Dork Adore » Star Wars

LEGO Star Wars Miniland is coming!

Tamsin Worrad — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:45:54 +0000

Last week saw an epic battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi take place on the face of Big Ben in the showdown of Good vs Evil with the Sith Lord even getting the tube home afterwards.

OK, it was the Big Ben at Lego Miniland in Windsor and not the real deal, but I don’t think that makes it any less exciting.

Star Wars characters cropped up all over the tiny London replica in honor of the opening of the LEGOLAND Star Wars™ Miniland Experience in Windsor this March.

Seven scenes (one from each film and one from The Clone Wars animated series) will be recreated in painstaking miniature detail using a mind-blowing 1.5million bricks and dozens of talented workers behind the scenes.

The scenes will follow a chronological path through the story, with lighting and sound effects bringing the whole experience to life.

I’m more than a little excited about this launch and I’m not sure I know a sci fan who doesn’t get giddy over the Lego Star Wars™ range. I know it’s wrong but there’s just something so adorable about tiny bad guys!

Are you a fan and will you be visiting when it opens? Let us know below or tweet us @dorkadore!

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Top Toys for Geeky Pets

Tamsin Worrad — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:00:04 +0000

The fact that one of my favourite websites (Think Geek) had an entire section dedicated to pets had passed me by until now.

How did I miss this?

I named my cat Professor Moriarty, of course I want geek themed toys for him.

I lost most of an evening gleefully bookmarking my top items and I thought I’d share them here, for any other pet owners with a love for the geekier side of life.

At the top of the list is this Cat Attack Scratching Post, $29.99. Watch in horror while your cat attacks a row of skyscrapers! The only thing that could make this better is if there was a Godzilla cat costume. The fact that I’m considering making one myself probably means that I’m drifting into the arena of the unwell.

Follow the jump for more delightfully geeky pet toys…

Those little tubes that you slot a piece of paper containing your pet’s vital info on are so out of date in this digital age. Modernise with a USB stick version instead and make sure Fido comes safely home should he go astray. $14.99.

No more embarrassingly low-tech dangling a piece of string for your kitty, oh no. You can make play much more exciting than that with this Lazer Pet Toy, $19.99. Shine it at the walls and watch kitty go mental (erm, you should probably watch the furniture when using this one)

Cat-owning is a tricky business and so a cat owner’s manual, $15.99, is the obvious solution. I actually own this myself, and as well as being hugely entertaining (it’s set up in the style of a car manual with ‘model type’ forms and so on) it’s actually a really useful book for keeping vet details, vaccination dates and so on.

If you’re house is as much of an Apple zone as ours is, you can make sure your dog fits right in with his very own iBone, $11.99 (see what they did there?).

Unfortunately, it will not enable your dog to update his Twitter account but the next gadget will…

That’s right, the Puppy Tweets, $19.99, will update Twitter every time your dog barks, wags his tail or moves about. I’m not entirely sure of the scientific accuracy in translating your pup’s movements into actual thoughts but it’s still a pretty brilliant idea. There’s not one for cats, presumably because they would simply say ‘Food. Scratch sofa. Nap.’

And finally, the ultimate geeky pet accessory: Star Wars doggy costumes*. Yes, for just $15.99 you can have your own Yoda, Leia or Darth Vadar and we won’t even tell the RSPCA.

*you could probably use them for cats, but have you ever tried to get a cat into an outfit? Top tip: don’t.

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It’s Geek Pride Day!

Emma Cossey — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:10:00 +0000

Today is Geek Pride Day — something I wasn’t aware of until IWOOT‘s latest newsletter popped up in my inbox.

Never heard of it before? According to Wikipedia, it’s:

an initiative which claims the right of every person to be a nerd or a geek. It has been celebrated on May 25 since 2006, celebrating the premiere of the first Star Wars film in 1977.

In fact, it’s a popular day all round in the pursuit of all things geeky. You can also celebrate Towel Day (for fans of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy) Star Wars Day (although I thought that was 4th May?), and the Glorious 25 May (for Discworld fans).

So, how do we celebrate this special day? By sharing our favourite geek crush of course!

I’ll kick off proceedings with a predictable choice – Simon Pegg.

Why I love Simon Pegg

He co-wrote Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and Spaced, all of which make me snort with loud, and fairly embarrassing, laughter. Hell, I even quite enjoyed his recent alien flick Paul.

He’s part of the UK’s geekarati, counting funnyman Nick Frost and musical nerd Chris Martin among his close friends. I might even go as far to say as he’s the driving force behind making UK geeks cool.

He’s funny, smart and a little bit beardy. What’s not to love?

Who is your geek crush?

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LEGO Star Wars T-6 Jedi Shuttle: Dork Review

Joanne Mallon — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:19:33 +0000

Sometimes I think the deciding factor when you’re a geek thinking of becoming a parent is that at last you will have an excuse to buy lots of cool Star Wars gear. I mean, why was there no LEGO Star Wars when we were kids?

Praise the Jedi, there’s plenty of it now.

Newly released for 2011 in the LEGO Star Wars range is the T-6 Jedi Shuttle. By now all the iconic Star Wars visuals have already been recreated in LEGO, so we’re down to the stuff you might not know as well, but which still looks pretty cool because, let’s face it, it’s Star Wars.

Cool points on this substantial model for the ace red and white design, rotating wing action, missiles to flick and a detachable cockpit that turns into an escape pod.

Four mini-figures are included: Anakin Skywalker (looking quite youthful, but already showing a penchant for dressing in black. We know where that’s going), Obi-Wan Kenobi (think plastic Ewan McGregor with wild staring eyes), and new Jedi Masters Shaak Ti and Saesee Tiin (not the most well-known of Jedi, it’s true, but satisfyingly alien and complete with their own lightsabers).

LEGO is suitable for children

The box states that this set is suitable for ages 8 -14, and my son (nearly and I (let’s just say over 14) took around two hours to build it between us.

The instructions are fairly simple, but it is a complex build that you have to concentrate on to get right. We stopped and remodelled quite a few times.

I find that LEGO Star Wars models are never the sturdiest of toys, and with this one the wings have a habit of detaching themselves mid-battle. But then you can rebuild, mash them up with other models and create your own galaxy far, far away.

Which is how the best creative play starts.

LEGO Star Wars T-6 Jedi Shuttle™ (#7931 RRP £49.99) is out now. Currently reduced to £43.99 at Play.com and Amazon

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Bazinga! It’s the best of the craft blogs

Michelle — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:00:40 +0000

Another week, another round up of the very best geeky crafts to be found in the blogosphere, and I can tell you it’s all getting a bit stitchy this festive season!

There is still plenty of time to whip up this Space Invaders cross stitch on Sprite Stitch for your favourite geek this christmas
Lego and Star Wars fans will probably want to check out this Lego Death Star Ornament from Chris McVeigh.
knithacker delights us with a fabulous retro video game that combines banjo dinosaurs and hacked knitted machines in perfect harmony!
I am a massive Big Bang Theory fan so was instantly smitten with this Bazinga cross stitch sampler by craftster member LadyLeitzen

Let me know what has been catching your eye on the craft blogs recently!

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The best Christmas decorations for geeks

Michelle — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:34:31 +0000

It can’t have failed to escape your notice that Christmas is now well and truly on its way. Not only are people roaming the streets with mugs of mulled wine and German sausages in hand, but the Coca-Cola advert is back on our screens which is a surefire way to tell the holiday season will shortly be upon us!

This year, leave that tired ol’ box of Christmas decorations in the attic and deck your halls, or tree at least, with heaps of geek instead!

Storm Trooper Felt Tree Ornament, £3.95 from Fabric Fancies

May the force be with you this Christmas! Star Wars fans should head straight over to Fabric Fancies on Etsy for a wonderful range of tree ornaments including Darth Vader, Boba Fett and a Storm Trooper or two.

AVP fans should also take a peek at the site as you can get to decide who will win the battle of Alien vs Predator on your tree?

Ghostbusters Peg People, £32.92, from Randomly Generated

Technically these aren’t Christmas decorations, but I can’t help but think that, with the help of a small cup screw, these Ghostbuster peg people from Randomly Generated could be hanging from my tree!

We have already featured the Dr Who regenerations peg people here on Dork Adore but for those with a more macabre outlook how about hanging Jason Vorhees from your Christmas tree?

Super Mario Bros. Boo Pair of Baubles, £3.95 from Noodle Jewellery

In a much less horrific, but still slightly spooky vein, you may wish to decorate your tree with a pair of these Boo baubles from Noodle Jewellery, which are also available in a set of three for £5.27.

Or perhaps you may be tempted by the shiny Pokémon or Animal Crossing baubles, amongst many others, that are also available in the holidays section of the shop.

Set of Four Retro Video Game Tree Hangers, £7.90 from OMEGAZOID

Yeah, yeah, I know I only just featured Spugmeistress in the recent Etsy Finds: Gaming Geekery post, but it would be remiss of me not to include this set of four retro video game inspired tree hangers.

Not only are they generally darn pretty fantastic but they are also made with translucent beads so will glow and shine as they reflect your tree lights!

So, go on then, tell us will you be thinking geek when you decorate the tree this year?

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Five of the best alarm clocks

Emma Cossey — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:29:52 +0000

Alarm clocks are a necessary evil if you have any desire to get to work on time every day. But as the mornings stay darker for longer, the idea of waking up and leaving your cosy duvet is a pretty hideous one.

Katie has already covered the best SAD lights to combat the change of seasons, but I’m a sucker for an old-fashioned alarm clock. This Space Invaders clock from Firebox.com (£24.99) on the right is a brilliant mix of retro gaming and attractive design, making that 7am start a little more bearable.

Here are four more creative alarm clocks

The get up and go one

This odd looking alarm not only wakes you up with a beep, but then scoots off the table and zooms around your bedroom until you get out of bed and turn it off.

Should make hitting the snooze button a little more of a challenge.

The Clocky Run Away Alarm Clock is from IWOOT.com (£39.99).

The eco-friendly one

The eco-friendly amongst us still need to get up for work in time, ideally without the use of a potato-powered gadget. This Water Powered Clock is a decent alternative. Simply fill the sphere with water and a splash of lemon juice, and you’ve got enough power for around six weeks of time keeping and alarm facilities.

It’s available in silver or gold from IWOOT.com for £19.99.

The super-organised one

It might not be the prettiest alarm, but this clever gadget offers flexible wake options with his and her 7-day schedules plus seven daily reminder alarms. Like most of the alarm clocks, it comes with an inbuilt radio.

If you’re the kind of organised person who likes to fit in an efficient 40 winks in the afternoon, you can use it to set a sleep and nap timer.

Get the American Innovative Neverlate Executive Alarm Clock from Amazon for £34.27

The really cool one

Aside from projecting the time and using the usual R2D2 sound effects for the alarm, this alarm clock is mainly in the list because it looks awesome.

R2D2 Alarm Clock from Amazon, £21.28

Seen any other cool alarm clocks? Let us know in the comments.

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Dork Craft: Wicket the Ewok Amigurumi

Emma Cossey — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:19:20 +0000

If, like me, you’re extremely disorganised and you’ve left most of your present shopping to the week before Christmas, you might want to consider getting a little crafty.

I loved the Ewoks in Star Wars, so this crochet Wicket the Ewok Amigurumi really caught my eye when I was reading through Geek Crafts.

It’s by mum and crafter Lucy Ravenscar, and she’s shared the PDF pattern, so you can create him at home.

Have a browse through the rest of her patterns too, they’re all influenced by her children’s requests.

More free patterns on Dork Adore
More crochet on Dork Adore

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Dork babies: Vader, Superman and Batman Halloween costumes

Emma Cossey — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:00:29 +0000

Ever fancied giving your child a dark lord makeover? No? I think you might be on the wrong website.

Those of you who want your little one to embrace the dorkside and take over the universe might want to grab this Darth Vader suit from IWOOT.

Available in newborn, infant, and toddler sizes, it’s £19.99

Prefer using your parenting powers for good?

How about this Superman suit?

Like the Darth Vader suit, they’re available in newborn, infant and toddler sizes, and will cost you £19.99. The whole outfit is an all in one, so you don’t have to worry about losing a cape or superhero belt.

Halloween outfit sorted!

Finally, you’ve got the option of a Batman suit (£19.99). Batman was never that good as a superhero though was he? His superpowers seemed to be tons of money to build supercars and bat shaped throwing blades.

The outfit itself is pretty cute though.

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Dork Adore » Star Wars

LEGO Star Wars Miniland is coming!

More stories like this

Top Toys for Geeky Pets

More stories like this

It’s Geek Pride Day!

Why I love Simon Pegg

More stories like this

LEGO Star Wars T-6 Jedi Shuttle: Dork Review

LEGO is suitable for children

More stories like this

Bazinga! It’s the best of the craft blogs

Let me know what has been catching your eye on the craft blogs recently!

More stories like this

The best Christmas decorations for geeks

Storm Trooper Felt Tree Ornament, £3.95 from Fabric Fancies

Ghostbusters Peg People, £32.92, from Randomly Generated

Super Mario Bros. Boo Pair of Baubles, £3.95 from Noodle Jewellery

Set of Four Retro Video Game Tree Hangers, £7.90 from OMEGAZOID

So, go on then, tell us will you be thinking geek when you decorate the tree this year?

More stories like this

Five of the best alarm clocks

The get up and go one

The eco-friendly one

The super-organised one

The really cool one

Seen any other cool alarm clocks? Let us know in the comments.

More stories like this

Dork Craft: Wicket the Ewok Amigurumi

More stories like this

Dork babies: Vader, Superman and Batman Halloween costumes

More stories like this