Crop Top & Colored Denim

Happy BEAUTIFUL Saturday!  I absolutely love days like this where it's not too hot and not too cold.. just the right amount of both.  I had so much fun shooting outside today so at the end of this post I will put up a few photos of me being silly :)  We took more pics today than usual so I am posting more.  I'm wearing the crop top that I featured in my most recent haul video on youtube.  I have been wanting to wear this but waited patiently until the weather was perfect.  Hope you like!

Crop Top: Forever21

Jeans: Forever21

Shoes: Bamboo

Bag: H&M 

Lipstick: MAC Creme Cup 

Loving the colors in this top as well as the floral pattern.  Crop tops are so much fun to wear on warmer days.  They're really cute and have some sex appeal too. If you aren't super comfortable in them you can always wear something on top.

I'm wearing jeans that are a little bit darker than the pink on my shirt.  I've worn these once before and noticed today that there is a darker spot on the left side.  So weird because it's not a stain, but I guess it just gives them character :) Also wearing my mary jane platforms again.

I'm using this tiny white bag again.  So happy that I bought this because it goes with everything.  I'm loving this white bracelet that I recently picked up from Forever21 also.  They have it in neon colors too! 

Some silly pics 

I hope that you all get to enjoy this lovely day!! 

<3

Beyond Ötzi: European Evolutionary History and its Relevance to Diet. Part I

In the previous post, I explained that Otzi descended in large part from early adopters of agriculture in the Middle East or nearby.  What I'll explain in further posts is that Otzi was not a genetic anomaly: he was part of a wave of agricultural migrants that washed over Europe thousands of years ago, spreading their genes throughout.  Not only that, Otzi represents a halfway point in the evolutionary process that transformed Paleolithic humans into modern humans.

Did Agriculture in Europe Spread by Cultural Transmission or by Population Replacement?

There's a long-standing debate in the anthropology community over how agriculture spread throughout Europe.  One camp proposes that agriculture spread by a cultural route, and that European hunter-gatherers simply settled down and began planting grains.  The other camp suggests that European hunter-gatherers were replaced (totally or partially) by waves of agriculturalist immigrants from the Middle East that were culturally and genetically better adapted to the agricultural diet and lifestyle.  These are two extreme positions, and I think almost everyone would agree at this point that the truth lies somewhere in between: modern Europeans are a mix of genetic lineages, some of which originate from the earliest Middle Eastern agriculturalists who expanded into Europe, and some of which originate from indigenous hunter-gatherer groups including a small contribution from neanderthals.  We know that modern-day Europeans are not simply Paleolithic mammoth eaters who reluctantly settled down and began farming. 

Read more »

Floral Friday

Yay for Friday!  The weekends are always the best :)  I'm heading out to dinner tonight and I wanted to wear something that was a little dressy but still pretty casual.  It's super windy out and I didn't get to wear what I originally wanted to, but I hope you like the photos :)

Floral Top: H&M 

Leggings: Forever21

Shoes: Bamboo 

Lipstick: MAC Vegas Volt 

I wore this top once before but I had it tucked into my high low skirt.  So this time I decided to switch it up and leave it out over these leggings.  I really love this floral print and color combo.  Very springy.  I also love that it's longer in the back.  I don't like to wear short shirts with leggings. 

I went with a neutral shoe and wearing my favorite platforms.  I have gotten so much use out of these babies and I will continue to wear them!  I am hoping to get them in another color too.  So many girls ask me about them.  I bought them at Mandee but recently found them online too.  Just search for Bamboo mary jane platforms and they should pop up. 

I'm using this coral clutch and went with gold accessories.  Wearing my favorite chain necklace from H&M and my usual mix of bracelets and rings.  And of course wearing a coral lipstick as well. 

The past few days have not been that warm and I am really hoping the weather will change soon!  I have so many fun things to wear but I guess I will just have to wait it out!  Have a great rest of the day and enjoy your weekend loves! 

XO.

Where are you going?

When someone learns of my plans to live in my van and travel around the USA, the first question I get is, "where are you going to go?"  My answer is "I don't know" or "everywhere!"  I wish I could be more specific but I really never know.  I tend to have a general direction on where I will go and depending on the weather and circumstances, it determines the next day and so on.

I admit that it's not the best way to travel, but it's worked for me so far.  I would like to see Marfa, TX and perhaps make it out to the salt flats but other than that, it's a blank canvas.  I am assuming I will travel with the weather so that usually means I will head North during the hot months and South in the Fall.  I always enjoy being on the East coast in late summer.

I will be making goals along the way and sharing photographs, including portraits of people I meet on the road.  If you know of a place I shouldn't miss, please let me know.

You can always follow me here:
Instagram - user name is alisontravels
Facebook
Twitter - @alisontravels
Photos

Also, to help fund the trip, I am thinking of publishing small books in limited numbers to sell with portraits and travel photos. Once that is completed I update that here.

Thank you for your support!

Peplum & Polka Dots

It's hump day! :) I wanted to dress up today to make my Wednesday a little bit brighter.  I  got this top a few days ago and really fell in love with the peplum style and polka dots. The colors are actually very patriotic and this would have been a great Memorial Day outfit lol Hope you like the pics! 

Peplum Top: H&M

Jeans: Forever21

Shoes: Forever21

Bag: H&M 

Sunglasses: H&M

Lipstick: MAC Russian Red 

I love the detailing on the back of this top with the zipper.  Peplum is such a great trend and this is my second peplum top.  I hope to get a couple more soon. 

I wasn't really sure what bottoms I wanted to wear at first.  I almost went with my navy blue skinnies but it was a little too much.  So I just went with these dark denim jeans to make it not too dressed up. 

To bring out the red more I went with these pumps that are actually 2 years old but I don't wear them often and I also went with a red lip.  To bring out the white a little more I used my new shoulder bag. My accessories are just this H&M cuff, Merona watch and gold bands.  Nothing too much. 

My ombre highlights have been showing so much lately!  I got these done almost 6 months ago and I've been contemplating if I should keep them or go back to black... thoughts? 

Once again I need to thank my mother for taking such great photos for me each week.  We have a lot of fun shooting outside :)  Have a great rest of the day fashionistas!

<3 Naty 

Lessons From Ötzi, the Tyrolean Ice Man. Part III

There are two reasons why I chose this time to write about Otzi.  The first is that I've been looking for a good excuse to revisit human evolutionary history, particularly that of Europeans, and what it does and doesn't tell us about the "optimal" human diet.  The second is that Otzi's full genome was sequenced and described in a recent issue of Nature Communications (1).  A "genome" is the full complement of genes an organism carries.  So what that means is that researchers have sequenced almost all of his genes. 

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Pink Love

Hey loves!! I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in the past couple of days. I had a crazy/hectic weekend and the past 2 days I wasn't feeling so good, but I am better now and really excited about today's post!
I hope that you like it! :)

Blazer Jacket: H&M 

Jeans: H&M 

Shoes: Chinese Laundry 

Bag: H&M 

Lipstick: MAC Nicki 

I absolutely fell in love with this little jacket! It's such a great shade of pink for this season and a great way to stand out in your outfit. It's so girly and chic and just my style! I paired it with these light jeans that I forgot I had :)  I'm wearing the shoes that I won from Bakers and they are actually by Chinese Laundry.  How amazing are these shoes? I am obsessed!! I love the color combo and the cork heel.  They're super high but very easy to walk in. 

Every time I go to H&M lately I have been seeing these cute little shoulder bags.  They are small and perfect to fit just your phone, money and lip gloss.  I don't have anything like it so I just had to get it!  I love how it looks with this outfit. They have them in other colors too! 

I have on gold accessories as per usual, but just a few rings and these earrings from H&M.  I bought Nicki lipstick from MAC yesterday and it's my new favorite shade!  Every time I wanted to buy it they were sold out.  You should try it out ladies! 

Yesterday I curled my hair and it was nice & easy to do this big high bun today.  I think it was a great touch for this outfit. 

Enjoy the rest of your day!! xx