David Condon Finds

I finished building the UCS Venator during Christmas, and at over 5,000 pieces it has been one of the most demanding LEGO builds I’ve taken on so far. Not difficult in a frustrating way, but demanding in terms of focus, space, patience, and sheer physical tiredness by the end of a session. I’ve already written about why I wanted to buy the Venator and where it sits in my growing UCS collection , but this post is more about the build itself . The practical side. The moments where things flow beautifully, and the moments where you really should stop, step away, and come back fresh.

We've all been there at one time or another.  A leisurely trip to the local Farmer's Market suddenly turns sour and brings you to the point of panic. Unexpectedly, a Market Trader and your good self  have made brief eye contact.  He/she has smiled pleasantly with a hopeful look that you will come over and look at their goods on display and possibly make a purchase.   Your heart beat increases exponentially and in your 'fight or flight' state your eyes dart around left and right looking for that distraction that will get you off the hook. You only came down for a loaf of bread and some small cake goodies, you never expected to be caught in the gaze of some small craft maker who wants you to buy from them. 

The days just after Christmas have a strange kind of calm to them. The rush has passed, the chaos of the lead-up is over, and for a few days the whole country seems to slow down, or even stop, at the same time. Shops go quiet, inboxes settle, and even the dog seems to think it’s time to take it easy. For me, this week has always felt like a mini reset that arrives automatically every year, whether I plan it or not. It’s not quite the New Year, and not quite the old year, just an odd little gap where life pauses long enough for you to catch your breath. The Pace Finally Slows Down St. Stephen’s Day 26th December is the first day I notice the difference. There’s no pressure to be anywhere, no deliveries coming in, no customer queries waiting. No Christmas dinner to eat and no gifts to give out. Even my workshop feels different. The tools stay quiet, the lathe stays off, and I’m not rushing from one job to the next. The office PC isn’t whirring constantly under my desk, or groaning unde...

Running a small business means wearing every hat — maker, picker, packer, customer service, admin, and occasionally, detective when a parcel goes wandering. Especially at this time of year (Christmas), when deliveries really matter.  Over the years I’ve developed a simple but reliable packaging system that keeps me organised and drastically reduces mistakes or ' did I do that? ' moments. It’s nothing fancy, just a routine that works and it might help other small business owners who struggle with lost items, packing errors, or customer queries. I go the extra mile for my customers benefit and my own piece of mind.   Christmas is when my system really shines but it also adds to my workload. Is it worth it do you think? Read on and see.

There was a time when Christmas morning meant pure chaos, tearing through wrapping paper like wild animals, sugar highs by 8 a.m. and that magical feeling that something incredible was about to happen. Fast forward a few decades and… well, the only thing getting torn apart now is your back when you bend down to plug in the tree lights. Somewhere along the line, the magic faded a little. The excitement that used to keep us awake half the night has been replaced by the adult version of Christmas anticipation, waiting for the turkey to defrost properly and praying the power bill won’t double because of those “warm white” fairy lights that you swore were energy efficient. 

Is Putting Ads on Your Website Worth It? The Harsh Truth From My Own Experience I used to think that connecting Google AdSense to my website would be an easy way to earn a bit of passive income. You know the thinking,  if people from all over the world are visiting anyway, why not make a few euro from ads? And technically, yes, I did make money. But here’s the part nobody tells you: I made it painfully slowly , over months and not days & weeks like I expected. And every cent came at the cost of my website’s credibility, user experience and overall performance which I only found out after the fact. If you’re thinking about adding third-party ads to your site, especially if it’s something you’ve poured time, effort and pride into, here’s my honest advice after learning the hard way. The “Income” Looks Good — Until You Do the Maths At the peak of my AdSense phase, I was convinced I was doing well. The dashboard showed little bits of revenue trickling in and I could see count...

People often imagine running a craft business as the dream job — doing what you love, setting your own hours, and selling beautiful handmade pieces at your own pace. In reality, it’s a juggling act of creativity, logistics, paperwork, and the occasional mild panic when a courier goes missing with half your stock. I’ve been at this long enough to know the truth: operating a craft business in Ireland is equal parts stubbornness, passion, and learning to stretch every euro until it squeaks. The Myth of the “Easy Life” From the outside, it looks peaceful — a tidy workshop, a few market stalls, maybe an online shop ticking away in the background. What people don’t see are the twelve-hour days spent sanding, photographing, packing, updating websites, replying to messages, and still finding time to sweep up the mess before you lock up for the night. It’s not just making things. It’s making things work. The Real Costs Nobody Sees Every handmade item carries more hidden costs than mo...

I’ll be honest, when Lego first launched the Star Wars helmet series, I wasn’t completely sold. They looked fantastic, but the price tag made me hesitate. That changed a few years back when I decided my wall space needed filling, so I picked up three at once in August. My plan was simple: save them for Christmas Day, put on a good movie, and build them on a low table in front of me. Once I’d assembled and displayed those first three, I was hooked. Since then, I’ve been slowly adding more to my collection. The best part? When someone walks into the room and sees them, they recognise the characters instantly and I can’t help but notice a little pang of envy every time.

This is a follow up to a previous post back in June 2025. When I wrote my original post, Why I’m Still Blogging – Even If Google’s New AI Might Bury My Posts , I was full of stubborn optimism. I believed that even if Google’s new AI Overview stole clicks, genuine human writing would still find an audience. A few months later… I still believe that. But it hasn’t been easy. The AI Overview Hangover Let’s be honest, AI Overview has hit small independent blogs like mine very hard. Even my main website David Condon Woodcraft is suffering a drop in traffic and that site is over 8 years old with significant google clout.  Affiliate earnings that once trickled in every month from my blog posts have almost completely dried up. My posts still get views, but far fewer than before, and conversions are practically non-existent. Many of these daily views seem to be from Bot traffic too, this post which asks Is My Blog Content Being Stolen by Bots may interest you. I’ve expanded and impro...

There’s something about LEGO Star Wars Helmets that makes them irresistible to collectors. They’re compact, detailed, and instantly recognizable, turning your favourite characters into display pieces that stand out on any shelf. If you’ve already checked out my thoughts on the LEGO UCS Venator or my round-up of LEGO Star Wars Collector Sets , you’ll know I love builds that balance detail with display value. While some of the rarer helmets have disappeared from official LEGO stores, a handful are still available directly, and others can easily be found on Amazon if you know where to look. In this post, I’ll break down the helmets still offered on LEGO.com, share a look at my own collection, and point you towards where you can pick them up today. I got the AT-AT Driver at Christmas and it is now part of my collection. Note:  As an Amazon and LEGO Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases from the links below. LEGO Helmets Still Available on LEGO.com Not every helmet is st...