The Grotto of the Redemption is an excellent example of what man can achieve with faith and hard work.

Paul Dobberstein was a German immigrant ordained as a priest in 1897. At some point he fell critically  ill with pneumonia and vowed he would dedicate his life to building a shrine to The Virgin Mary, if she would save his life. Father Dobberstein survived and soon after his recovery began gathering piles of rocks for his mission. His search for materials lasted 14 years.

Construction of the Grotto of the Redemption, in West Bend, Iowa,  began in 1912. Foundations were poured, stone slabs were set into place, all in the name of The Holy Virgin. Father Dobberson was actively involved in the building process and many times his hands would crack and bleed from all the cement. He would say “there isn’t any redemption without a little blood”.

Though West Bend isn’t the best place to look for crystals and semi-precious stones, Paul Dobberstein traveled to Hot Springs, Black Hills and Carlsbad Caverns and managed to gather truckloads of materials for his Grotto of the Redemption. The redeeming priest worked on expanding and improving the grotto until he died, in 1954, at the end of a long day’s work.

At the time of Dobberstein’s death, the Grotto of the Redemption was the size of a city block and is still expanding today. The crystals, semi-precious stones and petrified wood used to decorate the structures of the grotto are said to be worth over $4,300,000.

Considered “the world’s most complete man-made collection of minerals, fossils, shells and petrifications in one place”, the Grotto of the Redemption welcomes over 100,000 visitors every year. It reminds me a lot of the Ideal Palace.

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Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaum have always loved steampunk and decided to turn their passion into a business. That’s how ModVic Home Restoration was born.

The couples offer home-design services to people who want to restore their Vicrorian houses to their original beauty and, to prove their skills, they turned their 1901 Craftsman-style home into a steampunk paradise. Combining antique pieces with modern gadgets, the Rosembaum’s managed to preserve the original charm of their Victorian residence as well as incorporate all the modern gadgets of our times.

If you’d like to know more about this amazing steampunk house, head over to Steampunk Workshop and learn every little detail.

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A group of 12 overgrown pink snails have taken over Plazza Scala, in Italy’s fashion capital, Milan.

These unusual plastic models were created by the Italian Cracking Art group and are on a mission to change people’s lifestyle. In a world where everything is happening so fast, the pink snails are here to let you know “speed isn’t always a virtue” and slowing down to enjoy the beauty of the city can be quite refreshing.

“We need to play with the city to break with our obvious daily routine and rediscover the experience of moving about the city” said Finazzer Flory, Milan’s culture counselor. He added that the giant pink snails are shaped to resemble an ear to also make people listen to what’s going on around them

The slimy giants will be moved periodically towards the Palazzo Reale and, in January, they’ll make an appearance at the central train station. They’ll then go on a series of international visits to Amman, Tel Aviv and Chicago. They’ll return to Milan in 2015, as part of a 120-snail army. That sounds kind of scary…

via UPI

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A tarantula clinging on your back isn’t something you’d pay for, but that’s exactly what this dude Kevin did.

Ok, so it’s not a real tarantula, but still, it’s very creepy. the Tarantula Backpack was designed by Tamera, a talented Australian artist who creates a variety of 2D and 3D creepy toys and artworks. This particularly scary masterpiece was commissioned by Kevin,  who uses it to get his sick father’s blood pumping. After undergoing cancer surgery he needed to get his blood flowing, so his son thought placing his newly acquired Tarantula Backpack on the end of his bed would do the trick.

The fluffy tarantula unzips beneath its mandibles and you can store all your stuff inside. I thought the Black Dragon Backpack was creepy, but this is even scarier.

via Trendhunter

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The Blood Pen, invented by Bob Partington, is a must-have accessory for any respectable vampire writer.

I know some of you have seen the Blood Pen ever since early 2008, but I just found it today and had to post some photos of it here. This creepy gadget features a syringe and a pen nib, connected by a plastic mechanism. After you fill the syringe with your own blood (seems reasonable enough), you stick it in place and start writing your bloody memoirs.

As you can see in the video at the bottom, it’s not the best writing tool, as it often drips more blood than you’d like, but the idea in itself is enough to impress you. I don’t much like the flashy silver feather attached, but I guess that’s just a matter of taste.

via Gizmodo

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Entitled “You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It Too”, the chocolate couch was created by Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich for an art-exhibit appropriately named “Let Them Eat Art”.

The chocolaty art-piece was covered in a thick layer of chocolate that not only made it look like a brown leather couch, but also feel like one. All the couch details, including buttons and stitching were made from chocolate.

That chocolate couch looks so real I bet there was someone at the gallery door telling visitors not to sit on it.

via mocoloco

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Not that women need to wear a dress made out of LEDs, but CuteCircuit’s Galaxy Dress is, at least, a very interesting project.

CuteCircuit, a design company that specializes in “wearable technology”, presented their work of art, a dress made from 24,000 LEDs, attached to multiple layers of chiffon and crinoline. Apparently a few iPod batteries, hidden in the crinoline,  will keep the Galaxy Dress shining for about an hour. That’s more than enough time to make an impression.

And to make sure the wearer shines even after the batteries run out, the LED dress is decorated with 4,000 Swarovski crystals. The dress itself is made from silk and the LEDs are 2×2 millimeters each. The Galaxy Dress is now a permanent exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, in Chicago.

Check the video at the bottom to see it in action.

Photos by J.B. Spector

via Ecouterre

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It certainly looks like a dragon biting on this dude’s shoulder, but he doesn’t seem at all alarmed, does he?

That’s probably because the thing on his back is just a backpack. But it’s by far the most awesome backpack I’ve ever seen! Called the Dragon Backpack, this masterpiece was designed by a young artist by the name of Bob Basset, from Kharkov, Ukraine. Be sure to check his website for more cool stuff.

I keep staring at these photos, but I can’t get over how cool this thing looks…

via bookofjoe

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Designed by twin brothers Remigijus and Egidijus Praspaliauskas, the Bread Shoes may not be very practical but they are perfect as wacky gifts.

Every pair is unique and they come in a variety of designs, sizes and bread doughs. Bread Shoes are available for purchase at Da Da Da Studio. Each pair costs 22 euros plus a 5 euro shipping tax. Come on folks, get’em while they’re hot!

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I chose to name this post “the other upside-down house” because I wrote about a very similar house when I started this site.

Built in 2008, for an art exhibition, the “other upside down house” is located on Usedom, an island in northern Germany. It was financed and constructed by Polish partners Klausdiusz Golos and Sebastian Mikiciuk, who just wanted to make something different. Only, I wonder if they know a practically identical house already exists in their native country of Poland.

The builders said they were inspired by similar structures in America and Spain, that were upside down on the outside, but normal on the inside. Visitors of the “other upside-down house” said the weird interior make them feel dizzy and disoriented.

Although the house is perfectly safe, nobody is living in it right now.

Photos by Hemmy

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Adrian Reeman, a former Merchant Navy chef from Southampton, has spent the last 23 years of his life transforming his small apartment into a miniature Palace of Versailles.

His painstaking work began in 1986, when he moved in with his wife Annette, in the ninth floor flat of a tower bloc in Southampton. He hated the copper pebble dash wallpaper he found there and decided something had to be done. At first he just started panelling the walls, without having a clue of what it was going to turn into.

Although he has no training in constructions or design, and he has never once visited the real Versailles, Adrian Reeman managed to create an honorable small-scale replica of the popular French palace. He now sees no reason to visit the real thing, since he’s living in it himself, just on a slightly smaller scale.

Reeman says he’s not 100% happy with how the Versailles apartment came out, but he’s getting a little too old to keep working on it. He figures he’ll live in the unique flat for the rest of his life, since law states tenants have to deliver the apartments in the same state they received them. The Reemans couldn’t possibly restore their mini Versailles to its original condition.

I wonder if Adrian knows Tony Alleyne, owner of the Star Trek Apartment? I’m sure these two talented Brits would hit it off.

via Daily Mail

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I really don’t get why Hello Kitty is so popular these days, I really don’t, but people keep coming up with various Hello Kitty-themed stuff.

The latest Hello Kitty project comes from designer Jason Mecier, who recreated the popular Japanese character from various Hello Kitty items. Toys, clothes and tons of other accessories come together to form a hideously pink, giant Hello Kitty. Disgusting, but I’m sure there are plenty of girls out there who love it.

via If it’s hip it’s here

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Who doesn’t want to live in a happy house, right? I bet that’s what designer James Rizzi thought to himself when he designed the Happy Rizzi House, inBraunschweig, Germany.

What is it with Germans and wacky-looking houses? After the famous Waldspirale of Darmstadt, I’ve discovered the Happy Rizzi House, where pop-art ant cartoons mix to form a very unique architectural design. Built by architect Konrad Kloster, Happy Rizzi House is one of the most important monuments in Braunschweig.

Located on the ruins of a ducal palace, Happy Rizzi House is a big hit with both children and adults.

via decojournal

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The PUMA retail team has created an almost perfect replica of a Ferrari F60 Formula 1 car out of clothes, caps, shoes and bags.

What is it about Formula 1 cars that makes people want to recreate them out of the weirdest things? You may remember some of our previous posts about the Formula 1 car made from bread, or the one made from styrofoam. Today we present you the Formula 1 car build out of PUMA clothes and accessories.

The wearable creation is on display at the PUMA store in London, be sure to check it out if you’re in the area. The video at the bottom will reveal how the PUMA F60 was built and you can let the builders know what you think of their work, for the chance to win a signed pair of PUMA racing shoes.

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It’s amazing how popular wine-corks are these days. Some people convert their cars into wine-cork trucks, others to make wine-cork costumes and even insulate their houses.

Check out this wine cork-covered house, for example. There must be tens, if not hundreds of thousands wine corks on its walls. unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any info on this project, so I can’t yet tell you if it’s a tribute to wine, or just cheap insulation. Whatever the case may be, it’s obvious the owner had nerves of steel, in order to place every wine-cork manually. Maybe he’s a fan of Liza Lou.

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