Thursday, February 11, 2010

Thursday, February 11, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!

Blizzard 2010

The blizzard of snow that blanketed the NorthEast has definitely forced everything to slow to a crawl. There were tons of accidents on the highways, and lots of slips and falls on slippery streets too. While it didn't seem like there was much to pull inspiration from these past few days, last night changed my mind. I heard the sounds of very shrilly laughter, and looked out my window to find some of the children in the building had gone outside to play in the snow. There were snow angels being made, snowmen being built, and the uber childhood snow essential, the snowball fight. There were some intrepid adults joining in the childlike frenzy of fun; and it was a great reminder of making lemonade out of lemons. It was fun watching the children play.

At random times during the day I'd peak out the window and also see delivery men bringing packages or delivering food and thought to myself I felt very grateful to be able to do what I do from home and not have had to be out in that mess! This is the city that never sleeps, and on days like this you still see cars on the road, and people hurrying to and from work. Do we ever slow down? Did you slow down this week? Were you able to work from home? Did you have to brave the storm? For those that were able to stay home, what did you with the extra time at home?

Whether or not the weather slowed you down this week or caused hassles and inconveniences, be grateful that at the end of the day you had the warmth of home and your bed to curl into. Be grateful to have made it home safely, many drivers lost control of their vehicles, or were hit and badly hurt. Be grateful if you don't have the flu, be grateful if you don't have a cold. 

Despite a week that seemingly may have been devoid of much inspiration, there was still very much to be grateful for, I hope you experienced the same!

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I am grateful for the comforts of home!'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

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

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! It's just our way of saying Thank You for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE! Don't forget to use the share button below any inspiration to stumble, digg, tweet or share with your friends on facebook and twitter! And if you want to share inspiration with other members, Ascending Butterfly has a NING group with real time chat HERE

LAST CALL: The Mimobot Giveaway ends SOON, get in your entry 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 NING group 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 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·˙

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's Smashbox - HeartBreaker Collection Giveaway Winners!




Congratulations to both *'Martha' and *'~J ' the confirmed winners of Ascending Butterfly's Smashbox - HeartBreaker Collection Giveaway! Join us in congratulating both of our winners of this limited edition holiday collection! We wish all our readers a very Happy Valentine's Day! We would like to thank our sponsor Smashbox for this great giveaway. We look forward to working with you again soon and thank you so much for the opportunity to offer this great giveaway to not just one, but TWO winners! If you didn't win, and want to get your own Heart Breaker Collection, keep reading!  Do you like Exclusive offers? Check out Smashbox Exclusive Offers HERE ((Free Jumbo Samples! Choose from 3 deluxe-sized samples + get a bonus sample with every order! Isn't that awesome?)

Thank You for choosing to spend a part of your day with Ascending Butterfly; and Remember to enter our active giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page!

--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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

*We post our winner's username/comment name instead of full name.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Affordable Scarves Review and Giveaway! TWO winners!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙
This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Affordable Scarves! We look forward to working with you again! The winners have been notified and upon confirmation his/her follower name(s) will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are still some great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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

 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - It's raining, it's snowing, the cold winds are blowing! And those of us in the North East can't stop shivering. And my fellow New Yorkers know that with MTA budget cuts, we are going to be standing at the bus stop that much longer waiting for a bus, or shivering on the subway platform waiting for a train. I empathize fellow commuters I really do!

Staying warm and stylish has often proved to be quite a challenge! Job interviews in the middle of winter with a neon scarf and hat will draw attention; just might not be the kind of attention you were hoping for!

So how do you stay warm and still look good doing it AND on a budget? - Affordable Scarves that's how! Aside from an amazing selection, there is no scarf over $20 and that my dear readers INCLUDES Cashmere! I KNOW RIGHT!!! (I too had to see it to beleive it! But me being a skeptic is all the better for you, that's how I find the great buys/deals!!) And right now orders over $30 also get free shipping! Do you have someone hard to shop for? Need a quick or last minute gift idea for Valentines Day? Shopping for the woman 'who has it all'? Trust me, silk or cashmere scarves will never fail to impress!

And for the 'butterfly-de-resistance', yes I so made that up, but you've got to admit you love it! They have two butterfly scarves I am absolutely in love with. The first is the Butterfly Pashmina Wrap (don't those words sound fab together? 'Butterfly' and 'Pashmina'?!), check it out for yourself HERE. And the Linen Butterfly Scarf (this one was not available when I made my selection, drats!), this one is super stylish, delicate butterflies against a jet black background, picks up almost any color and looks fab with a suit, check it out HERE. (So ME!)

Scarves are an accesory that play up an outfit, aside from wearing them around your neck, they look super stylish when you wrap them loosely around the handle of your favorite handbag. They are a staple that allow you to take your basic suits and give them the right pop of color! Color in the workplace must be done the right way, and a beautiful silk or linen scarf is a great way to do it.

On a sunny spring day that turns into a crisp night, just pull your pashmina out of your handbag and go, no need to double back for a bulky jacket!

WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Affordable Scarves would like to provide 2 lucky Ascending Butterfly Followers the scarf of their choice! (Don't you just ♥ Affordable Scarves?) And don't forget to enter the Affordable Scarves 'How to Tie a Scarf' contest! You can view full information about that giveaway HERE!

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) Visit Affordable Scarves and pick the scarf that you like and leave the LINK to that scarf in your comment entry! (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! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

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 Friday, February 09, 2010 until Friday, February 22, 2010 at 11:59 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

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!)

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this: #ascendingbutterfly + @affordscarves 2 winners will receive scarf  of their choice! #Giveaways! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #win here - http://tinyurl.com/yj5dpce

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Affordable Scarves (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @affordscarves on Twitter HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow The Affordable Scarves Blog 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 Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Ning Group 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 - NEW METHOD OF EXTRA CREDIT, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ You can press the button below to go straight to the page where Ascending Butterfly has been nominated!

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

˙·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 are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review and the sponsor is also fulfilling product to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product.

How to Tie a Scarf Contest

In addition to the wonderful giveaway they are hosting with Ascending Butterfly, Affordable Scarves is also hosting a 'How to tie a scarf' video contest! Affordable Scarves is looking for guest vloggers to demonstrate different ways to wear their great scarves, the videos will be used to compile a multipart “how to tie a scarf” video series. If you are chosen, they will send you a complimentary Affordable Scarves scarf and assign you a tying method to demonstrate in a video. No editing skills or software are required (they will handle that!) — all you need is video camera access.

How to enter:

Record a 45 to 60 second video telling why Affordable Scarves should choose you and send it to contest@affordablescarves.com (Remember this goes to affordable scarves directly NOT to ascending butterfly, our giveaway can be found HERE)

Monday, February 8, 2010

Monday, February 08, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!


Flies, Honey, Warriors, Vinegar,  & Service

Strange combination I know, but trust me they relate, and they do tie in together! Let's start Strong. A Warrior's Heart will help you weather your own personal storms. That's easy to agree with right?

But, Do you know which heart will propel you farther?

It is the heart of service and being of service to others that will advance you. It's similar to the saying 'You catch more flies with honey than with Vinegar'.

See I promised that today's title would come together somehow! But how do you adapt this in your own life? And how do you do this when the energy just isn't there?

I know on the onset it seems like a lot to ask, but if you approach your day from a heart of service, it moves along so much easier.

At work, if you finish your tasks earlier than expected, be of service to an over-whelmed co-worker. When you head off to run errands, ask a home bound neighbor if there is something you could pick up for them. Is the person ahead of you on line at the market a few cents short? Can you help that person?

Do you know a new mom who could use a night out, why don't you offer to watch the little one for her?

Somehow when your heart and spirit are of service, the Universe blesses you with extra energy you didn't think you had.

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I will actively move towards a heart of service!'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

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

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! It's just our way of saying Thank You for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE! Don't forget to use the share button below any inspiration to stumble, digg, tweet or share with your friends on facebook and twitter! And if you want to share inspiration with other members, Ascending Butterfly has a NING group with real time chat HERE

LAST CALL: Our giveaway of the Limited Edition Smashbox Heartbreaker Collection ends TONIGHT, there will be TWO winners who will EACH receive the eye shadow Palette of their choice, a lip gloss and a mascara!

˙·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 NING group 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 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·˙

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Sunday, February 07, 2010 - This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and 3 giveaways!




On Sunday's, 'Today's Moment of Inspiration' becomes the weekly 'Moment of Gratitude'. While I do still live in Gratitude each and everyday, I decided to change this feature to a weekly to allow a full week of Inspirational messages and focused breathing meditations.

This week, I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Right now I'm listening to Jill Scott's song 'Living My Life Like It's Golden' and not only did it inspire me to start singing along, it reminds me of the power of getting my life to where I want it to be. And just how grateful we should all be that we have another day to do just that, live life like it's Golden. And it most certainly will become so!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I'm also grateful for Ascending Butterfly's wonderful readers and sponsors!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I am grateful to report that Ascending Butterfly is a nominee in the Blogger's Choice Awards '10 in the 'Best Blog About Stuff' Category, Please vote for us Daily HERE

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:

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

Your vote is appreciated, winning this category will bring Ascending Butterfly the recognition that will help us attract bigger sponsors and offer more prizes to our loyal readers!

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. 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 (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! 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 Great giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! We will be offering multiple giveaways all throughout 2010! It's just our way of saying Thank You for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE! ENDING SOON ALERT: Smashbox is offering it's Limited Edition 'Heartbreaker Collection' to TWO lucky Ascending Butterfly Readers!

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


˙·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 NING group 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 have no way of informing you if you win, and we will have to select another winner. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow 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)

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

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Winner Announcement - One Meaning Couture Signature Butterfly Pendant Winner!


Congratulations to *'JenButterfly12' winner of Ascending Butterfly's One Meaning Couture Signature Butterfly Pendant Giveaway! Join us in congratulating our winner. We would like to thank our sponsor One Meaning Couture for this great giveaway. We look forward to working with you again soon!

Thank You for choosing to spend a part of your day with Ascending Butterfly; and Remember to enter our active giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page!

--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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

*We post our winner's username/comment name instead of full name.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Hello Kitty® Fun In Fields MIMOBOT® Review and Giveaway!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙
This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor MIMOBOT®, We look forward to working with you again! The winner has been notified and upon confirmation his/her follower name will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are still some great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!
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Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -There are certain things that still have the ability to bring out the little kid in me, one of my favorite memories of childhood was, is and always will be Hello Kitty®! I had the doll, pens, pencils, stickers, you name it, I wanted it! I still love Hello Kitty®, somehow she still manages to make me smile and makes me feel just plain happy!

Needless to say when I received the opportunity to review the Hello Kitty® Fun In Fields MIMOBOT® I tore open the box with girlish delight! It's the perfect marriage of girly cuteness and fun that will always have happy memories for me, and geeky gadget delight! And yes, I did squeal, and it's not that easy to get me that giddy! (well maybe at champagne at New Year's Eve, but really that's it!)

USB Flash Drive Specs:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Preloaded digital Mimory: 2GB, 4GB, 8GB capacities
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Hi-speed USB 2.0
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Mac/PC compatible
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2.5" tall by 1" wide
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One-year limited warranty
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Cool Factor: She comes pre-loaded with desktop wallpapers, avatars, and icons for your desktop!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Lowdown on the kitty: Hello Kitty lives in London with her parents and her twin sister Mimmy. She has lots of friends at school with whom she shares many adventures. Her hobbies include traveling, listening to music, reading, eating yummy cookies, and best of all, making new friends. As Hello Kitty always says, “You can never have too many friends!” (Me and HK have so much in common!)

Hello Kitty® Fun In Fields MIMOBOT® transports the sweet, cute, friendly and legendary Japanese icon into MIMOBOT flash drive form. Become one of her newest friends today, by adding this Mimobot USB to your Hello Kitty collection!

It's no surprise to me she is a Top 12 BestSeller at MIMOBOT®, you can shop the top 12 directly HERE!



WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at MIMOBOT®, want to put one of the top 12 sellers directly in your kitty loving hands! (Don't you just ♥ MIMOBOT®?)

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) Visit MIMOBOT®,  and tell us which Hello Kitty MIMOBOT® ASIDE from Fun In Fields 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! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

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 Friday, February 05, 2010 until Friday, February 12, 2010 at 11:59 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

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!)

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this: #ascendingbutterfly + @mimobot Hello Kitty Fun in Fields USB Mimobot #Giveaways! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - http://tinyurl.com/ygvp3gd

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow MIMOBOT® (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) on Facebook HERE

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Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow MIMOBOT® on You Tube 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

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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 - NEW METHOD OF EXTRA CREDIT, (You can vote daily for extra credit): Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/  You can press the button below to go straight to the page where Ascending Butterfly has been nominated!

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the product are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review and the sponsor is also fulfilling product to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Cool Giveaway Alert - win a $100 HSN Gift Card!

This one is not being hosted by me, but I just couldn't resist bringing this cool giveaway to your attention! Don’t miss Elliott Lucca the next time their great handbags go on sale at HSN – sign up for HSN’s When to Watch e-mails and you’ll be reminded of when to tune-in! Plus, if you sign up any day in February, you’ll be entered to win a $100 HSN Gift Card! Go to MyHSN on Facebook for your chance to win!

And while you are at it, let's show some love to our friends at Elliott Lucca for bringing this neat giveaway to our attention by following Elliott Lucca on Facebook HERE and on Twitter HERE

I have already entered, hope you will too!

Good Luck!

--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team



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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Wednesday, February 03, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!


Surround Yourself with High-Energy People

Today I am directly quoting one of my favorite sources of inspiration, Dr. Wayne Dyer, in the title of today's inspiration and this quote:

"Choose to be in close proximity to people who are empowering, who appeal to your sense of connection to intention, who see the greatness in you, who feel connected to God, and who live a life that gives evidence that Spirit has found celebration through them."

They say tell me who your friends are, and I can tell you who you are! Are you positive and upbeat? Do your friends drag you down? Are they mired in negativity? Worse still, are they 'glass half-empty' types who are not happy until those around them are un-happy too?

I've been actively applying this inspiration to my own life, and highly encourage you to do the same. Surround yourself with people you respect, people you admire, people who are up-lifting. Don't get me wrong, troubles do no pass some of us by and go torment others. Positive people have problems too, they just don't allow those problems to take over their spirits while they are dealing with them. And because they have learned to remain light spirited, to walk in life not just saying but knowing that they are 'too blessed too be stressed' they attract positive people and experiences unto themselves.

You can possess this spirit also! You can actively choose to make yourself optimistic and face each day with renewed enthusiasm or you can allow your problems to keep you mired in un-happiness. If you remain negative and constantly attract more negative people and experiences to you, you can't grow spiritually, emotionally or even physically!

I love Dr. Dyer's words about surrounding yourself with people who see the 'greatness within you', remember this does not mean surrounding yourself with 'yes men' it means surrounding yourself with people who are quicker to point out what you do well and what you have accomplished that is working for you as opposed to those who would rather spend time nit-picking over 'perceived' flaws.

I always feel like I've had a better day when I've spent it in the company of up-lifting people! Seek out your 'uplifting Ursula' today and send the 'negative Nelly's' to voicemail! Let's actively get uplifted! And don't forget to be a source of high energy to those you love today and everyday.

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I will actively seek out the company of High-Energy and 'Up-Lifting People today and everyday!'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

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

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! It's just our way of saying Thank You for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE! Don't forget to use the share button below any inspiration to stumble, digg, tweet or share with your friends on facebook and twitter! And if you want to share inspiration with other members, Ascending Butterfly has a NING group with real time chat HERE

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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 NING group 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 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!

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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

February 2010: The Ascending Butterfly Book Club review & GIVEAWAY - Featured Book in the Spotlight!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Simon & Schuster and Author Reyna Grande, We look forward to working with you again! Congratulations to our winner 'Cynthia'. Remember: There are still some great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!
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Ascending Butterfly Book Club, February 2010

To the avid readers amongst us we apologize, after a long hiatus, The Ascending Butterfly Book Club is back! I thorougly enjoyed reading February's title, and couldn't possibly love this book or the name more, I present to you, 'Dancing With Butterflies' by Reyna Grande.

Introduction

Folklórico, traditional Mexican dance, bring together four women in Los Angeles. Yesenia and her husband lead Alegría, a successful Folklórico dance group, but Yesenia’s arthritic knee keeps her offstage and restless in her marriage. Sisters Elena and Adriana grew up dancing in Alegría, but bitterness over their difficult childhood has soured their relationship. And Soledad, the group’s costume designer, is determined to open a dress shop in L.A., even though she is in the U.S. illegally.

Tragedy strikes each of these four women, leaving Alegría’s future in doubt. Yesenia tries to reshape her body through cut-rate plastic surgery in Tijuana. Elena’s new marriage breaks up after her baby is stillborn, and instead of dancing through her grief, she lusts after an underage dancer. Adriana, missing her abusive father, chases oblivion through a series of dangerous relationships. Soledad sacrifices her career dreams to bid goodbye to her ailing grandmother, but, trapped on the Mexican side of the border, must risk her life to return to her family, to her passions, and to Alegría.

These four women, bonded by their passion for Folklórico, will learn to heal together, to keep Alegría dancing another day.



About The Author, Reyna Grande:

Reyna Grande is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Across A Hundred Mountains (Atria 2006), for which she received an American Book Award (2007) and El Premio Aztlan Literary Award (2006). Her latest novel, Dancing with Butterflies, was published in October 2009 to rave reviews.

Born in Mexico in 1975, Grande was raised by her grandparents after her parents left her behind while they worked in the U.S. She came to the U.S. at the age of nine as an undocumented immigrant and went on to become the first person in her family to obtain a higher education.

She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing and Film and Video from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Antioch University. She is a sought-after speaker at middle/high schools, colleges and universities across the nation, and teaches creative writing workshops in Los Angeles. She has served as a judge for the Pen Center USA Literary Awards and is on the planning committee of the Latino Book & Family Festival. She is currently at work on a memoir.

A Conversation with Reyna Grande:

1. Four distinct voices lead us through Dancing with Butterflies: each woman has her own, unique style of narrating. Please tell us about the experience of writing from four different points of view. How did you develop their separate voices? Was one narrator harder to envision than the others?

Answer: My first book, Across a Hundred Mountains, is told from two points of view. It gave me the training I needed to tackle four different characters. I used the same techniques I had learned in Mountains—pay attention to the voice, the way the characters talk, the way they see the world around them. I also worked on each character individually, spent a lot of time trying to get to know each woman, without the distraction of the other three. Having said that, writing from four points of view was a lot harder than I imagined! I think for my next book I will try just one. The hardest character for me was Yesenia. Since she’s ten years older than I am, and is going through a different stage in her life, I was having a difficult time getting into her head. I ended up using my older sister as a model for Yesenia, and sometimes, when I was stuck, I would call my sister and say, “So tell me again about the time you….” Adriana was the easiest for me because I understood her. I grew up with an alcoholic father who physically abused me for many years, and later on, in my twenties, I too was looking for men that were like my father (not physically abusive, but controlling). Luckily I escaped those relationships and got over that right away, and I found a wonderful man to marry (like Ben!).

2. Each chapter opens with one of your graceful line drawings of Folklórico dancers. Why did you choose to include these drawings? Have you ever felt you had to choose between two art forms, as Adriana struggles to choose between dancing and ranchero singing?

Answer: The drawings came very late in the process, right before I turned in the final draft to my editor. I had thought about it for a long time. Because I was writing about such a visual topic—Folklórico—I felt that the drawings would complement story. I couldn’t find someone to do them, and I didn’t feel confident enough to do them myself. But one day I said, why not? Why not at least try? So finally I decided to do them myself, just to see. And I ended up liking them enough, and when I showed them to my editor she liked them, too. Like Adriana, I felt torn between the passions I had. I loved music and from 7th grade up until my first year of college, I was a member of the marching band (I marched the Rose Parade three times). From middle school to college, I took drawing and painting classes because I loved doing that, too. I also started writing when I was thirteen years old. At UC, Santa Cruz I met a teacher who once told me that even though it was a good thing that I had many passions (I was also doing film and dancing at the time that I met her), I needed to choose one thing that I really loved, above all others, so that I could focus on it and be great at it. Otherwise, as the saying goes, I would just be a jack of all trades. So I chose writing. I’m glad I listened to her, because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to complete my first novel, which requires a lot of discipline and commitment, but once in a while I still dance Folklorico, and I still draw. Having my drawings included in Dancing with Butterflies was, what can I say, extremely fulfilling—to see two of my passions come together, at last.

3. Sibling rivalry is a prominent theme in the novel, with Elena and Adriana’s constant conflict, as well as Soledad and Stephanie’s less explosive rivalry. Why did you focus on siblings in this novel?

Answer: How can you write about siblings and not have rivalry thrown in the mix? I have four siblings, and there is always some drama going on. The only time we are drama free is when we avoid each other! The rivalry between Elena and Adriana was inspired by my relationship with my older sister—not the way our relationship is, but how it could have been if things had turned out differently. Like Adriana, my older sister left me in a hellhole—my alcoholic father’s home. She didn’t take me with her when she left, and the two years I was at my father’s without my sister were two of the worst years of my life. To this day my sister apologizes for not taking me with her. I forgive my sister. But Adriana isn’t as forgiving. When I wrote about Adriana and Elena, I asked myself: how would my relationship with my sister be if I had held a grudge and not forgiven or understood my sister’s choices? (She was only 21 and could barely take care of herself, but at the time all I thought about was that she had left me and saved herself.)

With Soledad and Stephanie, I wanted to write about siblings that belong to two worlds. Most immigrant families have siblings who were born in this country and others born in other countries. Even in my own family, my two youngest siblings were born here in the U.S., but the three oldest (myself included) were born in Mexico.

4. Soledad faces enormous challenges in her efforts to cross the U.S.-Mexican border. What inspired Soledad’s story?

Answer: Soledad was the last character to make an appearance. One day when I was at Mr. Vences’s house (the director of the dance group I researched), Elías Roldán, the group’s costume designer, was there, showing Mr. Vences a costume he was designing for the group. As I watched them talk about the costume and what changes needed to be made, I realized that I was missing a crucial part in my novel—the point of view of Alegría’s costume designer! Mr. Roldán was very generous with his time, and I visited him at his house to interview him several times. Like Soledad, he used his dining room to do his sewing, and every corner of the living room and dining room was covered in bolts of cloth. In the interviews he not only talked about costume making and cloth, but he shared with me his dream of having his own shop and everything that was keeping him from making his dream come true. But now I’m happy to say that Mr. Roldán has his own shop in East L.A., and his business is thriving. Although Dancing with Butterflies ends before Soledad makes her dream come true, this is the kind of future I envision for her. In terms of the challenges she faced crossing the border, it was inspired by all the stories I hear from immigrants that have had to make the dangerous journey north (myself included).

5. Despite all the challenges that your characters face, there are many light-hearted moments, as well. How did you manage to balance serious subjects and humor? Do you have a favorite humorous moment in the novel?

Answer: I tend to write depressing stuff, and writing funny isn’t my strength. Whatever funny moments appear in the novel were not planned. But a little humor goes a long way, and it gives the reader a break from all that sadness, so I’m glad I managed to have a few funny moments here and there. One of my favorite humorous moments is when Adriana and Ben go out for sushi and she mistakes the wasabi for Guacamole. I was twenty years old when I first had sushi, and like Adriana, I was very ignorant about what wasabi was. I put a lot of it on my sushi, and boy, did that hurt!

6. Frida Kahlo is featured prominently in the novel, as Adriana’s favorite artist. How does Kahlo’s work affect you?

Answer: Frida Kahlo is an inspiration to many Latinas. She was a fighter. For most of her life she was in deep physical (and emotional) pain. Yet, her passion for art helped carry her through the toughest moments of her life. Writing has been my salvation. When things got bad at home, I wrote. Writing kept me sane. Kahlo painted herself many times. When I write, I use myself as the starting point for my characters. Elena, Adriana, Soledad, Yesenia, they are all a facet of me. They are not self-portraits, no, not like Kahlo painted her self-portraits. My self-portraits (my characters) are drawn in a style like Picasso’s, very distorted, but somehow recognizable. Like Adriana, my favorite Kahlo painting is “The Two Fridas.” When I lived with my father, I developed a second personality, another Reyna, so to speak. One Reyna was afraid, depressed, lonely. But the other Reyna was strong, brave, and smart. When things got tough, that second Reyna was the one that would give me the push I needed to keep going. I could hear her in my head telling me, “Things won’t always be like this. One day they will be better.” When I saw “The Two Fridas,” I saw my dual personality represented in that painting, and I fell in love with the painting and with the woman who painted it.

7. Although the main characters in Dancing with Butterflies are Mexican or Mexican-American, they face many of the same problems as women from other backgrounds and cultures. Which of the characters’ challenges do you feel are the most universal? Which feel more culturally specific to you?

Answer: Just a few weeks ago my older brother asked me why I don’t write books with no Latino characters or themes. He said that I am “limiting my audience” and therefore (or so I read between the lines) I will never have a bestseller. At first I felt furious about his comment, especially because I was showing him the advance copy of Dancing with Butterflies and instead of just saying, “Good job, Reyna,” he asks me that question! (Sibling drama? Yes!) But the thing is that even though I write about Latino characters, ultimately I am writing about human beings. No matter what ethnic background we come from, first and foremost we belong to the human race. The problems the women in Dancing with Butterflies face are universal. Like Yesenia, who hasn’t thought about aging and being frightened by it? Who hasn’t thought about the body’s limitations and what it can and cannot do as we get older? Elena gave birth to a stillborn baby. What mother, at some point during a pregnancy, hasn’t feared the worst? And for some, no matter their ethnic backgrounds, the worst has come to pass. What culture hasn’t had sibling rivalry, dead relatives to mourn, dreams that haven’t come true, obstacles to overcome, marriages that fail, illicit love affairs, forbidden love?

8. Your first novel, Across a Hundred Mountains, also centers on immigration and families. Do you plan to continue these themes in your future work?

Answer: I like to write about things that are important to me. My older sister once asked, “Why are you always writing about Mexico?” My father once said, “Why don’t you just forget about the past and move on? Why do you need to write about it?” I write about things that I care about, that matter to me. The immigrant experience is one of them. Right now I am working on a memoir in which I write about my childhood in Mexico, living in poverty, being raised by my grandmother because my parents were here in the U.S. working. I write about what it was like to come here as an illegal immigrant and the difficulties of trying to close the gap created by eight years of separation between me and my father. So to answer the question, yes, I do plan to continue writing about immigration and families, among other things. I am always looking for new ideas and topics. One has to grow as a writer, and one way to do that is to take chances and try new things.

9. At one point, Elena realizes that her ex-husband never understood her passion for dancing. Do you think artists need to connect with other artists in order to share their passions?

Answer: I think that it is very hard for nonartists to understand an artist’s inner world, needs, and thoughts. But it doesn’t mean you can’t try! I think it is very important for artists to build friendships with other artists. I have been lucky to have made many writer friends, especially female writers. We get together sometimes for coffee, or communicate through email or phone calls. We critique each other’s works, talk about our goals, our dreams, our troubles with our respective partners, our children, our editors, our publishers, our readers. I think that artists need to have a support network and spend time with those who understand, those who are walking the same difficult path. I have made it a point to reach out to other writers. For example, this year I am helping to organize the Latino Book & Family Festival in Los Angeles to reach out to other writers and have us come together, for at least one weekend, to share our passion for the written word, not only with each other but with the community. I love my writer friends. They understand me in a way my own family never will.

10. Your first novel, Across a Hundred Mountains, also centers on immigration and families. Do you plan to continue thesethemes in your future work?

Answer: I like to write about things that are important to me. My older sister once asked, “Why are you always writing about Mexico?” My father once said, “Why don’t you just forget about the past and move on? Why do you need to write about it?” I write about things that I care about, that matter to me. The immigrant experience is one of them. Right now, I am working on a memoir, in which I write about my childhood in Mexico, living in poverty, being raised by my grandmother because my parents were here in the United States working. I write aboutwhat it was like to come here as an illegal immigrant and the difficulties of trying to close the gap created by eight years of separation between me and my father. So to answer the question, yes, I do plan to continue writing about immigration and families, among other things. I am always looking for new ideas and topics. One has to grow as a writer, and one way to do that is to take chances and try new things.

Even the book's dedication references a 'mariposa', and the references to butterflies very much mirror the associations I have had with them growing up, the writing engages you in the struggles of it's characters and I will warn you now, once you start, you will have trouble putting this book down!

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) In some Mexican cultures, butterflies represent extraordinary spiritual, magical creations that are believed to embody the spirits of the dead and the souls of deities. Tell us what Butterflies Represent to you!  (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! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

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, February 02, 2010 until Tuesday, March 02, 2010 at 11:59 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

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!)

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this: Follow and RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly montly Book Club #Giveaways! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - http://tinyurl.com/ykvszc3

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Simon and Schuster, the publisher (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow the author, Reyna Grande, on Twitter 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 Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Ning Group 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!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW METHOD OF EXTRA CREDIT, (You can vote daily for extra credit): Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/  -You can press the button below to go straight to the page where Ascending Butterfly has been nominated!

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

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

FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding this book are expressly my own experiences. I was provided with a book to review and the sponsor is also fulfilling to prize winner.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Smashbox - HeartBreaker Collection Review and Giveaway!

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

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Smashbox Cosmetics, We look forward to working with you again! Congratulations to both *'Martha' and *'~J ' the confirmed winners of Ascending Butterfly's Smashbox - HeartBreaker Collection Giveaway! Remember: There are still some great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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

Are You 'Hot Date' or 'Kiss n' Tell'?

One Amazing Collection, two uniquely fun and flirtatious Valentine's Day Looks! So fess up are you feeling 'Kiss N' Tell' this year? or are you up for a bit of 'Hot Date' for this Valentines Day?

Our friends at Smashbox are back (and with a vengeance might I add!) to add some fun to your Valentine's Day with a new collection called 'HeartBreaker'. You will be turning heads AND breaking hearts. I adore the entire collection, and still haven't decided which look to go with on the big day! When  I said  'New Year/New You' earlier this year, I meant it! Married or Single there is no excuse not to unleash the sexy within!

This collection thinks of everything, it's got it all, down to a rollerball fragrance to go with it! Even the outer packaging speaks of flirty fun with drawings that are reminiscent of the hand drawn hearts you'd doodle in your notebook during class, with words like 'HOT' and 'KISS' and 'FLIRT' on the box you know there is no way cupid is missing his mark this year.

Let's break the collection down into it's fun parts and take a peek at the looks you can create:


Above is the Fun and Flirty look Smashbox calls 'Kiss N' Tell'

This look is NOT afraid of color and is totally ready to play! Isn't the lip fantastic? And if you think that's sassy, wait until you check out the next look!



Directly Above, is the Va-Va-Voom look that Smashbox calls 'Hot Date'

This look plays up a sultrier eye with a more 'nude' lip, and it's ultra-sexy! It's very 'shy kitten' isn't it? So have you picked out your look yet? Which one is you? I don't envy the task ahead of you!



Here are both Eye Palettes Side by Side!



Here  are both Lip Shines


HeartBreaker Lash  DNA

Are you drooling yet? Well drool no more my friends! WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Smashbox want to help you put the fun and the flirt back in your Valentine's Day! TWO lucky 'Ascending Butterfly' followers will EACH have the chance to win a HeartBreaker Lash DNA, a Pink Sugar roller gloss, and an  Eye Palette of YOUR Choice! (Don't you just ♥ Smashbox?)

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) Visit Smashbox HERE and compare both Palettes, tell us which Palette you would choose if you win! (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! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

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, February 01, 2010 until Monday, February 08, 2010 at 11:59 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

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!)

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this: Follow and RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly + @smashboxartists HeartBreaker Collection Giveaway! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - http://tinyurl.com/ygnsxlo

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow SmashBox Cosmetics (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Smashbox on Twitter 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 Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Ning Group 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!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW METHOD OF EXTRA CREDIT, (You can vote daily for extra credit): Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/  - You can press the button below to go straight to the page where Ascending Butterfly has been nominated!


My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

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

FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the product are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review and the sponsor is also fulfilling product to prize winners.