We Love You So – Where The Wild Things Are – Spike Jonze

Esteemed woman of arts and letters Margaret Drabble recently released The Pattern in the Carpet, a nonfiction chronicle of jigsaw puzzle history laced with the author’s own personal jigsaw lore. Even in the age of the internet, it seems, analog jigsaw puzzles are a perennial attraction for curious humans.

This truth is one that RxArt has adapted for charitable purposes. The non-profit organization is known for its commitment to bringing art into healthcare facilities as a therapeutic aid to patients, encouraging artistic expression and curating contemporary installations in hospital settings. It’s a noble mission— and an effective one too.

For the holidays, then, RxArt has teamed up with Yayoi Kusama to produce a limited-edition 200-piece puzzle of Kusama’s 2008 Self Portrait. The vivid hues and simple geometry of Kusama’s piece make for an eye-popping image and a puzzle that is bound to divert the Margaret Drabbles of the world. Dan Colen and Terry Richardson have also collaborated on puzzles with the organization, providing puzzles for art-lovers of all proclivities.

There’s something seductive about toys that have to forcefully announce that they are NON-TOXIC. Such is the allure of the Amazing Do-It-Yourself Magic Tree—which, indeed, is a distant cousin of the Magic Garden.

This delightfully bizarre toy involves assembling a cardboard Christmas tree (complete with faux cranberry garland, glitter and gold tree-topper ornament) and squeezing an included “mystery liquid” into the base. In six hours a vibrant chemical fuzz will spread across the branches, replicating the appearance of a healthy Douglas fir. Voila: an economical and festive decoration in less than 360 minutes.

Finally, a culmination of our interests in chemistry, DIY, and the holiday spirit. Next up: Magic Menorahs!