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The Life of a Gerber Baby

6/24/2011

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5's First Modeling Shoot

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Five began what I hope will be a short and relaxed modeling career today.
No, I did not take him to some kind of cattle call with designer overalls on.
We were asked to be in a photo shoot for a marketing campaign for downtown Hancock, (and by "we", they really meant "the baby").
We were modeling enthusiasm for art.
It was not very difficult as we both have been known to enjoy some art...
Here we are standing in front of some of MY products at the art center in downtown Hancock.
I had so much faith that 5 would be great that, as you can see, I did not even bother to fancy myself up...

Turns Out, Modeling is Exhausting

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5's cuteness reserves were nearly depleted by the exhausting 15 minutes we spent being "models".
He tried to recharge by surrounding himself with his toys, but even that didn't work.
Eventually he came to the realization that he would have to take a nap.

Pizza Cures Everything

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Since Mom and Dad don't take naps (usually), we made pizzas to help us recharge. I made myself one with my fake tomato sauce. It looked so pretty halfway through assembly I had to share it.

Join me next week for a easy peasy, fancy shmancy pants tutorial!
Enjoy your weekend!

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Beautiful Sunshiny Monday!

5/16/2011

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That's right, I survived a crabby, no-sleep baby while having a cold, and now I'm stronger than ever! The sun is out and I had leftover french toast for lunch. Life is good. It was so beautiful I had to share it with you. The french toast was pretty regular- sourdough bread, almond milk, egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom, but the toppings. It is ALL. ABOUT. THE TOPPINGS. Sliced banana, pecan pieces, and faux whipped cream made with coconut milk. So good!

French Toast is Delicious

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Oh, the Life of A Model

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We did not one, but TWO photo shoots outside today. I finally finished some sun hats this weekend so it was time to document them. The first shoot had limited success as I was the sole photographer and I have much to learn about taking pictures outside. Everything was very overexposed-y and I was bummed.
After Fred came home I asked him if he would help me try again. He took one look at the camera settings and, of course, knew where I had gone wrong. Unfortunately, the second time around, 5 was feeling much less amenable to being a hat model- he could remove the hat nearly as fast as we could get it on him. Sure looks cute though!
You can find the first sun hat on my Rispok Etsy shop. Look for a new one each day this week!
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Dad as photographer's assistant

Exciting News

Rispok products are now available for sale at the Copper Country Community Art Center in Hancock, Michigan. If you're in town, stop by- they have two different exhibits each month plus the sales gallery!

I'll be working on a batch of placemats all week, so be sure to check in and see how it's going! I'm hoping to share a new baby pants tutorial this week as well (fingers crossed!)
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All New!

5/4/2011

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New Product

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They're finally here and ready to roll out! This evening I finished a batch of wallets, hooray! I still have to press the fold in, but that's something I can do with the baby even, so no big deal. Look for them on the Rispok etsy shop starting tomorrow!

New Recipes

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Mexican Lasagna
Oh the saga of the 4 day Mexican lasagna is finally over. On Sunday, I made the refried beans. On Monday, I chopped the veggies, but realized we didn't have any clean casserole dishes. On Tuesday, I made the cilantro sauce and got Fred to wash a casserole dish (did I mention I don't wash dishes by hand? That's my one real housewife caveat). On Wednesday, today, the baby and I finally assembled and baked a super delicious Mexican lasagna (click to go to the recipe). I must say that it was worth the wait.
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Spiced Candied Almonds
My husband is on the board of directors for our local art center. Every few months he comes home and announces that he will be hosting the next art opening and wonders what he should make. This is code for "what do you feel like making, dear?" Don't get me wrong, I do not mind this at all, I like fancy cooking, it just amuses me that he speaks in code...
He is hosting the opening for Derik Spoon, a ceramic/glass artist, tomorrow night. There will be all the usual art opening treats, but Fred thought we needed something sweet, so I made a huge batch of spiced, candied almonds. If you have a bit of patience, and functioning wrists, I encourage you to check out my recipe.

New Faces

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The little man has been adding several new hilarious faces to his repertoire lately, these are but a few. He is my sweet little ham.
At this very moment, the two Freds are playing in a fort on the couch, I think I have to go join them.
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Mmmm Delicious Springtime

5/2/2011

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Well, I was almost ready to finish my post this morning, I wanted to finish one of my nearly done projects so I could include it, but...
The little man has decided that he now sleeps every hour and a half. It must help the teeth come in. So, I got a bit behind on my to do list and then...
I ended up joining the boy in one of his naps. I slept for an hour and it was sooooo lovely. After I woke up I discovered I had a crippling need for PANCAKES!
So simple to fix, you think. Pancakes are easy, right? Not so much for me. I have made pancakes through so many different types of restricted diets (I have even made pancakes with just eggs and almond flour) that I now chronically overthink them. I haven't made a good batch since V was born. Boo.
All was not lost, however. My shining white knight of a husband rode to the rescue! He swooped over to the coop and got some (gasp!) wheat flour and made a beautiful batch of fluffy, buttery PANCAKES!
Now that I have been fortified, I can finish this post!

Pancakes!

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A May Day Repast

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ramp leaves with fresh mozzarella
Spring is probably my favorite time of year for seasonal, local-ish produce. Many of the things I still think of as local are actually more local to my previous Southern Wisconsin residence, but still...
I was at the coop doing the shopping for the week yesterday and saw that the first delivery of ramps was in! If you have never had ramps and you live in a place where you have access to them you must go out right now and get some! Their season is, like, three weeks long and only comes once a year. Ramps are kind of like if an onion and a leek had a wild love child. The bulb-y part is good for sauteing and has a mild onion flavor, but the leaves are the bomb. Really. They are the bomb.
My favorite meal this time of year consists of ramp leaves wrapped around fresh mozzarella bits. That's it. Nothing else. You should try it. Mmmmmm.

New Pants

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I have now made my first foray into baby pants-making. They were mostly successful, a little frumpy at the waist. I didn't need quite as much extra fabric as I thought. Now that he is so big, he will likely fit into the same size pants for a while (just as a different shape). So I thought it was time to make him some pants! I scouted around, read 10 or 15 tutorials, and decided to make the super crazy simplest ones first. These pants could not have been easier.
I took two adult sized shirt sleeves, and made sure they were the same length. I measured the distance from the back of the diaper to the front of the diaper (front and back rise) and divided it in two. I then added one inch, making 9 inches total. I cut down the seam of both sleeves 9 inches and then sewed the two sleeves together along those cuts.
I made a casing for elastic, popped it in there, and I was done! Yay pants!
Now that I have made one pair that was not a disaster, I will make many many more, and probably get a bit wild with it.

Coming Wednesday
New Product and my Mexican Lasagna Recipe!

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Delicious Wednesday

4/27/2011

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Who Needs Cake?

I do. I have a confession to make. I have a cake deficiency. My doctor says it's treatable though. Seriously, there are at least a few times a week when I find myself declaring that I need to have some cake.
Luckily for me, my friends Audrey and Amanda know amazing things like how to make chocolate cake in the microwave in five minutes. This knowledge just might improve my marriage.
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on the left- just out of the microwave. on the right- just before entering my mouth.

This Week's New Recipe!

Root veggie pie- yum! Don't serve with ice cream.
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Yes, that IS a giant layer of delicious cheese on top

Ready for the Summer Sun

The handful of warm sunny days we've had up here has made me realize that-

1 My baby doesn't really like the sun
2 His skin is super fair

Time to make a sunhat! Not being terribly good at/ interested in following directions, I looked at a bunch of hats, read a bunch of patterns, and decided to wing it.
I measured V's head while he tried to eat the measuring tape, got out my husband's nice compass set, and did some Fancy Math. Whoever said you don't need algebra, trig, and geometry probably sucked at making things.
I had a bunch of armhole scraps that ended up being PERFECT for this project, so I'll be making some more...
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reversible is good
I figured if I was going to line it, I might as well go the whole way and make it reversible. The little man sat on my lap for almost the whole project, and as you can see, he rather likes the result. I'm ecstatic.
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hey mom, did you see this thing on my head?
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Nose to the Grindstone

4/20/2011

2 Comments

 

Mmmmm Pizza!

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I did not do my usual cooking for the masses this week as my parents have been visiting. This is exciting for me on so many levels.
1. I didn't spend all day Sunday cooking
2. There are people who will not only cook with me, but even FOR me this week!
3. I get to eat things that can't be prepared several days in advance like... PIZZA!
Fred and I made pizzas tonight. We made one nightshade-free one for me with pesto, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and olives. We made one nightshade-laden one for those who need not abstain with tomato sauce, red bell pepper, red onion, and mushrooms. Our local Keweenaw coop has crusts and grated pizza cheese in bulk, making prep work a snap! I whipped up a batch of pesto (I'd post the recipe, but I make it different every time, just using whatever I have around) and we were pretty much ready to go.

Spinning Straw Into Gold (not really)

Up until pizza time, I was turning these-
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Into these!
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That's right, I'm plugging away on a new batch of wallets and coin purses! I spent the morning cutting out my surface designs, the afternoon fusing them on, and the early evening cutting pieces. Hopefully tomorrow I can spend some time sewing!

Friday's post will bring pictures of my studio reorganization and some reflections on more traditional family life.
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Spring Walk, Shop Talk

3/30/2011

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A Lovely Walk? Don't Mind if I Do!

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The little man and I spent a beautiful two hours outside this morning, walking to the post office and bringing a certain someone his forgotten lunch. I put together a nifty hand-me-down stroller from a bandmate of mine (while V looked on in amusement) and we hit the road! It was sunny as all get-out, but only 37 degrees, so when we got home I heated up some tomato-free chili. Yum!

My Zipper Order Has Arrived!

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Yesterday I received 100 zippers in the mail. Yahoo! I'd been eagerly anticipating their arrival so I could start making my new upcycled coin purses! They're just the right size for ID, credit card, and some cash for a purse-less night on the town (or for a mess-free diaper bag.) You'll be able to find the first one on my etsy shop tomorrow!

Other Reasons to Cook a Week at a Time

I've been thinking, I originally started cooking for the week to save time (which it does) and my mind (also does), but there have been other benefits I've found.

-Saving Money. Always popular. We eat all natural and organic and local when we can, which can get spendy, but cooking in such large quantities has cut our grocery bill in half. That's right, I said in half

-Less Waste.  Face it, we all know about the starving children in Africa, it's not always enough to make us eat all the half-servings of random leftovers. When I use up all the ingredients I buy, and I cook exactly 10 portions, we see way less waste in the compost and in the garbage.

See you Friday!

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    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.

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