No Sunny Skies? A Little Squidarella Color May Help

I've been hearing for weeks from people in various cities about the miserable rainy weather in the Northeast and Chicago.  Well, just to cheer you all up a bit, I thought I'd share an innovation from Squid London's designers, Viviane Jaeger and Emma-Jayne Parkes.  The designer duo has invented an umbrella that changes color when water touches the surface. 

Their mantra is to use smart materials and explains how they came up with using hydrochromatic ink on the umbrella's textile surface to create some fun.  (The graphic is London's skyline)  How does Squidarella work, you ask?  Check out SquidLondon's own You Tube video to see it in action.

Initially, they produced 100 limited edition umbrellas and sold out in under two weeks.  These umbrella's are priced at about $40 and can be found here.  Let's hope they start to sell in the US soon because unless you go there to pick it up, they charge an additional $59 for shipping to the US. 

If you have a friend or a visit planned to London, be sure to grab one of these for yourself and one for me, too.  Only kidding.  Regardless, it's a great idea and they're definitely a group to watch for what's next.  They've got me wanting to go dancing in the rain!