I Like More Rainy Day Inspiration

It's raining.  Again.

I have no means of getting out of the house because my car is being serviced (this has taken all week, not one day as we thought) and I am definitely not the type of person that likes to get outside and walk in the rain.  Never have been, never will be.

I write today a little exhausted from a week of long and creative blogging, and so I thought I would simply post more things to do on a rainy day.  I hope they will inspire some one out there in the cosmic void.

Transport yourself away from the gloomy rain and read a book.  I love this book so much, I highly recommend you read it and if you have already then it is time to read it again!

Even better, grab your book and read it in the bath tub for a more relaxing and indulgent experience.

You could listen to John Mayer while in the tub, (he always warms the cockles of my heart).

Think sunny thoughts.

Do some yoga.  Always a good way to spend some time.

Invite some friends around and play Mah-jong.  Simply the greatest game ever, so much fun and very social.

Cuddle a kitty.  This is my friend Sarah's beautiful boy Moby, possibly the most affectionate cat ever.  Look at his paw, he's just sitting there and he's pawing the ground, he's so full of love!

Then of course there's always shopping online, isn't there?

Rainy days make for the need for more closet space. I think I will leave it at that, says it all really.

Inspiration and Influence

Inspiration starts, for me, almost always with a picture of something that just speaks to me. It could be a postcard, or a shot in a magazine, sometimes its a person I see crossing the road. I have a wall in my house where I put these pictures so that I can see them everyday and let them permeate and influence me subtly. Initially I have no idea how I'm going to use it, I don't know how it will influence me, but eventually in some small way, it usually does.

Every day style influences come from a small group of women who's look and style speaks to me. Whether it be in a physical way or a cerebral way, somehow it gets under my skin and is reflected in my personal style.

Charlotte Gainsbourg has a natural elegance, I just find her gaelic beauty and long, fine hair so appealing. I guess it's because I have the same long, fine hair and have always wished for thicker, curlier hair. To see Charlotte looking gorgeous, with my type of hair, gives me hope.

I can't get enough of Drew Barrymore's gorgeous doe eyes, she has such a natural appeal, and a quirky, hippy edge. And I'm just so loving her hair colour! That reddish-brown is just so warm and perfect for her complexion.

Dido, Dido, Dido!

Her voice and her songs are so moving, listening to her makes me fall in love with my husband all over again. She's petite, but full-voiced and I love her look because it's simple, laid-back and classic.

Carrie Bradshaw, (and I mean Carrie here, not Sarah Jessica). I love Carrie for her daring wardrobe achievements. I love her frivolity and the way she wears clothes in new and untried ways. I love how her wardrobe reflects her mood because for me, my mood is definitely something that affects how I dress.

My mood defines (or even dictates) my sense of style for the day.

And should the weather not be cooperating with my mood, I can't tell you how terribly irritating that is!

I think that most of us are drawn to certain looks that either reflect our own style, or offer us direction toward the look we want to achieve. It should not overtake our own personal sense of style, but help us to convey it by simply being an influence, or a nudge in the right direction.

To be confident and comfortable in our own skin, isn't that really what we want to achieve?