Cheeky Umbrellog

Umbrellas and Handcuffs Procreate

2009-08-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, an umbrella and a set of handcuffs fell in love...and 9 months later we welcomed The Shacklie into this world! If you are absolutely sick of losing your umbrellas to theft, then this is the product for you. The hook handle turns into a cuff that you can lock onto any object to prevent it from being stolen. Heck, you could even lock it onto your wrist if you were afraid that someone wanted your brolly so bad that they might rip it from your hands. The little keys that would be required to open it remind me of those keys I used to have for my suitcase locks...and I always seemed to lose those darn things. So if someone actually ends up making the Shacklie (it looks like it is just in the idea phase right now), my vote is for a combo lock...not keys.

Rain Derailing Your Diet?

2009-08-28T14:52:00.001-07:00

I was reading an editorial recently and the writer mentioned that rain makes her hungry. In fact, it was derailing her diet. Does anyone else experience this phenomenon? I could see that because I feel hungry when the weather turns colder, and rain usually means lower temps. The second there is a chill in the air, I'm thinking about my next meal! I found an article that says we actually eat 6-7% more calories in the colder weather than we do in the warmer weather! There are many possible reasons, including an evolutionary explanation...it may be because our ancestors needed to eat more in the winter in case food became scarce.

Umbrella Jousting...Right-O!

2009-08-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

Cheerio my jolly ol' blog readers! Check out jousting with umbrellas on bicycles at the Chap Olympiad...pip pip! Only in Britain....

Celebrolly

2009-07-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

Here's some celebrities photographed recently with their umbrellas:

Hilary Duff cruises the streets with her coffee and scarlett red woodshaft umbrella.
Source: The Insider.

Uma Thurman has an assistant to carry her navy and white golf umbrella on a movie set. Source: Flick r

Little Suri Cruise hits the town with her ladybug umbrella.
Source: Fanpop.

A poster of Beyonce with a stunning floral sun umbrella.
Source: Starstore.

Mood Umbrellas

2009-07-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Remember the mood ring you had when you were a kid? It would change colour, depending on whether your mood was happy, sad, angry, etc. Now, wouldn't that be a great feature for an umbrella? You could keep your distance from anyone with black, grey, tan or dark yellow umbrellas, since their foul mood would make them more likely to be angry or agressive with their umbrella. We could all avoid getting poked in the eye as we pass them on the street, or poked in the ribs on the bus...it would save the world from a lot of umbrella injuries! Unfortunately there is no such invention thus far...but there is an umbrella I found that changes colour when it gets wet in the rain! Check it out.

The Perfect Umbrella for Canadians

2009-06-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

It's probably one of the biggest pet peeves of walking downtown on a rainy day: getting poked in the eye with an umbrella. But lo and behold, there is an invention to solve any pet peeve! Check out this umbrella that can partially collapse itself so that you can fit between people/things without hurting someone and/or breaking your umbrella! This "polite umbrella" should be a big hit here in Canada, where we're apparently known for our politeness. Can they make it so it also says "excuse me" as you pass people?

The Best Accessory for an Umbrella

2009-06-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Umbrellas are usually accessories for people. But what's the best accessory for an umbrella? Johnny Depp. He can make anything look hot...even a broken black umbrella. Check out these pics that were taken during a downpour in Puerto Rico while he was filming scenes for The Rum Diary. *Sigh*....

Photo Cred: Fame Pictures. Source: Accidental Sexiness.

Your Umbrella is My Umbrella

2009-06-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

What if you didn't have to worry about getting caught in a rainstorm without your umbrella? What if you never had to worry about leaving your umbrella on the bus or finding that someone has taken it from the umbrella holder at the front of your favourite shop? Nope, it's not some utopian place...it's Philadelphia. They have this umbrella sharing system called "Dutch Umbrella" in the city's Fairmount area. There are a whole bunch of umbrella pick-up and drop-off locations at different shops and restaurants in the area, so that if it starts raining you can simply grab one and go. Of course, they're probably not as cute and sturdy as our Cheeky umbrellas, but a great concept nonetheless!

Are Men and Umbrellas Like Oil and Water?

2009-05-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

I read this editorial in the Calgary Sun recently by Stephen Lautens about his dislike for umbrellas, and it re-surfaced my debate over whether Cheeky Umbrella should do men's umbrellas in the future or not. Lautens is of the opinion that manly men don't carry umbrellas...they just get wet. And this point of view doesn't come as a surprise to me actually. In fact, I've always been under the impression that men weren't big fans of umbrellas - that they only were interested in the most convenient, cheap umbrellas they could find (whatever will keep their head dry) and that they preferred plain, dark colours (like black or navy) over a brolly with some design to it. Yet, for some reason, I've had many requests for men's Cheeky umbrellas. Are my assumptions false? Would men be interested in a good quality umbrella with a little design to it, as long as it was still masculine looking? Or does Lautens' apathetic interest in umbrellas reflect the majority of men? The debate continues...

Please weigh in and let me know what you think!

Umbrella Decor for Baby Showers

2009-05-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

I'm organizing a baby shower right now and while looking for game and decoration ideas online, I came across this great idea to use umbrellas as decor! Umbrellas are a perfect fit...after all, it is a "shower," right? Plus, everyone has a few umbrellas around the house, so it is a cost-effective way to decorate (which is oh-so important in these economic times).

Here are the instructions from the article:

Collect several different umbrellas from your home. Open them up, fix streamers in various colors (not just pink and blue, though those are fine too) to the umbrellas. Next, fix the umbrellas so that they hang upside down from the ceiling, and the colored streamers flutter above your heads. This makes a great sight!

You can also fill up umbrellas with balloons or even yarn in pastel colors. Hang them upside down at strategic points.

Umbrellas or Weapons?

2009-05-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

I can definitely see why kids seem to use their umbrellas like weapons. They're long and thin...perfect for wacking and poking. Heck, they even sort of resemble a sword. Can you blame them? I read this cute article today about a Dad who took his young son to a baseball game and they were giving out umbrellas to the fans. Uh oh...a kid with an umbrella in a large crowd...dangerous!

Maybe the kids are onto something though....it turns out you CAN actually use your umbrella as a weapon if you wanted...for self defense! Check out this video (around the 1:00 mark) and these tips. They even make an umbrella for adults with a samurai sword handle.

Forget perfume, Britney! She should start a line of self-defense umbrellas instead. If you recall, Brit used her umbrella back in 2007 to attack an SUV with paparazzi in it (photo above).

Where Umbrellas Go To Die

2009-04-28T12:09:00.001-07:00

Photo source

Have you ever wondered where umbrellas go when they die? Apparently, they end up in the street and the garbage can according to the photos on the blog Better off Soaked. This blog has pretty funny photos and commentary on the photos of broken, abandoned umbrellas, but isn't it sad that this is what happens to them? It seems like such a waste of materials, so I did a search to see if anyone makes products out of recycled umbrellas. I was surprised to find quite a few!

Here's a dress made of umbrella fabric, and I seem to recall that the contestants of Project Runway Canada made some dresses out of discarded umbrellas for one challenge. Here are some bags made of recycled umbrellas also. Maybe we should start a recycling program for Cheeky umbrellas too! Please contact us if you think you can make something cool and unique out of our recycled brollies!

Umbrella Factory Visit

2009-04-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

My husband and I just returned from a visit to Hong Kong and China last week, and we got a chance to go visit the umbrella factory that manufactures my Cheeky umbrellas while we were there. This was my first factory visit and what a fabulous experience it was! Prior to this, I have had a buying agent who is located in Hong Kong visit and inspect the factory so that I could ensure I was dealing with a legitimate, ethical and honest company with good quality products. But of course there is nothing better than being able to meet the factory owner/manager in person and see the factory with my own eyes.

After a night in Hong Kong, we took the train across the border to Shenzhen, China and spent the night there. The factory manager picked us up at our hotel the next morning and we drove 1.5 hours to the factory location. When we first arrived, we headed to the boardroom to discuss upcoming orders, quality improvement, etc. We also viewed their umbrella frame and handle samples and chose the ones we liked for future products (e.g. folding purse-sized umbrellas, ladies golf umbrellas, children's umbrellas, etc.)

Next we went on a factory tour. These are some women sewing the fabric to the ribs of the umbrella...

Attaching the snaps to the tie bands...

Table of partially completed umbrellas...

Aluminum for making umbrella ribs...

Factory workers assembling umbrella ribs...

After our tour, we headed for lunch...and our first experience with chicken feet! In Canada they bring a basket of bread to your table before your food, but in China they bring a bowl of fried chicken feet! We didn't get a chance to try any though...the factory manager told the server to take them away because he suspected we might find them unappetizing (probably true...I might have tried them, but my husband has a queasy stomach...he couldn't even watch that tv show Fear Factor without gagging!)

We returned to the factory after lunch and headed back to the boardroom for a little more discussion. Then we drove over to the screen printing factory...

By this time it was around 3PM and we drove back to Shenzhen to take a nap at the hotel (still jet-lagged!) before heading out to dinner. The factory owner/manager (aka Chinese host extraordinaire!) and his wife (who also works at the factory as the accountant) took us to a great Cantonese seafood restaurant. We chose the seafood we ate from tanks at the front - scallops, some type of fish and some type of large prawn. Unfortunately we didn't know what we were eating most of the time because our hosts often didn't know the english words for the food! The factory owner and his wife are a young couple very similar to ourselves - early 30's with no kids yet, entrepreneurial and like the outdoors (hiking, biking, etc.) We were trying to convince them to come to Vancouver on their next holiday since there are so many outdoor activities to do here! After dinner they took us to a bar to experience a couple of live bands. Bands in Canadian bars usually play rock music, but these bands played Chinese pop music. It was pretty funny...we felt like we were watching a Chinese version of American Idol or something.

The next morning, the factory owner/manager picked us up from the hotel once again and took us for dim sum. Although it felt odd to eat chicken and noodles for breakfast (I usually have yogurt and fruit), it was delicious!

After dim sum, my husband and I headed back to Hong Kong. All in all, our visit to Cheeky Umbrella's manufacturer was one of the best personal experiences I've had and also one of the best things I've done for my business. Looking forward to going back!

Don't Loan Books, Movies...or Umbrellas

2009-04-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

How many times have you loaned a friend one of your books or movies and never gotten it back? That's why you never lend out the ones that you love and really want to hang on to, right? Same goes for umbrellas...loaning yours to someone could be the last time you see it! Check out this story about a guy who was duped by an umbrella thief! I don't know if it's a real story or not, but a good reminder to keep your beloved umbrella close to your side :-)

Singin' Rihanna in the Rain

2009-04-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

When it rains, it appears that people aren't singing Gene Kelly any more...Rihanna has taken over the rainy day anthem! There are an ENDLESS number of home videos posted online of people singing in the rain to her song "Umbrella". The majority of them seem to be teen girls strutting their best Rihanna moves while getting soaked in a downpour. Here's a few to check out...but be warned...you'll be singing "umbrella...ella...ella...ella" all day after you watch them!

And nothing demonstrates the takeover of Rihanna's "Umbrella" from Gene Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain" than this medley by one of my favourite artists Jamie Cullum:

It's Raining Cats and Dogs

2009-03-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder where the expression "It's raining cats and dogs" came from? Here are a few theories that we found online:

- It is possible that the word cat is derived from the Greek word 'catadupe' meaning 'waterfall.' Or it could be raining 'cata doxas,' which is Latin for 'contrary to experience,' or an unusual fall of rain.

- Animals have been associated with weather for centuries. Cats stand for rain, and dogs for wind.

- In old England, it was said that cats and dogs would sleep on the thatched roofs. When it rained, the roofs got slippery and the cats and dogs would slide off, making it look as though it were raining cats and dogs.

- The 17th-century sewage and drainage systems were poor in Europe and it's possible that if a strong enough rain came through, it would flood the gutters and alleys to the point where all the dead cats and dogs would begin to float down the streets.

- There have been many mentions in history of raining wildlife. There are several accounts of frogs, fish, and grasshoppers falling from the sky, usually as a result of tornado-like whirlwinds. It's possible that the saying is somehow derived from this, although there haven't been any accounts of cats and dogs falling from the sky.

Rain Dance

2009-02-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

This is the best rain dance I've ever seen! Check out the video here.

Best Way to Bring Rain

2009-01-28T13:35:00.001-08:00

Forget praying or doing a rain dance, here's the best way to bring rain...

Can I Cash a Rain Check?

2009-01-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered where the phrase "I'll take a rain check" came from? Although I don't know how credible this "Hot for Words" teacher is, the explanation sounds pretty realistic Check it out!

Our Top Ten Songs/Music Videos About Rain

2009-01-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

1. November Rain – Guns ‘N Roses
All brides should get married in a mini skirt, no?

2. Blame it on the Rain – Milli Vanilli
Guess it was the rain's fault that they lip-sync'ed all their tunes.

3. Purple Rain – Prince
When it comes to this purple-loving vocalist, even the rain falls in his favourite colour.

4. My Favorite Things – Julie Andrews in the movie The Sound of Music
Julie Andrews with seven children in her bed...good thing it was filmed in the '60's when no one thought stuff like that was inappropriate.

5. Singin’ in the Rain – Gene Kelly in the movie Singin’ in the Rain
If you ask us, he’s risking drowning by opening his mouth that wide in the rain.

6. It’s Raining Men – Geri Haliwell
Guess losing a bunch of weight and dancing in your knickers is the key to making men fall from the heavens when you’re a former Spice Girl.

7. Here Comes the Rain Again – Eurythmics
Is that a boy or girl? If her name wasn't Annie, it would be up for debate.

8. Umbrella – Rihanna
You’ve never seen an umbrella used like this before.

9. The Thunder Rolls – Garth Brooks
Not sure what’s worse – Garth as that ‘Chris Gaines’ character or Garth as this cheating jerk in a bad wig and glasses beating his wife.

10. Rain – Madonna
A wet Madonna…but I guess that’s nothing new.

Honorable Mention:
No Rain - Blind Melon
Remind us again...what does that little bee girl have to do with anything?

What are you fav songs/videos about rain?

To Bring or Not To Bring Your Brolly?

2009-01-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

If your commute to work involves walking or waiting outdoors, then every day before you leave the house you ask yourself, "Should I bring my umbrella?" Now there's a simple solution. The Umbrella Today website will answer this very question. Just enter your zip code and their service will send a text to your cell phone each morning that tells you whether you should bring your umbrella or not! Brilliant idea!

'Tis the Season for Rain

2008-12-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season for snow in other parts of the world...but here in Vancouver, Christmas-time is the season for rain. Many people put up icicle lights on their homes, even though we rarely have icicles here, but maybe it would be more appropriate to put up these "rain effect" christmas lights! While we're at it, maybe us snow-challenged parts of the world should change the lyrics to a few carols too..."I'm dreaming of a green Christmas"...

Look Ma, No Hands!

2008-11-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

Someone recently told me that I should come up with a way to attach an umbrella to its owner so that they don't have to hold it, and therefore they would have both hands free. It's not exactly the stylish type of look we're going for at Cheeky Umbrella, so I can't imagine ever doing one. But I had to check it out to see if it existed...and low and behold, there is such a thing...a hat umbrella!

Check it out:
http://www.theumbrellahat.com/
http://www.umbrellahat.net/

There's even a Canadian flag one!
http://www.ocanadagear.com/hat-umbrella.htm

Rain Delay Causes Trouble in the World Series

2008-10-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

Our friend the rain caused some major MLB drama in Game 5 of the World Series this week...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/sports/baseball/29fox.html

The Rain Has Arrived...

2008-10-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

...and so has the Cheeky Umbrella website! Check our our recently launched site at: www.cheekyumbrella.com.