European Cat Town Book Nook Tour @StepCatStudios

Title: European Cat Town
Brand: CuteBee
Begun: 1/13/2024
Completed: 1/13/2024
This is the nook that started it all. My sister gave me this for my birthday. She thought it would be something I would enjoy doing while I was recovering from ankle surgery. I kept it in the box and on the shelf for about a week. (Until HER birthday, actually.) Then I decided to give it a whirl. It looked like a 3D puzzle, and I’d done those before. The most frustrating part of those puzzles was sorting through the loose pieces to find the ones that fit, only to discover there were pieces missing, and the puzzle couldn’t be completed.
First impressions upon opening the box changed all that. All of the pieces were neatly organized and labeled on boards. All you had to do was read the directions, punch out the pieces as they were listed, and connect them. Easy enough. It ended up being a bit more challenging than that. Some pieces fit together smoothly, some had to be “convinced” to lock into place. Some pieces were so delicate they snapped easily. Luckily, this was a brand that included a few extra pieces for those delicate ones. The mailbox was the most finicky, I thought. This kit did not include a “frosted rod”, which, as I discovered later, is simply an emery board/sand paper for smoothing the burrs from where the pieces separated from the wood. Being a newbie at nooking, I didn’t know I was supposed to remove those, so I didn’t miss it. (You don’t know what you don’t know.)
The box said I should be able to complete the nook in 1-2 hours. 🤨🤣 6 hours later… I was finally finishing, and completely hooked. I honestly didn’t care that it took me thrice as long to complete it as the box said. I enjoyed the experience. My mind was engaged, my hands hurt from pressing stubborn pieces into place (probably more from arthritis - gettling older stinks!), and I had this feeling of accomplishment at creating this little miniature world. Every time I looked at it, I discovered something new, and I knew it was there because I BUILT it. Turning on the light feature added an entirely new dimension and appreciation for the craftsmanship and creativity of those who design these book nooks.
Sadly, I did not take photos of each stage of the process. I didn’t know at the time the enjoyment and fulfillment I would find in seeing them come together. Now that I have the endoscope, I decided to do a video tour of my very first book nook, and share the story of how it all began.
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