Tag: disney

Ceaco Thomas Kinkade Disney The Little Mermaid Falling in Love Jigsaw Puzzle Review

I recently took a little break from working on jigsaw puzzles to begin my adventures in diamond painting. When I found the Ceaco Thomas Kinkade Disney – The Little Mermaid Falling in Love puzzle at the thrift store, I knew it would be the perfect project for when I needed a diamond painting break. This beautiful puzzle is based on a Thomas Kinkade painting, and features our favorite characters from the Disney animated classic The Little Mermaid. Let me tell you why this jigsaw puzzle was so much fun to put together!

This post includes affiliate links and a referral link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

This puzzle is one of many designs in the Ceaco Thomas Kinkade Disney collection. It has 750 pieces, and measures 24″ x 18″ when completed. It comes in a square box that is easy to stack and store. As mentioned, I found this at my local thrift store. It was brand new and just $2.99! The puzzle retails for $14.99 on the Ceaco website, or $12.99 on Amazon. Ceaco puzzles are Made in the USA. Unlike the Peggy’s Garden puzzle I reviewed recently, this one does not say it is made with recycled materials, so I must assume it’s not.

The first thing I noticed when working on this puzzle is that the individual pieces feel a lot sturdier than the previous Ceaco puzzle I completed. I also did not have a problem with the image peeling away from the cardboard. However, several of the pieces were not fully cut when I opened the box, and I had to separate them myself. These pieces also do not lock together, so it’s very challenging to move sections around while working because they just fall apart.

Despite the pieces falling apart easily, it was an absolute joy to put together this puzzle! I began with sorting the pieces, and was able to put together Flounder, Eric, and Ariel right from the start. I then moved onto the edge, and worked my way around the border with the castle, ship, and coral sections. The sky was my favorite section to complete! I felt like pieces were going in so easily as I reached for them!

The most challenging part of this puzzle is the blue water. That being said, the art has many hints in the water that help guide the puzzling along. For example, King Triton and his castle can be seen in the water, as well as different schools of fish. The water also has different shades of blue that I used to help me sort through the pieces. I ended up putting small sections of light blue together before adding them to the main puzzle.

I also love how this puzzle features so many different elements from The Little Mermaid. While Ariel and Eric are the main focus of the image, you can see that Ursula is spotted in the scene along with Sebastian’s crustacean band. I really enjoyed finding all of the different details in the image as I worked on the puzzle!

Just like the last Ceaco puzzle I completed, this one comes with a high quality print of the puzzle image. This allowed me to use both boxes for sorting. I definitely referred to the picture a lot while working on the blue water area in particular.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Beautiful artwork
  • Sturdy pieces
  • Quick and fun to complete
  • Included print out of image
  • Made in USA

Cons:

  • Pieces do not lock together
  • False fits (happened twice)
  • Some pieces not fully cut through during manufacturing

Final Thoughts

I am so glad I found this puzzle at the thrift store! I completed it in one weekend, and had such fun doing so. Even though the water was a bit difficult, I never felt frustrated or stuck. Plus, there were a lot of unique elements in the artwork that I enjoyed discovering. I think this is a great puzzle for beginners and Disney fans alike! Ceaco is continuing to be a budget-friendly (even at retail price!) puzzle company.

Follow me on Instagram @PolishlandReads to see more of my puzzle adventures!

My Favorite Christmas Tree Ornaments!

Happy Thursday, and Happy Christmas Eve to all of you who celebrate! I thought it would be fun if I took you on a little tour of my family’s Christmas Tree today by sharing some of my favorite ornaments with you. We have a lot of ornaments on the tree, and there is a huge variety. I, of course, have certain ornaments that are important to me for different reasons. Let me show you some of my favorite Christmas Tree ornaments!

My Favorite Christmas Tree Ornaments! | Adventures in Polishland

Minnie Mouse

My Favorite Christmas Tree Ornaments! | Adventures in Polishland
My Favorite Christmas Tree Ornaments! | Adventures in Polishland

Let’s begin with my Minnie Mouse collection! I’ve been a huge Minnie Mouse fan for my entire life, and that is certainly reflected on the Christmas Tree. I’ve received several Minnie ornaments as gifts over the years, and I’ve picked up a couple on my own, too. I’m showing you two of my many Minnies in this post. I know the personalized one came from my parents, but I have no clue where I got the other one. It’s vintage at this point!

Barbie

My Favorite Christmas Tree Ornaments! | Adventures in Polishland
My Favorite Christmas Tree Ornaments! | Adventures in Polishland

Another one of my ornament collections is my Barbie collection! Hallmark has put out a few different Barbie series during my lifetime, and I’ve gotten one every year since 1993 (except for last year, when there wasn’t a Barbie released). You can see my first-ever Barbie on the left, and my Barbie from this year on the right. These ornaments are so special to me, and I hope to continue getting a Barbie ornament every year. One day I hope to have a Barbie tree that is hot pink!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

My Favorite Christmas Tree Ornaments! | Adventures in Polishland

This next ornament is special to me not because I love the film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but because this was the first purchase I ever made in Disney World! My family went to Disney World for the first time when I was in first grade, and we went to Magic Kingdom on the first night when we arrived. I got this at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square for $4.95 (yes – the price tag is still on the box!). I saved up all my birthday money for our Disney trip, and was so excited to spend it on souvenirs galore. That first night in Disney World was so magical for me. I will never forget when Minnie Mouse waved to me during the parade! This ornament represents that magic even 20 years later.

Boston Celtics

My Favorite Christmas Tree Ornaments! | Adventures in Polishland

Last but not least, I’ve always been a huge Celtics fan, and my parents got me this engraved ornament a few years back. It’s the only Celtics ornament I have, and I love putting it on the tree. It’s so classy, and I love that it’s handmade as well!

That wraps up my post on my favorite Christmas Tree ornaments! I hope you enjoyed this mini tour of my tree! Please share your favorite ornaments with me in the comments, or tag me on social media in a photo. I’d love to see your ornaments! I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!

Indie Spotlight: Different Dimension’s You’ve Got a Friend in Me Set + Excelsior!

Happy Sunday! Today I have some more polishes to share with you from one of my favorite indie brands, Different Dimension. If you love Disney movies, you are in for a treat, because I’ve got a duo of polishes based off of your favorite characters from the Toy Story trilogy! As an added bonus, I’m also reviewing a stunning holographic polish that I’m sure you will love. Let me show you these beautiful polishes!

 

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First up is To Infinity and Beyond, a glitter top coat in a clear base named for Buzz Lightyear. The glitters in this polish fit Buzz to a T — a mix of green, purple, and white in different shapes and sizes is just the perfect representation. I layered one coat over Zoya Neely to act as a complimentary base color, and to really let the glitters stand out. I especially love the neon green circles in this polish. To Infinity and Beyond is just stunning, and it even glows in the dark!

 

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Next up is Reach for the Sky, a yellow-based polish with red and yellow glitters mixed throughout. The You’ve Got a Friend in Me Set would not be complete without a polish named for Woody, everyone’s favorite cowboy. I layered two coats of Reach for the Sky over Traffic Lights from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. Not only was it the same exact base color, but it ensured opacity for my manicure. Reach for the Sky has a great formula that represents Woody well! This is a great polish color for the fall months, or for any yellow fan.

 

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As an added bonus, I also have the stunning Excelsior on the blog! Excelsior is a holographic nail polish that is somewhere between a silver and white base. It reflects the colors of the rainbow in the light just beautifully. Excelsior is opaque in two coats, and has a fabulous formula. Plus, it is one of the best holographic nail polishes I have ever tried! It has a strong holo effect, yet it is perfect for every day wear. I highly recommend it!

All in all, I love the You’ve Got a Friend in Me Set and Excelsior from Different Dimension. This is an indie brand that never disappoints! I love the amazing quality and unique polishes, and I definitely recommend it. You can shop for Different Dimension polishes on Etsy HERE and like the Facebook page HERE.

 

The polishes in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Save More and Make it Mini: OPI in If You Moust You Moust

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to be bringing you a lovely pink color to celebrate Pink Wednesday, and to show you a perfect Valentine’s Day polish. If you’re like me, you love to try out a lot of different nail polish colors without spending big bucks. OPI is a great brand, but I don’t like spending up to $8.50 for a full size bottle that will only be used a handful of times. Thankfully, whenever it comes out with a new collection, OPI will release a set of mini polishes so that those of us on a budget can enjoy the collection at a discounted price. As a lifelong Minnie Mouse fan, I knew I just HAD to have the Vintage Minnie Mouse collection mini set. Luckily, I won it in a giveaway over the summer, but it is selling on Amazonright now for just $6.96! That’s an amazing price for three colors and a top coat. Let me show you one of those polishes.

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If You Moust You Moust is what I am calling the perfect Valentine’s Day pink! It is a classic pink polish, and I am just in love with it! The formula was great — a bit streaky with the first coat, but evens out well with the second. Just two coats are needed for opacity. I used this polish as the base for a glitter manicure that you will soon see, but it can easily be worn alone. It’s perfect for the office, as it’s bright and feminine, but not too out there. Plus, OPI polishes last a long time without chipping so it is great for the girl on the go! As a pink aficionado, this is one of the best pinks I’ve tried!

If you love this polish and Minnie Mouse as much as I do, I highly suggest going to Amazon and purchasing one of these sets right away. As I’m typing this, there are only 8 more left in stock! Click HEREnow to get it for just $6.96!

Indie Spotlight: 2Chix Lacquer in Belle

Today I have a polish from the indie brand 2Chix Lacquer to review for you! This brand is run by two “Melissas” and one of them sent me Belle from the Disney Princess collection. I have been obsessed with glitter top coats lately, and this one is gorgeous. Just look at the bottle!

Belle is in a clear base filled with fine white and gold grains, small gold and brown hexagonal glitters, and large white hexagonal glitters. I wasn’t sure what color to use this over, so I chose white. I got good coverage with two coats over my white base. The polish was easy to apply, and the white glitters still stood out on my white base as they are nice and shiny. Belle also dried really quickly, too. I finished with a top coat to even things out, and to keep the glitter in place. I love how unique this polish looks!

This polish really does remind me of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I would never think to put this color combination together, but it is really pretty. Next time I will try a different base color, but I think it looks great over white. I definitely suggest this polish from 2Chix! Not only does it look nice, but the formula is very good quality.

You can find 2Chix Lacquer on Facebook HERE and shop from their Etsy store HERE. Polishes retail for $8.75 each.

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.