My daughter Allison moved back to Naperville from Chicago last month. She still works for Fieldglass/SAP in the city, but is now an official suburban commuter. You always miss your kids when they are away, and even though Chicago is only 30 miles away it felt much farther. Besides having her wonderfully upbeat personality around (she gets that from her mother, not her curmudgeon of a father), it’s nice that my jigsaw puzzle partner is back. Ever since she was a little girl she has enjoyed working on puzzles of all kinds. We usually have a puzzle going on the dining room table, particularly in the Fall and Winter. Since Allison has been back, the puzzles are getting finished much faster!
Ozzie’s has carried jigsaw puzzles for as long as I can remember. Much like my daughter I have always enjoyed doing puzzles. I remember as a child my folks getting me a wooden puzzle of the United States. Each piece was one of the fifty states. Underneath each piece was that state’s capital and other information. What a terrific way to learn about the country and geography! In the 60’s I remember our family doing a James Bond puzzle – Goldfinger. One side had Sean Connery in a classic 007 pose and the other side was all gold. When we finally finished the puzzle, one piece was missing right between Mr. Bonds eyes. My Dad blamed the dog.
Since our move out to the Plaza we have continued to expand our selection. We carry puzzles by many companies including Springbok, Ravensburger, Masterpieces, Melissa and Doug and Cobble Hill. We still have wooden puzzles for children and 2000 pieces for those who love a challenge. This past week we received a couple of large orders and have reset the puzzle section to accommodate the new Fall selection. I love to browse the aisle after all the new puzzles have been put out and grab a couple for the upcoming seasons. If you are a regular puzzle builder or haven’t done one in years, come on in and pick one up too!
When you drop in to look at that expanded puzzle section don’t just stop there. Our gift and toy buyer Alecia spent some time at the Atlanta Gift Show earlier this year and has brought in some phenomenal new Fall and Christmas merchandise that is now being displayed. The Old World Christmas glass ornaments are already up along with some great Halloween and Thanksgiving gifts, party and décor items!
