A Day at the Bookstore is a 1000-piece puzzle from Galison, and the artist is Michael Storrings. I am often drawn to his artwork, but I don’t do a lot of his puzzles because they can be quite challenging. For this one, the lower portion was pretty easy, but the upper portion was harder, especially the bricks!
This was the first puzzle I completed in 2026, and it is perfect for me because it combines two things I love – books and puzzles. 😊I love how the little vignettes are cut out of the brick wall, giving us a glimpse of what is happening inside!
Peanut Butter has been enjoying the winter sun when he can, and he seems to really like my soft winter blanket.
This has been an interesting week. Michael’s dad is retired now and is trying to figure out everything with insurance, which affects us because Michael will be on his insurance until he turns 26. He did get the health insurance squared away, but we are still waiting to hear on prescription, dental, and vision. Michael did see the dentist this week, but it was to get his permanent crown, so the cost was already covered under the initial crown appointment last month, thankfully!
I am on tray #3 of my Invisalign, and that seems to be going well. They said I could leave the trays on an extra day if they still seem tight, but I’m not very good with vague instructions like that. I have taken it to mean that if I can’t get the new trays on, I should hold off on them. So far I have been able to use the new trays on time.
Below is a picture of the puzzles I purchased over the last few weeks of 2025. I am currently on a puzzle buying moratorium because I started the year with 71 puzzles waiting to be done and they no longer fit comfortably on the shelf I have set aside for that purpose. My goal is to not buy any new puzzles until I have my to do list at 50 or below. It will be a challenge for sure!
Yesterday was a busy day for me. I get together with a friend every other Saturday for lunch and a movie, and this time it was my turn to host. We watched People We Meet on Vacation and both really enjoyed it.
In the evening, I went with a friend from church to see comedian Josh Johnson in York. We had a good time. It was a powerful show that touched on some timely issues.
This morning I went to church, which was lovely. I connected with several friends and was very moved by the service. And now I am enjoying a relaxing Sunday afternoon!
Garden Shed Greenhouse is a 1000-piece puzzle from Ceaco, and the artist is Tracy Flickinger. I have done a few of her other puzzles and really like her style of art. It seems whimsical and full of life.
This puzzle had a nice difficulty level. There were some textures that were easy to pick out and put together, and there were some parts that were a bit trickier because of the level of detail. All in all, a very fun experience.
I was so blessed this year for Christmas and my birthday to receive puzzles from my son as well as two of my friends. Some were from my wish list and some were picked out for me, and I am looking forward to doing all of them!
Here is a list of the puzzles I got as they are pictured:
Venice Open Market from eeBoo, artist Uta Krogmann
European Winter Market from Pink Sky
Redwood Forest Tiny House from Ravensburger, artist Jason Taylor
Snoopy’s Puffer Coat from Ceaco
The Beach Hut from Ravensburger, artist Steve Read
I tried a lot of new-to-me puzzle brands in 2025, some of which were pricier brands that I had been eyeing for a while. A few I was able to get through borrowing or on sale, but some I went ahead and splurged on.
Here are my top ten brands that were new to me in 2025:
New York Puzzle Company – I have admired this US company’s images for a while and finally got one to try for myself. It was called Stay Cozy, and I loved the vibe of the image. The puzzle is good quality but it was definitely hard due to the random cut pieces.
Stay Cozy
PieceRelax – These Taiwanese puzzles are made from plastic pieces, which are a fun, different experience. They make a very satisfying click, although they do require more pressure the farther into the puzzle that you get. I did two of theirs this year: Boho Interior and Whimsy Garden House.
Boho InteriorWhimsy Garden House
Pintoo – These puzzles also have plastic pieces. Pintoo is actually the parent company of PieceRelax, and the puzzle I did from them was called The Tree of Hope. It is a beautiful four season puzzle.
The Tree of Hope
Pieces & Peace – This is a French brand that I splurged on and have since fallen in love with. I have done two of their puzzles this year and have another two on my shelf to do. The images are just lovely and the quality is fantastic. The puzzles I have done are London Cafe and Fall Festival.
London CafeFall Festival
Pippi Post – This family-owned brand from Utah features the artwork of its founder, Alexa Zurcher. The images are charming, and the pieces are paperboard that has an almost plastic feel that I really enjoy. I have done three of their puzzles now: Pride & Prejudice Map, Little House on the Prairie Map, and Seasons.
Pride & Prejudice MapLittle House on the Prairie MapSeasons
Reverie – This is an Australian brand that I have wanted to try for a while. They are expensive, but I was able to pick one up for not too much a few months ago with a coupon and a free shipping offer. All of their puzzles have something to do with books, which makes them even more special. The one I got was The Language of Flowers, and I loved it.
The Language of Flowers
Tania Wicks – Tania is an Australian photographer who started a puzzle brand a couple of years ago. I have been interested in this brand for quite a while, and finally had the opportunity to do one of the puzzles this year through my Completing the Puzzle subscription. It was a beautiful image called Envelopes. Unfortunately, she has closed her puzzle company now.
Envelopes
Trevell – This is a French brand, and I was able to get one regular puzzle and two mini puzzles to try this year. The mini puzzles were Cozy Kitchen and Spring Barn, and the larger puzzle was Parenthese Enchantee. I had a wonderful experience with all of them.
Cozy KitchenParenthese EnchanteeSpring Barn
Villager – This is a Canadian woman-owned brand that features artwork from Canadian women artists. The puzzles are beautiful and the quality is very good. I purchased two puzzles from them this year (Rockies Explorer and Dream Library), and I got two more as traveling puzzles (Cottage Country and Lupines Meadow).
Dream LibraryCottage CountryLupines MeadowRockies Explorer
Wentworth Wooden Puzzles – I got the chance to do my first ever wooden puzzle as part of a traveling puzzle from a Facebook group. This is a UK brand. It was called Sunset Mountains, and it was gorgeous. I absolutely loved it and hope I will get to do more wooden puzzles in the future.
With a new year starting, I took a look back over the puzzles I did last year and came up with my top ten. I did a lot of puzzles last year, 145 to be exact, so narrowing down the list was a bit of a challenge, but a fun one.
Before I get to the countdown, I want to make a special mention of my first wooden puzzle, Sunset Mountains from Wentworth Wooden Puzzles. This was an absolutely beautiful puzzle that I had the opportunity to do as a traveling puzzle, and I loved the whole experience.
Sunset Mountains
Without further ado, here are my top ten puzzles from 2025:
10. Envelopes from Tania Wicks, art by Tania Wicks
Envelopes
9. Hue Wormhole from Antelope, art by Wenjia Wang
Hue Wormhole
8. Found Alphabet from Cobble Hill, art by Shelley Davies
Found Alphabet
7. Garden Allotment from Ravensburger, art by Georgia Breeze
Garden Allotment
6. Parenthese Enchantee from Trevell, art by La Jeanette
Parenthese Enchantee
5. Stay Cozy from New York Puzzle Company, art by Lore Pemberton
Stay Cozy
4. Rockies Explorer from Villager, art by Anja Jane
Rockies Explorer
3. London Cafe from Pieces & Peace, art by Miranda Sofroniou
London Cafe
2. Pumpkin Spice Cafe from WerkShoppe, art by Maria Taylor
Pumpkin Spice Cafe
And the #1 puzzle from 2025 was The Language of Flowers from Reverie, art by Winonaki Illustrations
Happy Beads is a 500-piece puzzle from Ravensburger, and the artist is Elspeth McLean. McLean is known for her meticulously painted mandala stones and has had several puzzles made featuring these creations. The level of detail is just amazing!
I was pretty intimidated by this puzzle, but it turned out to be a lot easier than I thought it would. Each bead has a different pattern on it, so it was not hard to figure out where each piece went. Super fun!
Hello From Around the World is a 500-piece puzzle from Mudpuppy, and the artist is Lemon Ribbon Studio. Mudpuppy is part of Galison but offers simpler images that are great for kids or beginners. I found this stamp puzzle to be super easy and a lot of fun!
Holiday Stamps is a 550-piece puzzle from White Mountain, and the artist is Lois B. Sutton. I have had this on my shelf for almost a year and was so excited to finally get to do it! I just love seeing so many different holiday stamps that have been issued over the years. Each one is special in its own way. I did this one on December 23rd.
Holiday Village is a 1000-piece puzzle from 1canoe2. I love this brand, and this was another great puzzle from them! I love the color scheme, especially all the greens and pinks. I worked this puzzle Christmas Eve and Christmas Day while watching some of my favorite movies.
Merry Market is a 1000-piece puzzle from Galison, and the artist is Joy LaForme. This was a lot of fun to put together with the market stalls and the row of buildings in the back. The colors are beautiful, and the foil accents add a special holiday touch. I started this one Christmas Day and finished it the day after Christmas.
One of the puzzlers I follow on YouTube offered several bundles of traveling puzzles earlier this year, and I eagerly signed up for one. Not all of them filled up, so I got the chance to sign up for a second one, and that’s the one I received last week. Both puzzles in this bundle are from Villager Puzzles, which is a woman-owned Canadian brand that features Canadian women artists.
The first puzzle I did was Cottage Country, which is by Nicolle Lalonde and is 500 pieces. It was fairly easy. I love how the setting sun looks reflected on the water.
The second puzzle was Lupines Meadow by Diana Pinnell. It is 1000 pieces. This one was quite challenging, but it is so lovely.
In So Many Words 