Needed Materials:

• Printer
• Paper
• Potty Chart Printable
• Laminator
• Laminating Sheets
• Round Velcro

If you don't have a laminator or don't want a reusable potty chart, you can always print it out and use stickers

Print and cut out the pieces. If you don't precut the stars the laminating pieces will not seal properly and will peel apart over time.

Cut out your pieces and attach your Velcro. I prefer to put the soft side on the chart itself so lint and fuzz doesn't get stuck to it.

​Yay! It is your little one's birthday and judging by the fact that you are reading this blog post, there is a Disney fan in the midst. My husband and I are self-titled Disnerds. When we were expecting our first little one, we planned on doing a Toy Story gender reveal party, but then Covid hit. We had already purchased so many decorations and supplies that we decided to hold onto them until our son's first birthday. 

I spent a lot of time brainstorming and utilizing Pinterest to think like an Imagineer. Below is a combination of ideas I found and created along the way as well as some tips and tricks to how I pulled it off. 

Unfortunately, Wegmans no longer creates the custom birthday cakes that I grew up loving. I was slightly saddened knowing Jack would never get to have the thrill of looking through the cake book with all of the characters and designs like I did growing up.

I looked up how much it would cost to have a custom cake made by a professional. I was shocked when I was quoted $80-$90 for the cake. That was too much for my budget. 

So here is what I did. I ordered a frosted round double-tiered cake from Wegmans for $20. I then purchased some extra icing, large lollipops, and candy eyes from the backing aisle to add the frosted details.  I ordered the figures off of Amazon.

The day before the party, I decorated the cake. I let the frosting sit in the fridge overnight so that the icing would be more firm and easier to work with when frosting. I looked up how to make a white chocolate ganache for the blue cake drips. I later discovered that they sell icing in the store specifically for this technique. 

Once the ganache cooled in the fridge, I added on the swirl aliens. It is crucial that the ganache has been hardened before attempting to add more frosting. I learned the hard way that if you don't wait for it to be chilled, the aliens will slide off the edge of the cake. It was a glorious disaster, to say the least.  I ran to Walmart, grabbed extra materials, scrapped the cake off, and started over.

My last bit of advice is to wait until the day of to add in the lollipops and figurines. Because my cake was so tall now, I couldn't put the cake lid back on to cover the cake overnight.

I had a blast hiding these little green army men all over the house. I had them in crazy places and the kids had a lot of fun looking for where they might spot more toy soldiers. I went to the dollar store and bought a few packs.

We had lots of Toy story themed foods. Unfortunately, being the host I didn't get a photo of each food item, but here was our birthday menu. Here is a link to the food cards that I created.

Printable Toy Story Food Cards

Appetizers:
Buzz's Mexican Salsa
Bullseye's Carrots
Buzz's rocket fuel (lemonade)

Main Menu:
Pizza Planet Pizza
Al's Chicken Tenders
Slinky's Spiral Mac N' Cheese
Mr. Potato's Tots

Dessert:
DIY Birthday Cake
Alien Cupcakes
Ham's Gold Coins

The idea of cloth diapers always intrigued me. I always try to be Green as often as possible. I felt guilty even before my baby was born thinking about how much more garbage we would generate from diapering. Not to mention how expensive cloth diapering would be. 

I was scrolling through Pinterest and I noticed an infographic showing that most parents spend anywhere from $1500-$4000 PER YEAR on diapers (depending on the diaper brand). That is a lot of money to be spending just on diapers. 

I bought $60 worth of cloth diapers before my son was born. I procrastinated for 4 months and came up with excuse after excuse for why I wasn't ready. It is gross; it will be too much work; I don't have time... I could write an entire blog on the reasons I avoided it. I started to feel guilty about wasting money on diapers and liners sitting upstairs that were not being used.

Finally, over Christmas break, I decided I'm going to do this, and if it isn't for me, then it isn't for me. At least I could say I tried and stop feeling so guilty about wasting money. 

The first day we did it, I realized that it wasn't so bad. This realization pushed me to try again the next day; and the next and the day after that. At the end of that first week, I realized it wasn't nearly as gross, time-consuming, or inconvenient as I had thought. I posted some pictures of a dirty diaper later in the blog, not to be gross, but to show you, it really isn't bad at all.

Now I will put it out there that we are not a full-time cloth diapering mommy. We are a hybrid home, where we use disposable diapers at daycare and night currently. At first, I didn't want to inconvenience the daycare. However, we might be switch to cloth diapers full time, so stay tuned!

Okay, let's get back on track...

If you are considering it, I highly recommend just trying it yourself. You do not have to go all out on expensive diapers and gear. You will be spending the money on disposable diapers anyway, so what is the hurt in spending $60 to try it out. You will be spending that money on disposable diapers anyway, right?

If all that wasn't enough to convince you to give it a try, technically our society has been using disposable diapers all wrong. According to the box, the diapers are not intended to be disposed of with the poop wrapped up inside. Instead, you are supposed to dispose of the waste in the toilet and then throw away the soiled diaper. In a sense, you are required to do almost the same amount of work as a cloth diaper at this point.  

Here were some of the questions I wish I had known before starting:

Where do you clean the diapers?
At first, I used the toilet and would dunk my hands in and give it a quick scrub to get the poop off. 

You can also get a sprayer that hooks up to the toilet water line to spray down the pads. In doing so, you don't have to put your hands in the toilet. 

But if I am going, to be honest, and real, now I just use the upstairs bathroom sink and clean it with bleach at the end of the day. Most of the time I am just rinsing out pee anyways, and the diaper liners catch the majority of the poop.

What do you do with the pad insert?
There are different ways to go about inserting the pad. The diaper shells that I use have a pocket you place the pad inside. The only downfall with this is that you then have to replace the shell after every use. Instead, I just lay the pad in the shell like a maxi pad liner. In doing so, I am just replacing the pad and the disposable liner, which allows me to reuse the shell. Who needs more laundry?

Side note: Because my son isn't mobile yet, we haven't had any issues with it moving or leaks. This might change when he starts crawling and running around, but for now, it has worked great. 

How many diaper shells do you go through a day?
Anywhere from 1-3 diaper shells, depending on his bowel movements. Most of the time, I am changing pee diapers, and I am swapping out the pads. The only time I swap the shell is if poop gets on it.

How many pads do you use in a day? Right now (at 6 months), my son goes through about 8 or 9 diaper pads per day.

How do you launder the linen?
I typically do the laundry after 2-3 days. I haven't any issues with smell yet. When I do the load of laundry, I set it on the hot cycle, add in the detergent and a scoop of Oxy-clean. The Oxy-clean is key to getting out those poop stains. Afterward, I hang them to dry on my drying rack. I love this rack because it has clips and it takes up barely any space.

What do you do at night? 
At night we put Jack in disposable diapers. The one downfall is that the cloth diapers are super absorbent, but the wetness will still sit against their skin. Because I am not going to be getting up as much throughout the night, we put him in disposable diapers at night to keep his skin dry.

What do you do with the poop? 
Since our son still has more liquid poops, we just ball up the liner and throw it away. When he gets older and his poop is more solid, you dump the waste into the toilet and throw away the soiled liner.

WARNING: Here are the diaper photos I warned you about below!!! I think the last photo is worth noting, this is all that is thrown away, a small tissue size wad of liner. I also think its important to show how absorbent the diaper liners are, even more liquid poop doesn't get through these bad boys.

If you are interested in giving it a try and I really hope you do here is what I recommend:


Alva Baby Cloth Diapers: 
There are other brands out there that can cost $20 per diaper shell. That is crazy to me! These cost less than $35 and they come with 2 pad inserts in each diaper too. I still recommend buying the charcoal pad inserts, these inserts are far better than the inserts that come inside the diapers.

Black Diaper Pads: 
It just makes sense. Poop stains and why make more work for yourself. There are no stains with this dark color. Plus these suckers are SUPER absorbent.

Diaper Liner: 
We use these diaper liners and I can't believe how effective they are. We wad it up and throw it away. Even though some liners are "flushable", no one wants an unwanted plumbing bill. Think of these as your poop catchers.

Drying Rack: 
I love this hanging drying rack. It has come in handy not only for letting the diapers air dry, but we use it for other articles of clothing I don't want to throw in the dryer.

Waterproof Bag:
We hang this dirty diaper bag on the back of our bathroom door. That way we can just throw the used pads and shells in after.

​

Take some painters tape and dab it against some clothing to make it not as sticky. This will help prevent the tape from tearing the paper.

Tape off the border.

Create 4-5 segments with the tape.

Using the watercolor, create some pretty colors. I recommend using colors that are close to one another on the color wheel that would blend well (Example : Blue and Purple, Red and Orange). Avoid opposite colors (Example: Purple and Yellow, Orange and Blue, Green and Red)

​Use the hair dryer to speed up the drying process.

Carefully remove the painters tape SLOWLY.

Once the tape has been removed, outline the border with Sharpie marker (either fine tip or ultra fine tip)

​Going back to work after having a baby was one of the toughest moments of my life, maybe the toughest outside of having my miscarriage.

I cried for two weeks straight leading up to returning and not just normal crying. The ugly kind; the snot running down your face coming from the deepest part of you type of crying. It was only a few months ago, but I just remember feeling like a part of me was about to die as I held my baby and rocked him as I wept uncontrollably. 

I was so bitter at the world, at my husband, at myself for not being able to afford to be able to stay at home with the baby. I wanted to stay at home with him more than anything, but my student loans were far too high for my husband to take on. We already relied on my husband's income to pay the mortgage, electricity, gas, the internet, and his student loans. It wasn't fair to put even more stress on him and expect him to cover part of my loans which come to $800 a month.

There was already so much stress about having to leave my son, it was hard to think about what I needed to do to prep myself for shifting to this new routine and change.

Going back to work would now be different, I had to think about what it would take to be a career mom, but also getting the baby ready for his day ahead as well. In the end, everything worked out really well the way I approached going back to work. I hope some of these strategies might help you transition back into this new change, not only in your personal/ family life, but also in your career life as well.

Here is my list of tips on how to make the transition easier:

Have Your Spouse or Family Watch The Baby The First Week.
I am a realist. I know that this is a privilege, and it might not apply or be an option for all households. However, if it is possible for your situation, this probably the one thing that will make it the easiest to go back to work. 

My husband took the first week off as I went back to work. Knowing he was at home with dad and not a stranger was a huge relief. My maternity leave only allowed me to stay out for 6 weeks contractually. My husband helped get me through the school day by sending photos and short videos of Jack. This made it so much easier getting to "see" him throughout my day.

Our family was incredible and they also chipped in and took turns watching Jack for the next few weeks.  As a result of this, Jack was able to stay out of daycare until he was 12 weeks and build up his immune system more.

Treat Yo'Self
Go out and get your hair, nails, or even a facial done. You are exhausted and you need to have a little bit of rejuvenation. As easy as it is to put ourselves last, it is so important to still take care of yourself both physically and mentally.

Buy Yourself a New Outfit
Going back to work is hard enough and your old clothes might not fit. I was able to fit back into my pants fine, but my breast size was still much larger because I was breastfeeding. Having a few new outfits or even a few new shirts makes you feel good about yourself and can give you a little encouragement.

Get Yourself a Freemie Pump
I talked about this pump in my past blogs. When picking out your pump, I highly recommend getting this pump. It allows you to pump on the go, in public, or even at social gatherings discreetly. If you are a teacher, it is extremely important to buy this if feeding your baby breastmilk is a high priority. 

Legally, employers have to provide you time to pump for usually 30 minutes in New York State. In my case, the school gave me that time during my planning periods. Many of my coworkers told me stories of how getting to the nurse's office to pump, getting set up, pumping, and cleaning up was impossible to do within the 30 minutes. As a result, their supply began to dwindle, and they couldn't keep up with providing their baby with breastmilk. 

I honestly believe the only reason I am still pumping out large quantities and keeping up my supply up for the past 5 months is because of this pump. I am able to pump during class discreetly on my schedule. I put the pump on before my students arrive and take it off as soon as they leave. This allows me to pump on my schedule and if I need extra time, it is no big deal because I can still do my job. This pump allows me to get up and move around the classroom and doesn't limit or take away from teaching and getting things done during my prep time.

Pro-Tip: If you do decided to go with amazing pump. Be sure to buy extra duck bill valves and connector pieces. The ONLY problem with this brand is that you cannot walk into a Target or Walmart and snag a replacement part if you need one. I have lost two pieces so far and having to wait for new ones to ship was frustrating. I now have back up replacement parts for when I lose another part or just need to replace it in general.

Buy Kinde Storage Bags
I am a big fan of this style of breastmilk bags. I have had other brands leak and it's so frustrating. I love that these breastmilk bags have twist caps like a water bottle.

​Keep A Stash of Bags in Your Car
I sometimes forget to grab more breastmilk bags from home, or I thought I had more bags than I did at work. I have run out of bags at work and this has happened to me more than once. Having an emergency stash in your car is great just for your own peace of mind and it sure comes in handy when you do run out. I would cry if I ever had to pump and dump.

Buy a Milk Cooler Bag
If you do not have one of these already, I highly recommend these to transport your milk from work. My work commute time is over an hour-long from school. I need to make sure that milk stays cold until I get home. 

Side-note: It is really hard to get an art teacher job, if you are wondering, it is my goal to get a job closer to home.

Bring an Extra Pair of Clothes: 
Spills and leaks are bound to happen. One time, I didn't squat to pick something up, I bent over while pumping and got breastmilk all over me! GAH!!! I think I was more upset about losing the milk than anything. Bring a neutral top and a neutral pair of pants. I chose black pants and a black top that way it will go with whatever I am wearing. 

Buy a Utility Tote Bag
As a teacher, I usually bring my teaching bag/purse, a lunch bag, and my laptop to and from work every day. Now I had to add my pump bag and my breastmilk cooler bag. I was going to look like the crazy bag lady! I went onto Amazon to buy a utility tote. I didn't want to spend a ton of money on one and got the cheapest one I could find. It is no Thirty-One tote quality-wise, but for $15 I couldn't really complain. It gets the job done and I can put all of the bags into one bag.

Buy a Water Tumbler
Hydration is key for pumping and keeping your supply up. I hate drinking water. I have to force myself to do it unless I am working out. Having a cute tumbler with photos of your sweet baby all over it helps to remind you to stay hydrated and who doesn't love looking at their baby all day?
After each pumping session, I fill up the tumbler and chug the whole thing down because if I don't, I will forget and not do it.
 
Record Baby Crying
This was a suggestion I was given when I was going back to work. Sometimes when our brains hear the baby cry, it kicks in the hormones and triggers our bodies to start producing milk. I used this in the beginning but realized that I didn't need it all the time. 

Buy Breast Shell
If you are pumping, you will want to have these breast shells. They are a lifesaver. Pumping can leave your girls feeling sore and then having them rub up against your bra can be really painful at times. These give your breasts a little bit of relief by creating a barrier to keep your nipples from rubbing up against the bra.

Set a Series of Alarms
If you are a pumping mama, you can easily get so focused on your work that you may forget to pump. I pump every 3 hours to mimic how often Jack needs to eat. Even though I know when I need to pump again, the time can often get away from me. Having that backup reminder is such a huge help. You may eventually only need one or two alarms.

Have Lunch or Dinner With a Co-Worker Friend
This was one of the most helpful aspects of prepping myself to return to work. My teacher friends had a "happy hour" and met up at an ice cream parlor after work. I joined them and brought Jack with me. It was a lot of fun and there were lots of laughs. It helped me remember how fun my co-workers were and made me realize I did miss interacting with them on a daily basis.

Do a Practice Run
Leaving your baby for the first time is so hard regardless of what you are doing. Sign up and volunteer somewhere for a few hours or even take it slow and go in for half a day once a week. This will make that sting of having to leave not be so intense.

On top of being a mom, a teacher and a blogger, I also have a sip and paint side business called Vino & Vernici. This is how I eased into going back to teaching at school. I first started doing a few paint parties again. I cried on the drive to the first paint party after having Jack, but once I got there, I was fine. The best part about working or volunteering was coming home. Coming home had never been so exciting before, I almost had an adrenaline rush. Let's just say I was a little heavy on the gas pedal that day.

Try to Remember Your Why
This is easier said than done, but if you can find one it does help. 

I had two "why" reasons. The first was my student loans. I told myself that if I went back to work, I could pay off my student loans faster. My hope was I could be a stay at home mom for baby number 2.

The second reason was we knew before Jack was born, that Jack potentially had a mild kidney concern. My health insurance isn't the worst, but it isn't the best either. The copay of the ultrasounds can cost a few hundred dollars each time he had to have it done. Having this motivation for making sure I could provide him with these necessary procedures helped make it a little easier for returning to work.

Cry It Out
Do not bottle those emotions girl. This is not easy and that emotional release can really help. It is totally normal and lots of moms need to have a good cry. No one is judging. It only shows how much you care and love that sweet little babe.

Write Down Your Feelings
Maybe you need a different outlet to get everything out. I find that writing about how I am feeling helps remove those awful feelings; hence the blog. I wrote an entire blog post about my feelings on returning back to work and how it felt eerily similar to the feelings I felt after my miscarriage.

Remember It Gets Better
I heard this over and over again. I didn't want to hear it at first because I was so bitter and mad about having to go back to work. It took a long time for me to really be okay with it. I was able to get through the week and be okay with working, but once the weekend came, it reminded me of what I was missing and it unraveled all of the progress I had made throughout the week.

Honestly, it took me about a month to really get back into the swing of things and for me to enjoy my job as much as I had used to. But the moms were right, it did get better and easier.

Remember Your Blessings
Lastly, sometimes we need to look at the big picture and remember what really matters. Do I wish I could stay at home with my son? 

Abso-freakin-lutely!!!

However, my dread is something someone else is praying for. Someone out there is praying for a job to return to, someone else is praying for a baby of their own even if they can't be a stay at home parent, having a baby with a relatively small health issue that doesn't require multiple surgeries and time in the hospital. I have so many blessings and keeping that in mind helps make me remember the big picture. 


My Final Thoughts
I know you are about to embark on a new stage in life mama, it might not be okay right away. But as all of those other mamas promised me, it will get better, your days off will be even more precious to you. Remember your blessing, someone very little is looking up to you and watching your strength.

Be brave mama and take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay.

Hey there! Bringing home that new baby can be pretty overwhelming. I found there were a lot of things that seemed pretty self-explanatory, but then I was a little stumped on how I should go about doing it. Bathing was one of them. The first bath Jack hated it and cried the whole time. By the next week or so, I had finally found the secret formula that worked for both of us.

I am a visual learner, so I decided to take pictures of our bath process that we have used to show our setup for a smooth bath transition.

2. I also get everything out for after the bath too. I place it all on the floor because I find it the easiest and safest too. That way, if I forget something and he decides now is the first time to roll over, he isn't going far, and he isn't going to hurt himself.

3. Get out a muslin swaddle. Fold it in half into a giant triangle. Once baby is undressed, place baby's head at the top of the swaddle so that the shoulders line up with the crease. 

4. Fold the bottom corner up in between the legs quickly. Especially if you have a boy, so you don't get peed on in the process. 

5. Fold over both corners on the left and right of the baby to swaddle him or her.

6. Place baby in the bath and get the swaddle nice and wet with warm water. This will help them stay warm and calm during the bath. You will eventually need to rewet the swaddle with more warm water to keep the cloth warm. 

When I bathe Jack, I will unswaddle and wash one half of his body.  I usually start with the right side for whatever reason. In doing so, he still has the swaddle on half of him keeping him nice and warm. This is also a good chance to dunk that unswaddled corner into the water to reheat the cloth.

PRO-TIP: When bathing the baby, pour the water over their head and let the water run down their face. TRUST ME ON THIS. You might think it is mean, but I promise it will save you from issues later down the line. 

This was one of the very first things I learned what not to do as a kid watching my younger twin cousins experience bathing. My aunt would shield the water from their eyes and face when they were babies. 

Later as toddlers, my mom was giving the twins a bath. When the water hit their face, they cried so hard that one of them vomited in the tub. When their brother was born a few years later, my aunt made sure to pour water over his head and let the water run down over his face.

7. Wash all those little cracks and crevices. Seriously, babies get gunk in the weirdest spots; behind their ears, in between their little fat rolls, etc. 

Also, side note, if you are a first-time mom or dad reading this, the baby only needs a bath 2-3 times per week. CRAZY RIGHT!?!
I loved bath time with Jack because he was so cute and fun in the tub, plus who doesn't love that clean baby smell. I was only bathing him 3 times a week and this still was too much for him. His skin started drying out and he started to get dandruff. He now has a Wednesday night & Saturday morning bath schedule.

8.Dry off that cute little nugget and bring the baby over to get diapered and clothed. I will usually just leave all the bath stuff out until after Jack is dried, clothed, and settled. That is one thing you will learn is that things can wait and you can come back to them even if it is 30 minutes later. It is not going anywhere!

I hope this helps make life a little easier bathing that sweet little babe. Bath time is one of my favorite moments and I hope this process makes it a little bit easier on you and baby too! 

Happy bathing!

It is that magical time of the year when the holidays are rolling around; it is time to get cozy and warm. This year I am trying to make things extra special since many of our family traditions are looking a little different this holiday season. 


Why not start a fun new tradition that both kids and adults will love? There is nothing better than cozying up with a hot cup of cocoa with all of the fun toppings and fixings, especially on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.


This is a fun and easy d.i.y. project that will cost around $20 or less to make depending on what materials you have at home.


You will need:

1. A set of mason jars. (I bought mine from Target for less than $9 for the 12 pack of 8 oz. jars.)
2. Baby It's Cold Outside FREE PRINTABLE
3. Hot Chocolate and Coffee Bar Jar labels printable
4. Scissors
5. Ribbon
6. Hot Glue
7. Yummy Ingredients (hot chocolate mix, marshmallows, caramel sauce, crushed peppermint, chocolate chips, cinnamon sticks, etc.)
8. Optional: I also bought some To-Go coffee cups with lids and sleeves to make it a little more fun and festive. ​

Directions:
First, you need to download the jar labels and print them out on cardstock paper. Once printed, slowly cut out each of the circles with some scissors.​

When I created my jars, I placed four dots of hot glue, evenly spaced out around the jar. Place one dab of hot glue on the front of the jar, one on the back, and one on each side. 

Afterward, I took the ribbon and wrapped it around the jar. I had the two ends of the ribbon meet in the front. Having the two ends of the ribbon come together on the FRONT OF THE JAR is important, stick with me. Haha... get it...? Stick...? Glue...? Okay enough of the cheezy jokes. 

Next, I dragged the hot glue across the back of the label in the middle in a straight line, going from left to right horizontally. I then placed it on the front of the jar to cover the ends of the ribbon. In doing so, I had a nice, seamless ribbon wrapping my jar. 

Once you have done this to all the jars, it is time to fill your jars up with the different coffee condiments and treats.

I bought one of these wood platters to place it on to make it a little more festive and rustic.

​
I hope you and your family have fun with your d.i.y cocoa and coffee bar!

CHEERS!

Download your FREE Hot Chocolate Bar Printable

​Prep Time: 15 minutes
Rest Time: 30 minutes
Assemble Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 15-20 people
Ingredients

• Pack of 4, 10-inch tortillas (green or red)
• 10 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1/2 large green pepper, finely diced
• 4 oz. fresh cranberry, finely diced
• 1 tbsp of white vinegar
• 3 tbsp of granulated white sugar
• 2 tbsp of sliced green onion
• 1/2 tbsp of salt
• OPTIONAL: For spice, finely chopped jalapeno 

​

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients together
Step 2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
Step 3. Remove from refrigerator and drain any liquid
Step 4: Spread evenly on the tortillas
Step 5: Roll up
Step 6: Slice into 1/2 inch pinwheels 
Step 7: Place on a cute platter with an ornament in the center to give it a little festive fun and serve!

This design is for personal use only.  You may not use the material for commercial purposes.

**IMPORTANT**
My little spiel before you get started:
This paint is a little on the thin side. It will require a couple of coats of paint. These layers need time to dry before reapplying paint.

I highly recommend doing a few glasses at once (at least 2 glasses) to bounce back and forth between each of them during each step. If you are making only one glass, you will want a hairdryer or be ready to literally sit there and watch paint dry.

The paint is also very sensitive when being recoated. If you notice anything that looks like PEELING, TEARING, OR CRACKING in your paint, that is your paint trying to tell you it is not quite dry yet or you are being too abrasive with your brush stroke. In either case, LEAVE IT ALONE, let it dry naturally or with a hairdryer, and then try to fix it. If you try to mess with it right away, you will just make more of a mess. Trust me on this one.

Step 2:
​Paint half of the stem RED and the bottom half to the foot of the wine glass BLACK using the same flat brush.

Step 3:
Notice how thin and see-through the paint is. Like I said it will require 2-3 layers. When the paint is dry, lightly apply the next layer. In my painting classes, I tell my customers to "pretend your wine glass has a sunburn, and gently apply the next layer to keep it from peeling". If you missed my notice about peeling paint because you were too excited to get started (I don't blame you), go back to the top and read my peeling disclaimer to help you avoid this issue

Step 4: Figure out which side you would like to be the face. Paint half of the existing space peach for the face and paint the back half white for the hair.

Recoat the hair and skin tone (2-3 coats) until the paint is opaque.
​ 

Step 5: Using a fine round brush (this is a paintbrush with a point, but it is called a round brush), apply BROWN paint to the border of the hat, the border of the pants, and the edge of the boot (where the red and black meet on the stem of the wine glass). This brown is used as a base coat for our gold paint later, and it will make your gold color pop. 


Step 6: Adding the leaf design to the hat. See illustration for clarification. Using brown paint, start to create the detail on the hat by painting an X shape. Place a leaf or teardrop shape at the top of the end of each line on the X. Place more leaves below on either side of the line, like a set of wings.

Step 7:Take some peach (you don't need much), move it to a new place on your palette or plate. Take a speck of red and slowly mix it in to create the color of the nose. 

Pro-Tip/ Alternative technique: Take the butt end of the brush and dip it into the paint. This will act as a dotter to give you a nice perfect circle. Test it out first on paper or paper towel if you are nervous about doing it to your glass.


Step 8:Using black paint, on either side of the nose, paint in his mustache.



Step 9: Add in two eyes using black paint. Place the butt end of the brush into the white paint. Add a white dot into the eyes to give the eyes a highlight.


Step 10:: Apply the metallic gold paint on top of the areas with the brown paint (belt, the trim of the hat, trim of the boot, and the leaf design on the hat). It may take a coat or two of paint to reach the desired finished look.

Step 11: Let's work on his uniform. Grab some black paint with a small brush and create a trapezoid. It should take the shape of a vase or a waste basket; as it comes up, it begins to widen around the top. Using the butt end of the brush and some gold paint, place three dots on either side of the trapezoid on his uniform.

Once the black paint is dry, connect the buttons with a curved line like if you were drawing a necklace or a smile.


Step 12: ALMOST DONE! Finishing touches! 
Using your small fine paintbrush add in some white highlights or reflections on the uniform. These are quick lines that are broken up around the glass. I feel that it helps break up the solid colors and gives a nice finished look. It is also a great way to hide any mistakes.

Step 13:Time to cure and harden the paint!
Place the wine glasses in A COOL OVEN. DO NOT PRE-HEAT YOUR OVEN. Your wine glasses need to slowly heat up with the oven and slowly cool down with it. I place them right on the rack. 

Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and set a timer for 30 minutes. Once the timer goes off, turn off the oven and crack the door. They should be cool enough to take out in 10-15 minutes. That's it you're done! WOHOO!!

Care Instructions: I always recommend to my participants that they hand-wash their wine glasses. However, I have had some people place them in the dishwasher and reported back that they were fine.