Get your #makeup bag ready for Spring! Win the new @janeiredale PureGloss Lip Gloss and Longest Lash Thickening & Lengthening #Mascara

Very slowly here in New York City I'm sensing signs of Spring, the little birds chirping outside the window, and families preparing for Easter. Like most, I wish Punxsutawney Phil has been a bit more accurate about Spring coming early, as we are actually expecting more snow this week which I am NOT looking forward to!

Since my birthday is in early April, I thought I'd host a fun giveaway countdown to my birthday called 'It's MY birthday but YOU get the gifts', and to get ourselves in a festive mood, why not start with a beauty giveaway?

A few years ago I read about using your birthday as your actual 'new year' and not the calendar new year, and I thought that was a fantastic idea! Your birthday is always a great time to take stock of where you've been, where you are, and where you WANT to be.

Back in late February, I shared with you about getting a sneak peek at fab new products for lashes and lips from Jane Iredale Cosmetics for Spring, in case you missed it, you can check it out HERE. And as promised I reached out to the team and arranged to get these fab goodies in your hands just in time for Spring. This way if you are anything like me and clear out your bag seasonally, you can get rid of that mascara of yours (remember the longer you keep it, the more likely it will clump on your lashes, or irritate your eyes), I can't stress enough how important it is to rotate your mascaras frequently whether you consider yourself to have sensitive eyes or not! And I also like to update my lip and eye shadow colors for the new season ahead!

This year I want to be a bit bolder and more dramatic with my makeup, and try out not so much just new trends, but explore which products bring out a bolder and more fun me. I have had so much fun playing with the new Jane Iredale Goodies I got to try out and wanted you to have some fun also!

About PureGloss Lip Gloss

I love that Jane is so innovative and decided to take a good thing and make it that much better! The New PureGloss touts many benefits including:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Organic Oils

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Moringa Butter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Lotus Flower Wax

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Orange Peel Wax

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blackberry Extracts

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pomegranate Extracts

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - anti-oxidants

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vitamin C

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vitamin E

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - New improved flatter packaging

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - New improved longer wand so you get the most product from the tube with less waste

And with 18 flattering shades, much like a pringles, I challenge you to be able to settle on just one! You are going to want ALL of these shades ladies!

Longest Lash Lengthening and Thickening Mascara

Longest Lash Thickening & Lengthening Mascara

Much like the PureGloss Lip Gloss, the Longest Lash Thickening & Lengthening Mascara has a new improved flatter packaging and new improved longer wand so you get the most product from the tube with less waste!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - This is a Vegan/Gluten product

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Cruelty Free

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Formulated with a proprietary blend of seaweed lipids to condition, moisturize and protect lashes.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Reduces Splitting and Breaking

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Free of lacquers, shellac and petroleum

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Resistant to smearing and flaking

My Take:

I love that I can create a wide variety of looks with Jane's products, I can go from day to night with ease all the while knowing I am doing something GOOD for my skin! If you take a moment to read the product testimonials on their site, you'll see good reviews and reviews from users who weren't 100% satisfied, but the difference is, when Jane Iredale Cosmetics gets a less than glowing review, they really want to know WHY the product didn't work, and they actually go back to the lab and find ways to make their products better! Can we satisfy 100% of the people 100% of the time, of course not, but it's nice to see a brand take user feedback so seriously that they keep re-formulating, and bringing new innovations to products that are already best-selling favorites. The newly re-formulated PureGloss Lip Gloss and the Longest Lash Thickening & Lengthening Mascara is proof in the pudding that Jane is really reading your messages and taking your ideas into account. 

How great is it to finally have a product that you can get the most from the tube as possible? That idea benefits US more than it does the brand which is one of the things I think is so cool about it!

Get Social With It:

Don't forget that you will get extra credit in the giveaway for doing so!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 'Like' Jane Iredale on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @janeiredale

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Become a pin friend by following Jane Iredale on Pinterest

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Want to see Jane Iredale's products in action? Follow Jane on YouTube!

Win It:

When I told my friends at Jane Iredale that it was my birthday and I wanted my readers to share in the gifts, they were more than happy to join in the fun! Win the PureGloss Lip Gloss shade and the Longest Lash Thickening & Lengthening Mascara in the shade of your choice (this is based on product availability at the time of the drawing so pick a few shades just in case!). Let Jane Iredale and Ascending Butterfly pimp those makeup bags for Spring!

Enter using the Rafflecopter Form below, as always, the first entry is easy peasy, and how much extra credit you do is up to you, but you have to be in it to win it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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FTC Disclosure: Jane Iredale provided us with the cosmetics featured for editorial consideration, and will be providing prizing for one winner. Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. Neither Ascending Butterfly nor contest sponsor will be held responsible for lost or mis-directed mail. See full Giveaway and Disclosure Policy HERE

Who won the Ascending Butterfly Monthly Book Club Title for March? Is it YOU?

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Sandy V. who won our Ascending Butterfly Monthly Book Club Title for March: Little Angels: Simple Prayers for Everyday! (She was entrant #23!) Join me in congratulating Sandy!

This was our first childrens book, do you want to see us include more titles for children in our monthly book club?  or is the Book Club your escape so you'd like solely adult titles? Please sound off and let us know, we are always trying to improve upon our reviews and giveaways and bring you items we know for sure you are interested in! Next month we go back to an Adult book for the Book Club Feature!

{ENDING SOON}: Don't forget that the 100 Business Cards from Tiny Prints Giveaway ends SOON! So for those of you ramping up and getting yourself ready for Blogging Conferences this Spring, you are definitely going to need creative cards to help you stand out! Tiny Prints offers Custom Designed Cards for a very reasonable price, but what price is better than FREE? So go ahead and enter, you've got to be in it to win it!

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FTC Disclosure: This winner announcement is NOT sponsored or compensated. Giveaway sponsors for all giveaways are responsible for prize fulfillment. Ascending Butterfly and Giveaway Sponsors are NOT responsible for lost or mis-directed mail or prizes damaged in transit.

I want to be #Latina health leader for @Hispanicize 2013 #UHCLatino #Hispz13

Ascending Butterfly was established in 2009 to create a space online that I couldn't find, one that shared motivational messages with an emphasis on breathing affirmational meditations. I love reading quote of the day type posts, but realized shortly after reading them I'd forget them. I wanted to find a way to make quotes, motivations and positive life lessons memorable, and the breathing affirmations helped to bring those to life and sharing not just the motivation and the breathing affirmation, but how I applied them in my day to day life gave me a true 'mind, body and soul' approach to wellness and wellbeing.

About two years later, I wanted to get myself in better shape and began including healthy changes in lifestyle that included recipe substitutions, getting more active (even incorporating my Wii and Wii Fitness into my daily routine) and had actually dropped 3 dress sizes and 26 pounds. Our most popular recipe substitution posts based on your views: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/2011/07/healthify-your-summer-with-fage.html, and: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/2011/07/healthify-your-summer-with-fage-recipe.html, and: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/2011/08/healthify-your-summer-with-fage-recipe.html)

Things were going very well, both body, mind, and soul as well as physically, until New Years Eve, December 31st of 2011 I was experiencing severe pains in my lower chest region and couldn't lift one of my arms at all without being in agonizing pain. The ambulance of course assumed heart attack, but after a battery of testing and two days in the E.R., a specialist that is a 35 year veteran in her field, diagnosed with me a lung mass that they all felt was end stage cancer that had already spread to my bones (which would explain the pain near my rib cage) and that I had maybe hours at best to get my affairs in order. I was told I might not even  get to ring 2012 in, nevertheless see it end, and be here alive and kicking now in 2013.

I shared my journey here every step of the way. As a non-smoker (I mean like never even tried it) who has always lived a reasonably healthy lifestyle, my family and I were confused, devasted and rightfully so, angry.  I knew I had only one choice and that was to cast aside fear and with total faith, fight with every ounce of strength I had. (This post leads back to the whole saga and links to posts that outline what I experienced in more detail, it's called 'Thank You + Not Quite the way I had in mind to lose more weight')

And fight I have, I spent 2012 in and out of THREE different leading New York City Hospitals meeting with specialist after specialist across a variety of areas and teams. Each one more baffled by my case than the one before. In fact, 2 hospitals still use me as a case study and every doctor, from experienced to intern knows my story.

Sometimes my over a year nightmare seems like a blur, a distant and faded memory and some days it all comes back to me like a freight train. Today was a 'freight train' day for me, today it all came back to me as I was riding the express bus back from the city home and passed the hospital I stayed at most recently. I also go back to that hospital every 6 months for a repeat catscan, in fact I just had one recently.

I think of all the pain, the exploratory surgeries, particularly the one I woke up during and literally felt everything, and the care at the different hospitals both the good and bad. It sometimes seems surreal. Until something reminds you and brings it all flooding back.

When I got home and saw a post on the Hispanic Marketing and Online Media Facebook Group that United Healthcare is running an essay contest looking for someone to be a Latino Health Leader at this year's Hispanicize Conference, I literally jumped out of my chair because I knew it would be perfect for me!

At age 5 I spent most of Kindegarten in hospitals while my mother served as caregiver to both my grand-mother and great-grandmother, (her mother and grand-mother) who were both battling Cancer, as well as my Dad, all who passed within 3 months of each other. My mother, 'Mama Butterfly' as we call her around here, battled cancer twice, and she was by my bed in the E.R. when that specialist told me I wouldn't ring in another year.

Yet here I am not only still standing, but thriving, and I know for a fact that the healthy changes I had been making in my lifestyle well before all this started are what kept me alive.

It took me awhile to get the courage to share my story, but as flowers arrived to the hospital and my emails and social media pages were overloaded with messages to get well soon, and other readers were brave enough to share their battles with Breast Cancer and other life and death medical scares so that I would know I am not alone, I decided it was time for me to do the same. My story is a pretty unique one, so my dear butterflies don't allow yourself to be fooled by mis-conceptions, even the person who doesn't smoke, did NOT grow up in a house where they were exposed to second-hand smoke and living a healthy lifestyle can still end up in a hospital bed fighting for their lives!

I know I would make a powerful voice as United Healthcare's Latina Health Leader at Hispanicize, I was already well aware of how small but impactful lifestyle changes could improve things for the better, but after spending a year fighting for my life, now more than ever I truly understand that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure!

Check out this YouTube Segment called Hispanic Health on the Run:

There are mis-conceptions being brought to light in this video that not only affect the Hispanic Community but America at large! This nation and generation may very well be 'Super-Sizing' itself to death!

Oddly enough I had been invited to speak at Hispanicize this year on the topic of Lifestyle Blogging already, and somehow I saw this as a sign from the Universe that I really should challenge myself this year, and a sign I'm definitely meant to attend this conference! But with Medical Bills still very much being a huge battle for me to contend with, getting to Hispanicize is certainly going to take some help!

There is a quick and easy way to help support me as a nominee, it's as easy as copy and pasting this as a tweet:

I want @Tracy_Iglesias of @Ascending1 to be the #Latina health leader for @Hispanicize 2013 #UHCLatino #Hispz13

I think the Universe is telling me it's time to take my story from the behind the keyboard to in front of the public, and if it will motivate just one person to make the daily changes necessary to improve their habits and lifestyle then in my opinion it will be well worth it!

My path to well-being is ongoing, and I'm filled with gratitude because on this same day, one year to the date I was on my second hospital stay at a second hospital, being released in April just hours before my birthday. I have come such a long way from where I found myself just one year ago. And I tell you all the same thing, if I could overcome and triumph despite the obstacles I faced and still face, so can YOU Butterflies, seize every single day and every single opportunity that comes your way!

If you do tweet, please share the link to your tweet here as a comment!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received by Ascending Butterfly. However this post is an essay entry to a contest that offers the winner a chance to attend the Hispanicize 2013 Conference as a sponsored guest.

The Croods + Questions and Answers with Actress Catherine Keener and Directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco!

Da Da Daaaa! By now I'm sure you've seen the super cute commercials for the upcoming movie The Croods.

About The Movie:

The Croods tells the story of the world's first family road trip. When their cave is destroyed, the Crood family must embark on a comedy adventure into strange and spectacular territory in search of a new home. As if patriarch Grug (voiced by Nicolas Cage) didn't already have enough to handle, it goes from bad to worse when they encounter an imaginative nomad named Guy (voiced by Ryan Reynolds.) With Guy's help the Croods conquer their fear of the outside world and discover that they have exactly what it takes to survive - each other.

The Cast:

Crug (The Dad) is voiced by Nicolas Cage

Ugga (The Mom) is voiced by Catherine Keener

Eep (Daughter) is voiced by Emma Stone

Gran (Grandmother, Ugga's Mom) is voiced by Cloris Leachman

Thunk (Son) is voiced by Clark Duke

Sandy (baby) is voiced by Randy Thom

Guy (The New Guy) is voiced by Ryan Reynolds

Belt (The Sloth) is voiced by Chris Sanders (III)

The Event:

As you know Mamarazzi screenings with The Moms are not your typical movie screenings, they are EVENTS! This screening was followed by a Questions and Answers Session with the films two directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco as well as Actress Catherine Keener the voice of Ugga who is the family matriarch in DreamWorks animated film The Croods.

You know me, I like to take you through the event via photos from begining to end so you can see everything I got to see! Before we got upstairs a very special mascot made his entry in the lobby and caused quite a bit of excitement, it was BELT!!! So when we got upstairs there he was so we could take pictures, and you know I love Mascot photos (as all my photos from most BlogHer Conferences are with the Mascots I find on the exhibitor floor!).

Left: Ascending Butterfly, Center: Belt Mascot from DreamWorks Pictures The Croods, Right: Mama Butterfly

My eyes were closed in the first photo above, so thankfully they got another one!

Now we're talking! DA DA DAAAAA!

And there was another cute photo opp waiting at the entrance to the auditorium:

I didn't dare sit on that little chair, so I snapped a picture of it!

And there was cute Crood branded Popcorn Bags at the ready for us too!

The screening was followed by a Questions and Answers Session led by Denise Albert and Melissa Gerstein the dynamic duo behind The Moms, Catherine Keener the voice of Ugga, and directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco!

Below is a video with Questions and Answers that were asked prior to the audience Q&A but it opens with some of the pre-screening reception and don't blink because I'm in the beginning of this video posing for my picture with Mama Butterfly and Belt!

I can see why Actress Kristen Bell likes Sloths, Belt is kind of sweet and cuddly! Here are my photos from the Questions and Answers Session, thankfully it's accompanied by the video of the session as my shots weren't super clear. (This butterfly definitely needs a new camera!)

Left: Denise Albert from 'The Moms', Center: Actress Catherine Keener, to Catherine's Right  Director Chris Sanders, Far Right: Kirk DeMicco

Left: Catherine Keener (Voice of Ugga in DreamWorks Pictures The Croods), Center: Director Chris Sanders, Right: Director Kirk DeMicco

Left: Vincent DiCaro, Director of Public Affairs, National Fatherhood Initiative, Right: Denise Albert from 'The Moms'

Here is the Video of the Questions and Answers Session:

My Take:

The Croods is good family fun for ALL ages! While I did enjoy Oz The Great Powerful, that movie is definitely for older children and teens, while The Croods is good for all ages. It touches on so many different aspects of what being a family means, and the great lessons they learn along the way when they were forced to embrace change ready or not. Parents learning how to let their children grow and go, and the struggles that children go through when they want more freedom than they may necessarily be quite ready for.

The Croods hits theaters on March 22nd and I would definitely say it's a 'Ticket' if you are looking for a family friendly film that is fun for all ages!

Once you've had a chance to see it, come back here and let us know what you thought! And Bloggers feel free to link us to your Wordless Wednesday Posts here too!

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FTC Disclosure: Ascending Butterfly attended a Private Screening of DreamWorks Pictures The Croods, we were provided with snacks and a gift bag, however this is NOT a sponsored post and no monetary compensation has been received to share our screening experience or film review. Full disclosure policy: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

Review of the HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart All-in-One Desktop PC with Beats Audio!

As a Blogger and Social Media Influencer I feel it is just as important to praise brands when they get it right as it is to use social to reach them when things go terribly wrong. We sometimes forget to praise as quickly as we tend to complain as consumers. Brands need to know it when they are doing a great job too!

Straight out of College I began doing Graphic Design work, and my first post College Computer in the workplace was actually a Mac, but I was so used to PC's that I had a PC at home and used the Mac at work during the day. Don't get me wrong, I'm equally proficient on both platforms to be totally honest with you, I can shift from one to the other with relative ease. Once I changed jobs I ended up in a more conservative environment, which meant going back to PC's and my next workplace computer was an HP.

After a very sad breakup with both DELL and Gateway, and a brief happy romance with a Compaq that outlasted many of the computers purchased to replace it, I made the foray into HP at home. Since I loved the HP I was using at work at the time, I thought I'd try them at home, and I bought an HP printer to go with it. That printer would actually go on to last over 10 years, but the desktop? Not so much. It didn't even survive 30 days. It took quite a bit of effort on my part to get help with this (yes this was pre-facebook and twitter), but eventually I did find help, and they did replace it, but the replacement didn't last even 6 months. I was NOT a happy camper. I was bent for some reason on the HP Pavilion Model, and both myself and my cousin who is a photographer both got lemons whose hard drives konked out before the 30 day mark. He switched brands, but I couldn't, I kept trying.

To make a long story short, between desktops and laptops I've had 3 bad HP desktops and 3 bad HP laptops, that is across the span of 20 years though. In my eyes that's NOT a bad track record. I will say it was mixed how it was handled each time, and it got better after the advent of Social Media as a customer service tool. The last experience with an HP Pavilion before I switched out from that particular model was the worst because they chose to replace it with a refurbished machine that didn't last very long. So after that I switched brands for awhile, but ended up trying HP again when I found the HP TouchSmart IQ846 Desktop PC on Amazon at a great price and that coupled with some Amazon Gift Certificates I had stored up just made it too good to pass up on.

I loved that PC and it actually lasted the longest any HP computer has ever held up for me, 4 years, and it was still working, just super slow and I knew it wouldn't last long, and let's face technology gets outdated, it just made sense to start over. And that's where a blog campaign comes in, but it wasn't one I was personally participating in. HP launched a bloggers campaign for Holidays 2012 called #HPFamilyTime bloggers, and a series of reviews and giveaways hit the blogs, I went and read as many of the reviews as I could and on some sites I entered the corresponding giveaways, much to my surprise I won one! I entered the giveaway on She Scribes blog, so a HUGE thanks to her for hosting and to HP for sponsoring the giveaway.

I put it out into the Universe and made the effort to go with my intention, and got the result I was after! I was excited after reading the specs:

About the HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart All-in-One Desktop PC with Beats Audio:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 3rd Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-3220 dual-core processor [3.3GHz, 3MB Shared Cache ] Windows 8 or other operating system

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Go beyond the keyboard and mouse to get more from Windows 8. Swipe and tap using all 10 fingers on the Full-HD display. It gives “hands on” a whole new meaning.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Save space in style with all-in-one PC featuring a sleek, edge-to-edge glass design. Set up with as little as one wire, and free up even more limited space by mounting the HP ENVY 23 TouchSmart on a wall.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - optional solid-state drive, it delivers outstanding reliability day after day.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sync photos across your PC, smartphone, and tablet. Crop, rotate, add captions, and more. Then share in seconds with friends and family through your social networks. HP Connected Photo. Picture the fun.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sometimes only a face-to-face conversation will do. With the HP TrueVision HD Webcam, you always come off looking your best. Even in low light.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - With Beats Audio™ and an optional subwoofer, the HP ENVY 23 TouchSmart is designed for the best-sounding, richest audio experience available on a PC. So it sounds as amazing as it looks.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Get the most out of the tunes you love today and discover more music in a whole new way with HP Connected Music.

MY Take:

While I liked my HP TouchSmart IQ846 Desktop PC, my new HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart AIO has got it beat hands down! The things that were 'cons' for me about HP computers in the past, slow startup, overly bloated, shotty hard drives, have definitely all been addressed this time around. With Windows 8 the TouchSmart finally has the right dance partner! Windows 8 truly helps bring out what makes the TouchSmart so great, it's what you love about your favorite tablet, just bigger! It's smart, starts up at lightening speed, gives you literally everything you could want at your fingertips and the 1 Terabyte of built in storage means you can go nuts with music and photos (my two particular passions!).

I have had the opportunity to put this machine through it's paces, I will admit I hit my machines hard, I have A LOT of applications and programs open at the same time, client databases, spreadsheets, presentations, a TON of internet windows, and so far it's only given me 3 warnings about my browser using up to much memory. And for me that's good, my older HP Touch would just konk out or freeze up when I'd hit it that hard.

This one came with Norton built in, and in the past I've found Norton to be a resource hog, but so far I will say I'm also impressed, Norton has been doing a great job protecting my new PC, it hasn't been obtrusive in any way or slowed down my PC.

Thankfully I had attended the Windows 8 demos at last year's BlogHer conference, so I had some advantage now being thrown directly into a Windows 8 Operating System User Interface. There were some things I needed to learn to do differently but thankfully you can operate in 'view it in destop mode' which will look like the interface that you are more used to.

THE AUDIO!!!! Sorry I don't normally shout, but as 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ' I have to tell you that the Beats Audio in this computer blows most onboard Desktop Audio to shreds. It's simply fantastic! I'm now using this new PC to test out Audio Accessories like Headphones and then compare the sound of the headphones on my PC to my portable music devices, and I can tell you this PC does not need separate speaker add ons, it would truly be an insult to it!

The good thing about being with the same brand for almost 20 years is I can almost feel how long it will last me, I know it's good, bad and ugly, but so far my HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart All in One Desktop PC with Beats Audio is so much more than I ever expected it could be! I also tested the HP Deskjet 3052A printer, which I'm satisfied with, but I think my Kodak Hero 7.1 is a bit more robust.

If you haven't figured it out to this point, this PC is a definite 'Get it!'. I couldn't recommend this model more highly, I actually really, really, really want to try the HP Envy 2 laptop or the HP Spectre Ultrabook so I could keep the fun going during my travels!

Do you have the HP Envy Butterfly? What do you think of it? What is your favorite desktop computer?

Get Social:

Why not let HP know on Twitter or on Facebook that you saw the HP Envy 23 Touchsmart Desktop All in One PC featured on Ascending Butterfly? Who knows? Maybe they'll want to surprise Ascending Butterfly readers too!

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FTC Disclosure: I was under NO obligation to write this review, no monetary compensation has been received, this is NOT a sponsored post. In fact I won the computer, so I did not have to review it, I chose to do so because I feel it's a very high quality computer and wanted to share about it with my readers!

Butterfly Irish Blessing for You! #HappyStPatricksDay

May the wings of the Butterfly Kiss the Sun,

And Find Your Shoulder to Light Upon.

~Irish Blessing

Happy St. Patrick's Day Butterflies! May the luck of the Irish be with you today and always!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post!

{CLOSED} Win 100 Business Cards from @TinyPrints via @Ascending1

**This Giveaway is now CLOSED and no new comments will be accepted**

2013 is moving forward at lightening pace indeed my butterflies! Keeping up with the pace of this year and the pace of business certianly isn't easy. Can you believe that Blogging Conference Season has begun?

Are you ready?

You are not going to get very much time at each table when you visit the exhibit floor of a conference. There are two things that are going to make an impression, the first is YOU of course, and the second is your Business Card, that's the one that comes back with the company rep you just charmed! But does that card really reflect you? Your brand? and What YOU can do?

I have gone through quite a few business cards since graduating College, but it's been awhile since I have had one that I felt was a true reflection of ME. Business cards have a tendency towards the straight-laced and conservative. Striking a balance between a business card that reflects your creative side and your business side isn't always easy. And no matter what your degree of experience and expertise may be with typography and graphic design, it's a challenge getting your card to be creative, concise and still contain all the information you need to provide.

About tinyprints:

tinyprints is a company that was founded by three friends with big dreams and a passion for beautiful paper that has grown from a tiny, self-funded company specializing in unique baby stationery into a booming online destination for stylish stationery (and more!) for every occasion.

My Take:

I had a very demanding vision in my mind for my business cards, I wanted to promote two different offerings on one card, and wanted my card to have pops of color and creativity in addition to my logo and signature butterfly of course, and was delighted to learn of tinyprints custom design service, my card ideas weren't actually something a ready made template would accurately cover, I wanted a card that was way more comprehensive than those I had used in the past. In fact since I started blogging, I've designed a new card each year, which makes perfect sense, the cards evolved as much as me and my site have. But now I'm in more of a 'groove' and wanted to grow into my card instead of it being the other way around all the time.

I was delighted to learn that tinyprints has a Custom Design Service! You can make a completely unique card, work 1-on-1 with a Designer, and they offer a free physical AND digital proof. There is a low One-Time Fee of $25 for the service. My designer was amazingly patient, and he was able to take a very BIG vision and tall order and help me organize it all in a way that made sense from a design standpoint, and still retain the creativity I wanted the card to have. The quality of the cardstock and the brilliant design make these my favorite cards to date! I couldn't recommend tinyprints more, but I will warn you, order at least 100 more than you think you'll need, you'd be surprised just how many you will go through PER conference!

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tinyprints

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinyprints

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tiny_prints/

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Google+: https://plus.google.com/+tinyprints/

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Instagram: http://instagram.com/tinyprints

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog: http://blog.tinyprints.com/

Discount:

You can find current Tiny Prints Coupons Codes and Promotions HERE Can't wait to find out if you won, and want to order your business cards NOW? Then nab them for a steal! Enjoy 10% off Business Cards! Use Code: MARBIZ10 | Offer expires 3/19/13 at 11:59 pm (PT)

Win It:

Tiny Prints was kind enough to get me ready for Blogging Conference Season in style, and now I want to do the same for YOU! One lucky butterfly will win 100 business cards of their own just in time for Conference Season! Use the rafflecopter widget below for your entries, remember as always, the first entry is easy-peasy! (and of course keep a look out for fun and easy extra credit entries too!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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FTC Disclosure: Tiny Prints provided us with Custom-Designed Business Cards for editorial consideration, and will be providing cards for one winner. Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. Neither Ascending Butterfly nor contest sponsor will be held responsible for lost or mis-directed mail. See full Giveaway and Disclosure Policy HERE

Glass Slippers are SO Back! Cinderella on Broadway is a MUST see! @CinderellaBway #Cinderella

Theatre sign for The Broadway Theatre where Cinderella on Broadway is currently running

My mom has always been a huge theater buff, and through her I developed the same love of Broadway. I think it is one of the best parts about being a Native New Yorker. The first two plays I saw spoiled me, Peter Pan with Sandy Duncan and the original King and I starring Yul Brynner, both of those plays were amazing from every standpoint and gave the theatre a sort of magic that had been missing for me for quite awhile until Ghost on Broadway last year, this year Cinderella on Broadway brought back that magic for me, and I wanted to make sure I got my recap posted because I don't want you to miss this one!

Playbill for Rodger's + Hammerstein's Cinderella at Broadway Theatre

The Moms put together a totally fun night on Broadway for New York City Bloggers and their families and seeing the little girls dressed up in the lobby of The Broadway Theatre many in their little Cinderella dresses was so cute! Many of them admiring the touches and details of the other's outfits, we arrived to a lovely reception where we had time to talk and take a few photos before the Play began.

Ascending Butterfly at Broadway Theatre for Cinderella on Broadway Mamarazzi Event

Rodger's + Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway starts with an overture that truly sets the pace for the show, it's a hint to the magic that is to come! With a nod to the tradition of musical theatre. There was already so much excitement and energy in the air that the overture just added to the strong energy you could feel in the crowd.

Ascending Butterfly at Broadway Theatre for Cinderella on Broadway Mamarazzi Event

About The Show:

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA has arrived on Broadway for the first time ever! Four-time Tony Award® nominee Douglas Carter Beane’s (Sister Act, Xanadu) delightfully romantic and hilarious take on the ultimate makeover story features all the classic elements you remember—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more—plus some surprising new twists! Rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago” in this outrageously fun Broadway musical for dreamers of all ages.

Right before the overture you are asked 'kindly turn off your phones and leave your worries and cares at the door', and for 2 hours and 20 minutes you get to do just that, leave your cares at the door and be immersed in a magical, musical, wondrous fairy tale come to life right before your eyes!

The Cast:

Cinderella is played by Laura Osnes, The Prince by Santino Fontana, Marie/The Fairy Godmother was played by Victoria Clark, Harriet Harris plays Madame/Cinderella's Stepmother, Ann Harada plays Cinderella's Step-Sister Charlotte, and Marla Mindelle plays Step-Sister Gabrielle, and Peter Bartlett plays Sebastian (yes my fellow One to Live lovers THAT Peter Bartlett, our beloved Nigel!), Greg Hildreth plays Jean-Michel and Phumzile Sojola plays Lord Pinkleton and is also the understudy for Sebastian.

After the performance a Questions and Answers Session was arranged with some of the members of the cast, here are my photos from the Q&A:

Questions and Answers Session with Cast members of Cinderella on Broadway

The Cast really had a great dynamic and rapport amongst each other!

Questions and Answers Session with Cast members of Cinderella on Broadway

The cast as well as the audience enjoying Harriet Harris answering one of the question asked by a child at the Q&A "How did it feel to have to be so mean to Cinderella?"

Harriet Harris plays Madame, Cinderella's Stepmother, she was a very good sport during the Questions and Answers!

You may remember Harriet from her television role on the hit TV series Frasier!

Left: Santino Fontana who plays The Prince and Right: Laura Osnes who plays the title role of Cinderella

We asked Santino who plays the Prince about his background with his musical training and he mentioned that he was a bit embarassed when he was younger and starting out but outgrew it and fully began to embrace his training.

Victoria Clark plays villager Marie as well as The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella on Broadway

And of course The Moms always put together thoughtful gift bags so you can have a fun memory of your experience! Here are the bags on display:

Gift Bags at Cinderella on Broadway Mamarazzi Event

Here is a close up shot of the bags (apparently people liked my vignette, because before I could get my camera out of my bag people took photos of my gift bags before I could! LOL)

The bags contained light snacks from Andean Dream (Gluten-Free and Vegan Quinoa Cookies), a foaming facial wash from Willa and something fun for the moms too, a cosmetic bag from Trish McEvoy with a wonderfully thoughtful note enclosed, that contained a lash treatment, long-wearing, upper-eye brightener/shadow primer, intense gel eye liner pencil and under-eye brightener/line filler - products that will keep your eyes shining after the clock strikes twelve! :-)

Super thoughtful, thanks to The Moms, Andean Dream, Willa, and Trish McEvoy to making an already magical experience that much more memorable!

I got to nab a photo of the family of one half of the dynamic duo! Here is Melissa Gerstein and her family:

Melissa Gerstein of The Moms and her family at the Cinderella on Broadway Mamarazzi Event

Aren't these his and hers souvenir tshirts cute?

His and Hers Souvenir Tshirts from Rogers + Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre

My Take:

Left: Mama Butterfly Right: Ascending Butterfly enjoying a Magical  Night at the Cinderella on Broadway New York City Mamarazzi Event! 

Cinderella on Broadway is a truly magical theatrical event, it brings back the roots of what made theatre magical for me right from the begining. They pull of costume changes right before your very eyes that are truly amazing, when the pumpkin turns into the coach I'll bet you could watch it literally a hundred times and not see how it is really pulled off. It's magical for the adults as well as the children! 

This is a MUST see!

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @CinderellaBway on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Cinderella The Musical on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @andeandream on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Andean Dream on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @WillaSkincare on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Willa Skin Care on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Trish McEvoy on Facebook

And don't forget to tell them you saw them Featured on Ascending Butterfly! Of course we will also be putting these photos on our Pinterest page as well.

Fan of the Week:

If you get picked as Fan of the Week, don't forget to come back here and let us know! 

Do you have a magical Theatre moment that you'd like to Share? Tell us About it!

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FTC Disclosure: Our tickets to the show and gift bags were provided courtesy of The Moms, however NO monetary compensation has been received for our recap coverage and all opinions are 100% my own.