Science of Spirits 10/13 21+ After Hours with @PacSci

Do you know the difference between whiskey, bourbon, scotch and rye? Do you know that Whiskey and Whisky are 2 different things? Have you ever tried vodka made from grapes?

If you're like me and a fan of hard liquor, but have zero clue how your favorite spirit is made, the Science of Spirits is the perfect educational boozy event for you!

This Friday (10/13) the Pacific Science Center is teaming up with over 15 local distilleries for an educational night of boozy fun. Attendees will sip on samples, discuss the distilling process and discover the science behind their favorite spirits with the makers themselves! The evening will also include access to the tide pool, tropical butterfly house, Halloween "myths, legends and the night sky" in the planetarium, and playing Dr. Frankenstein by creating your own 'FrankenToy'.

Tickets are $45 and includes drinks and after-hours access. Food will be available for purchase (cash only). Click here to purchase tickets.

This is a 21+ event.

Beyoncé Laser Lemonade 10/13 Pacific Science Center (via @PacSci)

The Pacific Science Center is back with another DOPE Beyoncé laser show! This time they'll be rocking out to Queen Bey's iconic Lemonade album for a show they're calling "Laser Lemonade."

Back in February I went to their regular Beyoncé laser show, which featured music from her entire catalog, including Destiny's Child... but was thrilled to learn "Laser Lemonade" would focus solely on her Lemonade album, which is one of my favs. I mean, I'm still in formation and was actually learning the Formation World Tour choreography in my living room last week.

I'm already drinking tea to warm up my vocal chords so I can prepare to sing along. I can't promise this won't turn into karaoke for me.

Laser Lemonade kicks off this Friday, 10/13 @ 10:30p and tickets are $12. The show is 60 mins and please note that there will be NO LATE SEATING, so you should plan to arrive at least 15-30  mins early so you can snag a seat.

I'm not sure how long Laser Lemonade will run, but they have 1030p show times planned for the remaining Fri/Sat dates in October. Cop your ticket and prepare to get your entire life!

Click here to purchase tickets.

Movement for Change @KaisaFit + @Lululemon

Seattle-based fitness coach and all-around dope chick KaisaFit is my eternal fitness bae. Not only does she inspire hundreds of thousands of people each day with her message of positivity and focus on "just moving", but she also has a heart for giving back. She's a woman who talks the talk, and walks the walk (or in most cases does a dope ass leap)... always putting action behind her words.

Tomorrow morning (9/30 @ 10a) Kaisa will be leading an amazing workout that is geared to ALL levels at the UW Husky Stadium. The icing on the cake? 100% of proceeds will go toward Stolen Youth, a Seattle-based non-profit.

This will be my 4th or 5th workout with Kaisa and every time she's been amazing. She embodies such a positive, vibrant energy and passion for fitness and health.

On top of that, she caters to ALL LEVELS, so if you're feeling intimidated by her sickening skills on Instagram don't fret. She always shows a few variations of each moment and truly is a coach that meets you where you are.

I'll be out there tomorrow, so if you see me come say hi! Or maybe give me a hug if I look like struggle bus city lol... My activity level has been a tad bit low this month with the move from Cap Hill to West Seattle. I'm looking forward to sweating with everyone and raising money for a great cause.

Suggested donation for the event is $15. Click here to register.

Let's Talk About Therapy...

I'll never forget the day -- sitting in my car, the parking lot of Metropolitan Market in Queen Anne, crying on the phone having ANOTHER f*cking breakdown... that's when my mom said I needed to "speak to a professional" because my daily phone calls had turned into a "downer" and she sometimes didn't want to answer the phone. My mom has loved me through all my phases in life, but when it became a drain on her life force, she set up a very gentle boundary and encouraged me to seek the next step in self-care. I've now been in therapy for a little over 3 years and it's still one of the best decisions and financial investments I've made.

Hoping to encourage at least one person to speak with a professional therapist and take a proactive step in their self-care. You don't have to be "crazy" or have your life falling apart to seek a therapist, though if your shit is a hot mess you should run (not walk) to one. Therapy goes beyond the notion of "praying your way" through things (which many of us have been told), and is a vital step in loving yourself, acknowledging your past, PROCESSING AND HEALING AND LETTING GO, forgiveness, gaining new tools to conquer each day, having a healthier relationship with yourself and those around you, taking ownership of your shit and DOING BETTER AS YOU KNOW BETTER... it's just the best thing you can do.

It can be expensive, but there are so many options out there. Also know that some therapists offer a sliding scale, do pay what you can, or have referrals to someone who is qualified and in your price range. Therapy isn't convenient and will be a sacrifice for many -- but know that it's a SOLID investment and worth every single coin you'll spend.

If you feel comfortable, please share your experiences with therapy in the comments and feel free to share this post/link with your friends.

A quote I like:
"If you don't deal with your shit now... your shit will deal with you later."

My First Camping Trip #OutdoorsyAF

Whenever I'd tell someone in Seattle I hadn't gone camping before their first reaction was shock! Like, how are you living in Seattle and you haven't gone camping? Well, I'm from Chicago and grew up with my mother -- so, our version of fun was brunch, being nosy at open houses, and watching ballroom dancing on Channel 11. I never had the desire to sleep outside and my mom didn't have the desire to be anywhere without air conditioning, so that was that. I had a great camping-free childhood and it was fantastic.

Fast forward to July 2017 and I'd committed to making more of an effort to do outdoorsy stuff with my boyfriend and his friends... the first of which was camping! Last month I packed up my stuff (too much stuff if I'm being honest) and trekked into the great outdoors for my first camping experience. Instead of jumping in head first, we decided we'd start with 2 days and 1 night... ease into things slowly, kinda like playing "just the tip" (but not as fun). Now, to keep it 100, this was technically car camping and on my boyfriend's friend's cabin/property, so we had access to a bathroom and kitchen -- but we all slept in tents on the property and I've never slept outside before... so yeah, this was camping for me.

As an adult my first camping experience was really fun and I attribute that to a few things:
1) Having an open mind + positive attitude
2) My boyfriend acting as my Outdoorsy Sensei
3) A great group of camping friends
4) All the right gear (Again... all because of my boyfriend)

A post shared by Ishea (@sixtwentyseven) on Jul 3, 2017 at 2:32pm PDT

So, after successfully camping what's the next thing on my list? Backpacking! So many people give me a crazy look when I tell them I'll be going on a 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip on the coast. I'm sure this is because of a few things: 1) It's probably not as normal to have someone go from zero camping experience to a major backpacking trip. This will be my first time backpacking and only my 2nd time camping. 2) It's a 7.5 mile hike to the campsite, which includes elevation gains AND the use of ropes to navigate some of the climbs. 3) A lot of people LOVE camping and HATE backpacking, thus they assume everyone else will feel the same. I'm using my inexperience to my advantage, keeping an open mind, and appreciating the lacking frame of reference for how intense a backpacking trip can be.

We have a great group going to the coast and I'm so excited to be open to life and new adventures. My boyfriend actually just sent me a photo of some of the gear he snagged me from REI as we prepare to leave! Also, a major thank you to bae's childhood friend Kelly for letting me borrow her extra backpack... who just so happens to be Instagram famous for all of her beautiful outdoor adventures! If you'd like to ooooh and awwww over some DOPE ass photography, check out her Instagram account @kellll_bell89.

A post shared by Ishea (@sixtwentyseven) on Jul 3, 2017 at 12:57pm PDT

interSessions: The Art x Hip Hop Dialogues

What is interSessions?
interSessions: The Art x Hip-Hop Dialogues™ is a series of curated conversations between figures from the arts community and the hip-hop community. Each conversation – mediated by artist Fahamu Pecou – features notable figures speaking on a range of subjects related to intersectional experiences in the arts and entertainment and their impact on popular culture and society.

interSessions™ considers the growing number of engagements between the worlds of hip-hop and fine art. The series is dedicated to interrogating art and hip-hop not as isolated encounters, but rather where they overlap, how they complement and enhance each other, and, ultimately, how in conversation they act together to transgress the status quo.

The event kicks off tomorrow night (8/2 @ 7p) with guests Negarra Akili and Frank William Miller Jr. @ The Piranha Shop in SoDo.

Click here to RSVP for tickets to this FREE event