Valerie Coit

Sad night tonight going to Lakes 10 for the last time. Loved The Mummy movie though so at least there’s that.

Next Nationals recap - the Convention Hall! This turned out even better than we imagined! There was SO much space to fill, but @ValCoit and her volunteer @StaceyAnneMD knocked it out of the park with signage & materials to make the space beautiful & lively! @RavensburgerNA & @CobbleHillPuzzles added some extra special touches too. However, the biggest kudos goes to @Jigsawlogist for filling the room with 35+ exhibitors from companies big & small! Becca's wide brand knowledge was clutch & her hospitality to each company was unmatched. From behemoths like Ravensburger, @MasterpiecesInc , @BoardwalkPuzzles , & @RoseArt_Puzzles to boutique companies like @UnifiedPieces , @BookwormPuzzleLLC , & @1Canoe2 , to unique providers like @Orange_County_Speed_Puzzlers , @PortlandJigsawMasters , @SarahDoesPuzzles , & @ZakcoPuzzleboards , there was something for everyone. Almost every booth provided swag, raffles, or both. I'm sad I didn't have more time to participate in them! Our goals were for puzzlers to discover new brands and vice versa. Some brands were so excited to hear directly from their biggest fans and it was so fun to see them discover the speed puzzling community! In addition to exhibitors, the hall housed: -Artist signings (competition & other puzzles) -Unsupervised competitions (sprints, puzzle chess, speed run) -Practice tables galore -Large format puzzling (5,000+ pc) -Competition livestream viewing -Artist Alley** -Final Speed Run* -Virtual Reality puzzling* -Food vendors Other convention aspects outside of the hall: -Puzzle swap -Relaxing space -Stretching classes -Seminars/panels* -Special Competitions* -SWAG* I can't believe this was only Floor 1 of 2, but am SO proud of how it turned out! (*Recap upcoming **Already recapped)

Amaze amaze amaze. That’s the best way to sum up the past few weeks for me. I’m so proud of @puzzlesnpups @mnpuzzlemom @jigsawlogist @faith_the_puzzler and myself honestly, for what we managed to accomplish at #usajigsawnationals . And I can’t believe it’s over. It went so fast and was such an incredible time. It’s stunning to see the amount of joy generated and how much a group of volunteers can accomplish. I’m so thankful to all the sponsors, to everyone that helped prepare for the event, those that helped run it and to all the puzzlers that signed up to attend and put their faith in us. I especially want to thank my livestream cohosts and the crew as they made my main job at the event an absolute joy. And I’m so glad I got to spend some quality time with @indoorkidspuzzle as she prepares to become a member of the USAJPA board. One other bonus - my mom and a bunch of other family members attended and helped out so I got to share this with them. It’s been one of the best times of my life and a dream come true really. ❤️ Edit: I can’t believe I forgot to thank @mikescholtz for being there for me in the lead up, at the event and afterward as such a supportive and wonderful partner. I’m so glad he was there to lend us his amazing talents as a video creator and that he brought our pups so that everyone could meet them. He makes everything I do better and I’m so lucky to have him in my life, too. 🎈🥰

What an amazing weekend at USA Jigsaw Nationals with an incredible group of people! We’ve made so many great memories and seeing your many positive comments and smiling faces have made it all worthwhile. Thanks for everything and we miss you already! #speedpuzzling #usajpa

It’s a Merry Christmas with two nice and only occasionally naughty chihuahuas. Wishing everyone a lovely holiday season!

@mikescholtz and I decided to set up a tree at the lake cabin but we could only use a hand-me-down tree and thrifted ornaments. So, Saturday was a busy day of visiting thrift shops to get everything we needed and here’s the final result!

Two of my favorite things in one spot! He’s such a little gentleman (when he’s not acting crazy). Credit to @mikescholtz for the pics.

Kermit content for your enjoyment.

I’ve taken a ton of video of Kermit already and this one is probably my favorite.

@mikescholtz and I have welcomed a new puppy to the family - meet Kermit!

We got a new puppy. His name is Kermit. He’s a chihuahua.

Few more pics of my Halloween costume as Kleya Marki from Andor. This show has become my #1 show of all time so I was super excited to dress up as my favorite character this year. Thanks to @mikescholtz (aka ET’s grandma) for indulging me with a fun lunch time photo shoot on campus!