Here are a few pictures from my latest LEGO endeavor. I went to Baku, Azerbaijan for a grand opening event at The Toy Store. They hired me to build a LEGO replica of The Flame Towers, the most locally recognizable skyscrapers, during the event.

I first designed and built the LEGO model digitally in a free computer program LEGO distributes at their website. It's called LEGO Digital Designer and it's actually a lot of fun to use (imagine that)! I am familiar with it from working at LEGOLAND California.

After the initial design was completed, I purchased the LEGO elements and then physically built the towers in my LEGO studio.

I travelled to there via Moscow with the base of the LEGO model prebuilt in one carry-on bag. I had the remaining individual, ready-to-build LEGO elements for the three 18-inch-tall towers in my other carry-on bag. I only needed to build the actual towers during live LEGO building event.

I was only gone for 3 1/2 days. Talk about a whirlwind visit halfway around the world! I was in Moscow on December 21st and it was still dark at 8:30 am! It is farther north than I had realized. I picked up some lady friends while I was there, too...

The Big Event!

The "obligatory" product/logo placement picture. Not really. I put this here voluntarily.

Here I am 2/3 up the first of three towers. The gentleman to my right is the deejay for the event. It was very crowded, extremely loud and somewhat distracting in the store for most of the five-hour extravaganza. The music volume was mostly up at the dance club level!

Action shot! The crowd was really very interested in what I was doing. Asking some good questions and lingering awhile to see some progress made on the towers.

I used LEGO Digital Designer on my laptop as "instructions" to copy build the model. This is a pretty common way for me to design and build a LEGO model.

Interacting with people and answering their questions for a lot of the time did slow the overall build down from my normal speed!

Snow White gazes dreamily at the 2/3 completed model. There were many characters in costume, as well as a magician, stilt walkers, clowns, etc. all here for the fun! This is Azerbaijan's first major toy store, with all of the big international toy brands available. It was a very big deal!

Here is the completed LEGO Flame Towers model. It turned out almost just like I planned. Whew! Considering the logistics of it all, it was a complete success!

More to come! Check back soon...