From the Home Office

My friend Alex almost always signs off Twitter of an evening with a goodnight message. They tickle me, these tweets, because in them she regularly invents new words to refer to her collective followers. No pedestrian “tweeps” for Alex.

Among my favorites:

Goodnight, Tweepsicle

…Tweetson (sometimes Tweeterson).

… Twitches

… Tweepsies

… Tweetiepop

… Tweetifer (sometimes Tweetipher)

… Tweetypie

… Tweetbitches

… Tweetsicle

She’s also the only one who’s ever gotten away with calling me “Arleney,” but somehow it makes sense when she says it.

What are your favorite terms for people on Twitter?

Dinner, April 25

Thanks to the marvelous Miss Whistle, I read the Guardian’s article previewing 15 recipies from Ottolenghi’s upcoming cookbook. Tonight I made his “Chickpea, tomato and bread soup,” which is quite similar to a Tuscan ribollita.

Let me just say that even though there are just two of us, there were no leftovers.

Photo Blog: Upper Ojai Valley, Springtime

Ever few months we’re lucky to spend a weekend at Lavender Hill Farm, the home of our friends Sims and Steve in the picturesque Upper Ojai Valley. Here are some pictures we took on April 16 and 17.

We picked vegetables from Steve’s extensive gardens and prepared them for lunch and dinner. Artichokes are in high season and we had them three different ways: with fava beans as an accompaniment to pork chops for dinner; with onions, lardons and egg as a pasta sauce for one lunch; and with tuna and cracked pepper on toast for another lunch. We also had the fava beans, straight from the pods, with cheese and bites of salami as an appetizer before dinner one evening.

The Valley was resplendent with springtime color and fragrance. My iPhone got the color fairly well; the scent you’ll have to imagine as you peruse the photos. Click on the thumbnails to see larger versions of any of them, and click again for a yet larger version.

Love is…

… when you and your spouse are trying to remember the name of an obscure place in New York, but can’t, so you give up. And hours later, one of you remembers the name, calls out just one word across the house, and the other answers, “right!”

Negative Space That’ll Turn Your Head

Here’s another brilliant, unique gift. Looks like a wooden chalice, or perhaps some sort of stair newel or decorative table leg, right?

Look again.

Look to the left of the shadow. (I’ll wait.)

Is that the coolest silhouette portrait you’ve ever seen?

The folks at Turn Your Head have figured out how to, from a photo of a profile, use a lathe to cut it into the wooden forms and come up with these beautiful “pirolettes.” They can be done of a baby, or of a grownup.

They’ve even figured out how to do two on one (for a wedding, or perhaps for twins):

We’ve had one done of our son, and now are going to get our own. , When all three are next to each other on our mantle, they’ll be a discreet family portrait for those who can see it, and just be three beautiful chalices for those who can’t.

Pirolettes cost $150. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have one per year while your child’s growing up? Or to give as mementos to grandparents, or for a baby shower or wedding gift?

I’m besotted with these, as you can tell.

Timothy Richards Bookends

While living in the UK in the 90s, my husband and I became fans of Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta. Behold this stairwell in the home he designed for Emile Tassel, regarded by many as the first Art Nouveau building:

Happily Horta’s own Brussels home, now the Horta Museum, is in superb condition and we were able to take a tour during one visit to the city. (If there’s a lovelier radiator anywhere in the world than in Horta’s house, I’d like to see it. I can’t find a photo of it online, but I’m perfectly serious. But I digress.)

A few years ago, on a trip to London, we were ambling through a small gallery off Kensington Square, and I stopped short in front of a gorgeous miniature reproduction of what I instantly recognized as the facade to Horta’s home:

It turns out to be a bookend, one of a stunning series of architectural minatures by the British artist Timothy Richards. From his website:

“Tim has been making models of architecture in plaster for 19 years. All of the sculptures are made by hand by Tim and his small, dedicated team. The work is believed to be unique in the world today. Central to the theme is that of architectural truth. Tim aims to use his love of architecture and model making skills to tell the story of architecture over the centuries. Some of the models are designed to be used as bookends. Others as stand alone collectors pieces. Of course it’s entirely up to you how you use them (though not as a door stop please!).”

Needless to say, Horta – or at least his small facade  - came home with us. We’ve since acquired a miniature Big Ben (we do like visual puns). I hope to add a few others to my collection going forward, including the V&A:

And perhaps Oscar Wilde’s house:

And maybe even Jane Austen’s door:

In any case, do have a wander through Richards’ site. The single-door bookends are reasonably priced (the models, double-bookend sets and more complex designs are accordingly priced) and make spectacular and unique gifts (particularly for oneself).