My Christmas presents this year were fantastic — practical, thoughtful and surprising — but I have to admit that Angelina Jolie wins top honors for the gift she left for Brad Pitt under the tree. 

 

Actually, it was just a deed — but on that slip of paper were land rights to an incredible gift: his very own waterfall. According to the Daily Mail, Jolie made the purchase somewhere in California as a present for Pitt's 48th birthday and Christmas. The idea is that he will now have the opportunity to build his very own secluded hideaway directly on top of the waterfall. 

 

"Angelina wanted to get him something incredibly special and, because she knows how much he loves architecture, she thought this would be perfect," the source told the site.

 

The inspiration for the gift comes from a visit Jolie and Pitt made back in 2006 to Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Fallingwater estate in rural Pennsylvania. Built in 1935, the stunning architectural achievement sits directly on top of a waterfall and is listed among Smithsonian's Life List of 28 places "to visit before you die."

 

"He's so hard to buy for," Jolie told Fallingwater’s staff members during their visit.

 

"Brad said he had wanted to experience Fallingwater ever since he took an architectural history course in college," Fallingwater's Curator of Education Cara Armstrong said. "He and I talked quite a bit about design and art. He was incredibly well-informed about architecture."

 

Indeed, Pitt has said that while acting is his career, it's architecture that is his passion — with projects in New Orleans, Dubai, and Spain reflecting this love. 

 

While no one knows exactly when the famous couple might start building their dream home, one thing that's not an issue is cash. "We've got so much money that it doesn't matter if I don't work another day in my life," Pitt said back in 2007. The actor recently sold his Malibu seaside pad for $12 million to Ellen DeGeneres. 

 

And yes, this home is likely to embody many of the sustainable properties Pitt has integrated into other projects.

 

"He wants to pull all aspects of nature, light, glass and varying levels into the concept," the source added.

 

Also on MNN: