Posts Tagged ‘Lego’
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| BobG on Guess (Photo from BobG) | that's cuz when idiots get locked up there, they're gonna yell "DAMN!" | [READ MORE] |
| Nick on Guess (Photo from BobG) | Well I would have never guessed that. It really does look like a dam though. | [READ MORE] |
| BobG on Guess (Photo from BobG) | Wow that took a while. (yes, thats what she said...) This is from the 10th floor of the current Wake Co ... | [READ MORE] |
Brick Magic is an annual event that combines professional builder exhibits, amateur enthusiasts and vendors that all have one small thing in common – a love for plastic bricks. I got an early visit yesterday for the blog and it was great to talk to several of the people setting up large displays and meeting the guest Certified Professional Lego Builder Sean Kenney. It was great because today when the show opens at 10AM it is going to be really crowded with lots of little ones running about doing what I had the good fortune to do yesterday almost by myself.
To the right is one of my favorite displays – a viking ship on train tracks that circles a viking village. Yes – a lot of the sets have motion.
There are a lot of pictures after the jump but they really don’t do the event justice. You have two days I highly suggest going to the North Raleigh Hilton and taking in the full spectacle of the event. If you played with Lego bricks as a child or enjoy them as an adult you will be very impressed.
Brick Magic is back at the North Raleigh Hilton and this year Lego unveiled a new set the day before the show. I was there and the set is hiding under the sheet to the right. What was it? You’ll have to hit the jump to find out. Let’s just say I was surprised and very impressed with the set. Might be one I have to pick up.
I’d like to thank John Morrow from www.twomorrows.com and Jim Foulds from Lego for hosting the event and showing the new set.
I was surprised at how quickly the completed set was taken apart. The part I found most interesting was the painter and the toilet. Yes – this set has a bathroom. Guess that rules out another space shuttle.
Tickets are still available for Brick Magic click here to order or go to the North Raleigh Hilton between 10AM-5PM Saturday (May 7th) and 10AM-4PM Sunday (May 8th). The set will be on display with a lot of really cool Lego sets from builders from the Triangle and beyond.
[Editor's Note: This post originally ran on May 9, 2010 after visiting Brick Magic for the first time. I am headed back today to see a panel discussion featuring Jim Foulds of Lego and the unveiling of a new set.]
Brick Magic at the Hilton North Raleigh was nothing short of awesome. Professional Lego builder Nathan Sawaya had several of his pieces at the event and the AFOL (Adult Fans of Lego) had some unreal setups. I could write more but I’ve got 250 pictures after the jump.
Highlights for me included seeing the a couple of the sets that are coming our this summer – especially the Space Shuttle and upcoming blind box minifig sets. [Editor's Note: I now have four complete sets and the Shuttle.] I was also able to get a couple of Lego animals to complete a smaller scale project of my own. Hopefully I’ll have that done by Christmas. [Completed.]
It was awesome to see all the creativity that went into the design and development of the larger projects and the great sense of humor. Yes – look through and you’ll see that the western town beside Fort Legorado has its own brothel. Not bad for a bunch of squares.
BobG (part-time contributor to NOSVC.com) was in Blacksburg, VA this past weekend for the annual Day of Remembrance honoring “the 32 people who lost their lives on April 16, 2007…”
BobG found this while he was up there and forwarded it to the site. There are large fiberglass Hokie Birds around the campus in Blacksburg (see another one with G and I from 2006 after the jump).
A little more research found – “This is one of 75 decorated fiberglass Hokie Bird statues created in 2006 to raise money for the Blacksburg Partnership. The statues were painted by local artists and the proceeds from their sales went towards economic development and tourism projects.” This one just happened to be covered in Lego Bricks – how cool is that?
I’d love to end this post on a somewhat sentimental note but somehow even the thought of that day and the tragedy is an emotional drain. Much credit to the alumni and community that come out to this event and keep the memories of those lost that day alive.
The Planet Earth Celebration (aka Earth Day) in downtown Raleigh is a very cool festival “showcasing all the ways to love the Earth – from repurposed art and music to expert advice on sustainable living.” It is also a great time to stock up on discount Burt’s Bees products, score a free bag of compost and make decisions that ultimately take you out of the path of the storm.
We’ve been to the festival, music, make-shift parade before and it is always a good time. This year after we’d had our fill of “corporate-hippie-save-the-planet-do-gooding” we decided to skip Cuegrass (it did look like rain) and go grab some lunch and a beer. First thought was Backyard Bistro just outside of downtown where they have good food, beer and are not usually crowded. In transit on Wade Avenue we saw signs for the sidewalk sale at the Go Pack Store in Ridgewood Shopping Center. This triggered us to remember NCSU’s spring football game and made Backyard Bistro seem a little less inviting (being across from Carter-Finley meant either fighting a crowd inside or outside of the restaurant). The quick decision was made to turn down Ridge Road and go to La Racherita at Crabtree Valley Mall. One thing lead to another and when the worst of the storm hit we were shopping.
Yes – this means I bought more bricks. It also means on Foursquare day I took back over mayor-ship of the Lego Store. No – I will not admit to having fun at the mall with Cara and Courtney. That being said they did go to the Lego Store with me and fed me Starbucks and maybe in a group think way kept us out of the line of the storm. No – I didn’t complain at the time about going into the Limited and am very glad I “took one for the team.” Had we left earlier we might have been driving down South Saunders when the storm hit. The pictures after the jump are of Earth Day and a few shots from the ride home which was a little scary until I talked to Champ (neighbor across the street) and learned that despite what we were seeing on the road and hearing on the radio the home front was in good shape.
So what is the moral of this long story? Had we learned anything at Earth Day (Planet Earth Celebration) we likely wouldn’t have gone into the mall for fear of destroying the planet with our coffee cups, shopping bags and non-biodegradable Lego bricks. We would have left the mall earlier and might have found ourselves in harms way. Did consumerism save our lives? We may never know.