As everyone knows, the perfect gift is something that the recipient wants, but wouldn't buy for her- or himself. And fancy umbrellas fall into this category. Everyone loves them (like the ones above from Modcloth, $27.99 and $37.99) but nobody wants to buy them, because umbrellas are #1 on Family Feud responses list under "Items You Often Lose."
Umbrellas are also good "I don't know you very well, but I like you enough to give you a present" gifts, if you stay away from the overly cutesy (nothing anthropomorphized) or the overly branded (no sports logos).
[And we're still on the fundraising drive/Secret Lives poll:]
http://www.networkforgood.org/PCA/Badge.swf?BadgeId=114975
If we reach $1200 in donations by December 25, I will write a new "secret lives" story, that will include the top-two vote-getters below:
http://modpoll.com/poll.js?pid=agdwb2xsMmdvcg0LEgRQb2xsGLvHlwYM&theme=&width=200
A Dress A Day 
Oh fine – just love them but I live in Arizona! Sigh
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You’ve got my number today. I really need an umbrella. Most of mine break here in the windy city! Of course, I probably won’t need one again until April, but I’d love to find one under my tree this year!
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That umbrella with clouds looks like a copy of a better design by Tibor Kalman. You can get the real one at the Museum of Modern Art shop, online or in person in NYC. (I would know — I’ve lost and bought about five of them!)
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