diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/angular-libs/angular.of.stages.service.js b/app/assets/javascripts/angular-libs/angular.of.stages.service.js
index fe1241d1a..6c9507d80 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/angular-libs/angular.of.stages.service.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/angular-libs/angular.of.stages.service.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-openFarmModule.factory('stageService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
-  function stageService($http, $q, alertsService) {
+openFarmModule.factory('stageService', ['$http', '$log', '$q', 'alertsService',
+  function stageService($http, $log, $q, alertsService) {
 
     // Should return Stage model:
     // {
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ openFarmModule.factory('stageService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
         } else {
           // TODO: we'll need to go fetch these from the
           // server.
+          stage.stage_actions = [];
         }
 
         if (data.relationships.pictures.data === undefined &&
@@ -52,7 +53,6 @@ openFarmModule.factory('stageService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
     }
 
     var buildStage = function(data, included) {
-
       var stage = data.attributes;
       stage.id = data.id;
 
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ openFarmModule.factory('stageService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
           data.relationships.stage_actions.data.length === 0) {
         stage.stage_actions = [];
       } else {
+        stage.stage_actions = [];
         // TODO: we'll need to go fetch these from the
         // server.
       }
@@ -68,14 +69,16 @@ openFarmModule.factory('stageService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
           data.relationships.pictures.data.length === 0) {
         stage.pictures = [];
       } else {
-        mappedIds = data.relationships.pictures.data.map(function (pic) {
+        var mappedIds = data.relationships.pictures.data.map(function (pic) {
           return pic.id;
         })
-        stage.pictures = included.filter(function (pic) {
-          return mappedIds.indexOf(pic.id) !== -1 && pic.type === 'pictures';
-        }).map(function(pic) {
-          return pic.attributes;
-        })
+        if (included) {
+          stage.pictures = included.filter(function (pic) {
+            return mappedIds.indexOf(pic.id) !== -1 && pic.type === 'pictures';
+          }).map(function(pic) {
+            return pic.attributes;
+          })
+        }
       }
       return stage
     }
@@ -136,6 +139,7 @@ openFarmModule.factory('stageService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
           .success(function (response) {
             resolve(buildStage(response.data));
           }).error(function (response, code) {
+            $log.error("error when updating a stage", response, code);
             reject();
             alertsService.pushToAlerts(response, code);
           });
@@ -154,7 +158,7 @@ openFarmModule.factory('stageService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
 
     var deleteStageWithPromise = function(stageId) {
       return $q(function (resolve, reject) {
-        $http.delete('/api/v1/stages/' + stageId, params)
+        $http.delete('/api/v1/stages/' + stageId + '/')
           .success(function (response) {
             resolve();
           }).error(function (response, code) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/angular-libs/guides/guides.service.js b/app/assets/javascripts/angular-libs/guides/guides.service.js
index 53973708b..d7b58d3fc 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/angular-libs/guides/guides.service.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/angular-libs/guides/guides.service.js
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ openFarmModule.factory('guideService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
     }
 
     var buildGuide = function(data, included) {
+      console.log("Building Guide", data, included);
       var stages,
           user,
           crop;
@@ -57,19 +58,21 @@ openFarmModule.factory('guideService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
       guide.id = data.id;
       guide.relationships = data.relationships;
       guide.links = data.links;
-      stages = included.filter(function(obj) {
-        return obj.type === 'stages';
-      }).map(function(stage) {
-        return stageService.utilities.buildStage(stage, included);
-      });
+      if (included) {
+        stages = included.filter(function(obj) {
+          return obj.type === 'stages';
+        }).map(function(stage) {
+          return stageService.utilities.buildStage(stage, included);
+        });
 
-      user = included.filter(function(obj) {
-        return obj.type === 'users';
-      });
+        user = included.filter(function(obj) {
+          return obj.type === 'users';
+        });
 
-      crop = included.filter(function(obj) {
-        return obj.type === 'crops';
-      });
+        crop = included.filter(function(obj) {
+          return obj.type === 'crops';
+        });
+      }
 
       if (user !== undefined && user.length > 0) {
         guide.user = userService.utilities.buildUser(user[0]);
@@ -78,6 +81,7 @@ openFarmModule.factory('guideService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
         guide.crop = cropService.utilities.buildCrop(crop[0]);
       }
       guide.stages = stages;
+      console.log("Built Guide", guide);
       return guide;
     };
 
@@ -143,6 +147,7 @@ openFarmModule.factory('guideService', ['$http', '$q', 'alertsService',
         if (guideId !== "" && guideId !== "new") {
           $http.get('/api/v1/guides/' + guideId)
           .success(function (response) {
+            console.log('getting guide');
             resolve(buildGuide(response.data, response.included));
           }).error(function (response, code) {
             alertsService.pushToAlerts(response.errors, code);
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/guides/new.js b/app/assets/javascripts/guides/new.js
index 608650bb8..18d7ff46b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/guides/new.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/guides/new.js
@@ -387,9 +387,9 @@ openFarmApp.controller('newGuideCtrl', ['$scope', '$http', '$q',
         console.log('updating stage');
         stageService.updateStageWithPromise(stage.id, {'data': data})
           .then(function(stage){
-             stage.sent = true;
-             $scope.sending--;
-             $scope.checkNumberUpdated();
+            stage.sent = true;
+            $scope.sending--;
+            $scope.checkNumberUpdated();
            });
 
       } else if (stage.exists){
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/styles/components/_alerts.css.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/styles/components/_alerts.css.scss
index e37f00aae..8cd3f2025 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/styles/components/_alerts.css.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/styles/components/_alerts.css.scss
@@ -6,8 +6,14 @@
   transition: top .5s;
   z-index: 10;
   box-shadow: 0 0 1rem rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);
+
+  .close {
+    top: 18px;
+  }
 }
 
+
+
 .home-alert-wrapper{
   height: 0;
 }
diff --git a/app/models/picture.rb b/app/models/picture.rb
index 7332f7383..69d4c19cf 100644
--- a/app/models/picture.rb
+++ b/app/models/picture.rb
@@ -17,9 +17,14 @@ class Picture
 
   # SEE: http://stackoverflow.com/a/23141483/1064917
   class << self
-    def from_url(url, parent)
+    def from_url(file_location, parent)
       pic = new(photographic: parent)
-      pic.attachment = open(url)
+      puts "file location #{file_location}"
+      if Paperclip::Attachment.default_options[:storage].to_s != 'filesystem'
+        pic.attachment = open(file_location)
+      else
+        pic.attachment = file_location
+      end
       pic.save!
       pic
     end
diff --git a/config/environments/development.rb b/config/environments/development.rb
index ff98daace..51e0a7b0e 100644
--- a/config/environments/development.rb
+++ b/config/environments/development.rb
@@ -13,4 +13,14 @@
     Crop.reindex
     Guide.reindex
   end
+
+  # options = { storage: :s3,
+  #             s3_protocol: :https,
+  #             path: '/:rails_env/media/:class/:attachment/:id.:extension',
+  #             s3_credentials: { bucket: ENV['S3_BUCKET_NAME'],
+  #                               s3_protocol: :https,
+  #                               access_key_id: ENV['SERVER_S3_ACCESS_KEY'],
+  #                               secret_access_key: ENV['SERVER_S3_SECRET_KEY'] } }
+
+  # Paperclip::Attachment.default_options.merge!(options)
 end