The Sewing Mom

In my efforts to reduce the amount of spam that this site is receiving I now have two spam plug-ins installed. The first, [tag]Akismet[/tag] has been installed from the very beginning of this blogs existance. Unfortunately, I still have to go in and manually delete everything that lands in the [tag]spam[/tag] folder. I tend to at least try to glance at it before deleting it because occasionally, a valid comment will land in the spam folder and I would hate to delete it. So, it is a slower process than I would like.

Today, I added the [tag]math comment spam protection[/tag] plug-in. I found this nifty plug in at WordpressGarage.com, where she lists the [tag]50 best Wordpress plugins[/tag] and I am looking at a couple of others on that list for future use.

So, I apologize for the extra step it takes to leave a comment, but I’m hoping it will cut down on the spambots!  I’m also hoping this will allow me to turn off comment moderation.

My sister got me started making this new little zipper bag that has a long, over the shoulder strap.  It’s really cute and you can use any fabric you want, just needs to be two pieces that coordinate.  The zipper looks best when it is a contrasting color.  This particular pattern calls for 2 [tag]fat quarters[/tag] and 12″ zipper.  That’s it.  My sister had given me this turtle fabric a while back and I decided to use it to make my first zipper bag.  I did this yesterday in about 2 hours time (or less).  I plan to make 5 more over the next few days to give to the team members on the Destination Imagination team as Christmas gifts.  The total cost for each bag is just under $5.  I got all of my fat quarters on sale so that was a big help.

 My sister adds quilting to the [tag]zipper bags[/tag] she makes.  They are really pretty.  Since I’m just making these for the kids, I won’t do quite as much detail.  These are a great size for keeping a Gameboy or IPod in.  My sister, who just flew up yesterday, used hers to carry her identification and a little cash in while she was travelling.  It was so much easier going throught the airport that way instead of having to pull her wallet out everytime somebody needed to check her I.D.

I realize that not all people that live in [tag]Hollywood[/tag] need [tag]drug rehab[/tag], but some days it sure seems that way. It’s all about seeing how sleazy and dirty they can look, how many parties they can attend, how much drinking they can do and finally, how many drugs they can put into their system.

As a mom, I find it appalling. I recall when [tag]Brittney Spears[/tag] first came on the scene, she was fun and entertaining to watch. Then, after a couple of hits, she “hit” the big time and I actually would not allow my daughter to watch any of Brittney’s videos. They were all about sex and stripping down to her underwear, I just didn’t feel it was appropriate for a 7 year old, and I still don’t, 5 years later.

Why is it that these people go to rehab for 30 days and come out immediately doing the same drugs and drink they did before they went in? What kind of rehab is that? It seems to be that it must all be for the publicity. I personally find it sad that individuals like Brittney obviously need real help and can’t seem to get it. They need to learn to make true personal lifestyle changes and it doesn’t seem that this happens in Hollywood. They also need aftercare programs to help them once they’ve left the rehab center. This is extremely obvious in the case of Brittney Spears.

Perhaps she is past the point of help? If the threat of losing custody of her children didn’t push her to rehabilitate, I don’t know what will.

.

I can’t get over how much sewing I’ve been able to get done this week!  I got started on Monday and I managed to finish one quilted bag and two Advent calenders. Yesterday, I finished the second calender and then made the first of six “zipper” bags that I’m making as gifts for the girls on my Destination Imagination Team. I’ll get a picture up of it in a bit. For now, here is the second calender. The close up of the pocket is to show the top stitching I did with the metallic thread.