Mid-September Catch Up

We have had quite the year with the laundry in our apartment building. Our apartment is on the first floor and the laundry is across the hall, which is quite convenient. There have been two occasions this year where something went wrong with the washer and there was water all over the floor in the laundry room when I went to wash clothes. The laundry machines are provided and maintained by Clean Pay, not by our apartment complex, so I contacted them and they came out and repaired the machine.

I was able to do a couple of loads, but then another time I went and there was an out of order sign on the washer. I emailed Clean Pay and got no response. After a few days, I called them and after being in a queue for about 5 minutes, I got sent to a voicemail. I left a message but got no response. After that, I talked to the apartment leasing office about it and learned that the machines were going to be replaced soon.

We did go to a laundromat one time, but since then we have been able to do laundry at a friend’s house. She has four dogs, and one of them, Darcy, thinks warm laundry is the best thing in the entire world. Anytime he can get in a basket or pile of it, he is right there, as evidenced by the picture above!

One of the puzzle stores I order from offers 20% off for three or more puzzles plus free shipping over a certain dollar amount. When I am very close to the free shipping, I will sometimes add a mini puzzle to my order to get over the threshold. This is one of those, a 100-piece puzzle from New York Puzzle Company. The artist is Loré Pemberton, who has had many puzzles made of her art.

I did this one on a midday break one day and really enjoyed it. This brand is know for its random cut, which I sometimes find difficult in a larger puzzle. This size was the perfect puzzle snack.

Rainforest Animals

Rainforest Animals is a 500-piece puzzle from Mudpuppy, and the artist is Natasha Durley. I got this one through the Completing the Puzzle affiliate program.

This was a fun, easy build, and I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to see different animals than you usually see due to the rainforest category. I have to admit I don’t even know what all of them are!

When you sign up for a Completing the Puzzle subscription, you will be able to tell them your preferences with regard to themes and piece count. You can also put specific puzzles you want to do on your wishlist, choosing from over 30 brands in piece counts of 250-2000, and those will be prioritized when your puzzles are selected.

City Vibes

City Vibes is a 500-piece puzzle from Pomegranate, and the artist is Jerod Herren. Pomegranate’s round puzzles have very interesting pieces shapes that are a lot of fun to put together.

I loved this image and found it to be the perfect challenge level. Most of it went together pretty easily and the parts that were harder weren’t super difficult. There were no false fits and it has a smooth matte finish which is very pleasant to the touch.

Green Kitchen Sunlight

Green Kitchen Sunlight is a 1008-piece puzzle from PieceRelax, and the artist is Olivia Gibbs. I love this image – it is so bright and cheerful. And I love all of the fun patterns and textures in it.

This is a plastic puzzle, and the pieces came separated into 4 paper bags. One of the bags was slightly open, but thankfully all of the pieces were still in the box. I did not mix the bags but did the puzzle in 4 sections. I really enjoyed it!

I like the finished puzzle so much that I ordered a frame from the company and plan to hang it up in my kitchen.

BBQ Roadhouse & Crepes

I have long been a fan of the food truck puzzles by Stephanie Peterson Jones. I find her artwork very appealing, and the puzzles are a nice, easy build. I recently got a four pack of them and have done two of them in the last week – BBQ Roadhouse and Crepes. They are each 500 pieces and are done by Ceaco.

Of the two, Crepes is my favorite. I like the art exhibit and the cool cat with the jaunty beret. I also really enjoy text in puzzles, so both of these are great for that.

Holiday Postcards (Repeat)

Holiday Postcards is a 1000-piece puzzle from Trefl, and it is an Adobe stock image. I have done this one before and redid it because I needed a puzzle with a key for a Facebook challenge. I enjoyed it the second time around as well.

I do have to say the box for this puzzle is the largest I have seen for a 1000-piece puzzle – there is so much extra space! The only benefit is that the image on the box is easy to see, which is nice because it does not come with a poster.

Sunday Rain

Sunday Rain is a 500-piece puzzle from Reverie, and the artist is Maxine Vee. This cozy puzzle was a complete joy to put together. The colors are lovely with the warm glow from the lamps contrasting with the rainy scene outside. There are so many charming details as well. My favorite part is the little dragons with their hand-knit sweaters!

The quality of Reverie puzzles is top notch. The pieces are a beautiful matte finish and fit together perfectly with no false fits. They are a bit pricey, even more so because of the current tariffs, but are well worth it in my opinion.

Welcome Home & The Poet

Welcome Home and The Poet are each 260-piece puzzles from Magnolia, and the artist is Kat Fedora. They are actually part of a set of 4 by this artist. I had done another set by her earlier this year and recently did these two when I had just a short amount of time to puzzle.

I love the bookish element in these, and I think there is something so magical and ethereal about her illustrations. I will say that I am glad to have these smaller versions because they would be quite daunting in a larger piece count given how dark they are!

Pure Happiness

Pure Happiness is a 500-piece puzzle from Eurographics, and the artist is Gwen van Knippenberg. When I first saw this puzzle on Instagram, I immediately went to purchase it because I was so drawn to the artwork. I love the title because nothing makes me happier than curling up with a good book.

I love all of the details, from the contrasting fabrics to the maroon set of drawers to the black and white cat enjoying the fresh air. It feels so light and airy while also being cozy. And did you notice the little puppet theater on the table – so cute!

Bird Bath Garden

Bird Bath Garden is a 1000-piece puzzle from Kodak, and the artist is Lars Stewart. This explosion of color was a gift from some friends for watching their cats for a few days.

It was fairly challenging since the colors are spread out over the puzzle. I do think it is probably the brightest puzzle I have ever done!