I am Unapologetically Strong and it's my Goal to help YOU to be too! #DegreeStrong

I can't remember when exactly it was that I became aware of being strong. Of being 'Unapologetically Strong.'

Was it after battling my first bully in elementary school? Who was a big tall boy by the way, one who had everyone terrorized because his Dad worked in the school, so many people would take his abuse because they felt they had no one to tell, and that if they did, the person would certainly take his side instead of theirs. The very first time he picked on me, I gave it right back and when he challenged me to a fight that day after school. I was there. With my super long hair tied up in a bun and my face slathered with Vaseline!

Was it the male bully in my neighborhood who kept picking on me and when he hit me, I hit him on the head with my Kabangers (also known back then as Klik Klaks)? He ended up VERY sorry he hit me, if anyone had that toy they know just how deadly a weapon they actually were! (In fact injuries is the main reason that toy ended up being recalled!)

Was it losing my Grandmother, Great-Grandmother and Father in the same year?

Was it in high school when my school forced all girls into a gym class called 'modern dance' and because I refused to wear the skimpy outfit and dance around in hippie circles with plastic garbage bags and I insisted on my gym being changed so I was put in the 'weightlifting' class where I of course was the only girl in the class, is that when I realized I was Un-Apologetically Strong? Probably Not.

Or was it in College when my mom began her battle with Cancer and I was working part time with a full time course load and labs during the weekends (I was on a 'pre-med' track at that point which is why I had so many science labs on weekends) that I realized I was 'Strong'? I changed majors but kept my part time jobs and still went to the hospital every single day.

Somehow I've risen to each and every challenge life threw my way, but I started this year with my biggest one yet, being told I myself was on 'borrowed time' because a mass had been found on my Lung. And after several exploratory surgeries, (where I actually WOKE up during), and two different almost month long hospital stays in two different hospitals after the first one almost killed me via various acts of negligence, it was THEN that I realized I went beyond 'regular Strong'. It was this experience that helped me understand I truly am Unapologetically Strong.

I've spent many years being 'that' person. The one everyone comes to for help, advice, and guidance when the chips are down. The one who could solve it. The one who could figure it out. Whether it was for tech help, electronics, life advice. I was somehow everyone's life coach. The one who turned the lemons into lemonade.

From that stupid weight training class where I was the only girl, I learned that when I worked up a sweat, it made my problems disappear while I trained. And I took it all with me, well after that class whenever I was having a bad day, I'd crank up power music playlists and I'd train until my muscles felt like goo and I was drenched in sweat, then I'd jump in the shower, and go about my day. Being active has somehow always had that effect on me, when I would go horseback riding and would get to ride fast is when I felt most alive.

Right now I'm not yet allowed to resume a full workout routine, but I will get there again. Slowly but surely.

In 2009 I was looking for a site where I could find some kind of motivation and inspiration in a way that would help me truly remember it. And I couldn't find what I was looking for so I created it. I started a site that focused on affirmational breathing excercises daily. A way to 'breathe your way' into a better day. That site, Ascending Butterfly, much like me has evolved quite a bit since then, but much like me, is still the place whose mission statement is 'to seek out and share the best sources of inspiration both on and offline'.

I can tell you that Life will test your resolve and your mettle each and every single day! It's HOW you face the challenges that determine your strength. Do you keep trying? Do you keep fighting? ~ Ascending Butterfly

Graphic Reads: I won't apologize for who I am

What moment in your life made you realize that you were 'Un-apologetically Strong'?

WIN FOR SHARING: Don't just share it with us, share your unique and inspiring Unapologetically Strong story on the Degree Women® Facebook page for a chance to win a grand prize of $5,000 to spend on achieving your goal, how awesome is that? The Facebook contest runs from September 12th through September 26th.

It's like kismet that I was asked to participate in this campaign, as we have recently announced our new feature on Ascending Butterfly called 'Inspiration Corner' where we will feature someone and find out who or what inspires them! You can participate in this feature too by leaving your email (formatted for security purposes on this or the original post) and we will email you some questions! Each month we will feature someone new!

Degree® Clinical Protection Deodorant with motionSENSE™ Technology

Last year I took my first ever live Zumba class thanks to Degree® Women Deodorant with motionSENSE™ technology which you can read all about HERE. I greatly enjoyed the class, and I even got the game for the Wii so I could keep up the fun at home! And since that day which is when I first started using Degree, I switched from my old brand to Degree and have never looked back! This year I was sent a different scent to try out called 'Cotton Fresh' and I LOVE it! This deodorant really works for me, and living in this walking city I can truly work up a sweat before I even get to the gym! Trains are certainly a hot, sweaty place especially in the summer in New York City!

I'm the one all the way in the back the person right near the exit sign, this was taken last year, at my first ever live Zumba Class sponsored by Degree!

Get Social With it:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - “like” Degree Women^® on Facebook
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - follow Degree Women on Twitter at @DegreeWomen

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post from One2One Network and Degree Women^®. I received product for review and this post makes me eligible for additional incentives. All opinions stated are my own.

Snow White & The Huntsman DVD Release Party hosted by Yellowtail Wine!

With me being a life long New Yorker, normally today we'd focus on 09/11, but I frankly needed to wrap my mind around something else. Something not related to that horrible day that I can still remember in vivid detail, I also needed a mental break from Fashion Week madness, and for me when I need a mental break my favorite way to go is a movie! And preferably a good thriller or horror movie!

Today is the release of NBCUniversal's Snow White & The Huntsman on DVD, and of the two recent Snow White remakes, this one is most definitely my favorite of the two. It's a lot darker, this New Vision Turns a Legendary Tale Into a Visually Stunning, Epic action-Adventure Featuring All Star Cast Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth.

Pulse Pounding Trailer Anyone?

SYNOPSIS: SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

In this spectacular action-adventure, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) is Snow White, the only woman in the land fairer than the evil queen Ravenna (Oscar^® winner Charlize Theron). Ravenna wants nothing more than to destroy her young rival, but she doesn’t know that Show White has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) the same huntsman that the queen dispatched to kill her. Together with a handsome prince (Sam Claflin) enchanted by Snow White’s beauty and power, they assemble an armed force to recapture the kingdom. Venture into a land of action fantasy, heroic battle scenes and visual wonder in Snow White and the Huntsman Extended Edition, coming to Blu-ray ™ Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand and Digital Download on September 11, 2012, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Packed with pulse-pounding battles, unmatched visual imagination and compelling characters, Snow White and the Huntsman is a wholly original adventure story told on an epic scale. From the splendor of the wicked Queen's enchanted palace to the menace of the Dark Forest, a breathtaking combination of harrowing beauty, epic battle scenes, visual wonder and jaw-dropping special effects make this film singularly suited for 
the incomparable high-definition picture and perfect hi-def 5.1 surround sound of Blu-ray ™.

THE RELEASE PARTY:

Yellow Tail Wine and NBCUniversal hosted a DVD Release Party last night at Gary's Loft that was FANTASTIC! The Penthouse of Gary's Loft was transformed into a 'Masquerade Meets Dark and Enchanted Forest' cocktail party complete with a Fortune Teller, Massages (courtesy of the fab team at Spa Chicks On The Go), a Candy Station, a make your own candy apple station (in honor of the poison apple in the fairy tale of course), a photo station with fun props where you given a commerative and framed 5X7 photo where your image is superimposed onto a castle backdrop taken by Verita Vision Photography, signature cocktails that blended in various Yellow Tail wines (with fun names like Snow White Crusader, The Huntsman's Kiss, Poison Tini and the Queens tini) and even a Yellow Tail Bubbles station (and by 'bubbles' I mean Champagne). It was a super fun evening, with prizes, a lovely swag bag and there were even folks dancing along to the great tunes being spun by the DJ!

Here are some pictures I captured during the Release Party:

When the elevator doors opened to the Penthouse, this is what you see! I always knew my Knight in Shining Armor would come bearing WINE! :)

Right Behind the Knight in Shining Armor was a 'Masks Tree' you were given the option of a white mask to represent for team Snow White or a Dark Mask to represent for the Queen! Can you guess which side I selected?

This large mask is actually a CHAIR! I took this picture without flash and it gave the appearance of blue eyes!

When I took the same shot over WITH Flash this time, the 'eyes' of the chair look almost black!

Check out Ascending Butterfly on the throne! (Cheeky I  know, couldn't resist!)  I chose 'the dark side mask' :-)

Mama Butterfly chose the 'dark side' as well, grabbed a pic of her sans mask!

Check out The Huntsman and Snow White Costumes!

We were able to step up to the mirror and ask the Fortune Teller a Question, I asked about Career, and Mama Butterfly asked about whether or not she'd ever be a Grandma, and he said yes! Hmmmmm <-I'm NOT so sure about that one! ;)

Check out the oversized mushroom next to one of the candy stations!

Pretty display of assorted Yellow Tail Wines!

Life in New York City couldn't get any sweeter than a handsome stranger pouring you something bubbly!

Left: Mama Butterfly Center: Almost shoulder high Huge Rose and Right: ME! Ascending Butterfly!

My Take:

I enjoyed BOTH the actual movie and the super fun release party! I say make it a movie night this weekend and don't forget a bottle of Yellow Tail Bubbles!

WANNA WIN?

Check out snowwhitekingdom.com for a chance to win some great prizes including a grand prize of a trip to Ireland! (I'm a bit addicted to this site, as it reminds me a bit of my favorite slot machine, Lord of the Rings!)

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Snow White and the Huntsman on Facebook connect on twitter using the hashtag #SWATH

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Yellow Tail on Facebook or follow them @yellowtail_usa on twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Spa Chicks On-The-Go on Facebook and follow @thespachick on twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - You can also connect with the Venue, Gary's Loft on Twitter @GarysLoft

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Verita Vision Photography on Facebook and connect with them on Twitter @verita_photo 

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored or compensated post. I did receive the DVD for editorial consideration, however all opinions and experiences expressed are 100% my own. I was also  massaged, fed and enjoyed some wonderful libations, a great evening indeed! :)

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! :)