lorax

It could be worse, you could live in Australia where we order Lego online from Europe because it seems so cheap compared to here. 2521 shop@home for Aus - AUS$129.99 = $104 Euro. I am like Mencot, I try not to compare, because when I do I get so cross and frustrated when I do. (Especially when ordering the exact same product which comes from the exact same warehouse, made using the exact same labour costs, we have to pay really high shipping (in addition to the high product cost) and there is only a 10%GST in Aus. Darn, I have broken my own rule, now I am cross and frustrated again.

Oh dear, I am scared to even think about the total for 2011 (it was my biggest buying year so far). Since October I have spent about AU$1500 at Amazon France alone... oops

We should have tried Strathpine, I couldn't find series 6 minifigs at Taigum BigW today (they did have some new racers though) ToysRUs Aspley had nothing new yet.

Thanks for looking it up Def. I would love to see more of their work, and I don't speak or read any Japanese, but seeing some of their work makes me want to learn.

Wow... the fish and the whale shark are just insanely brilliant. I agree, the white city is amazing. I have seen Olafur Eliasson's white Lego interactive art piece (and played in it) but this white city that was built is just amazing. Was all this done by the Hokkaido LUG (Or is there a Sapporo lug)?

Kraft ran a competition to name the new vegemite and cheese spread. They claimed the winning name was 'iSnack 2.0'... and soon after pulled the name and changed it cheesybite. (Although, most people believe picking such a daft name was a marketing strategy, because it attracted so much attention, so was a marketing win).

True...

I would be the minifig head sort & store. Sounds like a great idea, but not all that functional, a little too big, you don't usually want more that one but some people love it despite its obvious flaws.

Interestingly (for me anyway) I was going though the latest catalogue with my almost 3 year old daughter on my lap. She was looking through it normally, sometimes commenting on the images until we turned to the Lego Friends pages. Her eyes grew wide and she got excited and started asking if she could play with that Lego. I had already ordered two sets (for me) and I said it would come another day. A couple of hours later when Papa came home from work, she ran up to him and instead of kissing him, she asked where her Lego was Considering the range of Lego that is freely available to her (she has access to all the Lego) I found it surprising that she was so excited by it. (And she is not what I would consider stereotypically 'girly'). There is just something about it that she was really attracted to.

They did have 30% off pink highlighted clearance items. I picked up lots of shorts and shirts for my daughter (at $6 to $8 each). I also got some clearance ninjago figures ($9), still too dear for what they are, I just wanted more of the hats

Awww, that is really lovely, and I agree, the contrast between studs and no studs is awesome. And congratulations on your engagement.

Get out... that is insane. Instantly recognisable as the Barney and Fred in the Flintstones car. Really well built.

Brilliant review Pandora. And so many lovely accessories that I need. The kitchen accessories and the flowers in particular are just delicious. I also love how they have done the shower, very clever. I love this set even more now (and it will go on my 'have to own it' list).

I am building a small thing (as a member of BLTG) for a library Christmas display, I was thinking of a stereotypical scene and maybe juxtaposing it with an Australian Christmas scene. Here is my stereotypical kind of scene, a gingerbread house with a liquorice all-sorts fence, lollipop trees and muffin shrubs. Gingerbread house by tikitikitembo, on Flickr Gingerbread house by tikitikitembo, on Flickr Thanks for looking

Awesome review. Love the set and I can't wait to own it, but I loved your review even more. Awesome work.

Awesome use of the head, she is the perfect colour to fit with the trolls.

Thanks for the review AlexScammer, looks like a cute little set. Can I ask, is the brown tile on the cake in the oven, plain or printed (I can't see the top of it)? Oh my goodness... you are right, it is MacGyver.

I am waiting until they are no longer a pre-order before I look at ordering some Friends sets for myself. So I will try again on the 7th and see how it goes.

I prefer a handful of photos on EB and the rest hosted elsewhere. But I have no real objection either way. I will often look at people's work off EB (clicking on their link) if I want to see more details, but that is just my browsing preference. Brickie, I think I have the same issue, and I will continue to deny it has anything to do with my age.

Amazon France has Lego Friends for sending out from 7 January. Prices are ok, but with no cheap shipping you won't be saving a huge amount (based on prices listed on the mrtoys site).

Your MOC is brilliant (for an equally brilliant movie), so it isn't surprising that it received such positive feedback. But to have Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright tweet about it, that goes beyond cool. Congratulations. I am also supporting on Cuusoo.

Thanks for the review. I love that there are no stickered parts (because I am always reluctant to use the stickers). The dolls (sans hair) will likely find there way into my belville/scala dolls box (which rarely comes out). But I love the sets themselves. I agree, the set would have worked will with a computer. But overall, I think these sets are full of parts I will use and delicious colours.

Thanks for such an excellent and thorough review. I am looking forward to getting this set, in particular for the flowers and bugs (I am a fan of the scala flowers, but they are getting increasingly expensive). But I am also loving the colours and the animals.

Very cool. Is the chain pulling it up the hill the only power in it?

I also didn't know they were not common in the States. In Australia we have them and I had toyed with the idea of making some Lego ones (you can buy kits to make them in craft stores here, I would just have Lego novelties inside and Lego print outside). I would buy them if they were for sale here.