ah the rain

so it has been raining like crazy in oahu the past couple of days...serious rain...rain that reminds me of thunderstorms in oklahoma kinda rain.  i actually saw lightening and heard thunder for the first time here and it made me miss all of oklahoma's frequent thunderstorms (but not the hail and tornadoes).

it's been pretty awesome, but it got me thinking...i don't have an umbrella-mostly because i'm kinda picky and i've never seen an umbrella that i really like.  well except one that i loved (before it broke), it was white with black lace embroidered around the edges, but it was more of a parasol.  so much so that it flipped itself inside out at the slightest hint of a breeze (hence why it's now broken...it didn't hold up too well to a thunderstorm).  aaaanyway...so i was wondering, since i like painting/drawing, why don't i just buy a plain umbrella and jazz it up?  i haven't found too many articles online, but i think i might try using sharpies or fabric pens...if i ever get around to actually buying an umbrella anyway.  i mean i like the small fold-up ones (they've become so tiny!!) but they do tend to be smaller and flimsier.  and i like the charm of the 'standard' umbrella but they seem so bulky and i have to commit a whole hand to carrying it around...  yeah, not only am i picky, i'm also indecisive...

anyway, it's an idea to keep on the back burner i suppose...

has anyone else tried this?  any tips or suggestions?