October 27th is National Black Cat Day, a day dedicated to celebrating black cats in the hopes that more of you will bring one home from a shelter, as almost twice as many are left there compared to other tabbies. This is because many consider them to be unlucky, or even, as Pope Gregory IX declared back in 1233, demonic. When my mother’s Assisted Care Home went to a shelter to get a cat, I was thrilled when she came home with and rescued a black cat. My mom’s main caregiver…not so much. Poor Whiskey frightened her at first, but I’m happy to report he has won her over, as he truly is the sweetest cat! Maybe one will win you over too?!...CONTINUE READING
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The older I get, the more I come to embrace cozy vibes, no matter the season. One puzzle artist that really captures that warm, inviting, and usually cozy atmosphere is Olivia Gibbs. I realized one day that I have quite a few puzzles with her artwork from several different brands, and, let’s be honest, I will absolutely be getting more!...CONTINUE READING
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Have you ever puzzled with a friend or family member who are normally not a puzzler? For me, I always feel like I’m taking over. To be honest, I don’t puzzle well with others cause I can’t seem to hold back. Over the past year, I’ve discovered Family style puzzles which I think is a great solution for those who want to puzzle with others, but there are different experience levels.
A few brands now make family style puzzles and the concept is pretty genius. These puzzles tend to be in the 300-400 piece range. What’s unique about them is that they have three sizes of pieces, located on three areas of the puzzle. They have jumbo sized pieces on one end, medium sized pieces in the middle and regular sized pieces on the other end. This makes it so multiple people can puzzle on different areas of the puzzle and go at their own pace...CONTINUE READING
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Welcome back, puzzlers. I’m so excited for this month’s blog, because it provides an opportunity to shine a spotlight on a fantastic new puzzle artist, Hannah Bunzey, who has a new collection out with MasterPieces called H. Bunzey’s Wonderous Worlds.
I can honestly say that one of the absolute best things about joining the jigsaw puzzle community in 2020 is the joy of finding new artwork and artists. In a world where AI art is becoming more and more common, as much as I can I have been trying to shine a spotlight on the puzzle artists who pour so much time and effort into their stunning work. From Aimee Stewart to Nathanael Mortensen to Dean MacAdam, I think it’s so cool when artists with distinctive styles and visions are given a platform to share their gifts via the popular medium of jigsaw puzzles...CONTINUE READING
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1981...That was a long time ago, for sure. It was the year I graduated high school, it was the year I entered university, and it was the year I first became a genuine world traveler. Born and raised on the west coast of the U.S., I had made several trips north to Canada, and had been to Mexico a time or two, but before 1981 that’s as far as I had gone...CONTINUE READING
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It’s here! It’s finally here! Spooky season has arrived and I could not be more excited! Halloween is a jumble of emotions for me. It terrifies me, and I hate all things scary… yet I wait for it with pure excitement every year. I don’t like dressing up, but I LOVE seeing everyone's costumes and I even help with makeup and with costume ideas… but I don’t partake in dressing up. I love trick or treating, but I don’t want to eat the candy. Ok, maybe that part isn’t true - give me ALL the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Snickers bars please! I did start loving Halloween a bit more and engaged in the decorating and festivities when I had kids. Kids have a way of making things so much more special and magical. So now, Halloween is something I look forward to every single year...CONTINUE READING
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This past month I was able to attend the first Portland Jigsaw Masters (PJM) speed competition in Oregon. The event was sponsored by Pomegranate which we all know and love and Portland Puzzle Company, which is a very small brand from the area. The competition was from August 2nd to 4th and had individual, pairs, teams and mini sprint competitions. I competed in all but the sprints and thought I’d share my experience with the puzzles with you all!...CONTINUE READING
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Want to be inspired? Better yet…want to inspire others? That’s exactly what my mission was in creating my puzzle wall of inspiration. I work at a high school as a school counselor. One day I when I walked past the huge, blank wall in my office I had an idea. But, before I get to that, this is what my wall looked like...CONTINUE READING
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As I’m writing this blog, it’s September 1st – shortly after the midpoint of Labor Day weekend. After a gray, cloudy morning, the sun has peeked through the clouds to say hello before Sunday draws to a close. Though the season doesn’t officially end until later in September, Labor Day is that last backyard party punctuation of summer fun before the reality of fall comes crashing into our lives.
Even though I’m long out of school at this point, this period at the tail-end of summer always reminds me of back to school season. In high school, that meant buying school supplies – new pencils, notebooks, a backpack, maybe even a new pair of shoes. In college, that meant picking up textbooks for a brand-new set of classes and moving back into a dorm room. I went to college at NYU here in the city, and every time I walk around Washington Square Park (the epicenter of the university’s campus life), especially around move-in day, I get a rush of nostalgia remembering those heady days...CONTINUE READING
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