Well, Christmas is over, but it still lingers a bit. My truck insists on playing Christmas carols and I found a santa hat that didn't make it back into the attic. And now builder LEGO 7 has posted these amazing nutcrackers. I'll take it as a reminder that there's only 333 shopping days left, better start planning. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

Avatar, The Last Airbender was amazing (the series, not that M. Night Shyamalan abomination). It was rich with character, history and back story. Of course, something so infused with creativity naturally sparks other creativity. Like this excellent scene depicting the epic struggle of Agni Kai by builder Tim Schwalfenberg. Somebody's getting burnt today. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

This impressive and detail loaded diorama is by builder Henjin Quilones, and it's a treat to the eyes as well as the imagination. We've all seen plenty of fantasy and medieval villages and cities, but I've never heard of a dragon hatchery. What a wonderful notion, of a building dedicated to the hatching and nurturing of dragons. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

I've never heard of Vitali, but then again I've never been to Taiwan. But I certainly appreciate a bit of clever marketing, and the company has or at least had a whole fleet of these charming drinkmobiles cruising the streets. This version by DOGOD Brick Design has custom stickers and clever design, making it just as appealing as the real deal. How does the drink taste? I have no idea. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

I love hot dogs, I love food trucks and I love LEGO, so of course I'm going to blog this wonderful hotdog food truck by builder LEGO 7. I can tell you with positively no doubt that if I saw this thing in real live I would be absolutely powerless against it, and stuffed with hot dogs and happiness shortly after. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

One of the things I look forward to when a new part starts getting a buzz (totally meant to do that) is seeing how builders will take advantage of it. This is the first time I've seen the new bee hive part in clever use, as the abdomen of this bee by builder Grantmasters, but I'm sure it's not the last. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

I can't decide what's more mind blowing about this epic award winning MOC by long time collaborators Eli Brinsmead and Ben Cossy. The sheer awesomeness of the build, with it's multiple levels, chambers and storytelling, or the fact that it's a collaboration by two guys that live on opposite sides of Australia and it wasn't joined until they went to Brickvention. I've collaborated with other builders in the same room and it's challenging, I can't fathom the amount of planning and dedication that went into this. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

I realize some of our younger readers might not understand this, and to that I say "someday you will, when you're old enough to watch Pulp Fiction". This was built by Mark van der Maarel for the Kill Brick Contest at Rogue Bricks, which is challenging fans to built MOCs inspired by Quentin Tarantino. I can't wait to see what the builders come up with. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy

One of the best things about the LEGO community is that we can learn from one another.  Here at BrickNerd, we like to share techniques that we see from builders all around the world. . . Roughly a month ago, we featured Dzambito42's neat "Grilling" vignette scene. I found his grill design to be incredibly good, and so I wanted to feature his design here for Technique Tuesday. A special thanks to David, who after I reached out to him, provided me with the breakdown and photos for us to share here for you all.  I have provided a couple of David's breakdown photos below. If you'd like his complete (and detailed) process, check out the album I compiled of the photos provided to me. Breakdown: Original linkOriginal author: Nathaniel Stoner

The snowspeeder is one of my favorite Star Wars ships. It's angular design and no-nonsense style always appealed to me. There's been many attempts to build it this small (just look at all the Star Wars advent calendars) but I think this one by Rogue Bantha is the most successful I've seen. Built for the Star Wars building contest on Brickset. Original linkOriginal author: Tommy