Dear Blog Readers,
We have become the kind of blogger we never wanted to be — the kind who has a "read our blog" button on our website but the newest post is months old. We blame Facebook for this — it's so much easier to write something there and we seem to have more followers there than we did here on the blog. Still, we can't quite bring ourselves to give it up altogether yet — so instead, we're posting this little note to explain our lack of current entries. Please do check out our facebook page, we think it's fun, if not quite as long form.
sincerely, the Joie de Blogger.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Toys and Magic


I just got back from the Toy Fair, and I can't even begin to describe all the fun things I saw. You will see some of them arrive at Joie de Vivre in the next month or two. But, the most amazing things I saw were not toys, but tricks. I was fortunate (friends in high places) to be invited to a gathering of inventors and magicians on Sunday night, where I watched a man pour wine into his hand and make it disappear, untold amazing card tricks, and even a man solve a miniature Rubic's cube - in his mouth with his tongue!! The thing I love about magic, is even if you know it's a trick, it still totally convinces you. In that sleight of hand lies the magic. Before a good magician we are all as susceptible as the youngest child and in my book, that's really fun!! (Rabbit in Hat by another Toy Fair favorite - Folkmanis Puppets)
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3 comments:

  1. SteveFebruary 16, 2010 at 3:03 PM

    That Rubic's Cube trick sounds amazing. The best trick I ever saw was when a magician came into the reception area of HBO in New York, where a friend of mine was the receptionist. He asked for a ring she had on one of her fingers. He then pretended he had lost it - which might have been more disconcerting if he had been, say, a messenger instead of a magician. After a while, he pulled a box of Cracker Jack from his brief case. We watched as he opened the sealed box, ate a few pieces of Cracker Jack, and then opened the little bag containing the prize, which was, somehow, her ring.

    I just felt like telling that story.
    - Steve

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  2. Joie de VivreFebruary 18, 2010 at 4:24 PM

    well, thank you for telling it. it sounds mind-boggling and amazing and impossible to me!

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  3. JudyMarch 26, 2010 at 4:17 PM

    Anders just had his 5th birthday party and magic was the theme! My sister sewed black magician capes for each child, they painted magic wands, and Anna made a birthday cake...a rabbit popping out of a black hat. The cake was amazing! To top if off we had a high school boy come over and do magic tricks. It was so cool!!! We learned a very fun trick - a disappearing toothpick trick. SO cool. Tape a toothpick to your thumbnail so that the pick runs from your nail down to the bottom knuckle, tape at nail. Then hide the taped part as your other fingers close around your thumb and it looks like the toothpick is just hanging out there. Open your hand, stretch out your thumb and hocus pocus the toothpick disappears!
    I sure wish I would have read this post before his party!!! We would have loved that rabbit puppet!

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