The Allison Show

  Creative Visions  is the Etsy shop of Marianne McCament.  She sells vintage inspired tags and journals.  She designs them and makes them handmade in her home.  I asked her about herself and this is what she had to say. "I have been married for 25 years, have a 17 year old son, and I am currently not working full time outside the home. Etsy has been keeping me hopping for about the last two years, so it keeps me very busy (sometimes too busy…)  I also have been crafting, sewing and painting since I was very young and have sold my art since I was a teenager. My parents (who are in their 80’s now) were very talented in many areas and always let all four of us kids create with them when we wanted – I am so appreciative of this! I opened my etsy shop in 2007 mostly to sell fabric collages, cards, tags and mixed media pieces; but since learning Adobe Photoshop, I started combining vintage images and photos into digital collages. I use these digital collages t...

Donna is the owner and creator at  Charm School Jewelry .  Her career as a custom jewelry designer began many years ago when a client asked if she would incorporate her grandmothers vintage jewelry into a bracelet Donna was making for her. Donna was honored that she would trust her with her sentimental heirlooms. She created a charm bracelet that the woman loved and she loved the feeling of turning yesterdays bits and pieces into todays treasured heirlooms. Many of the pieces she creates are inspired by the vintage jewelry she collect, some will have vintage pieces incorporated in them.  Her wish is that your time visiting her shop will take you on your own "Sentimental Journey". Donna has 3 kids and a wonderfully supportive husband. All of her jewelry is sketched, designed and created by her in her home studio in New England. She also works with clients on custom designs and o...

 I absolutely LOVE Charm Factory !!  I am a proud owner of their finished Star charm bracelet (and so is my BFF- we match).  If you have not checked out their site you should definitely  head over and see what they have.  I also love that their jewelry is sterling silver. They sell the finished charm bracelets in soo many different styles.  I really like the Autism Awareness bracelet that has 2 different ribbons and a puzzle piece charm.  They also have cat, dog, breats cancer awareness, peace, and really pretty crystal bracelets in every color of the rainbow. If you can't find a bracelet with a theme that you love you can get an empty bracelet and pick the charms you want on it.  They carry a wide selection of different bracelets and closures to choose from. And then you have the HUGE selection of charms.  They are divided into different categories such as pave, babies & kids, beach & sea life, enamels, expressions & ...

   Hi!!  And welcome to another Blog Hop Friday.  Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog.  A little about me: Hubby and I have been married 10 years and have 5 kids.  My oldest is 9 and my youngest is 1.  My Hubby and I were both born and raised in Southern California but we currently live in North East Tennessee.  I am a full time student majoring in English and Photography and minoring in Secondary Education. I love reading, writing, and photography.  If you decide to follow me PLEASE leave me a comment with a link to your blog and how you are following me (GFC, Networked Blogs, FB, Twitter, etc) so I can visit you and follow you back.  Thanks!! Have a great Blog Hop!!!

I absolutely LOVE this site!!!!  Overall Beauty  has everything you could ever want for health and beauty products.  They have articles about beauty and advice.  They sell hair care products, makeup, skin care, lip gloss, products for feet (they need love too!), and my personal Favorite Nail Polish!  They have a HUGE selection of colors and selection for both Men and Women! Kim (the Beauty Boss!) is super awesome and is offering 4 of the insanely popular BB Couture nail polishes.  That is a $36 value.  Here are the colors and a little description. This is Adam!! This bad boy is the color of dark brown green tree bark with a shimmer pink.. his infamous lover was the beautiful Eve!  This picture was taken outside in sunlight, with two coats and no top coat. We can't have Adam with out Eve.  So here she is!! This pretty lady is multiple shades of glitter in a brown green base.. her bad boy lover could only be Adam!   ...

One of my FAVORITE places for digital papers and the like is Sassy Designs !!! Terry (the owner and chief designer) is giving away a $200 Gift certificate!!!  All you have to do is go to  Paperie Boutique  and you can enter up to 4 times.  Post this "Go win a $200 gift certificate from Sassy Designs Incorporated / @sassydesignsinc / sassy-designs.net at PaperieBoutique.com by @shutterblog" on any PUBLIC  Blog, Flickr, Twitter, or Facebook account.  But you have to hurry!!!!  The contest ends TONIGHT @ 12 midnight eastern!!!!

Every time we are at the store lately, all the kids want to look at is Halloween Costumes!!!  How can it be Halloween already?  Wasn't it just Summer break? Time is FLYING by!!! I was so excited to be able to do a review from an AMAZING online costume site Costume Super Center !!  They have costumes and accessories for babies, kids, teens, and adults along with make up and everything you need to make Halloween perfect! I tried to let the kids pick but they were out of control (big surprise huh?) They wanted costumes that we have in a closet (that's one good thing about 5 kids, we have TONS of costumes already.  And most are ready to be handed down.)  or they wanted age inappropriate costumes. (Kayla is way to young to be a pirate hooker girl.)  So after much discussion (and tears and whining) we decided that Dad needed a new costume to scare the kids with.  So after much thought by Dad, he decided on the Mens Chain Gang Mask and Costume. How aweso...

   The winner of my Passion Spice Bra/Panties Giveaway is #1 Nicole.  She said "I like the Carla Black Underwire Nursing Bra." I have emailed her and she has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be choosen. Also the new winners from my NachoMama and CrazyDog Tee Shirt have been emailed and have responded.  Thank you to everyone who entered and everyone who voted on what I should do.   The winner of my Tie Buddies Giveaway is #15 Ashley. She said "I follow you on twitter! (@reynoldsmom)." I have emailed her and she has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be choosen.

Title: Healing With Words: A Writer's Journey With Cancer Author: Diana M. Raab Publisher: Loving Healing Press Published: May 12, 2010 ISBN: 978-1615990108 Summary: "Healing With Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey is a compassionate and wry self-help memoir written by an award-winning prolific author, nurse and poet, who at the age of forty-seven found her life shattered first by a DCIS (early breast cancer) diagnosis and five years later by another, seemingly unrelated and incurable cancer--multiple myeloma. The book includes the author's experiences, reflections, poetry and journal entries, in addition to writing prompts for readers to express their own personal story. Raab's journals have provided a safe haven and platform to validate and express her feelings. Raab views journaling to be like a daily vitamin--in that it heals, detoxifies and is essential for optimal health." Diana Raab is an extraordinary woman.  Not only did she handle breast cancer...

As the owner of a plain (read boring and UN-SEXY) white nursing bra, I was SO excited when I found Passion Spice  Nursing Bras and Maternity Lingerie for the SEXY Mom in you!!!!!! I got his super cute (SEXY!!) red lacy bra and matching underwear and chucked my boring white one in the trash!  I am so glad that someone finally made nursing bras sexy and cute.  I wish i had found them when I was pregnant because they have the BEST maternity lingerie anywhere!! This bra and panties are well made and extremely comfy!!  They have held up well to wearing and washing.  I have had them a couple of months now.  The only thing is they seem to run rather small but luckily I busted out my measuring tape and actually measured before I ordered.  If I had went with the normal bra size I wear, it would have been too small. Thanks to Katy, one lucky reader will win a bra and panty set!!! HOW TO ENTER: Mandatory Entry: * Go to Passion Spice  and pick you...

Title: Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me Author: Maya Jax Publisher: Lipstick Ninja Press Published: Feb 11, 2010 Summary: "Lelaina Zane, aspiring screenwriter and dating disaster, is busy impersonating a superhero to gain the attention of a Hollywood agent when she finds out that her dad had a heart attack. Leaving LA for the first time in three years, she returns home to be with her family. And now that she's back, her parents want her to stay and join the family law firm. After three years of unsuccessfully trying to 'make it' in Hollywood, she thinks they might be right. But soon after settling into her new life, Hollywood calls with a potential offer. Lelaina has to decide if she'll stay for her ailing father and the promise of a successful life, or return to LA to pursue what she's always wanted. Torn between her two choices, the decision becomes even harder when her cheating ex -- her first love, first kiss and first... you know -- reappears w...

As you probably know, my kids started their second week of school today!!  We did all the normal back to school shopping: clothes, shoes, school supplies.  But the most talked about thing for back to school?  TIE BUDDIES!!!  We got them for Jacob who is 4 1/2 and in pre-kindergarten. First a little shoe tying background.  When I was starting kindergarten, you had to be able to tie your shoes.  So when Blake started we thought we might be in trouble because he didn't know how to tie them but his shoes were slip on vans and velcro tennis shoes.  But we were surprised to find out that shoe tying is no longer a requirement.  Fast forward a few years Blake finally learns how to tie his shoes at the ripe old age of 8!!!  I think the main problem is that he is left handed and I tried showing him how to tie them backwards but it didn't really help.  A few months later, Kayla at 6 starts tying her shoes.  Blake is pissed ha...

Title: The Hypnotist Author: M.J. Rose Publisher: Mira Published: May 1, 2010 Summary:  "Haunted by a twenty-year old murder of a beautiful young painter, Lucian Glass keeps his demons at bay through his fascinating work as a Special Agent with the FBI's Art Crime Team. Currently investigating a crazed art collector who has begun destroying prized masterworks, Glass is thrust into a bizarre hostage negotiation that takes him undercover at the Phoenix Foundation—dedicated to the science of past life study—where, in order to maintain his cover, he agrees to submit to the treatment of a hypnotist. Under hypnosis, Glass travels from ancient Greece to 19th century Persia, while the case takes him from New York to Paris and the movie capital of world. These journeys will change his very understanding of reality, lead him to question his own sanity and land him at the center of perhaps the most audacious art heist in history: the theft of a 1,500 year old sculpture from the Me...

****This Eden Fantasys Review is intended for adults 18 and over.**** How cute is this??  This is the Sexy Pinstripe Chemise Set .  So in the course of doing this review I learned some important things about myself, my body image, and the #1 rule of lingerie wearing.  But first more about the outfit.  The chemise and panty are made out of stretchy microfiber material with lace accents.  The back is slit open and the matching panty have pink lace ruffles on them. So the night I decided to "test" out this really cute chemise set, I waited til Hubby was upstairs checking on the kids (who were all asleep) and put on this set.  I walked into the bathroom and PROMPTLY walked back into my room and  took it off.   Why you ask?  I am a realist and didn't expect to come walking out of the bathroom looking like the model in the picture.  But I did expect to look a little better than I did. Now I am not that fat (I'm 5'6 and 156 l...

Title: Savannah Style Author: Paula Deen with Brandon Branch Publisher: Simon and Schuster Published:  April 6th, 2010 ISBN: 978-1416552246 Summary: "With its lush gardens, stately town houses, and sprawling plantations, Savannah is the epitome of old Southern style, and who better to give you the grand tour than Paula Deen, the city's most famous resident and anointed Queen of Southern Cuisine? In this gorgeous, richly illustrated book, Paula Deen shares a full year of Southern living. Whether it's time to put out your best china and make a real fuss, or you're just gathering for some sweet tea on the porch at dusk, Savannah style is about making folks feel welcome in your home. With the help of decorator and stylist Brandon Branch, you'll learn how to bring a bit of Southern charm into homes from Minnesota to Mississippi. For each season, there are tips on decorating and entertaining. In the spring, you'll learn how to make the most of your outdoor sp...

Ok so anout a month ago I posted the His and Hers Tee shirt giveaway thanks to NachoMama and CrazyDog Tees.  Well it has come to my attention that my 2 winners are not winners!!  SORRY!!!!  One was a blogger who has done a review for themand the other is from Canada and they cannot (at this time) mail free shirts out of the US.  Leave me a comment and tell me what I should do.  Should I re-do the giveaway?  Should I just pick 2 new winners? Help!!!  I will go with whatever the majority of the comments decides!  Thank you!!

We just got back from vacation!  We left July 16th and just walked in the door minutes ago. It was awesome!!  But it is nice to be home and able to relax.   My online classes end next Friday and then I have 2 weeks off before Fall semester starts.  I think the 3 older kids go back to school the 23rd.  Cody is excited because when he turns 3 in November, he will be able to start school with the big kids!!  I can't wait.  4 in school!!  Granted Cody and Jacob will only be in school for 3 1/2 hours Mon-Thurs but still.  We had the greatest trip and I can not believe how wonderful ALL the kids were in the car!  We drove 2 days to get to CA and 3 days to get home.  I think it is funny that I brought a bunch of educational toys, like a deck of cards that had info on the 50 states, that I thought the kids would be all into but they didn't get touched.  Blake spent the drive drawing in his sketch book.  Kayla...

Title: Live To Tell Author: Lisa Gardner Publisher: Bantam Published: July 13, 2010 ISBN: 978-0553807240 Summary: "Even for hardened Detective D.D. Warren, the crime scene appeared shocking: a father methodically killing his entire family before mortally wounding himself. When other families meet a similar fate, D.D. must race against the clock to identify a twisted killer, before there's no one left to live to tell." Wow what a great book!  I absolutely love suspenseful crime dramas and this certainly fits the bill. When I first started doing book reviews back in March, I did it for free books.  I love to read and can finish a novel in a day or two so, books are my most expensive addiction.  This is the first author whose book I have reviewed that I would have bought.  I have most (all but The Neighbor) of Lisa's books and this is my new favorite. I think one of the  things that Lisa does that makes her books really stand out is make completely belie...