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NYCC 2016 - Walmart Exclusive Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & WWE Mash-Up Figures


Hechuan.Toy Event - Transformers MP-33 Inferno, Titans Return and More Images

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Hot on heels of NYCC, a recent retail event in Taiwan with Hechuan.Toy offered fans a look at new products from Takara Tomy and Hasbro. On display from the Transformers Masterpiece line are MP-MP-33 Inferno with ladder gimmick, MP-10SG Shattered Glass Optimus Prime, MP-11 NT Thrust retool, and more. Also shown were Titan Return new deluxe figures including Hot Rod, Twinferno, Breakaway and more figures that you can see mirrored in the gallery below.

Unite Warriors Megatronia And Legends Series Soundwave New Photos

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While Hisashi Yuki is no longer posting photos of upcoming releases to his own Twitter account, we're pretty sure he's still snapping away. Recent tweets to TakaraTomy's @TF_pr account certainly look like Yuki-san's work. For instance, a series of photos including components of Unite Warriors Megatronia, all of which looks maddeningly better with each new image, and LG Soundwave which offers something a little more cartoon-oriented to the toy than the Hasbro edition. We'll keep watching for more developments on the Twitter accounts, and meanwhile you should keep reading to see these photos!

Akihabara October 2016

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Better late than never - photos taken a few weeks ago in Akihabara when it was still rather hot - now ...

My Dimensions Christmas On The Beach Cross-Stitch Picture

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I don't know about all of you, but I tend to finish my cross-stitch kit projects in spurts. For me it's like reading. I'll read a whole bunch of books and then not read any for awhile. For my cross-stitch kits my bursts usually come in  the Fall and Winter months. Then I won't do any for a few months.

The cross-stitch kit I just finished was a counted cross-stitch kit from Dimensions Gold Collection Petites entitled Christmas At The Beach. I had bought this kit for sentimental reasons which you'll read about in a subsequent Linda's Blog post.

Like the other Dimensions Gold Collection Petites kits I had bought the kit included the pattern, pre-sorted cotton thread, 18 count navy white cotton Aida, needle and instructions.

The Christmas At The Beach pattern uses full counted cross-stitch, half cross-stitch, french knots and outline stitching for emphasis and depth and this detailing really makes the picture stand out. It also varies the number of threads used with the various stitches to add to the depth emphasis. The design of this cross-stitch gives the finished picture a 3 dimensional aspect with the half cross stitch, french knots and outlining being used for artistic effect.

The pattern came with starting and working order instructions as well as samples of the various stitches required, color coded keys (with code #'s, lengths, color names, and cross-stitch symbols) and a chart with color coded symbols. The colors and symbols on the keys and chart were easy to read and follow. The pattern included instructions for finishing the piece.

While I was very pleased with the end results of this design there are some things in the kit and in the instructions that can be improved upon.



As was the case with previous Dimensions kits the thread sorter was poorly designed. The embroidery threads were glued to two foam backed 6" by 1 1/4" strips of cardboard that had a picture of the color of the thread and it's number. In order to get to the threads you had to separate the foam back from the cardboard strip. Very quickly the threads separated from their section and then you no longer knew what the thread number was to tie to your symbols & legends.

As I have done with other cross-stitch kits I've completed I had to alter the thread sorter to suit my needs. I pulled the thread sorter apart to get rid of the foam and then punched holes in the cardboard strip just above each color and color #. I inserted the floss threads that went with that color and color # through the hole and tied them in a loose knot. I then added color coded symbols with colored pens beneath each color so I would know what symbols went with what color.

Short of changing the thread sorter all together to make things even easier for the user the color symbol should at the very least have been shown on the thread sorter strip of cardboard as well. That way you would only need to use the thread sorter strip of cardboard to follow your chart.


The Christmas At The Beach kit creates a 5" by 7" holiday beach scene using the 18 count white cotton Aida cloth which was included in the kit. This time the white cotton aida was large enough for me to use a 12" by 13" wood stretcher frame.  I basted the top and bottom of the aida cloth to the top and bottom dense cloth strips attached to the tightening rods of the frame. I inserted the tightening rods into the wooden sides of the frame and then tightened all the screws. Perfectly taut.

When  you're using 18 count aida it is easy to lose your place as you're going along and be off 1 hole or 2 from where you should be. This happened to me several times with this design in the tree and presents area. Unfortunately, by the time I discovered the errors it was too late to rip all the threads out to correct for it. I compensated for this as best as I could.  The result was I ended up having one additional vertical column and 1 additional horizontal row.


The pattern called for leaving several sections of the white aida cloth showing. I don't like doing this as I think it makes the picture look unfinished. Instead I used 3 strands of white embroidered floss in a half cross-stitch pattern to fill in where the white areas of the aida cloth were to be,

I tend to favor 1/4" foam backed adhesive mounting boards for the cross-stitch pictures I'm inserting into a finished picture frame. I originally was going to use a 1/4" foam backed 8" by 10" adhesive mounting board but discovered that this would be too thick for the picture frame backing I was using and wouldn't allow the backing piece to be inserted into the slot on the back of the frame and allow for securing it to the frame. So, instead, I opted to mount my picture on a 5" by 7" foam backed adhesive 1/4" mounting board and finished it according to the instructions included with the pattern.

When this was finished I centered it within the 5" by 7" opening for the double mat I was going to use and taped it to the back of the mat to hold it in place within the frame and mat.


I had chosen a white frame with blue and cream double matting to finish it which I think really brought out the beautiful colors of the beach scene. Plus the double matting allowed for enough room for the 5" by 7" press and seal adhesive foam board to create a padded look for my finished cross-stitch picture which added to the 3-dimensional look.

It took me 79 hours to complete this picture including the framing. Despite the problems I encountered I was very happy with the way my Dimensions Christmas At The Beach picture turned out.

Cacooca (Booth A88) @ Taipei Toy Festival #TTF2016

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布展基本完成!明天欢迎来玩,A88 #ttf2016 #ttf #cacoocaA photo posted by cacooca (@cacooca) on Oct 6, 2016 at 6:51am PDT 合影留念✌️#cacooca #danielyu #ttf2016 #ttfA photo posted by cacooca (@cacooca) on Oct 9, 2016 at 12:00am PDT

Genesis4 (Booth A98) @ Taipei Toy Festival #TTF2016 - Featuring Daniel Yu / Fanny Kao / Ruinswork / Banana Virus / 13Art

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All ready for Taipei Toy Festival! Booth-ing with @fufufanny.kao at A98!A photo posted by Daniel Yu (@thedanielyu) on Oct 6, 2016 at 7:03pm PDT (All images by Winston Leong / Used with kind permission)

BOOM!BOOM!POOM! (Booth A29) @ Taipei Toy Festival #TTF2016 featuring Rato Kim / KIMIMI / Duckhead / Abel

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BOOM!BOOM!POOM!! #boomboompoom #monstertaipei #Artist #RatokimA photo posted by Rato Kim (@ratokim) on Oct 8, 2016 at 8:29pm PDT So happy sign time #Artist #Ratokim #pineapplecat #thankyouA photo posted by Rato Kim (@ratokim) on Oct 8, 2016 at 10:12am PDT (Most images by Hyomin Abel Choi)

Gorillaz’s Noodle Is Global Ambassador for Panasonic Jaguar Racing

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Jaguar announces their new global ambassador to be “Noodle” = a founder member of British band Gorillaz! Oh my, has she grown! [ Screengrabs on #anim8te ]PRESS: "As Jaguar Racing spearheads the development of next generation electric vehicle technology, Noodle will help to inspire the next generation of young engineers be a part of the biggest change the car industry has ever seen. #

LITTLE RICE by Tik Ka x Unbox Industries on pre-order now!

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Revealed not too long ago and currently listed for pre-order now, is LITTLE RICE by Tik Ka! Priced at US$140, this adorable 11cm x 11cm x 14cm soft vinyl figure has a ship-out scheduled for end of November, and is hand-painted, ”in an effort to translate Tik Ka's renderings perfectly.” Head forth to procure yours, while it is currently available at TTF Booth A62, and do scroll down to view

Climbing Rose Seeds Climber Pink Perennials Flower 5 rose Double blooming seeds

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Height: 7-12 feet Germination time: around 40 Days Blooming Season: Early, mid & late summer Sun

SDCC 2011 Blazing Sword Voltron CHILL REVIEW 

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During my recent unboxing video, Matt gave me a surprise toy to look at. Here’s San Diego Comi

Save 11%! - Disney Minnie Mouse Toddler Saucer Chair

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Featuring a unique Disney Minnie Mouse design, your child can enjoy their favorite book or televisio

"The Panorama" Wooden Playing Card Holder - Set of 4

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At Yellow Mountain Imports, we offer the highest quality materials and attention to detail. Take a l

What's Shipping For The Week Of October 12, 2016


6" Space Harrier Custom Figure By Sanjuro04

Battat Launches Shop-in-Shop Concept at Target Locations

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Maison Joseph Battat Ltd. kicked off a new store concept to bring its Our Generation line to 19 Target stores across the U.S. Participating Target locations include Acworth, Algonquin, Birmingham, Broadview, Champlin, Cordova, Huntsville South, Huntsville West, Lakeville, Miramar, Mount Laurel, Mundelein, Naperville, Ocean Township, Plainfield, Royal Palm Beach, Sanford, South Elgin, and Viera. In [...]

NYCC 2016 - The Walking Dead: 'Right Hand Man' Season 7 Official Sneak Peek

Pompompurin's room Re-ment

A Reminder Of A Childhood Heaven On Earth Or Monsters Everywhere - Nahant

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As you all know I love to cross-stitch. So, when I first saw the Dimensions Christmas On The Beach cross-stitch kit I knew I just had to make it as it instantly brought back memories of the first 8 years of my life growing up in Nahant. It was heaven on earth to me and I never wanted to leave.


If you don't know where Nahant is it is a very small island on the coast of Massachusetts, just north of Boston. It is actually two small islands, Big and Little Nahant. It's connected to Lynn via a sand dune causeway and connected to each other via another causeway.


My great, great Aunt Flossie had bought the compound parcel of land in 1910 on Wilson Road in Little Nahant and built a house on the property first and later added a garage and smaller cottage house. We lived in the smaller cottage while my grandmother, grandfather, and great, great Aunt Flossie lived in the bigger house.

I absolutely loved the beach and have always thought it was the greatest place to live as a child. We had freedom to roam all over Little Nahant as this was a time when neighbors knew neighbors and everyone kept a watch on each others children. Everyone's door was unlocked and everyone was welcome to visit.

My first childhood memory is of laying in a crib in one of the little bedrooms in the cottage and looking up at the ceiling with my father's model airplanes hanging from the ceiling. My second memory is standing in a crib in Lynn hospital where my brother and I were to get our tonsils out and calling for someone to come and get me. It must have been the middle of the night as the nurses kept telling me to lay down and go to sleep. I don't think they were very happy with me.


Roaming around Little Nahant as a child was always an adventure. I had my favorite places and my not so favorite places. At the time there were two sets of concrete or stone stairs that anyone could use to get from the higher section of Little Nahant down to Wilson Road or vise versa. I loved going up and down one set of stairs as there were some beautiful flower gardens all along the stairway. I always picked a few flowers for my mother or grandmother. The neighbors never minded.

I was afraid of the other set of stairs. There was a garage that ran adjacent to the stairs. The garage was always dark and the door was always open and as a kid I had visions of monsters coming out to grab me. Yikes! So, I always ran as fast as I could. I don't know what it was about that garage that scared me, but it did. You're going to start to see that I had a thing for monsters.


Our little compound was right on the beach and had a small grass patch and concrete ocean wall with wood steps down to the beach and rock area that ran the length of Little Nahant. I can remember so many times when I'd stand at the top of the stairs and just look down at the beach that spanned from Little Nahant to Lynn. For me it was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I absolutely loved it.

That was during the day. At night I had visions of huge monsters coming out of the ocean and over the concrete ocean walls to get me as I was running from my house to my grandmother's house. I thought it took me forever to run. In reality you could walk out my parents door, take two steps and be at my grandparent's door.

My grandparents house had a large enclosed screened porch that overlooked the ocean and a large open porch on the front of the house. I can remember sitting on the front porch in my grandfather's wooden chairs waiting for the rain to stop and sitting on the back porch in my grandfather's wooden chairs watching all the bathers on Nahant Beach.

My father and grandfather would spent a lot of their time sitting on the enclosed screened porch just enjoying the day. Neither one could handle the sun so they'd sit up there with binoculars looking out on the beach, the ocean, and across the breezeway from Nahant Beach to Lynn. I always thought they were looking at the ocean view. More likely they were looking at all the sunbathers.

I never saw my grandfather and grandmother in swimming suits. My grandfather liked to work in his shop in the basement of his house while my grandmother liked doing crossword puzzles in her kitchen while sipping a cup of coffee.  I spent many hours at the kitchen table with my grandmother or in her lap in her favorite rocking chair in the living room watching soap operas. Once in awhile my grandmother would let me have a cup of coffee.  It was more 90% milk and 10% coffee but I thought it was great.

My mother loved swimming and would swim out to a tall rock on Nahant Beach that was always covered at high tide when she had a chance. Every once in awhile my father would do this and let my brother or I hang onto his neck while he swam. Like any kid I wanted to do this again, and again, and again. Usually I only got one lap or two. Once in awhile my mother would let me hold on to her neck but it was harder for her to do this than my dad.

After swimming we would dry off with our towels and then lie in the sun along the top of the concrete ocean wall. I can remember one time when my mother was laying on the wall and got up screaming. A pincher bug had crawled into her ear and she was screaming for my Dad to get it out. He pulled it out with tweezers. After that I always balled up a towel and laid my head on it. I didn't want any pinchers in my ears. Yikes!


There were large and small rocks all along the beach area in front of the house and it would always amaze us that people on the beach would change into their bathing suits behind the rocks totally oblivious to the fact that everyone in the houses along the oceanfront could see them.

My brother and I loved the rocks for turning them over and catching crabs. Or, diving off them when the tide came in. We'd spend hours on end just diving off the rocks. Climbing back up on them and diving off again and again.

I can remember one time when we were doing this and there were little sand sharks swimming around one of the rocks we were standing on waiting to dive.  I started screaming.  They were only little sharks but to me looked they would eat me alive if they got up on the rock. So, I started screaming. My brother just dove over them and left me standing on the rock screaming. He kept shouting to me to dive over them, but I was just too afraid.

Within a minute or two my grandmother, grandfather, next door neighbor Irene, Mr. Rogers, Blanche and several other neighbors were out on the edge of the water with shovels and oars trying to get the sharks away from the rock I was on. Finally, my grandfather convinced me to just jump over the sand shark that was circling my rock. Of course, when I did I landed right on the shark. I don't know who was more afraid - me or the shark! Yikes! I suspect it was the shark.

My grandfather also had several wooden chairs that were outside on the grass overlooking the ocean. We'd sit there and watch everyone on the beach below. It was fabulous. Many times the neighbors would stop by and my grandfather would bring out more chairs while my grandmother brought out refreshments. It was wonderful just sitting there listening to them laughing and telling stories.

My grandmother's best friend lived right next store where she ran a variety store out of the bottom level of her home and lived in the top level of her home. I loved going over to her variety store to organize the magazine shelves and candy counter. She had so much candy.  She never seemed to mind. Once in awhile she'd let me sit on the stool next to the register and ring up the sales. Her one indulgence was mink coats. She had several and always let me try them on. I couldn't believe how beautiful and soft they were. Of course, this was before owning mink coats was a no-no.

A lot of my memories of Little Nahant have to do with some of our neighbors. One of the neighbors had beautiful rose gardens that she liked to tend and loved showing them to me. Another neighbor always invited me over for dinner for some reason or another. Maybe it's because I didn't mind helping her paint her silver chain fence, which she painted every year. I'm sure I made a mess of it, but she didn't seem to mind.

I believe another neighbor was named Mrs. Parrott. I'm not sure whether this was really her name or was because she had lots of birds, including parrots. What I remember about her house was it, too was a small cottage but was always painted with bright yellow and white colors. All the furniture, drapes, and pillows matched. It was like walking into a room of sunshine all the time. I loved it.

My brother and I would be outside playing in the yard or on the beach from the beginning of the spring until the end of the fall. Good days in the winter you'd find us out there, too. The only time we weren't allowed to play in the yard without my grandmother or grandfather there was when there was an ocean storm or hurricane. My grandfather always tied a rope from the side of his house to the side fence so we knew how far we could go. He told us if we went further than the rope the winds were so strong they're blow us over the ocean wall. Yikes! So, we didn't go anywhere near the rope.


My father loved watching the storms blow in, seeing the amazing white caps created by the winds on the waves and watching the waves crash against the concrete ocean walls. He was thrilled when motion picture cameras first came out as he could take pictures of the ocean and waves in turmoil during the storm. I can't tell you how many times over the years we'd watch the movies of the storms. Each and every time he'd delight in playing the motion pictures in reverse. He just loved doing this over and over and laughing his head off.

There were small sand dunes that ran along the causeway from Nahant Beach to Lynn. In the winter my father and grandfather would take us for walks along the beach near the sand dunes. To me the dunes were huge. Of course the reality was they were anything but. My father loved taking motion pictures of my brother and I running up and down the dunes and, of course, loved playing them in reverse as well. He'd get just a big kick out of doing this no matter how many times we watched the same movies. Go figure!

When we were old enough for school in Big Nahant my brother and I would have to walk down to the end of Wilson Road to catch the school bus. Inevitably, while waiting for the bus, we would play on the beach. One morning we found a woman lying on the beach covered in blankets. She wasn't moving or responding to our voices so one of our friends started poking her with a stick. We thought she was dead and decided maybe she'd been bitten by sharks. So, when the bus came I told the bus driver there was a dead lady on the beach and he told the police. My mother told me wasn't dead - just she was passed out drunk.

I learned to ride my first bike on Wilson Road. At the time I thought the hill that rose to the rock cliff at the far end of Little Nahant was huge. Looking at it years later I realized it was tiny. However, when you're just learning to ride a bike and decide to try riding it down the hill before you really knew what you were doing that hill can become a monster. Especially so when you're riding down the hill out of control and smash right into the back of the mailman's truck. Yikes! That definitely hurt. The mailman just picked me up and carried me into my grandmother's house. As my grandmother was calming me down and tending my cuts and bruises the mailman was enjoying a lovely cup of coffee - courtesy of my grandmother.

Wilson Road has a rock cliff ledge as it circles around to the other side of Little Nahant which faces Big Nahant.  My father taught my brother and I how to fish up there.  He had a long fishing rod.  My brother and I used green rope with a fishing hook tied to the end.  You'd unwind a long section of the rope and then throw the end in the ocean to lure the fish.  No matter how hard I tried I could never throw the rope far enough out to clear the ledge so my father did it for me.

One year for some reason a woman who lived across the street from the rock ledge backed out of her garage and instead of turning to go down the street ended up going over the rock ledge. Lucky for her she didn't go all the way down to the ocean. Instead she ended up dangling precariously on one of the larger rocks along the cliff. All of Little Nahant came out to watch the fire department remove the car from the cliff.


Little Nahant was a small community at the time and everyone knew everyone else. Even the police knew everyone. One day while I was waiting for my mother to finish feeding my sister I got the bright idea to play with a nickel and put it in my mouth. I don't know what I was thinking as within a minute or so I had swallowed the nickel. Yikes!

I can only imagine how I looked to my mother and grandmother. Huge eyes and a look of horror on my face.  I started screaming and crying. As my grandmother was calling the police I heard my mother say, "Linda, if you don't stop crying and screaming you're going to die!" Yikes! That shut me up and, according to the doctor, probably saved my life.

The next thing I knew this huge cop came busting into the house, picked me up in his arms and carried me to the police cruiser where he drove us to Lynn hospital. According to the doctor the nickel was just teetering on the ledge on the back of my throat. The doctor was afraid I was going to aspirate it into my lungs so he told my mother I would have to stay there and might need surgery, I was so afraid my mother was going to leave me at the hospital and got so upset I puked. Well, you guessed it, up came the nickel. I suppose that was one way to get rid of it. So, I didn't have to stay after all. The cop stayed with us the whole time and took us home after that. He, too got a lovely cup of coffee from my grandmother.

For me growing up in Nahant was truly heaven on earth. So, when I saw the cross-stitch picture of the wooden chairs overlooking the beach I knew I had to make it. When I look at it I'm reminded of my grandfather's wooden chairs.  It brings me back to my childhood and to beautiful times growing up in Nahant. Beautiful times with my mother, father, brothers, sister, grandfather, grandmother, and great, great aunt. Beautiful times when neighbors were truly neighbors, when no one locked their doors, when kids played outside all day, when everyone knew everyone and everyone called you by your first name, when the whole town looked forward to and was involved with the town parade, when everyone went to the fireworks on the beach, etc. and when the worst that could happen was sand sharks circling your rock. Or pinchers crawling in your ears. Yikes!



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