Making a cameo appearance π©π»βπ¦³ππ©
Everything beautiful and brilliant that's tickled our fancy this week
Two peas in a pod
Over 35,000 hectares of peas are grown in the UK every year, which equates to over 160,000 tonnes of peas. That sounds like a staggering amount, but β not counting the ones that fall off our forks and roll onto the floor β each of us eats an average of 9000 peas a year. It was Clarence Birdseye who first froze peas in the 1920s, but weβve been cultivating them for around 10,000 years. And although we eat them when theyβre green and young, there was a time when they were hard enough to wake princesses from their slumber.
The common phrase βtwo peas in a podβ can probably be dated back to the 16th Century, in a romance novel by John Lyly published in 1578. Euphues and His England includes the line βWherin I am not unlike unto the unskilfull Painter, who having drawen the Twinnes of Hippocrates, (who wer as lyke as one pease is to an other).β Thanks to this phrase becoming increasingly common over some hundreds of years, we can now enjoy Minnie-Mae Stottβs ceramic pea pods, complete with two little gold peas jostling side by side.
Rock steadyΒ
You know we adore an eye-catching earring, and this pair from Etta Gray is right up our street. Theyβre not as ginormous as weβd usually go for β at just 3cm long, we might even avoid an international hair-tangling incident β but they more than make up for it with their bright pink crystals and gold and pearls.Β Team with bold lipstick and youβll feel at least 63% more peppy in an instant.
A shivery bite
While we work away on this newsletter every week, Laura often delights Sian by adding a random Scottish word without realising it isnβt used everywhere else (and itβs paying off: last time she was chez Meades-Williams, she was pleased to be rather pointedly offered some βdiluting juiceβ).
Behind the scenes, the Scots lessons continue, and over the years Sianβs been introduced to the joys of βsitooterieβ (a sheltered place to sit out in the garden), βbidey-inβ (a live-in lover), βbosieβ (a cuddle), and βshoogleβ (to shake), among many others.
One that we surprisingly havenβt yet discussed is the wonderful βshivery biteβ β a snack eaten after a swim. Also known as a chitterinβ bit, chittery bite, shitherinβ bite or chittering piece β as well as lots of variations in between β itβs a post-swim essential, particularly if you enjoy a dook in the chilly Scottish sea. And it can be whatever you like, as long as it gives a much-needed energy boost. Popular shivery bites include a bag of crisps, a biscuit, a jeely piece, or Little Lauraβs favourite after lessons at her local baths: a poke of chips with tons of vinegar.Β
We wonder if the three friends in this linocut by Marnie Baker had a wee shivery bite afterwards? Outdoor swimming is a recurring theme in her gorgeous work, and Marnieβs prints encapsulate all the thrills and tranquility the waves can bring. This one is particularly lovely, and itβs Β£20 from Conclave Brighton. Itβs almost enough to encourage us to go for a dip, but weβll probably just sit on the sofa and gaze at it instead.
Oil up
We are approaching βfrantically oil your face like itβs an old saddleβ season, and so weβre here to recommend this Biossance squalane oil, which will soften and soothe your skin when the weather turns cold. Itβs Β£25 a bottle, but it seems to last forever, and though some reviews complain about the pump, we like getting a measured dose β it stops us getting too βchip panβ in our application technique. This is plant-derived squalane (as opposed to stuff that comes from sharks, which obviously we want no part of), and it manages to be light, fast-absorbing and really nourishing at the same time, so itβs a good choice if you still get the odd spot but want to treat your skin (and hair, apparently, but weβve not tried that yet) to a big olβ hit of glowy goodness.
Turn the other cheek
The most delicate cameos are carved from shells or semi-precious gemstones. Mother of pearl, agate and onyx were all popular choices. The craft process is particularly unusual β the layers of the sceneβs background are cut away to raise the subject to the foreground. The deeper layers of the stone are naturally darker and they make for a striking contrast with the bust or scene thatβs being depicted. Itβs a process that has been popular in jewellery since Ancient Egypt and Rome.
Cameos became hugely collectable throughout the Elizabethan and Victorian eras, their value was immediately obvious which made them something of a status symbol. In Italy, petrified lava from Pompeiiβs ruins were used for cameo bases sold to tourists after the ruins were discovered in 1748. Thereβs even an excellent cameo museum in the nearby city of Naples. Modern materials and techniques made them much more affordable and accessible to the masses in the early 20th Century β glass paste became a more common alternative.
If youβre wondering how we jumped from a cameo brooch to a cameo in a film, the literal meaning of the word has evolved into something rather lovely β much like the outline in a beloved piece of cameo jewellery, the brief appearance is little more than a silhouette of a character.
Cameo appearance: Earrings. Β£72, Ben-Amun. | Jane Austen brooch. Β£32, Tatty Devine. | Shoes. Β£280, Simona Rusk. | Pink ring. Β£149, Vintouch Italy.
Read all about it:
Apparently birds changed their tune during the pandemic. And we donβt know if theyβll change it back again.
The Made-Up Words Project is lovely.
We know youβve all been wondering: when did eggs get so fancy?
Discover Turkeyβs underground city.
There are so many brilliant cookbooks out this week. Whizzing straight to the top of our to-be-read (and to-be-cooked-from) pile is Butter, by the ever-excellent Olivia Potts. Joining it are Spice by Mark Diacono, The Joy of Snacks by Laura Goodman, and Rukmini Iyerβs India Express.
Season to taste: end of summer cake | cabinet of curiosities | puffy stickers for grown-ups | unsure how we feel about these.
This week, Sian is headed to the seaside for one last summer ice cream, and Laura is going to see Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Like what we do? Buy us a cuppa.