Thought about wearing a bra today, then decided to just...not.

Naturally and undeniably sexy.

So I don't know if this is just a me thing or if many women just get to a certain age where they get sick of being bound up all day, but I am really kind of over conventional bras. Are you?

I remember the early days when I was elated just to be able fit into a bra with an actual cup. And padding? Hello, of course I want it. Have you seen these things? No? Exactly. Padding please. And then you go through high school and maybe you're just trying to look good in your clothes. In college you have to push everything up to be able to compete with 3500 other beautiful women strutting in and out of CEOs and Office Hoes parties (if you went to my school 95% of girls could be Victoria's Secret Angels. I used to think my mom was weird for preferring bras without lining, but here I am 22 and I'd prefer as little as possible when it comes to the suffocation of my chest. 

Ok have you ever fallen asleep in your bra and wake up feeling so uncomfortable that you just wanna rip it off and sleep topless despite the fact that you're sleeping on the couch at your boyfriend's parents' house? It makes you a little angry, doesn't it? And sleeping without a bra feels like heaven in comparison right?

Now there are lots of bras that feel less constricting. Bras without lining, without underwire, sports bras,  bandeaus. If you're like me then they might make you look a lot like you did when you first got a training bra, but it feels different. It used to matter how big your boobs were, but it doesn't anymore. 

It can be liberating to celebrate the realness of your body over trying to match a standard of hotness based on fiction. My boyfriend nobly resents bras for altering a woman's true shape, and I'm sure a lot of dudes would agree. 

Eh...

Kinda cool...

Maybe a little too much...

Ooo chic.

How cute is she.

She was asking for a nip slip in this shirt.

Cool. Comfy. Casual.

Maybe save that for the bedroom, Lil.

Classic and effortless.

Debatable.

Too sheer? Still kinda cute though.

Cute. Sexy.

Maybe it makes you feel self-conscious at first to leave everything hanging out for the world to see. Going braless can be uncomfortable depending on what you're wearing and how much you've got goin' on there, but it can also be incredibly freeing. There's a way to go about doing it without being that lady. What do you think?

Exercise Your Rights As a Woman

In light of an upcoming election that will greatly impact all of our lives, I urge us as a community of women to appreciate our rights and freedoms and to keep our community in mind. We all come from different backgrounds and are capable of uniting to maintain a strong representation of what it means to be a woman.

I encourage you to share your beliefs with your friends and family from a very genuine place. Sometimes it's not about politics. Think of your life and the lives of the people you care about. Sometimes it's hard to care about something that doesn't apply to you, but, on a very personal level, these issues impact many lives.

Imagine that you have a little sister or think about the one you have. What if your sister started having sex? What advice would you give her? What would you want her options to be? What would you want her to have and know if she didn't feel comfortable coming to you or your mom? What kind of mindset should we be in as women? How should we protect ourselves? What would our ideal situation be and what do we need when things turn out as we never expected them to?

Think about the children you might have one day. What kind of world do you want them to live in? How do you want them to perceive women and treat them?

This stuff matters. It's time to talk about it. So let's talk.

10 Things I've Learned From ashleypistole.blogspot.com!

1. When baking cookies, take them out when the edges are brown but "an area about 1-inch wide in the center is still pale."
2. Quinoa is a complete protein, possessing all 8 essential amino acids.
3. Gala and Golden Delicious apples are good for smooth applesauce, while Honeycrisps are better when trying to make chunky applesauce.
4. "Pepita" is a Spanish culinary word for pumpkin seed.
5. Pepitas are an abundant source of many nutrients, which include "amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids [including Omega-3], and minerals such as calcium, potassium, niacin, and phosphorus. They are also high in most of the B vitamins and vitamins C, D, E, and K."
6. Edamame is a great source of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and isoflavones. 7. "Eating a diet rich in antioxidant foods can help strengthen your immune system, reduce your risk of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases." 8. "Isoflavones can help reduce your risk of prostate or breast cancer, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease." 9. Quinoa is gluten-free! 10. How to cook quinoa --> http://ashleypistole.blogspot.com/2012/10/how-to-cook-quinoa.html?m=1 .

"Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where

my secret lies,

I'm not cute or built to suit a 

fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

~Maya Angelou

Rihanna's Finally Ready to Talk

Rihanna finally speaks out about the last 8 months and how she's grown from the "incident" that has now become legendary. Check it out. 

And I Never Mind

"And I Never Mind" - A sonnet by Tracey Lincoln

Love from a distance learns slowly
Giving what you can for the cause
Forgiving it as if it is holy
Fearing the results of it’s long pause

And you fight for the liberties of your nation
Eyes closing but victory is blinding
Love chases you from battle to station
And I watch eyes open, never minding

The most difficult task is to listen
Never give in because you are strong
Thousands of miles separate our positions
Thus you cannot hear my heart’s favorite song

It sings of longing to melodies of faith
But who knows how long this song can wait

Kissing is divine.

I love kissing. I love even just watching a good kiss. I was just watching Greek and there was this amazing kiss between Casey and Cappie (sorry if I ruined it for you). Maybe I'm alone here, but it's literally almost as fulfilling to watch as it is to do. It's beautiful. And in TV and film it's an amazing feeling because it's usually a culmination of all of these emotions and anxiety you've been feeling the whole time, and then it's all released in one kiss. It's beautiful. Kissing to me is one of those crazy things that show me that there has to be some kind of design to this universe. Like how did humans just come up with kissing? They were like hey, we both have lips and we're both feeling kinda hot so why don't we make them touch? But it ended up being a really good idea! Anyway I don't have much more to say about that. However, I will say that it is not the same experience for me when I have to witness two people who have no kissing chemistry or are just gross and don't know what to do with themselves. That's pretty painful and disgusting for me. So my advice to any actors out there is to practice and like tape yourself or something (just kissing) so you know if you look weird doing it, or have some critique you. That's just my opinion.

Happy kissing!

Strength in One

So I've expressed how overwhelmed I've been feeling lately. The weekends are a nice release for me because I decide to not think about anything at all. But then...it's Monday again and I find myself right back where I started. This week it's more than overwhelmed. It's a frustration with life. Maybe what I'm about to say is too personal for your taste, in which case I am perfectly fine with you ceasing to read on. However, I am pretty sure that I'm not the only one with these feelings so for those of you who can relate, know that you're not alone.

This week I decided that I want to interact with others as little as possible. Right now, I feel very frustrated because I am so misunderstood. I don't think it's the most mature thing to close everyone out of my life because I'm annoyed, but I do feel like my most important relationships are to myself and God. Those two are the only ones that I really need and that will never fail me. I should not be distracting myself with discomfort about trying to get people to see eye to eye with me when I should be focusing on allowing myself to grow. I am truly emotionally uncomfortable, and I don't think it would be a problem if I had more time to myself so that is my goal this week. Be strong on my own and then I can reach out to others. Wish me luck.

Overwhelmed, Naturally.

So Sami (one of my best friends who you may know from samiandalex.blogspot.com) texted me today saying something like, "seriously how do you deal with the stress of school?" I don't know if because we've known each other so long she can just read my mind or we just have that sense like Tia and Tamera do when the other twin feels what the other one feels, but I was literally asking myself that very question. It has become very apparent to me that my body is not handling the stress that I put on it very well, and I don't think it should.

So much is demanded of us. We're supposed to manage at least 15 hours of class per week (although I technically have 18 just from my five classes), then do homework for each class, then have a job so that we can afford to have a social life, then actually have a social life, then participate in extra-curricular activities, then eat, then sleep, then nurture our relationships with family or friends that are far away, then have some sort of personality. I personally don't think it's possible to fulfill all of these in any given day. I don't think we can do everything that is asked of us and maintain our physical and mental health at the same time. I think it's ridiculous that it has gotten to the point where success is dependent on us wearing ourselves out this way. It's not natural. I ended up telling Sami today that primary thing that college is teaching me is exactly what I don't want my life to look like. I cannot wait until I can focus on one job and put all of my effort into that. Right now I think the only way to fulfill each assignment for our classes would be to cheat our way through it and otherwise we just do the absolute minimum that it takes to get the grade we want. That's not satisfying to me. 

Does anybody feel the same or different? Are there people who are predisposed to this kind of lifestyle? I think I naturally desire to dip my toes into whatever I can, but I don't think anyone should ever wear themselves this thin. 

I AM My Hair

So you know that India Arie song, "I Am Not My Hair?" Well, I know that song is about how your identity shouldn't come from what you look like on the outside, but for one reason or another, the way I look on the outside affirms how I feel about myself on the inside. Let me explain.

As many of you may know, I am mixed with several nationalities. As a result, growing up I never really identified with any particular race or culture. My dad's side of the family is Costa Rican, and they are very connected to Costa Rica, but even that didn't really give me a strong culture. It wasn't until I was older that my mom really tried to get me to understand that I was black, which I partially am on her side, but that didn't really change the way I felt. When I look in the mirror, I don't see somebody that looks like anyone else. I have this weird skin color that resembles the tone of other African-Americans except that I have this browner/yellowy skin tone that just doesn't match up. Then I have these really dark, almost black eyes. Then most significantly, I have this crazy super curly hair that seems to be very rare. 

Maybe I feel like I stand out more than I really do, but I feel like this perspective gives me an advantage in a way. I always assumed that I was going to be different from everyone else, so I never made it a point to try to fit in or make myself any more like anyone else. Recently I had a discussion with my friend, Amber, about how I like to wear my hair curly even though I could straighten it pretty easily. It's hard to explain the attachment I have to my hair as it is. To me it's like my foundation for being fearlessly myself despite the status quo. I suppose it's shallow to base my personality on something that I could easily lose. I admit that it would hurt to part with the part of me to which I've become most attached, but I know that even when I'm old and gray I will picture myself with my curly hair that God gave me, and I will know who I am because of it.

How I Know I'm Getting Old

I had acid reflux today after having a burrito salad from Chipotle. Really??? Acid reflux???? And at first I thought it was heartburn. Seriously? These are the issues I'm facing. What makes me really mad is that I'm not even beyond worrying about acne; although, I take this opportunity to mention that Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Complete Acne Therapy System is a complete life-saver. 

It's weird though. I'm 19, and my body feels like it's going through so many changes. (I love Justin Timberlake!!! Sorry, I'm watching the Emmy's, and he's there so I had to interject briefly.) Like what I eat really actually effects my body, and it's a necessity to work out. I've actually been craving healthy food lately because I can actually feel the difference in my body between that and eating lots of cookies. It's depressing. In like seven months I'll be 20. 20?!!!! That's freakin old! What are people going to expect of me???

Anyway now that I've expressed my anxiety of growing old, I hope you're not.

Why We Should All Feel Privileged to Live in Taylor Swift's World

So I know that everyone's been talking about the whole Kanye and Taylor Swift thing that happened a week ago at the VMAs. By the way, yes, I think it was messed up. If anybody in this world seriously believes that Beyonce isn't bomb then I'm going to have to have a serious talk with them, so not only was Kanye's rant completely and utterly uncalled for, it was also just pointless because Beyonce is no less amazing for not winning this award. Then, of course, there's the fact that Taylor totally deserved to win because this has been such an incredible year for her, and quite frankly she's brilliant and an amazing songwriter and entertainer. 

Which brings me to my next point... After almost a year of her latest album Fearless coming out, I am still always craving it. I listened to it today, and literally, each song still hits me with full impact. Then I was thinking today, you know how Taylor often exposes people in her life by using their real names in her songs? Well recently I heard an interviewer ask T. Swift (by which she is affectionately referred) if people, especially guys, were ever wary of getting too close to her for fear that they'd end up the butt of one of her songs, and you know what I think? I say that anybody lucky enough to be featured in a Taylor Swift song should be friggin honored because literally they will go down in history. We'll never forget Drew who provoked Taylor's teardrops on her guitar or Abigail who gave it all to a guy who changed his mind or Stephen who looks like an angel. There are also several instances where names weren't mentioned, but we got the gist, and we may just be wondering for the rest of time (although we know that "Forever & Always" was about Joe Jonas's disappointing butt). It is personally my dream to be referred to in a song. I mean, even if the song is in rage against you, it really is an honor. Anyway, that was random, but that's how I feel.

Do guys automatically assume you're more than just friends?

So a question that I've been wondering about for awhile now is whether guys automatically assume that if you have any relationship with them that it's as more than just friends. I mean, I have a boyfriend so that may change the dynamic a little bit, but still you hear stuff all the time about how guys think about sex like every three seconds and stuff. Then sometimes I just get the feeling sometimes that when I'm talking to a guy or guy friend that they think we're flirting or something. 

I'm not trying to call anyone out. I've just always wondered. Can guys and girls really ever be just friends without any attraction or flirtation or sexual tension? 

I love Liv Tyler.

So I'm watching The Rachel Zoe Project today, which I love but haven't been able to watch yet this season. It's the Oscars episode and Liv Tyler makes an appearance because she needs Rachel to help her pick out a new wardrobe, and ohhhhhh my gosh is this woman gorgeous. Like literally she's beautiful and so lighthearted and doesn't take herself too seriously. I mean, I don't know that woman, but I've always kind of admired her any time I see her in something. 

On another note, besides my adoration for Ms. Tyler, I'm also obsessed with her name. I think I may name my daughter Liv. It's a great name. I mean, think of the kind of girl whose name is Liv. You're gonna love her. If my name weren't so awesome, I'd probably want it to be Liv. Just a thought though. 

Question: How are you supposed to eat a muffin??

So this dilemma has literally been vexing me since the day I enjoyed my first blueberry muffin (if anyone's taking notes, blueberry is my favorite). I usually just go for it with my fingers, grab small chunks at a time, and attempt to gracefully place it in my mouth; however, I am always slightly uncomfortable because if I'm trying to do anything else at the same time it's just a huge mess. I just end up getting all this muffin under my nails, and muffin is also kind of awkward to get off your fingers with a napkin. Then there's always the option of just biting straight into it, but Lord knows that'll be even more of an awkward mess and definitely not graceful. I suppose you could try to eat it with a fork, but it's so crumby and stuff. I guess I've never tried it though.

Does anyone have a solution to this problem?? How do you eat your muffins??

One Thing I Love About Guys

So...there aren't many...jk...but there is one thing that guys do that I really looove. 

I love it when guys do that low inflection in their voice that's almost rough or raspy in a way. I just noticed it in a 500 Days of Summer trailer where Zooey Deschanel's character asks Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character if he likes her and he says, "Well...yeahh," in a really sexy way. It's also in "My Love" by Justin Timberlake ft. T.I. There's this one line, "Cause the girls real wild throw they hands up high when they wanna come and kick it with a stand up guyy." Ohmg. I die every time I hear it. In fact I'm pretty sure I made everyone in my cheer carpool listen to that one part on repeat a few times senior year (shout out Sam and cheer girls). You can also hear it when you're talking to a guy on the phone really late or like first thing in the morning.

It's crazy because it's little things like that all combined that make guys so irresistible. I mean, am I crazy? I crave stuff like that. That's how they get us. That and holding my face when we kiss. Where do they teach you guys this???

Just When You Thought Spencer Couldn't Be MORE of a Wannabe...

So I was reading JustJared.buzznet.com today, and I never in a million years would have guessed what today's headline would read: "Spencer Pratt: King Me!" Spencer Pratt is changing his legal name to "King Spencer Pratt." Um what??!! I mean I knew he was arrogant, delusional, and pathetic, but really?? He basically said that America deserves a king just like all those other countries. 

Here's my conclusion: Publicity stunt. It's really amazing because he's making a living out of being publicly ridiculous. What will he tell his children?? One day he'll write his memoirs, and on the cover will be a picture of his face on the Quaker Oats container because he thought that oatmeal lovers deserved to have a douche bag sitting in their pantries, and all of us who are somehow amused for whatever reason at his absurdity will shame ourselves on how much wealth we actually brought to him and what a travesty this is to our society. I mean first Flava Flav gets his own show, and now this???? What is this world coming to????!! FOR SHAME!!!

Give Blood Because Chris Pine Does!

If there wasn't reason enough already to give blood, do it because Chris Pine does it and we all know he's gorgeous and super cool. He knows that his blood could help save lives by providing for accident victims, kidney transplants, premature babies, liver transplants, cancer treatments, heart treatments, sickle cell disease, adult open heart surgey, leukemia, or bone marrow transplants. 

If you want to help save lives, call 1-(800) GIVE-LIFE or click here to find a Blood Drive near you.

*LMU STUDENTS: The Center for Service & Action is hosting a Blood Drive on campus Tuesday, October 6th through Thursday, October 8th. To make an appointment, visit CSA, call (310) 338-2959, or email them at blooddrive@lmu.edu. 

Surprising Longevity of Colored Denim

Something that I'm still shocked to see in magazines lately is colored denim. For spring InStyle and others were saying that pastel denim was in. Now I'm looking at a post on Glamour.com titled "Shopping Guide: Colored Denim." I'm not trying to hate on the trend because I love the idea. It's just shocking that it's managed to last so long because brightly colored jeans just seem like the kind of thing that seems like a good idea for a minute then suddenly becomes horrifyingly dated. It's great though because I've had one pair of lilac jeans since sophomore or junior year of high school I think, and I can still wear them as a sophomore in college. It's also cool because it's technically fashionable, but it's still enough to stand out from a crowd of girls in black leggings.

*You can get the pair seen in this picture from Urban Outfitters for $19.99! What a deal! (What a steal!) click here if you want em

Zac Efron Officially Knows I'm Alive!!!!

So here's the amazing thing about Twitter: if you have the balls to openly tweet celebrities and ask them questions or respond to what they say, they actually read it, and sometimes they even reply!!!!! I've had Ryan Seacrest's assistant, @SadaoTurner respond to me, as well as Vanessa Hudgens (@OfficialBabyV), and @mystylequicktip has even posted one of my hair tips. But this....tops it all.

So tonight I finally figured out what Zac Efron's twitter name was because Vanessa referred to him in one of her tweets. So I look at his page and he claimed that he would answer questions from anyone who was willing to ask, and I am so glad that I was bold enough to dare! I asked him what one role would he love to play, and he responded, "hey! hard question... one role? James Stark - Rebel without a Cause"

I AM SOOOO EFFING HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!!!!

P.S. The picture I posted is Zac's profile pic on Twitter. Kinda scandalous right? cuz it kinda looks like he's grabbing her butt. But hey, let's be honest, if he grabbed my butt I would NOT complain.