@chevrolet Introduced the All-New 2015 Tahoe and Suburban, so which one do you think looks better on ME?

I got to attend the debut of the Chevrolet 2015 Tahoe and Suburban in New York City and I am having a hard time picking out which one looks better on me! The best-selling duo of full-size SUVs now offer more functionality, new safety features and advanced technology and the new styling on both models contribute to a much quieter ride!

The direct-injected EcoTec3 powertrain and improved aerodynamics help to offer greater estimated highway fuel economy while preserving it's overall performance and power. GM introduced the Suburban in 1935 and is the industry's oldest continuously available nameplate while the Tahoe is the segment's sales leader.

2015 Chevrolet Suburban

2015 Chevrolet Tahoe

New Functionality and Tech Features found on both 2015 Vehicles:

2015 Chevrolet Suburban Interior Power Fold Flat Seats

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fold-flat second and third row seats to enhance cargo convenience, power folding feature available

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 inches greater legroom for second row passengers plus easier exit and entrance

2015 Chevrolet Suburban Nativation Panel

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 8 inch color touch screen radio with next generation MyLink connectivity

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Up to six USB ports and six power outlets (including a 110-volt three-prong outlet) to support electronic devices (up to 12 charging stations) - Sounds PERFECT for a family of power bloggers (wink,wink - AHEM!!!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Rear-seat entertainment with dual screens (SUBURBAN ONLY) and Blu-ray DVD Player

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Mirror in the overhead console that offers a panoramic view of the rear seats

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Keyless entry and push-button start

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Front-seat center air bag

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - New four-wheel-disc brake system with Duralife brake rotors that offer up to double the service life coupled with brake pedal revisions that improve pedal feel for stronger-feeling, more confident braking performance

So which one looks better on me?

Tracy from Ascending Butterfly poses with 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe

Tracy from Ascending Butterfly poses with 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe

Tracy from Ascending Butterfly poses with 2015 Chevrolet Suburban

Tracy from Ascending Butterfly poses with a Classic Car - too bad this one isn't for sale! Yes I'm holding up my cocktail in this photo, so Cheers!

My Take:

I think it's fantastic that the new Tahoe and Suburban will be built at GM's Arlington, Texas assembly plant here in the United States. Both vehicles are slated to hit dealerships in the first quarter of 2014, and I'm thinking I'd look great behind the wheel of either one (although I am still digging that Audi A8 that picked up team butterfly for a special Wolverine Screening in New York City, see it HERE if you missed it). You can get social with Chevrolet on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest news!

Which one do you think looks best on me? and most importantly which one do you like best for YOU?

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FTC Disclosure: This is an event recap, this is NOT a compensated or sponsored post. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure. All opinions are 100% my own!

Win 100 Business Cards from @TinyPrints via @Ascending1 - See why these are my FAVORITE Cards!

{CLOSED} Congratulations Carolyn Gonzalez, Entry #298!

2014 will be here before you know it butterflies, are you ready? Do your current business cards truly reflect your brand?

I have a graphic design background and I can tell you that you should never design your own cards, let someone else do it! You need someone to put the same energy into YOU as you do for your clients. If you are very anal about things this 'giving up control' will probably be extremely difficult for you at first, but I can promise you it will be so worth it at the end.

I have never received more compliments on any former Business Card than I have with this one, and I have not looked back since. When I check into events, I wait for my card back but the person always keeps my card! It's quite a compliment!

About Tiny Prints:

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 business card is a folded card, this is how I present it when I hand it to someone

When the person takes it they can tell it opens, this is the 'inside' of the actual card (I blanked out my phone number, sorry guys! LOL)

The back of the card has room for notes, and even though the surface of the card is 'pearlized' you can write on it easily!

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 or networking event with these!

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 - Get free shipping on all orders! Use Code: FS13 | Limited time only see website for details

Win It:

One lucky butterfly will win 100 business cards of their own. Get yourself and your business ready for the new year! 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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9bf8c7e5ad7ab7c9e612a9fb1126582c239dc88141f91c31d5

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. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure. All opinions are 100% my own!  

Teaming up with @PGeveryday & @SheSpeaksUp to raise awareness & bring you a great #Giveaway too! #PGBestDefense

{CLOSED}: WINNER IS ENTRY #644 - COURTNEY RENEE, CONGRATULATIONS!

ad: This is a Sponsored Post & Giveaway brought to you in conjunction with SheSpeaks and P&G

I am honored to team up with P&G and SheSpeaks again this year for a very important cause, Breast Cancer Awareness. Last year I participated in the P&G GIVE Hope Do It For the Girls Day of Action where I participated in a blogger round-table with Breast Cancer Survivor and host of E! News Giuliana Rancic, if you missed my recap to that event click HERE. That day inspired me so much that after a visit to my primary (I changed my Primary Doctor shortly after my long term hospitalizations in 2012), where I shared my Family History with Cancer, he opted to have me begin annual Mammograms earlier than I needed to, and I shared about my very first ever Mammogram HERE.

I am so proud of P&G for being consistently involved in such an important cause that directly affects so many lives. I would say too many lives. In fact One in EVERY Eight women will get Breast Cancer in her lifetime. The death rate in fact is actually HIGHER among Latina and African American women. Every hour and a half a Latina woman dies of Breast Cancer in the United States! As a Latina I find this statistic beyond alarming and if I can help in some small way to give another woman the courage to do her self exams MONTHLY, and talk to her Primary Care Physician about getting her Mammogram than I am more than happy to do so.

This year, the P&G Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign has partnered with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) to educate everyone about the importance of early detection. Throughout the month of October you can visit the P&G Breast Cancer Awareness Website to hear P&G employees' who share inspiring stories about moments made possible in their lives due to early detection and also download the NBCF's Early Detection Plan App!

According to the National Cancer Institute, Early Detection is the BEST defense against Breast Cancer. The earlier it is detected, the higher the survival rate. When detected during the localized, (or early) stage, the five year survival rate is 98%!  An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure my butterflies!

I am actually due for my annual Mammogram very soon, and want to encourage my butterflies that if you have been putting it off, please don't. Schedule your appointment as soon as possible! Breast Cancer, doesn't care how young you are, how healthy and athletic you may be, and it doesn't care that you have no history of it in your family, early detection is the key to saving lives.

P&G goes 'Pink' in October and we partnering with SheSpeaks and P&G to bring you a chance to win some of their most loved products and brands in a 'Pinktober Giveaway'  full of goodies to remind you about the importance of pink!

Enter using Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Double Your Chances to Win and Join the TWITTER PARTY!

**Please Note: Ascending Butterfly is NOT a host or co-host for this party so please direct any and all questions to the host**

Join @PGeveryday and special guest @CoreyWootton for a special Twitter Party about the importance of creating an early detection plan and rallying the women in your life to do the same! (You might want to be sure you are following the hosts before the day of the party, this way if you win the hosts can DM you to get your info for prize fulfillment! and don't forget to RSVP and actively use the hashtag during the party!)

When: Thursday, October 22

Time: 3 p.m. EST

RSVP: http://bit.ly/PGbcaRSVP

Hashtag: #PGBestDefense

My Take:

Cancer has affected my family and I know first hand how devastating it is. Early detection is key for every cancer type not just breast cancer, so please butterflies do your monthly self-exam, and if you have a history of Cancer in your family speak to your primary about referring you for a Mammogram, you do NOT have to wait until age 40 if you have a history in your family or you detect a lump! Playing it safe is the best way to ensure you'll be able to keep playing at all!

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored/compensated post and giveaway in conjunction with SheSpeaks and P&G Everyday. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure. All opinions are 100% my own and I can't begin to stress just how important early detection is in saving lives. Ascending Butterfly staff are NOT medical experts nor do we make claims to be, always check with your Physician FIRST!

Wordless Wednesday: Check out the #Photo Highlights from @kimcoles show #ohbutwaittheresmore + Mama Butterfly's Birthday!

Butterflies the day I keep it entirely Wordless on a Wordless Wednesday you should probably WORRY! I'm not good at the whole wordless thing which is probably what drove me to blogging in the first place! The reason there are words in this post are a good one. This is a tale of Twitter. And Twitter is what I do best, I'm sort of like the 'Tigger of Twitter' - and you know from Winnie The Pooh, that the wonderful thing about Tigger is that Tigger is a wonderful thing!

Actress Kim Coles is one of the first 'celeb' followers on Ascending Butterfly, Kim and Dita Von Teese are the two first celebs to really get me! With Kim I share a love of inspiring others and much like Wendy Williams says often 'she's like my best friend in my head'. Kim put out the call on twitter that she was hosting a contest to win tickets to her one woman show while the show was here in New York City, and I entered and won! I couldn't have possibly been more excited. One of the things that always excites me about Blogging Conferences is finally meeting the bloggers I've spoken to only virtually for so many years in person. And that is the same excitement and enthusiasm I felt at heading off to see Kim's show.

In fact that night was My Mom, Mama Butterfly's Birthday so we headed off to the West Bank Cafe's Laurie Beechman Theatre together to check out the show and celebrate mom's birthday! (I highly recommend ordering the bottle of Prosecco and the Fried Calamari).

Here are my photo highlights:

Once you enter the West Bank Cafe and walk towards the back, there is a stairwell down to the Laurie Beechman Theatre

Left: Me! Ascending Butterfly (the red top I am wearing is by Igigi!) and Right: My mom, Mama Butterfly, Happy Birthday Mom!

After the performance there was a meet and greet! Left: A cut off Mama Butterfly and Right: Actress Kim Coles

That's Better! Left: My Mom, 'Mama Butterfly' and Right: Actress Kim Coles signing an autograph!

Left: My Mom, 'Mama Butterfly' (The Leather Jacket Mama Butterfly is wearing is by Wilson's Leather), Center: Actress Kim Coles, and Right: ME! Ascending Butterfly (the trench coat I am wearing is also by Wilson's Leather!)

My Take:

Most of you probably best remember Kim Coles from the hit television series 'Living Single' that featured an amazing ensemble cast. Her character 'Synclair James-Jones' was sweet and naive and the popularity the show gained brought Kim the Actress fame and success, but like every life journey she has had many challenges along the way, her one-woman show 'Oh Wait, But There's More!" chronicles the arc of her performing career from it's start to where she is today. It's very raw, honest and powerful, her innate sense of humor and good nature shines through all the way. And the meet and greet after was amazing. If a picture is worth a thousand words, these to me are absolutely priceless. It was fantastic to finally meet a 'virtual friend' in person, but the show itself was wildly inspirational and motivational for me and getting the chance to share it with Mama Butterfly on her birthday was literally and figuratively 'the icing on the cake'!

Even on what was supposed to just be a night out to 'just be' I found myself inspired and learning lessons! Another awesome day to be grateful for.

Butterflies if there was a one-woman show (and of course for our male butterflies - a one man show) about your life, What would the title be? Mine? Ascending Butterfly of  course! I'm on an upwards journey!

(Bloggers please feel free to link us to your Wordless Wednesday Posts as a comment here, but please no giveaway links, thanks!)

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post. I won tickets to the show and was under no obligation to post about my experience! The links to the clothes I am wearing and the show venue are provided for reader convenience, they are NOT sponsored links. But should anyone wish to sponsor a Wordless Wednesday please contact us and let me know! :-)

#TwitterTuesday Guess What's New on the Tweety Box?

I was oddly enough pointed to a super interesting article about a new Twitter Feature from a Facebook Group I belong to for Community Managers/Advocates/Evangelists and I have very mixed feelings about it. I want to first point you to the article I am referencing 'Twitter Now Allows Direct Messages Without a Follow Back' by Maliza.

In essence, Twitter is rolling out a feature (that you will be able to enable) that allows your followers to send you a direct message without you following them back. It allows any of your followers to send you a DM at any time. On a broader level, will this increase private tweets and decrease public ones? Will we go from sharing ideas with each other to passing notes like we did in school?

Because my online alter ego on twitter as #TheOfficialTwitterPartyDJ can easily get mis-interpreted, I can already see my inbox getting flooded with links to emerging artists You Tube pages. Which I don't want happening. I have a firm policy of never pressing on a link that is sent to me via DM. I avoid the possibility of virus or phishing scams at all costs.

My concerns are that it will be harder for me to find 'important' DM's that I do want because now I will get tons of un-solicited spam.

Butterflies what do you think of this new feature, YAY or NAY?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored or compensated post. See full Giveaway and Disclosure Policy HERE

Motivation Monday: Weekly Moment of Gratitude + Newest Ambassadorships + Twitter Takeover Edition

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - My Newest Blogger Brand Ambassadorship! - I am already part of the Best Buy WOLF Blogger program and recently I was invited to take my work up a notch and become an official Best Buy Ambassador and I couldn't possibly be happier! Technology and Consumer Electronics are two major loves of mine and I can't wait to get started! I am in great company as you can see in the video below!

Bloggers run on technology, we need both an at home and mobile on the go office that can keep us connected and help us keep pace with our incredibly busy lives. We are entrepreneurs who are always on the go, and I love that Best Buy GETS that!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Another Blogger Brand Ambassadorship that I'm very excited about! - I am a NetZero Brand Ambassador and much like Best Buy they understand that Bloggers need to stay connected to their businesses on the go and they offer the tools to do just that! I have been road testing their NetZero 4G HotSpot and I will have a full review for you very soon! As you can tell communications and technology are big with me and I'm excited about what 2014 will bring!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Twitter Takeover! - I hosted a 'Twitter Takeover' this weekend on Oprah Winfrey's OWN Television Network! I took over the @OWNers account and tweeted with the #OWNers community and viewing public at large for a live viewing party of shows on their weekend prime time lineup which included #SweetiePies, #SixLittleMcGhees, & #OprahsNextChapter during #SuperSoulSunday where she interviewed Singer/Songwriter Robin Thicke post his Miley Cyrus Twerk Controversy.

And as #TheOfficialTwitterPartyDJ it was my job to get viewers talking, and talk they did, here are the links to the screen captures of the hashtags that trended during the viewer watching party:

https://twitter.com/GrowingOWN/status/389201436841492480/photo/1

https://twitter.com/trendinaliaUS/status/389213160441278464/photo/1

Big thanks to all the butterflies who tweeted with me this weekend and showed me their support, it certainly didn't go unnoticed, and is very much appreciated! It was definitely a challenge to keep up the pace with such a wide scale community but it was super fun!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Events! - A very mixed bag of non-stop events that I will recap as soon as possible. and some fun ones coming up for me this week too!

This month is moving super fast and somehow November is almost here!

Stay tuned more great giveaways coming soon! + Happy Columbus Day!

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What are you GRATEFUL for this week Butterfly?  Is it a lesson learned, or a random act of kindness that you gave or received?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. All campaign work for my Ambassadorships themselves will be clearly marked as such this is just an announcement post and has not been compensated in any way.

Guess who is doing a 'Twitter Takeover' of the Oprah Winfrey Network @OWNers #Twitter Account THIS Weekend? Let's Chat!

Butterflies I have a ton of NEWS for you and it's all exciting! But I have to start with what I'm doing this weekend.

THIS weekend I am doing the Holy Grail of all my Twitter Social Media Consulting to date, I am actually taking over the Oprah Winfrey Network @OWNers Twitter Account THIS weekend both on Saturday and Sunday starting at 8:30 p.m. EST! (You can certainly insert a choir of angels chorus here!) I will be tweeting from the @OWNers account, not my own, so if you are not already following @OWNers on twitter, be sure to do so! I host or co-host Twitter Parties often, and I do Social Media Consulting 'by day' so I have tweeted as a brand before, but folks this is OPRAH! It's OFFICIAL! I always knew I'd take over the twitterverse someday! As 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ on twitter how could I not right? Well my Pinky and the Brain Plot for Twitter World Domination has begun, and I hope all my butterflies will join in the fun!

Here is the scoop: 

ON SATURDAY:

First we will be watching the action unfold on Saturday with Welcome to Sweetie Pie's where construction on West Florissant finally gets underway, but Tim and Robbie feel the heat of the re-opening deadline. Charles decides to take an acting class to pursue his dream, while Jenae struggles with letting go of TJ on his first day of daycare! You can direct your comments about this episode to me via @OWNers using the hashtag #Sweetiepies on all your tweets, if you are going to tweet about Tim, you can also add @tim_sweetiepies to your tweets as well! No spoilers here folks, we will discuss it all live as it un-folds! The Episode airs at 9/8c and I'll be starting a little bit before the actual start time of the episode so we can all speculate together!

Afterwards we will dive straight into Six Little McGhees, which airs at 10/9c on OWN. Mia decides to put the girls in a pageant to help build-up their character, since she herself didn't have that opportunity as a child. Now she'll have to buy dresses, come up with a routine and get pictures taken in just a few short days! Tune in with me and watch the sisters take the stage! Direct all your thoughts while watching directly to me via @OWNers using the hashtag #SixLittleMcGhees in all your tweets, if you also want to include mom Mia in your tweets you can add @MiaMcGhee to your message!

ON SUNDAY:

On Sunday I take over the @OWNers twitter handle again to discuss Oprah's Next Chapter featuring Robin Thicke! (If you haven't seen the twerking video you can click on that link to see the video of it). I don't think I need to sell anyone on this one, as I'm sure there will be more discussion on this episode post the Miley Cyrus Twerking Controversy that I'm afraid we might blow up twitter on Sunday Night! Talk about the 'Twerk heard around the world'! So as we are watching Oprah get to 'heart of the twerking matter', feel free to join in the conversation @OWNers, @Oprah, @RobinThicke and be sure to use the hashtag #OprahsNextChapter and/or #NextChapter in ALL of your tweets so I can tweet you back! Trust me folks, there won't be any 'blurred lines' this weekend! The episode will air 9/8c but I'll be on starting 8:30 p.m. EST to get everyone started on what I'm sure will be a very interesting conversation!

My Take:

This will be the largest scale Twitter Takeover I've ever hosted, and it's across the span of a weekend, thankfully I never run out of things to say, and I LOVE twitter, so this is definitely a win/win for me!

I HOPE ALL MY BUTTERFLIES WILL JOIN ME IN THE TWITTER CONVERSATION THIS WEEKEND!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post!

For one night, America's favorite fast food @McDonalds went highbrow! #Photo Highlights from the #McDChefEvent

For one night America's favorite food went highbrow and gourmet, and I stand pleasantly surprised. Not that I'm surprised that McDonalds wasn't afraid to re-invent itself, but when I think gourmet they are not necessarily the first name that would have come to mind... Until now that is!

New York City Tastemakers, Press/Media, Bloggers, Nutritionists (and I even met a few dietitians and nurses in attendance) were all presented with a three course gourmet meal where Chefs came together to put a creative spin on the ingredients we all know and love.

Check out the menu:

Menu for the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event!

Don't worry if the menu is a bit hard to decipher, here are the photos of the dishes with captions naming each dish below:

Kicking things off!

I had to focus in on the floral centerpieces at Table 15 where I was seated!

Old Fashioned Cocktail with Applewood Smoked Bacon

Chef Jessica Foust, RD prepared the Cocktails and Hors D'oeuvres for the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event in New York City!

Above: This was the best Old Fashioned I have ever tasted! It Featured McDonald's Applewood Smoked Bacon as a Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry too and it was super flavorful and really delicious! So good in fact I forgot to sample or even photograph the other cocktail which was the Mango Pineapple Mojito that used McDonald's Mango Pineapple Smoothie as the Base! If only they added this to the menu at my local franchise location! LOL! This cocktail really does prove the theory that everything is better with bacon!

Chef Dale Talde discusses the inspiration behind his dish, the Kung Pao Chicken Appetizer Pictured Below:

Kung Pao Chicken Appetizer by Chef Dale Talde!

Above: Chef Dale Talde presented us with a Kung Pao Chicken Appetizer featuring McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, Sweet and Sour Sauce, Rice Wine Vinegar, Peanuts and Iceburg Lettuce. YUM! (and I thought I could get creative in the kitchen at the end of the month!)

Chef James Tahhan discusses the inspiration for his dish pictured below

Entree One: Tortilla Española with Garlic and Saffron Aioli with an Apple and Cucumber Chipotle Salad by Chef James Tahhan.

Above: Entree One by Chef James Tahhan was a Tortilla Española with Garlic and Saffron Aioli featuring McDonald's Hashbrowns, Eggs and Onions paired with an Apple and Cucumber Chipotle Salad with Cucumbers, Red Onions, Chili Lime Tortilla Strips, Fresh Limes, Spring Mix and Chipotle BBQ and Honey Sauces. Um, YES PLEASE!

Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr. discusses his inspiration for the dish pictured below at the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event in New York City!

Entree Two: Bold BBQ Chicken by Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr.

Above: Entree Two was Bold BBQ Chicken prepared by Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr which featured McDonald's Crispy Chicken, Hashbrowns, Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Espresso, Cheddar Jack Cheese, Onions, Eggs, Applewood Smoked Bacon and the Salad included: Cucumbers, Red Onions, Tomato, Fresh Lime, Cilantro Lime Glaze, and Grill Seasoning! 

Entree Three: Slow-Cooked Beef with Blueberry Pomegranate Sauce prepared by Chef Jessica Foust who was already pictured above as she also prepared the Hors D'oeuvres and Cocktails.

Above: Entree Three was a Slow-Cooked Beef with Blueberry Pomegranate Sauce and Mac Fry Gnocchi featuring McDonald's French Fries, Eggs, Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie Base, Carrots and 100% Beef Ground that is the same that McDonald's uses for their hamburger patties!

Dessert Pumpkin Spice 'Biznut' (Biscuit Donut) by Chef Jessica Foust

Above: For Dessert Chef Jessica Foust prepared a Pumpkin Spice 'Biznut' (Biscuit-Donut hybrid) which featured McDonald's Biscuit Mix, Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup, Praline Topping, Cream Cheese and Whipped Cream. For those that know me I don't eat pumpkin flavored stuff and I don't tend to like Pralines much but I really enjoyed this and that was my absolute biggest surprise of the evening! Kudos to Chef Jessica she worked her tail off with the Cocktails, Hor D'oeuvres, Entree Three and Dessert all being done by her!

Check out the Big Mac inspired macaroons in the little gift box on the left of the coffee cup for us to take home!

Above: See the cute gift box to the left of the coffee cup? That little big mac inside which replicates the details of an actual McDonald's Big Mac to the tee, is actually comprised of Macaroons! The pain staking detail was off the hook, and it was really good too! (and odd for me because I'm usually not a big Macaroon fan).

Left: ME! Ascending Butterfly, Center: Melanie from Melanie in the Middle Blog and Right: Rick Wion, Social Media Manager for McDonalds!

My Jacket and Dress pictured above are both by IGIGI by Yuliya! I am wearing the Aileen Dress, and the Jacket is the Monroe Jacket in Black. You can tweet with Rick and McDonalds on twitter at @GoMcD - and because I like to keep things entirely transparent, this is NOT a sponsored or compensated post in any way. Ascending Butterfly and Melanie are both RMHC Ambassadors, that Ambassadorship is a pro-bono one as well and it is NOT compensated! I was excited to be reunited with my team-mates from my recent Chicago Immersion Experience!

My Take:

I love events that help you see a brand you think you know in an entirely new light. This was unique, super creative and fun. I have always been a creative cook and that's what I appreciated most about this event, none of the ingredients weren't something you can't find and they were all ingredients that McDonald's uses daily, just prepared in a whole new way!

They have also been offering more 'healthy' choices on their menu and we learned that for 2014 you will have the choice of getting a side salad as an alternative to French Fries with an Extra Value Meal! I know many people have been asking about this for awhile now, they really are listening folks!

Which Dish would you have loved to try most? (Sorry it's been so long, hopefully they will come back for a giveaway soon!)

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

FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored or compensated post. No monetary compensation or other form of compensation was exchanged for our event recap coverage. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.