Weekly Moment of Gratitude - The twitter party for a good cause, goodies in the mail and Social Butterfly about town edition!

What I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - YOU! -  I wanted to thank you all again for your votes on my @TheBigReboot Contest Entry, for those of you who voted, tweeted and took the time to comment on my entry I greatly appreciate your help! Votes are still open until 11:59 pm if you haven't already voted PRESS HERE! (A one click daily vote, so if you voted once, you can vote again as long it wasn't today that you voted!)

Left: Janelle Hall, Chairman of the Board of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Center: Giuliana Rancic, Celebrity and Breast Cancer Survivor.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Twitter Party for a GREAT Cause! - I was honored to be asked to participate in a very special way in the #GIVEHope campaign, I was live tweeting from a special bloggers roundtable and meet and greet with Giuliana Rancic, bloggers got to ask her questions as well as participate in the #GIVEHope Twitter party live with @GiulianaRancic <- This busy mom does her own tweets by the way, I will post a full recap of the day with my pictures soon! It is so important for women to be able to discuss the importance of Breast Self Exams! (The photo above was taken with my iPod while I was live tweeting, so it might be a bit grainy, I will post the shots taken with my camera when I post the full recap).

Animal Print Cosmetic Case stuffed with Beauty Products from Target and Latina Magazine

Animal Print Cosmetic Case stuffed with Beauty Products from Target and Latina Magazine 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Cool Stuff in the Mail! -  I got this cute cosmetic case with beauty products inside in the mail, just for being a Latina Subscriber from Latina Magazine and Target, sweet!

What are YOU most grateful for this week Butterfly?

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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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Giveaways!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Hoa Le was the winner of our recent Britax Car Accessories Prize Pack Giveaway! New giveaways soon, including the return of our 'Featured Handbag in the Spotlight'.

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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. Questions about our Disclosure? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html - Please note this is not a compensated post!

Kardashian Kollection for @searsStyle during New York Fashion Week! #NYFW12

TGIF Butterflies! How did you all make out during Fashion Night Out last night? What are your highlights, best deals, and favorite scores?

I survived Fashion Night Out and got the chance to attend a special Bloggers Brunch today hosted by SearsStyle at Bagatelle Bistro in New York City!

For the most part I have always had a love/hate relationship with Fashion week, it's a non-stop event marathon, which on a good day can be exhausting, (the tired feet is the HATE part), but I love getting sneak peeks of Fashion Trends (definitely the LOVE part). I really love events where the Fashion that is presented is actually feasible and wearable, and I don't just mean budget wise. While some Fashions are very beautiful, not many are actually 'do-able' for most people in their day-to-day lives straight off the runway. I like Fashion that's approachable, I want to add pieces to my collection that I can wear to work, that make sense for events, and then even on weekends when I can be more casual, I still want style!

So when I received the event invite from SearsStyle I was definitely excited, I can't think of any city I have visited that I couldn't find a Sears, and I have one very close to home as well. While Sears is probably  the first name in mind when you are appliance shopping, or you may even think of them for your Automotive needs, they might not have been the first name that came to mind when clothes fashion shopping, but hopefully they will be now!

Much like Missoni for Target, where snagging exclusive pieces had them selling out in stores and on-line, Sears Style is hoping to achieve similar results with the Kardashian Kollection for Sears. Like the Missoni for Target collection, the Kardashian Kollection will also offer exclusive pieces that can only be found at Sears! The collection was designed by the Kardashian Sisters Kim, Khloe and Kourtney in conjunction with Jupi Corporation.

In fact the keynote speaker at the Brunch was Fashion Designer and Jupi Corporation President, Bruno Schiavi!

Here are some pictures of the Fashions:

I am totally digging the zig zag dress paired with that eye catching red handbag, how about you? Not sure if you can read the signs, the left side are Kardashian Kollection and the right side is Covington!

Had to get a closer shot of the dress and red handbag, under sunlight I see this dress truly requires a good slip! :)

If you are getting the strong feeling that Black, White and RED are my favorite color combos, you are RIGHT!

One of the event highlights? The Denim Bar, we got to go home with the Jeans of OUR choice from a very wide assortment!

The Jeans on the very left are fully REVERSIBLE, with animal print on one side and an indigo denim on the other side. BRILLIANT! If you love to travel but hate carrying tons of stuff, these are a lifesaver!

Don't you just love the denim in COLOR? I wish the red had been available in my size, I would have JUMPED on them for sure!

This shot of my Bloody Mary Cocktail taken at Bagatelle Restaurant was shot with my iPod, the ones above with my Kodak Camera!

I was awesomely surprised to finally find a great Bloody Mary Cocktail in the City as the best one I've tasted so far was at The Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, this one is just as good and WAY closer to home. By the way, the food, cocktails and service were wonderful at Bagatelle!

My Take:

The Kardashian Sisters understand how to design for Women with Curves, and the fact that they put this collection in Sears Stores makes it super affordable and accessible, it's a stylish collection that is well designed and works well no matter what your style, they also have a collection of handbags and accessories as well as bedding and items for home.

I may not be able to take you all to events with me, but hopefully via photos you can see the great events I get to attend through my eyes! Once Fashion Week is over, I'm really going to need a NAP! :)

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @searsStyle on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @BagatelleNYC on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Kardashianpedia on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Kardashian Kollection on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like SearsStyle on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like BagatelleNYC on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Fashion Designer and Jupi Corporation President Bruno Schiavi on Facebook too!

**Don't forget to let them know you saw them featured on Ascending Butterfly!**

Have a wonderful weekend Butterflies, and Happy Fashion Week New York City too!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received in exchange for my event recap! I will admit to being well fed and taking home a pair of jeans! (What's New York Fashion Week without Swag right?) ;)

@Sakroots Spring 2013 Collection Preview! #fashion #handbags #accessories

This week I had the pleasure of attending Sakroots Spring 2013 Media Preview Event & California Fiesta, and was so inspired I created a fun photo collage of my pictures! The preview was alight with great spring colors, new shoes (and some previously launched ones that were re-designed taking consumer feedback into account, think of them as shoes 2.0, newly re-designed for YOUR comfort!), and of course fabulous handbags!

I was happy to see tons of butterflies, on the bags, and the wallets. The wallets actually have the butterflies embroidered on for a fun 3 dimensional feel. I also loved the butterfly keychains which would also double for phenomenal zipper pulls for your handbags!

As The Sak is headquartered in my favorite state California, they opted to host a 'California Fiesta' complete with quesadillas, chips n dips and the best guacamole ever! (Love my avocados!).

The nature inspired prints and fun colors have me looking forward to Spring 2013 already, my two standout prints so far were the Aqua Flower Power (of course because of the butterflies) and the Raspberry Dreamland print which is a funky fun Unicorn print with a tattoo type vibe. (For those of you coming off BlogHer12, think of it where the Sparklecorn party meets Ed Hardy!)

Check out my Photo Collage from the Media Preview (remember you can press on it to make it bigger and then hit the back arrow to come back here! I'll also post it to our pinterest account, so you can get a better look there too!):

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. No compensation has been received. I attended a Media Press Preview of the Spring 2013 Collection and was no under no obligation to post. All opinions are 100% my own.

@ProjectRunway Season 10 has begun + #elliottluccaproject WIN a Handbag!

Hey Butterfly! Our monthly Featured Handbag in the Spotlight Feature has been on a temporary hiatus because my schedule has been totally insane lately. That doesn't mean I'm no longer handbag obsessed! Far from it!

In fact while I get ready to bring the feature back VERY soon, I have been on the hunt for inspiration and for Haute Handbags that I'm sure we would both love to add our collections. Our friends at Elliott Lucca will be making their debut on Season 10 of Project Runway in Lord & Taylor’s Accessory Wall! (You know how much I love Lord & Taylor and Elliott Lucca, so it's a match made in heaven as far as I'm concerned!) And they want YOU to join in the fun! Not only should you be on the lookout for Elliott Lucca during the show, you should also combine your love of handbags, and your love of social media, specifically pinterest and try for a chance to win a haute Handbag of your own!

PRESS ON THE INFO-GRAPHIC BELOW TO MAKE IT BIGGER 

If you haven't joined pinterest, I'm thinking this is mega incentive for you to do so! If you are having trouble with the graphic and want more details, visit: http://pinterest.com/pin/239253798924818677/

Did you watch the first episode of Season 10 of Project Runway last night? Any early favorites, who do you think is going to win?


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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. No monetary compensation has been received to share this information. All opinions are 100% my own.

Win a $200 Gift Card to Wilsons Leather

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Wilson's Leather! We look forward to working with you again. Winner has been notified, and upon confirmation, follower name will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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We have a promo so big it actually fits into TWO of our Guides! This promo serves as this month's 'Featured Handbag in the Spotlight' and our first giveaway in our annual Mother's Day Buying Guide! This one is especially for moms who like to travel in style! Wilsons Leather is no stranger to Ascending Butterfly readers, they've hosted a few Featured Handbag in the Spotlights for us (see HERE and HERE for reminders). Wilson's Leather has been my go-to for my handbags, jackets and leather accessories like Leather Gloves for years now. The leather is buttery soft, incredibly durable and the in store (brick and mortar) as well as online service is always top notch.

We are getting dangerously close to June, Is it just me or is this year starting to move way too fast! While everyone likes to harp on the Spring Flowers and the chirping birds and the butterflies (or maybe that's just me), to get there, we get rain. A lot of rain. So a day that may start cool, then get warm goes back to cold at night, which means you don't want to wear a winter coat, but still need something to keep you warm for the mornings and evenings when the temperature drops or it's raining out.

This is where our friends at Wilson's Leather come in, despite the title, they are NOT just leather! And if you are in the market for a great Spring Trenchcoat or a new Travel Bag, check out Wilson's first! If you are a fab frugalista who wants to look spot on and not spend more than you have to doing so, then the current sales will knock your socks off, right now you can get 60-80% off designer jackets, and there is also a sale running where if you buy one business bag you get the second at half off, and that will apply AUTOMATICALLY in cart during checkout, how awesome and fab is that?

Many of you know that it's been a challenging year for me this year to say the least, but the challenges I've faced have forced me to come out of my comfort zone in so many ways. I've been embracing things I normally wouldn't, and forcing myself to do things and wear things I probably never would have. I was a late comer to the 'animal print' trend and now I can't stop wearing it! I must share my newest obsession!

Black Rivet Asymmetrical Zip Front Jacket

Isn't this trench absolutely fantastic? Here is a shot of me wearing it (notice my super cute over-sized butterfly earrings):

I always thought animal prints were just too bold for me, and now I can't get enough! And as Blogging has gotten me more into travel I love that this coat is lightweight enough to be able to pack it easily, but fully lined so I'm not freezing when it gets nippy at night. Traveling in style also requires the right bag, I did tell you that this was also a 'Featured Handbag in the Spotlight' Promo too right? I'm sure by opening with a Trench you were begining to wonder if I had forgotten the Handbag, I have not my friends. I never forget the Handbag, it's a monthly feature for us since 2009!

In fact, this is no ordinary handbag, it's a wheeled briefcase with a sleek style, it's airport easy as it fits in the overhead or slides easily under the seat in front of you, has a padded compartment for your laptop, iPad, or Kindle, and an organizational compartment in the front. The wheel system is totally removable so if you just want throw it over your shoulders for your daily commute you can do so with or without the wheels. It slides on or off easily, but stays on and stays put when you need it!

McKlein USA Roseville 96646 Fly-Through Checkpoint-Friendly 2-in-1 Removable-Wheeled Ladies' Laptop Case

I love to travel, but hate to lug heavy bags, or bags that aren't well organized. Let's face it, airport security checkpoints are not fun. You are already harried, frazzled, and then standing in a super long line with someone right in front of you and directly behind you so have no room to move, then suddenly you have to get your jacket, jewelry and shoes off, take your laptop or portable tablet OUT of your bag and get all this in a bin. Then you are being scanned while worrying about your stuff, and by the time you are done, your bins are already at the end of the aisle and you have to get everything back on and back in your bag in half a second because there are tons of folks behind you. Not so simple right?

The buttery soft Italian Leather had me at Hello and I will now never travel without this bag, it comes with a removable protector for your laptop/tablet that slides easily in and out and protects your device while in the bin. It has great organizational pockets, you can remove the wheel system if you prefer and use the shoulder strap. This trench and this bag together are a KILLER travel combo! You will breeze through the airport cool, confident and in style!

Now butterflies, you all know what Buying Guides mean right? You know I always look out for you butterfly! How would you like to win Trenchcoat and amazing travel briefcase too?

I thought so!

I can even do one better for you, how about a $200 Gift Card to Wilsons Leather so you can buy the trench and bag of YOUR choice? Who loves you butterfly?

Use the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win a $200 gift card to Wilsons Leather, do the mandatory entry to unlock the bonus entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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FTC Disclosure: 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.

Wordless Wednesday - Pretty City!

This picture was taken at the 'The Beauty Sample Sale' in New York City hosted by Pretty City and Shape Magazine.

Coming To A City Near You:

The Beauty Sample Sale hits Atlanta on November 9th, Chicago on December 6th and Los Angeles on January 11, 2012. So make sure you catch it at a city near you!

What I'm Wearing:

♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥ - Animal Print Top by Lark Lane for JCPenney (Purchased In Store, Not online)

♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥ - Dragon Nymph Nero Bag by Camenae  (you can check out my original review of the bag HERE)

♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥ - Buddha Pendant was purchased at a Street Fair just off Rockefeller Center in New York City.

WINNERS:

Winners have been selected and notified for the Nano Jewelry $50 Gift Card Giveaway and for the Kalso Earth Prance Boots. As soon as both winners confirm, we will make an official winners announcement.

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FTC Disclosure Info: I received tickets to the Beauty Sample Sale and a gift bag, this is no way influenced my opinion. All opinions regarding the event are solely my own. This is a non sponsored post. No monetary compensation has been received. There are NO affiliate links to the brands either.

Fantastic Give Back Shopping Opportunity With Naturalizer! 4 Discount Codes Available!

I love companies with a conscience, I love using my spending power to support companies that give back. During the Friends of Naturalizer event, Naturalizer will donate $1 for every shoe or handbag sold to Dress for Success®. You can help decide how they should use the donation. You can vote daily from Thursday, September 29th through Sunday, October 2nd for one of these three programs:

(1) Suiting Program:

Dress for Success’ suiting program helps solve the catch-22 that confronts disadvantaged women trying to enter the workforce: without a job, how can you afford a suit? But without a suit, how can you get a job? The suiting program is a vital first-step in a woman's journey towards self-sufficiency. When a Dress for Success client has a job interview, she receives a complete outfit that will help her feel confident in her interview. After she finds work, she can return to Dress for Success for an employment suiting, where with the help and support of a highly-trained volunteer Personal Shopper, she will receive enough apparel to mix and match for up to a week’s worth of outfits.

(2) Professional Women's Group:

Dress for Success’ Professional Women's Group (PWG) provides the network of employed Dress for Success women with a community of support, practical information and inspiration to achieve self-defined success in career and life. The group provides participants with networking opportunities and professional skills growth to promote the development of their careers. Members experience a comfortable atmosphere in which they can share, grow and network with other women who have recently made the same transition into the workforce. With more than 15,000 PWG members at 71 Dress for Success affiliates around the world, members have an infrastructure and support system wherever they live.

(3) Success Summit:

The Success Summit is an annual three-day conference for Professional Women’s Group (PWG) members and delegates to develop leadership capabilities through networking, learning new career skills and exploring topics surrounding employment trends, employment retention and advancement in the workplace. The Success Summit also provides the PWG members with the tools needed to successfully lead a Community Action Project to help make a difference in their communities. For participants, the Success Summit is a valuable resource for advancing one’s position in the workplace and in life.

I also have four 30% off discount codes that can be used online (or in store, but there wouldn't be enough time to mail them to you, so you'd have to shop online to take advantage of this offer), the first 4 butterflies to email me get it! (My email is formatted for security purposes, remove spaces and substitute the word for the dot symbol, as well as the word AT for the @ symbol - tracy (AT) ascendingbutterfly (DOT) com) - Please note these promotion codes are not valid with any other coupon code or offer, and cannot be used toward the purchase of a gift card. The codes are valid from September 29th to October 2nd 2011 only.

Keep up with Naturalizer on Facebook and Twitter and you can also follow Dress for Success on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Our friends at Naturalizer will be back for a giveaway soon. But in the meantime I hope you will shop during the Friends of Naturalizer event to help support Dress for Success!

Have a Wonderful Weekend Butterflies!

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FTC Disclosure Info: This is a non-sponsored, non-compensated post.

{CLOSED} August Featured Handbag in the Spotlight - timi & leslie Hannah Handbag Giveaway!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor timi & leslie! We look forward to working with you again! CONGRATS to our winner, 'Tee'! Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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Ascending Butterfly's Featured Handbag in the Spotlight, brought to you by:

Every year since 2009 which is when our Featured Handbag in the Spotlight special feature began, we have tried to feature what we consider to be exceptional Bags. Be it leather, vegan, or Diaper Bag, or whether it's an emerging or established Designer, I seek out bags where both form and function blend into something stylish. If I wouldn't carry it, I wouldn't expect my readers would either. This is a busy city, it's a commuter city, and for the most part New York women live out of their bag during the week!

As a Native New Yorker, I know just how picky women here are about Handbags in general. The first criteria for a good Diaper Bag in New York City is that it look like anything BUT a Diaper Bag. And let's face it, few bags fit the bill. For the most part, moms are still offered GIANT tote bags, and expected to be happy with that.

I don't know about you, but I save the 'tote' structure as my beach bag for summer, other than that, it's not a silhouette I'd carry on a daily basis. I want something a bit more structured even if it's a 'daily' or 'commuter' or 'errands' bag.

So for my busy mama's on the go, I give you......

Hannah:

You’ll be the envy of all mamas’ wearing your Hannah bag! It’s made from faux leather (PVC free) and features custom hardware in an antique brass finish. Hannah comes with many functional and fashionable accessories and features:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A cross body, adjustable detachable strap so you can wear it hands free whenever you need to

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Our specially designed changing pad with a front mesh pocket where you can store your diapers, wipes and creams when you need to make a quick diaper change trip

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A stylish clutch that you can use as your purse (who wants to carry a purse and a bebe bag?) with interior credit card slots and an inside zipper pocket

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - An insulated bottle tote to keep your baby’s bottle warm or cool

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Matching stroller straps so you can hang your bebe bag from your stroller

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Dirty clothes sac to keep your wet or dirty clothes contained, or a duster bag to keep your bag safe during storage.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Water resistant, light colored lining so you can easily see everything in your bag

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Two exterior side pockets

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Six interior organizational pockets

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Inside key fob – never lose your keys!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Measures 14”H x 16” W x 6” D and 11” handle drop

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Available in Pewter, Bronze, Rouge, and Black

My Take

I love this bag! It's definitely stylish and functional, it holds all my necessities for my weekly commute and then some! For all non-moms like me, it holds a laptop/netbook/or iPad comfortably and you can adapt the inner pockets (or outer if you prefer) to hold your phone, MP3 player, camera, lunch, and shoes. (In this post 9/11 city, I wear sneakers during my commute and carry my shoes to change into when I arrive!) I was blown away with just how much this bag can take. I definitely put bags through their paces, and Hannah has held her own. In the evening, she sometimes get filled up with files in addition to everything else. One of my favorites is the 'dirty clothes sac' which I use to put my gym clothes in, hello, BRILLIANT! While I'm not yet a mom, this bag is a commuter's delight!

The only thing that would have made it absolutely perfect since I'm not yet a mom is a leather option.  I tend to go with Leather bags, and while this is not leather, it's a non-PVC Faux leather, it actually can pass for leather which of course makes me happy! But I'd love it if they added a Leather Option down the line! :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at timi & leslie have a very special surprise for 1 lucky winner! 1 winner will receive a Hannah bag in their choice of color based on in stock availability.

Don't you just ♥ timi & leslie? 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)MANDATORY- Visit timi and leslie and post the URL link to another bag other than Hannah that you like! (3) 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 clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning (or in this case, the A,B,C’s of winning!) This giveaway is open to USA who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes. One entry per Household, see Ascending Butterfly Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy 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 Monday, August 08, 2011 until Thursday, September 08, 2011 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 your entry will not be processed)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - You know how much I love finding us both win/wins right? Here's another one: Visit the Degree Women MotionSENSE App on Facebook and enter GetMoving031 in 'Enter Codes' HERE (you'll get an extra 5 MotionSENSE Miles which you can trade in for great prizes including trips, gift certificates, electronics and more!) Enter, share on your wall, and let me know you entered by linking me to where you shared it on your wall, by the way sharing also buys you extra MotionSENSE miles, win/win right? :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Are you on Blog Lovin? Well so is Ascending Butterfly! Follow us on Blog Lovin for an extra credity entry!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment. (If your blog post contains more than just a pic and link you'll get 5 extra credit entries! Leave five entries.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our NEW Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you have our old one, please swap it out, our URL address has changed!)

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @timiandleslie on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Ascending1 on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ @Ascending1 + @timiandleslie Hannah #HandBag #Giveaway! Color of YOUR choice! Ends 09/08 http://tinyurl.com/3wazw4z

(Leave a comment with the tweet’s url so you can get a valid entry (click on the time your tweet was sent to get the direct URL and then copy and paste it here). You can Tweet TWICE per DAY.)

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 - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 'Like' timi and leslie and tell them Ascending Butterfly Sent You (I'm sure they'd love for you to tell them which bag is your favorite!) on Facebook HERE (Please post the link to your facebook comment, you can get that link the same way you get your link to your tweets!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's NEW Community/Real Time Chat, Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One time only per giveaway, NOT a daily: Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you entered another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly? Let me know which one and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you commented on a non-giveaway entry? Let me know which one here and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)

˙·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 product and the sponsor are my own experiences. I was provided product to facilitate the review and giveaway. The sponsors are fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Featured Handbag in the Spotlight Giveaway July - Elliott Lucca Drawstring Crossbody Ends 08/02

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

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Elliott Lucca! We look forward to working with you again! The winner has been notified and upon confirmation, follower name will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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

Ascending Butterfly's Featured Handbag in the Spotlight Giveaway, brought to you by:

We are so happy to have our regular feature back, I can't believe we have been presenting a new bag since 2009! Apologies for the June hiatus, the company that was slated for that spot backed out at the very last minute and didn't leave me enough time to make new arrangements!

I wanted to make sure our feature came back this month with something fantastic to make up for the hiatus (this was the very FIRST time our handbag feature had ever been on hiatus!), and our friends at Elliott Lucca stepped up to the plate and I mean BIG TIME! So first, I just wanted to take a moment and say Thank You to Elliott Lucca for stepping in this month!

Oliva Satchel

Elliott Lucca Oliva Satchel in 'Cool Water' Color

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Exterior: Leather

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Shiny Gold Tone Hardware

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Removable strap with a drop of 18"

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - Lining features two multi function pockets and a zippered backwall pocket

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 14.5"L X 5.5"W x 9"H, Drop 4.75"

I received the Oliva Satchel in a color called 'Cool Water' and I must say she's tres trendy for summer! Great summer color, chain detailing on the strap and super cute detailing on the hand straps along with a tassel make this bag perfect for wherever you may find yourself this summer! There are other colors available, including the super hot 'papaya' color for this summer and also a 'bright yellow' color that will certainly turn heads. (It definitely helps that the name reminds me of a mens cologne that I like the smell of - Davidoff Cool Water)

And for YOU? Lucca Crossbody Drawstring

In YOUR Choice of Color!

Lucca Crossbody Drawstring in 'Gold White Embossed Snake'

Lucca Crossbody Drawsting in color 'Sesame Tie Dye'

While my taste in handbags tends to lean a bit more toward utilitarian styles, I try to mix it up when it comes to giveaways, so this month the giveaway bag won't match my review bag exactly, but the good thing is, you get your choice of color! So you get Elliott Lucca style with YOUR choice of color, sounds like a total 'win/win' to me!

Lucca Crossbody Drawstring Bag Details:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Exterior: Leather

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Shiny Gold Tone Hardware

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Removable strap with a drop of 27.5"

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Lining features two multi function pockets and a zippered backwall pocket

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 11"L X 7"W x 7"H, Drop 24"

My Take

What I love most about Elliott Lucca Bags is the sheer variety of styles, there is literally a little something for everyone, satchels, totes, crossbody bags, hobos and clutches all in a variety of price ranges. No matter what your budget, you are bound to find a bag you love! And they offer 'web only' pricing that really help to make fashion affordable. Check out the sales tab on their site where you can find bags at 60% off!

They also hold their own contests and giveaways, this month you can enter to win The Elliott Lucca Book in a Bag Sweepstakes, where you have the chance to win an Elliott Lucca Ona Macrame Flap Style Bag and a selection of William Morrow Paperbacks! How cool is that? Just don't forget to come back and here and enter our giveaway too!

NEW! -Another fun giveaway they are hosting right now is the 'Sakenger Hunt' Get your camera ready!! The hunt requires taking zany photos of yourself with the sak handbags at different locations. The entrants with the most points will be eligible to win a Grand Prize  $500 gift certificate to shop at Elliott Lucca's  website!  Check out some of our entries at:  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150332015827577.389176.21134692576&type=1

For Contest Rules and How to Enter go to: http://www.thesak.com/thesakengerhunt/index.html Happy Hunting!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Elliott Lucca have a very special surprise for 1 lucky winner! 1 winner will get the Elliott Lucca Crossbody Drawstring in their choice of color between the 'White Gold Embossed Snake' and the 'Sesame Tie Dye' colors!

NOTE: You must enter your email address for this giveaway, your email will be shared with Elliott Lucca, and you will receive their newsletters which you may opt out of if you choose.

Don't you just ♥ Elliott Lucca? 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)MANDATORY-Visit Elliott Lucca and post the URL Link of any other bag you like other than the review bags (which means you CANNOT link to the Oliva or Crossbody Drawstring, any other bag is fine!) (3) 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 clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning (or in this case, the A,B,C’s of winning!) This giveaway is open to USA who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes. One entry per Household, see Ascending Butterfly Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy 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 Tuesday, July 05, 2011 until Tuesday, August 02, 2011 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 your entry will not be processed) You cannot have won a Carolina Pad prize pack orgift certificate in the past 90 days.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - You know how much I love finding us both win/wins right? Here's another one: Visit the Degree Women MotionSENSE App on Facebook and enter GetMoving031 in 'Enter Codes' HERE (you'll get an extra 5 MotionSENSE Miles which you can trade in for great prizes including trips, gift certificates, electronics and more!) Enter, share on your wall, and let me know you entered by linking me to where you shared it on your wall, by the way sharing also buys you extra MotionSENSE miles, win/win right? :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment. (If your blog post contains more than just a pic and link you'll get 5 extra credit entries! Leave five entries.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our NEW Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you have our old one, please swap it out, our URL address has changed!)

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow ElliottLucca on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Ascending1 on Twitter (this is Ascending Butterfly's new account, we will soon be hosting twitter parties which necessitates having a second account so we can make updates throughout the entire party!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ @Ascending1 + @ElliottLucca Leather Drawstring Crossbody #Handbag #Giveaway! Ends 08/02 http://tinyurl.com/3pvrzqf

(Leave a comment with the tweet’s url so you can get a valid entry (click on the time your tweet was sent to get the direct URL and then copy and paste it here). You can Tweet TWICE per DAY.)

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 - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 'Like' Elliott Lucca and tell them Ascending Butterfly Sent You (I'm sure they'd love for you to tell them which bag is your favorite too!) on Facebook HERE (Please post the link to your facebook comment, you can get that link the same way you get your link to your tweets!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's NEW Community/Real Time Chat, Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One time only per giveaway, NOT a daily: Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you entered another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly? Let me know which one and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you commented on a non-giveaway entry? Let me know which one here and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)

˙·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 product and the sponsor are my own experiences. I was provided product to facilitate the review and giveaway. The sponsors are fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.