{CLOSED} Win a Pair of Shoes or Boots from Naturalizer Holiday Giveaway! Ends 11/13

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Naturalizer Shoes! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is Angela H. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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Ascending Butterfly's 2011 Holidays Buying Guide, Giveaway #2 brought to you by:

By now lovely butterflies, you know more about my feet than you probably even wanted to know, yet there is still more to share! (inserting an LOL here)

I had the chance to visit with Naturalizer and their designer Angelique and learn all about the new fall styles that Naturalizer had to offer, and I was thoroughly impressed at how much more fashion forward Naturalizer Shoes have become WITHOUT sacrificing the comfort, and variety of wide width AND wide shaft boots that most of us have come to know and love. With color-blocking options and higher heels, they set out to prove you can really have your cake and eat it too when it comes to functional footwear that does not sacrifice one bit on style!

Want to feel like you were actually there? Check out this video of Naturalizer Shoe Designer extraordinaire, Angelique showing some of the new styles:

Here is a picture of me with Naturalizer Shoe Designer Angelique:

Ascending Butterfly (right) with Naturalizer Shoe Designer Angelique, I'm wearing 'Dinka' Boot in Black Leather

After trying on several pairs, (and not wanting to leave any of them behind) I ultimately selected the 'Dinka' Black Leather Boots. (They also have these in grey suede, and I'm thinking of picking those up too!)

About Dinka Boot

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Leather or suede upper in a dress knee-high style with a round toe

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Lace-up detail with metal eyelets at the back

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Full length side zipper

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Smooth lining, cushioning insole features N5 Comfort Elements

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Non-slip outsole, 2 1/2 inch heel

These boots with the feminine back lace up detail are the absolute perfect height to make them both fashionable yet extremely comfortable for all day wear! I took them in both the wide width and wide shaft option as I have wide calves and these fit PERFECTLY! They are true to size (no need to size up) and do really go over wide calves!

 My Take:

I'm a long time Naturalizer lover and used to work very close to the location that this event was held, so I would visit that particular store often. These boots match perfectly with my new black leather jacket from Wilsons Leather! These boots pair just as well with skinny jeans as they do with skirts and dresses. They are not so high you feel like you are teetering, and they are not so low that they are overly casual.

I have always loved that Naturalizer offered wide width shoes in a wide variety (as many wide width shoe lovers know, you always find out the hard way that not all styles are available in wide widths) and the fact that they offer wide shaft boots, makes Naturalizer the first name that comes to mind when I'm in the market for something new! The Naturalizer Ilaz style also caught my eye! (It gets honorable mention, I'm thinking of going back for that one!)

You didn't think I'd forget about you right? Who loves you butterfly?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Naturalizer would like to give 1 lucky winner a pair of Naturalizer Shoes or Boots of your choosing on naturalizer.com! (Note: May not be combined with any other offer at checkout, not valid on the purchase of gift cards, not valid toward the purchase of Naya, Ryka, MBT, or NaturalSport Footwear). Gift Code expires 12/10/11

Don't you just ♥ Naturalizer? 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 ENTRY: Visit Naturalizer and link us to anything other than the Dinka or Tyla boot that catches your eye!  (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 residents who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes. No purchase necessary. 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, November 07, 2011 until Sunday, November 13, 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 - In honor of all things shoes, tell me which shoe (current or former) is your all time favorite shoe and why?

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!)

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @NaturalizerShoe on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -#Win a #free pair of #shoes or #boots from @NaturalizerShoe & @Ascending1 #Giveaway Ends 11/13 #myblogspark http://tinyurl.com/7qvu5o5

(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. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

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 - Like Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Naturalizer on Facebook HERE (Tell them which item you are trying to win on Ascending Butterfly) - Be sure you leave the link to your comment here for extra credit. (You can get the link the same way you do on twitter, press on the time you left the comment, and when the page fully loads, highlight and copy the URL address and then paste it into the comment field here).

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to Naturalizer's You Tube Channel

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog -This is ONE time per giveaway, NOT daily.

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)

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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway:  The Dinka Boots were provided for review free of charge. No monetary compensation has been received. The sponsors are fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. All opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

{CLOSED} Help make Dad a cut above the rest with the Shenzhen Chefs Knife Giveaway! Ends 06/22!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Shenzhen! 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 Annual Dads N Grads Buying Guide Giveaway, brought to you by:

Is your dad a foodie? Whether Dad is a gourmet, foodie or  weekend griller the one thing that holds true is that he needs a Knife that can handle the job! I love to cook and so did my Dad, I have to admit I've been through my fair share of Knive Sets since I started cooking.

One of my favorites to prepare is seafood and fish, which I love to eat, but hate to skin. Removing the skin from fish is one of the best tests of a Knife as far as I'm concerned! And most of the knives I have just don't cut it, no pun intended.

I have been wanting to 'pimp my knives' and had been researching Ceramic Chef's Knives for awhile now, and discovered they are pretty pricey! Wouldn't it be great to get Chef's quality at a discount price?

Shenzhen Knives - The Affordable Ceramic Knife

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Price Advantage: Most ceramic knives after production, have passed through multiple layers of distributors (who add their own price mark-ups) prior to arriving at the retail distribution point. Shenzhen's Internet distribution model enables them to bring their ceramic knives DIRECTLY from the factory to YOU, at a significant price savings.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ceramic Blade Advantage  - These ceramic knives are made of an advanced ceramic called zirconia, the second hardest material known to man next to diamond. The material's properties make it particularly resistant to wear and tear, which means that a ceramic blade can hold its edge much longer than a steel blade without the need for re-sharpening as often as steel knives.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Benefits -  Rust proof. Non-stick surface makes the ceramic blade easy to clean.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No Interaction - No metallic taste or smell. Given the ceramic blade's characteristics, the ceramic knife will not interact with your food's taste.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Care - They do require a bit of care and know how, read HERE for more info.

My Take

I tried the 3 piece Chef's Set from Shenzhen and I really like them! It took some getting used to about being careful NOT to bend or force them which is what I normally do sometimes with my regular steel blades. While you can use Ceramic Knives on a daily basis, Shenzhen's website suggests that you should use them in addition or in conjunction to your favorite daily Steel Blades not as a complete replacement to Steel Blade Knives. I love that Shenzhen Knives do not interact with food, need sharpening less often, are durable and can handle my love of Fish and helps me to skin them with ease! And to be able to get Chef's Ceramic Knife Quality at direct to me discount pricing is an incredible added bonus!

DISCOUNTS:

FREE SHIPPING on Shenzhen 3 piece ceramic knife sets, and orders of $60 or more or:

You didn't think I'd forget about you right? Who loves you butterfly?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Shenzhen have a very special surprise for 1 lucky winner! 1 winner will win a Ceramic Chef's Knife for their Dad, or to keep for themself!

Don't you just ♥ Shenzhen? 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 entry- Tell us who this will be for, Will you give it to Dad, your Hubby, Brother, Uncle, or a Culinary School Grad (or will you keep this great Chef's Knife for yourself)? (And while we never make social media follows mandatory, I'd love it if you followed Shenzhen via Facebook or Twitter, see Extra Credit Section for more info and direct links). (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 residents 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 Wednesday, June 15, 2011 until Wednesday, June 22, 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 - Rock the VOTE - it's super easy and a ONE time only, Please vote for me, Tracy Iglesias (in red jacket)  - http://www.yourbestpose.com/competition/?id=1#6

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!) 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 - In the spirit of Father's Day Fun share with us your favorite advice that your dad has given you! (and yes, if you were not raised by your dad, you can share with us the best wisdom received by the person who did raise you! Uncles and Grandpas count too!)

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 @ShenzhenKnives 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 + @ShenzhenKnives Ceramic Chef Knife #Giveaway! Ends 06/22 Pls RT- http://tinyurl.com/3oojojd

(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. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

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 - Follow Shenzhen Knives and tell them Ascending Butterfly Sent You (I'm sure they'd love for you to tell them who you'd give this to and why also!) 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, 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.

{CLOSED} Basket of YOUR choice $100 and under from 1800baskets, 3 winners! Ends 05/18!

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

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor 1800baskets.com! 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 Annual Mother's Month Buying Guide Giveaway, brought to you by:

1800baskets.com is back with another fun giveaway for Ascending Butterfly Readers!

And you can double your chances by making sure you are already 'liking' them on Facebook, where they do random, surprise, basket giveaways (Hint: there is one going on right now for a Baby Basket). What makes their Facebook Giveaways super fun is the fact that they ask you to actually evaluate the basket as your method of entry, and they really take your feedback to heart. They have made changes to existing configurations based on entrant feedback. I for one love when a company truly engages with me, don't you?

I personally think you can never go wrong with a Gift Basket, there is always a little something for everyone! But trust me when I tell you not all Gift Baskets are created equal. There is an art to a Gift Basket done right, the right contents, in the right amount, packed super carefully so it arrives not only in tact but with it's content super fresh. For some categories, that's not so easy to pull off, yet 1800baskets has never failed to impress me in this regard. I am partial to baskets with food, be it organic fruits, gourmet cheese, chocolates or some combo of all of the above. I have yet to receive a basket where the food was less than fresh, I've never received one melted chocolate, and I've never received a basket where it contained more filler than content. That's exactly what I want to receive, and I will send no less! Especially when it comes to Mother's Day!

A Treat For More Than The Eyes

Pictured Above: Premium Cheeses Gift Basket bottom and on top Mother's Day Mira Luna Wine Gift Basket

Pictured Above: Denarii Lavender Spa Gift Basket

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Premium Cheeses Gift Basket - This basket is cheese overload! It's chock full of an incredible variety of tasty cheeses. My personal favorite was the Brie, but really picking a favorite from this basket would be much like picking a favorite child! For hot wing lovers, the blue cheese included int this basket is a perfect partner! There were artisanal cheeses, hard cheeses, goat cheese and more! It was the perfect pair with the next basket I selected.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Mother's Day Mira Luna Wine Gift Basket  - The star of this basket is the Alazar 2008 Sonoma County Sangiovese, more commonly known as a Red Zinfadel, this basket contains an assortment of treats, including chocolate, shortbread cookies and more as well as a great wine to pair them with and went absolutely PERFECT with the Premium Cheeses Basket. I added some local fruits and my preferred brand of crackers and combined the wine and cheese assortment for a fun Mother's Day Pre-Lunch. This red also pairs perfectly with tangy ribs or herb marinated Lamb. (Yes my butterflies, this butterfly can throw it down in the kitchen, I love to cook!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Denarii Lavender Spa Gift Basket - This basket is filled to overflowing with Lavendar Spa Essentials from Source Verite! Bath gel, Body Butter, Bath Mitt, Exfoliating Towel, a Reed Diffuser and MORE. This basket definitely puts the AH in relaxation. All three baskets combined are a Triple Play of Perfection. The handled pumice stone included in this set is fantastic by the way! You can wine her, tempt her tummy and bring the Spa home at the same time!

My Take

Baskets are a great gift anytime, and I can't think of one category of mom that 1800baskets.com doesn't have covered. Baskets make great birthday gifts, hostess gifts, and do you have a teacher to buy for soon? Trust me, she'll love this way more than an apple! (While I appreciate the joys of fruit, as a former Special Ed Teacher, I can tell you that your childs teacher will love this way more!).

You didn't think I'd forget about you right? Who loves you butterfly?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at 1800baskets.com have a very special surprise for 3 lucky winners! 3 winners will win the gift basket of their choice $100 and under! We will select one person who is 'Liking' BOTH 1800baskets.com and Ascending Butterfly on Facebook (this is optional, we never make following on social media required!), one winner that follows BOTH 1800baskets.com and Ascending Butterfly on Twitter and one winner who is either a google follower or email subscriber. This way no matter how you choose to connect with Ascending Butterfly and 1800baskets.com you still have a chance to win! How sweet is that?

Don't you just ♥ 1800baskets.com? 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 entry-Visit 1800baskets and  Link us to the basket you would pick if you won! (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 residents who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes.

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 Wednesday, May 11, 2011 until Wednesday, May 18, 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 - 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!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - In the spirit of Mother's Day Fun share with us your favorite advice that your mom has given you! (and yes, if you were not raised by your mom, you can share with us the best wisdom received by the person who did raise you!)

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 @1800baskets 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:

Pls RT Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - @Ascending1 + @1800baskets Basket of YOUR choice $100 or under #Giveaway! Ends 05/18 http://tinyurl.com/3gnwprs

(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. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

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 - Follow 1800baskets.com and tell them Ascending Butterfly Sent You (I'm sure they'd love for you to tell them which Basket you most want to try also!) 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, 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.

{CLOSED} Earthies The Veria Shoe Giveaway! Shoes for the Red Hot Mama! Ends 05/07!

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

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Earthies! 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 Annual Mother's Day Buying Guide Giveaway, brought to you by:

Ladies do you consider high heels 'torture devices' invented by men for men. Perhaps invented to make women suffer? Or do you fall into the category that loves them so much you wear a pair of heels to throw out your garbage? Do you wear them everyday for work and then take the entire weekend off?

Then there is the final category, that most women  fall into where you fall somewhere in between all of the above. A mix of love and hate, where you love the look, but hate the way your feet and lower back feel when you take them off.

Me? I'm a feet 'tri-fecta' of 'foot fun', (1) flat feet with little discernible arches to even speak of, (2) Extremely High Insteps, and (3) many years ago I fractured of one of my toes. High heels are not exactly practical for me. And for many years I gave them up for good, wearing dress flats when sneakers and casual footwear wouldn't cut it.

As many of you know I'm a freelance writer and write for more than one blog. This year I did quite a bit of Fashion Blogging, and during cocktail parties for Fashion Week, I realized my footwear closet was in desperate need of an overhaul.  Everytime I received an invite I cringed when I thought of footwear. I needed shoes to get me through day into night events, they needed to be functional enough to get me through very long days and well into night. Unfortunately, I never found a pair that fit the bill during that time.

It was way after Fashion Week, when attending an online Twitter Party hosted by Leah Segedie aka @bookieboo and sponsored by Earthies Footwear, that my curiosity was peaked about actually finding a way to combine form/function and fashion with footwear. While I didn't win any Earthies in the Twitter Party that day, I decided to reach out to Earthies and find out for myself why so many people were singing their praises!

The Veria = Red Hot Mama!

The Veria

We’ve mused for awhile that it’d be interesting to see what would happen if we brought fashion and wellness together for a little rendezvous.  The launch of Earthies is the byproduct of that encounter.” ~ Dave Aznavorian, Vice President, Marketing, Earthies.

It was 'love at first shoe' the moment I pulled these out of the box! They are absolutely stunning, and most importantly they are absolutely comfortable! And you can best believe I hit them hard, put them through their paces and put them to the test.

I read some online reviews recommending to go up a half size (oddly enough I often times ignore this advice and it tends to turn out it was not necessary for me), I'm very happy I decided to do so. I went up a half size from my normal size, and found them to be perfect! While this may or may not be necessary for you, I thought I'd share that with you because while it is rarely necessary for me to do so, I am very happy I did with these.

Shoe Deets:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A cupped heel that sets the foot into a proper supported position unlike ordinary high heels which leave the heel unsupported and create forward slip

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - An anatomic arch that increases touchpoints in the transition area from the heel to the forefoot unlike many ordinary high heels without arch contour that force weight-bearing onto the underside of the toes

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A cradle toe area with a gentle curl to evenly distribute weight away from the toes unlike many ordinary high heels that create foot fatigue

My Take

It's been years since I found a 'go-to' pair of heels. I wish I had 'discovered' Earthies sooner, like for Fashion Week this year when I needed a pair of 'go-to' shoes! I love 'The Veria' and am definitely going back for other colors!

They are stylish, flattering, comfortable, and even have me encouraged to take my footwear makeover to the rest of my closet. I want more sophisticated, fashion forward clothes to go with these shoes! If you are shopping for a 'red hot mama' who is stylish, fashion forward and shoe obsessed, you couldn't possibly go wrong with The Veria shoe or any of the Spring/Summer 2011 styles from Earthies!

These shoes definitely deliver on all of their promises, I didn't experience the forward slip I often do with many heels, the arch support was a welcome relief as arch support is major league important to me, and I didn't experience the foot fatigue I tend to experience quickly when wearing most heels. These have a thick, stable heel which helps give you long wear without being tired, but they are still fashion forward and pretty.  Because I have problem feet I can usually find some kind of fault with most shoes (yes even sneakers), but I am super happy to report that Earthies really are 'wellness. elevated.'  If you have siblings, I honestly think your mom will elevate you to 'favorite' status if you get her these for Mother's Day!

You didn't think I'd forget about you right? Who loves you butterfly?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Earthies have a very special surprise for 1 lucky winner! 1 winner will win 'The Veria' Shoe in their choice of color!

Don't you just ♥ Earthies? 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 entry- Visit Earthies and then Link us to any other pair in the collection you like other than The Veria Shoe! (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 residents who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes.

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, April 30, 2011 until Saturday, May 07, 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 - 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!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - In the spirit of Mother's Day Fun share with us your favorite advice that your mom has given you! (and yes, if you were not raised by your mom, you can share with us the best wisdom received by the person who did raise you!)

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 @earthiesusa 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 you can make updates throughout the entire party!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Pls RT Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ @Ascending1 and @earthiesusa The Veria #shoe #Giveaway! Ends 05/07! http://tinyurl.com/3toctcd

(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. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

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 - Follow Earthies and tell them Ascending Butterfly Sent You 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 - 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.