Everyone's First Instrument

Like Silly String, Squand, play drums and trampolines, some gifts for our children have a secret, prepackaged ingredient, regret. Remembering this toy from my childhood I didn't hesitate to get one for my first child, it was mere hours later I felt an overwhelming desire to call and apologize to my parents for what must have been weeks of torture when I was 4. But I'm sure many gifted musicians out there can trace their skill and passion all the way back to this brilliantly recreated gem by builder Pistash.

Music Box

I don't know how this wonderful little music box by TheBrickNinja is motorized, or if it's playing the music we hear in the video. What I do know is it's a really creative use of the seed part for the ABS Challenge as well as the shuriken sprue. All wrapped up in a charming little knicknack that would look great in any house.

Cuckoo

Time, there's never enough of it. Seems like I'm continually racing the clock, every day. It could also be said I'm a little nuts, or cuckoo. So this MOC by BrickBuilder7622 speaks to me, or at least reminds me that I really need to get this blog post done and get in the shower because it's almost time to head back to BrickCon!

Singer

A venerable classic household machine build from a venerable classic children's toy, it's a home run of nostalgia right here. Of course you know this is a vintage Singer sewing machine, everybody knows that, it's like the McDonald's arches, it's just...known. Builder EugeneTTs not only nailed the aesthetic of this machine, he built a small collection of the items you always saw with one. A bolt of fabric is all you'd need to start crafting a trendy wearable, costume, or an infinite number of things that need stitched.

Even A Man Cave Needs A Sink

And if you're gonna have a sink, it should be in a nice counter right? And why not surround it with some stylish shelves and complete the look? My studio is sort of a man cave, it's at least a manchild cave, and I wish my little kitchen area was 1/10th as sophisticated as this sweet interior by builder Heksu.

Bento

Ah, the bento box, a lovely and delicious Japanese tradition that I truly wish we would embrace here in the states. I think Americans would benefit from a healthy, meticulously arranged and lovingly crafted single serving lunch box like this one from builder Moko (well, perhaps not brick-built, very little nutritional value in ABS). But instead, we get the $5 Fill Ups from KFC, ugh.

Dim The Lights

You always knew it was going to be a pretty chill day when you got to the classroom and one of these was sitting in the middle of the room. Well, this type pre-dates my school days, but you get the picture. That's right, when we wanted to see projected moving pictures back in the day we used one of these, and threaded film through it, and it was noisy, and pretty bad, and we loved it. A wonderful does of nostalgia from builder Carlmerriam.

Sliders

Cheeseburgers are the perfect food. Think about it, you have the whole food pyramid in one little, delicious package (assuming you get some veg on there, pickles are delicious). Builder Gilcélio must be a fan too, judging by these scrumptious looking mini burgers. Not only do the look yummy, they're a pretty cool little assembly of nifty part uses, like the capes and the green army men bases for pickles.

So, Were You Late For Work Yesterday?

Time, it's relentless march governing all we do. Here in the states we like to mess with the logical and natural passage of time with something called Daylight Saving Time, DST. A pointless and exasperating exercise in futility that does little more than sell extra charcoal in the fall. Every fall we set the clocks back an hour, in the spring, they go forward again. Resulting in traffic turmoil, missed work and an entire nation of really grumpy teenagers. But I digress, check out this nifty watch by Vitreolum built for the ABS Builder Challenge going on over on Flickr.

Vintage Formats

"Hey dad, what's a floppy?" Yes, we've come to that. Magnetically stored information isn't totally a thing of the past yet (some hard drives still spin) but we're getting there. Things like the floppy disk, VHS tape and cassette tape, brilliantly recreated here by builder J.B.F. are all memories, and I can't say I miss them. The quality was bad, the storage was minimal and the durability sucked. I don't think there's a modern day equivalent of handing a good friend or special someone a good mix tape. It was a way of conveying emotion and intention that had a soundtrack. I don't think a link to a playlist resonates quite the same.

Afternoon Tea

I love tea, but you knew that already (but did you know that probably 75% of my posts on BrickNerd happened with a cup of tea steaming nearby?) One of the highlights of our summer vacation at Disneyland last year was afternoon tea at Steakhouse 55. The presentation was actually strikingly similar to this delicious looking MOC by Jared Chan. My wife and I loved it, and if you're still wondering what to do with your significant other this Valentines day, may I recommend tea for two?

Bricks On Tap

There is an unmistakable link between beer and building. I've seen it a lot in my years as an AFOL, and it's something I didn't notice at first, but looking back it was obvious the whole time. So when the two collide as elegantly as this MOC by builder J.B.F. it just seems natural. As we ramp up to Bricks LA this weekend, you can bet beer is in the future, and I'll be thinking of this MOC I'm sure.

Speed Bag

Need to work on your speed, timing, balance and patience? Perfect, then try to recreate this brick-built speed bag by vitreolum. Oh you thought I was going to suggest beating on a speed bag for a while? No, apparently building this was a real challenge, maybe not the physical workout you would get from the real deal, but definitely a workout.

Vinochope

I love getting fooled by MOCs (well, most of the time). I almost scrolled right past this brilliant presentation by J.B.F. At first glance, this just looks like a bottle of wine, a craft beer and a yummy snack. But don't be fooled, while still delicious, this is all bricks (and stickers of course).

Boom Box

Flashback to 1981. I could be seen dropping a piece of cardboard, slipping on some fingerless gloves, zipping the pockets of my parachute pants, inserting a mix tape of RUN DMC, Twilight 22, Art of Noise and Newcleus into a boom box not dissimilar to this one and poppin' and lockin' like there was no tomorrow. Thanks for a dose of nostalgia J.B.F!

Motion Tracker

I've always been a fan of the tech of Aliens. James Cameron is a legitimate creative genius and some of my favorite all time movie gadgets are in that film. This is one of them, the motion tracker. It's humble real-life story is as fascinating as it's time on screen, being the product of the 80's scrappy and get-it-done prop builders. This version by W. Navarre does it justice...game over man, game over.

Hot Diggity Dog

Fun fact: When I was a kid my parents started a hotdog restaurant. Starting restaurants was something they did, some of them are still going strong (Tom's Burgers in Lompoc anyone?). While "The Dog House" was only reasonably successful, I did have the satisfaction of having a dog named after me. The "Tommy" was a simple dog with ketchup, very popular. My brother's dog, the "Paul" had sauerkraut, and didn't sell nearly as well, much to my brother's chagrin. I have no qualms whatsoever admitting that seeing this clever MOC by nobu_tary has me craving hotdogs, I think I'll be having some soon.

Taste The Feeling

This made me smile, because it's the real thing, a brick built Coca-Cola bottle. You can't beat the feeling of opening happiness in your Flickr feed. Ok, enough slogan puns, check out this excellent Coke bottle MOC from nobu_tary. It is a joy to behold, and 100% less likely to give you type 1 diabetes. Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Microphone

The most significant feeling I got when I saw this splendid old fashioned microphone MOC by builder DOGOD Brick Design wasn't nostalgia from a bygone era. It also wasn't reverence for a simpler time, admiration for the design aesthetics of the past or appreciation for a well built MOC. No, the feeling was actually shock, because this looks exactly like the mic they had a my school when I was a kid...meaning i'm old fashioned too.

Drawing Perfect Circles...

...and stabbing you in the hand every time you reach into your art box. It's the classic compass, the old school way of drawing arcs and circles, and measuring distances on a map. It's always fascinated me that two such completely different activities can be accomplished with the same device. It's like your toaster also having the ability to print photos. Builder bricks.life.idea shows us how it's done in LEGO, so not only does it do those tasks, it can be reconfigured into a effectively endless array of other things too, mind blowing.