'Spring Into Bags' Special Feature - Win the CAMENAE 'Siren Mogano’ Leather Shoulder Bag! ARV $1,135

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Camenae! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is 'BigHappy_Buddha'. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page! Watch for the next bag in the ‘Spring Into Bags’ series to launch SOON.

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

Ascending Butterfly's 'Spring Into Bags' Special Feature sponsored by:

For Spring 2010, Ascending Butterfly has been hosting a special feature called 'Spring Into Bags' we have been reviewing and giving away hot handbags from both established and emerging hand bag designers! We are now featuring the SIXTH bag in the feature! (In case you missed them, the first bag was by Elliot Lucca, it was a convertible leather crossbody in a cheery 'poppy' color, the second bag was by Linea Pelle, it was also a leather convertible clutch in a very spring 'kelly green' color, the third bag was a leather crossbody called 'Sierra' in a popular neutral color 'latte beige' from handbag designer by night, Nurse by day, Marissa Del Rosario! The Fourth Bag in the Feature was the Fleurville 'Lexie' Teal Butterfly Tote sponsored by Layla Grayce). The Fifth Bag in the Feature was the 'Belen' Bag from Helena de Natalio.)

Where Bag Meets Art

I have a long time fascination with Asian Art and (a very obvious to my readers) admiration (or is that obsession) with fine leather bags! One of the most recognized Asian symbols of ancient lore is the Dragon, whose origins are traced to China. The dragon is seen as a Protector to many Buddhists, also as a symbol of Imperial Power, Guardian of Eastern Direction (in Feng Shui, Dragons are placed in the main area of the home or office), Controller of Rain & Tempests, Guardian of the Tide Jewels, Bringer of Wealth & Fortune and also as a Magical Shape Shifter. The Dragon sounds a bit like me, "wearer of many hats"!

Imagine how surprised I was to find my two favorites merged together to form what simply has to be the perfect marriage between art and handbag! I honestly couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw the 'Dragon Nymph' bag by CAMENAE!

While the Dragon Nymph is the smallest of  Camenae's amazing bags, it is one of  their top selling bags for good reason. The Dragon is a piece of art from artist Bui Huu Hung, whose pieces sell for $3,000+. As this Dragon is drawn exclusively for CAMENAE, it is a highly valued piece of art which has been fused with Italian luxury. Mr. Hung's works are varied but center around a common theme of recollection. He believes that new events, impressions and knowledge are built upon life's historical foundations. He strives to preserve the past by blending it with present day elements so that "it does not become reduced to lifeless words without visual detail". He certainly achieved his aims with this Design.

"Dragons have long been a potent symbol of auspicious power, representing the universe, life, existence and growth."

This bag is a collectible work of art and I am floored, and honestly plain humbled to have it. I can't stop looking at it! (I have a ring that matches it perfectly, I somehow feel that this bag was designed with ME in mind!) I want it in EVERY color! There are no important details missing, from it's feet to it's unique hardware, it's beautiful tassels and striking unique interchangeable straps, this bag turns heads. It arrives in it's dust bag, and the straps are also packaged in their dust bags. It has a tan organizational Waterproof treated lining that gives you room for your cell phone, sunglasses, keys,  MP3 player and more.

I love that the Straps are interchangeable (they Lock in place with a key and are easy to attach and remove, just remember to 'unlock' it again when you are ready to swap straps!) and I love the Dragon Strap in the Metallic Bronze color as pictured above! I feel this color truly does the detail of the intricate Dragon design justice!

Buy A Bag, Change A Life

The Dragon Nymph is part of the Dragon Capsule Collection which is derived from CAMENAE Change a Life: Art + Luxury = to benefit charity. All Dragon pieces are custom designed, with the Change a Life hallmark and artists signature blind embossed on each Dragon item. CAMENAE will donate $10 for every Dragon piece sold to support the Christina Noble Children's Foundation. The Christina Noble Children's Foundation is an International Partnership of people dedicated to serving underprivileged children with the hope of helping each child maximize their life potential. Learn more about this amazing organization HERE. I have had the pleasure of presenting various companies that offer the opportunity of shopping for a cause and knowing that a portion of sales for this bag (and the other products in the dragon collection) help such an amazing cause makes me want to shout it from the rooftops! I hope you will too!

The founders have been friends for 22 years and are often mistaken for sisters, I can see why, learn more about the dynamos behind the brand HERE.

And because I wouldn't be doing my fashion duty by not sharing special information, I have a preview for you of upcoming bags that are available for pre-order, these are not ready to ship until May 31st!

CAMENAE is currently releasing it's first silhouettes in color this year. Below are links of the 2 most sought after pieces from the Colore Collezione:

Pictured Above  is The Calypso Baguette style clutch, in Azure, Coral and Halo Gold. (Can't you just picture this with your favorite little black dress, strappy dress shoes, and dazzling earrings? I say come to MAMA!)

Pictured Above is The Electra double wrap skinny belt, also in Azure, Coral and Halo Gold. (I can absolutely picture this with a crisp white shirt, indigo skinny jeans and a super cute pair of sandals this summer and the belt in the lovely coral hue shown.) Remember this item is also a pre-order that will ship May 31st. When CAMENAE does color, they mean color, vibrant and bold, eye catching and care free, I love it!

Although the Calypso clutch comes with a chain, it can be removed and used with the Electra belt.

Isn't this a stroke of genius? One bag and multiple electra belts gives you amazing versatility and a unique look!

And there is a very special reward for you for allowing me to go on and on and on about my latest obsession and fab find!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at CAMENAE would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to win the 'Siren Mogano' Bag (ARV $980)! This giveaway has been made personal by CAMENAE, it is being sent to the winner with the CAMENAE Rivetto Strap (+ $290). The Siren Rivetto is an exclusive bag/strap combination bringing the ARV of this amazing prize package to $1,135.00 (Normally the Siren Mogano is sold with the strap called 'Personale' remember the straps are designed to be interchangeable, I encourage you to visit the site and see other straps that are available for purchase).

About the Bag:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Material: Leather

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 15.5 l x 6 w x 10 h inches

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Colors: Mogano (brown), Nero (Black), and Sabbia (a latte/tan)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Made in Italy

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Waterproof Treated Lining

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - zipper rings and removable tassels

But Wait, There's MORE! If you can't wait to find out if you won and want to nab this delicious bag NOW, (and who can blame you!) CAMENAE is generously offering an exclusive discount for Ascending Butterfly Readers that you will NOT find anywhere else but HERE, 50% off The Siren Bag (remember in it's original configuration, with the 'Personale' Stap, not the 'Rivetto' Strap as shown above) with use of VIP code: Siren50 (at check out)!  WOW!

Don't you just ♥ CAMENAE? I know I do!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2) Like CAMENAE on Facebook (tell us what name you follow under) (3) Follow @CAMENAEbags on Twitter (tell us what name you follow under). You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com, If your email is visible in your profile, just say so, that's OK!). Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning! This giveaway is open to USA AND Canada residents who are 18 years of age or older. This is a little different from our normal, so please be sure to follow instructions CAREFULLY. See below example of entry format:

EXAMPLE: Your entry should read like this after you have followed above steps:

(1) I follow Ascending Butterfly via google friends connect as (insert your follower name here)

(2) I follow CAMENAE on Facebook (insert your follower name here)
(3) I follow CAMENAE on Twitter (insert your follower name here)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Saturday, May 22, 2010 until Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email address your entry will not be processed.)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you already have our button, just let us know, you will still get extra credit! If we cannot see the button we will not process this extra credit.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow me @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your Twitter ID in a comment

Tweet this:

Pls RT #WIN Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #ascendingbutterfly + @CAMENAEbags 'Siren Mogano’ Leather Bag! ARV $1,135! #Giveaways - http://tinyurl.com/22k8422

*Two Tweets per person per day MAX

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pick another bag other than those discussed here that you like and post it's URL/link here

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fave this blog on Technorati and leave your Technorati user name in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow/Like Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Community Group (with real time chat) NOTE: We switched from NING to Spruz, if you were a member of our old group you'll need to switch for this credit to count HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to receive Ascending Butterfly emails using our Feedburner widget on the upper right hand side of the page below the follower thumbnail pictures! (If you are already a subscriber you will still receive extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please Vote, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ Where it reads total votes, there is a yellow box that reads 'Vote' Press there to vote, you must be logged in to see the number increase/vote registered. You can also vote directly using the button located on our home page and below:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW DAILY: Please vote for my outfit 'Yay4WkEnd' @ Macy's Fashion director (note you do not have to register to vote for me, one click daily super fast, super easy!) HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Enter another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly and earn extra credit, leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you entered. (This will be checked!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Make a purchase from CAMENAE anytime between 5/22 - 6/20 and receive 10 extra entries. (you will need to email us a copy of your invoice as proof. Yes, you can cross off method of payment information! Don't forget to take advantage of the exclusive coupon code, Siren50 if you are ordering a Siren bag!) Use our 'contact us' form to get in touch with us HERE

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a community group page with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will not accept your entry. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow A Blog Publicly Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the products are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review and for the giveaway, this in no way influenced my opinion of the product.