The World's Most Expensive Penthouse

We all know there are a lot of rich folks in Monaco, but did you know that it also has the most expensive property price tag per square meter?

This penthouse, a part of the Odeon Tower along the Mediterranean coastline, comprises 3,300 square feet. Oh, did I mention that it has a private water slide to the exclusive infinity pool? I mean, who doesn't need a private slide to their own infinity pool these days? Come on! It can be yours for only $380 million.

Source: 604now.com

Analogue Baby

via shop.holgadirect.com

I became a lomographer by accident. It was 2007 when my former band got invited to play for a lomo exhibit, and this is when I started to dabble with analogue photography. Aside from the awesome people, my interest was piqued by the colorful and dreamlike photos displayed on the lomowall. The first manual camera I bought was a Nikon FM-10, followed by a Holga CFN. 

A self-portrait from my first roll of film.

Double exposure with a Taiwanese lomographer.

The Chicago Bean by Zoe Ezequiel, one of Manila's best lomographers.

Back then I would bring my all my lomo cameras with me wherever I went. Bringing more than five or more cameras at a time whenever we traveled wasn't out of the ordinary for me and my lomo friends. Of course, back then film was also way cheaper.

Beach biking by Zoe Ezequiel.

Street kids by Rene Nob.

I wanna be a supermodel by chrissiecaps.

Although I don't shoot as much these days, I don't think anything can ever replace analogue photography for me. True, Instagram can probably replicate the effects of lomography cameras, but for me it's not quite as magical. So if you want to try your hand on lomography, here are my top five analogue cameras that you should consider taking a look at:

1. Holga (photo at the beginning of the post). Holgas are one of the cheaper lomo cameras that produces square format photos. The sun is your friend when shooting pictures with this camera, but night shots also come out lovely if you know how to use the flash or bulb settings properly.

by chrissiecaps

2. LC-A. This is the mother of all lomo cameras. It makes every picture you take look like a scene from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's a little harder to manipulate because you can't just keep clicking. You have to put a little more thought into the technical aspects like the distance of the subject and the light source available.

3. Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim. This is not a lomo camera, but Lomography has their own sleeker, albeit more expensive, version (the La Sardina). This is what we call the poor man's LC-A. It produces almost the same results, but you can only use it during sunny days.

Quiapo Church by Teo Esguerra.

4. Horizon Perfekt. Panoramic. Film. Enough said.

Gilesy by chrissiecaps

5. SuperSampler. This camera produces four sequential shots in one frame. It's perfect for use outdoors on super sunny days.

*All photos are my own except when noted.

19th Century Home Renovation

Located in East London, this home was was constructed in the 1830s. David Mikhail Architects was commissioned to restore the building and to breathe new life to the structure while maintaining its original elegance.

Source: Dezeen (via huhmagazine.co.uk)
Photos: www.davidmikhail.com

Got $27,000 to Spare?

via flipkey.com

Let's Go to the Beach

It's summer in my part of the world, and what better way to spend it than to lie in a beach somewhere while sipping a cocktail or drinking ice-cold beer, carefree and away from all the problems of the world? 

I'm lucky to be living in a tropical country, where there are hundreds of beaches that are easily accessible. But of course the downside is the throngs of people that you have to compete with for primo sand space. Wouldn't it be nice to own a little private island somewhere or a beachfront home, a place where you can invite your friends in and grill some burgers or some fresh seafood? Drool. 

For most of us, the best we can do is rent a beach home for a weekend and relish the experience until we have to go back to our everyday routines. But for the other half, oh how they live!

The blues make the room feel so cool. (via bhousedesain.com)

Perfect view (via homeinteriordesign-s.com)

End the day here with a glass of wine and soft music. (via onarchitecturesite.com)

So cozy. Out of all the pictures in this post, I would love to own this home. (via billbarr.wordpress.com)

Love the orange telephone! (via ofoceanandland.blogspot.com)

Beachfront! (via onekindesign.com)

Purple Haze

I don't have a favorite color, or at least a permanent one. You see, I've been through a few and for some reason it never sticks. I remember when I was a teenager and angry at the world--guess what my favorite color was back then? And then I went through a phase of olive greens and grays. And there was this one time when all the contents of my bag had a tint of silver on them, even my pens. But for the last five years or so, I've had a slight inclination toward the color purple.

The color purple should be used sparingly like any other strong colors (red, bright yellow, oranges) because you don't want your home to look like Grimace is the head of the household. If used right, purple can make your home look sophisticated and fun.

The green and purple combination works well in my opinion. (via decorasia.wordpress.com)

The wall finish doesn't make the color too overwhelming. And the floor complements the color nicely. (via nestifyonline.com)

One purple accent piece can make a big difference. (via zunigainteriors.blogspot.com)

For something less permanent, you can use purple sheets. (via uniqueinteriors.blogspot.com)

Or accent pieces like throw pillows and vases (via bkkhome.blogspot.com)

A unique way of using wallpaper and purple! I love how the ceiling is the focal point of the room. (via decorpad.com)

Mother's Day Gift Ideas from Etsy

Since tomorrow is Mother's Day, how about some gift ideas for one of the most important women in your life? You can always buy flowers, but I bet she would appreciate these more. I did some browsing on good old trusty Etsy and found some items that I know my mother would love.

Acrylic on canvas family tree comes with small round metal frames where you can insert pictures.
(via verylilly)

Customized ceramic coasters by Linda Smith.

Vintage enamel hand-painted teapot by lovintagefinds

Letter cluster necklace by Palomaria

Customized heart cutting board by woodlink

Cottage kitchen spice tins by SistudioDesign

Tory Burch's Southampton Estate

In 2012, designer Tory Burch opened her Southampton home to the pages of Vogue magazine.

All photos by Francois Halard (via vogue.com).