This coming weekend, May 18-19, I’ll be joining a bunch of LEGO enthusiasts from BayLUG (Bay Area LEGO Users’ Group) at Maker Faire yet again. This annual event has been going on every year at the San Mateo Event Center (aka Fairgrounds) since 2006 and BayLUG has been a part every year. This year we have a 40′ by 40′ space which will feature robotics demonstrations, a kids’ play area, a working train layout by BayLTC (Bay Area LEGO Train Club), and lots of LEGO models on display. I hope you can come and see the show, and stop by to say hi.
Bill Ward
Living LEGO-cy Pictures
Every year the Bay Area LEGO Users Group (BayLUG) sets up an exhibit at the Museum of American History (MoAH) in Palo Alto, CA over the holidays called “Living LEGO-cy.”
LEGO and My Mom
For Christmas this year, my mom got me a sweater, a necktie, a pocketknife, a toothpaste tube squeezer, and a LEGO set – LEGO Train Set #3677 Red Cargo Train. I went over to her house last night and we exchanged gifts, and she wanted to see what it looked like when it was built…. so I suggested we build it right then and there! To my surprise she wanted to do it, so I helped by sorting out the parts and going through the instruction book with her while she put the pieces on. Her 71 27 year old fingers had some trouble getting the pieces to go on, but it went pretty well.
Advent 2012
2012 was the first year LEGO made a Friends Advent Calendar, joining City and Star Wars for three calendars total. As usual, each post was originally a separate blog entry, starting with Day 1, and continuing with a daily post about that day’s advent models. However, to clean up the site, I’ve condensed all those daily posts to a single post per year. Here’s the 2012 edition.
Friends Second Wave #8: Summer Riding Camp
The final set in the Friends Second Wave is LEGO Friends Summer Riding Camp 3185. This is the biggest Friends set to date, with 1112 pieces (Olivia’s House had only 695).
Friends Second Wave #6: Adventure Camper
Today’s set is LEGO Friends 3184 Adventure Camper.
This set features a motorhome, trailer, two bicycles (including one in dark teal, a new color for bikes), and some campsite details. Our old friend Olivia is back, and a new friend Nicole joins her.
Friends Second Wave #5: Emma’s Horse Trailer
Today we take a look at LEGO Friends Emmas Horse Trailer 3186.
Friends Second Wave #4: Heartlake Flying Club
Having dispensed with the smaller sets we now tackle the medium-sized ones, starting with LEGO Friends Heartlake Flying Club #3063.
Friends Second Wave #3: Mia’s Bedroom
The third in my “Friends Second Wave” reviews is LEGO Friends 3939 Mia’s Bedroom.
Friends Second Wave #2: Andrea’s Bunny House
Last week I posted “Friends Second Wave: Olivia’s Speedboat” and I was going to post more reviews of the second wave of Friends sets, but the weekend got away from me … I posted all the photos on Flickr for several sets but didn’t get around to writing the reviews. But this week I’m determined to catch up. So here goes with review #2, #3938, Andrea’s Bunny House:
Friends Second Wave: Olivia’s Speedboat
This past January, LEGO came out with its new “Friends” line of toys aimed mainly at girls. Since there were 14 sets in the first wave, and I’d just finished a review of the Advent Calendar sets the previous month, I ran a series of blog posts I called “Fortnight of Friends.” This summer/fall, a new second wave of 8 new Friends sets came out, and I’m finally getting around to reviewing them. No guarantees that I’ll keep this up with future sets though…
Book review: The LEGO Adventure Book
The latest LEGO book I’ve read is The LEGO Adventure Book, Vol. 1: Cars, Castles, Dinosaurs & More! by Megan H Rothrock
Greetings from BrickCon 2012
I’m in Seattle for the BrickCon LEGO convention this weekend. It’s a really busy weekend for me, though, because I’m also here for my other hobby, dancing – I’m attending the Seattle Fusion Festival which is taking place at the same time. Luckily the dance classes are held right at Seattle Center, which is where BrickCon is, so I can bounce back and forth between the two events, as I have been doing all weekend. Actually it’s not just this weekend that was so busy – I’m at the tail end of a two-week road trip. Last weekend I was in Colorado at the Aspen Alt. Blues Recess, another dance event, and have been exploring the western US in my van in the week in between. After BrickCon I’m heading home by way of Portland; I should be home by Wednesday.
BayLUG at Great Train Expo Sept 2012
My local LEGO train club, the Bay Area LEGO Train Club (part of the Bay Area LEGO Users Group) took part in the Great Train Expo model train show this past weekend in San José, CA. We set up a LEGO layout with two loops of trains (one freight and one passenger), a downtown area, suburban houses, a campground, train yard, and more.
Bricks Cascade 2012
Last weekend, I went up to Portland, Oregon for the first-ever Bricks Cascade LEGO convention.
I am interviewed on “A Look at LEGO” Podcast
I was honored to be interviewed for this week’s episode of the “A Look at LEGO” podcast. Take a listen.
Sorted Friends
First-stage sort of all the parts from all 14 of the Friends sets. In January I did a review of each of the sets in 14 days called “Fortnight of Friends” and these are the parts after dissassembling all the sets.
Heather Nicole Braaten…you are loved
Missing “LEGO Girl” Heather Braaten has been found dead. The LEGO community mourns her loss.
Rainbow Connection
My latest creation is a life size model of Kermit The Frog with his banjo, as seen in the opening scene of the 1979 film The Muppet Movie, when he was playing “Rainbow Connection.” I haven’t done a photo shoot of the model on its own, so for now you will have to be satisfied with pictures from Bricks by the Bay 2012. I will update this post when I have more pictures to add. I was very pleased to have this model voted “Supreme Sculptor” (best sculpture) and “Greenest” (best use of the “Green” theme for the convention).
Bricks by the Bay 2012 Wrapup
Our third annual Bricks by the Bay LEGO fan convention was a huge success! It was held just over a week ago, March 16-18, in Santa Clara, CA. Months of hard work planning and preparing for the convention finally paid off as over 400 attendees came to the convention, and over 5300 members of the public came to see our stuff on Sunday.