10243 Parisian Restaurant

10243 Parisian Restaurant, a photo by gambort on Flickr.

BRAND NEW SET From LEGO!

Pics of the early 2014 modular building have been released, and this one is impressive. It is the first to use such a supply of Olive Green basic elements, making for another remarkable store of parts. Nonetheless, the look is so realistic and the model is so detailed that this is growing to be one of my favorite Modulars. I'll definitely pen a copy. I highly recommend this set. It should carry the same or slightly higher price point as other traditional modulars.

LEGO Pick A Brick - European Goodies IN US

Over the past couple of weeks, pictures have popped up on Flickr and most recently a friend's Facebook Account showing a bunch of goodies from US store pick a brick walls.

As was much anticipated since the Spring changes to the catalog, parts that have been fairly exclusive to European markets are finally beginning to pop up in the US.

These include parts like:

• Medium Stone Grey Round 1x1 Tile
• Olive Green Cheese Slope
• Trans-Light Blue 1x2 Tile
• Pink 1x2 Brick, tile, and 1x1 studs.
• Gold Grills and cones
• Medium Lavender 1x2 Plate
• Medium Stone Grey Mortar Bricks (Good thing I didn't bulk it!)
• White 2x2 "Jumpers"
• Dark purple "studs"
• Palm Leaves

Other assorted parts that have been noted throughout the year, as a reminder, include:

• Medium Stone Grey 2x2 Tile and 1x2 Plain Brick
• Dark Green 1x1 Brick
• Dark Pink 1x4 Brick
• Dark Purple 1x2 Tile (which apparently is a big deal even though I racked a lot of them up)
• Trans-Black Wide 4x3x1 Windscreens

Now, one thing is for the interesting breadth of pieces that showed up in Spring to exist. (and still I haven't found them all). But this batch of pieces that were only seen in Germany, UK, and Denmark is much more fascinating and opens up more possibilities. Unfortunately this lowers the value of the pieces as long as they last but I want to build MOCs with these. Shamefully, I bulked in the past the dark purple 1x2s, pretty much all the Medium Stone Grey elements, and the like but thankfully none of those pieces held one of my limited part "spots", for lack of a better term. 

We have collectors and diehard builders. Here are some of the uses you can consider:

• Purple elements - details, accents. Lavender is perfect as a color trim for various modern buildings especially SoBe art decos.
• Pink bricks perfect for SoBe and Miami faded pastel buildings. Still trying to get lucky with pink 1x2, but no luck.
• Pink tile can be fresh cobblestone. I used nougat for the Element section of Franklin St. but will feel more comfy with the bright pink.
• Olive green cheese can be used as detailed roof accents, wall decor, and other misc. city uses.
• Gold stuff can be used for building accents.
• White jumpers can be used almost anywhere and any how.
• Trans Blue tile - well be careful, if you do a skylight you're going to have to have an opaque piece below or a messy mix of clear 1x2 below the tile. Anything modern/posh can benefit from this piece.
• Palm Leaves - beach resorts
• bley stuff - for the mortar profiles, I'd prefer to use the non brick side for classic looking facade details

It's like LEGO wants us to build... um... paradise. (Cue Lana Del Rey's album "Born to Die: the Paradise Album"). Regardless, I shot an email to my local store's manager to see to getting some of these.... pronto. ;)

Curiosity on LEGO Digital Designer

As I have used the designer to do a couple key MOCs lately, I did notice something interesting.

When you make instructions for your model, the applet in HTML will graciously provide you a full inventory of what's in your build, like a conventional LEGO Set. I have noticed that for every part in conventional LDD, the 6 or 7 digit part ID in LEGO's book is provided. For every part you chip in from "LDD Extended" there is no number, however. Also, parts that LDD 4.2 predated, namely parts in Olive Green don't show in LDD. IE: when I did my Tri-Rails, the Medium Azure pieces from the 41015 Dolphin Cruiser were not ID'd.

The idea this suggests is that beyond the wealth of parts that are already immediately available, there are more that have an ID with LEGO.

Here's a visual of what I'm talking about:

And as such, I'm wondering if one can order parts like these direct or say, through LUGBULK. Frankly, if so it would be GREAT... I could definitely use a broader variety of pieces for my Tri-Rail rotems, for example These are parts that could have been produced in order to make company models, ie. Miniland.

Most obviously parts that are no longer in production will not be available. But we're talking future parts here, so this is something to think of and perhaps to research for the coming year.

Is Dark Azure the New Medium Blue? And My Thought on the "Outburst of Colors"

In years past LEGO has fancied "Medium Blue" as the baby blue of sorts when marketing their creator line. I have just learned thanks to some browsing on online Pick-A-Brick that the two shades of blue in LEGO Creator product now are plain Blue and the newer Dark Azure.

Sets 10662, 10663, and similar boast the newer color. This boasts the question as to whether LEGO is no longer willing to brand out Medium Blue in its Make and Create, and if DkAzure will be a more common color in the future. Besides, the Azure family are much stronger than the dull, pale MdBlue so it's gotta be more appealing right?

Dark Azure is a nice color and perfect for models like the St. Augustine. Well, since I ordered some 1x6 in Medium Azure (Motto: "you know how but don't know how"), I thought that would do the job since I plan on replicating FEC's Office Car fleet with my Heritage Unit, but as I learned when Brand Ribboning the Spongebob boat that it was actually Dark Azure that did the job.

On the subject but branching out, still, I found and thought out an even more perfect yet ambitious (since a cab car will be a PITA) use for my MdAzure swag, and with this motive complemented it.

Regardless, all nagging aside, LEGO has gone haywire with its color possibilities, and "I'm lovin' it". In 2012 one could say we've hit a new golden age for color. Out like a swarm of fleas came colors like Olive Green, Medium AND Dark Azure, "Flame Yellowish Orange", magenta, lavender, light aqua, and light yellow. Friends pioneered the purging of a delicious variety of elements in these zippy colors (as I have similarly named my PAB of late) while TMNT AND Chima followed in 2013. Even so, I didn't know the dark magenta was even a color until ending up with slopes of it from a grab bag. LEGO also refreshed "Bright Pink" so as to stand out as opposed to "light pink".

Here are some ideal applications of colors to inspire the noggin:

• Flame Yellowish Orange: Anything you want a stronger, bolder yellow to. My thoughts: CSX engines in the new YN3 scheme, taxis, new looking school buses, Union Pacific engines (even though regular yellow works). Good to say, as of the 2013 line, one can model ALL of those.
• Bright Pink: Miami-style pastel faded warehouses and buildings, art deco, houses, rooms, interiors. Ice cream trucks maybe?
• Lavender: I don't know, accents? Night clubs? lol...Don't even think I wound up with parts of this color.
• Olive green: The leaves are great for dull landscapes. Otherwise military equipment, landscaping, maybe a boxcar or two if you get a hold of a lot of brick. Graffiti possibly?
• Dark magenta: Best on accents. Awnings, Dunkin Donuts locations, etc. Steals the show from Dark Pink.
• MdAzure: Maersk renditions if you missed the sets, Tri-Rail, Sky related items. Maybe a faded boxcar.
• Dark Azure: Anything pretty much. I'd like to see many more pieces in this and much more availability.

Aside from that it's nice to see more parts getting whipped out in such colors like Dark Tan (Sand Yellow), Medium Dark Flesh, Dark Orange and Dark Brown. These just have many uses in the city and add so much depth and realism.

The only downside to these colors are that they do make the hobby more expensive... and more spoiled too. There's less of a challenge to, say, getting the Dulux Gold on CSX correct (see Flame Yellowish Orange). Unless you get hookups from your LUG or the company, obtaining good amounts of these parts directly can be pricey or if you long for that one to two in that one set, the old-fashioned way,  be prepared to fork out quite a bit of cash. But still this is an overall positive development in LEGO.

10234- Sydney Opera House™

And LEGO could not have found a person better than Jamie to present it.

Just recently revealed is the LEGO Sydney Opera House. I highly encourage you guys to take a look at the video and revel in this simple... uh... awesomeness. The technique and details are just impressive. A bit pricey though, the model is 320 USD for just about 3,000 pieces but with this gorgeous selection of pieces, it's well worth it. ENJOY.

LEGO CUUSOO Fall 2012 Review Results: Announcing LEGO CUUSOO #005

These are the results of the review of the CUUSOO projects that made the 10000 supporter threshold last fall.

I knew right off the bat Curiosity was going to win... and I was right. According to the speaker in this video, LEGO has four considerations for product review.... and Curiosity snugly fit in all four.

Not only does it meet the four requirements, it is also a very educational set. It teaches the mechanics of the rover and meanwhile inspires knowledge and outreach with respect to Space.

I know fans may think that there is a bias towards Space products, but I see it as though it is what works.

Regardless congrats to the creator of this project and I will be sure to purchase one of these soon.

LEGO Bricks and Pieces Online Ordering

One thing I discovered when researching parts for an order is that LEGO now has one bettered Pick-A-Brick online. For any sets currently in production, you can now buy individual parts direct. Only thing is, the limit is 200 parts.

https://service.lego.com/en-us/replacementparts/#BasicInfo

I believe that this is no secret -- Brickset has this site listed as a way to buy virtually any part.

How this works is that after selecting age and location, and selecting "BUY A PIECE" you search a set #, place an order for a part, and list the desired quantity (again, up to 200). You then go to checkout by placing contact info and they will give you a quote. You end up paying - somehow - then they mail it to you. It'll take a while though, I'm sure, as the parts come from Europe.

Only thing is, I don't know how good it is. It raises some questions:

Are the parts marked up? ie: $0.25 for a 1x4 brick in Sand Green...

Will you get a better deal the more you place an order on a certain element?

Regardless, the system looks pretty good. I have to try it out.