Reviews by allysue

allysue says "Not a book I can recommend to anyone :(" about Peony in Love

allysue — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 04:06:50 GMT

After reading Snow's "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" (which is INCREDIBLE, by the way), I couldn't wait for the release of this, her latest book. To say I was bitterly disappointed is putting it mildly. I kept waiting and waiting to "get into" the book--to become somehow attached to any of the characters, to care whether or not they were living or dead or living in another state, and I just could not connect with any of it! I would HIGHLY recommend reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and I cannot think of anyone that I could recommend Peony in Love to--it was just awful. I finished it and felt as though I had wasted my time and money and I honestly cannot remember the last time I read I book I enjoyed less. Wah!...

allysue says "The safest on the market--and the cleanest, too!" about Britax Roundabout

allysue — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 04:00:46 GMT

Our Britax Roundabout has survived two children and it still looks just fabo. Prior to purchasing it for our firstborn, we did MONTHS of research and talked to lots of safety people. Everyone concurred: although the Britax was expensive, it was also the safest. That was all we needed to hear to be sold.

When we purchased it, I didn't think to find out how to clean it. It is so very easy to take the entire system apart (takes about three minutes) and throw all of the covering and straps in the washing machine and dryer. We then anti-bacterial scrub the remaining plastic base and it's like our babies have a new carseat!

We still go to car seat safety checks every six months or so and always hear, "Oh, if it's a Britax, we don't even need to check it--it's the best on the market!" You just can't put a price on peace of mind and knowing that your child will be as safe as possible should an accident occur--this has been worth every single penny we paid!

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allysue says "Yummy square chunks of ice are oh so very nice" about KitchenAid Refrigerator - Architect Series II 25lb - Ice Maker KUIC15N

allysue — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 03:53:11 GMT

After researching for several months, we finally decided on this icemaker. Our previous three icemakers (in a period of five years, I might add) were Kenmore Elites. They just couldn't cut it. I talked to a huge amount of sales people and read countless reviews. Basically, the Scotsman is the one icemaker brand ultimately recommended by everyone, BUT my darling husband cannot stand the shape of the Scotsman ice, so we went with this. I was told that Uline icemakers have tremendous problems and not to expect any ice maker (other than the Scotsman) to last more than five years. So, we went for looks (stainless with a pretty handle), features (lit inside, continually producing ice, quietness), and value and ended up with this product. We've been very pleased with the cute square cubes it produces and with the warranty we purchased, as we feel certain we'll need it! So far, so good!...

allysue says "This former Chicagoan loved Loving Frank!" about Nancy Horan - Loving Frank

allysue — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 03:45:10 GMT

Growing up in Chicago, the homes of Frank Lloyd Wright were familiar to me, as were his homes in Wisconsin (we took field trips to visit them!). HOWEVER, I knew little to nothing about his personal life. This engrossing novel creates a very complex, multi-faceted love story between two kindred souls who were willing to sacrifice everything in order to be together. Difficult to read at times, it is well worth getting through--a love like Frank and Mamah's deserved to be recorded for the ages....

allysue says "Even an unexperienced photographer takes fabo pics!" about Canon - Rebel XTi Digital Camera

allysue — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 03:38:42 GMT

I received this camera for my birthday in July 07, rather begrudingly. I loved my old camera, which was a 35mm SLR Olympus and didn't think a digital camera could match the quality of the shots I took with film. I am happy to say I was WRONG and have converted to digital much more easily than I ever imagined. It is SO easy to take pictures and there is almost no delay between shots. The quality of the pictures from both distance and terribly up close shots is immaculate. I take pictures of my 3 and 6 year old children almost daily and have been thrilled with the quality of what I capture with this camera. I am NOT a professional photographer, nor do I aspire to be, but I have become the group photographer for my son's class as well as a few social groups I'm involved with, just because this camera is so easy and fun to use--plus, I can make mistakes and just delete them! I am hoping that Santa brings me a lens that allows me to zoom closer, but that's the only thing that would improve this......