Bel Viso Facial Skincare Set Giveaway from Borghese! 4 winners! Ends 02/17/11

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Borghese for hosting not just one, but 4 winners this time! We look forward to working with you again! The winners have been notified and upon confirmation, follower names will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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Ascending Butterfly Valentine's Day Buying Guide Giveaway sponsored by:

While the Groundhog supposedly predicted an early Spring, there is no sign of it yet here in New York City. It's been so cold that I get home with super dry skin from the brutal winter winds! My face feels 'tight' and my hands have felt super dry even though they are usually protected by gloves. While I would love to beat the winter blues with a tropical beach vacation, a writer's budget forces me to think a lot more practically!

Beat the Winter Blues

Just because I have to think practical, doesn't mean my skin should suffer!  One of my favorite ways to rejuvenate and revive both skin and spirit is with an at home facial!

Did you notice today's inspirational quote? I leaked it on twitter and facebook as a little teaser of what was coming today! Here it is again:

Your real influence is measured by your treatment of yourself. ~ A. Bronson Alcott

No truer words have ever been spoken! We set the bar for how others treat us by the way we value and treat ourselves!

I have experienced the luxury of a Borghese facial by a skilled esthetician, and they left my skin baby smooth and Glowing!

Bel Viso Facial Skincare Set




I am super happy to report that I can get the same results in the comforts of my own home. Saves me travel time and transportation, and helps me to beat the winter blues by doing something good for my skin!

Bel Viso Facial Skincare Set Includes:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Exfoliante Delicato <-The key to a good facial is exfoliating your skin!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fluido Protettivo Advanced Spa Lift for Eyes <- No one will be able to tell if you didn't get your 8 hours of beauty sleep! :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Effetto Immediato Spa Soothing Tonic <- Just like our bodies need its 8 cups of water each day, our skin needs hydration as well. There is a reason they 'mist' you sort of like a plant while you are at the spa!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fango Active Mud for Face and Body <- There is a reason this product has been a top seller for many years, it just plain works! This really is the cadillac of facial masks! And the fact that it's also a great body mask is a great perk!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - CuraForte Mouisture Intensifier <-Your winter ravaged skin will literally DRINK this in!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Crema Straordinaria Da Giorno SPF 25 <- Remember even in winter you need SPF protection for your skin!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Dolce Notte Re-Energizing Night Creme

This set is available at qvc.com for $54.00

My Take:

While I'd still prefer to beat the winter blues on the beach, doing something wonderful for my skin is a great way to restore face, body and mind! You can't ask for more in an at home facial system, your skin will truly thank you!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Borghese, want to help you beat the winter blues too! 4 winners will win a Bel Viso Facial Skincare Set from Borghese!

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

One Winner Per Channel:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One Winner will be chosen who follows us on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One Winner will be chosen who follows us on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One email subscriber will be chosen

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One Google Follower will be chosen

Remember to leave a main entry HERE first!

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 Borghese Cosmetics and link us to something you like! - Do NOT Post the URL to the Bel Viso Facial Skincare Set. (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 Thursday, Februrary 10, 2011 until Thursday, Februrary 17, 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 - NEW! - This is a one time, one click vote request. Please click on the link and press 'Like' Here: http://tinyurl.com/4rkefxo

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 Valentines Fun share with us the best or worst gift you have ever received!

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #ascendingbutterfly + @BorgheseBeauty Bel Viso Facial Skincare Set #Giveaway! 4 winners! Ends 02/17/11 - http://tinyurl.com/4mwn4ap

(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 - Follow @BorgheseBeauty on Twitter

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

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 'Like' Borghese on Facebook (and remember to tell them 'Ascending Butterfly sent me') HERE

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 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: 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 sponsor is fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Today's Words of Inspiration + Winner's Announcements + NY Wine Fest Recap!

Let the Good Life Inspire You

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending The New York City Wine Festival, and I had a fantastic time! I'm no expert, and I let the reps know I was fully in their hands and to make recos on what I should try and in what order. They were super happy to explain the notes and describe the flavors. I also had the chance to meet great people between appetizers and tasting, and it concluded with an amazing concert.

I can't wait for the next one. I started off so nervous not fully knowing what to expect or how a total newb would even be received, and I learned right away I had nothing to fear, and there were other wine novices who seemed visibly relieved when I asked for recos because some were too afraid to admit they didn't know very much about wine either.

I was totally in the moment and greatly enjoyed the great wine, food, music and company! I hope the Ascending Butterfly readers who won our giveaway for a pair of tickets will also write in and let us know how they enjoyed the event.

It's amazing when you stop and think that grapes can become something so luxurious. A wine at it's core is nothing without the grapes. And the event left me thinking about how the ordinary in life can easily become extraordinary via time and transformation.

And isn't that much like us? We undergo changes and transformations daily, some seem so negligible when we are in the midst of them, but then we realize later on just how profound they really were! Today I want you to be inspired by your changes and transformations, celebrate both the ordinary and extraordinary in your life, and don't be afraid to ask for recommendations, you may just discover a new favorite!

Some of my favorites include, in no particular order:

(1) Cuvee Flamme

(2) Llopart Brute Rose

(3) Eudald Brut Cava

(4) Juve & Camps Brut Cava Reserva

(5) Poggio al Tesoro Solosole Vermentino

(6) Warwick Sauvignon Blanc 2009

(7) Wakatake Ginjo Demon Slayer (Sake)

(8) Ichinokura Taru (Sake)

Being at the Festival also reminded me that the fruits of our labors are those indulgences and moments we allow ourselves to savor. Today let good music, good friends, and good wines inspire you!

Today's Words of Inspiration'

 

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 'The good life is mine Now!'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about 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 ! Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

@Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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

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Active Giveaways!

1) - Ends 02/14 - $50 digital gift card to Cheesecake.com Giveaway! - Enter HERE!

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Congratulations to **Amanda** and **Clenna** our BearPaw and Energy Muse Freedom Beads Winners! I know Amanda is going to love staying warm with her new BearPaw Boots! And I know Clenna is going to be keeping her Chakra's aligned in style with her new Necklace! And congrats to ** A-Ro ** and ** Theo ** our NY Winter Wine Fest winners!

Special Thanks to Marquee Concerts, Bearpaw and Energy Muse for hosting another amazing giveaway, we hope to have you back soon!

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** We post our winner usernames instead of full names to protect privacy, except of course if their username is their full name! **

$50 digital gift card to Cheesecake.com Giveaway! Ends 02/14

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

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'Today's Butterfly' Valentine's Day Buying Guide Countdown sponsored by:

It's February and our annual countdown to '♥ Day' is in full swing! We started you off with 'wine' at the New York City Wine Festival, then 'dine' with an amazing sweetheart surf and turf and dinner for two, and now we are tantalizing your taste buds with dessert!

And not just any dessert, but a supermoist, rich, decadent cheesecake, from cheesecake.com!

NY Black Forest Cheesecake



NY Black Forest Cheesecake



 Dreamweavers!

I have always loved Black Forest Cake, it's tied with Strawberry Shortcake as my all time favorite cake! I even had a favorite restaurant (in Atlantic City, New Jersey) where I'd go eat this famous German Dessert Cake. Unfortunately that restaurant is no longer there, leaving an empty whole in my heart where my favorite Black Forest Cake used to be.

I'd sometimes toss and turn and dream of my favorite cake treat! But somehow the universe really does have a crazy way of manifesting our desires. And this time in the form of those Dreamweavers at Cheesecake.com!

It's like they literally reached into my dreams and combined two amazing things into one fabulous Sweet Treat! The NY Black Forest Cheesecake from Cheesecake.com took all the things that make a Black Forest Cake so delightful, the cherries, and not just any cherries by the way, but California port wine cherries,  and on top you will find a layer of deep chocolate devil's food crumbs, this is combined with sinfully rich and velvety smooth cheesecake! It's like someone reached into my dreams and devised my dream dessert.

My Take

Pros:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Flavor!  - The California Port Wine Cherries add body and a real dimension to the flavor of this cake! This cake is truly a heavenly hybrid of what I love about both Black Forest Cake and Cheesecake. It's truly a perfect marriage! Absolutely perfect for Valentine's Day!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Taste, Presentation and Nothing Left To Chance - This arrived super fast, well packaged and is a gift that is sure to delight any recipient!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - And a cherry on top! - and again, not just any cherry, but California Port Wine Cherries!

Cons:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - There are no real cons here. Unless you count resisting the temptation to eat more than one slice at a time a con? :)

**SAVE HERE** - Can't wait to find out if you won? Want one right now?! - Cheesecake.com is offering website visitors 15% off on their order from the Cheesecake.com website - February Promo Code: SAVE15 - this code provides 15% off of all products in the cart (excludes taxes and shipping). Restrictions: Valid only once per customer. No other promotions valid with this offer..

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Cheesecake.com want you to win a Cheesecake of your choice in the form of a $50 digital gift card! 

Don't you just ♥ Cheesecake.com? I know I do!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - How to Win:  Here are the Easy 1,2,3 Steps to Winning!

(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 our friends at Cheesecake.com and LINK us to another item that they sell that catches your eye! REMEMBER: You CANNOT post a link to the NY Black Forest Cheesecake or the entry will be automatically disqualified.

(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. No PO Boxes. We are  no longer sending courtesy reminders when entries do not qualify, make sure you are following publicly and your entry comment complies with giveaway win it instructions or it will be deleted.

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, February 07, 2011 until Monday, February 14, 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 - NEW! - This is a one time, one click vote request. Please click on the link and press 'Like' Here: http://tinyurl.com/4rkefxo

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 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 @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Pls RT Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #ascendingbutterfly + @cheesecakecom $50 Digital Gift Card #Giveaway! Ends 02/14  http://tinyurl.com/4gracy2

(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 - Follow @cheesecakecom on Twitter

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

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Cheesecake.com on Facebook and don't forget to tell them that Ascending Butterfly sent you HERE - Remember to leave the link to your facebook post as your comment - see instructions above for how to get a link on twitter, it applies to facebook too!

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 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. Sponsor is 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.

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

Sunday Moment of Gratitude! What a GREAT Weekend!

This week, I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A weekend of total fun! As you can see I took an entire weekend for myself (well there was some work mixed in, but not as much as usual!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I attended the NYC screening of Disney's Gnomeo & Juliet this weekend, full review soon!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  I also attended the New York City Wine Festival this weekend and it was so much fun! I learned a ton about wine, met great people and greatly enjoyed the jazz concert, not to mention taking home the commemorative Riedel Stemware!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - With a few hours to kill between events, I did enjoy some time at Junior's Cheesecake, the Raspberry Swirl Cheescake is SUPER yummy! :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Enjoyed a very fun weekend and hope yours was great as well! Hope your team won the Super Bowl this weekend, but if they didn't, I hope you enjoyed the commercials! I loved the etrade babies and Darth Vader Kid!

What are you grateful for today? I'd love for you to write in and share what you are grateful for this week. The more you say it, the more you speak it, and the more you live in gratitude, the more you will find reasons to be grateful for, and the more reasons that the universe will send you to be grateful for. So join me on this journey of gratitude and inspiration. And you can post here daily (even though my list will be posted weekly).

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

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

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and Great giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Active Giveaways:

1) - Ends 02/08 - MaineLobsterDirect.com - Sweetheart Surf & Turf Dinner for Two Giveaway! - Enter HERE!

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

Make this Your Best Day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

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

FTC Disclosure Info: This is NOT a Sponsored Post. I was not asked by Disney, Super Bowl, Junior's Cheesecake, Riedel Stemware, e-Trade,  or The NYC Wine Festival to post about my experiences this weekend, I chose to because they were FUN! :)

Today's Words of Inspiration - Year of the Metal Rabbit

'Gung Hay Fat Choy' means "Best wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year." Today is the Chinese New Year and as many of you now know, it's the year of the Rabbit!

Are any of you born under the year of the rabbit?

THE RABBIT PERSONALITY

A person born in the year of the Rabbit possesses one of the most fortunate of the twelve animal signs. The Rabbit, or Hare as he is referred to in Chinese mythology, is the emblem of longevity and is said to derive his essence from the Moon. The Rabbit symbolizes graciousness, good manners, sound counsel kindness and sensitivity to beauty. His soft speech and graceful and nimble ways embody all the desirable traits of a successful diplomat or seasoned politician.

Likewise, a person born under this sign will lead a tranquil life, enjoying peace, quiet and a congenial environment. He is reserved and artistic and possesses good judgment. His thoroughness will also make him a good scholar. He will shine in the fields of law, politics and government.

But he is also inclined to be moody; at such times he appears detached from his environment or indifferent to people.

The Rabbit is extremely lucky in business and monetary transactions. Astute at striking bargains, he can always pop up with a suitable proposal or alternative to benefit himself. His sharp business acumen, coupled with his knack for negotiation, will ensure him a fast rise in any career.

THE RABBIT CHILD

A child born in the Rabbit's year will have a sweet disposition. Even-tempered and obedient, he will be sensitive to the moods of his parents and act accordingly. He may or may not be talkative, but he won't be rowdy or offensive. He can sit quietly and concentrate on one toy or game at a time.

Usually he is a light sleeper and may fret a lot when he is sick. He will be easy to discipline and should have little trouble fitting in at school. He learns his lessons well and with ease. But although he has better than average manners, this does not mean he will not be argumentative in his own soft-spoken way. He can grasp both sides of a question quickly and debate his point with intelligence.

At times, it will be difficult to decipher his thoughts or deeds. Smooth at masking his feelings, the Rabbit will only say what he knows will please you and thus maneuver you to his way of thinking without your even noticing it.

He will be able to fend for himself and protect his possessions. Remarkably observant, he can calculate his chances for getting his way. Instead of directly resisting rules, the subtle Rabbit will carefully devise ways around them. In short, this polite little angel is going to bargain for a better deal every time.

He can take reproach with a defiant or philosophical sort of indifference. Shrugging off his setbacks, the Rabbit will patiently start again from square one. Helpful at home, conforming in school and well-tuned to his environment, this child will know his way around people and problems. Rest assured he will be well-liked and accepted in all circles.

So what does it mean to be 'Metal'?

In Chinese Taoist thought, Metal attributes are consideried to be firmness, rigidity, persistence, strength and determination. The metal person is controlling, ambitious, forceful and set in their ways as metal is very strong; and they are self-reliant and prefer to handle their problems alone. The metal person is also materialistic, business oriented and good at organization and stability. However the metal person can also appreciate luxury and enjoy the good things in life. Just as metal can conduct electricity, the Metal person has strong impulses and generative powers and can bring about changes and transformations for those who come into contact with them.

In Chinese Medicine, metal governs the Lung and the Large intestine, nose and skin. The negative emotion associated with metal is grief, while the positive emotion is courage. Many sources aimed at a Western audience equate Metal with the attributes of the element Air.

Things to expect in a Rabbit Year

Good taste and refinement will shine on everything and people will acknowledge that persuasion is better than force. A congenial time in which diplomacy, international relations and politics will be given a front seat again. We will act with discretion and make reasonable concessions without too much difficulty. Money can be made without too much labor. Our life style will be languid and leisurely as we allow ourselves the luxuries we have always craved for. A temperate year with unhurried pace. For once, it may seem possible for us to be carefree and happy without too many annoyances. We will all have a tendency to put off disagreeable tasks as long as possible. <-I am finding this part to be true already! :)

Ideal Job for the Rabbit: Diplomat, counselor, barrister, judge, solicitor, adviser or secretary

Lucky Numbers: 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 19, 35

Equivalent Western Sign: Pisces

Element: WOOD

Color: GREEN

Direction: EAST

Some Famous Rabbits:

Harry Belafonte, Ingrid Bergman, Lewis Carroll, John Cleese, Peter Falk, Peter Fonda, James Fox, David Frost, Cary Grant, Oliver Hardy, Bob Hope, Whitney Houston, John Hurt, Michael Keaton, John Keats, Julian Lennon, Arthur Miller, Roger Moore, Tatum O'Neal, George Orwell, Neil Simon, Jane Seymour, Dusty Springfield, Sting, Orson Welles, Norman Wisdom.

Today's Words of Inspiration:

Whether you celebrate this festive holiday or not, allow yourself to be caught up in the positive energies that surround a New Year's Day! When a year is new, the day is filled with possibility and hope, let those feelings permeate your spririt today! Set new goals, Wish someone a Happy Day! Affirm a better day AND year for yourself!

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Active Giveaways!

1) Ends 02/04 - Energy Muse Freedom Beads Necklace Giveaway! - Enter HERE!

2) Ends 02/08 - MaineLobsterDirect.com - Sweetheart Surf & Turf Dinner for Two Giveaway! ARV $130! - Enter HERE!

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Wordless Wednesday - Get it right Groundhog!



©iStockphoto.com/David P. Lewis



I'm so happy that the Groundhog got it right or else it would have been Groundhog Stew for Supper! No more Winter, No More Snow, YAY!

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MaineLobsterDirect.com - Sweetheart Surf & Turf Dinner for Two Giveaway! ARV $130! Ends 02/08

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor MaineLobsterDirect.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!

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'Today's Butterfly' Valentine's Day Buying Guide Countdown sponsored by:

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but I say the way to anyone's heart is through their stomach! Mine included! And as a life long seafood lover many the special occasion has been celebrated with 'fruta de mare', so I thought why should Valentine's Day be different, what better way to celebrate love day than with a special surf and turf and dinner for two?

It's February and our annual countdown to 'L♥ve Day' is here! We started you off with 'wine', and so I figured the next logical step is the 'dine' part!

And better still, having that meal show up directly to your door. No Reservations to deal with, and what better surroundings than the comforts of home?  (And cheaper than going out on the town!)

You can be a frugal foodie, and still eat FAB!



Nor-East Feast



What I Tried: Nor-East Feast

Want a complete Lobster Dinner? A Lobster Dinner with your choice of Appetizer, choice of Chowder, Lobsters and Shellfish and choice of Dessert - all from Maine?

The Nor-East Feast Dinner includes: live Maine Lobsters, fresh Maine Steamer Clams, Shrimp or Mussels, Clam Chowder or Lobster Bisque, fresh Vegetable, and choice of your favorite Cheesecake from the dessert cart, Butter, Lemon, metal shell cracker(s), seafood forks and lobster bibs are also included. All is packed with care in a heavy duty reusable enameled Lobster pot. Price includes FedEx Delivery!

This was the first time I tried my hand at making live lobsters, and I will admit to being a bit nervous about it at first, but it all worked out fine! When the delivery arrived I put the cooler in the fridge while I did my prep work. I knew in advance I was going to boil not bake them, so I made a 'boil' of my own, part water, some old bay, fresh herbs (including Dill and Thyme), crushed garlic and white wine. After my boil, well, came to a boil, I removed the pot that had the lobsters inside it, removed the mussels and clams and transferred the boiling water from the pot into the enameled pot with the lobsters, no fuss no muss, no actual 'touching them'. :)

A little before the Lobsters were done, I added the mussels and clams to the pot. I will warn you the mussels and clams made an audible sound when they hit the water, the lobsters did not make a sound. (And Yes they were alive. Make sure whenever ordering LIVE Lobster, that they are very much alive when they arrive! If they arrive dead do not eat them!)

I reversed the order and had the Lobster Bisque later in the day and greatly enjoyed it. With this cold weather it really hit the spot. So you ask, What about me? Well I'm very glad you asked!

Sweetheart Surf & Turf Dinner

Sweetheart Surf & Turf Dinner

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Easy to prepare, the Sweetheart Surf and Turf comes with Two 6-7 oz. Maine Lobster Tails, Two six ounce Filet Mignons and your choice of Maine Lobster Direct's award winning New England Clam Chowder or Lobster Bisque, and Jewell Island special Heart-Shaped White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake. Spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying this romantic meal for two!

My Take

Pros:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - It's a taste of Maine right at your doorstep!  - Seafood lovers know that it doesn't get much better than seafood from Maine. And if you can't get to Maine yourself, this is like having Maine come to your door! It just doesn't get better than this. It was seafood dinner nirvana!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Taste, Presentation and Nothing Left To Chance - With a burst of the sea in each bite, and excellent packaging/presentation, what you will also appreciate about Maine Lobster Direct is that they literally include everything you could possibly need! I'm a Lobster Lover and have my own cracker for the shell, but the ones included in my package were WAY better than the set I own!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - And a cherry on top! - in the form of a moist and delicious Cheesecake Dessert!

Cons:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I have to admit I am much more used to eating seafood out than preparing it myself. It does take getting used to making Live Lobsters. And hearing the sort of 'hissing' sound when the clams and mussels hit the pot did make me jump at first, but the results? So Totally Worth it!!! So I will leave it to you to decide whether or not this is a pro or con! :-)

If you are totally squeamish about making live Lobsters, then I would advise you to stick to the surf and turf that includes the tails instead of the Live Lobsters. But if I can do it, You can too! :) (And live are of course incredibly tender! Not to mention you really don't want to miss out on the claw meat!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at MaineLobsterDirect.com want you to win a Sweetheart Surf & Turf Dinner for two! Don't you just ♥ MaineLobsterDirect.com? I know I do!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - How to Win:  Here are the Easy 1,2,3 Steps to Winning!

(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 our friends at MaineLobsterDirect.com and LINK us to another item that they sell that catches your eye! REMEMBER: You CANNOT post a link to the The Nor-East Feast Dinner or the Sweetheart Surf & Turf Dinner for Two or the entry will be automatically disqualified.

(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. No PO Boxes. We are  no longer sending courtesy reminders when entries do not qualify, make sure you are following publicly and your entry comment complies with giveaway win it instructions or it will be deleted.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Tuesday, February 01, 2011 until Tuesday, February 08, 2011 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 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 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 @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Maine #Lobster Direct  Sweetheart Surf & Turf Dinner for Two #Giveaway! ARV $130! Ends 02/08 Enter Here  http://tinyurl.com/4z9d8os

(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

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Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Maine Lobster Direct on Facebook and don't forget to tell them that Ascending Butterfly sent you  HERE (Since they are not on twitter yet, I would really appreciate you showing them some extra facebook love!) - Remember to leave the link to your facebook post as your comment - see instructions above for how to get a link on twitter, it applies to facebook too!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

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

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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: 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. Sponsor is 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.

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