Floral Crush

Hi LOVElies!! So much has been going on that I can't wait to share with you all soon.  I had a big meeting in the city yesterday and I'll just say that there's some great things to come so definitely stay tuned :)  

I put something together very quickly today... something simple, feminine, colorful and chic! Hope you like!

Top: H&M 

Shorts: H&M 

Shoes: Target

Clutch: Asos 

The past few weeks I hadn't found anything from H&M, so I'm really happy that I got these 2 pieces.  I've been searching for a simple pair of black high waisted shorts and these fit me perfectly.  You can dress these up or down and I love the versatility as well as the material.

I found this floral print top and was really drawn to the colors as well as the black lining.  It's a great summer top and something you could probably wear to work too.  I bet it would also look nice underneath a blazer.   

At first I wanted to go with pink shoes, but decided to bring out the coral in the print instead so I went with these simple pumps.  I love the thick chunky heel.  I'm using my white & gold envelope clutch and gold accessories.  Everything is from H&M except these earrings which are from Aldo.  I got this new gold ring and I love it!  I have on MAC Full Speed lipstick for the final touch.

I hope that you all had a wonderful day
<3

How Should Science be Done?

Lately I keep running into the idea that the proper way to do science is to continually strive to disprove a hypothesis, rather than support it*.  According to these writers, this is what scientists are supposed to aspire to, but I've never actually heard a scientist say this.  The latest example was recently published in the Wall Street Journal (1).  This evokes an image of the Super Scientist, one who is so skeptical that he never believes his own ideas and is constantly trying to tear them down.  I'm no philosopher of science, but this idea never sat well with me, and it's contrary to how science is practiced. 
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Printed Fishtail Top

Happy Monday dolls!  I had such a great weekend.  Saturday was the event and then yesterday I went to a rooftop party at the Strand Hotel in NYC.  Hope your weekend was eventful! 

 It was literally the calm before the storm today.  It started raining while I was taking photos but I kept on going anyway.  I'm wearing the 2nd piece that was sent to me from High Class Rebel & it's really unique!  Also a reminder that the dress I wore in my last post will be available for purchase on their website at midnight! 

Top: C/O High Class Rebel (Here) 

Pants: Love Culture 

Shoes: Mandee

Bag: PLNDR (Gifted)

Sunnies: Ray-Ban

I love the whole high low trend and this top takes it to another level.  I was able to choose between 3 tops and I ended up picking this one because it's so different & really makes a statement.  I like the zig zag print, mix of colors and the long sheer tail.  It's chic, edgy and will definitely make you stand out! 

At first I literally had no idea how I was going to style this and then I decided on my white skinny pants.  I think it makes the top stand out even more.  I went with these black platforms because they aren't too dressy and I think they go well with the vibe of this ensemble.  

I wanted my bag to match one of the colors in the print so I went with this red shoulder bag from PLNDR and used it as a clutch.  I matched that with a red lip to make it stand out even more.  I love doing this. I have on my F21 bracelet, Target gold watch, and favorite rings from H&M.  That pretty much completes today's outfit and I hope that you like it! 

Make sure to check out High Class Rebel! 

XOXO

Meeting Neighbors Along The Way

During my travels, I enjoy getting to know the locals in the area. The other night in Spokane, I took my bike out to see if anyone was out and about on that beautiful summer evening.

I approached "C.J." as she was sweeping her walkway with a hand broom. We started chatting and she told me all about the area, the history of the neighborhood and about her travels. She wasn't shy about asking me questions and we bantered back and forth for a while. When I approached her I told her that I wanted to meet people in different neighborhoods around the country since I think it's important to know our neighbors.

She told me that she has lived in Spokane all of her life and in the home behind her for the majority of it. I then asked her is she knew any of her neighbors and she got quiet and said "no."

New Review Paper by Yours Truly: High-Fat Dairy, Obesity, Metabolic Health and Cardiovascular Disease

My colleagues Drs. Mario Kratz, Ton Baars, and I just published a paper in the European Journal of Nutrition titled "The Relationship Between High-Fat Dairy Consumption and Obesity, Cardiovascular, and Metabolic Disease".  Mario is a nutrition researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center here in Seattle, and friend of mine.  He's doing some very interesting research on nutrition and health (with an interest in ancestral diets), and I'm confident that we'll be getting some major insights from his research group in the near future.  Mario specializes in tightly controlled human feeding trials.  Ton is an agricultural scientist at the University of Kassel in Germany, who specializes in the effect of animal husbandry practices (e.g., grass vs. grain feeding) on the nutritional composition of dairy.  None of us have any connection to the dairy industry or any other conflicts of interest.

The paper is organized into three sections:

1. A comprehensive review of the observational studies that have examined the relationship between high-fat dairy and/or dairy fat consumption and obesity, metabolic health, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
2. A discussion of the possible mechanisms that could underlie the observational findings.
3. Differences between pasture-fed and conventional dairy, and the potential health implications of these differences.

Read more »

Paper Doll Boutique & Beauty Bar Event

Hi loves!  Last night I went to my first fashion/beauty event as a fashion blogger for Paper Doll Boutique and Beauty Bar.  It's a small boutique in Brooklyn, NY that opened up a salon/spa in their downstairs area.  How great is it to be able to shop and then pamper yourself all in the same spot?  The boutique's owner, Victoria, provided the guests with complimentary makeup, manicures and eye lash extensions.  Treats were provided by Cold Stone Creamery and they had custom paper doll drinks courtesy of Covada Pink Vodka.  It was a great turnout!

  I was really happy to be invited and I'm so excited for future events.  It was great to network and meet other people in the industry.  I invited fellow blogger NYTrendyMoms and it was also my first time meeting another blogger that I follow!  She's super sweet and I'm so happy she was able to join me.  Make sure to check out her blog. She brought her canon and was able to take these pics for me!  A few were taken with my iphone too.
 Here's what I wore, outfit details and photos of the event! Enjoy :)

(candid lol)

Dress: C/O High Class Rebel 

Shoes: Shoedazzle 

Clutch: H&M 

Michelle from High Class Rebel (instagram: rodriguezmichelle) sent me 2 pieces from her online store. This dress was actually a surprise and it came in yesterday morning, just in time for this event.  It was a huge hit! It will be available for purchase Monday at midnight!  It's so unique and I've really never seen anything like this. There's mesh cut outs and then there's this tan material that hangs on both sides.  So chic! I didn't have much time to figure out how to style this so I went with these patent leather pumps that have black stones on the heels, simple gold jewelry and this creme/gold clutch with Vegas Volt lipstick.


The lovely Johnybel of NYTrendyMoms  looking fab in her cheetah print dress!

Inside the event.

It was hosted by blogger Passport Cutty

The owner of Paper Doll, Victoria

Some shots of the boutique, salon & event

Hope you liked the photos!  Can't wait for my next event! Thank you Paper Doll for inviting me and High Class Rebel for sending me this beautiful dress! 

<3 

4th of July in Chico

I just realized that I haven't blogged since Max and I went to Yosemite!  I will try to keep you posted here on my travels as much as possible but sometimes it's difficult when you run around without internet and the van is too hot to leave Max inside.  If you would like to see photos from our journey every day, I post them on the instagram app under my user name, "alisontravels."

After we spent time in Yosemite, we traveled North and visited with good friends, Kristiana and Greg and then up to Chico, CA to hang out with my old college roommates, team mates and now lifelong friends, Rose and Heide.  I spent the 4th of July with Heide's family and the rest of the time with Rose.  I took Lucy (the name of my bike) out and towed Max behind in his trailer around the park. Chico is a great college town in the middle of Northern California with lots of space to ride your bike and get lost in the park.  Back in the day, I used to be a lifeguard at Sycamore pool, otherwise known as the one mile pool.  It was fun to go back and watch the kids swim around with their families in the usual hot summer heat.

I will try to blog more often and share experiences on the road here.  If nothing else, I will post photos along the way.  Here are a few from my visit in Chico, all taken with my iphone.  More soon!

P.S.... The first round of postcards are in the mail!  If you signed up, you should have yours... if you didn't receive one and want me to send you a postcard from the road, see the right side of the blog for details.