rispoklife
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Creating
  • Cooking

Home Again

2/28/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
As much as we enjoyed playing in the 1/4" of snow in Madison... it's nice to be home.
Every month or so, a giant, Dr.Seuss-looking tractor contraption has to come by and remove most of our snowbanks so our street is more than 6 feet wide.
We got to watch yesterday!
5 makes excellent machinery noises.
For some additional perspective: the fence behind the snowbank is for a tennis court, like 14 feet high.
We've had a pretty light snow year...
1 Comment

Fun With Opa

2/24/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
A certain someone has really been enjoying having two extra people to lavish him with attention and adoration.
Enjoying it so much, in fact, that he has gone back to two daily naps for the last few days.
Whew!
1 Comment

A Snowy Day

2/22/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
It snowed all morning yesterday in Madison.
We knew it wouldn't last so we bundled up and headed out!
Picture
5 was very excited to be given free reign at the park, but I think he was confused by the very small amount of snow...
Picture
There's my little gnome, looking for a hobbit-hole.
Picture
He never did find one
Picture
But the swings were pretty fun
Picture
The walk home was a bit long...
0 Comments

Greetings From Madison!

2/20/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
Just a very few highlights (for now) from our long, family-filled, Madison weekend! 5 did surprisingly well accepting love and adoration from 17 family members for 4 days, but boy was he ever ready for some solo Mama time this morning!
Among the sweetest moments was a fishing lesson from Dad in my parents' dining room.
Picture
Baby and Daddy practiced casting and reeling in together until 5 decided it was more fun to be a fish and he chased the crumpled up paper bait around and around and around. He was having so much fun he didn't even notice Mama with the camera!
Picture
My sweet sister managed a weekend off and flew out from Raleigh for the weekend. I caught her having a Mother/Daughter moment with our Mom while they candled her ears out in the driveway... we had such beautiful weather this weekend it was hard to be anywhere out of the sun.
1 Comment

A Tiny Bit of Me Time

2/15/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the last two weeks, what with the socializing and trying to do regular things when Winter is only half over and all I want to do is read in bed with hot chocolate and all, I have hoarded a few precious productive moments here and there for me and me alone! I have this incurable desire to make myself dresses, all the time. Which is more than a little crazy because I can't even wear dresses most of the time when someone (ahem, 5) will desperately need to nurse at any minute. So. Dresses.
Picture
I really wanted to take another crack at this Lola pattern (see my first attempt here)- mess with the sizing, the sleeves, and the fabric weight. I made this version out of two T-shirts and am just pleased as punch with it. It's kinda short, so I have to wear pants under it, but that's okay because then I am always nurse-able. You may have noticed that the stripes don't line up at one of the seams. I did try to line them up (which is unusual for me) and I know that some of you would be driven crazy by this kind of thing, but it just doesn't get to me. It's one of those very special powers that I have, like ignoring dirty dishes, or stepping over things that I put in front of the door to remind myself to take somewhere...
Picture
I also squeezed in a pillowcase top for myself! It's actually made from a pillowcase. A lovely, thrifted, fifty cent pillowcase.
Fred was mystified when I bought said pillowcase months ago. First, we don't need any more pillowcases at home, and second, he could not imagine me wearing anything so girly.
Picture
I love it. It reminds me of grandmothers and teacups and houses where all the beds have handmade quilts on them.

5 and I are leaving tomorrow for a rather long visit with my parents, so I will be posting from beautiful Madison, WI!

0 Comments

A Nerdy Kind of Love

2/14/2012

0 Comments

 
One of the most important things that my husband and I have in common is that we are both complete and unapologetic dorks. We are not terribly romantic nor are we cool enough to reject such notions altogether. It's clear that we are not alone.
Picture
I love the NPR valentines (find them here), I sent some last year, but this one kind of embodies everything I love about my marriage. We occasionally listen to the news on NPR during the week, but mostly, it's our Sunday.
We drop everything to do the puzzle with Will Shortz at 10:40.
I sing along with the guest musicians and Fred laughs at the stupid jokes on Prairie Home Companion.
I get most of my current events knowledge from Wait Wait Don't Tell Me .
Etc etc.
But the best part is the sponsors. Guessing which shows were sponsored in part by Lumber Liquidators and what completely random sounding things each foundation supports (preventing homelessness, tooth decay, child abuse, and nuclear weapons..?) Worthy causes all, I'm super not trash talking, we are just fascinated by what these philanthropists hold nearest and dearest.
Picture
www.minieco.co.uk

I also made Fred one of these super cool pixelated popup heart cards, but on macho granite-y looking paper. And instead of writing a deep and meaningful message, I let 5 color on it.

Keeping with the spirit of dork love, we sent each other Declarations of Romantic Intent from the Bureau of Communication. They have all kinds of fun forms you can fill out and send.

Most years we try pretty hard to have a nice V-Day without spending very much. We have found we enjoy it more if we just make each other a little something and spend an evening together.

I know it's such a cliche, but since we became parents, the moments we share with each other as a couple tend to become few and far between. It makes this holiday a lovely excuse to drop everything, even if only for a few hours, to obsess over this man with whom I plan to spend the rest of my life.



How do you like to celebrate (or un-celebrate) Valentine's Day?

0 Comments

A Sunday Kind of Monday

2/13/2012

3 Comments

 
Picture
5 and I went to a dance party today. Yeah, we're pretty cool. We were at the hip-happenest lunchtime potluck family dance party in the world. It was awesome. 5 danced. I danced. We ate lunch. 5 ate markers with another little dude. He gave high-fives to big kids. I talked to grownups (!). In fact, it was so awesome that 5 fell asleep 2 blocks away from our friend's house. And slept. for. four. hours. Woah.
So instead of doing anything else of note today, we are going to enjoy the big big batch of vegetarian pho I made yesterday. I got the recipe here. Her photography is better. The pho is delicious. I can't compare it to anything though because I've never had pho before. The broth is definitely the most complicated flavor I have ever created.
It's a lovely thing to eat in this grey and gloomy not-quite-homestretch of winter time- it's comforting because it's soup, but it's also fresh and vegetable-y and green. Yum!
3 Comments

Remnants of the Week

2/10/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
My boys let me sleep in and made me pancakes last weekend. Yum and yum.
(I did have to cook the pancakes, but who's splitting hairs?)
Picture
A super tough outtake from the legwarmer shoot.
Picture
I finally managed to document nearly the full extent of 5's helpfullness during diaper folding time.
Picture
My favorite picture though, is this one, when it's time to STOP helping.
Not happy.
Such a sweet, helpy boy.

Feel free to share your remnants of goodness from the week.
I LOVE to hear them!
Happy Weekend to you!

2 Comments

A Birthday Surprise

2/9/2012

3 Comments

 
Picture
Somebody has a birthday coming up.
I won't tell you who, because I want it to be a surprise.
And really, who wouldn't want to be surprised by a pair of bird wings for their birthday?
Picture
These were really fun to make, and even more fun trying to get 5 to help me figure out the ergonomics.
The best part?
I happened to have a ton of these feather shapes already! I hardly had to cut any new ones at all!
Picture
They were inspired by these. Great tutorial too. I didn't really use it, but, that's just how I roll.
Picture
Then I saw that the wings that inspired my wings were in turn inspired by these wings!
For grownups!
So go make yourself some wings!
The main difference between mine and these other two is that instead of ribbon around the neck, I used elastic shoulder straps to hold them on. No choking. Yay!
3 Comments

Scabface

2/8/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
Last night, the boys went out to play in the snow and watch the moon come out. In the dark. Not ideal conditions for little boys who fall down walking on the carpet...
Fascinated by his amazing shadow cast by the bright bright moonlight, he bent over and over and over until he fell. Face first. Onto the ice-covered driveway. Boo.
Picture
This is his first injury that didn't disappear with some nursing and a good night's sleep. I cringe internally every time I look at his poor nose. There's a bit of road rash on his forehead too.
Picture
Clearly, it bothers me a lot more than it does him.
Me and my silly mama ego, wanting to be able to protect him from every bump and bruise and then comfort him through all the ones he ends up with anyway.
I'm sure I'll have plenty more chances to get over it.
2 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    My name is Ansley Knoch. I am the creator of Rispok, a line of accessories for big and little people made from repurposed materials. I live in Madison, Wisconsin with my husband, Fred, and our son, also Fred, better known as 5.

    Archives

    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011

    Categories

    All
    52
    Artists
    Breakfast
    Cooking
    Design
    Fall
    Family
    Fashion
    Finnish
    Holiday
    Holidays
    Juggling
    Kcwc
    Music
    Parenting
    Pregnancy
    Printing
    Product
    Projects
    Protest
    Recipes
    Remnants
    Repurposing
    Reuse
    Scandinavian
    Sewing
    Spring
    Studio
    Summer
    Travel
    Tutorials
    Up
    Winter
    Wisconsin

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Follow Me on Pinterest
    Picture
    my craftgawker gallery
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.