Culturally Expressive Yoga #TrapVinyasa (via @YogabyBiola)

Inhale. Exhale. Throw that ass in a circle? There's something beautiful about combining the ancient practice of yoga with the modern influences of trap music that makes my little ratchet heart soar. What makes it even better is having an insanely dope black woman lead the movement and change the typical face of yoga in media.

The brainchild of Seattle yogi Biola Akanni (pronounced bee-AHH-luh), these new classes are aimed at "liberating your mind and body through culturally expressive yoga rooted in yogic philosophy infused with creative movement and music."

Through her business, Yoga by Biola, she's currently offering 3 Culturally Expressive Yoga classes: Zen Tea Gentle, Trap Vinyasa, and Divine Feminine Hatha. In addition to these classes, she also teaches more traditional yoga classes at 8 Limbs in West Seattle and Zum Fitness downtown Seattle.

Y'all know I have minimal chill when it comes to discovering dope women of color doing stuff in Seattle, so I was thrilled to connect with Biola last week for drinks and chit chat. Her spirit is such a beautiful balance of peaceful/zen yogi and quirky black girl magic -- consider her your guide in vibe alignment with a turnt twist! A perk of living in Seattle is having access to so many unique small business owners. I personally find it very rewarding genuinely support women of color and other small business owners in my everyday life.

I've always found regular (non-heated) yoga to be a bit boring... mainly because my mind wanders and I always struggled to focus on the practice. I'm excited to try Biola's Culturally Expressive Yoga classes, especially Trap Vinyasa... because, Trap Music is damn near the "bacon" of music... it makes everything better!

For more information check out Biola's website.



Images via YogabyBiola.com

Daybreak Pop-Up Market 1/8 (via @cedarroomseattle)

One of the perks of living in Seattle is having access to a plethora of locally owned, small business owners who create dope shit. I've been a huge fan of the Badwill Market monthly pop-up shop in Capitol Hill @ Rhino Room, so I was thrilled to discover another local market pop-up in Ballard this upcoming Sunday -- Daybreak! 

Presented in partnership with Cedar Room Seattle and Stash Pot Shop (with support from Lagunitas Brewing Co.), this quarterly pop-up market will feature local vendors, art, music, and food/drinks. Some of my favorite vendors who will be there include Plantuary (they have an amazing selection of plants and cute pottery), Genuine Gem Seattle (I've purchased some of my favorite chokers from them), and Top Coat Sea who will be doing complimentary nail art designs!! Yes... that's right... COMPLIMENTARY NAIL ART!! Free 99. If you need to refresh that holiday mani for the low, it doesn't get any lower in $$$ than this.

This will be my first time attending Daybreak, but I've purchased from some of the vendors before and always had a great experience. My advice would be to come on the earlier side and snag your favorite items. I've definitely missed out on some cool finds showing up later in the day.

For more info visit the Facebook Event page.

Where: Cedar Room Seattle / 4912 Leary Ave. NW / Seattle

Time: 1p to 7p

Cost: Free

Jay Ellis: Slim Thick AF (@jayrellis)

Y'all know I usually don't have love for men under 200 lbs, but I'm going to go ahead and introduce a new category called "Slim Thick Neck" because Jay Ellis deserves the title! He plays Lawrence on HBO's Insecure and his body transformation over season 1 was Amazing AF.

As documented on his IG account, he started the season at 184lbs and 13% body fat. Those stats are not shabby at all and something regular dudes (non-actors) would be more than happy to have. During the second half of the season Ellis decided to stop playing with folks and put in the work to go to 196lbs and 8% body fat. Ooooh wee! A picture is worth a thousand words.

Lawrence #BeforeandAfter Episodes 1-4: 184lbs 13% body fat Episode 8: 196lbs 8% body fat S/O @coachdaveboxing with the works outs and @kildareriordan with the nutrition

A photo posted by Jay Ellis (@jayrellis) on Nov 30, 2016 at 3:26pm PST

Even though Lawrence ended Season 1 of Insecure being an emotional fuckboy (I have an entire post planned for Insecure), my eyes work and I must give credit where it's due... and homeboy earned every bit of his Glow Up! Yay for those abs, chiseled face, and thicker neck. The muscle pump in his arms is also worth admiring for a bit.

If you wanna pick his brain about the show, his body transformation or that infamous sex scene in the Season 1 finale, he'll be hosting a Facebook Live today at 630p EST.

Trap Kitchen Seattle Pop-Up Dinner on 11/18 #TrapKitchenPopUp

What happens when two former gang members take their business acumen for hustling and leave the street life behind? Trap Kitchen!

The brainchild of Malachi 'Spank' Jenkins and Roberto 'News' Smith, Trap Kitchen features a daily "chef's choice" menu chocked full of soulful favorites like fried chicken and waffles, king crab jambalaya, and shrimp mac n cheese has quickly become Compton's culinary bae.

What excites me most about what Spank and News are doing with Trap Kitchen isn't necessarily the food, but proving to the world that you can successfully leave the street life behind and find a legit, profitable and enriching way to make money. They used the resources available to them  and carved out their own lane to make a booming business!

This is both a polarizing and historic time to be a black person in America, especially a black man. I love the idea of these two black men, who were former rival gang members, coming together and creating a real-life, relatable example of what it is to be a successful people of color in this country! We are not the sum of our poor decisions and you can always turn your life around for the better.

Trap Kitchen will be blessing Seattle with their delicious eats on Friday, November 18th @ 7p in the 1927 Event Space in Belltown (on 3rd Ave. between Virginia and Stewart). This is Trap Kitchen's first pop-up in the Pacific Northwest, so I'd encourage you to snag your tickets before they're sold out.

Tickets are $65 and 100% of the proceeds are being donated to the Black Prisoners' Caucus T.E.A.C.H. Program. Not only do you get to enjoy a night of delicious food and entertainment, but you get to help a great cause! Click here to purchase your tickets.

For more information on Trap Kitchen visit the official Facebook event page.




Photos: @TheRealTrapKitchen Instagram

A Quest For Love Tour - Seattle (via @RBSoundSelect)

If you're a fan of dope music, get ready to rejoice... Red Bull Sound Select is bringing their "A Quest For Love Tour" to Seattle! The 12-city tour features upcoming MCs Mick Jenkins and Smino blessing fans with their refreshing take on hip hop. Think meaningful rhymes + dope, melodic vibes sans the ratchet club sound currently dominating the airwaves.

I wasn't previously familiar with either artist, but after OD'ing on both of their Spotify pages it's safe to say I was missing out. On top of that, they're both Midwest natives (Mick Jenkins - Chicago, Smino - St. Louis), so I'm always happy to support my fellow Midwest folks.

The show will be in Belltown at the Crocodile on Thursday, September 29, and is only $3 with an RSVP OR $10 at the door.

RSVP by clicking here.

The Best Condo Views in Seattle (via @LumaCondosSea)

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Luma Condo Terrace and Sky Lounge opening for homeowners and you all, the views were breathtaking! Being from Chicago, I'm a city girl at heart and location and views are everything to me. The Luma is technically located in First Hill, but sits a few blocks away from Capitol Hill, so the location is spectacular. You get to be in the midst of everything that matters in Seattle, but elevated high enough away from the hot mess that Cap Hill night life usually turns into.

The Luma also did a phenomenal job maximizing the space of their terrace and sky lounge to offer luxurious comfort in their indoor spaces, splurging on square footage, 360 degree views, and even a dipping pool and outdoor shower! It's the epitome of condo living in Seattle and absolutely stunning.

Southwest Pool Views at Night

Southeast Pool Views during the Day

Currently the building is 85% Sold Out with only 25 units left. The prices start in the high 500s for 1bdrm units (2bdrm range from the high 700s to "low" 1.3 million), but they're absolutely gorgeous and the views can't be beat. My girlfriend was able to snag a unit in the building, so I feel lucky to live vicariously through her.

The official Grand Opening party will take place Thursday, September 22nd from 6p - 9p, and feature local Pike/Pine area chefs battling it out to cook the perfect burger, along with local bartenders crafting the perfect drink. The free event is currently sold out, but you can add your name to the wait list.

The Luma residents toasting to their gorgeous new condo

If you're in the market to buy and the price range doesn't scare you off, I'd highly suggest checking out the building and seeing if it could be your next home. The views are the best I've ever seen in all of Seattle.