Dressed to Shine

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles2 Comments

Dressed to Shine – Mega Puzzles (Multipack) – 150 pieces

I avoided this image in my thrift store box of eight Disney puzzles for the longest time; but today decided that I needed to finish all of the puzzles that were left in this multipack and get the whole box out of here and back to the thrift store so someone else can enjoy them.

The quality is the same as the previous ones in this Mega Puzzles multipack; thin chipboard, loose fit, etc. But I knew what the quality would be when it was purchased and I still wanted to assemble them. This image is the one I really didn’t care for out of all eight puzzles; that’s ok though, there was still enjoyment to be had in the assembly itself and I did my best.

To me, the Disney princess images that are available for things like puzzles are just ridiculous these days. The face of Cinderella shown here is NOT the same face she had in the movie. What’s wrong with Cinderella’s face the way it was? Why did it have to change? Did the imperfection of an artist-drawn image really need to be changed into a male’s airbrushed concept of femininity? It disgusts me that she’s been updated to be more beautiful and modern; and I really hate that all the princesses seem to have the waistline of a small, sickly pre-teen boy. Ick. What a ridiculous ideal for girls to try to live up to. Just…ick.

*It’s hard to find nice things to say when you’re “in a mood”, and as you can no doubt tell I am most definitely in a mood today. Sometimes it just spills over and comes poring out of my fingertips and you get a post like this where I rant about Disney movies, how things were better back in the day, leaving good things alone, and feminism. I’m not apologizing for it, just explaining it.*

Interior In Progress…

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling6 Comments

Interior by William Ireland – Liberty Puzzles – 527 pieces

Currently this gorgeous Liberty puzzle is on my board and I am reveling in the fun of assembling it. There are so many little wonderful tableaus going on with the whimsy pieces, it’s so entertaining to watch them all come together. In the lower right corner you can find a couple dancing, the old Victrola is playing and musical notes are floating out.

You can also see an old grandfather clock sticking out of the bottom section, what a fantastic piece! If you can’t tell yet I am very much enjoying this puzzle. 😎

I absolutely love this multipiece whimsy: lying on the couch with lots of pillows, some comfy slippers, a good book, being kept company by furry friends – it’s so good! I haven’t worked my way to the section where it fits into the puzzle yet, which is why it’s got a white background; it’s still sitting on a tray waiting for placement. But it’s so cute that I can’t seem to stop staring at it, even though I’m not quite close to where it belongs in the image yet.

It’s been so enjoyable putting this one together that I am purposely drawing it out to get maximum entertainment from the assembly. I adore the image, and the puzzle itself is just as gorgeous. 😍

Country Delivery

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Country Delivery by Eduard – Buffalo – 1000 pieces

This puzzle was so entertaining that I spent WAY too much time at the board with no breaks. I’m paying for it today, but it was totally worth it! I love a slice of Americana, and this puzzle is so beautiful with just the right amount of challenge.

Usual Buffalo quality, no problems at all other than a shiny finish. The completed puzzle is lovely and it’s one I’d do again if there weren’t hundreds of other puzzles here for me to do. The Country Life series has so many great images, seeing how fun this one was makes me want to get more of them – many more. 😇

When’s the last time you saw one of these out in the world? I couldn’t even tell you the last time I saw a real phone booth or public telephone anywhere. The Bell system, anyone still remember that? My dad worked almost his entire adult life for Michigan Bell, before they were taken over by AT&T. Man, that seems like a lifetime ago.

This puppy seems out of place to me, adorable as it is. I have no problem with digital artists, obviously, as Aimee Stewart is my absolute favorite and she is a digital artist. I know the images we puzzle are many times manipulated to make them more pleasing to the eye, etc.; but for some reason this puppy and bucked just seem very out of place – like they were just plopped there because something was needed to break up all the pavement. Nothing else in this image seems to me like it doesn’t belong, just this. This is all just my opinion of course, if you don’t agree just pay no attention to my rantings.

I just love the look of this old delivery vehicle. Can’t you hear that old timey horn blowing? Ah-oo-ga!

If this image gooses your gumdrops I say go for it; it’s absolutely worth your time and money. 👍🧩💚

Fast Food Craving

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments

Fast Food Craving by Graffi*tee Studios – MasterPieces – 500 pieces

I enjoyed this puzzle, and even though it was a little more challenging than I bargained for it was an entertaining build – and I love the look of it!

This one came from a shopping trip out in the world where I picked up some 300, 500, and 1000 piece puzzles. I cannot seem to stop myself from buying more, even though there are PLENTY of puzzles here to keep me busy for a very, very, very long time. Most of the ones I purchased were MasterPieces, and I have to say I am truly loving their quality. Interesting shapes, great fit, beautiful reproduction, nice chipboard – they seem to have it all under control.

I never really thought about this, but there was a time when drive thru windows didn’t exist and people needed to be taught how to use them. So of course a sign like this might have been necessary. As a person who used to work in a fast food place I can tell you that people STILL don’t know proper etiquette and have to be told what to do or not to do. Turn off your windshield wipers people! You’re just throwing water on them.

How would you like this place? A restaurant with a sign that says JUST EGGS and maybe bacon? Yes please! I love breakfast and a good plate of eggs with some potatoes, toast, and maybe a little bacon sounds just about perfect right now. Yum.

You guessed it, I just had to. Apologies if these pictures don’t tickle your fancy, but they definitely make me smile. With all the crap companies out there making crap puzzles for a quick buck, having a great quality puzzle that fits so well you can stand it on it’s edges is quite a blessing to me. Standing up puzzles has been going on for more than a decade in my house, and it will continue till I’m gone or can’t puzzle any more. It just makes me happy, and what a great reason to do it, huh?

Greetings…In Progress…

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

Greetings From the Upside Down – Buffalo – 300 pieces

Don’t know about you, but I certainly wouldn’t want a postcard from The Upside Down! Yikes. Barb’s vacation there was extended permanently, so it isn’t a place you’d want loved ones to visit. Ever.

Well, that’s enough of that. Isn’t this a cute little image for a puzzle? You can’t see much, but it’s going to be very cute once it’s all put together, trust me. This one was from my latest jaunt to the thrift store in my area that has the best selection of jigsaw puzzles, I was happy to find something at least to make the drive worth it. Honestly I had to go drop off the many, many, many puzzles that were in the trunk of my car to be donated, but still it’s always fun to go inside and find more. I know, it’s a problem.

My favorite puzzles to find there are the 300 and 500 pieces, it’s nice to have plenty of options at home for working in between the larger piece counts. I’m happy to have found this Stranger Things puzzle because there’s just something about it that makes me smile.

The quality has been excellent so far, and I’m pretty sure it’ll be able to stand up on it’s own when complete – the fit is fantastic! I hope whatever you’re working on today is just as entertaining as this one.

Happy puzzling my friends!