DO AC Sand Sculpting World Cup Atlantic City 2014 #DOACsand

Follow all the Sand Scupting action using the hashtag #DOACsand via twitter

I hope all my butterflies are having a fantastic Fourth of July holiday weekend! I trust all things 'B' are being enjoyed this weekend, Beach and BBQ - what did you think I meant? LOL (and maybe another good 'B', Beer!)

This post is a continuation of my Atlantic City Sampling Experience via Crowdtap! (Check out the first post HERE) I told you Atlantic City has a ton of things to see and do, it's just as family friendly as it is a place for singles like me, one of the activities on my itinerary was the DO AC Sand Sculpting World Cup in Atlantic City.

I took so many hi-res photos I was afraid to break my server so I created a slideshow of the amazing sand sculptures, I even got to meet a few of the sculptors which was pretty neat!

I used Flickr to create this slideshow, but if the slideshow moves too fast for your taste you can check out each photo individually in two places: Flickr - DO AC Sand Sculpting World Cup 2014 as well as on our Pinterest Travel Board (I may create a unique board for these on Pinterest in addition to throwing them into travel, once I do I will come back and update this post with the direct URL).

Which is your Favorite Sand Sculpture in the Slideshow Butterfly?

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FTC Disclosure:  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 was selected for this opportunity as a member of Crowdtap and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. This post is a continuation of the Atlantic City Sampling Experience offered to select Crowdtap members.

Wordless Wednesday: Just Checking in from Stonehenge! {#Photos) #HumanNature

Tracy from Ascending Butterfly poses in front of one of the Stone Figures in the Human Nature Exhibit at Rockefeller Center in New York City

Left: Mama Butterfly and Right: Ascending Butterfly pose in front of the Human Nature Exhibit at Rockefeller Center in New York City

OK so technically I'm not really at Stonehenge, but it was fun taking these shots at Rockefeller Center in New York City!

Ugo Rondinone, a Swiss-born, New York Based artist has created a major work of public art for Rockefeller Center, the exhibit, called Human Nature, includes nine colossal stone figures that range in height from 16 to 20 feet and weigh 30,000 pounds EACH. He used rough hewn slabs of bluestone from a quarry in Northern Pennsylvania and gave each figure a distinctive personality. It's like a 'Stonehenge Forest of Giants' whose immovable legs form gateways through which visitors may pass. They run the full length of Rockefeller Plaza in New York City between 49th and 50th Streets. Mostly everyone is familiar with the location because they have watched the annual Christmas Lighting from this very location each holiday. This exhibition is free to the public from April 23rd through July 7th, 2013, so if you are coming into the city anyway for the annual Fourth of July Fireworks you should also take a quick trip here to see the Human Nature Exhibit! Human Nature is presented and sponsored by Nespresso and Tishman Speyer and organized by the Public Art Fund.

By the way, this is NOT a sponsored post and as usual for me, not entirely wordless! I happened upon it by accident between events in the city and thought it would make a fun Wordless Wednesday! Bloggers feel free to link to us to your photos as a comment below!

REMINDERS: Don't forget about super awesome Jewelry Giveway for all Fab Fashionistas of an Intention Cuff Bracelet by BuDhagirl. The Bracelet retails for $395 and there will be ONE winner, it closes SOON so if you haven't already done so, enter HERE. And I could certainly use your help on two contests I am in the final running for so if you can spare a second for a one time only quick click vote HERE and a daily quick click vote HERE I would definitely appreciate it!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies! Find something fun to do today in YOUR city!

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 FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post!

Wordless Wednesday: Butterfly Chakra!

Just feeling 'Butterfly Zen' on the advent of my first transformation of the year, details to come!
Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies! Bloggers post your Wordless Wednesday links here!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post!

Wordless Wednesday: Who DAT Dog? #NewOrleans #NOLA #Travel

Blue Dog by George Rodrigue

Back to our New Orleans themed Wordless Wednesdays! These were taken during my August trip to the Niche Mommy 2012 Blogging Conference in New Orleans!

Blue Dog by George Rodrigue

Who DAT Dog?

Look carefully to the right of the Red Dog, see my hand and watch in the reflection of the glass as I snapped this picture?

I got to snap quite a few photos of the famous dog while I was out and about in New Orleans, but I was always curious about this dog and did a little research, The Blue Dog by George Rodrigue was inspired by the myth of the 'Loup-Garou', inspired by a book of Cajun Ghost Stories (Bayou, Inkwell, 1984). Described as a 'werewolf-type' dog, the artist familiar with the legend as he had heard it often as a boy, could find no specific image for the loup-garou and he set out to create it. Using photos of his studio dog Tiffany, who had died years earlier, he painted an image under a blue night sky of a grey blue dog with red eyes. Over time the dog's eyes were changed to yellow to make it a bit friendlier to audiences, but The Blue Dog (there is even a Cafe with the same name in New Orleans) is known not just in Louisiana but everywhere! As horror and mystery are my favorite genres and vampire and werewolf lore are favorite reads (and movies) of mine, I was fascinated to learn the history behind this iconic dog!

The Red Dog Sign Rotated and became Blue Dog Again! There's my reflection in the Glass again!

Unfortunately this shot captured too much 'noise' I think I was still zooming when it snapped.

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies! Feel free to link up your WW photos in the comments below!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I am under no obligation to share my photos from my trip to New Orleans for the Niche Mommy Blogging Conference!

Not So Wordless Wednesday! + #NYFW + Let's Throw in Some Philanthropy Too Just for Fun!

Christmas in February? You Bet! I'm a life long New Yorker, and for us, this is the most wonderful time of the year! Andy William's 'The Most Wonderful Time of The Year' has inspired me to write a Fashion Week Christmas Carol:

It's The Most Fashionable Time of the Year

The Fashions are Flowing

The Cool Breezes Blowing

Designers of Good Cheer.....

With The Bloggers a Buzzing,

The Cocktails keep flowing,

keeping me of Good Cheer,

Fashion Week is the most wonderful time,

the hap happiest time .....

OF THE YEAR!!!!

Just a bit of Fashion Week levity to get the creative juices flowing! (My 'Fashion Carol' is still very much a work in progress!) :) 

Remember where I was last year around this time? (A little HINT) Today I am off to the EMU Australia Fall 2012 Fashion Show and I couldn't be more excited, it was one of my favorite shows last year, and I'm sure this year will be no different. I will definitely take pictures and post a recap as soon as I can.

And later in the evening I will be attending an event where Fashion and Philanthropy meet, you know just how much Ascending Butterfly supports giving back and the organizations and brands that do so!

Want to attend a swanky event at the Flatiron Hotel in NYC and support a good cause? $40 buys you admission to the F.A.B. (Fashion|Art|Beauty) semi annual event that will be raising money for the Toshi Now Foundation, which provides arts and entertainment scholarships to kids. Get your makeup done, have your hair styled, relax with a massage or bronze up with a spray tan with one of the beauty lounges in attendance. A whole lot of something FAB for YOU and a way to give back too! Great way to wind down from Fashion Week Insanity! Nab a ticket while there is still time HERE.

WINNER: Congratulations to Lily K (Entry #368), she is our In Bloom by Jonquil $80 Giveaway Winner! Bummed you didn't win? Didn't quite get the gift you wanted for Valentine's Day? Don't get mad, get it yourself, and at a great discount! Use the coupon code “butterflies” (without the quotes when you enter it in), it will give you $10 off a purchase of $50+ at In Bloom by Jonquil - good through March 1, 2012. (Please note the first In Bloom link is to our giveaway so you can check out the winner announcement on the rafflecopter form for the giveaway that recently closed, and the second link will take you directly to In Bloom's site so you can purchase, and it is NOT an affiliate link.)

OK, I know what you are thinking, this is definitely NOT a Wordless Wednesday! :)

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies!

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FTC Disclosure: Ascending Butterfly has been provided with passes to both events as a member of the digital press, no additional compensation has been received in exchange for this post.