Fingering Zen

Tackle that project

When we have a large project on our mind, we often make it out to be more intimidating than it is. We think it is harder, more complicated, and will take a lot of time. We wait for that “right” day when we have 8 hours without interruption to even tackle the planning of it. As a result, the project gets postponed indefinitely. We end up procrastinating, instead of studying for an exam, executing a work project, completing a home improvement. It’s not as hard as you imagine!

Beautiful puzzle, lots of small detail adding to the challenge, but larger areas of gradient colours and the manageable size of 750 pieces make the assembly easier. Riomaggiore is a village in Italy, part of Cinque Terre — beautiful coastline with five villages.

When you find that your emotional state is not conducive to interacting with people, step back and take care of yourself.

Small, but not trivial due to small repetitive patterns and areas of colour, this puzzle is a pleasure to tackle, thanks to well-fitting Sure-Lox pieces.

We are creatures of habit. It is so easy to fall into repetitive familiar patterns and end up getting bored with your reality. Feeling locked into a routine? Break it up!

A beautiful, 1000-piece fairy-tale style puzzle depicting a cozy house, snugly wrapped in snow, surrounded by festive evergreens.

From the same series as the Passion Flower puzzle, this lovely shell was a pleasure to put together. Not completely trivial due to repeating patterns, but with enough colour variation and clear outlines to easily guide the assembly.

Recently someone has shown me a video depicting nutritionally-empty mud cookies being made, sold, coveted and consumed by people in a society where food is extremely scarce. It reminded me of an old saying, “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet”. We in the West are revolving in a stressful reality we ourselves have created. It helps to slow down and consider how lucky most of us are.

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 30.02 cm x 48.26 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Vibrant series, 2014, No. 51410ABN, A 04034 LP
Photographer: Johnnyraff

Puzzle: Lovely puzzle to make — not extremely difficult, but not completely trivial either. The bright colours and clear boundaries split the image into several logical areas, and repetitive elements add challenge. An easy place to start is the three-pronged purple stigma(?) on …

To facilitate creativity and productivity, our workspace has to provide all necessities for performing the work, as well as a few extras that help us focus, keep distractions away, and alleviate stress. Whether you are changing jobs, moving offices, or rearranging your home workspace, here are some helpful tips.

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 67.95 cm x 48.10 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Vibrant series, 2014, No.51420ACN, A12054LP

Puzzle: This puzzle does not have a title or specify where exactly this place is. If you know, please do share.

Another one from the Vibrant series, this is a well-done puzzle with beautiful imagery. It combines bright colours and subtle shades, clear borders and soft transition, as …

Those of us who have been planning to organize the basement or clean the garage know how daunting the prospect of it is. We make it feel like a huge undertaking and keep putting it off, week after week. But you don’t have to dedicate 8-10 hours a day to a project to get it done.

Bright and lovely puzzle, from the same series as Tropical Flowers, this one takes a bit more time to assemble, due to subtle textures and colour transitions.

I have been unfolding after the move – I feel like a wound spiral that is finally let go. There is so much to do, and unpacking can be overwhelming. I found ways to make it more efficient and alleviate the stress.

Yet another Josephine Wall puzzle, detailed and intricate as always. Lots of subtle shades and distinct textures. This is a puzzle to do over the course of several evenings, at a leisurely pace.

From the time I’ve first mentioned to people that we were moving, I got inundated with an intake of breath and some variation of “Oh, you’ll be living from boxes for the next year”. I refuse to give in to this attitude. Unpacking does not need to take months! Take control and be done sooner, with less stress.

From the same series as Ladies Night and Apple Picking, this vibrant puzzle is a pleasure to do — it only took me a leisurely two hours from start to finish. The borders between neighbouring colours are well-defined and the textures are distinct in different parts of the image, so the assembly is a breeze.

Over the past five years, we have accumulated a collection of several garbage bags chock-full of children’s clothes, from newborn to size 5, three boxes of shoes and boots, and bulky winter coats of various sizes. This is the reality of a mother with more than one child, where the clothes are being used at two different sizes by two children. With the recent move, I have been faced with the need to arrange all of them into some semblance of order. Here is what I did…

Beautiful, zen scene of water flowing and pooling in rock basins. Waterfalls are one of my favourite subjects to assemble.

We have moved to a new place at the end of May, which means I have a new garden to shape. I have decided to try my hand at a permaculture herb spiral. The result looks lovely and the herbs seem happy.

Tackle that project

Puzzle: Riomaggiore

Know when to take a break

Puzzle: Colony of Sea Anemones

Break up your routine

Puzzle: Country Christmas

Puzzle: Nautilus Shell

Appreciate your reality

Puzzle: Passion Flower

Creating a zen workspace

Puzzle: Provence

The power of 15 minutes

Puzzle: Painted elephants

Unpacking Tips

Wings, by Josephine Wall

Unpacking after a move

Puzzle: Best Friends, by P. Govezensky

How to organize children’s clothes

Havasu Falls/Pool in the Grand Canyon, Havasupai Indian Reservation

Permaculture Herb Spiral

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