Archive for October 2016

Set 40203 - Vampire and Bat - Fairytale review :)

October 28, 2016 2 Comments A+ a-


In a small American town, there used to live one inseparable pair - Vampire and his Bat. Vampire without his friend Bat or Bat without Vampire ? One without the other, it doesn't make a sense. The two belong together.
They both love Halloween - not only because it is the only day in year when Vampire can wear his scary outfit conveniently. Every year for last hundred years, they celebrated Halloween in their home town. But this year it was supposed to be different ...
Everything started with the Vampire idea to celebrate Halloween in Europe. Why not in the beautiful city of Prague ? They packed everything in their suitcase and begin the journey for adventure.
Vampire and Bat arrived by tram to the city centre
They took a tram from the Prague airport to the city centre. They didn't know anyone there and Vampire found out that he even forgot to pack the Prague city map into the suitcase. Fortunately, Bat
saw a castle in front of them. "Let's go there. Hopefully, we will meet some friends there."
Vampire and Bat saw a castle in front of them
However, as they were closer and closer to the castle they saw no signs of Halloween around them.
Vampire and Bat on the way to the castle
Bat was getting annoyed and started to complain to Vampire about the whole idea to celebrate Halloween far away from their home and he hid in the park inside the tree. "Bat, where are you?"Vampire was asking him.
Bat hid in the park inside the tree
"Please come back to me, Bat."
Vampire was looking for Bat
Bat finally calmed down and came out from his hideaway.
Bat finally decided to leave his hideaway
At the castle, it wasn't different. No pumpkins, no scary creatures. "But why ?" both were asking each other and were getting a bit restless.
Vampire and Bat in the castle
They suddenly felt lost and lonely in a big and unknown city.
Vampire and Bat lost in the city
And it was getting darker and darker.
Vampire and Bat lost in the city
They found a place nearby castle to rest a bit. They were so tired that they fell asleep immediately.
It was getting darker and darker
After an hour ... "Hey, Happy Pumpkin, what is it ? It looks like some sleeping creature with a bird ..." said an Annoyed Pumpkin. "It must be our Uncle, you fool ! We finally found him !"
Happy and Annoyed Pumpkin finally found Vamper and Bat
"Who are you ? And what do you want ? " Vampire woke up and didn't know what is going on.
Vampire and Bat woke up
"You don't remember us, Uncle ?" wavered Happy Pumpkin. "My old friend, I am sorry. I didn't realise that it is you. How do you know about us being here in Prague ?" asked Vampire.
Vampire and Bat with Pumpkins
"Grandpa Pumpkin send us a letter and asked us to take care of you. He forgot to tell you that Halloween is not a typical Czech holiday. There aren't many of us in there. Follow us, I will cook you something in our place to warm you up."
Vampire and Bat on way to the Pumpkin's house
They were talking whole night and Pumpkins explained to Vampire and Bat why Czechs do not celebrate Halloween in way Americans do.
In the end, it turned out well and they were all happy because they hadn't seen each other for a very long time.
But there was one thing clear to Vampire and Bat  - they will celebrate next year Halloween again in their small American town ! :)

Did you like the story ? :) Did you buy this perfect Seasonal set too ?

I will be very happy if you comment bellow.

BEAUTIFUL LEGO WILD ! Sunday morning coffee table book :)

October 22, 2016 1 Comments A+ a-


Nothing makes a better partner for a cup of coffee on Sunday morning than some inspiring LEGO coffee table book such as the one composed by Mike Doyle - BEAUTIFUL LEGO WILD ! :) I was totally stunned by the pictures inside the book. Inside, you will find marvellous works of talented LEGO artists. Some pictures will make you even disbelieve that they are made out from LEGO bricks ... It's a great showcase of what other people are doing and what can be build from LEGO.

The book will bring you to the world of LEGO plants and animals. You will discover Asia, Trees, Nature Lovers, Ocean Motion and many more.
Look inside with me !
Animal kingdom
Creatures with Character
Wildlife
Sean Kenney art work
Creatures with Character
Gregarious Greenery
Fruit Salad
Wildlife
Raining Cats and Dogs
Very inspiring ! If you've ever felt like going to the nearest LEGO store and buying some bricks and try to build something awesome as people in this book do, I can assure you that after reading this book there is nothing that would stop you. :)

If you're not a fan of plants and animals, you might find the first or the second edition of Mike Doyle BEAUTIFUL LEGO more interesting. The first one focuses on everyday objects, famous monuments, mansions, spaceships or mythical characters. The second one is about dark LEGO masterpieces showcasing gothic fantasies, creepy crawlers but also sculptures of dark chocolate. :)

Hope I will add the first two books into my collection soon !

Have you heard about these cool books before ? And have you ever tried to follow your imagination and build something like that on your own ?

I will be very happy if you comment below.

LEGO Architecture ... Where does LEGO find inspiration ?

October 14, 2016 2 Comments A+ a-


LEGO Architecture sets bring alive iconic buildings from around the world.  I am quite excited by these sets because they enable builders to make their own small replicas of famous buildings such as the Empire State Building, Big Ben, Sydney Opera House and much more. You can even create city blocks in world metropolitan cities such as New York or Berlin.
Architecture theme sets are another great example of how various and sophisticated the offer of LEGO sets is.
I was wondering where does LEGO find inspiration for their Architecture sets. And the answer is ... mainly in the United States, but also on other continents.
So far LEGO made small replicas of 15 buildings from United States. Try to correctly connect images of buildings with their name without helping out with numbers. :) It is quite challenging in case of the United States.
LEGO Architecture sets inspired by US buildings
In Europe, LEGO got inspired by 10 buildings so far. My favourite sets are Louvre, Venice and Trevi Fountain.
LEGO Architecture sets inspired by European buildings
In case of Asia and Australia, it becomes easier and easier to connect images with correct names.
LEGO Architecture sets inspired by Asian buildings
And in case of Australia, it is really no-brainer. :)
LEGO Architecture set inspired by Australian building
I hope we will see more sets from Asia and Australia in the future and first sets from Africa or South and Middle America will come soon.

If I had to choose a few buildings from my neighbourhood which would deserve to become the next LEGO Architecture set, it would definitely be the Prague Castle as the representative of an old architecture and the Dancing House as the representative of the modern era.
Prague Castle and Dancing House
Which buildings in the city or country where you live would deserve to become the next LEGO Architecture set?

I will be happy if you let me know in comments below. :)

TOP 10 LEGO sets released in 2013

October 09, 2016 15 Comments A+ a-


Today I decided to look back in time and highlight 10 amazing sets released in 2013.
I was especially impressed by the Lone Ranger theme and the Master Builder Academy sets.
However, I must admit that this time it wasn't that difficult to pick only 10 sets compared to TOP 10 LEGO sets released in 2014 and TOP 10 LEGO sets released in 2015.
Even before I started looking for 2013 sets I had my favorite which retained the first place until the end of the search.

Please enjoy reading. :)

10. Invention Designer - Set 20215 (675 pieces)
Original retail price $79.99
Invention Designer
9. The De Lorean Time Machine - Set 21103 (401 pieces)
Original retail price $39.99 or €34.99
The De Lorean Time Machine
8. Stage Coach Escape - Set 79108 (279 pieces)
Original retail price $29.99 or €29.99
Stage Coach Escape
7. Sydney Opera House - Set 10234 (2,989 pieces)
Original retail price $319.99 or €279.99
Sydney Opera House
6. 4x4 Crawler Exclusive Edition - Set 41999 (1,585 pieces)
Original retail price $199.99
4x4 Crawler Exclusive Edition
5. Batman: Arkham Asylum Breakout - Set 10937 (1,619 pieces)
Original retail price $159.99 or €159.99
Batman: Arkham Asylum Breakout
4. Horizon Express - Set 10233 (1,351 pieces)
Original retail price $129.99 or €99.99
Horizon Express
3. Palace Cinema - Set 10232 (2,196 pieces)
Original retail price $149.99 or €139.99
Palace Cinema
2. Ewok Village - Set 10236 (1,990 pieces)
Original retail price $249.99
Ewok Village
1. Tower of Orthanc - Set 10237 (2,359 pieces)
Original retail price $199.99 or €199.99
Tower of Orthanc
Which set is your 2013 favorite ? :)

I will be very happy if you comment below.

Three...Two..One. GO! Biggest LEGO car race

October 05, 2016 2 Comments A+ a-


Formula One ? Dakar Rallye ? Le Mans ? No, no, no, not good enough ... I have something better for you. :) For the world of car racing, there is a new challenge ! LEGO car racing duel.
Imagine a line of LEGO super cars all revved to the max and prepared to compete each other. It must be spectacular !
Who will be the winner and who will be the last one ?
All of these cars are real masterpieces and each of them will be tested based on 5 different criteria - horsepower, top speed, 0-100 km/h, Nürburgring lap time and current market price. Then, of course, I will choose a winner.
Let the race begin ! :)

Ferrari arrived to the race with a very strong team and qualified with 3 different cars. All of them red, surprisingly. :) - Ferrari F40, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and Ferrari F40.

10248 - FERRARI F40
Did you know that the car is named so because it was made at a time when Ferrari company celebrated 40th anniversary and it was the last model which was personally approved by Enzo Ferrari, founder of the brand with famous Cavallino logo ? 
10248 - Ferrari F40
Performance test results:
  • Horsepower: 352 kW
  • Top speed: 325 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 4.0 sec
  • Nürburgring lap time: 7:28:00
  • Current market price: 1,103,000 USD

8145 - FERRARI 599 GTB FIORANO
Did you know that Fiorano is a private Ferrari's test track where they develop their supercars ?
8145 - Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Performance test results:
  • Horsepower: 456 kW
  • Top speed: 335 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 3.5 sec
  • Nürburgring lap time: 7:47:00
  • Current market price: 157,000 USD
8671 - FERRARI F430 SPYDER 
Did you know that the car is named so because it has an engine capacity of 4.3 litres ? 
8671 - Ferrari F430 Spyder
Performance test results:
  • Horsepower: 360 kW
  • Top speed: 315 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 4.0 sec
  • Nürburgring lap time: 7:55:00
  • Current market price: 112,000 USD
Porsche team didn't lack behind the Ferrari team and arrived to the race with at least two but very strong models - Porsche 918 Spyder and Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

 75910 - PORSCHE 918 SPYDER
Did you know that the Porsche 918 Spyder is one of a famous Holy Trinity hypercars ? Together with the Ferrari LaFerrari and the McLaren P1. There are not many people who have all three in their garage. I think that only one person in the world managed to own them all. And it isn't Chuck Norris but one very rich British businessman. :) 
75910 - Porsche 918 Spyder
Performance test results:
  • Horsepower: 682 kW
  • Top speed: 345 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 2.5 sec
  • Nürburgring lap time: 6:57:00
  • Current market price: 1,855,000 USD
75910 - PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS
Did you know that for the new GT3 RS it takes just 0.095 sec to change gears ? For example from 2nd to 3rd or 3rd to 4th ... 
75910 - Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Performance test results:
  • Horsepower: 368 kW
  • Top speed: 311 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 3.3 sec
  • Nürburgring lap time: 7:20:00
  • Current market price: 285,000 USD
Remaining teams such as Lamborghini, Caterham or Volswagen bet everything on one horse.

75871 - FORD MUSTANG GT
Did you know that from its debut in 1964 more than 10 million Mustangs has been sold all over the world. Quite a few, isn't it ?
75871 - Ford Mustang GT
Performance test results:
  • Horsepower: 313 kW
  • Top speed: 250 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 4.8 sec
  • Nürburgring lap time: 8:07:00
  • Current market price: 53,000 USD
8169 - LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO
Did you know that Gallardo takes its name from a famous fighting bull breed ?
8169 - Lamborghini Gallardo
Performance test results:
  • Horsepower: 368 kW
  • Top speed: 309 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 4.0 sec
  • Nürburgring lap time: 7:52:00
  • Current market price: 78,000 USD
21307 - CATERHAM SEVEN 620R
Did you know that you can buy a Caterham either already built or as a kit and assemble it by yourself ? The latter is the cheapest version of how to get an ultimate track toy. :)
21307 - Caterham Seven 620R
Performance test results:
  • Horsepower: 232 kW
  • Top speed: 250 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 2.8 sec
  • Nürburgring lap time: 7:48:00
  • Current market price: 87,000 USD
And the last two daredevils.

10242 - MINI COOPER
Did you know that Mini Cooper became famous thanks to the movie The Italian Job (1969) and also thanks to the very popular sitcom Mr. Bean ?
10242 - Mini Cooper
Performance test results:
  • Horsepower: 41 kW
  • Top speed: 141 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 13.4 sec
  • Nürburgring lap time: 20:00:00 (est)
  • Current market price: 9,000 USD
10252 - VW BEETLE
Did you know that the VW Beetle was a predecessor to the legendary Porsche 911 and was created by Mr. Ferdinand Porsche himself ?
10252 - VW Beetle
Performance test results:
  • Horsepower: 37 kW
  • Top speed: 130 km/h
  • 0-100 km/h: 60 sec
  • Nürburgring lap time: 35:00:00 
  • Current market price: 9,000 USD
Now there is a time to announce the winner...
The absolute winner of todays LEGO car race becomes the mighty PORSCHE 918 SPYDER with 50 points. Congratulations !!! :)  
The winner is the Porsche 918 Spyder
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and Porsche 911 GT3 RS both finished in second place with 39 points, closely followed by Ferrari F40 with 37 points. 
  1.  50 points - Porsche 918 Spyder (won in every category)
  2.  39 points - Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and Porsche 911 GT3 RS 
  3.  37 points - Ferrari F40 
  4.  30 points - Ferrari F430 Spyder
  5.  28 points - Caterham Seven 620R
  6.  27 points - Lamborghini Gallardo
  7.  18 points - Ford Mustang GT
  8.  12 points - Mini Cooper
  9.    8 points - VW Beetle
I have one of those super LEGO cars at home and one of them on a way home. :) I can't wait to test their power on my own. :)

Special thanks to my boyfriend who is a big car enthusiast and he was a race director of today's competition.  

Do you also have some LEGO racing cars in your collection ? What other LEGO racing cars models would you welcome ? 

I will be very happy if you comment below. 
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