I am sorry to say this year I didn’t make it all the way through Advent. We bought a house in November, and I tried to do the usual daily Advent posts while amid the chaos of preparing the house, packing, and moving, but it was difficult to keep up (even more than it usually is) and the last straw was after Day 15 when I had a sewage flood at my LEGO studio! I just couldn’t keep going, and stopped at Day 15, and by the time I would have been able to resume it was well into the next year and didn’t seem appropriate to retroactively be covering the holidays. Plus, I was pretty upset about the election results and busy with the new house. 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.
Tag: #friends
Advent 2023
I can’t believe it’s already December and time to crank up the old Advent Calendar engine once more! This year I purchased two of the available five calendars LEGO has released: Friends and Marvel. Like with last year, I’m doing daily YouTube videos as well as blog posts, so choose whatever medium you like… Starting on Day 8, I also designed original MOCs from the leftover parts – instructions are in a separate post. 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 2023 edition.
Like last year I chose not to do all 5 of the Advent calendars LEGO publishes, just these two. But if you want to build the others, here are some links to them on Amazon: City, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. (But please don’t support Harry Potter, due to the transphobic political views of J. K. Rowling.)
Advent 2022
Another year’s Advent has come around. Last year I decided not to do LEGO Advent, but I’m going to give it another go this time around with just 3 of the 5 possible Advent calendars. I’m doing the Guardians of the Galaxy, Friends, and City calendars. This year I also started making YouTube videos about each day’s builds. 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 2022 edition.
Advent 2019
I can’t believe it’s already December! As I do every year, I’ve purchased all of the available LEGO Advent Calendar sets and for each day I will be posting photos of that day’s models and discussing them. This year we have four Advent calendars: City, Friends, Harry Potter (new calendar theme), and Star Wars. I was a day late getting started – out of town for the weekend. 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 2019 edition.
Advent 2018
In 2018, unlike the last two, we don’t have a 24-in-1 set (“Christmas build-up”) to play with, unfortunately, so we’re back to just the basic Advent calendars in City, Friends, and Star Wars. 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 2018 edition.
Advent 2017
The time has come once more for the annual LEGO Advent calendars! This year we have once more the same three themes – City, Friends, and Star Wars – and like last year there is a 24-in-1 “Christmas Build-Up” set 40253. The latter was a freebie that you got in November for making a $100 purchase from LEGO – it’s no longer available from them, but you may find them on Amazon. (The Advent calendars may be sold out at your LEGO store as well, but using the Amazon links above helps support this blog and is most appreciated.) Once again I designed a MOC from the leftover Build-Up parts each day – you can find instructions for all of those in a separate post. 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 2017 edition.
Advent 2016
Another year, another set of LEGO Advent Calendars. Once more this year we have three: 60133 City Advent Calendar, 41131 Friends Advent Calendar, and 75146 Star Wars Advent Calendar. But new this year there is another option, a 24-in-1 set 40222 Christmas Build Up, so on top of the usual City, Friends, and Star Wars calendars, I was also building a Build-Up model each day, plus designing my own MOC from the leftover parts! Instructions for all the MOCs are in a separate post. 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 2016 edition.
Advent 2015
2015 was another year of three LEGO Advent Calendars: City, Friends, and Star Wars. I barely made the Day 1 deadline, posting at 11:46 PM! 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 2015 edition.
Each year LEGO produces several advent calendars, featuring 24 mini-models, one for each day of December through Christmas Eve. For several years I posted these entries each day on my blog.
If you haven’t gotten your Advent calendars yet, here are some links to them on Amazon: Star Wars, City, Friends.
Silly experiment in head swapping: Scooby Doo & Mini-Doll
When I was building the Scooby-Doo sets, I realized that Scooby’s head/neck connection is the same as that of a mini-doll from Friends or Elves…
Advent 2014
The time has come for my annual tradition of blogging each day of LEGO’s Advent calendars. This year again we have three calendars, for Friends, Star Wars, and City. I selected winners afterwards, rating the best and worst models across all three calendars. 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 2014 edition.
Advent 2013
December is here, and it’s time for another round of LEGO Advent Calendars. This year we have three calendars: Friends (set# 41016), City (60024), and Star Wars (75023). This was the year the Star Wars calendar was based on Clone Wars, which I wasn’t very familiar with. 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 2013 edition.
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 #5: Emma’s Horse Trailer
Today we take a look at LEGO Friends Emmas Horse Trailer 3186.
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…
Fortnight of Friends – Day 14: Olivia’s House
This is the last of the “Fortnight of Friends” series, and is the biggest set by far in the Friends series, #3315, “Olivia’s House”.
Fortnight of Friends – Day 12: City Park Café
Today’s “Fortnight of Friends” set, the 12th in the series, is #3061, “City Park Café”.
Fortnight of Friends – Day 11: Butterfly Beauty Shop
Today is day 11 in our LEGO “Fortnight of Friends” series, and we tackle #3187, “Butterfly Beauty Shop”. This is the first LEGO Friends set I’ve done that has more than one minidoll in it… in this case, one of our main characters, Emma, and a new character, Sarah. Sadly, all the sign printing is done with stickers, which I didn’t want to apply, so the picture isn’t quite what is shown on the box…
Fortnight of Friends – Day 10: Olivia’s Tree House
The tenth in our LEGO “Fortnight of Friends” series is #3065, “Olivia’s Tree House”.
Fortnight of Friends – Day 9: Heartlake Dog Show
The ninth day in our “Fortnight of Friends” series brings us the first “big box” set, #3942, “Heartlake Dog Show”.
Fortnight of Friends – Day 8: Stephanie’s Cool Convertible
Today we start off the second week of the “Fortnight of Friends” with the first of the larger sets: #3183, “Stephanie’s Cool Convertible”.
Fortnight of Friends – Day 7: Emma’s Design Studio
Today is day 7 in my “Fortnight of Friends” series. We’re now half way through, and this is the last of the small sets. Today’s set is #3936, “Emma’s Design Studio”.
Fortnight of Friends – Day 6: Stephanie’s Pet Patrol
The sixth in the “Fortnight of Friends” series is set #3935, “Stephanie’s Pet Patrol”.