Wordless Wednesday: Pictures from Vapiano's 10th Birthday Bash in New York City! {Photos}

On Monday, October 22, 2012 Vapiano's Restaurant celebrated it's 10th Birthday with a Blow Out Bash in New York City where bloggers, patrons, editors and New York's Social Elite enjoyed great food, great drinks and great service in style! Here are my photos from the birthday bash!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash, Wideshot of Bar as guests arrive!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash - The Aperol Spritz and Summer Sangria were the Signature Drinks for the Bash!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash Close Up of Aperol Spritz Signature Drink! Prosecco and Bitters and an Orange Garnish are all a part of the magic in this cocktail!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash - And then there were two! Aperol Spritz Signature Event Drink with an Orange Garnish!

Above: Signature Drinks and Appetizers for two at Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Anniversary Birthday Bash! Read more here: 

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash DJ Mixes Music during the Bash!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash - This Little Cutie tried to make off with the Balloons!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash Menu!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash Pizza Americana - Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Spicy Italian Sausage, Sliced Sicilian Pepperoni

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash Granchi De Fiume - Crayfish, Lobster Sauce, Fresh Vegetables and your choice of pasta, I selected the Penne Pasta - YUMMO!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash Staff and (Center) Managing Partner, Christophe Scherman and patrons mingle during the Birthday Bash!

For my fellow New Yorkers you should definitely check this place out and for those visiting New York City, the proximity of the Restaurant to NYC Landmark Union Square makes this a must visit! I greatly enjoyed the Birthday Bash and thank the team at Vapiano Restaurant for their amazing hospitality and attentive service!

Butterfly Bloggers be sure to link up your Wordless Wednesday Posts as a comment to this thread, and if you haven't already done so, don't forget to enter our Nicole Miller Designer Handbag Giveaway of the 'Addison' Style Crossbody Leather Handbag, you have until October 31st to put in an entry to win, the bag has an ARV of $295 and there will be ONE winner!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. No monetary compensation has been received to share my event recap of the Vapiano Restaurant 10th Birthday Bash.

Global Motherhood Unites Mothers Around The World #InspireCare

These photos represent a few of the many programs supported by Johnson & Johnson and its partner organizations to serve the health and well-being of communities and people around the world. Read more about these programs and others by visiting: http://www.jnj.com/connect/caring/

Have you ever stopped to think about the Global Impact of Motherhood? It's certainly very common to think that Mothers solely impact their children and so easy to forget that the impact of a Mother is actually much wider spread! The values that you are instilling in your child affect every single person your child comes in contact with.

That was then:

Left: Mama Butterfly, Right: (A very young) Ascending Butterfly

For me, my inspiration and my example is my Mom, she has faced more challenges in her lifetime than this post has room for, but it's her grace under fire and strong example that has been my greatest legacy and greatest gift from her. My Father passed away when I was very young and my Mother had to be a Mom and a Dad and a sole provider for her family, and a caregiver to her own Mother at a very early age which certainly wasn't easy. She made it all look easy though!

And this year when I faced an incredibly daunting Medical Challenge she was right there with me the whole time! As a Cancer Survivor she was able to help me overcome my own Medical Setback and help me to navigate the difficult waters that patients run into when it comes to the Medical System.

This is now:

Left: Ascending Butterfly, Right: Mama Butterfly at 'Toast to Survivors' Luncheon

Johnson & Johnson and its partners support many programs that meet and cater to the needs of moms and babies in the United States and around the world.  They have been committed, for many years, to touching more than one billion people’s lives daily through health care products, services, and a variety of programs that cater to the needs of the community.  At this year’s LATISM 2012 conference, they will be presenting some of these programs under the theme “global motherhood.” If you are attending the conference, be sure to visit suite Arboretum II during the LATISM 2012 conference to talk to Johnson & Johnson and its partners about its global motherhood initiatives.

Not attending the conference? No worries, you can get involved by helping to raise awareness for global motherhood by using your social networks to help spread the word! By using the Hashtag #InspireCare on twitter you can not only read stories about Motherhood across a wide variety of Blogs, you can also join in the conversation and raise awareness in support of Johnson & Johnson's Global Efforts!

And because you know I love ending things with a question so you can join in the conversation, here are today's questions:

What inspires you to make sure that your family is healthy and thriving every day? Is there a person who inspires you to be the best mother you can be?

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FTC Disclosure: This sponsored post was written as part of a blogging campaign via Johnson & Johnson and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are 100% my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Questions about our Disclosure? Visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

Weekly Moment of #Gratitude! - What are YOU Grateful for today? #inspiration

What I am grateful for:

Ascending Butterfly and Mama Butterfly at the 'Toast to Survivors' Luncheon  in New York City hosted  by actress Kristin Chenoweth

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Great Event! -  I got to attend a very special event in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, which I recapped originally HERE. If you haven't already done so, celebrate a survivor in your life this month! My Mama Butterfly is a Cancer Survivor and she is my daily inspiration, I'm so glad we were able to attend this luncheon together!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Amazing Mail Week! - As a Digital Journalist, I'm taking my mail week and incredibly hectic schedule as a sign of optimism that the economy is starting to turn around!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digital Free Day! - I have been taking a digital free at least once a week, it has not been easy I will tell you, I'm the type of person that always feels like each moment should be productive, and as a small business owner maximizing my time requires a lot of hours, but these digital free days have been very much needed and I plan to continue doing so. Difficult, but I will be very grateful during the holidays if I can keep this up! No more sneaking the smartphone to the bathroom to answer '1 more email'. :-)

What are YOU most grateful for this week Butterfly? What will you do to get this week off to a good start?

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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 - I am super happy to announce that our regular and highly anticipated 'Featured Handbag in the Spotlight' is back! If you haven't put in your entry this month, there is still time! Enter our Nicole Miller Addison Crossbody Designer Handbag Giveaway today! ARV $295, there will be 1 winner and you have until 10/31/2012 to get in all of your entries! (It's all treats, no tricks for my butterflies!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Thinking Halloween Candy? Let Ascending Butterfly and Hershey's start you off with a bag of treats! There is still time to enter our HERSHEY’S® BOO BLVD. - Throwing the Perfect Halloween Bash! + Treats #Giveaway

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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? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html - Please note this is not a compensated post! Our gratitude posts are always NON-Sponsored.

Things to do with the little ones this weekend: Boo at the Zoo! and Ascarium! Score some fun freebies too!

Boo at the Zoo!

As part of the month long Boo at the Zoo  festivities at New York's famous Bronx Zoo, they are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Goosebumps - Scholastic’s bestselling series by fright-master R.L. Stine. This weekend, October 20th and 21st, the first 1,000 kids aged 14 and under to arrive at the zoo will get a FREE copy of a Goosebumps book from Scholastic. 

Don't forget if you Buy 4 or more tickets you will receive an exclusive, limited-edition Boo at the Zoo Snake Hat Free when you visit during Boo at the Zoo, weekends now through October 28th. Children 12 and under wearing a Halloween costume will receive free general admission with one paid adult general admission! SCORE!

 

Thrills, Chills and Cute Animals too!

New York Aquarium 'Ascarium'

And don't forget to check out the New York Aquarium, also known as the 'Ascarium' for Halloween, Get ready for spooktacular fun at the Aquarium’s annual Halloween Celebration! This season’s Ascarium is a swashbuckling pirate adventure with nautical and pirate-themed activities for aquarium-goers of all ages. You and your little ones can journey through the Haunted Seafari Adventure, experience spooky pirate tales, enjoy sea shanty musical performances and gypsy dancers, and play pirate games of skill. 

Don’t miss the special Halloween 4-D feature, The Curse of Skull Rock, after collecting treats and venturing into the Haunted Seafari!

And don't forget, kids in costume get in for free. Each child (ages 3-12; children under 3 are free) in costume will receive a free child's general admission with the purchase of one full-priced adult general admission ticket. Limit two per family, may not be combined with any other offer.

Both the Zoo and Aquarium will be offering 'Treat Stations' making your visit to each that much sweeter!

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Disclaimer: Ascending Butterfly is participating in a sponsored ambassador program from the Bronx Zoo/NY Aquarium. As a part of this program we have received paid advertising compensation, a premium family membership and merchandise for placement of digital advertisements and specific postings related to programming. However all opinions are 100% my own. And I have been visiting this particular zoo since my childhood!

MARTINI, The Moms, & Kristin Chenoweth 'Toast to Survivors' Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon #BCAM #martiniminis

On Monday, October 15th I got the opportunity to attend a very special event. The 'Toast to Survivors' Luncheon which was held in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Alison Eighteen Restaurant in the Chelsea area of Manhattan, New York City. The event celebrated strong and beautiful women and toasted them with MARTINI Sparkling Rose. Television personalities Denise Albert and Melissa Gerstein, known collectively as 'The Moms', along with speakers Elizabeth Chabner Thompson, MD, MPH, Debbi Musen, Dee Dee Ricks and celebrity guest actress Kristen Chenoweth all shared their personal stories, and MARTINI donated $10,000 to Kristin Chenoweth's Charity, Maddie's Corner, to be allocated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Right Action for Women.

Here are some event highlights:

Debbi Musen, Breast Cancer Survivor and mom of 'The Moms', Melissa Gerstein speaks about her battle with Breast Cancer.

Debbi Musen, Breast Cancer Survivor and mom of 'The Moms', Melissa Gerstein speaks about her battle with Breast Cancer.

Debbi Musen, Breast Cancer Survivor and mom of 'The Moms', Melissa Gerstein speaks about her battle with Breast Cancer, her daughter Melissa is standing on the right hand side of the shot.

Debbi Musen, Breast Cancer Survivor and mom of 'The Moms', Melissa Gerstein speaks about her battle with Breast Cancer, her daughter Melissa is standing on the right hand side of the shot. I don't know how Melissa was able to hear her mom recount her story without breaking down herself! She remained incredibly composed. I for one was trying very hard to hold back tears during the entire luncheon!

Above: Debbi Musen concludes and her daughter Melissa is on hand with a hug!

Above: Speaker Dee Dee Ricks, a Patient Advocate and  Survivor, named among Wall Street's Most Powerful Women!

Above: When Dee Dee Ricks quoted Harold P. Freeman of the Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute of which Ricks is chairman, by saying "Poverty should not be an offense punishable by death" There was applause throughout the entire room!

Above: The Moms thank speaker Dee Dee Ricks

Above: The daughter of a breast cancer survivor and a patient herself, Elizabeth Chabner Thompson, MD, MPH, as a Radiation Oncologist she learned the most about the Battle when she went through it herself, it's not so easy when someone who is normally on the other side of things experiences it first hand. Her organization, Best Friends for Life, has a mission to improve the patient experience and the BFFL bags that are distributed to patients (directly now from various hospitals) is packed full of everything a breast cancer patient needs during treatments.

Above: Right before Kristen Chenoweth was about to take the stage!

Above: Kristen Chenoweth takes the stage and greets Melissa Gerstein with a Kiss, to the right  Denise Albert

Kristin was in a bad accident this past summer, she cried to her mother, "Why Me?" Her mother gave her excellent advice. She said, "Why not you? Don't say why me, say why not me and deal with it."

Earlier one of the speakers asked if there were survivors in the room, by number of years, my mom raised her hand when they asked if there were any survivors over 10 years in the room, Kristen remembered that my mom had raised her hand, and she was pointing to her when this shot was taken, which is why this picture is particularly special to me!

Kristen Chenoweth thanks event sponsors MARTINI Wines who sponsored the 'Toast to Survivors' Luncheon and provided Sparkling Rose!

Tony and Emmy award winning actress Kristen Chenoweth took time off years ago to care for her mother as her mother battled Breast Cancer she shared her story with warmth, openness and an endearing grace and humor!

 

MARTINI Wines presented Kristen Chenoweth with a check for $10,000 for her charity, Maddie's Corner!

Kristen Chenoweth receives a check for $10,000 for her charity Maddie's Corner,  as you can see she was genuinely touched and very grateful for the support for her cause!

Above: Left: Melissa Gerstein, Center: Kristen Chenoweth, Right: Denise Albert all wearing lovely pink  dresses and bracelets in support of Breast Cancer Awareness during the Questions and Answers Session at the "Toast to Survivors" Luncheon held at Alison Eighteen in New York City.

Above: Left: Melissa Gerstein, Center: Kristen Chenoweth, Right: Denise Albert all wearing lovely pink  dresses and bracelets in support of Breast Cancer Awareness during Questions and Answers Session at the "Toast to Survivors" Luncheon held at Alison Eighteen in New York City.

Above: Left: Melissa Gerstein, Center: Kristen Chenoweth, Right: Denise Albert all wearing lovely pink  dresses and bracelets in support of Breast Cancer Awareness during Questions and Answers Session at the "Toast to Survivors" Luncheon held at Alison Eighteen in New York City.

Left: Denise Albert, Right: Melissa Gerstein collectively known as 'The Moms' wrap up another amazing Mamarazzi event in New York City!

Above: Kristen Chenoweth poses for pictures during MARTINI and The Moms Mamarazzi 'Toast to Survivors' Luncheon in New York City

Left: Denise Albert, Dee Dee Ricks, Center: Elizabeth Chabner Thompson, Debbi Musen, Far Right: Melissa Gerstein, Pro Image Used WITH Permission. 'Toast To Survivors' Luncheon, New York City.

Left: Denise Albert, Center: Kristen Chenoweth, Right: Melissa Gerstein

Above: 'Toast to Survivors' Luncheon Sponsor, MARTINI, provided their Sparkling Rose to attendees

These lovely ladies kept the MARTINI Sparkling Rose flowing !

Right: Denise Albert and her lovely mom!

Left: Melissa Gerstein and her lovely mom, Right: Debbi Musen, Survivor and event speaker at the 'Toast to Survivors' luncheon in New York City!

Above: Left: Ascending Butterfly, Right: Mama Butterfly

It was an amazingly emotional but wonderful event and I'm honored to have been invited. All the speakers were amazing. It's not easy to be that honest and raw about an experience that is so harrowing. I know full well just how vulnerable hospitals make you feel. All of the speakers faced their battles with humor and grace, and if during the battle of their lives they could remain inspired, so can YOU. My mom is my inspiration and example, she is a survivor too, and I loved that she was able to share this day with me! As you know I'm not prone to featuring Celebrities on Ascending Butterfly, my exception is when they are involved in giving back. I don't care where celebs eat or shop. I don't care what they wear. But when they are doing something for the greater good, I am more than happy to share that! Anyone who is willing to stand up and share their story to make things easier for the next person is someone who will always have my admiration and respect! As always, The Moms pulled off another incredible event. I don't know how they do it!

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FTC: Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. No monetary compensation has been received to share my recap coverage of this event. And before other PR firms and brands get excited, Ascending Butterfly will only post about or recap events we have attended personally. If we did NOT attend we will not post about it here!