Tattoo Progress - Session 2

I just went in for my second session 8/27. It lasted 3 hrs, and was more painful than the first one. The areas under my elbow, wrist and inner bicep are pretty tender spots. But, I made it through ok and I'm really happy with his work. I have one more session for the outlines, which will be my upper shoulder, and inner bicep/armpit area (OUCH!). After that we will start to fill it in with shading and color.
Just to give you a brief description of the artwork. Its a scene from the Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo. At the top of my shoulder is Christ the Judge. At the base of my arm, wrist, is Minos, the judge of Hell (morbid I know, but it ties in). On a side note Michelangelo painted Minos as a likeness to the Master Of Ceremonies to the Pope at the time. He made him a demon, because he demanded that Michelangelo cover the nudes, and they were always at odds with each other. Soon after Michelangelo's death his own pupil, Daniele da Volterra, was commissioned to cover the nudes with vestments and loin cloths. This earned him the nickname "Il Braghettone" ("the breeches maker").
Any way, you'll also notice the souls ascending to heaven some struggling and Angels reaching down to pull them up. Still to come are the Angels carrying the Cross (above/behind Christ) on my upper shoulder and the Angels carry the crown of thorns (to the right/behind Christ) in my inner bicep/armpit. I guess its an appropriate placement for the crown of thorns, since its really going to sting. After all is said and done, it will be full color. He laid the sleeve out to symbolize the artists intent. Implements of suffering are behind Christ, and everything flows downward to the right. This is the best image of Christ that I have found, I like the fact that he is so powerful, yet still has a peaceful look on his face. I also like the way the artist showed the struggle of getting to heaven and how the angels are pushing hard to get us up.

Christ the Judge
Angels carrying the crown of thorns (right) and the cross (left)

Ascending souls, you can find the scenes in my tattoo here
And finally Minos which is located at the bottom right of the wall in the Chapel

And the whole scene behind the alter at the Sistine Chapel.

Rod and Olive Sporting Their New Shirts

I ordered some dog shirts from my shop and they just came in. I'm really happy with the way they turned out and thankfully I ordered the right sizes for them. So here they are, the cute brother and sister. Olive is doing great! I can't wait for everyone to meet her, shes a sweet heart.

New Tattoo: Part 1

Brace yourselves. I just started my new tattoo. Its only the outline right now. I go back in a few weeks to add to it. There are a couple more scenes to fill it in, and then shading and color. I'm really excited, so far it looks amazing.
Don't hate me! Love you all.

My New Obsession

My Favorite Things

Well Linda inspired me to list my favorites as well.
1.) Rodney and now Olive. Two perfect little doggies.
2.) Pancakes and other unhealthy breakfast foods. Eaten until I explode.
3.) MMM, Cheese Whiz. I miss my Philly cheese steaks.
4.) Of course the Philadelphia Flyers! My new favorite player, Mike Richards. I follow them more now than when I was at home. GO FLYERS.

My favorite things

Here is my list:
1) Damien, who in fact, will be turning 30 this August 8th (08.08.08).
2) Beach Houses and beach style (relaxed, comfortable and so beautiful)
3) Feminine Fashions (anything with frills, lace and soft lines)
4) Wood furniture

Home Projects

I thought it was about time that I actually posted something. Random thoughts, etc....It seems lately I've been very interested in focusing on the house. I'm always replacing one project with another...and loving it! Since we pretty much moved out here with practically nothing, there is a lot to do. I'm posting a few of the recent project here at the Pileggi residence. From the top...(1) The bedroom was painted a tone on tone eggshell/semi gloss finish.(2) We had the benches reupholstered and still need to refinish the frame. (3) I found a cool little table at a flea market that I'll strip and paint a high gloss red. Ignore the ridiculously oversized coffee grinder. (4) We had pillows made from a fabric we really liked called 'Bubbly'.

Welcome Home Olive

Well, Baylee, was too perfect a fit for us to have her temporarily. So, we've decided to be her "forever home". It was really hard to settle on a name for her, but finally decided to go with Olive. She's settling in nicely and getting more used to the city noises and commotion. We're really excited to get her into obedience classes and get her out and about in the city. Can't wait for everyone to meet her, hopefully we'll get some visitors soon.

Rod's Foster Sister

Linda and I have started to foster this little girl. Her name is Baylee, for now, until we can come up with a name that really suits her. Baylee is about 35lb, so tiny, around 1 1/2 years old. She is also an american pit bull terrier. Rod and her get along great, although they do have their moments. Its only been a few days and she's fitting in nicely. The good news is, she's crate trained, house trained, loves people to death and doesn't seem to get into a lot of trouble.
As of now, it is temporary, but I wont be surprised if she squeezes her way in here permanently.

Damien and Linda online

Hey everyone! We decided it would be neat to start a blog about our adventures out here. Its been over a year already and we have been bad with emailing people. So, with a blog we can update it regularly with fun photos and stories, to keep everyone up to date.
We miss all of you, and look forward to seeing you soon! Happy fourth.