31.12.12

Kitsch Hair Ties

It's kind of crazy how adorable these hair ties from Kitsch are. 

The ones I'm coveting are called "She's Electric", which is basically a collection of elastic bands in offensively neon shades, and a glittery one thrown in for good measure ... because the world cannot survive on lurid, cornea-shocking colours alone.

Just the way I like it.






View other collections here.

I need an Intervention: My Pinterest Obsession

Over the weekend, I discovered the quiet joys of Pinterest.

At first, I was as uncertain as a duck would be, wobbling near the face of a rocky precipice. 

Anxiety tailgated me like a bawdy truck driver with anger management issues: "OMG LOL. I NEED TO PIN THIS ............. Hold on. It says the F-word. Do I really want to show people I'm okay with cursing this early on in my blogging career?"

But gradually (read: less than an hour later), drunk off the act of pinning things and herding them into organized folders, I became unnecessarily emboldened: "I'M GOING TO PIN EVERY SINGLE LAST THING ON HERE THAT CATCHES MY FANCY AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME - NOBODY!!!"

There was no turning back now. I was empowered. 

My boards were my well-organized slaves, destined to hold a multitude of inspiring images, tips and quotes forever...


You see folders, I see inspiration storage facilities ... http://pinterest.com/raincloud4rent/


But anyway.

I'm not entirely certain what it is about Pinterest that has me so ridiculously hooked, but I'm willing to bet it has something to do with the wispy, romantic ideals of an imagined life; in belief, faith, love and hope ... 

I mean, this shit gets me every single time; I soak it up the way a Kleenex soaks up spilled vodka.

In any case - I should really be more ashamed of this - I just felt like you should know that I now spend half  my waking moments wandering the virtual streets of Pinterest in search of something worthy to pin.



29.12.12

Saturday Morning

"There is a tonic strength, in the hour of sorrow and affliction, in escaping from the world and society and getting back to the simple duties and interests we have slighted and forgotten. Our world grows smaller, but it grows dearer and greater. Simple things have new charm for us, and we suddenly realize that we have been renouncing all that is greatest and best, in our pursuit of some phantom."
- William George Jordan









All ph. via Tumblr

#saturdaymorning #relax #lettheworldgoby #stareatsomeplants #putyourfeetup #anatomyofaperfectweekend

28.12.12

Wordpress vs Blogger: The Age Old Battle

"Once I make up my mind, I'm full of indecision."
- Oscar Levant



I began my morning yesterday with a hastily-read article on the merits of Wordpress.

Being ultimately impressionable, I created a Wordpress account and proceeded to scroll merrily though the templates. I mean, if there's one thing I can never erase about myself, it's this: I love searching for templates. 

Templates are cool. Templates are awesome. And OMG, I was going to re-design my entire blog!

The nerd in me was exultant.

So I searched.

And searched some more. 

... and then I kept right on searching, recycling through the ones I'd already seen in a desperate bid to find a suitable template.

After about four hours, I had to acknowledge the dark frustration that had begun to fester in my chest: WORDPRESS HAS THE WORST COLLECTION OF FREE TEMPLATES I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.

I was going barmy clicking through each of the odd hundred or so templates. How do other people do this? How are they satisfied with their templates? Am I just fussy and neurotic? I mean, if it isn't an ugly font, it's an ugly grey border that refuses to be eradicated sans the requisite $30 a year just to get your hands on the CSS.

Then, in my darkest hour when it seemed like all hope was lost, the $65 Watson theme unfurled its seductive tendrils and beckoned...

"Look at me," said the Watson theme in a husky dulcet tone. "Look at how minimal I am - I'm everything you're looking for in a template. Sticky post function, clean header space AND a proper sidebar! You'd be so happy on Wordpress with me ... Buy me ... buy me ... buy me ..."


"NO!" I howled in agony. "SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING I CAN'T EVEN WEAR IS DAYLIGHT ROBBERY!" 


"Well, I don't know about it being daylight robbery," said the Watson theme icily. "I really prefer to think of myself as a safe and necessary investment. Kind of like bonds."


"Did you really just compare yourself to bonds? Bonds have returns ... eventually. You're just a black hole! I'm going to regret you the minute I hand over my credit card details!" 


"You dropped $175 on an Isabel Marant canvas tote last month just because it had sequinned accents, who's the black hole here?"


"OMG. Who told you about that?"


"I know everything," said the Watson theme flippantly. "I'm like Google, only cuter 'cos my tags are framed in black boxes. Buy me, and find out what else I can do..."


I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. "This conversation is over. I'm heading back to Blogger."


"Why won't you buy me? You buy just about everything else," said the Watson theme sulkily. "BUY MEEEE!!!"


As the last shriek of the Watson theme's banshee call faded into oblivion, so it came to be that I COULD NOT FIND A SUITABLE THEME ON WORDPRESS WITHOUT DOLING OUT A WAD OF CASH. 

Until I figure out a way to mould a template to my fancy over on Wordpress (or until they come up with something better), Raincloud for Rent shall remain on Blogger, where I hope Google will not delete my work on a fanciful whim. <-- 48 hours ago, I hadn't even realized that this was a legitimate threat.

... Blogging in 2012 is so much harder than it was at the turn of the century.







Be cool. Follow my blog with Bloglovin.


26.12.12

Just Begin


"I never look at the masses as my responsibility; I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time - just one, one, one. So you begin. I began - I picked up one person. Maybe if I didn't pick up that one person, I wouldn't have picked up forty-two thousand....The same thing goes for you, the same thing in your family, the same thing in your church, your community. Just begin - one, one, one."
- Mother Teresa



ph. Bourgeoise Belle

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!!!!!! I may have to KEEP MY CAPS LOCK key intermittently ACTIVE for a couple of SENTENCES JUST so nobody really gets a PROPER chance TO REALIZE I'M like a day late. YOU know - Because EVERYBODY IS so busy being ANGRILY DISTRACTED by what appears to be sporadically spastic VIRTUAL YELLING. 

I am really sorry.

I promise to try and not let this happen ever again.

Though, on a related note: Happy Boxing Day! I'm not even a tiny bit late for this one. You guys must be relieved you don't have to suffer through yet another desperate burst of irresponsible Caps Locking. 

Hence ... as surely as Jesus and Mother Teresa have given you the gift of Love ... I, in turn, have given you the gift of Gratitude ...


... You're welcome.


23.12.12

Proenza Schouler Pre-Fall 2013





ph. Style.com

The Proenza pre-fall collection for 2013 basically encapsulates everything I'm obsessed with: metallics, grungy print, drop-waisted baggy silhouettes, more baggy silhouettes, embellished clutches, holographics, and weird pointy shoes that end mid-foot before re-emerging at the heel.

I also really enjoy how the current hair trend now seems to be that I-don't-own-a-comb-or-a-hairdryer look (a look that Alexa Chung embodies with much disheveled finesse), which should really clue you in on how I present my hair to the world every day. 


22.12.12

A List of Things Everybody Should Promise Themselves

"Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you."

- Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them



A lot of things on this list sound about as easy as discovering a cure for cancer, but in the interest of being granted access to Heaven ... I think I've found my New Year's Resolution for 2013.

21.12.12

Welcome to the Rest of Your Life


"What if nobody showed up at Armageddon?"
- C.R. Strahan



I woke up today expecting fire and brimstone and possibly news of Hitler's resurrection, but as of 11am UTC+8 time, I am pleased to report that none of these things have transpired. I'm pretty sure that means we're good for at least a couple more days.

Also, in case you were wondering: given that the Apocalypse seems to be running a little late, my list of essentials from yesterday still looks pretty essential today.

... I should probably take advantage of this opportunity and stockpile.

Here's some more stuff that I want à la  3.1 Phillip Lim.


Don't look at me with those condescending eyes.

I don't want to leave this Earth harboring the regret of never being decisive enough to procure a single item with a Phillip Lim label on it.

20.12.12

Doomsday Dilemma

Apparently, the world is going to end tomorrow.

In case you've been cryogenically frozen for an entire year, 21.12.12 is supposed to be the legit date for global expiration, so made legit only because:

  1. Some long-count Mayan calendar ends abruptly on this day.
  2. All predictions made by the Ancient Mayans have come true in spectacular form.

Hence, by pure inductive reasoning, human logic dictates that the Mayans knew their shit; ergo, tomorrow we're all going to die something is going to happen.

Nobody's sure what, but I'm thinking dinosaurs and alien spaceships.

I have to say though, I am a little peeved that I decided to start a blog like all of two seconds ago only to have this sudden, ominous air of doom swoop in and steal my thunder without so much as a "howdy-do". I mean, how totally rude and inconvenient.

This will teach me to procrastinate.

Still, I suppose one just never knows when the wrath of God will strike ...

Am going to wade through my doubt and crack out a list of essentials to acquire ... you know, just in case shit hits the fan and I'm standing next to a crater weeping desolately, completely ill-equipped to face the new world order.


These all seem like total essentials at the moment, but ask me again tomorrow.


19.12.12

Day One



Hello again, world.

I've missed tapping out silly things on the super information highway to nobody in particular.