I can't live without...

An awesomely swanky umbrella! Seriously. I live in Oregon. And anyone who tries to tell me Oregonians are too cool for umbrellas had better be prepared for a truly massive eye-roll, and maybe a cattily arched eyebrow thrown in for good measure. Are you kidding me? We're pretty lucky here. We don't get murderous tornadoes or raging forest fires or anything terribly catastrophic (Except, apparently, a long overdue earthquake of unspeakable proportions. Joy.). We do, however, get lots and lots of torrential rain.

So, really, boys and girls, do yourselves a favor and invest in a rad umbrella. Even if you don't live in a rainy climate, an umbrella makes a great physical sunblock, and won't flop in your face like those oh-so-pretty-but-really-kind-of-stupid floppy brimmed hats. I'm a fan of the long skinny school of umbrella myself. I like to swagger around with it like a cane, and use it to poke things. Once I used the curved handle of my umbrella to catch a runaway dog by the collar. True story.

Here are a few I'm lusting after right now...

Instant happiness from MoMA

Seriously. Seriously. *swoon* Buy it here.

The Funbrella is specially designed for kids. Whatever.

Of course the coolest umbrella etailer ever is based in the UK...

The Brelli is semi-translucent, waterproof, windproof,
UV protective, and (wait for it...) biodegradable. Hello.

And if a shorty is more your style...

A Katana umbrella. Just in case. ThinkGeek.com also carries them
with a pirate sword handle, a lightsaber handle, and brass knuckles.
Very Avengers, no?

A sturdy and well designed umbrella can be a godsend in an Oregon spring. Or winter. Or fall. Also, its a fun accessory! And who doesn't love even the flimsiest excuse to accessorize? Crazy people. That's who. 

And don't forget, you can always use your umbrella to poke things!