Lego Haul - 11/8/17

My name is Paul, and I have a problem.  I can't stop buying Lego's.

The Lego Haul from 11/8/17 

I splurged last month to take advantage of double VIP point last month.  This time around, I had to make sure I got a couple of sets before Lego ran out of stock and retired said products.

I'll be paying for it when the credit card bill comes...

40261 LEGO Thanksgiving Harvest contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

First up, I got the new seasonal sets.  40261 LEGO Thanksgiving Harvest, which isn't so much about sitting down for a meal or turkeys like previous sets.  I like the harvesting and farming theme this time around.  I'll split elements up between the Grocery Store, the Hardware Store, maybe the Pony Farm and Toy Store.  It should be good times.

40262 LEGO Christmas Train Ride contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

 40263 LEGO Christmas Town Square contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

Next, there are 40262 LEGO Christmas Train Ride and  40263 LEGO Christmas Town Square.  It's easy enough to place them, as they perfectly fit in with the Winter Carnival up in the mountains.  I may have to add another 48x48 Extra Large Baseplate to that area to hold all the extra things I'm looking to add there.  I'll play around with some ideas when I unpack all that stuff out to put in the living room for Christmas.

71349 Beetlejuice Fun Pack contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

I also got some Lego Dimensions sets.  My wife and I haven't had much time to play it in the last couple of months.  With school and social engagements, we haven't had much time to sit at home, but with the weather getting colder, we'll definitely be spending more time inside the house.

I orders a 71349 Beetlejuice Fun Pack, and you can never go wrong with Michael Keaton.  While I was putting him together with the game running on my Wii U, he made a joke about being playing Batman.  It was hilarious!!  God bless the best man to ever play Batman.

 71343 The Powerpuff Girls Fun Pack contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

71346 The Powerpuff Girls Team Pack contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

When I was a freshman in college I fell in love with The Powerpuff Girls.  I thought it was an amazing cartoon.  Seeing it and the other cartoons on Cartoon Network was my preferred Friday night entertainment.  I didn't care what my roommate or anyone else thought of it.  It's not like I was cool in high school, why should college have been any different?

I got both 71343 The Powerpuff Girls Fun Pack and 71346 The Powerpuff Girls Team Pack.  Sadly, these sets are based off the NEW PPG cartoon series and not the original.  I would have preferred the original voice actors to the new ones.  Oh well.

21312 Women of NASA contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

I was quite upset that I missed out on the Research Institute.  Lego did not make enough of them to handle the extreme demand for it.  So I sure as hell wasn't going to miss out on 21312 Women of NASA.

It's meant to be a display piece, but I'm thinking about breaking it up and moving the figurines into town to carry our some roles.  Margaret Hamilton would help develop code for drones and satellites.  Nancy G. Roman would design satellites themselves.  Mae Jemison and Sally Ride...  That'd be cool if they had an astronomy lab or major telescope to research what's out there in space.  They could work with Raj from The Big Bang Theory, as he IS an astrophysicist.

40253 LEGO Christmas Build Up contents

Lastly, I got a 40253 LEGO Christmas Build Up free with my order for spending enough money or whatever.  I was curious as to what came with this set.  Since the packaging and manual were labelled "24 in 1"

 40253 LEGO Christmas Build Up manual (left) and some constructed models (right)

This set gives the impression that it's LIKE an advent calendar with a new model to build every day.  It's true, but it's not like a normal Lego Advent Calendar set.  As you can see from the instruction manual, you'd be expected to take models apart to rebuild the next one.  Going through one model at a time, I was only able to make four items.  I plan to sit down one day soon to determine how many of each piece would be needed to assemble EVERY model in the instruction manual.  It's going to bother me when I determine how feasible it'd be to do so.

Now, I'd like to think that I won't be buying any Lego's anytime soon...  But I do have a niece and some nephews to get Christmas presents for.  I've also got a credit card bill to pay...

Meh, I think I can squeeze out a few more sets before Christmas...

Lego Haul - 10/20/17

Mid-October brought along a perfect storm of Lego.  The release of 10259 Winter Village Station, double VIP points on all purchases, free sets for VIP members and meeting a minimum dollar amount, no class for three weeks.  I ABSOLUTELY had to take advantage it.  So I did.

The Lego haul from 10/20/17

I'm going to go from largest to smallest here, so let's start with 10259 Winter Village Station.

I really wanted this set because it fits in with all the other Winter Village sets I have, plus it gives whatever train set I purchase in the future a destination.  Sure, there's the one in the in the city, but there's no point in having just ONE train station.  And it's much safer (and economically feasible) to take a train into the mountains than fly in.  Seriously, I don't want to design and build a SECOND airport.

 Contents of 10259 Winter Village Station

Contents of bags 1 fully assembled

The Winter Village Station gave me a few ideas for additional city development.  Now that I have a Lego designed railroad crossing, I have a format to follow to put my own in.  The train WILL have to cross a road at same point.  It's no longer a concern now, and that's awesome.

10259 Winter Village Station fully assembled

So now I've got the Winter Cottage, the Winter Carnival, the Winter Village Store, and Santa's Workshop, plus whatever else winter related in my collection...  I may be done with getting things for the Winter Village region...  Nah, I'm sure Lego will come out with something else I'll have to get.

Grandmother and grandson heading into the terminal to check go onto the train

Next up, we have the 21024 Louvre.  This is pretty much for decoration around the house, as my wife loves Paris and the rest of France.  I'll have to order a 21036 Arc de Triomphe to finish off the trinity of Parisian landmarks from the Lego Architecture product line.  Then I'll have to find a place to put them all, since space is limited.  I can't have ALL my Lego sets and things out for display.

21024 Louvre contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

As a Lego VIP member, I was able to get the 40178 LEGO Iconic VIP set with my $125 purchase.  Totally worth it, since I got $10 of store credit for future use.  Not sure what I'll go with this.  I'd put in my Lego mall if I had one, but that'd be too much work to design and build.  I could rob some of the items from here and put them into the Toy Store that will go in the town plaza.

40178 LEGO Iconic VIP set contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

Lastly, I got a 30609 LEGO Ninjago Lloyd minifigure free with my purchase as well.  Lego's got all sorts of sets out now to coincide with the Ninjago movie.  I don't plan on getting any of those, except for the minifigures.  Lloyd here will probably remain a civilian, since he's not in combat gear, but he could be a Marine with that sword and his skillset.  I'm sure he'd be a great patrolman, and a few of his Ninjago friends are already serving in the military.  I'm fine with whatever he decides to go with his life.

30609 LEGO Ninjago Lloyd minifigure fully assembled

Lego Haul - 11/27/16

My wife and I just came back from California, so we needed to run to Target to pick up some household supplies.  Every time we go to Target, we have to stroll by the Lego aisle to see what they've got on the shelf.  This time, they had some 30474 Reindeer sets on the end cap.  We though it'd be a great addition to the Santa Claus and Elves' Workshop sets I got earlier this month.

30474 Reindeer purchased at Target

30474 Reindeer contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

After I got the Reindeer assembled, I went downstairs to check the mail.  I found my online Pick-A-Brick order inside the box, so I ran upstairs and double-checked the order to ensure everything was here.  I got all my bricks.

Contents of my online Pick-A-Brick order from Lego's website

I only paid a few bucks for shipping, as I used VIP store credit for the bricks themselves.  These pieces are for completing or progressing with several buildings, as detailed below.

• Grandstand:  Two medium stone grey plate 2x2 angle pieces will hold speakers for pumping out the jams being performed on stage.
• Grocery Store: Three yellow green 1x1 bricks with the orange juice decals will go into the dairy case in the store.  Orange juice should always be refrigerated.
• Marina Office: The dark stone grey 16x16 plate finished off the floor for this building, so it is now complete.
• Winter Village: I don't remember what I was going to do with the white 1x2 plate with a single knob.  The note I had on my list didn't specify WHAT building in the Winter Village this was meant for.  I'll figure it out.
• Hospital: I got a blue 1x6 flat tile and a clear 1x6x5 wall element for the window between the observation and operating rooms.  The two blue 2x4 plates will help me finish up the walls on top.
• Pony Farm: All of the brick yellow pieces pictured above are for building the office at the Pony Farm.  Like the horse barn mentioned in my previous post, I need to make this building a bit larger to fit everyone and everything comfortably.
• Pyramid nightclub: The yellow 1x3 plate allowed me to finish up the inside wall at the Pyramid nightclub, in the area around the DJ booth.
• Watch Tower: Not sure why I ordered six dark stone grey 4x8 plates, as I only needed four to complete the third floor inside the Watch Tower.  It will remain a mystery.

I also got a dark stone grey 1x4 brick for some purpose that I did not document.  I'll also have to track down the cause of this acquisition.  Plenty of bricks to keep me busy until Christmas here.  Should be lots of fun.

Winter Cottage

I bought a 10229 Winter Village Cottage in late 2012, which I thought was pretty cool looking.  It turned out to be a Pandora's box, as a snow covered house didn't fit into my original vision for a Lego town.  Especially if it's seaside.

10229 Winter Village Cottage

It formed the foundation for a new remote town up in the mountains.  A couple houses, some decorations...  It's part of a winter village now.  Christmas decorations when that time of year comes around.  It's not quite as fancy as the one my wife has, but it has its purpose.

Front and rear views of the Winter Cottage

I really need to come up with a second house for the Winter Village.  Give these folks some neighbors next door.  Maybe some open space between the two houses for a skating rink, an open field for kids to play in.  I did get a 31036 Changing Seasons set back in August, but there were only enough bricks to build one of the three houses at a time.  I should pick up a second one if I want to add the winter scene as my second house up in the mountains.  But I'm still holding out to see what the next Lego Winter Village set will be

The winter shed and igloo that will be out in the yard

The snow plow for this set doesn't go to the cottage so much.  It'd just clear the streets around the quiet little mountain town.  Since ti cam with this Lego set, I thought I'd include it here.

The snow plow for the Winter Village

Sets used: 10229

Winter Carnival

The holidays may be over, but there's still plenty of fun to be had in the winter.  Here in Minnesota, people love their winter festivals and displays and carnivals, so why not have the Lego people engage in something similar?

 

The Winter Carnival

I basically took 10235 Winter Village Market and added some accessories.  First, I put my Santa, elves, and snowman from the early 90's out front as a way to greet all who come for the fun. 

 The statues greeting you as you enter the Winter Carnival

I used the carousel as the centerpiece of the carnival.  I'd love to motorize it, so it can spin without being hand cranked, but the instructions with the Winter Village Market set did not have any steps on how to do so. 

 

 A mother watching her kids on the merry-go-round

If anyone at the carnival gets hungry, there are plenty of food vendors around.  If I was making this carnival more Minnesotan, I'd add beer to the menu at every single one of them.  Oh, and mini-donuts.  They just go insane for them here (I know I do).

 Food vendors at the Winter Carnival

The Winter Carnival also has a Christmas tree vendor.  Only natural ones, no fake trees.

One tree, please

Sets used: 1978, 1979, 1980, 10235, 10249, 40082, 71002

Winter Village Store

Things have been crazy the last several weeks with holiday engagements with family and friends.  Oh, and I caught the flu as well.  Thank you for your patience while I got this finished up for you.

Several weeks ago, I got the Winter Toy Store set at the Lego Store, but it doesn't exactly fit into the winter village thing I've got going on.  I'm not sure where to put it or what to do with it yet, but it's together, so the easy part is over.

Winter Village Shop

Sure, there are kids in the winter village, visiting the carnival, skating, seeing grandma and grandpa, but toys aren't exactly essential in such an environment.  So I have a few different options here...

• General Store:  A small general store would sell the necessities to the small handful of villagers that live up in the mountains year-around.  Since I've nearly got the city's grocery store completely designed and built, putting some food stuffs in here.
• Ski Lodge Hut:  I've got enough minifigure accessories where I could have a little skiing operation going on.  I'd need some walls to enclose the store and house some storage lockers.  I also have to figure out how to design a slope.

The great thing about the winter village is that all the buildings are pre-designed for me.  That's also the difficult thing.  Taking someone else's ideas and trying to shape them into my own.  It's like putting together a mix tape for a friend.  You're taking someone else's thoughts and feelings and distorting them into your own.  You think you're being original, but you're not.  Someone else's idea goes into the blender, and you claim the output as your own.

I not under any kind of deadline when it comes to stuff.  Maybe a little, as I'm trying to schedule my posts out for the next 18 months, but since I'm the one setting it, I can juggle things around.  No big deal.

And it's not like I wasn't expecting this to take forever.  I totally do.  I've got a plastic tote full of things I have no idea what to do with yet.  My Space sets from the late 80's and early 90's, Aquazone for some deep sea exploration, Simpsons minifigures.  The holes in my city layout may be round, but some of my pegs are square.  Hell, when I started out, everything was going to be together.  Now I've got two regions outside city limits, the lake and the mountains.

It will never end.  But I'm not stopping anytime soon.

Santa's Workshop

So, when you have a seaside Lego town, what do you do with the Christmas and winter themed Lego sets?

You put them out in the mountains and design a winter village around them.

Santa's Workshop

Sets like Santa's Workshop serve a dual purpose.  They aren't just an extension of my Lego town, they are also decorations to place around the house during the holiday season.  My wife has some winter village items she sets out every Christmas, so why not put my own spin on it and do the same?  She's cool with it, even encourages me to set them up.

Front (left) and rear (right) views of Santa's Workshop

I had to tweak Santa's Workshop to make it fit on a baseplate.  The taller portion on the right is supposed to sit at an angle.  I brought into alignment with the left portion, so it all faces forward.  There is a small gap between the two portions, so I should probably try to close that up.  I also don't have any side walls to enclose the facility.  I should fix it all up some day, but that can wait.

Mrs. Claus providing cookies for the elves (left), while some man the assembly line (right)

Santa's office above the production floor

I've got several Santa minifigures, but I consider the one that came with this set to be the official one.  He has the most reindeer, a house to live in, a wife.  The other Santa minifigures will walk around the Winter Carnival meeting with kids and doing other Santa type things.

Santa and his reindeer getting ready for takeoff

All the small toys and gifts from all my Christmas-related sets go into a small baggy for now.  I'll divvy them up between all the winter sets.  Some will go in houses, some underneath trees, some in Santa's sleigh, and some into the city (to stock up the Toy Store).

All the presents cranked out by the elves in Santa's Workshop

Sets used: 10245, 40106