The Brick Collectors Magazine Issue #1

There are many new things to report today!  First, I am pleased to announce the creation of The Brick Collectors Magazine!  It's designed specifically for LEGO families made up of adult & child builders.  There are features kids will enjoy, like the Model of the Month and a LEGO-themed word search.  Adults will enjoy revisiting old LEGO sets "In the Spotlight" and doing some creative LEGO crafting.  There's literally something for everyone in this magazine.

I've made the digital version of this issue free through my new website The Brick Collectors.  This was truly a labor of love and I hope you will enjoy it!  Please contact me with ideas or suggestions at webmaster@thebrickcollectors.com.  It would be great to get some feedback and would keep me inspired to get right to work on the next issue.

Please follow me over to my new home at thebrickcollectors.com.  This blogger website will be discontinued in the near future, as there are many more features available on the new site, including a user-friendly forum.

LEGO® is a registered trademark of the LEGO Company, which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this publication. 

Toys R Us Cyber Sale - LEGO Friends - Update

There's a sale happening at the Toys R Us website today and tomorrow.  All LEGO Friends sets are 20% off.  Happy shopping!

Update - The prices showing up on the website are higher than they were this morning!  The Summer Riding Camp was $87 earlier and is now $99.  It really doesn't matter, as it isn't in stock, but this seems like typical Toys R Us.  Mark things up as soon as there's a sale.  The "sale" is still on.

If you are looking for the LEGO Friends City Park Cafe (3061), Kmart has it on clearance at their website.  Their online clearance usually goes quick, so act now!

Back to Building Buildings

I've found a bit of time to spend in the LEGO room lately, which has been a nice creative outlet.  I built a supermarket for LEGOGirl to play with, but I didn't take any pictures before she started playing with it.  Now it's in a constant state of messiness, but I do hope to straighten it up and post pictures of that.

Today I made a new modular building to add to the others we have.  I really love these buildings, and the Palace Cinema has got me thinking about them again.  I don't know what this building is that I created - I think maybe just boring old office space.  It has two parking spots in the front, which are hard to see from the pictures.

A Great Place to Visit - Lasting Toys!

If you like LEGOs and are anywhere in the vicinty of Toronto, Canada there's a place you have to go to.  Even if you're not in the vicinity...if it's like an hour and a half drive...it's still way worth it.  This is one of our favorite places - Lasting Toys.

Lasting Toys is an independent LEGO store in Mississauga, Ontario.  We first discovered them a few years ago, I think, back when they were in a much smaller store.  They are packed floor to ceiling with LEGOs.  They carry old & new sets - they still have a few LEGO Agents, Rock Raiders, and Aquanauts sets!  They have all sorts of accessories and books, too.

On our most recent visit we picked up the Ocean Interceptor from the DINO line, some BrickStix, an old Bionicle polybag, the Mirkwood elf polybag, and a Friends polybag for LEGOGirl.

It's really cool being able to see older sets on the shelves.  They tend to have a good assortment of rare and hard to find items.  It's just a really cool place and I highly recommend a visit.

LEGO Ninjago #6: Warriors of Stone Graphic Novel

The latest Ninjago adventure is now available in print!  The Serpentine may have been defeated, but there's more to do for our fearless heroes.  LEGO Ninjago #6 features a new threat: the Stone Warriors.

The gold ninja isn't featured in this installment, however there is some very nice artwork of him in the front of the book.  But getting back to the story, the world of Ninjago is slowly turning to stone, and the Ninja set out to determine why.  Along the way are nice touches of humor, with Jay scoring most of the funny lines.  And how can you go wrong with a comic that includes naked chickens?

All that and more is in store.  You'll have to read it yourself to find out how the chickens enter into things.  LEGOBoy gave this one his seal of approval.  He liked the humor in it and enjoyed the part when Zane discovers the secret passage.

And if all this wasn't enough, you even get a special preview of #7: Stone Cold.  This is a nice purchase to keep Ninjago fans happy while LEGO takes a break from new sets.

WNY LEGO Fans...

Just a quick heads up...I went to the Target on Transit Road and didn't find anything much in the clearance section, but they have stocked a bunch of the new sets.  There were new Star Wars, Chima, Super Heroes, Ninjago...

I got the last Golden Dragon at that location...sorry...Happy Hunting!

Completed Project - The Red Brick Manor

Here's my latest LEGO project!  I haven't done any significant building in awhile.  When I started this I really had no clear direction.  I knew I wanted to make a house for LEGOGirl to play with, but that's it.  (She's really getting into the whole dollhouse phase.)

This is one of those rare times when everything just seemed to click.  I did a little bit of tearing down/rebuilding here and there, but for the most part, this went smoothly.  Anyway, here it is...

The 1st floor and 2nd floor are both removable, which made it much easier to decorate, and also a little easier for LEGOGirl to play with.  She likes to be able to get at EVERYTHING.

Now for the closeups...

1st Floor Wide Shot - 2nd Floor removed

Living Room

Kitchen

What's behind that door?

Puppy!

Baby's Room

My camera's battery was dying, so unfortunately I didn't get a better shot of the Baby's Room.  The chair in the back turned out well, and there's a dresser back there with a teddy bear and bottle on it.  On the right is a shelf with a train on it.  

Bathroom

Bathroom

Bedroom

I enjoyed constructing the beds.  The mattress part is a stack of 1x4 bricks on their side.

Bedroom

Right Side

Left Side

I debated decorating the house for Christmas.  With the color scheme I think it would look really cute.  If I get around to that, I'll post some more pics.  Thanks for taking a look!

LEGO Holiday Movie - A Visit from St. Nicholas: For Advanced Readers

If you have a few minutes and want to learn some new words while being entertained, check out this new holiday LEGO movie made by LEGODad.  You can also check out his website or subscribe to his minitrue11 channel at YouTube.  Enjoy!

Amazon LEGO Lightning Deals Today

Starting now Amazon has a new LEGO Lightning Deal every hour - today only.  There are 8 different sets that will be sold for reduced prices.  They're all older sets, but it may be worth checking out if you can get them for 40% off or more.

The first set on sale is 4194 Whitecap Bay.  Follow this link to see what's happening now.

LEGO Building Challenge #15

It's not quite here yet, be we think it's time to celebrate...

Building Challenge #15 - Fall Fun!

We put up some Fall decorations around the house, and that inspired our latest creations.  LEGOBoy was the first to jump into this theme, with his Ghost Train and Tombstone models.

Ghost Train and Tombstone by LEGOBoy

I love the detail he added to the train.  I wanted to create a tree with fall colors, and that became the centerpiece of my model.

Fall Scene, by LEGOMom

I like how the tree turned out.  I wish we had an actual LEGO rake, however.

I do intend to add some minifigs, and there was a bucket of apples in the scene, but LEGOGirl took it and I forgot about it.  So I guess this one still needs some finishing touches.

LEGO Building Challenge #14

After a much longer than intended hiatus, we are back on the LEGO Challenge bandwagon!  For those who might be new, we post new challenges on Fridays and invite you to play along and post your models as well.  You have until the end of the month to link up an entry (see bottom of post).  All ages are welcome!

Building Challenge #14 - Feeling Friend-ly

This week we are challenging you to build something using LEGO Friends pieces.  You can use just the minifigs, or the funky colored pieces - whatever you like.  If you are still skeptical about the LEGO Friends line, we'd encourage you to give them a try.  They really do grow on you.

As always, we have some inspiration for you.  We recently acquired Olivia's House, which is a great set.  

Olivia's House - LEGO 3315

We decided to expand the neighborhood a bit and build another Friend's House in the same style.  LEGOBoy and LEGOMom collaborated on this venture.  LEGOMom designed the house and the exterior, and LEGOBoy designed all the furnishings.

The house is made out of that newer-colored medium blue, and features a front porch and a roof with skylights.  There's also a door that leads to the rooftop garden area.

The construction is modular, so you can switch around the rooms and roof pieces.  It's also the same size as the rooms in Olivia's House, so we could theoretically mix those in, too.

Front Door Close-up

All the interior furnishings are the work of LEGOBoy.  He put the kitchen and a design studio on the first floor, a bathroom and bedroom on the second floor, and an inventor's workshop and living room in the attic space on the third floor.

Interior View

All those trips to the LEGO Store Pick-a-Brick wall paid off here.  That's where we got all the blue pieces.  LEGOBoy and I both really enjoyed this project.  We found the LEGO Friends' elements very inspiring.  Hopefully you will, too!

Interior Close-up

Interior Close-up

LEGO Friends Alive & Well

Good news, LEGO Friends fans!  The LEGO Group reports that since its launch, the LEGO Friends line has sold twice as well as expected.  I wasn't too sure about this line when it first came out, but I've gotten a few of the sets and we all really like them.  They have lots of unique pieces and the colors are fun.  I think I've even gotten used to the new people, even though it's still a little annoying that their feet don't move.

With the news of Friends Advent Calendars being stopped in production, I was worried that it was a sign of bad things to come.  It appears that isn't the case.

If you'd like to read the press release from LEGO, click here.

Now Available - Tomb of the Fangpyre - Graphic Novel #4

Attention all Ninjago fans!  The latest graphic novel from Papercutz is now available - Tomb of the Fangpyre by Greg Farshtey and Jolyon Yates.  In the beginning of the book are awesome illustrations of the ZX characters and the Fangpyre Tomb.

A report from LEGOBoy:  "The four ninjas are trying to recover the four fragments of the Serpentine Stone which depicts how the Serpentine came to be and how the Great Devourer was created.  There's a cool rattlecopter fight and a fight between Zane and a shark.  One of the pages shows all the Serpentine from all the tribes, except for Pythor."

  

At the end of the book is a teaser for the next graphic novel, Kingdom of the Snakes.

Overall, LEGOBoy would rate this book 5 stars out of 5!  He recommends that all Ninjago fans read this one soon!

LEGO Birthday Cake (#40048)

We recently traveled to our closest LEGO store and picked up a few things, like the new Heroica set Ilrion and a Core Hunter for LEGOBoy.  Right now when you spend $50 or more at a LEGO store or LEGO.com you get a cute birthday cake set to celebrate LEGO's 80th birthday!  We had some VIP rewards to use, too, so we made out pretty well.

But getting back to the cake... it's set #40048 - 24 pieces.  I really like the plate they have it sitting on.

It's a cute little set with some fun pieces in it.  We also got to check out a lot of new LEGO sets while we were at the store.  There wasn't much new in the build-a-mini or pick-a-brick wall, though.

That's all for now!

LEGO Art Exhibition - Part 1

We proudly present the first in a series of posts of LEGO Art created by LEGOBoy.  It was particularly difficult to pose the tiger in Symphony in Orange No. 2.  Which one is your favorite?

Symphony in Orange No. 1

Symphony in Orange No. 2

Symphony in Orange No. 3

Symphony in Orange No. 4

Inspired by...

The London Tower Bridge is a set we don't own yet, and given the cost, we probably won't get it unless we find a deal somewhere.

Nonetheless, it's a cool-looking set, and LEGOBoy used it as the inspiration for a new micro-build.

I really love these little vehicles.  So cute.

LEGO Ninjago #4: Tomb of the Fangpyre

Good news, Ninjago fans!  The fourth Ninjago graphic novel from Papercutz is coming out soon!  It will be available August 21st.

For those of you lucky enough to attend the San Diego Comic Con, the artist for the new book Jolyon Yates will be available Sunday morning and will sign a show exclusive print that is free with purchase - limited to the first 1,000 attendees.

Here's a preview of the promo poster -

How cool is that?  LEGOBoy loves the whole Serpentine storyline and is looking forward to getting this latest edition.  If you haven't checked out the graphic novels yet, we highly recommend them!

New Ninjago Spinner Packs - 9569, 9572

The new Ninjago spinner packs are starting to arrive in stores.  LEGOBoy came home the other day with news that a boy on the playground had NRG Kai.  I was surprised that another LEGOParent had apparently acquired new LEGOs before us!  Sure enough, we found the new stuff, too.

Then just yesterday I found Spitta (9569) and NRG Cole (9572).

I really do like the spinner packs, which is unfortunate because it means that as soon as I see one I grab it. Both of these guys came from the local Target.  *Finally* poor Lasha has a friend.