Puzzle people..got a question

I should also tell you that aside from never giving up I don't look at the box while I'm doing the puzzle. That is imho cheating.   I'm the world's biggest puzzle snob. 

I don't give up. I suffer through. LOL!

The last puzzle I put together was awful. The picture was nice. But, the pieces didn't go together nicely. They had to be forced together. Plus, there was a black cat in it. It was my first experience with such a large amount of black in a puzzle.

I have another puzzle, same brand, that is the face of a black cat. One of my kitties is black and these kitties remind me of her. Anyway, I am afraid to start it as I know the pieces are going to be a PITA and it's just going to be plain hard. I don't have time for that.

We only do a puzzle once or twice a year and always finish them. It is a Christmas day tradition for us  . If we finish our Christmas puzzle before New Year's Eve, we often will start a second one. They can stay out for weeks and it isn't usual for the progress to be super slow and we will declare pieces are missing and/or the box came with pieces that don't belong until all of a sudden everything starts to come together.

I wish I thought of pulling one out to do through the Olympics.

My dd loves puzzles. She thinks looking at the box is cheating too and the last puzzle she did was a black cat face too!
She never gives up on a puzzle. She is such an optimistic person - she says with every piece you get in it just gets easier because there are less options!

We often had a puzzle going when I was a kid. They would be laid out on the dining table until they were finished with family members sometimes fitting in a few pieces when they passed by or sitting for awhile to work on it. Now, I like to do them when we RV as an evening or rainy-day activity. I bought one of those felt roll-up gizmos just for that purpose. I can't remember ever quitting on a puzzle, and I would never consider referring to the picture on the box as cheating. That made me LOL.

I think we need a picture of this puzzle!

I am working on one right now. It has 4 different pictures of elephants that are decorated for an Indian festival. Lots of colors and lots of grey, wrinkly skin. I attempted to put it together several months ago and gave up and put it all back in the box. This is the one and only puzzle that I have ever put away before completing. Now that it is out for the 2nd time, it is easier for some reason and I am almost finished with it.

I have never heard of "looking at the box" as cheating. I don't think I could put a puzzle together if I couldn't study the picture.

Saw the cutest puzzle on Friday at the store, it was 4 or 5 black lab puppies. So cute but I passed because I thought all that black would be really hard!

Half Price Books usually has good prices on puzzles.

While we were at Disneyland in June, DS discovered the crystal 3D puzzles. Anyone here ever try them? They are pretty fun but we found them challenging.

I have had a soccer team puzzle on my table for at least 5 weeks. It is 3/4 of the way done but the part that is left is the same color & very challenging. I wish I could just put it away but am determined to see it through.

They're a winter activity for us, never thought to bring one out for the Olympics. It's a great idea!
I need to get a cruel blue ocean one, or Hockney painting to match the swim events we are hooked on!

I love jigsaw puzzles but haven't done one in ages. I still buy them for my mom, but I'm kind of a snob about them and usually only buy the Springbok brand.

I can only remember quitting on one puzzle - it was solid red. I got chunks of it put together but it was just too hard to be fun and I finally put the chunks and the pieces back in the box.

 She works puzzles from the cardboard side?  Your mom might be the queen of all things puzzle.  Next time you see your mom let her know that this puzzle snob would bow in her elite presence.  Respect your mother, missy.  I had my mouth washed out w/soap one time.    You don't want to go there, ever.

We've done a couple this summer. It's more of a winter thing at our house. It has become tradition to give my husband one or two for Christmas.

I have to like the picture or I'm not interested in doing it at all. My husband likes the 1,500 pieces or more. I prefer the 500 to 1,500 pieces.

My husband has never given up on a puzzle. If I get fed up with one I'll sit with him and read instead.

If it's a fun mother/dd activity then I can see why this puzzle is suddenly such a struggle.  ((((HUGS)))).