Professional Work Wraps

It's summer, and the blazing hot days usually mean a comfortable work or transportation setting with the air conditioning. Right?

Long Sleeve Fringe Sweater from ANAMA. Ideeli, $29

 WRONG!

Ever since it just gave a hint of warmth in early July, I feel as though everywhere I go the A/C is on steroids. One could argue that I'm a cold "person" and that most "normal" people are "comfortable", but whatever. It's summer and I'm friggin cold, which is stupid.

So whether your office is A/C crazy because everyone is hot even when they're buried in a building not anywhere near the sun or open windows, or you're commuting to work on a rainy day that is not warm at all but the bus driver says F* it and cranks the A/C anyway, you're going to need to find a balance between that cold-anger and professional appearance. And in case your wondering if these are personal experiences, yes, they indeed are.

And guess what? Since most people are ACTUALLY hot and think you're crazy, professional-looking wraps are on sale this time of year! Yay!

 Loose Knit Cardigan White, $13 from RisingTaste

Check out these two that I found in my online travels. The first, from my favorite go-to sale site Ideeli is a fringy sweater (above) that is actually in a summery light coral color, while adding warmth to your cold, miserable body and looking professional in the workplace and not like a shivering fool during meetings.

The second idea for your cold body is a lighter sweater option for your office dealings or on-the-go. I have a similar wrap now to this in white that I pull out for the office and for that stupid cold bus ride, and it keeps me warm without taking up too much room in my bag. Plus, it's white: it's summer, and white is okay. This wrap is from RisingTaste, and is only $13. Great option for poor, cold bus-riders like me.

Now I just have to find a solution for my cold sandal-feet...

Book Review: Water for Elephants

One word: wow.

"Water for Elephants" had everything that I love about books inside its pages. It was dynamic, had sympathetic characters, murder, death, life, and countless other controversial subjects. The kicker? It was about the circus!

This was one of the books that I've had my eye on for a while, and just recently purchased through half.com. (If you're an avid book reader or just need the text for school, go to Half.com. It's a division of eBay that has books for mad cheap, and you just pay for shipping. I've gotten books there from $0.75-$6.00) I started it late last week, and couldn't put it down. It's a book that makes your commute fly by - so much so that you have to jolt yourself out of it so you don't miss your stop.

I feel as though the circus has a relatively unanimous appeal to people - maybe it's the animals, or the idea of running away with the circus. I almost can't literally tell you anything about the plot without ruining the whole story for you. The author, Sara Gruen, does a marvelous job weaving details and jumping from past to present. I love all of the stories of the main elephant "character", (which she later reveals most were based on fact from 1900's circus elephants!) and she had great love-to-hate characters themselves. The ending, which was totally unexpected, left me with such a feel-good feeling as well!

One of the most moving aspects of the book was when she was depicting the life of the main character as an old man in first person. It's a topic that I don't feel many people are comfortable with, especially when it comes to how we treat and respect the elderly. He is alone, living in a nursing home, with five children that come to visit him once a week - and what was fascinating about it was the mental process that he was going through. Recalling the past so lucidly, then forgetting his favorite nurse. I've only encountered this kind of mental depiction in "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova, another great read on the mind of a rapidly deteriorating Alzheimer's patient.

If you have not read this book, PLEASE do so before you go see the movie! I haven't seen it yet, but I enjoyed the book so much that I can only imagine you will too. Then you can go see the movie with that Twilight dude.

EverlastingInvites Guest Post: Fall Weddings

We all know how popular June weddings are. June has been the most popular time of the year to get married. With the flowers and leaves fresh in bloom, it is no wonder that it is a chosen time of the year for making new promises and commitments to each other.

Though most weddings occur during the summer months, Fall weddings have been becoming more popular and with good reason. While June may have flowers and trees in bloom, Autumns palette is in full bloom with an array of the most enchanting and romantic colors. The hot days of summer are gone yet the days are still warm and beautiful.

Fall Wedding Invitations from EverlastingInvites

Fall allows for fun themes with Halloween, and Thanksgiving / Harvest time. Possible  themes could be centered around pumpkins, apples or Autumn foliage. Color options are endless from golden greens, burnt orange, yellows, eggplant, browns and various reds including merlot, burgundy, and cranberry.

With all that Autumn has to offer, you really cannot go wrong with planning the perfect wedding. A great place to start is with custom wedding invitations from Everlasting Invites to help you get started on the perfect fall-theme wedding of your dreams!

 

-This guest post written by EverlastingInvites, a professional graphic designer based out of Fitzwilliam, NH. Visit her sites for more information and images of her custom wedding invitations:
www.everlastinginvites.etsy.com
www.everlastinginvites.com

If you would like to write a guest post for The Ash Tree, contact me today to get started!