@disneypictures @Maleficent Monday! So is #Maleficent a Ticket or Skip It? {#Movie #Review}

Well! Well! If you are here I am taking it you haven't seen it yet, remedy that ASAP! Maleficent is a definite TICKET!

Synopsis:

This is the untold story of Disney's most iconic villain from "Sleeping Beauty" from HER perspective. It shows the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. This movie finds her driven by revenge and her desire to protect the moors, the dominion in which she lives and presides. Of course you know she places a curse on Princess Aurora who gets caught in the middle of the forest kingdom she grows to love and the kingdom that is her legacy.

My Take:

Butterflies this is NOT your Grandma's Sleeping Beauty tale, it is re-visited, but most importantly, completely re-imagined, the CGI isn't the only thing telling the tale, everyone delivers a strong performance and it's that balance of getting lost in it's world and a strong ensemble that makes it work so well. It's Angelina's ability to take us from young innocent Maleficent, to woman scorned, to vengeance personified and back to 'mother earth' energy that makes the movie so compelling. You find yourself rooting for the villain even when you don't want to. And that's to me the 'beauty' of this 'sleeping beauty' - it isn't just her ability to deliver 'delicious darkness' but to make each phase of her character's arc completely believable.

Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora delivers a wonderful innocence with just enough inner strength, and not to be missed is Sam Riley's performance as Diaval who helps to temper Maleficent's rage (a bird like Jiminy Cricket!). The wall of thorns, and the play between darkness and light, is just all done to perfection.

As in most Disney movies, there are butterfly sightings in Maleficent, many in fact! In a beautiful scene where Angelina's daughter, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt portrays young Aurora and she is chasing butterflies, completely oblivious to her surroundings, and one of the CGI Fairies who watches over Aurora as she grows is constantly surrounded by Butterflies. (I have always wondered why there is always a butterfly sighting in most Disney movies, if anyone knows why, please share!)

This movie is a definitely TICKET, you need to see this on the big screen Butterflies, don't wait for video with this one!

That's me Ascending Butterfly on the left! We all know I have a love of all things with Wings! (and a penchant for Red Lipstick too! She hits all my favorite Fashion notes, all black outfit, wings and red lips!)

Have you seen Maleficent Yet Butterflies? What did you think?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post, I was provided Screening Passes for editorial consideration. All opinions are 100% my own!  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

I have a feeling we are NOT in Kansas anymore! - Oz The Great and Powerful Movie Review! #ozthegreatandpowerful

On Wednesday, March 6th I got the chance to attend the New York City Screening of Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful. I'm glad mother nature held up and the NorEaster Snow Storm we were expecting didn't hit!

I have to start by warning you this is NOT your mama's Wizard of Oz!

What you won't see:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Dorothy
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Tinman
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Scarecrow
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Cowardly Lion
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ruby Red Slippers

What you won't hear:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Characters spontaneously bursting into song, there's no 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' song or 'We're off to see the Wizard'.

ABOUT:

When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.

My Take:

I do want to remind everyone that this is NOT a remake, it's a 'pre-quel', we learn how The Wizard gets to Oz, and get more back story on all the witches. I think it's important for folks to keep this in mind before going to see it. You need to evaluate this one it's own strengths and weaknesses and stop trying to compare it to a movie that they are NOT actually trying to re-make. They do pay homage, but are not trying to re-create the iconic classic we all know and love, that being said, here are MY perceived strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - BUTTERFLIES! - Thankfully someone at Disney seems to share my fascination with Butterflies. All of their movies have a butterfly sighting, this one had not just butterfly sightings throughout but an entire butterfly tree! In one scene you see a tree with unusual leaves and suddenly the leaves fly off the tree and you realize they are not leaves at all but a flock of beautiful butterflies!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 3D and CGI - The special effects are truly magical on the big screen. The 3D in some spots not only comes at you, but during some moments comes from behind you forward!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Disney Lessons - The power of good versus evil and the little man (no pun intended munchkins) conquering obstacles to succeed and triumph in the end.

Weaknesses:

James Franco as Oscar Diggs aka 'Oz' in Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - James Franco - That perpetual smirk he always has on his face is super annoying, thankfully here Oscar aka 'Oz' for short is a bit of a snake oil salesman and con artist, so that annoying smirk of his is actually put to good use here. (I pray the movie Gods keep him busy and he never returns to General Hospital ever, ever, ever again, but I digress...) I hear Robert Downey Jr dropped out and Johnny Depp turned it down. I would have loved to see Johnny Depp take this on for sure! Johnny Depp might have made you root for Oz for a bit more than you end up doing with James Franco in the lead role.

Left: Rachel Weisz as Evanora and Right: Mila Kunis as Theodora in Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I'm definitely a fan but am sorry to report that Rachel Weisz just didn't cut it as Evanora, her performance fell short for me and my feelings on Mila's performance were a bit mixed, I think as naive Theodora she was strong, but when Theodora goes 'Wicked' (while I get the why), I don't think she pulls off the Wicked Theodora in the way the original actress Margaret Hamilton did.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Making this a more modern tale also makes it a bit darker and in my opinion not the movie you want to take a little one to see, this isn't your typical Disney fluffy, light, family-fare, it's dark, it's intense and it's long, making it a movie you want to take a tween or older to see.

Standout Characters:

Zach Braff as Finley in Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Zach Braff as Frank the bumbling assistant back in Kansas and as Finley the sweet hearted flying monkey in Oz gives a strong performance!

Joey King as 'China Girl' in Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Joey King as the girl in the wheelchair and the 'China Girl' in Oz also brings heart to the performance as both characters!

Joey King and Zach Braff are definite scene stealers. They both deliver a consistent performance that adds warmth to the movie.

Sidenotes:

This is my place to share thoughts inspired by the movie, that have nothing to do with my final or overall opinion of it!

Mila Kunis as Theodora in Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - While other critics panned the costumes as making the time frame less believable, from a Fashionista's standpoint, Theodora (played by Mila Kunis) wears a super fab opening outfit, her cranberry colored peplum jacket, black leather pants, and red lip (you know how much I love a red lip that is my signature daily lip color (well I custom blend mine but it's red!) was kick butt cool, and definitely me from a long time ago, I need to revisit that me! While it seemed to bother other people, I wanted to know where she got that outfit, it was FIERCE!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I have no qualms about admitting just how much I love my gaming/gambling trips, I love slots and spent much of the time in the movie thinking I was in a bonus screen for the Wizard of Oz slot machine. This movie is going to make a fun addition to the already popular slot machine, I wonder if WMS is already working on the new machine? (It's bad enough that it's hard to get on the original one, I just can't imagine how much harder it will be when the new one comes out!) I think I am LONG overdue for a vacation! Vegas Anyone?

On the whole I'd say 'Ticket', but don't bring the little ones. Take the older children to this one, it's darker, and it's running time is a bit longer than a very young child may feel comfortable sitting still.

Have you seen Oz The Great and Powerful yet butterflies? What did you think, ticket or skip it?

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FTC Disclosure: I attended a screening of Oz The Great and Powerful, this did not influence my opinion of the film, all opinions are 100% my own. This is NOT a sponsored post. No monetary compensation has been received to share our movie review.

Disney Secret of the Wings DVD/Blu Ray Video Release Review!

Disney's Secret of The Wings is now available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD and I got a chance to see a Special Sneak Peek of it during a Disney Screening of The Odd Life of Timothy Green that I attended during the BlogHer Conference back in August, after the screening there was a special cocktail reception and in our Gift Bags was a pair of Fairy Wings! Now you know Ascending Butterfly loves all things with Wings so I was super excited to see my wings in the bag! And now the Movie is finally out on Blu-Ray and I can share all about it!

Center: Secret of the Wings Blu-ray Combo Pack Box between Fairy Wings! (I am so wearing those wings on Halloween!)

Plot Summary

English: Journey with Tinker Bell and her fairy friends into the forbidden world of the mysterious Winter Woods, where curiosity and adventure lead Tink to an amazing discovery and reveal a magical secret that could change her world forever.

Spanish: Viaje con Tinker Bell y sus amigas hadas en el mundo prohibido de los misteriosos bosques de invierno, donde curiosidad y aventura llevan Tink a un asombroso descubrimiento y revelan un secreto mágico que podría cambiar su mundo para siempre.

The direct-to-DVD 2012 computer-animated comedy film, based on the Disney Fairies franchise, produced by Disney Toon Studios revolves around Tinker Bell, a fairy character created by J. M. Barrie in his play, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, and featured in subsequent adaptations, especially in animated works by the Walt Disney Company. Secret of the Wings is the fourth film in this series of direct-to-DVD films and was released on October 23, 2012. In the film, Tinker Bell ventures into the forbidden world and discovers a frost fairy named Periwinkle.

Secret of the Wings by Disney Box Cover Art

Voice cast and characters:

• Mae Whitman as Tinker Bell (Tink for short), a tinker fairy
• Lucy Hale as Periwinkle (Peri for short), a frost fairy and Tinker Bell's twin sibling
• Lucy Liu as Silvermist, a water fairy
• Raven-Symoné as Iridessa, a light fairy
• Megan Hilty as Rosetta, a garden fairy
• Angela Bartys as Fawn, an animal fairy
• Pamela Adlon as Vidia, a fast-flying fairy
• Rob Paulsen as Bobble, a wispy tinker fairy with large glasses
• Jeff Bennett as Clank, a large tinker fairy with a booming voice / Dewey, a Keeper of all fairy knowledge
• Timothy Dalton as Lord Milori, a ruler of Winter Woods and Queen Clarion's love interest
• Grey DeLisle as Gliss, a frost fairy
• Debby Ryan as Spike, a frost fairy
• Matt Lanter as Sled, a frost animal fairy
• Jane Horrocks as Fairy Mary, the overseer of the tinker fairies
• Ben Diskin as Slush, a glacier fairy
• Jesse McCartney as Terence, the pixie-dust keeper
• Jodi Benson as the Healing-Talent Fairy
• Steve Valentine as the Minister of Spring
• Kathy Najimy as the Minister of Summer
• John DiMaggio as the Minister of Autumn
• Gail Borges as the Minister of Winter
• Kari Wahlgren as Receptionist
• Thomas Lennon as Reading Fairy
• Dee Bradley Baker as Additlonal Voices
• Anjelica Huston as Queen Clarion/Narrator

Soundtrack:

The soundtrack was released on October 16, 2012, and I wouldn't be 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ' without presenting you with a full track listing:

"Time to Mystery, Time to Winter" - Bella Thorne

"The Great Divide" - McClain Sisters

"We'll Be There" - Thia Megia

"Dig Down Deeper" - Zendaya

"Gift of a Friend" - Demi Lovato

"Fly to Your Heart" - Selena Gomez

"How to Believe" - Bridgit Mendler

"Let Your Heart Sing" - Katharine McPhee

"Shine" - Laura Marano

"Smile" - Sabrina Carpenter

"Magic Mirror" - Tiffany Thornton

My Take:

As you know I have always had a fascination with Disney Movies since my childhood because they are always good for a butterfly sighting! Someone at Disney obviously shares my obsession with 'winged creatures', and magical adventures! This Family Friendly release would be perfectly placed in your Disney Fairies Themed Halloween Party this year! The video would make a great inclusion in your party treat bags if you are hosting a more intimate party for a few kids! (Could of course get expensive if you are hosting a lot of little girls and ghouls this year!)

Are you team Disney 'Princess' or Disney 'Fairy'?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received for this review. The video was provided for our editorial consideration. All opinions are 100% my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Questions about our Disclosure? Visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

The Odd Life of Timothy Green In Theaters NOW! #TimothyGreen

You can't always get what you want

You can't always get what you want

You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes well you might find

You get what you need

Apparently, The Rolling Stones aren't the only ones that feel that way! Can you 'plant' a wish and make it 'grow'? Maybe you can. That's what the book 'The Secret' tells us right? What we believe and what we speak can be manifested into our lives merely by the process of asking The Universe for it, that by telling The Universe we already have it, we are making it so.

Even the biggest dreams can be realized with true passion and faith right?

I for one, do strongly believe that we say and think are very powerful, and can alter our destiny as quickly and simply as our actions (good or bad) can. In Disney's latest movie release, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, a couple that wants a baby don't exactly get what they expected, but they do get what they needed, exactly when they needed it.

ABOUT:

Academy Award-nominated director/writer Peter Hedges ('Dan in Real Life,' 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape?') brings enchantment to the screen with 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green,' an inspiring, magical story about a happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton), who can't wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim--and their small town of Stanleyville--learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life's greatest gifts.

Genre(s): Comedy,Drama

Run Time: 102min.

Theatrical Release Date: 08/15/2012

Distributor(s): Walt Disney Pictures

Director: Peter Hedges

Starring: Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Ron Livingston, Dianne Wiest, CJ Adams

MY TAKE:

With many of you flocking to the theaters this weekend to beat the summer heat and humidity, you should check out the heart-warming yet quirky film.

Get Social with The Odd Life of Timothy Green here:

on Pinterest

on Facebook

on Twitter - Make sure you use the hashtag #TimothyGreen when you tweet!

So Butterfly if you could 'plant' any wish and make it really 'grow' what would it be?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored or compensated post. I reviewed the film as a member of the Digital Press and was no under obligation to post a recap.

Disney/Pixar's Brave {Movie Review}

@ Disney Pixar's Brave

Movie Synopsis:

English: Set in the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland, Disney•Pixar’s “Brave” follows the heroic journey of Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald), a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to change her fate, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane), unleashing chaos in the kingdom. When she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters), she is granted an ill-fated wish and the ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her resources—including her mischievous triplet brothers—to undo a beastly curse and discover the meaning of true bravery. Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, and produced by Katherine Sarafian, “Brave” is a grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and signature Pixar humor. Opens on June 22, 2012, in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

@ Disney Pixar's Brave

Spanish/Espanol: En la película, Kelly Macdonald presta su voz a Merida, una habilidosa arquera hija del Rey Fergus (voz de Billy Connolly) y de la Reina Elinor (voz de Emma Thompson). Merida está decidida a labrarse su propio camino en la vida y desafía una costumbre milenaria y sagrada de los ruidosos señores de la tierra: el enorme Lord MacGuffin (voz de Kevin McKidd), el huraño Lord Macintosh (voz de Craig Ferguson) y el cascarrabias Lord Dingwall (voz de Robbie Coltrane). Sin quererlo ni beberlo, las decisiones de Merida desencadenan el caos y la furia en el reino. Y cuando acude a una excéntrica y sabia anciana (voz de Julie Walters) en busca de ayuda, se le concede un desventurado deseo. El enorme peligro que corre obligará a Merida a descubrir el significado del auténtico valor: tendrá que deshacer una terrible maldición antes de que sea demasiado tarde.

Brave - Film Clip "Wisps"

My Take:

I do enjoy the Scottish accent, and the greens of the forests and the craggy peaks did set off a case of wanderlust (then again what doesn't right?), what I love most about this movie is that the heroine is strong, independent, persistent and resourceful. She refuses to dance to the beat of someone else's drum and is determined to find her own way in life. Does she stumble along the way? Sure she does. We all do. But she learns that even if it's hard, even when the people you love don't necessarily agree with you, that you can be your own person, and experience life on your own terms.

Brave is rated PG and is definitely family safe!

I love comedians Billy Connolly and Craig Ferguson who both voice characters in the film, and as you all know I love all things Atlantic City so I recognized Kelly Macdonald who voices the heroine Merida in Brave immediately as she plays Margaret Schroeder in the HBO Television Series Boardwalk Empire.

Brave enough to get social? Then link up with Brave here:

Website & Mobile site: Disney.com/Brave 

Like Brave on Facebook: facebook.com/PixarBrave

Follow Brave on Twitter: twitter.com/disneypixar

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FTC Disclosure: I attended an Advanced Screening of Disney/Pixar Brave, however, this is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received in exchange for writing this movie review. 

Wordless Wednesday: A Face Only A Mother Could Love!

So I still think Woola is the cutest part of the movie! Did you see John Carter yet? You can check out my no spoiler review HERE

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I really do think that Woola is super sweet!

John Carter The Movie {Review}

Disney John Carter Theatrical Poster

On Thursday night I attended the 3D Imax Screening of Disney's John Carter.  The film chronicles the adventures of former Confederate Captain John Carter, the protagonist of Edgar Rice Burroughs' 11-volume Barsoom series. Hero John Carter is transported to Mars, known by its inhabitants as Barsoom and before John Carter can even figure out how he got there, he is drawn into the conflict among Barsoom's inhabitants, which includes the Helium people, the Tharks, and the  Zodanga.

John Carter played by Taylor Kitsch

Does John Carter ever get back home? That's for you to find out! I won't give you any spoilers, especially for those of you who like me, did not read the books before heading out to see the film. Sometimes reading the books before seeing a movie can be a total mixed bag, you become more critical of the casting, and whether or not the scenes are as you envisioned them to be in your imagination.

I definitely approached this Sci Fi/Adventure film with a totally open mind, but a book that is said to have inspired both Star Wars and Avatar certainly gives an audience big expectations. I have done some research on the history of the rights of the film and the different hands it passed through before it got to it's current team and director, and I read that Robert Rodriguez was once being considered to direct the film, and to some degree I wish that had remained the case, as his sense of pacing would have made the film so much better.

I will say the movie is well cast! The actors definitely gave it their all, but the films pacing and narrative falls a bit short.

Princess of Helium, Dejah Thoris, Played by Lynn Collins

I did love that (for the most part) the Princess of Helium, Dejah Thoris was no fearful shrinking violet who couldn't fight or think for herself. Princess and Regent of the Royal Academy of Science turns out to be a very fierce fighter, and Lynn Collins did a great job striking that balance. Her and John Carter (played by Taylor Kitsch, who you might remember as Tim Riggins in the NBC television series Friday Night Lights) have a great chemistry together and played off of each other well.

But the movie stealer is actually an enormous creature who is very loyal and sweet and looks like a cross between a dog and a dinosaur called 'Woola'. John Carter is the first person to come to Woola's rescue, and as a result Woola becomes very loyal to John and becomes his constant companion and loyal friend. The Woola has this 'aw factor' and endearing appeal that makes him an absolute scene stealer, somehow that face that only a mother could possibly love, becomes the character you find yourself rooting for!

Woola and John Carter, Scene from Disney Pictures John Carter Movie

In fact I was so charmed by Woola I've opted to share a clip of him in action:

Will John Carter make the 250 million dollar budget worth it? The audiences this weekend will decide, as for this butterfly, it's a two out of a possible five butterflies. The pace can get a bit draggy at times, and it's a long run time (so don't go on an empty stomach), I don't see it as a rival to Star Wars or Avatar, but it's an interesting enough start as we wait for this year's summer blockbusters.

 

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FTC Disclosure: I attended the John Carter Screening as a member of the Digital Press. No compensation has been received by Ascending Butterfly for this review. This is NOT a spsonored post.

Weekly Moment of Gratitude! + Active Giveaways! + Events + WINS!

This week, I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Happy News! (Which I've been long overdue for in my life lately!) - I found out that I was selected as part of Duane Reade's NY VIP Blogger Program! And I found out via my favorite part of the 'SocialMediaVerse', Twitter of course, check out the tweet that put a smile on my face HERE. While many people participated, only 10 New York City based Bloggers were chosen and I am one of them. For all those butterflies who tweeted a vote on my behalf THANK YOU! I am super excited and promise to work hard. And I hope to be able to share great deals with you too! I'm a #DReadeVIP, last year I enjoyed my time as a Blogger Brand Ambassador for Kmart's Latina Smart program and I'm looking forward to working with Duane Reade in 2012.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A Win! I don't often get too much time to enter giveaways (as I'm mostly hosting them), but I entered a giveaway in conjunction with the New York Toy Fair this year and won! I won a Wonderworld Toys Smart Gear Balance Bike! The news definitely brought a smile to my face.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Another Win! I won a conference pass to Hispanicize! I now have to find sponsorship so I can get out there! The conference is 6 days after my birthday, sounds like a nice birthday present!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Events: I attended an amazing event where I had the opportunity to see the inner workings of a brand with heart, if you didn't have a chance to read the recap of The Royal Asscher event, check it out HERE. I have some fun ones coming up this week, including a screening of Disney's John Carter!

While there is still a bit of confusion in my life as of late, this week was a fresh breeze of relief that makes me feel things are really turning around, and good things are finally headed my way this year! With a few weeks before my birthday, I remember the saying that says your real new year is not December 31st or January 1st, but the actual day of your birthday. I'd like to beleive that is true, as my January New Year wasn't the best ever this year, but these weeks leading up to my actual birthday just feel so filled with hope! I have a strong feeling, that this year, on this particular birthday, the doors will finally open and a floodgate of opportunities are being sent my way!

Hope all my butterflies are having an amazing weekend!

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What are you grateful for today? I'd love for you to write in and share what you are grateful for this week. The more you say it, the more you speak it, and the more you live in gratitude, the more you will find reasons to be grateful for, and the more reasons that the universe will send you to be grateful for. So join me on this journey of gratitude and inspiration. And you can post here daily (even though my list will be posted weekly).

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me on Twitter here (@Tracy_Iglesias) Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field at Twitter:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and Active Giveaways!  - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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Active Giveaway:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Press Directly on Description to link to giveaway: Ascending Butterfly Monthly Book Club: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Tough Times Book Giveaway! Ends 03/25 <-This book has brought me a great deal of hope, and the prayers are spoking so directly and with a simple, yet raw honesty, that they truly touched my soul. I genuinely hope that the winner of this giveaway finds this book to be a huge blessing and source of hope that helps them find the words and faith to pray their life onto a better path.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - {Coming Soon} : The return of our monthly Featured Handbag in the Spotlight with a handbag from Nicole Miller! (A perfect handbag for a night out!) + Our friends at Smashbox are coming back for a Spring Beauty Promotion with a collection that you will certainly want to add to your beauty bag this Spring!

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Gratitude Journal Reco:

For those of you who are interested in keeping a gratitude journal this year, here is my recommendation and where to purchase it:

Make this Your Best Day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

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FTC Disclosure: Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link.

Lady and the Tramp! {Movie Review}

With the insanity that is Fashion Week and other simultaneous events happening back to back, I just realized we never got anything into our Valentine's Day 2012 Buying Guide for the little ones!

So as a belated Kids Corner pick, Ascending Butterfly recommends Disney's Animated Classic Love Story 'Lady and the Tramp' - I remember seeing it when I was a little girl and was happy to see that the 2 disc Combo Pack was released on February 7th 2012, just in times for Valentines Day!

It's my earliest memory of a 'romance' movie, Lady a pampered Cocker Spaniel and Tramp a free-wheeling Mutt with a heart of gold, meet and fall in love! They made it look so easy! A great adventure set to un-forgettable music......I don't think there is any love story sweeter than this one, so while the kiddos get wrapped up in the Dogs and their fun adventures, there is still a sweet romance story in there for moms and dads to enjoy along with the kiddos.

Yes in reality we know Dad never would have approved of Tramp, and Lady may have come home with Tattoo in the modern day version, and of course the only restaurant open at that hour in the modern day version would have been fast food......but I digress.....

So if you haven't already, pick this up to watch with the kids this weekend! It is Family Approved, and Fun for all ages.

I think everyone's favorite scene in the movie is the 'Bella Notte' Spaghetti Scene Hands Down:




And now I have the sudden urge to make some Pasta! :)

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Ascending Butterfly received the products mentioned above free of charge for editorial consideration, no additional incentives have been received. All opinions expressed are 100% my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commisions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Our full Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy can be found HERE.