If you like your Fashion Shows with Ineptitude and a Side of Pretention then by all means @Moroccanoil sponsored @GenArt is your kind of show!

It's been exactly FOUR years since I encountered a level of ineptitude so annoying it warranted a post. I avoid snark like the plague, and normally follow the centuries old sage advice that if I can't find something nice to say about something or someone not to say anything at all. And normally that's exactly what I do. Today I break my amazing record.

Above is the visual image of the invite that I received for today's GenArt's Fresh Faces in Fashion show, below is the email I received inviting me to the event:

=============Original Message======================

On Wed, Aug 29, 2012 at 6:13 PM, Jeter, Page (LAN-RCN) wrote:

Hello!

Please submit your request to attend GenArt’s Fresh Faces in Fashion presented by Moroccanoil at New York Fashion Week on Sunday, September 9 at RUNWAY @ Pier 57.  If you have already RSVPed, you will receive a confirmation shortly.

3:30 p.m. - Red carpet media check-in

4 p.m. - Red carpet/Cocktail reception

5 p.m. - Fashion Show

6 p.m. - After Party

The 14th Annual GenArt Fresh Faces in Fashion presented by Morrocanoil will be held on Sunday, September 9 at RUNWAY @ Pier 57 (25 11th Avenue) in Manhattan.  The 2012 Fresh Faces in Fashion program at New York Fashion Week will feature Spring 2013 collections from women’s and men’s ready-to-wear Anne Sofie Madsen, Amanda Lew Kee, Chloe comme Parris, COMEFORBREAKFAST, Gretchen Jones and A-morir.  This year’s Fresh Faces will also feature designer Katungulu Mwendwa from Kenya selected from this year’s GenArt Global program that launched in May.  Moroccanoil will work closely with the designers to create their runway hairstyle looks with special emphasis on hair trends for Spring/Summer 2013.  The Fresh Faces program is the largest and most recognized fashion event of its kind and is a catalyst for emerging designers in the industry, and over the years, many notable designers, such as Rodarte, Vena Cava, Zac Posen and Phillip Lim have participated in the program for their very first runway fashion shows.

Page Jeter
Group Manager | ROGERS&COWAN
8687 Melrose Avenue | 7th Floor | Los Angeles, CA 90069

=======================================

I submitted my RSVP to both the address on the invite AND the rep, Page Jeter. I even tweeted after sending my RSVP to both @GenArt and the Sponsor @Moroccanoil, perhaps now in hindsight I should have seen it as a sign that @GenArt didn't even have the courtesy to reply to the tweet, but the show sponsor did, here is their reply:

Moroccanoil Aug 30, 11:55am via HootSuite

We're stoked too! MRT @Ascending1: @GenArt Just put in my RSVP I am super stoked for the @Moroccanoil sponsored GenArt Fresh Faces...

===================================

It was shades of my recent nightmare experience with Samsung at BlogHer all over again (while I didn't write about that, I did tweet about it, Samsung told me and a few other bloggers during a holiday preview they were hosting we were not 'real press' but anyway I digress, back to today's #failwhale), I arrived early, well before 3:30 pm to be told that 'legitimate press would get the red carpet' and 'just bloggers' were being asked to line up and wait until 4pm to get in. Fine. We were asked to form a line to the left, and then separate people were told to the right, and then just before a quarter to 4pm, they tell us all the line should form to the right, so those of us who were already lined up on the left had to join an existing long line that had been formed on the right despite us all asking which line was the right one. The women at the door couldn't find my name on the list, they ask me to stand to the side, and after watching more than half the line go in, I asked again to speak to Page as she had sent the invite.

I then get told to make another line inside called the 'media line', they also couldn't find my name, and they too asked me to 'stand aside'. I was standing next to the mother of one of the designers who they also wouldn't let in. But oddly enough it seemed if you weren't on the list but was wearing a skirt whose hemline barely covered your underwear, you could just walk right in. The person who took my card kept asking Page what to do, and Page kept walking away and not answering. Finally one grabbed her arm, and said but Page the person said you invited her (this is all within earshot by the way), and she glances at me and said 'I highly doubt it.'. I'd like to know why she highly doubted that SHE invited me? Hopefully the email above will jog both hers, ROGERS&COWAN and GenArt's memory.

Finally they let the designers mom in and since I was standing next to her, I was told that Page said I could just go in and 'stand and watch the show' while people who arrived well after me, some also who weren't on the list were sitting. REALLY? As the young lady was very helpful, I politely declined the option to stand and watch the show and did alert her that she should let Page know that Ascending Butterfly would be posting TONIGHT.

I opted not to stand and watch the show, and stop and post about the abominable treatment instead.

Where in the invite above does it say I was invited to stand and watch the show? I for one don't see it and I can assure you I didn't cut out or edit their email in any way.

So apparently both GenArt and Samsung don't feel Bloggers are 'legimate press'? There are blogs whose monthly site hits run rings around many magazines at this point!

I don't want the generic statement back from anyone at GenArt saying not to hold them responsible for the PR Firm's lack of organization. I won't accept that as a response because I spent a majority of my professional career in conference management and I took responsibility for the actions of each and every member of my team, from door staff to wait staff to account managers. I trained and empowered my staff so when something above and beyond a piece of paper went down they knew how to handle it.

I am absolutely outraged by the pretentiousness, the obnoxious attitudes and downright ineptitude of GenArt's PR firm, ROGERS&COWAN and the so called 'Group Manager', Page Jeter. Honestly, SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!

I am so thankful that I never wanted to niche myself, and today was exactly the reason why I never wanted to, I am so glad that my content is not dependent on any single person, event or brand to remain current, fresh and resonate with my readers.

And it couldn't be more odd that this happens literally days before a twitter party where I am a Featured Guest called:  

Bloggers to Brands: Best Practices for Working Together 

The twitter party will be hosted this Thursday, September 13th at 1pm EST, and I encourage all my fellow bloggers as well as brands and PR firms to get in on that chat and learn how to work together, NICELY!

Readers thanks for letting me VENT. I rarely ever need to, but I'm glad you guys are there for me when I do!

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FTC Disclosure: This is obviously NOT a sponsored post!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some pictures of the Fashions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Take:

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

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

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @searsStyle on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @BagatelleNYC on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Kardashianpedia on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Kardashian Kollection on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like SearsStyle on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like BagatelleNYC on Facebook

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

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

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

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

Kodak MY HERO!!!

Technology hasn't quite been my friend this year, shortly after my laptop died, my printer died too. Like many people do, I vented via Social Media to my dead printer manufacturer, sadly to no avail. So I reached out to a few other printer manufacturers and the first to answer my plea for help was Kodak! We are a three generation loyal Kodak Camera family but had never tried out their printers before. I have actually used only 2 printer manufacturers, one at work and a different brand at home, but we are talking over 10 years using those 2 brands exclusively.

This year has been thrusting me head first into change of all kinds, some I was ready for, others not so much, but this time around I will say it's been a phenomenal change!

Kodak was kind enough to send Ascending Butterfly their KODAK HERO 7.1 All-in-One Printer!

KODAK HERO 7.1 All-in-One Printer in retail packaging!

ABOUT THE KODAK HERO 7.1 All-in-One Printer:

Print specifications
Print speed	photos: borderless KODAK Lab-Quality 4 × 6 in. photos in as little as 28 seconds documents: 8.5 ipm in black / 5.5 ipm in color automatic two-sided printing
Print resolution	9600 optimized DPI for high-resolution color photo printing / 1200 × 1200 DPI for highest monochrome text resolution (default)
Paper size	borderless photos from 4 × 6 in. up to 8.5 × 11 in. documents from 4 × 6 in. up to 8.5 × 14 in.
Paper capacity	100-sheet paper tray (20 lb) and separate 40-sheet photo paper tray
Mobile printing	print on the go from your smartphone, computer, or tablet using Google Cloud Print enabled apps  send emails and attachments to your printer from anywhere, using any email capable, web connected device with KODAK Email Print Service  print photos directly from your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, BLACKBERRY, or ANDROID device with the KODAK Pic Flick App
Copy specifications
Copy speed	first copy output time (FCOT): 25 seconds[8]
Copy features	copy up to 99 copies at a time on a 20–500% scaling or fit to page range adjustable brightness and quality
Document size	copy up to 8.5 × 11.7 in. or to 8.5 × 14 in.
Scan specifications
Resolution	2400 DPI optical scanner (CIS), 24-bit 9600 interpolated DPI
Scan features	scan multiple photos simultaneously and get separate files automatically scan and edit documents with optical character recognition (OCR) Perfect Page scanning technology[9]corrects your scanned images so they look better than the original scan to PC, Google Docs, email, memory cards, USB flash drive, network folders
Document size	scan up to 8.5 × 11.7 in. or to 8.5 × 14 in.
General specifications
Connectivity	built-in Wi-Fi, 802.11 b/g/n Google Cloud Print ready[10] KODAK Email Print Service ready[11] iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, BLACKBERRY, or ANDROID device with the KODAK Pic Flick App[12] USB 2.0 High Speed DPOF / USB / PictBridge port
Supported memory card formats	print without a computer using memory card slots—SECURE DIGITAL (SD)/SECURE DIGITAL HIGH CAPACITY (SDHC), MULTIMEDIA CARD (MMC), MEMORY STICK (MS)/MEMORY STICK PRO (PRO), and with adapter: MS Duo, miniSD, microSD/SDHC
Display	3.5 in. color LCD touchscreen
Power consumption	ENERGY STAR qualified
Dimensions	[W × D × H]: 17.5 × 17.0 × 7.5 in.
Weight	16.5 lb (includes power supply, ink, paper)

• Specifications
• System Requirements

Package Contents

• KODAK HERO 7.1 All-in-One Printer
• KODAK Black Ink Cartridge, 10B
• KODAK Color Ink Cartridge, 10C
• KODAK 3D Glasses
• Power supply and adapter cord
• Setup Guide
• User Guide
• KODAK All-in-One Printer Software CD
• NOTE: USB 2.0 cable sold separately and required for non-Wi-Fi PC/MAC printing

Warranty

Product one year from purchase (with proof of purchase)

System Requirements

WINDOWS

• MICROSOFT WINDOWS 7, VISTA Home Basic, or XP-Home (SP2 or above)
• INTERNET EXPLORER 7 or higher
• INTEL CELERON 1.2 GHz or compatible processor
• 512 MB memory
• 500 MB available hard disk space
• CD-ROM drive
• USB port

MACINTOSH

• MACINTOSH OS 10.5 or higher
• POWERPC G4, G5, or INTEL-based MAC
• 1.2 GHz clock speed
• 512 MB memory
• 200 MB available hard disk space
• CD-ROM drive
• USB port

KODAK HERO 7.1 All-in-One Printer - Lid up to show scanner in use!

My Take:

I took the time to really put this printer through it's paces and it has not let me down in any way. I love that I am no longer tied down to a computer to print, I can print from literally anywhere, including Google Cloud, which is pretty awesome for me, because a lot of my contracts and NDA Agreements come to me via Google Docs or DropBox, I can scan my emails while on the bus or train and set anything that needs to be signed to print, and they are all waiting for me when I get back, which is super convenient. I don't even need my computer on to print from a device or memory card, how SWEET is that?

Another reason I love this printer is the crisp Kodak Print Pictures. And here is a tip for you: If you find yourself at an event or traveling and your device runs out of memory but you need to keep snapping away, don't worry, send the existing pictures to your printer! You can scan them later to make yourself a digital copy, but still keep your memory card clear to take more pictures and not miss a special moment because you are out of memory. This printer has certainly saved me at a few events, I was able to send photos to my printer and then keep shooting!

And because I'm in a tiny NYC apartment that is cramped for space, I love being able to eliminate another cord/wire!

I also love that it keeps track of supplies for me, it let me know that I am currently running low on paper, and that was my last ream, so it's off to the office supply store for me!

It comes with a great trial version of ArcSoft Scrapbook, here is a page I created for the #windowstyle contest during #BlogHer

I have also used it to restore old photos, and I've been impressed with how much better the pictures look when I scan them in with my new Kodak HERO 7.1! To show you a specific example, check out this post from July 13th - Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride! Is it because I avoid the bouquet toss? <-The photos used in this post were scanned in with this printer, and they were in pretty bad shape in terms of being  bent when I removed them from the photo album with a small bit of yellowing on one of the photos also. The scan brought back details I honestly can't see in the original picture! And this has been the case with older photos I have scanned in to both restore and preserve them in a digital format.

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Twitter @KodakCommunity  @kodakCB @KodakPrinters

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like on Kodak on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Be Pinterest Friends with Kodak!

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FTC Disclosure: While Kodak did provide me with a Kodak HERO 7.1 All-in-One-Printer, no monetary compensation has been received in exchange for this review and all opinions are 100% my own!

Wordless Wednesday: City Park in New Orleans +

We are continuing with our Niche Mommy 2012 Blogging Conference in New Orleans Wordless Wednesday Series, I am going to take you through the conference and the City in pictures!

It started with the Airport, followed by some shots of The Roosevelt Hotel, these that I'm sneaking in today are a little out of sequence, these probably should have been posted technically before the Roosevelt, because I took a quick visit through City Park in New Orleans right from the airport before checking in to the hotel. I will also be adding all pictures to our special conference pinterest board, you may want to go there to see full size shots!

After a delayed flight (do Jet Blue Flights ever depart on time?), with no in flight entertainment (there was a short in the wire under my seat and the seat next to me), thank God for iPods, and then running straight to the Welcome Cocktail Reception, it was so great to be greeted by The Roosevelt's turn down service with Robe and Chocolates on the pillow!

So now you've seen the airport, City Park, The Roosevelt, and The 'Britax Angels', next week it's on to the conference's official day one!

How is first day of school week coming along for everyone? As for me, I promise I wasn't missing in action this week, I had a bout of Food Poisoning! Not quite the best timing with it being the advent of Fashion Week here in New York City!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post!

Happy Labor Day! What are YOU doing this weekend?

Wishing all my butterflies, a safe, healthy and very happy Labor Day Weekend. If you are off Monday, I hope you are doing something fun, and if you are working on Labor Day, THANK YOU for your service, sometimes we just need to hear it! :)
I for one will be working through the weekend trying to get myself more caught up! On my agenda over 5,000 emails to tackle, Re-doing my whole Media Kit, reaching out to the first responders of our new 'inspiration corner' special feature and several promos I need to take photos for, what's on your agenda for the long weekend?




Wishing you a Butterfly Sighting!
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FTC Disclosure: I would hope it would be obvious that this is NOT a sponsored post! :)

Britax Vehicle Seat Protector and Back Seat Mirror Rafflecopter Giveaway!

I am still fueled by my recent trip to New Orleans for the Niche Mommy Conference where myself and fellow Britax Latina Advisory Board and Hispanic Social Media Bloggers represented Britax as Brand Ambassadors during the conference. Britax gave away great prizes during a special 'Coffee and Chat' with Britax breakout.

Did you miss that breakout session? Weren't at niche mommy at all? No worries Butterflies, I come bearing gifts!

Britax wanted to make sure that those of you who missed out on the New Orleans fun still had a chance at cool prizes!

Britax Car Accessories: Vehicle Seat Protector and Back Seat Mirror

About the Vehicle Seat Protector:

About the Back Seat Mirror:

The BRITAX Back Seat Mirror provides a view of your rear-facing baby at any angle while allowing installation to adjacent vehicle head restraints. The shatter-proof, extra large mirror is convex to reflect a head-to-toe view of baby. The adjustable attachment straps allow the mirror to securely attach to most vehicle head restraints, while its soft-feel frame design has a sleek, modern look.

My Take:

The Vehicle Protector and the Car Seat itself pack a one two punch that protects your infant, I call them 'needcessories' instead of accessories! The Mirror will allow your baby to see you and vice-versa which gives you both peace of mind!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - Win it!

1 Ascending Butterfly will win a Britax Accessories Prize Pack that includes:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - 1 BRITAX Vehicle Seat Protector (MSRP $29.99)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - 1 BRITAX Back Seat Mirror (MSRP $19.99)

Enter using the Rafflecopter Widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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FTC Disclosure: I am a Latina Advisory Board Member and part of The Britax Hispanic Digital and Social Media Outreach Blogging Program. This program is in partnership with Mami Innovative Media, a communications and Digital marketing company that pairs multicultural and Latino bloggers with influential brands and blogging campaigns. I am a blogger brand ambassador for Britax and I am part of a long term campaign that does provide additional incentives for my participation. However all opinions and stories are 100% my own. Giveaway Prize pack was provided by Britax. Questions about our Disclosure? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

Wordless Wednesday - The Welcome to New Orleans #NicheMommy12 Edition!

I thought I'd share my New Orleans Pictures across the next couple of weeks as a series of Wordless Wednesday's, I'm posting them in order of my arrival so you can get a feel for everything I got to see. Here is my welcome to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (IATA: MSY)!

Welcome to New Orleans International Airport!

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States.

This was my fourth time flying on Jet Blue, and while all the flights I've taken on Jet Blue have been a huge #failwhale, my visit to the city was phenomenal!

Join me in prayer for New Orleans and all in the eye of the storm! It seems impossible that on the 7th anniversary of Katrina, yet another Hurricane/Tropical Storm has hit New Orleans again! I met so many wonderful people during my visit, locals as well as local bloggers and my heart is certainly with them all right now!

As you know I have a created a Pinterest Board for my New Orleans visit, and you can go there to see all the pictures so far, every few days I'll post new ones!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies! Feel free to link us to your Wordless Wednesday post in your comment!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I am under no obligation to share photos or recaps of my Niche Mommy Conference Experience or my photos of the city.

Weekly Moment of Gratitude: New Orleans Niche Mommy 12 Conference Edition!

What I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Britax! -  I had no idea when I embarked on an Ambassadorship with @SafeConBritax that it would lead to many so new adventures! It started with a trip to Britax Headquarters, and now the opportunity to attend the Niche Mommy Blogging Conference during it's inaugural year! I loved the idea of becoming a Britax Ambassador from the very begining, because they put child safety first. I know the majority of my readers are moms. Moms from many different walks of life, but the common denominator for all moms is wanting your child to be safe. And that is Britax's goal, it's their mission. And the small way I get to be a part of that journey has been more rewarding than I ever could have anticipated. I'm grateful to be part of the program! I'm also grateful that this program has given me the opportunity to host giveaways for you so you can experience first hand just how wonderful Britax products really are! This has been my favorite Brand Ambassadorship by far, and I can't wait to see what 2013 brings!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Team! - Britax sent 4 of their ambassadors to New Orleans to experience the Niche Mommy 2012 conference, they also hosted a Coffee and Chat afternoon break session where great prizes were given away and we got to assist and answer questions fellow attendees had about Britax products and what it's like being a Brand Ambassador and a part of their Latina Advisory Board and Hispanic Social Media Outreach Program. Britax was an official Conference Sponsor and attendees got the opportunity to see products up close and personal and win fantastic prizes! Congrats to all the winners! By the way 2 winners were MEN! Go Britax!

Here are some photos of the team in action:

I dubbed us 'The Britax Angels' You know, like 'Charlies Angels' except in this case our 'Charlie' is Britax! - from Left to Right: Vanessa from @DeSuMama - http://www.desumama.com/, ME! Tracy from @Ascending1 - http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com, Yadira from @ClubdeDiosas - http://clubdelasdiosas.com, Joscelyn from @InnovativeTalk  - http://www.mamiinnovativemedia.com/, and Divina from @DancingHotdogs http://www.dancinghotdogs.com/

These ladies certainly made 'work' FUN! :)

Oops! This angel had her eyes closed! Why is it that Camera Flash always makes me blink? Don't you just love our matching Britax T-shirts?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Roosevelt New Orleans - The Roosevelt New Orleans is a Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and I can't begin to thank them enough, the service was impeccable, the food was totally amazing, and there is no detail left to the imagination! The staff was super friendly and welcoming and I can't wait to go back! Their turn down service with super comfy robe and chocolates on the pillow was a fantastic touch. The folks at Niche Mommy did a wonderful job and selected just the right hotel and venue for this conference!

Here are some pics:

The Roosevelt New Orleans - A Waldorf Astoria Hotel

Picture of my room! This was room 1003 in Tower 1 of The Roosevelt!

Lobby of The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans

Did you know that the majority of conference attendees are bloggers who have been blogging well over 2 years? This conference certainly gave 'Veteran Bloggers' as well as 'newbies' a great way to come together to learn not just from the panelists, but each other!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - BlogHer! - If it hadn't been for BlogHer which is where I met Nadia, the Founder of the @NicheMommy #nichmommy12 conference, I wouldn't have even heard about the conference until much later on, I am so glad I had the chance to meet her during BlogHer. Nadia is truly down to the earth, and she definitely made it look easy but I know first hand just how difficult the details are when putting a together conference, and she covered every detail amazingly well!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Travel! - I love to travel and hadn't visited New Orleans before, this was amazing opportunity to attend a great conference during it's kickoff year, and explore an amazing city! I can't wait to share more of where I visited and what I saw, I will do so across a series of Wordless Wednesday posts! And I am so excited that the Niche Mommy Conference will be held in New Orleans again next year! There are so many amazing sites I didn't get to see this time around!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - New Friends! - I met some amazing people during this conference that truly made my experience so much richer!

**Sending a special prayer to all the local NOLA bloggers I met this weekend and for the entire city of New Orleans as Isaac is about to hit during the 7th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, please join me in sending prayers and positive thoughts to the people of New Orleans, Florida and all in the eye of the storm!**

This past week has given me so much to be grateful for, so much new knowledge, new ideas and new inspiration, I feel I've come home *renewed* and with a renewed sense of passion for what it is I do best!

I actually took over 250 pictures, and it will take awhile to sort and watermark them, but I've already started my pinterest board for the conference and included the pictures used in this post, you will see more photos on that board in the coming weeks!  (Bloggers that attended Niche Mommy and want to use any of the photos should feel free, please be sure to credit Ascending Butterfly and link to us! And if you are also open to sharing your Niche Mommy photos, please post the link to them  here!)

What are YOU most grateful for this week Butterfly?

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

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

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

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

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Giveaways!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Giveaways will be back very soon, including our two favorite regular features that took a mini-hiatus this summer, The Featured Handbag in the Spotlight, and our Monthly Book Club! And look for a fun Britax Giveaway which I will post very SOON!

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Gratitude Journal Reco:

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

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

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FTC Disclosure: Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link. Questions about our Disclosure?  I am a member of the Britax Latina Advisory Board and Hispanic Social Outreach Blogger Campaign via Mami Innovative Media, being part of this ambassadorship does come with copensation and incentives, however my opinions are 100% my own. I am not required to share my experiences about the Niche Mommy Conference or New Orleans, nor am I being compensated to do so. I did enjoy the conference and the City and am happy to share my experiences!