If you and I are friends on Twitter, you’ll remember the INSANE amount of Instagram photos I posted (along with my friend David Hoang) from my east coast trips.  I tried to capture snaps from my favorite places and document as much as possible – so I remember where to go for my next trip!

Pineapple + Hicks – Brooklyn Heights

One thing I loved was people watching – either while wandering around, or while riding the Subway.  There are a lot of super super chic ladies who ride the subway – which means a lot of outfit inspiration (and also some Vice-worthy “Don’t's”.  Would it have been super creepy to snap photos?  We’re talking denim vest, no bra, hot pants + a garter belt, with sparkly high tops and a teeeeeeeeny backpack.  David will totally agree on the weirdness factor.) .

I felt like there was some truth in saying that in New York, you can really work a “look” – style is on display and if you ever want to try a look, NYC is the place to do it.  That said, I saw a lot of “Fashion for the rest of us”.  Easy, go-to outfits for when you’re sipping an iced Americano at Vineapple in Brooklyn.  In fact, Brooklyn is where I saw this look – a look I liked so much I had to go out and find the most colorful farmer shirt I could to recreate it.  Brooklyn girls are babes.

The recipe: one super colorful checked shirt (Old Navy. Not my usual, but this shirt was perfect), one pair of slim (black) trousers (Vivienne Tam), one pair of little white flats (Vintage from Sustalux), add jewelry and accessories as needed.

I’ve been lazy and my hair is long enough now to toss it up in a messy… something.

Add a couple funny faces, and light, summertime makeup (tinted moisturizer, a little eyeliner, a little lipgloss, mascara, and a peachy bronzer).

Voila!  I like the vintagey look of this top tucked into slim pants (it feels very mid-century to me).   I also love the white-white-white accessories.  White flats, white bag, white watch, white sunnies.  High contrast, low effort.

I know someone’s wondering “How the EFF  are you wearing that in the middle of summer?!”  Lucky us, it’s 65 degrees right now.  Our little secret is that Seattle summers mean temperatures anywhere from 65-93 on any given day.  Most of the time it’s between 75-80.   Of course, we only get sun for 3 months out of the year.  Hooray!  (I love it, but I know sun-lovers don’t.)

What do you think of this Brooklyn-inspired outfit?  I say, “Thank you random subway girl for showin’ me how it’s done.”

My body is changing.  In the last year, I’ve gained an inch or two around – everywhere.  I know this because sometimes I can be a little self conscious, but if you no longer fit into any of your jeans, wouldn’t you be a little annoyed?  Besides being heavier than I’ve ever been, I’m also more out-of-shape than ever.  So in a recent conversation I mentioned a meeting with a trainer, and a friend asked me, “Like … at a gym?  Why do YOU need a trainer?  That’s silly!”  I thought about it – I want to fit into the clothes I own.  I’d also like to be able to run up a flight of stairs without gasping like a fish out of water!  From the outside this might seem like a thin-obsession, but it’s more about knowing what makes me feel good.

I asked body-positive blogger, Jessica from Tangled Up In Lace, about this phenomenon:

The whole flipping point of Body Acceptance is that NO MATTER what you decide your body’s path is, its perfect for you.   Its a matter of thinking critically about WHY you want to do what you want to do with your body.  I’m so behind self care and deciding what healthy means to you

No one ever has the right to put value on how someone handles their own body.

And Ashe from Dramatis Personae pointed out:

There hasn’t been a point in my life where my body wasn’t solely my own concern.  My parents were always worried about me being too fat as a child, when I really wasn’t more than chubby.  Instead of teaching me to eat right, they just tried to ban foods from my diet.  It wasn’t ever about health, it was about appearance.

In the past 2 months, I’ve had one close friend and one acquaintance call me fat.  And the fact is, it made me more angry than anything.  Who the hell are they to make comments on my body?  As far as I’m concerned, my weight is the concern of me, my doctor, and my partner– in that order.

The media doesn’t help– since I was a kid, magazines had covers boasting the weight loss of stars, while tabloid magazines trashed the weight gains and struggles of others.  They’ve taken women’s bodies and made them public property, free for all to make comments on, without regard to the fact that there are people inside those bodies.

Women should do, simply, what makes them feel good without being detrimental to their health.  If eating a cupcake on a bad day makes you feel better, do it!  If going on a 5 mile run makes you feel great after a fight with you best friend, do it.  Every goal I have for my own body and weight is, for the first time in my life, strictly for me.  It’s about feeling a certain way, going back to a place where I was happy, and was living a life in moderation.

My friend Carrie is undertaking a fitness/body challenge – she’s recently competed in figure competitions.  She does it because “It makes me feel strong, confident, sexy, invincible… I’ve realized that I loved the process leading up to it much more than the competition itself.  The way I feel when I take care of myself by eating right and working out is enough motivation for me now. There’s nothing better than feeling great!”

Although she does it for the best reasons, she’s still subject to body-shaming.  She adds:

It’s much easier to cut a person down or discourage them because of your own issues than be unconditionally supportive. I see this in all aspects of my life, but never moreso than going through this fitness/body transformation journey… and I STILL get it even after all this time. The comments change but story is the same, the people belittling my effort, & my goals seem threatened by it. They are happier if I’m not doing than if I am.

Honestly, the more I think about it, that whole “you’re fine just the way you are” thing really gets to me. Because if [someone] mentions a desire to change… why not improve? There shouldn’t be anything wrong with that (outside of like you said, extreme situations where there’s something else going on).  I really think it goes back to making the rest of us uncomfortable… it’s been much easier for the masses to say, “love yourself the way you are” than for ALL of us to have to take an honest look at ourselves and either accept what we know we don’t like, or … work fucking hard to make changes.  Change isn’t easy, especially when it comes to matters of eating/exercise and the discipline that involves.

I felt a little shame as I headed to my gym appointment, because obviously I love me, right?  Why should I get the side-eye, because I want to be healthier and stronger?  There’s this derisiveness towards my hitting the gym as if these people think I’m deluding myself about why I go.  I feel like we (Everybody. Women.  Ourselves.  Each other.) are so programmed to snark on women’s bodies, regardless of the situation – whether they’re curvaceous or thin or fit or waiflike or brown or purple or like cheese or whatever.  We’re totally missing the point of just caring for ourselves.

As this post titled,  The Body Count from “At War With Our Bodies” adds,

Body image should never be a battle. Although it is true that the ideal weight, as defined by the mass media, has been shrinking in recent years I am more disheartened by this attitude of “winning” and “losing” than I am by the media’s glorification of a nearly unattainable body. People are losing sight of the real problem maker, the media, and aiming their frustrations at each-other by splitting off into teams of sorts ; us against them, skinny against fat, muscular against frail… it just doesn’t make sense.

While I am 100% behind the Fat Acceptance Movement and all of the more generalized Body Acceptance Movements, I cannot get behind their unintentional exclusion of certain body types. For instance, the phrase used by many FA Activists, real women have curves**, really bothers me. Real women have curves? How about; real women have vaginas? Or even better; all women are real women, whether they were born female or became female by choice. By excluding women of a certain body type from being “real” women these groups are participating in the same exclusion they protest… that hardly seems like winning to me.

[These two sentiments] are both equally damaging as they deny people their right to feel comfortable with their body, regardless of what shape it is. One sentiment may be more mainstream than the other, however, this doesn’t make either statement right or justifiable.

I appreciate what the self-love movement does and is trying to do to liberate people from certain ideals.  I also appreciate when a girl mows down a salad instead of picking pasta because she’s looking after herself (who am I to judge?  Maybe she needs the fiber, right?).  In my opinion, she should be able to also eat pasta if it pleases her, but jumping off on a rant about how she “needs a cheeseburger” assumes things about her that may not be true.  Self acceptance comes from within – not from the peanut gallery.  Self-love can mean challenging your self to become a better you.  Just because you’re undertaking that challenge doesn’t mean you love you any less.

I think we could stand to stop treating women’s bodies like public property to comment on. I know that sometimes it’s hard to take a message off the ‘net and apply it in real life, and that it might be awkward to point out to your group of in-person friends when they’re body-snarking.  But maybe you can turn it around.

When someone says something negative about a girl’s body, point out a positive.  Or when you hear yourself saying you want to lose a few, acknowledge the reasons why and remember all the other reasons that your body is great.  And then work out if you want to - if your goal is safe, and reasonable, there’s absolutely no reason why you should be ashamed of wanting to “make better”. Your choice is just that – yours.

And if you’re one of those people who constantly say “you’re fine the way you are” to your friends who express wanting to better their bodies, know your reasons for doing so.  Stop to think about your reasons before you speak, because that sentiment could be inadvertently shaming.  Instead of saying, “you’re fine the way you are”, try pointing out something positive, your favorite part of that person who wants to make better.  Encourage them to do what they feel is right for their bodies, because ultimately that choice is theirs.

So what do you think?  Angry?  In agreement?  Ever been subject to body shaming on either side?

Part 1 – I always feel strange writing about body issues – especially considering my size.  I worry that, since I’m on the small side, I’ll be subject to a lot of negative commentary pointing out that I’ve got nothing to complain about.  And that’s exactly the problem…

During a recent conversation with friends, a gal I know mentioned going on vacation and wanting to shed a few pounds for the beach.  She was asking about our workout routines (for those of us who are so inclined).  There were a few different camps – those who said that diet could change it, those who said that exercise could change it, those who (like me) said “get a trainer because they are magical creatures who tailor your workouts…” And then there was the camp that shamed us all, saying “That’s silly. You don’t need to go to the gym.  You’re fine the way you are”.

It felt a little like saying *if you have to go to the gym you obviously don’t love you and that’s wrong* – like wanting to better your body is not a legitimate goal. I started to feel like that’s just as damaging as the whole “thin is in” campaign we see in fashion mags, etc.   It’s very damned if you do, damned if you don’t – when did we start subconsciously shaming  girls for wanting to care for their bodies?  For striving towards becoming a better person (in whatever regard that may be)?  Or for just loving and accepting themselves as they are now?

As Kate from Eat The Damn Cake says in this post:  “Really, there’s probably a compromise here. If someone is trying to lose weight, I’m not standing next to them at the gym with a bag of Doritos, going, “You’re wasting your time! Want some pizza? I could really go for a pizza…” I think losing weight is a completely legitimate goal in plenty of cases. I don’t think it has to be a symptom of superficiality or self-hatred. It can be really, really healthy.”

When I shared my thoughts with Kate, she added:

“I think sometimes on my blog I lean too far in the direction of the women you were describing, who act derisive about weight loss. I don’t feel like that, but I feel pressure to act like that publicly. Reading [your note] helped me put that tendency in perspective and understand better how unfair and, like you said, shaming it can be, to emphasize either approach without giving people room to make their own decisions. Life is too complicated for extremism in either direction.”

It feels like the “real women”, body-love mantras we hear so much about are walking a fine line; we should start loving us regardless of what our body looks or seems like, but we should be ashamed of wanting to change ourselves (and, we know that certain body love movements can be very exclusionary).

While it’s great that the motto of many bod-acceptance movements is “love thyself”, I feel it’s can be healthy to both accept yourself and be a little conscious of your body, knowing its limits, knowing what it can do and what’s good for it.  And if you’re comfortable with you, rock on!  Work it!

But if you want to shed a couple pounds before your tropical vacation, that’s a legitimate goal.  You can eat what you want, and/or be religious about exercise if that’s your thing.  Being conscious of you, of how you look, of how you want to look doesn’t mean that you hate your body, or that you’re necessarily trying to conform to a thin ideal.  Don’t get me wrong – there’s a lot of “thin idolatry” out there, and current beauty standards do shame girls for not having the perfect body (whether it’s Christina Hendricks or Twiggy.  And, of course, this is not touching on cases where there’s something else going on etc.).  But we all realize that the perfect body doesn’t exist, but in a few very lucky cases.  The majority of us are gloriously imperfect.  And you have the power to demonstrate enormous self love by caring about your body – whether it’s feeding it cookies or taking it for a walk.

More tomorrow…

"Why won't my suitcase close!?"

I know I’m not the only person who’s got travel plans for this summer, and with travel plans come great big bags and hefty baggage fees.  In order to avoid those fees, I’ve figured out a few tricks to packing light for any occasion and still look amazing.

1. Plan it out. Know where you’re going.  Know what you absolutely need.

Example: You’re going to Vegas for a weekend with the girlies.  I know this means you want to sport a different outfit every night, BUT consider this:  When you come home, everything is going to smell like the inside of a casino.  So pack accordingly.  Bring things you can mix and match, that easily go from day to night and you’ll have no problem.  Also, bring one extra outfit to travel in, so you don’t have to stew in that stink for the entire ride home.  Hell, you could even skip the day clothes for the most part because all you really need is a swimsuit and a light cover up, right?

Planning it out lets you figure out how many days/activities you need clothes for, and where you can pare down on one or two things.  And having a list of the outfits you’re going to pack means you can coordinate your kicks so that you pack the most optimal pair that you can wear all the time (or pairs, cos I often bring a pair of sandals too).

2. Keep it Simple.  Add pieces you can coordinate, like a couple lightweight solid tees.  They don’t necessarily need to be neutral, but they do need to be things that you can dress up or dress down according to your destination.

Example:  During my London trip, I had a stash of tees (a couple bright, a couple neutral) that could be worn with pants or skirts.  When we went to explore, I wore skinnies and tees with a blazer and flats.  When we went out dancing, I paired that same outfit with fun jewelry and outrageous shoes.  In the blog-world you hear so much about how you can dress up jeans and a tee, or dress down – I took that to heart when packing, knowing that staple items look good either way.  And since tees are knits, they’ll resist wrinkles and roll up nicely into your luggage.

Example 2:  A thing I read recently said bring along summery high-waisted skirts.  The author mentioned that she loved local t-shirts when traveling, and ended up wearing them tucked into skirts to make the tees less “tourist” and more like a fashion statement.  I kind of liked that idea – you get a souvenir and a stylish addition all in one.  Of course, pack accordingly if you plan to purchase local.

In the same vein, if you plan on going out, an easy “day to night” dress simplifies everything when packing. Opt for a dress you can put on for the beach or your daytime activities, then throw a blazer or cardigan over it to wear to dinner.  The same goes for your makeup – if I’m taking my makeup, I usually pick one eye palette, one eyeliner, foundation and a translucent powder (if it’s summer, maybe bronzer), and then I get creative with that combination.  One of the reasons I like buying pre-made eye palettes is that I can do that.  I can take one set, and run with it.  Think what will transition from day to night.

3.  If you want to get wild, go with accessories. Use pieces like headbands, scarves, necklaces and earrings to instantly change the mood of an outfit.  Accessories take up little space in your suitcase and when packed in zipper bags, can be stuffed into your extra pair of shoes.  They’re your key to dressing up outfits, and adding a little “flair”.  The great thing is – accessories are easy purchases wherever you are.  They’ll have awesome souvenir value, you’ll use them over and over, and they’re easy to pack into your luggage to take home.  I loooove the sunglasses I got in London (a late birthday present from my friend Sean) – I wear them all the time, and they were so easy to pack in and out.

Also, treat your bag like an accessory. I often pack a small purse inside a larger tote bag.  The small purse holds my wallet, glasses, keys, phone – and can be pulled out at a moment’s notice. It also doubles as a lightweight handbag/clutch when needed and the larger tote can be used as a beach bag or shopper.

4.  Shopping while you’re there:  If you’re going to do it, go unique.  My #1 rule of thumb is this: If I can buy it at home, why should I buy it in another country – UNLESS it is a necessary item that I cannot live without until I get home.

For example, say you forgot socks – go ahead and buy the cutest pair you find.  But say I walked by an H&M – I’m not going to shop there, because there’s one down the hill from my apartment.  When I shop, while I’m out, I will look for fun jewelry, goofy tourist tees to pair with cute outfits, etc.  And unless I’m in town only to shop, I’m not going to be making purchases that I could otherwise make at home.  Know why?  If you’re out of the country, you’ve got transaction fees and exchange rates to think about.  If I’m in the next state over – well, I don’t really need it that bad, do I?  Because it’s going to be a beast to bring back home in an already-stuffed suitcase.  I also have more money to do things (not own things) while I’m on vacation.  You know, they say people appreciate experience more than belongings.  Don’t get me wrong – I like belongings, but I can see the wisdom in saving my pennies for fun adventures.

Got any more summer travel tips – packing or otherwise?  Share ‘em here!

It feels like it’s not yet summer here in the Emerald City.  I woke up this morning to clouds and cold, and put on a staple long skirt, tee and sweater to work in.  My project has been putting together photo-albums for a family friend – this time, their Switzerland trip.  I was really feeling the chill, looking through all the photos of glaciers and gray skies.

Stepping outside about mid-project, I realized the sun had come out and the temperature had risen at least 10 degrees.  I strapped on a pair of shoes and prepared to run some errands -snapping a few photos first.

I don’t need the sweater anymore… apparently.

Also, let’s talk about this necklace.  I received a giant box of amazing granny jewelry from a friend as a gift.  I kind of love amazing granny jewelry – and this box had some real gems!  (HA!)  Of course, one of my favorite little pieces was this clip on earring, which posed 2 problems.  A) Clip on earrings hurt.  And B) I was missing the other half of the set.  Of course, you can be creative and clip them onto other things though – shoes, skirts, belts, tops…  But since there was only one earring, I looped the clip over a spare chain I had, and have been wearing it as a pendant.  A little JB Weld under the clip will hold the clip down, so the earring doesn’t slide off the clip.  Voila!  Instant jewel party.

The entire outfit feels very nautical.  For my trek outside, I paired it with this white Céline bag (from Rice and Beans Vintage – she does layaway so I can afford nice things) and a pair of silver Saltwater sandals.

What I wore:

• Striped Top – Forever 21
• Maxi Skirt – Nordstrom BP (Pre-anniversary sale.  There was a haul.  More on that later)
• Necklace – assembled by me!  Thrifty!
• Cleves Ring – Wendy Brandes (LOOOVE!)
• Sweater – Erin Brinié Online
• Bag – Céline from Rice and Beans Vintage

I love the maxi-skirts because they’re light for summer, but since our summers are so fickle they’re still warm enough to brave our cloudy mornings.  Also, I just love the silhouette of a long, slim skirt.   They’re one of my favorite summer pieces right now, along with this white bag, and Saltwater sandals.

Oh, by the way, Gustav says hi!

Hai!

What’s your current favorite summer piece?

PS – Tweet this for a chance to win a Honey Bronze set from the Body Shop (You have until Friday!)!    Help @birdiee and @thebodyshopusa stop Sex Trafficking! Sign the petition (& comment, to win a Honey Bronze set). http://bit.ly/j6VYsK

While flipping through June’s Elle last night, (I go through it a couple times, once for the pretty pictures, once for the articles and once to tear all my favorite images out of) I stumbled across a quote that seemed incredibly relevant:

“It just reminds us how different “real” women and celebrities are when it comes to their relationship with fashion.  Stars [and internet stars - my emphasis] use it to build an image; the rest of us look for clothes that connect with some inner part of ourselves – we need self expression, not a fan base.”

As the much-talked-about Blogger Beautiful post from Gala Darling points out,

“We all retouch our faces to be blemish-free, & if you only knew how many bloggers manipulate their waistlines or thighs in Photoshop! My point is, some fashion blog images are as unrealistic & idealistic as what is presented to us in magazines.”

Our relationship to the clothes, the platform, the photos are all different – but for many of us, it’s a form of self expression, not a means to a fan base.  And the beauty of that is that our self expression is what keeps us beautiful, relevant, shining, bright.  I sometimes wonder if, as fashion blogging becomes a bigger industry, it is becoming less creative – following the footsteps of the fashion world.  I wonder that and then I remember all the unique, down-to-earth, well read and amazing people whose lives I’ve been given a peek into.  And if they stopped blogging (and if you stopped blogging) and being them (your) selves, yes, fashion blogging would be less creative, less fun, and less intriguing.

When we give ourselves permission to be and feel everything we are – monstrous, large, loud, brazen, occasionally ugly – we age backward.

Translate that: when you love yourself regardless of your bad hair days, your outfit faux-pas, your gaffes in public (I’m a total goober in public, but I laugh, because it’s often hilarious!), you are nothing but inspiring – even on your non-fashionable days.  When you allow you to be you, when you’re not afraid to post images of yourself, and challenge others around you to do the same, you are courageous. That’s what style blogging is all about.

Okay… so looking at the photos, they’re not that bold, but these stripes are daring!  I happened to stumble across the Pretty Shiny Sparkly posts, Bloggers Do It Better calling on bloggers to show off their daring style. In her post, Kristina says:

Part of the fabulousness of this digital age we all live in and enjoy today comes from theamazing connection we as an audience and consumer have with the business world. Now, we can talk to our favorite designers, brands, and retailers via Twitter, and Real People are modeling the latest trends for big name brands, showcasing their Real Style.

So in honor of Bloggers Do It Better, bloggers around the world were asked to put together an outfit chosen from the following:  Colorblocking or Bold Stripes.  Stripes being prevalent in my closet, I decided on this little number:

Part of being on a “helluva budget” is reworking the things you have with quality things that you are able to spend cash on, at the best deal possible.  In this case, a $25 dress from H&M is worked into an early-spring outfit with pieces I already own.  And to make the outfit work, I picked up a $5 belt that can be worn at the waist (Why don’t I already own this piece, you ask – I have no idea).

To make this outfit seasonally appropriate I put on a long boyfriend cardigan and a pair of sweater tights.  Paired with my favorite Doc Marten Darcie boots, I was more than ready to trudge around in the rain!

I paired in some geometric jewelry; a Paloma Picasso bangle that was a gift from the Mister and some oversized round earrings my world-traveler friend Kirsten had picked up on her journeys.  The desired effect was bold but wearable, cute but concise.

I wore:

• Red and white striped dress: H&M
• Black sweater tights: Sockdreams
• Darcie boots: Doc Marten
• Gray long sweater: Urban Outfitters
• Black waist belt: H&M
• Black geometric bangle: Paloma Picasso for Tiffanys
• Black geometric earrings: a gift!

The reason I felt these stripes were so bold was because I felt like the horizontal stripes made my body look wider than normal.  I felt a little va-va-voom in this dress! And since I don’t wear that much red, I was a little nervous about the color.  BUT!  On seeing these photos, I am definitely proud of my personal style.

So did any of you participate in Bloggers Do It Better?  Link me to your outfits!  And if you haven’t signed up, go to the Bloggers Do It Better post on Pretty Shiny Sparkly to find out all the details.

I must have like 800-million rain posts on my blog – because in the Emerald City, the rain just doesn’t stop.  Well… it doesn’t stop until at least Memorial Day.

It’s raining out now and I’m contemplating a run to the market in the horrible downpour we’re having right now.  And while I contemplate I’m looking at a few items that would make my rainy day a little less wet, and a lot more fabulous.  For example, since I find it almost impossible to find a suitably cute raincoat right about now…

Purple Trim Bubble Umbrella on Amazon

I’m in love with that purple magenta color right now and how fun would the bubble be for our torrential downpours?

Or this:

Bella Umbrella Black and White Pinwheel Pagoda Parasol

You know you would be the belle of the ball toting around this pretty parasol on a rainy day.  FUN!

Until I’ve got a little extra money saved, though, I’ll be trodding around in my winter coat and oversized ugly rain boots.  But a girl can dream of splashing through puddles in some delectable rain gear, right?

“… A new dress doesn’t get you anywhere, it’s the life you’re living in the dress… the sort of life you had before, and what you will do in it later.”

Diana Vreeland was a wise woman with those words.  Wiser still was the realization that I CAN turn summer dresses into wintry spring wear, with very little effort.  And you can go out, laze around in the park with your dog, have fun lunch adventures, and the world will smile as you walk by because you’re a fresh breath of air in a cute summer dress.

So here’s how you do it.  Toss on some leggings under a little white ruffled tank dress.  Throw on a cute sweater with covered buttons… Put on a light colored boxy jacket, to offset the rest of your bodycon outfit.  Wear big sparkly jewels, and cute heels.

And voilà!

What I wore to lunch with my friend David, and then later to get smoothies and hang out in the park talking about how people should meet people in real life….

• Leggings – American Apparel
• Symphony Pumps – Miz Mooz
• Little white ruffle dress – H&M
• Gray covered-button Cardigan – LOFT
• Little gray boxy wool Jacket – Thrifted (a gift from Deco Modiste)
• Various rings – Thrifted
• Sparkly heart necklace – Tarina Tarantino (LOOOVE!)

I think it turned out well, and it’s a great way to turn any summer dress into something you can wear right now.   It’s also a great outfit to do the Charleston in your livingroom…

Favorite outfit photo?? Maybe!

Who doesn’t get dressed up to dance around in their livingroom?    What’s your favorite way to wear your summer dresses in the still-winter weather?

Raincloud by Carl Kleiner

I had a day full of promise, killed by the droning rain and my inability to sleep past 4:30a.  Yes, I woke up at 4:30, tottered around the house, was finally able to go back to sleep until around 8.  After breakfast the TORRENTIAL rain started and I have wanted to do nothing since.  While I sit here waiting for the maintenance people to patch the ceiling that was leaking last Friday, I came up with 10  ways to appreciate a rainy day…

* A mug of mint tea, and Amelie

* Napping to the sound of the rain on the window

* Long LUSH baths (Blackberry, Avobath, All That Jas, Sakura) and good books

* Puppy snuggles (or kitty! If you have one) and the latest fashion rags (I mean… mags)

* Obnoxious bright pink homemade manicures (and pedis!)

* Bread baking, soup-making!  Leek and potato soup for me… And maybe cookies?

* Craft party – it’s a perfect time to hot-glue some goodness together to make fun headbands.  Also, assembling cute earrings… etc.

* One-woman dance-a-thon in the living room (it’s my anti-rain dance!)

* Power cleaning my workspace (getting rid of clutter, putting things away).  Bonus points for combining this and the dance-a-thon idea.

* Big umbrellas and long walks – rainboots are a must!

Since I’m waiting on the maintenance guys and it’s raining buckets out, and I’ve officially missed pony-time, I’ll be in my office dancing… er….. cleaning up a storm, if you need me.

What are your best rainy day ideas?  I could use ‘em!