Seeking Out the Perfect Shelter in Any Storm?

DEAR HOT: I know we need rain, but I hate getting wet. Gray days are so depressing. I need an attitude implant but, as usual, I’d rather go shopping. Do you know of any uplifting rain gear I can buy before the rainy season arrives?

DEAR HOT SHOPPER: We found the cheeriest rainy day antidote we’ve ever seen at the Nature Company. It’s a sky-blue umbrella printed with soft white clouds. And, should there be a downpour when you want to buy one, you won’t even have to leave your toasty abode: It’s available by catalogue.

The umbrella’s made of nylon, outfitted with a wooden handle and available for $29.95 by calling (800) 227-1114, the number through which you can also request a free Nature Company catalogue. The umbrella’s also sold at the 50 Nature Company stores throughout the country.

DEAR HOT: I travel quite a bit for business and pleasure, and I’m always on the lookout for unique gifts--for myself, of course, and for friends and family.

Years ago, it seemed a lot easier to find things in travels that you could never find anywhere else. But now, with a Gap and a Benetton on nearly every corner, it seems impossible to find unique gifts.

Any suggestions on where to hunt?

DEAR HOT SHOPPER: You’re right, it does seem to be getting harder to find unusual gifts and souvenirs, what with those ubiquitous “My Grandma Went to (Anyplace, USA) and All She Got Me Was This Crummy T-Shirt” offerings out there. Yecch!

For an alternative, we suggest you check out the gift shops affiliated with the museums in the cities you visit. They’re often fantastic places to pick up leading-edge merchandise you won’t see in every other store. They also sometimes carry items made by local artists. (Most museums will let you browse in their gift shops without paying the museum admission fee.)

We’ve just returned from the Big Apple and were dismayed that even Bloomingdale’s, normally the E-ticket ride of department stores, featured little merchandise we hadn’t seen elsewhere.

We were crushed, but not for long. Nearby, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s gift shop, there were great, bargain-priced surprises. Among them, faux tortoise shell art nouveau earrings for $15 and imported children’s toys for under $10.

SIZZLING MATERNITY DRESES--Some of the sexiest maternity clothes on the market are in the new, fall/holiday catalogue from Page Boy Maternity.

For conservative moms-to-be, there’s an elegant, below-the-knee black velvet evening gown with a V-back neckline delicately edged in rhinestones ($269).

And since there’s no reason for pregnant women to give up leg-baring styles, there’s a sassy, thigh-high, black-and-white mini-dress completely covered in sequins and beads ($399).

To order merchandise or to request a free catalogue, call (800) 225-3103.