Christmas Shenanigans

Christmas barbie. Not sure whether this should grace the title page of this blog. It was a bloody good cigar.

Wandered into an Oamaru second hand shop after doing our annual bike ride from Wianakarua(?) and found this bad boy.

Well, Christmas has come and gone and I am replete both in terms of presents and food. In the lead up to Christmas I got my amazing present from the wonderful chaps at Amazon.com. A 1966 edition of The Campaigns of Napoleon by Chandler. The book was in mint condition but missing a dust jacket. I am not sure whether it originally came with one but I don't mind. Already I have devoured the first Italian campaign and am getting into the more heavy readings about the strategies of the Corps de Armee .

In terms of the hobby, I have been plugging away at basing my little artillery park. I can watch the kids play badminton outside while I am in the sun porch. I am still awaiting restocks of the 6 team limbers but in the meantime I have plenty to keep me busy. Now that I have received my first present from Amazon I consider myself a little hooked. Last night I ordered these... They should arrive during my first week back at work. That should cheer me up a little.

 Gotta love summer holidays...

Santa is going to be good to me this year.

I have always wanted my own copy of David Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon but I have never really thought about actually getting a copy from Amazon. Well yesterday that all changed. I managed to track down a copy of the book from the United States and for the all up cost of about $150 US a copy is winging its way to me even as I write this missive. Yesterday my static grass arrived from the States as well so I am pretty well set up hobby wise for the coming summer holidays.

Can't wait to lie on the beach and work my way through Mr. Chandler's masterpiece!!!!!

Just in time!

Just as I finished my really fun group of wagon train figures my next set of figures arrived from Aussie. Now I have enough figures to work on until the end of the month.  I finally tracked down a company which makes static grass in the US so I am awaiting three tubs of "Summer". All in all this has been a pretty cool month on the painting front. I am just hanging out for the 6 horse limber stocks to fill up again with Hat's E26 release.

In the meantime here are some of the sets minus their static grass. I am soooooo happy with these figures from Hat.  They really add some serious eye candy to my French army. My pièce de résistance has been the coal in the field forge. I got some modelling grit which had been lying around in a box under the house for a few years and dipped very watered-down enamel paint onto it. It ended up looking quite coal-ish.  Pretty basic stuff but I am pretty chuffed by the results

You might just about be able to see the coal in the forge at the front!

I've got to go buy a Christmas tree so that I can wrap up my two boxes of French Infantry and stick them under. They will be such a surprise to unwrap on Christmas day!