October 31, 2012

Link Love: Weather

“After the Storm” by Nomadic Lass – click for info

I don’t know about you, but I love a good thunderstorm, and I could lie in the yard for hours watching the clouds on a summer day. Weather can be beautiful, inconvenient, or downright scary — but any way you look at it, it’s a fascinating subject. With Hurricane Sandy currently beating down on us, we East Coasters have weather on our brains, but wherever you live the weather is doing something. Below are some links to help you get your inner meteorologist on.

  • Go back to virtual science class and learn about the basics of weather, from El Nino to tornadoes, with this brief and informative tour of weather cycles.
  • Impress your friends by predicting the weather with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center. Then track current storms via satellite.
  • Want to get high-tech weather prediction? Stormpulse is a comprehensive service that pulls weather data and warnings from all over the internet.
  • If you’re curious about what it takes to become a meteorologist, check out the American Meteorological Society’s info and standards. (Hint: It’s about more than being wrong 50% of the time.)
  • For further reading, explore the World Meteorological Society’s weather e-library. They link out to online documents about everything weather-related, from health and environmental impact to scientific journals.

What do you love or hate about the weather?

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July 9, 2012

what to wear to: beat the heat

This is a guest post from Erika Riggs of Rouge and Whimsy.

When the temperature starts inching toward triple digits, or even surpassing it, the challenge of putting together an outfit that looks good and keeps you cool gets harder and harder.

While it’s tempting to lounge around in a swimsuit by the pool (or even in it), daily life calls for a little bit more clothing.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but wearing light, flowing clothing rather than a pair of teeny shorts will keep you more comfortable in the heat. Designed to be worn loose, a maxi dress or a pair of on-trend palazzo pants will keep you cooler and stylish, despite that weather report.

Maxi dresses can be found at nearly any big-box store or even local boutiques in a smattering of colors and shapes. I love this one for Target because it’s loose-fitting on top and bottom and in a slimming solid color. Maxi dresses are appropriate for work, weekend wear and even – with the right accessories – a garden wedding.

Worried about looking like you’re wearing a mumu? Find one that cinches in at your natural waist, which is often the narrowest part of a woman’s body. This will give you an hour-glass shape, something that mumus don’t ever achieve.

Accessorize with fun jewelry, a great pair of shades, and comfortable sandals.

Maxi dress: Target / necklace: OddsAndEndsbyKaley / sunglasses: modcloth / sandals: Nordstrom

If you’re not a dress fan, try a pair of light-weight wide-leg pants. Like a maxi dress, these pants won’t cling and will keep the dreaded sticky leg syndrome from happening. You can pick up a pair of solid, linen-blend pants, or if you’re bold, try a pair of printed palazzo pants. The slight high-waist and small print is slimming, and when worn with wedges, your legs will appear longer. Tuck in a loose solid tank and add some bangles to your arms to complete the look.

Pants: Hive and Honey / Tank: Old Navy / Shoes: TOMS / Bangles: Shop Ruche and Anthropologie / Hat: Banana Republic

Another tip? Choose natural fabrics. Cotton, linen, and even silk are much better bets than plastic-based polyesters, which often don’t breathe.

What do you wear to beat the heat?

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erika riggsErika Riggs is a writer, big dreamer and creative lady living in beautiful Seattle with her husband and Corgi. She blogs at Rouge and Whimsy and sells colorful totes on etsy. She’s limited to 140 characters on Twitter as @rougeandwhimsy.

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July 22, 2011

little things link love: the ever-changing weather

Weather - Painted Handmade Wooden Toy Playset by Armadillo Dreams - click image to view more

Our love/hate relationship with weather comes in many forms.

Love: warm sun, blue skies, refreshing showers, the rainbows they produce, a cool breeze…

Hate: scorching heat, torrential downpours when you’re caught outside, blizzards, bowl-you over winds…

Beyond that realm, you can also enter the destructive category of droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning strikes, floods, and white-outs.

One thing is for certain, though: weather is fascinating. Humans have always been affected by it, and it can alter the course of your day, your week, and your vacation, depending on what is predicted. It can affect our mood. It can be fun to shop for cute rain boots and umbrellas. It can be the reason we select one vacation destination or permanent address over another.

In the United States, the Founding Fathers took a large interest in weather and some were avid observers. According to the National Weather Service, Thomas Jefferson bought his first thermometer while writing the Declaration of Independence, followed soon after by the purchase of a barometer. George Washington documented the weather in his diary up until the day before he died, and, of course, there is Benjamin Franklin’s interest in lightning and electricity.

Here are some unique ways to document, harness, and learn all about what Mother Nature has to offer:

  • Join the Cloud Appreciation Society – Based in England, the CAS is an online group of cloud lovers who share anything and everything related to those particle puffs in the sky. From Jell-O cloud recipes, to photo galleries, to forums, you’ll be surrounded by over 27,000 others in 92 countries who share the love.
  • Knit a sky scarf – The endlessly-creative Lea Redmond from Leafcutter Designs came up with a brilliant project called a sky scarf. Every day for one year, you knit one row of a scarf in the same color as your sky for that day. Completely cloudless day? Tack on a bright, bold, blue stripe. A little overcast? Make the next one a bit more gray. Give your neck a little hug with a great story behind it.
  • Use a rain barrel – We don’t realize how important water is and how scarce it can be until we no longer have access to it. Growing up in Ohio, I was used to my parents having their water use metered and being charged accordingly. Here in California, it’s not as widespread. This can end up in an undocumented free-for-all until the summer restrictions kick in after months without a drop from the sky. This site will show you how to put the ancient practice of water harvesting to use so you can reduce water waste and maybe save a little money in the process.
  • Wear weather jewelry – Recent featured Etsy seller, The Angry Weather, bases a good part of her product line on what’s going on in the atmosphere. She makes metal jewelry featuring clouds, rain drops, lightning bolts, and even meteorites.
  • Take snowflake photos – I miss snowflakes terribly, so I now live vicariously through the documentations of others. This post offers a beautiful collection of snowflake photos from around the web. The symmetry and structure completely mesmerize me.
  • Learn more about weather – The National Weather Service offers JetStream, an online weather school, where you can read up on topics ranging from heat indexes to satellites. Each module has a quiz at the end to test your learnin’s.

What is your ideal type of weather? What do you find makes you more active or productive? Are you a cold-lover or a heat-lover?

 

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