Seattle feels like home...

Somewhere in-between the sunshine, venti vanilla latte from Starbucks, and walking my pup around Cap Hill this weekend, something happened -- I looked around and realized that Seattle finally felt like home.

From the comfort of my over-priced studio nestled in the heart of Cap Hill, I finally feel like Seattle is my home. I'm surrounded by hipsters and coffee and vape pens... flannel and Dr. Martens... intentional graffiti that walks a fine line between art and anarchy, a million concert flyers,  restaurants touting the latest local, organic "food of the moment", millennials walking the streets with more yoga mats than I can count, a city that has more dogs than kids, BRUNCH...

Oyster Shooters from Coastal Kitchen

I actually get to call the fastest growing city in the country my home. I commiserate about the constant overcast and rain October through April, finally understand the importance of Vitamin D, that S.A.D. is a real thing, and that it can actually be cloudy, sunny and raining all at the same time.

Next month marks 4 years in Seattle and I feel so very blessed to have been able to experience so much in my time here. It's like I'm in my Senior year about to graduate from the city, ready to step into the "real world" and grow into my understanding of who I am and what I want to do with my time here.

This city isn't for everyone. The seemingly never-ending overcast days might get to you before the "Seattle Freeze", but if you can hang in there, this city is ripe for the taking and has so much to offer! I have met some of the most brilliant women in my life here and feel honored to call so many of these women my friends. I've learned to love myself and what self-care actually looks and feels like.

Seattle Graffiti 

I've healed my heart and received the blessing of love being open to something new. I'm growing in my career and also gaining confidence in being my authentic self -- someone who loves the stability of a 9 to 5, but also working on their passion projects. I dream of being able to marry the two and living in Seattle is allowing me to lay the foundation for achieving that.

To Seattle -- the city I couldn't find on the map, the city I had never seen before moving here, the city that nearly ate me up in those first 6 months -- this is my little emo love letter to you. It's taken a while, but we finally fit.

Recipe: Tuna Cakes #627Eats

A post shared by Ishea (@sixtwentyseven) on May 4, 2017 at 1:03pm PDT

If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat, I'm sure you've seen me cooking up something either at home or work. While I can do a little something something in the kitchen, the real star is my boyfriend. He cooks for us about 90% of the time and has inspired me to step outside of my culinary comfort zone.

A huge perk of living in the Pacific Northwest is the close proximity to fresh seafood. Not too long ago bae flexed his hunter gatherer skills on a fishing trip to the coast and snagged us a bunch of fresh tuna. That's right -- he caught the Tuna himself! That's taking the local, organic, farm-to-table life to a new level.

Since bae is a "real cook" (read: the type who doesn't really use measurements), we filmed this video showing how he cooks up our favorite Tuna Cakes! The video is a bit long, but lays out all the steps so you can easily follow along.

This is the first video in what we'd like to turn into a cooking series, so any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy!




Ingredients
Tuna
Bread Crumbs
Eggs
Onion
Parmesan
Lemon
Parsley
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil

Girlfriend Getaway Part 4: Edible Cocktails with Chef Matt Costello

Working in the Allrecipes office I'm surrounded by foodies and the latest innovations in food/drinks. I, however, had never imagined that I could EAT a cocktail. That's right... an edible cocktail!

Throughout the dinner experience, my mind was continuously blown by the genius of Inn at Langley GM and award-winning chef, Matt Costello! He did the absolute most with the meal and I loved every second of it!

I wish I could've captured more pictures of the food and drinks, but since we were filming I tried to stay in the moment and allow them to capture me truly experiencing things... and not just them filming me, filming my food. My millennial food phone-tography skills had to take a break.

Check out the Part 4 of our Buick Girlfriend Getaway below!!



Click here for Part 1
Click here for Part 2
Click here for Part 3

Girlfriend Getaway Part 3: A Drum Circle & Letting Go

The original plan was for us to see a psychic/spiritualist who analyzes your future based on your lipstick print, which admittedly would've been pretty dope. However, we ended up having a drum circle instead. My singing voice is trash, but I do believe in keeping my vibes aligned, so I tried to keep an open-mind and live in the moment. It also helped that the champagne was ever-flowing. Equipped with my BFF and all the adult juice I could want, I knew the experience would be one I could get through.

Marilyn Strong is the Spa Director at the Inn at Langley and guided us through our drum circle experience. We used drums, along with chanting, so try and get in tune with our inner selves. Or as Kat Williams used to say, our "star player".

We all started off super light-hearted and full of giggles, but once we went around the circle naming what we wanted to let go of, things took a more serious, intentional turn.

It was nice to connect with all of these women, all of us different, but realizing we shared a lot in common. There are some universal things women from all backgrounds can relate to, and I found it refreshing to share this moment with all of the ladies. We also got to light a flame to really cool paper that floated into the air as is burned. I wish I could remember the name... that's something I wanted to use in the future with my own set of girlfriends.



Click here for Part 1
Click here for Part 2
Click here for Part 4

Girlfriend Getaway Part 2: Kayaking

One of the highlights of our Buick Girlfriend Getaway was kayaking for the first time! We were placed in the highly capable hands of the good folks at Whidbey Island Kayaking, and after a quick instruction set free to roam the water.

This was my first time kayaking and I must admit I was a bit nervous to do it. For some reason, despite being a water person, I still feel nervous when I'm sitting on top of the water and prefer exploring below the surface (y'all know I'm a certified scuba diver).

Natalie and I took a few mins to get our rhythm together, but ended up choosing a Beyonce playlist to find a cadence we could both maintain. Overall, kayaking was really enjoyable and quite relaxing. We got to see some cute stuff in the water (I loved the star fish) and it counted as an actual workout.

If you haven't gone yet, I'd highly recommend going with a friend. You should stay dry, but it's always best to wear something you don't mind getting wet and putting your phone in a protective case. Also keep in mind if your watch is waterproof/water resistant, as that's something folks easily forget about.






Click here for Part 1
Click here for Part 3

Girlfriend Getaway Part 1: My First Time on a Ferry + The Inn at Langley

Last Fall, I was one of 8 lucky ladies selected to attend a fabulous Girlfriend's Getaway sponsored by Buick and Seattle Refined. As a winner I was able to bring along a friend and it was a no-brainer to bring my partner in crime, Natalie. We're basically the Black Broad City of Seattle, so it was a dream to have a relaxing getaway and explore a new part of Washington together.

After a short ferry ride (which happened to be my first time ever on a ferry), we got to explore Whidbey Island where we stayed at the ultra luxurious Inn at Langley. This resort was absolutely breathtaking and a peaceful change of pace over the sometimes chaotic Cap Hill where Nat and I both live.

Below is part 1 of the trip where we road up in super comfy Buick cars (the cars were actually impressive), enjoyed the short ferry ride to Whidbey Island, and checked out our sickening rooms at the Inn at Langley... the room was so damn impressive it's worthy of its own post.

As you'll see in the video, Natalie and I had an absolute ball riding up with Seattle Refined host Gaard Swanson. He was super sweet and made us feel comfortable... it took NO time for our personalities to start shining and turn the ride into a lituation.

Also -- glad to showcase our #BlackGirlMagic on this trip as the melanin was definitely lacking. We were also the youngest of the group, though still in our 30s, and some of the only ladies who didn't have kids. I think it's an accurate reflection of the direction Seattle is going as the fastest growing city in the country where people have more dogs than kids. We work hard, play hard, and definitely enjoyed the peaceful break from our daily routine.

Sidebar: I personally think Natalie and I were meant for Reality TV, so if you know someone who is looking hit me up! #ShamelessPlug


Part 1


Click here for part 2