painstaking·ly adv.

i made this elegant card from  http://www.customcrops.com/article_info.php?articles_id=116 that i glittered using the xyron method of putting the image face side into the xyron so the adhesive is on the front, then peeled off backing and applied glitter.  important lesson learned, really burnish around the letters before removing the backing because the glitter covers every bit of adhesive so...i spent some time with a safety pin painstakingly (what does that word really mean???) cleaning around each part of each letter and each element of the snowflakes (one is inside)!!!  someone special is getting this card for christmas.... my mom, i know she won't see this posting.

pains·tak·ing (pnztkng)  adj.  Marked by or requiring great pains; very careful and diligent. See Synonyms at meticulous.
n.  Extremely careful and diligent work or effort.
painstaking·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

yes! i used it in the right context, just sounded odd... pain and stake, there was no pain involved and stake???  uhhh, the english language and the ramblings of someone who has had no sleep...