No More Christmas, Yay!

Christmas and Christmas puzzles are behind me now, and I’m quite pleased about it to be honest. *insert happy dance here💃💃💃*

I’m so very glad that the advent calendar was a success and every puzzle was different and had all it’s pieces; but I’m also glad to go back to puzzles that I have chosen and whose images make me happy.

I received three puzzles as presents. But here’s the problem with being a prolific puzzle blogger – one of them I’ve already assembled (February 2022), and one of them I have here but haven’t put it together yet. I felt so bad telling my daughter that I already own the puzzle she bought me, but she always wants me to be honest and so I was. It doesn’t matter though, I LOVE that they picked out puzzles that they knew I would enjoy. If I already have it or have assembled it, then they know what I like – and that makes my heart happy. 💕

So now we’re back to puzzle images I like (for the most part), and there are 10 or more than have been sitting in the queue for more than a month waiting for their turn in the spotlight. It’s a good thing I’ve started writing up the entire post once the puzzle is finished, because I can barely remember the assembly of these puzzles, it seems so long ago!

I used to just put the pictures in a draft post, write a couple notes that I wanted to talk about regarding the assembly, and then type up everything later when I was more in the mood for “writing”. Now I’ve started writing up everything immediately so I won’t have to remember anything later because menopause and pain meds seem to have taken quite the toll on my poor, aging brain cells. It’s better to get everything down as soon as I’ve finished while it’s still fresh in my mind.

We’ll also be back to my usual format, which is two days of puzzles followed by an in progress post about whatever puzzle is on my board. My son has picked out a collage of movie posters for me to assemble next (thrift store purchase), and the box is sitting on my board but it hasn’t even been opened yet. Maybe today I’ll crack it open and start sorting, but it might be tomorrow too. At this very moment I’m not really in the mood for puzzles. Hopefully soon!

Did you get any puzzles as gifts this year? Tell me all about them!

Dainty Dissectology December

It looks as if you, dear readers, are going to be seeing a LOT of small puzzles this month; get ready, there are going to be quite a few of them. They aren’t all micro puzzles like the one above, but almost every puzzle this month is a mini puzzle with a small piece count. I don’t have many holiday puzzles because they’re just not my pile of pieces, for the most part. There are only a few 1000 piece Christmas puzzles here, and all the rest are little ones.

After hubby brought home the advent calendar of puzzles from Aldi, it prompted me to read through my posts of the previous advent calendar puzzles assembled in 2019. It reminded me how hectic (and maybe a little depressing) the holiday season can sometimes be and that most days the only puzzling I was able to do was that small advent calendar puzzle in the morning with my coffee. So I decided to do these puzzles the same way – one every day, and I’ll post about them the same day they’re assembled.

*Get ready for the ever-changing menopausal moods and attitudes of Stacey, it may be a roller coaster ride!😏🎢*

In addition to the twelve puzzles in the calendar, I have several other small holiday themed puzzles here to assemble. A 40 piece wooden micro puzzle from Mr. Bob Puzzles, a 100 piece gingerbread house puzzle from a company called Paladone, a 100 piece E & L puzzle of a wintery holiday scene (thrift store puzzle from a friend), and a set of three 100 piece puppy puzzles that are all decked out in holiday gear.

All in all that’s 18 holiday themed mini puzzles (plus two MicroPuzzles I’ve already assembled). Therefore I have dubbed this month Dainty Dissectology December.

Also, because of the number of holiday puzzles and the fact that I’m posting about each one separately, there will not be any in progress posts this month until after Christmas. I don’t know if they’re something you enjoy, or whether you’re looking forward to not hearing my banal ramblings about whatever puzzle I’m working on – but with all the dainty puzzles I’ve got here, there will be a new one every day until Santa comes! 🎅

I hope you enjoy seeing so many small puzzles – and I’m desperately hoping I enjoy assembling them too!


Please allow me to toot the horn of My Jigsaw Journal for just a moment, the site has been featured on the blog of Cloudberries Puzzles. If you get bored of all the dainty puzzles this month, maybe go and check out their post of Fun Jigsaw Puzzle Sites to Check Out When You’re Bored.

…Boardwalk In Progress…

Down on the Boardwalk by Charles Fazzino – TCG – 300 pieces

I know, it’s a terrible picture – apologies. I’m working on a time crunch this morning, that’s my excuse. Usually I’m in the puzzle room first thing, but today was an anomaly and I didn’t get in here until about 7:40 this morning. Just enough time to snap a picture of what got assembled yesterday and type up a quick post about it.

It’s been quite a while since there’s been a puzzle image by Charles Fazzino on my board, and I’m not sure why because it’s been quite an entertaining assembly so far. Perhaps where I’ve been shopping there haven’t been many of his images to choose from? Not exactly sure. But this puzzle has good quality; thick pieces, bright reproduction, and a good fit – you could almost forget that there’s only one piece shape. Almost.


On a completely separate note, I’m watching over my grandpuppy Manny today. He’s in terrible pain, but the emergency vet wasn’t able to find what is wrong with him. If you’re of the praying type, send up a quick prayer that at the very least he isn’t in too much pain for now, it’s heartbreaking to hear him cry. 😭

Tiered Treats In Progress…

Tiered Treats by Aimee Stewart – Wentworth – 210 pieces

My son picked out a wooden puzzle for me to assemble next, and I’m having lots of fun already. How would it not be fun? It’s an Aimee Stewart image!

It’s a shaped puzzle, so the edges aren’t where I’m starting; obviously I started with the blueberries. I don’t have the image near the board to look at; usually when assembling a wooden puzzle I put the image away so the assembly lasts longer. I like to fully enjoy working on a wooden puzzle and focus on nothing but the pieces and colors. 🧩💚

Because I don’t have the image close at hand I pulled all the blueberry pieces thinking they would all be in one section, but it looks as if I was wrong, they seem to be everywhere.

That’s ok though, it’ll all fit together in the end.

Flower Deer In Progress…

Flower Deer by Coco de Paris – Milton Bradley – 300 pieces

This one has BARELY begun. No – literally. I hadn’t even opened the box until just over an hour ago. I did an extremely quick sort and put together the border because it’s “in progress” day and there was nothing on my board at all!

Maybe it’s the upcoming holidays, I’m not exactly sure, but I have NO energy for anything at all these days. I’m exhausted all the time and just don’t want to do anything at all. Of course today I have to make two pies for tomorrow and the only thing I want to do is crawl in bed, pull up the covers and take a nap. Sigh.

Anyway, I did another of these Coco de Paris puzzles during the pandemic, Bulldog with Butterflies, and they’re not bad puzzles. Somewhat thinner pieces, somewhat loose fit – I guess I “somewhat” like them. 😉