New patterns!

I've just added a new pattern to my Etsy shop!

The Puppy Hat!

Next, I'll be writing up my pattern for this panda hat!

Right now I'm working on a few of these Valentine's Day owl hats:

The pattern also includes directions for a regular beak.

What are you working on?



Salsa Pork Chops

For the last few weeks, I've been trying new recipes almost every night. Some have turned out alright, some haven't turned out well at all. Tonight, the recipe I tried was super easy, really quick, and very tasty!

Salsa Pork Chops
4-5 boneless pork chops
15 oz. can of crushed pineapples *undrained* (I used chunks.)
1 cup of salsa (I used medium; it gave it a nice kick without making it too spicy to enjoy.)
chopped green onions (I left these out.)

Mix the pineapples, salsa, and onions together.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook pork chops about 4 mins on each side. Add mixture and cook for 8 mins or until the pork chops are cooked all the way through.

Voila! It's that simple. And it's sooooo delicious! This will definitely be marked as a quick and easy go-to meal in my book!

Enjoy! Please feel free to share any new recipes you've enjoyed. :)

New Patterns

 Minnie or Mickey Mouse

 Valentine's Day Owl Hat

(regular, too!)

 Panda Bear: Coming soon!

Wavy stripes beanie! I have only written up one size for this pattern, so it will be a couple of weeks before I can post it! I'll need testers for 0-6 months and 2-4 years!



P.S. Gabriel's fundraiser has ended and the results were better than I could have imagined! I will have an update soon, along with the winners of the free hats!

Update on Gabriel's Fundraiser

Gabe, the cutest little blonde haired boy I've ever laid my eyes on.

Words cannot express the kindness and sincerity I've seen in the last week. The generosity of complete strangers, people who don't know me or Gabe and his family, who see someone in need and want to help them, just brings tears of joy. It's easy to forget that there are good people in this world. It's easy to forget to BE a good person. This little boy is so special that while he fights his battle, he is bringing people from all over the country together in hope, prayer, and flat out goodness. I have faith that Nick and Julia, Gabe's parents, will teach Gabe all about love, and kindness, and how to help others. I have faith that they will teach Gabe to believe, to hope, and to be sincere to everyone he meets. I don't know Nick and Julia personally (I know them through a mutual friend, and they happen to be here in WA), but I can tell that's what kind of people they are. I can tell they are kind people, who would come to anyone's rescue, who continually have faith in the Lord, who do good things in their daily life. If anyone deserves a miracle, it's Nick and Julia. Even if you can't donate to their fundraiser, please pray that God continues to heal little Gabe.

Julia's blog | Nick's blog

The fundraiser has been AMAZING! There have been so many donations and so many purchases... I never would have thought that it would be this successful this fast... and the donations just keep coming! "Thank you" just doesn't seem like enough! Thank you so much to everyone who has helped out... even if all you can do is to share the link and tell your friend's and family about Gabe and the fundraiser, even if all you can do is have hope or pray, you're doing a wonderful thing. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you, and it is just amazing to see so many people coming together to raise money for Gabe and his family. Thank you!

There are still a few items for sale. If you're in CA, MI, or VA, and you may be interested in a discounted photo shoot, three photographers have donated their time so that 100% of the proceeds can go to the fundraiser. There are still four bows available, along with a couple of blankets, a hat, and an entire 31 gifts party. You'll find all of that here.

If you would like to donate an item to the fundraiser, I'm accepting anything and everything, no matter how big or small! All you need to do is shoot me an email at justpeachy611@aol.com with a picture of the item(s) and whatever information is needed (for example what sizes or colors are available, whether it's custom made or the item pictured, etc.). You can also make a monetary donation through Paypal by choosing "send money," "friends and family," and sending it to justpeachy611@aol.com. You can also donate directly to the family through Nick's blog.

Thanks again, everyone. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Fundraiser for Baby Gabriel

Gabriel wearing an owl hat I made.

Tomorrow will be the first day of the fundraiser I'm doing to raise money for Gabriel and his family. I feel compelled to do something, anything for this family. They're inspiring, and their story is so incredibly touching it brings me to tears every time I reread it. Here's a quick summary of their story:

At 20 weeks, Nick and Julia found out that their son, Gabe, would have Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. HLHS requires 3 surgeries, two within months of birth, to even have a chance of survival. Gabe is approaching his second surgery. To make the circumstance tougher, Gabe was also born with Down Syndrome. To date, there hasn't been an HLHS patient with DS who has received a heart transplant, which Gabe will inevitably need. I am doing this fundraiser to help out two amazing parents: Nick and Julia. After being displaced in Seatlle (from Idaho) for the past five months, Nick has lost his job, and they've lost their apartment. I can't imagine the financial struggle their facing, so I want to raise as much money as possible to send them.

I'm also hoping to raise awareness about HLHS and hopefully inspire some [change]. Wouldn't it be amazing if Gabriel was the first person with DS to receive a life-saving heart transplant?

No matter how grim the doctors tell Nick & Julia their son's chances are, they continue to push forward. When the doctors told them to take Gabe home to die, they refused, and soon Gabe's body started functioning the way they needed it to so that he could be a candidate for surgery. They rely on their faith in God and the power of prayer to stay positive. When you look at their pictures, you would never know the battle they've been fighting. They look like any other happy family. 

I'm reminded of how often I take the little things for granted... How often I think, I am so ready for this day to be over! Boy, do I take those bad days for granted.

Everybody under my roof,
Is healthy- knock on wood.
Oh but I sure do sweat the small stuff,
I don't thank God as much as I should.

Tonight I'm thinking about Tommy and Jenny,
And how they spent the last four years.
All those extended stays in Memphis,
All the sleepless nights, the prayers, the tears.

It's just been one of those days,
Where I was thinking poor me.
I got no right to complain I guess,
Cause right now all I can see.

Is that family moving back to Target House,
It makes me realize.
It's just been one those days for me,
But for them its been one of those lives.

And so it's been one of those days,
I let things get to me.
I got no right to complain,
Cause when I look around I see.

Folks that are fightin' for every breath,
And it makes me realize.
It's just been one for those days for me,
But for them it's been one of those lives.

"One of Those Lives" by Brad Paisley

And now I'll leave you with links to Nick and Julia's blogs if you'd like to read more about their fight and their story since Day One. Also, I'll leave a few sneak peaks of what you'll find in my Fundraiser for Gabriel (starting tomorrow).

Nick's blog

Julia's blog

Make sure you come by tomorrow to see what else there is and to take advantage of some amazing prices while also helping out this awesome family! :)