Guest Post: Eliot's New Adventure

I've been on a roll blogging lately.  My new method seems to be working and I've been feeling really good about it.  The other day, I went back to check some of the other goals that I'd abandoned.  I've been trying to get back to having guest bloggers here.   It's been a long time (almost 7 years!) since I had a guest post.  

Eliot and I talk about it occasionally.  He enjoyed doing a guest blog post about the Avengers Half Marathon back in 2014 and he's talked about doing another post for me, but he never knows what to write about.  

Recently, he's decided to try a new endeavor and I thought that was the perfect thing for him to tell you about!  Here it is in his own words:

Over the past several months, I have been watching many people on YouTube that create content that has to do with building Legos. Watching these videos brought me back to my childhood where I built many different Lego sets. After watching these different channels from all around the world, I decided that I wanted to start my own. While there are a few YouTube channels that build the newest Lego sets, I wanted to do my YouTube channel a little bit differently.

I have decided to call my channel OneLittleSparkBuilds. This will allow me to combine my love for Disney and my love for building.  For now, I have decided to focus on building with smaller blocks. These smaller blocks go by many different names: Nano Blocks, Diamond Blocks, Micro Blocks and more. While I am focusing on the smaller blocks to start, I will also be building sets in a similar size as Legos, Legos themselves, wood design kits, 3D diamond paintings and many other building projects.

For those of you not familiar with Nanoblocks, here's some information on them:

• Nanoblocks were created in Tokyo, Japan by the company Kawada.
• A standard 1x1 block measures 4mm x 4mm x 5mm.
• They were first introduced by the company in 2008. 
• They are made using ABS plastic and there are 11 different types.
• The largest is 8x2 and smallest is 1x1.  
• Nanoblocks typically include spare parts since it's so easy to lose them.

I do not necessarily plan on using "name brand" Nanoblocks as I've found a lot of sets that are similar to them. Over the last few months, I have been collecting several sets from AliExpress. These sets are as small as 200 pieces and as large as 5,000 pieces. These sets include: Disney Movies, Pixar Films, Pokemon, Cars, Animals, Monuments and more. These building block sets are not from Nanoblocks, but are from many companies including: LBOYU, MPIN, Magic Blocks, Balody and others. I have been trying to collect sets that I will enjoy building; however, I will eventually spread out.

Recently, Melissa's family and I visited Virginia and Hershey, PA. While we were visiting Colonial Williamsburg, Melissa and I found some cool sets at the gift shop. I decided to purchase the bald eagle because of the family sentiment. The shop also had a cannon, revolutionary soldiers, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. There was also a display model of the Colonial Williamsburg Governor's Palace, but it was sold out. (I'm hoping to buy it from their online shop soon.) Then, on the ride home, we visited Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey, PA. Melissa, her Dad and I went about 5 feet into the store before I found a few sets that were similar to Lego size blocks. These building block sets included a Reese’s dump truck, a Hershey’s fork truck, and the Hershey’s factory. 

I've also recently started working on some videos for my channel. I started with two Pokemon and two Zootopia characters. The two Pokemon were Bulbasaur (pictured above) and Squirtle. The Bulbasaur was not on video due to me wanting to see how difficult it was to put the sets of smaller bricks together. The Zootopia characters I built were Nick Wilde and Clawhauser. I have many more Pokemon to build and I also have 3 other Zootopia characters that include Flash, Judy Hopps, and Chief Bogo.  (All of these sets were around 400 pieces.) The set that I am currently working on right now is a Golden Retriever that is over 1,000 pieces! 

I am hoping that my YouTube channel will start after the new year, but this timetable might have to be pushed back a little. It will depend on how many sets I can finish before the new year and how quickly I can edit the videos to have ready to go.

While everyone wants to be successful on YouTube and be an "influencer", I am just looking to have fun putting together building sets. If success comes with that- then great! If nothing else comes from my channel, it will at least allow me to review all of my past projects. I am looking forward to this new hobby and adventure!

I'm really excited for Eliot and to see how this new adventure turns out!  He has been having a lot of fun so far!  Plus, I love Legos and building things too.  At some point, I might even be a guest on his YouTube channel!  Stay tuned!!!  °o°