Below is photo of party goers on stairway at Woodstock Inn. Each participant was given a commemorative green t-shirt while Stave staff wore blue tees. Bottom photo is dessert. We all got a kick out of the clown cookie! YUM!

xxx

Tired But Happy

I’m tired. We’re all tired. Don’t feel sorry for us because it’s a great feeling! We had an amazing time last weekend at the Woodstock Inn, celebrating our 35th anniversary with a fabulous group of puzzlers. We’re lucky enough to be able to talk with a large number of you when you call but we don’t get to meet our puzzlers very often. Not only does a party give us an opportunity to get some face time with our fans, it gives you a chance to spend time with others who are just as crazy about puzzling as you! Plus, you get to work as many puzzles as you want !!!

Wild Times

We had a bunch of arrivals Friday night for quiet puzzling but the official festivities began Saturday morning. Paula and Bri, our Star Party Planners, organized a bunch of games to keep everyone puzzled throughout the day. Our guests were challenged with games like Guess the Rebus, Scrambled Names and Guess the Silhouettes, among others. We were handing out prizes left and right!

Big Winners

In honor of our 35th Anniversary we gave away over $35,000 in prizes. We had prizes as simple as Stave bumper stickers and note pads and biggies like a $3,500 gift certificate. The Grand prize of the weekend was the complete Final Edition of our Dollhouse Village, worth over $25,000!! Congratulations go out to Y.Y., Annandale, VA who won the gift certificate and P.A., Glen Head, NY who won Edition #100/#100 of the Dollhouse Village. Thank you all so much for coming. You are what make our jobs fun and I hope you all walked away feeling like you were a winner. I hope to see you at the next party!

Jennifer

Here I am instructing the 6 finalists (narrowed down from 45) on the Trick TroubleMaker puzzle I have specially designed for their 2 hour marathon race. Basically the first one to get both solutions within the 2 hours would win the $3500 (in puzzles) first prize. Guess what? No one came close. In fact, no one got one solution which made my day!! YEAAAA!!

I Do
I bet most weddings take place in the summer. The weather’s good, it’s easier for the guests who have to travel, and you can be outside. Another reason why I make this assumption is because we cut more wedding puzzles now than at any other time of the year. A puzzle is the perfect way to commemorate the special day. Whether it’s your day from 20 years ago or tomorrow, a son or daughter’s wedding, or your favorite niece, a Stave puzzle is the perfect gift.

The Missing Piece
When you meet that special someone, you feel like you’ve found that missing piece, right? They seem to fill that little spot in your heart that’s been empty, waiting for just the right fit. Why not create a puzzle to remember this incredible time in life? The moment can be relived every time the puzzle is worked. We can fill it with the silhouettes that represent your perfect day: the proposal on one knee, a horse and carriage ride to the church, a dog standing in as best man, the honeymoon safari to Africa. No matter what made your day unique, we can help you create a keepsake that will be enjoyed for years to come.

Fit Me In
Picture this . It’s your anniversary, the music is softly playing in the background, the champagne is poured and the candles are lit on the puzzle table. Won’t it be nice to have a few hours of your love’s undivided attention while you work to put together the pieces of your lives? We all know times like this are few and far between in our day to day lives.

Love you to pieces, Jennifer

As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun. I think everyone at Stave would agree! We’re all wondering where the time has gone. Steve has created another new puzzle design in honor of our 35th Anniversary. Here’s a sneak peek at what he’s cooking up!

OK, I’m turning over a new leaf by actually working a Stave puzzle every day… at home. So this past weekend I cleared out a puzzle spot in our living room… see below. I’ve been at this wonderful business for 35 years and rarely have I taken time to actually work our wonderful puzzles. Most of the time I am dreaming up new diabolical designs. So I selected a puzzle Martha crafted for me 20 years ago and started it… see below, also. Martha is chipping in, too. Behind the puzzle table is my Lionel electric train set-up for me and 5 year old grandson Simon… what fun!

This is an experiment. I just purchased a new camera for taking photos in our “Take-Apart” section where the finished puzzle is taken apart, pieces counted, and pieces placed in a Stave blue box. I often drift over to this area to watch Channa take apart puzzles because I love seeing the amazing shape-pieces (aka silhouettes) my gang is cutting into their/our puzzles. So the light bulb finally went on in my dim brain when I awoke to the realization that Channa should be taking photos of these fascinating pieces. We will create a library of such images and post them on our web site.  VOILA!

Steve, on the far right, with fellow golf fanatics Tom, Jim, and Charlie.

Mea Culpa

You all know my knowledge of golf is limited. My mom and dad golfed, my son and husband golf and, of course, your Chief Tormentor, Steve, golfs. A lot! So why can’t I get the facts right?!

I previously regaled you all with the story of Steve’s trip to the Augusta National Golf Club to golf with one of my favorite Stave puzzlers, Jim G., from Birmingham, Alabama. It all came about with a casual chat I had with Mr. G. while he was ordering a puzzle. “If Steve ever wants to play Augusta National, let me know.” Little did I know what an impact those words would have on Steve.

Did You Catch Me?

Steve left for Augusta on Thursday, May 13th, and returned Saturday evening. When my phone rang Sunday morning and I heard who was on the other end of the line I knew I was in for a great story. It was everything Steve had hoped it would be and so much more.

On Monday morning Steve showed everyone the photos he had taken and shared his adventure with the whole gang. Needless to say, we have all heard the stories several times now. So don’t you think I could get my facts straight?! Magnolia Drive, Magnolia Lane. A water trap, a water hole. 210 feet, 210 yards. What’s the big deal?! Ok, Ok, I’ll give you the feet vs. yards thing but the rest? Minor details to a girl like me but HUGE for all you golfers out there in the world.

I’m taking this opportunity to admit my mistakes and make things right. As much as I like to tease Steve and embellish the story a bit I do appreciate the thrill and honor it was for him. The generosity of Mr. G. is over the top and he presented Steve with the opportunity of a lifetime. But what’s even better is it got a ton of brownie points for me!

Enjoy the pictures and please, if you catch me in any mistakes, don’t tell Steve!

I guess I can’t always be right. (Don’t tell my husband!)

Jennifer

Treasure Island is officially Sold Out! There are 50 incredibly lucky puzzle owners out there enjoying amazing artwork and trickery. Congratulations!

Steve and I just met with Stave artist, Molly Delaney, and handed off the 35th anniversary commemorative puzzle assignment. It is going to be awesome! We’ve loaded it with at least 35 of our puzzling elements, a la Treasure Trove and Palace of Pranks, and Steve has designed several little pockets of trickery that will keep you puzzled for a good long time. Molly has some great ideas for the artwork and she’s already shown us some great sketches. You are going to love it!