I've been putting off this project forever (okay, about 8 months).  Ever since coming back from Mexico, I'd been dying to try out something I'd seen down there in the kiosks.  Since my husband is able to create steel dies that cut wood, I asked for his help in putting into wood what I'd envisioned in my head.  He obliged.  

I finally got around to painting it tonight.  Can you guess what (or who) it is?

Since this was only a test piece, scrap wood was used.  However, even being scrap wood, the puzzle pieces came out just as I wanted them to!  Each piece is 3/4" thick, so they're super durable.  Vince has already chucked pieces across the room for kicks and nothing split or cracked (aside from the slight crack that was there to begin with). I though that was a good sign, especially since we'd only used scrap wood!!!

For reference, this is what 3/4" of an inch looks like:

Anyhow, the naked pieces have been sitting on my counter just waiting for me to pick out the perfect colors.  I finally did so tonight because with the oncoming snow, I figured a crafty activity would keep me occupied.  Here I am about halfway through the process:

To get some of the colors juuuuuust right, I got to try my hand at mixing.  I wanted a subtle rosy pink for the cheeks, but the red I had was too dark and the white didn't help, so I added yellow and got precisely what I wanted.  I felt all sorts of artsy!

I must've painted each piece about five or six times.  Wood absorbs paint like you wouldn't believe, and I wanted certain colors to REALLY stand out (like that gorgeous cobalt blue). 
Besides, I don't mind if things take longer to do if they come out looking nice in the end.

The halo might've been one of the more time consuming parts of the project because wanted to use special metallic paint to highlight some of the rays.  To ensure I didn't make a total mess of things, I taped off lines for myself:

It definitely looked a bit silly at the time, but I was so happy with the way it turned out. 
Definitely worth the agita of fighting the tape.  

All in all, it took me about an hour and a half to paint everything.  I used a hair dryer at some points to help the paint dry faster (so I could paint facial features, for example).  Otherwise, I just spent my time sanding, painting, painting some more, and taping off things here or there.

I used a different brush for each color because I didn't want anything getting mixed that I wasn't mixing on purpose, ya know?  The sponge tipped brushes worked best on the wood to give it a smooth, even coat.  The fine-tipped brushes were perfect for the details.  I'm really happy with how the final project turned out. Have you guessed who I was painting?

I haven't sealed it yet, but that's because I want to wait overnight to let everything really dry thoroughly.  

Now that I know I can actually paint these pieces and have them look like a cute facsimile of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I'm going to have John make me a few more using non-scrap wood.  He'd know the best kind of wood for a project like this, so I'll defer to him, but I wanted to share with you folks because I'm just so pleased with how she turned out.  

I'm contemplating painting other versions since this is such a basic design.  Suggestions? Thoughts?

I'm also thinking about coming up with other designs - specifically ones that involve the Holy Family.  I've always liked those Holy Family images with St. Joseph basically encompassing Our Lady as she cradles the Infant Jesus in her arms... something like that.  

So, that was my craft tonight.  Any ideas on which version of Our Lady I should try next?  I'm very open to suggestions!

My poor kid was so sick last week!  His fever just wouldn't quit.  I ended up taking him to the ER late Friday night because his breathing was so awful.  He had some fluid in his lungs.  My poor little munch!  

He missed a whole week of school.  This is the first time he's actually registered that he wasn't feeling well.  When the doctor asked him where he hurt, he replied, "My esophagus!"

Ha ha ha.  That anatomy app I purchased was totally worth it.  The doctor got quite the chuckle out of that one.  

I made this diaper cake for a coworker's baby shower.  I always enjoy putting this sort of stuff together.  I'm not a baker by any stretch of the imagination, but you'd be amazed at the things I can do with a few diapers.  Ha ha ha!  

This is our first office baby, so we're all pretty excited (at least the women are).  I can't wait to meet her!  This is my coworker's first child, too, so keep her in your prayers. She's due in a few weeks and is nervous (as all new mothers are).  

The shower was so much fun.  I think Carla (the new mom) was surprised.  She was definitely super appreciative that we organized the event for her.  Good times!

Had a REALLY disturbing experience on Friday night before taking Vince to the hospital.  I went out with my friend, Theresa, to a brewery for dinner.  Great food, nice service, REALLY ridiculous dining neighbors.  

While Theresa and I were enjoying our food, an older woman (45-50) and a younger man (maybe 25?) sat next to us at an adjacent table.  Their table was likely a foot and a half from ours.  The woman was obviously inebriated, and apparently they were on a first date.  She kept smacking him across the table and repeating, "You're so HOT!  You don't think I'm gorgeous.  Tell me that I'm gorgeous again!"

AY.

It was embarrassing.  If that wasn't bad enough, she slipped off her shoe and placed her foot against his lap (we were outdoors, no table cloths, and again... we were less than 2 feet away).  I started giving Theresa the "We need to get out of here NOW" stare, so she started pounding back her drink.  

The woman then suggests they take a selfie (REALLY, lady?  A SELFIE?  Just stop).  She threw herself into his lap and put her hands where her foot had just been.  She then said, "This would be easier if you'd open your legs" and then loudly declared, "I'm going to bed you tonight."  (WHO SAYS THAT?!)

GAG.

I immediately paid the tab and left.  I couldn't stop balking about it the whole way home. It's almost a week later and I'm STILL balking about it!  Who DOES that?!  

That guy was young enough to be her son, and she was acting like a tweeny-bopper fawning over One Direction.  I was so incredibly embarrassed for her.  As for the guy, he didn't seem to mind anything her aggressiveness nor her inebriation (for obvious reasons). I just can't... 

They were in a VERY public place during the dinner rush.  They were in VERY close proximity to us and the table on the other side of them.  The woman was loud and obnoxious, and the guy did nothing to point that out.  I almost felt like looking around for Candid Cameras because the situation seemed so ludicrous.  

Ick.  Please never let me turn into that when I get older.  Ick.  Please never let Vincent allow himself to be as degraded as the yahoo with that woman.  IIIIIIICK.  

What are you even supposed to do in that situation?  "Excuse me, folks, but could you take your lustful stupidity down a notch?  Normal people would like to enjoy their dinners."

When did it become acceptable to act like this in public?!

I got the opportunity to take Vince to see Medieval Times.  We had SO MUCH FUN!  At first he was terrified due to the over-stimulation, but after we got him focused on his own shouting (cheering on the black night you see us standing with).  

There were nine of us altogether.  The three kids had a blast and us parents were getting giddy just watching them enjoy themselves. Definitely one of the best nights we've had in a long time.  

I finally got around to adding some new stuff to the Store.

Thus, enjoy!  

The new features include multiple pictures of the earrings, a zoom feature, and an actual "Cart." 

Nifty.

Anywho, feel free to peruse.  10% of every order still goes to the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia, and they do some awesome, life-saving work!

These were the cute little crafts Vincent and I put together for my mom and John's mom for St. Valentine's Day.  I saw something similar on Pinterest and thought I could adapt it to Vincent's skill set.  I'm really happy with how they came out.  They're simply adorable!

All you need:

A frame (I chose 8x10)
Red paint
Pipe cleaners
Glue stick
Markers (optional)
Fabric leaves (optional)

What to do:

1) Paint your child's hand with red paint (or, as I did, let your son smash his hand around in a dish of paint).

2)  Press hand firmly onto poster board (top center leaving about an inch border).

3)  If you're using fabric leaves, you can thread a green pipe cleaner through the stem, or you can simply glue them in place as sepals.  If you'd rather, you can simply paint, draw or use pipe cleaners to create the sepals.

4)  Use different colored pipe cleaners to form letters.  This was something Vince needed help with, but once I showed him how to do it, he kinda liked trying to bend the pipe cleaners into shapes.  

5)  Glue the letters into place.  We chose to spell out "Love," but obviously you can spell out whatever you'd like.

6)  Date the project!  

7)  Insert the poster board (now completed) into the frame after allowing time for the paint / glue to dry.

Super easy and super fun.  I absolutely loved how they turned out, and Vincent's really proud of them, too.  Plus, it was a great way to work on his fine motor skills.  We can't wait to give them out.  Hopefully the snow goes away so we're able to do that soon!