Unusual Life

This monolithic dome is the home of Bryan and Dianne Bremner, two sixty-something retirees in Republic, Washington. They built their 2800-square-foot Monolithic Dome home, Curlew Keep, on Curlew Lake, and it resembles a modified Torus — the first Monolithic Dome of this type to be built. In addition to the loft, Curlew Keep sports three bedrooms; three bathrooms; a sunken living room; dining, kitchen and laundry areas; and a two-car, attached garage leading into an outdoor room. If you are interested in building your own Dome Home, you can visit other Monolithic Dome homes at the Monolithic Dome Institute Web site. These homes are located throughout the U.S. and other parts of the world, and some are for rent and for sale.

A meatloaf cake with mashed potato frosting. And gravy between the layers and melted cheese for garnish.

Mmmm Mmmm Good!

Meat Cake

Interesting photo set that documents the building of this unusual home.

Ensculptic House

From international delicacies to homegrown yummies of delight, feel free to digest this online photo gallery of the most curious goods found online.

Though street crime is relatively low in Japan, quirky camouflage designs like this vending-machine dress are being offered to an increasingly anxious public to hide from would-be assailants.

Fearing Crime, Japanese Wear the Hiding Place

Leila’s Hair Museum is perhaps the world’s greatest collection of jewelry and other artifacts made of human hair.

On display are hirsute necklaces, hat pins, wreathes and even hair trees, one of which resembles a palm. No pruning necessary.

Beyond the thousands of just plain curiosities, the museum gathers strands of history. “We have a mourning broach that contains a lock from Daniel Webster with 32 seed pearls representing tears, and it’s dated the day of his death,” says Linda Goldsmith, tour guide.

Leila’s Hair Museum

Hair Museum on Roadside America

Treehouse lodging slideshow

For those heading to Baby Tattooville this weekend, be sure to check out folk artist Martin Sanchez’ incredible art installation he created on almost an entire city block in Riverside, California, just a few blocks from The Mission Inn.

Pictured here is his amazing chapel, built entirely out of beer and soda pop bottles and other assorted found objects.

More photos of the Martin Sanchez art installation on Unusual Life.

The leader of an artists’ cooperative has been sentenced to probation for setting up a secret apartment inside a shopping mall’s parking garage as part of a project on mall life.

Michael Townsend, 36, said he and seven other artists built the 750-square-foot apartment beginning in 2003 and lived there for up to three weeks at a time.

The artists built a cinderblock wall and nondescript utility door to keep the loft hidden from the outside world.

But inside, the apartment was fully furnished, down to a hutch filled with china and a Sony Playstation 2 – although a burglar broke in and stole the Playstation last spring, Townsend said.

There was no running water – instead they used the mall bathrooms.

Apartment at the Mall