing that really pushed me out of my style comfort zone. Check out more on that here.

Every day I commute an hour to and from work. I’ve figured out how to keep sane on my daily commute… and trust me it’s hard! Find out more about what podcasts and audiobooks I listen to keep alert on my drive here.

Camouflage is such an underrated pattern and I want to drastically change that. Find out about the history of this awesome pattern and how you can include it in your outfits here. This is definitely a pattern that can be used for the winter season too!

Do you have a ton of items in your closet that you totally forgot about or just don’t know how to style? That is literally the definition of my life. I’ve decided to conjure up some of those items and create an outfit and tips that you can finally use some of those items. You can find out more about that here.

Running for Rescues contacted me to write a review on their incredible non-profit. As an animal lover, I was thrilled to have the opportunity. Find out how you can help our furry friends by purchasing apparel or running for this great cause.

Embroidered pants were all the rage this past summer and it dipped into the fall season for me. These pants are currently my favorite pants to wear because I always feel like a bad ass in them. Something about the girly flowers paired with the studs makes a long-lasting impression on people. Check out more about this outfit here.

For Thanksgiving, I wanted an outfit where I can eat and eat and eat and not worry about how big my stomach grew. That’s why I picked a large scarf to cover my food baby. A sweater dress is one of my go tos for the colder months because it makes you look put together even though you feel like you’re wearing a big blanket. Check out more about this outfit here.

One of my favorite purchases this year was this necklace from Half United. For each purchase they donate seven meals to a child in need. Find out more about their awesome company here and find out more about this outfit and shoes here.

Ever wonder why I blog? Wonder no more, I talk about it in this post while wearing some pretty awesome camo pants. Let me know why you blog on this post. I’m very curious to hear your reasoning.

Something about borrowing your mom’s flannel without telling her feels so rebellious… and that is exactly what I did in this outfit. Find out how I styled it in this post… it might help you come up with some interesting layered outfits.

Lastly, my favorite outfit from the fall season. I’m obsessed with this skirt I found on sale in the summer. Ugh, can you blame me? I can hear my childhood self cringing at the fact that I’m wearing a turtleneck but who cares! Find out more about this outfit and some of my family traditions here.

What is your favorite outfit out of all these? What was your favorite outfit you wore this fall? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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5 Graphic Tees that Give Back

Published on October 24, 2017April 3, 2018 by PeculiarPorter8 Comments

Disclaimer: Running for Rescues contacted me to review their organization. They personally sent me this graphic tee. Every thought and opinion expressed on Peculiar Porter are entirely mine alone and do not reflect the views or opinions of Running for Rescues.

Style can do so many great things for your confidence, but it can also help others in need. Running for Rescues, a local Connecticut organization, recently reached out to me and asked if they could send me one of their shirts. Since I’m a huge animal lover, I immediately said yes.

Running for Rescues is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization that raises money through races, donations, and products to help rescue animals from high-kill shelters. Runners from across the country can pick a race they want to run and fundraise independently for Running for Rescues. This money then goes to small organizations that help fun the rescuing animals and the associated costs.

As some of you may already know, I’m that obnoxious person who talks in baby voices to dogs. I know, it’s embarrassing and I cannot help it in the slightest. With that said, I don’t know what I would do without my two dogs. Butch and Daisy are like weird, goofy humans. They both have their own personalities compact with weird poses, obsessive habits, and funky sounds. We picked up my dogs from a farm in the middle of a huge blizzard. With that said, Butch and Daisy were not rescued from a kill-shelter. However, I can only imagine what it would be like if my dogs were behind bars, constantly waiting for a warm home, hugs, kisses, and above all… love. No animal should be put down just because they simply exist. If you have the ability to run, donate, or purchase a shirt from Running for Rescues, I’m sure each and every dog and cat would be thankful with warm, slobbery kisses.

Buying socially conscious goods opens an opportunity to start conversations and develop awareness to values you believe in. It is one thing to be stylish and another thing to be able to convey messages you’re passionate about. By wearing a t-shirt that captures the values you believe in, you can create a conversation that wouldn’t have been able to happen otherwise. Plus, you’ll look good doing so.

Graphic tees are incredibly easy to style with any outfit. You can throw on a fun skirt like I did in this post or put on a bold pair of colored pants like I did in these pictures. Lately, I’ve been really into trying the graphic tee into a knot and rolling up the sleeves. Just throw a fun jacket over this look and bam a whole new look. You’re making an impact while having an incredible outfit.

I admit it is pretty hard to find socially conscious t-shirts unless you look hard for them. That is why I developed a little list of five companies you can buy shirts from. You can buy a Running for Rescue shirt here or you can buy one from these four other companies:

1, 2, 3, 4

Feed Shirt ($16.50). For every purchase from Feed, a portion of the money goes to school meals. This particular shirt provides 10 school meals to children in need. Feed has a wide selection of bags and accessories. I’ve been saving for one of their beautiful, leather bags.
Arm the Animals ($21.99). Similar to the company I’m sporting in this post, tArm the Animals’ mission is to spread the word about animal welfare. They have a long list of witty t-shirts that bring awareness to neglected animals.
Krochet Kids ($48). Every product that is made from Krochet Kids is hand signed by the person who made it. They do this in an effort to make you realize where your products come from. This particular shirt states “Wear for Hope.” Their business is established on the principle that people in developing countries should be paired fairly and equality.
Serengetee ($32). Serenge Tee supports 32 different causes ranging from education to ending sex trafficking. Each shirt comes with a different pattern that is linked to a specific cause. If you want to incorporate abstract patterns in your every day look while helping out great causes look at this company.

What do you think about graphic tees that give back? Do you think we’ll be seeing it more in fashion? Do you know of any similar companies? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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How To Make a Dress Warm For Date Night

Published on January 18, 2017February 13, 2017 by PeculiarPorter20 Comments

Hello darlings! I hope wherever you are it is a lot warmer there. Here in New York it is pretty cold but warmer than it is normally. The temperature is usually in the 20’s with the occasional day being colder or sometimes if we’re lucky warmer. No worries, my toes haven’t fallen off and they shouldn’t!

If you live in the cold, you know how almost impossible it is to try and figure out a cute date night outfit with still being warm. It definitely isn’t stylish to be cold, so I’ve come up with the perfect equation to stay warm but still look cute at date night.

The obsession with over the knee boots continues…

If you haven’t invested in over the knee boots now is the time to do it! They’re the perfect staple that will keep you warm and still look super cute. I scored these awesome Nine West boots for 70% off at the outlet. They’re originally $220 and I scored them for $60. Don’t start crying yet… their website has a similar sale going on with $40 off of $125, $30 off of $100, and $20 off of $75. Plus, over the knee boots are already on sale. If I didn’t just write a post about how I need to stop shopping so much… I would be all over buying another pair. If I were to get another pair it would definitely be this one. I love over the knee boots because they really do keep you warm. Most of the time I can get away with wearing tights, high socks, and boots and be totally a-okay for the day.

Sweater power comes to the rescue…

Another way to stay warm is layering a thick sweater over a dress. You have two options so you don’t lose your fantastic shape. A: tie a belt around your waist or B: fold the sweater bottom in half so it looks as if you’re wearing a crop sweater. For this outfit, I decided for option B because I thought the texture contrast was already a lot going on without the addition of a belt.

Mix up styles to create an interesting outfit…

My favorite part about this outfit is that it incorporates so many different styles in one. The Polo sweater is preppy, the American Eagle dress is girly, and the leather over the knee boots are edgy. The combination of the three styles definitely makes someone look twice without thinking you’re insane. The key to incorporating so many different styles in one is to make sure you have a common element. In this case, the white and black create a middle ground for all three styles.

How do you stay warm for date night? Do you try to incorporate different styles into your outfit? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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Fashion Has a Way of Repeating Itself

Published on December 7, 2016December 7, 2016 by PeculiarPorter16 Comments

Hello darling! I hope you’ve enjoyed this little mini series on renaissance fashion. If you haven’t seen my last pots on renaissance inspired fashion trends and designers using renaissance fashion click on those links.

The only item that does not have some renaissance meaning in this outfit is my shoes. Even my hair has a reasoning for being the way it is. The renaissance period definitely had trends we wouldn’t try to recreate but there are a few that we can take notes on.

Hair.

If you’ve been reading my blog for some time you’ve probably realized that I pretty much only wear my hair curly or straight. I do have one post in the beginning of my blogging career where I wear my hair up but that was about three years ago. Anyway, during the renaissance, women used to be obsessed with high hairlines. They liked to have the appearance of having a huge forehead and actually plucked out hairs to draw back their hairline. If you think about it or look at the pictures in my last post you can actually see the women’s hairline falling on the back of their heads. I didn’t want to go that drastic (I like my forehead the way it is) so I decided to do a high ponytail to show off my forehead. Never thought I’d say that in a blog post…

As for my hair color, if I were trying to drastically recreate a renaissance look; I would have blonde hair in this post. Blondes were very sought out after and women actually tried to dye their hair lighter with alum, sulfur, and soda. Women would have to sit outside in the sun to bleach their hair but this was a very hard process because they wanted to have pale skin. So they would sit outside for hours covered in clothes to protect their skin. I’ll stick to my brunette/red hair thank you very much!

Velvet Skirt.

If you saw my last two posts you would know that velvet was a very important textile in the renaissance period. Rich women would show their class by wearing velvet and other materials such as lace, linen, and silk. This skirt is definitely a more modern skirt because the ones the women would wear in the renaissance would be large and in charge. They would include a wheel farthingale that would make their but look big. The dress would reach the floor and be expanded in every direction. Since I wanted to include another textile used in the renaissance period, I thought it would be best to wear a shorter skirt.

Lace Tights.

Lace was another very important textile to the renaissance period and was relatively new. It was invented in the 16th century was was affordable by only the wealthy. Lace was worn on sleeves, ruffs, corsets, skirts, anything you name it. If you were wearing lace it was known that you were a very wealthy individual because it showed that you did not have to lift a finger. Lace is now a more versatile textile in today’s society and not nearly as expensive because machines can make it. The lace tights I am wearing are very old and I adore pairing them with any plain skirt or dress because it adds a little something to every outfit. I wanted to pair it with thigh high boots because showing the entire lace tights would be a little too much in this outfit already over the top outfit.

Statement Sleeves.

The women in the renaissance had sleeves that would attach to their corset or shirt. Not all sleeves were attachable but most of them were. They were also usually decked out in jewels and lace. Some of the shirts would billow out and some would scrunch up at the wrist. Since I’ve never tried statement sleeves, I decided to borrow my roommate’s shirt (don’t worry, she knows) and incorporate it in this outfit. This is definitely a fun element to add to an outfit, but I admit… it’s just not me. I find the sleeves a little bit distracting because of their large and in charge nature. It would definitely be a fun shirt to dance in though. I hand it to the renaissance women… they knew how to add some “wow” factor into their outfits.

Statement Necklace.

Okay, this clearly isn’t a ruff, but it will have to do. I put on this necklace to imitate the impressive, lace collar the renaissance women would wear. Since some women wore jewels and rhinestones underneath their ruff or even just in replace of the ruff, I thought I could get away with it. You’ll have to let me know in the comments down below if you agree.

Pearl Earrings.

Like jewels and gemstones, pearls were also highly sought after. After all, The Girl With The Pearl Earring was painted during the renaissance. Pearls were often attached to garments and worn as jewelry as they are today. I pretty much wear my pearl earrings every day and now I can think about girls many years ago were wearing them too.

What do you think about the renaissance period? Would you try some of these fashion trends or do you think they’re better left in the past? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,