InspireNow with Tamy - The Give-Away

One of the most significant Native American teachings is called The Give-Away Ceremony. This very powerful ritual is about releasing possessions and letting go of the attachment to those belongings. Giving without any strings attached becomes a scared action - pure giving without expectations, obligations or a means to control the recipient of the gift. I think we can all gain from this powerful teaching in our lives. Each time we share or give to another from a pure space without strings attached or any feelings of regret, we learn so much about our true selves. In turn we are given a gift of inner release. Try to release what no longer serves you - ideas, habits, limited thinking or belongings.

See what  you can share this week with others. Give away something that can help another or just let go of something that is weighing you down. When we hang on so tight and resist the natural flow of life we become blocked and feel heavy - release and feel your spirit soar!

Good to Eat - Lavender and Lemon Verbena Cake

I have been succeeding in making delicious dinners so for my next Good to Eat posting wanted to give baking a shot. I emailed my friend Shanti who is a baker at the foodie spot Saltie http://www.saltieny.com/ in Williamsburg. She invited me over for a Friday afternoon of baking, wine and sweets. It was a rainy day and after picking up fresh lavender from the Union Square Farmer's market I headed over to Fort Greene. I never realized how technical baking is and now have such an appreciation for this type of cooking. We made a delicious herb infused cake - a lavender, lemon verbena cake with lemon balm filling and lavender buttercream frosting. Mmmm mmmm it was delicious! You all know I love sweets but there is nothing better than biting into piece of cake made from scratch. It was so rewarding. Everything from the cake to the cream filling and frosting we infused with lavender and lemon. The ingredients were all organic and my tastebuds were doing a happy dance. The recipe is on Shanti's blog, Shantilly Picnic http://www.shantillypicnic.com/

Shanti - the baking pro

Morning on the Water

When I attended the hippie high school outside of Aspen, Colorado we didn't have traditional sports like football, track, etc. Our sports consisted of white water kayaking, rock climbing, hiking and snowboarding (during the winter we got out of school early to hit the mountains). Living in NYC you don't really think kayaking is an activity easily accessible but boy was I wrong. The nonprofit organization, Downtown Boathouse, makes it so easy to get on the water. Today I met my friend Elle at Pier 40 and we kayaked for over an hour. Being on the water was so refreshing and just pure fun. If you've never kayaked I highly recommend it and this is a great location for learning. From Pier 96 they offer three hour guided trips for more experienced kayakers. The organization is run by volunteers and it doesn't cost anything to kayak. Visit Downtown Boathouse for more details http://www.downtownboathouse.org/volunteer.html

THINGS TO KNOW 
- Locations that offer kayaking: Pier 40, Pier 96, Pier 72
- First come, first serve
- There is no cost (donations are accepted)
- No kayaking experience needed
- They provide a life jacket, kayak, paddle and tips on paddling 
- At Pier 40 you must stay inside a protected area. At Pier 96 they offer a longer, guided tour every Sunday (check the calender first)
- Bring a bathing suit, or shorts and a T-Shirt
- They have changing rooms

Plate Craze by Keren

Chi Chaser Keren Amihud

I have always been drawn to kitchen gear… I don’t even cook so it’s a little strange that I live to furnish the only room in the house that I don’t use. About 10 years ago, I was eating cookies with my mom straight out of the plastic bag we just picked up from our favorite neighborhood shop, D’lites. I kept pulling a few out, putting them in my hand and eating them one by one. My mom, on the other hand, put a few on a small beautifully hand-painted ceramic plate. I remember her taking a bite and saying “these always taste sooo much better on a cute plate.” I laughed and teased her slightly but now in retrospect, that was the sheer moment that triggered the plate craze that has taken over my adult life.

Since then I have been really drawn to plates. Every store, every flea market, every trip I go on, I must buy a plate. I probably have over 50 different plates that are displayed beautifully on a shelf in my kitchen. Through the years, my friends and family have also added to my collection, including my mom who sends “plate packages” to New York. Each one is for a certain mood and certain food. They have become this road map to memories, triggering stories of all my adventures and the people in my life. While this collection definitely adds life to my kitchen, they also, as my mom claimed, have an absolute magical way of making food taste better! Big shocker, mom was right. Everything does taste better on a pretty plate.

SOME OF MY PLATES:
- SQUARE (bottom left): my favorite one in the collection, found in Montreal, my most favorite city
- PRETTY (middle left): always use when I eat sushi, makes me think of my sister
- MOM (middle right): use every week when I have my Saturday "everything" bagel
- BITE (center): what I now eat my D’Lites cookies on (Diane Keaton’s line for Bed Bath and Beyond)
- FLOWER POWER (top right): found on my road trip from San Francisco to LA
- OLD SCHOOL: found in Cold Springs, NY at a huge garage flea market
- BIRD (top & bottom center): received this from my mom when I moved to NYC symbolizing “flying away”
- COYOTE BLOOD (top left): My boyfriend Ryan made this for me at Make Meaning http://www.makemeaning.com/

More Progressive Parties Please

Brittany and I have been best friends ever since we were put together as roommates freshman year at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Instantly we were inseparable. Whether doing crunches in our dorm room, hiking up Chautauqua, watching cheesy Lifetime movies, laughing over Friends re-runs or sharing stories over cheap wine we were always together. After college we both lived in LA and the hardest part of moving was leaving her. 

Earlier this year Eric and I went to visit Britt in Venice, CA. She has the most adorable apartment and her closest friends (many of them Boulder alumni) also live in Venice. In celebration of two bdays they decided to throw a progressive cocktail party. Luckily we were visiting and got to participate. The fun started late in the afternoon and four apartments were involved. We were a group of about 20 and together we rode on bikes from apartment to apartment. Each apartment served fun apps and a specialty cocktail. From spoonfuls of mac and cheese topped with Panko crusted bread crumbs to pear brie with truffle oil and sprigs of thyme, the apps were truly impressive. The cocktails were equally amazing and included rosemary vodka lemonade and infused vodka with cucumbers. I absolutely love this party concept. The energy of the party never lulled because we were on the move going from place to place. This is a great party idea for summer. 
Pics were taken by Brittany Zwickl.

Rosemary Lemonade: Mix 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan, boil for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of fresh rosemary leaves, remove from heat and cool. Strain liquid into a pitcher, add 3 cups of water and 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice. Stir and serve over ice with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Being Casual in Connecticut

Living in the city I long for space, outdoors, fresh air and greenery. Sometimes I find myself dreaming of what it would be like to live outside the city. New York City is surrounded by beautiful suburbs that are so close yet seem worlds away. I have lived in NYC for 4 years and have yet to explore Connecticut. Ironically, I often include us living in a gorgeous home in Connecticut on my universe list so it was about time I saw what it was all about. Last Saturday we went to Darien to visit our friends Kelly and Drew who moved there earlier this year. Connecticut surpassed my expectations. When driving around Darien it felt like it was out of a storybook with picture perfect tree-lined streets and happy families everywhere. We ate lunch outside while watching paddle boarders in the Long Island Sound, went to the beach and had a delicious dinner at Artisan in Southport. We will see where the future takes us!

Shirt: Zara, Jeans: Zara, Shoes: Via Spiga, Necklace: costume jewelry from my grandma, Bracelet: Taylor & Tessier taylorandtessier.com

Lovely Lighting

Summer is the perfect time for outdoor entertaining and lighting is essential for setting the mood and creating a warm atmosphere. It is amazing how lighting can transform a space. Over three years ago when Eric and I were apartment hunting in the city we immediately said yes to our place after seeing the large outdoor terrace. In NYC outdoor space is not the norm and we both were ecstatic. I got so excited over the terrace that I forgot to notice the lack of closet space (note to self when we are apartment hunting next). Here is some lighting inspiration for your next get together. 

Colorful paper lanterns (Etsy has great & affordable options)
Photo credit: Babble.com

Rustic outdoor chandelier
Photo Credit: House Beautiful

Porcelain candles
Available at West Elm starting at $8

Mix and match lighting
Photo credit: 2.bp.blogspot.com

Large bulb string lights - Pottery Barn and Target
have a great selection.
Photo credit: Elle Decor

Hanging candles, mini lanterns and a chandelier
Photo credit: Thisisglamourous.com

Touch of vintage with twist on solar
power mason jars, $27.50 for 3
Available at www.etsy.com/shop/treasureagain

InspireNOW with Tamy - Beach Dreaming

BEACH DREAMING by tamycadger featuring lace evening dresses

Our Dads

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Growing up our house was full of girls and this even included our pets. American Girl Dolls, makeup, tutus and dress up consumed our house and my dad was always involved. He was such a hands on dad and loved having daughters. Whether it was joining Indian Princess, camping, kayaking, riding horses or attending our dance recitals he was always happy to be there. At Indian Princess my dad was called Chief Arrow Walk, he was notorious for getting the camping trips started by wearing a head dress, war paint and singing "a boom chicka boom" around the campfire. I was eleven and was at the age where this could have been embarrassing but instead I was proud he was my dad. My dad still radiates this charisma and I am so lucky to have him. 

As a child I was called Thunder Thighs
 from this pic you can see why

My dad and I at our wedding

Eric's dad David and I clicked from the moment we met. He is the most giving, kind, loving and selfless man I know. He puts the happiness of his family above everything. He has such a calm aura about him and makes everyone feel special. I know my husband is the man he is today because he grew up with the best role model. 

Jason (Eric's brother), David and Eric

Friends with Flare - My Sister Alexandra

I think the world of my sisters and you will continue to see a lot of them on this blog. We are best friends and I only wish we lived closer. Both of them live in Colorado, Taylor in Aspen and Alexandra is going to be a sophomore at the University of Colorado in Boulder. When we get together especially for a girls weekend there is never a dull moment. Typically these weekends include lots and lots of laughing, being ridiculously goofy, having dance parties or dance offs, working out, us all in the same bed talking or watching a movie, shopping and eating chocolate. We all have a killer sweet tooth. Our dessert of choice is a warm molten chocolate cake with ice cream. 

Alexandra is the youngest and we are 9 years apart. She is such an amazing person and an extremely talented photographer. Many of her photos are on this blog and you can see more on her tumblr http://wind12.tumblr.com/. Fingers crossed she moves to NYC next summer for an internship and lives with her big sis! Alexandra is naturally gorgeous. You saw some pics of her cute dress from the Full Moon Party but I wanted to include some more pics of her on my grandpa's dock. 

Dress: Free People

Watch: Michael Kors, Earrings: Target, Gold Bracelets: Vintage

Sandals: Tommy Hilfiger

Good to Eat - Honey-Mustard Salmon with Roasted Asparagus

When it comes to cooking you know I'm all about easy. Last weekend I found a recipe in Women's Health magazine that I had to try. After work Eric and I stopped by Eataly to pick up the salmon and asparagus. The rest of the ingredients we had at home. No joke the dish took 10 minutes to prep and was so tasty. Eric loved it and if my foodie hubby says it's good then I know it must be really good. 








INGREDIENTS
4 Salmon fillets (we used wild salmon)
1 lb. asparagus, snap off the woody bottoms 
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Combine brown sugar and butter in a bowl - microwave and melt together then stir in the mustard, soy sauce and honey
- Toss the asparagus with 1 Tbsp of oil, Parmesan and salt and pepper. Place the asparagus in a baking dish and bake for 10 to 12 minutes
- Heat remaining 1 Tbsp of oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Season fillets with salt and pepper then add to the pan with the flesh side down. Cook 3-4 minutes on one side until browned then flip and brush with the honey mustard sauce. Then place the pan in the oven and bake for 5 minutes until the fish is firm but flakes easily. Remove fillets and cover with more honey mustard.
Feel good about yourself while enjoying this 360 calorie meal!

Craft Club - DIY Tribal Shirts

Everyone I work with is insanely creative so when I received an invitation to Craft Club I knew it was not-to-be-missed. Last night Lindsay Leaf hosted the get-together at her beautiful apartment. After wine and hors d'oeuvres we got started. On our team we have a DIY pro, Jenna Colombini, who has been crafting for years. Our project for the night was creating Tribal Tanks and Tees. Jenna pulled together inspiration boards and gathered the supplies from Michaels. This was the first of many more craft nights and we are already discussing our next project. Incorporating a DIY activity into a party really adds to the fun factor - people love an opportunity to get creative. 

All supplies can be purchased at Michaels - pack of sponges cut into shapes (triangles, squares, etc.), Sharpie Stained markers, painting tray and most importantly t-shirts 

(we purchased from Forever 21).

Our fearless DIY leader, check out more of Jenna's DIY creations on her blog: http://jennarosecee.tumblr.com/

Dip one side of the sponge in paint and then 

press on your t-shirt. 

Make sure to place a piece of paper/cardboard between the shirt to keep the paint from soaking through.

Jasmin getting started!

Our fabulous final creations!

Jasmin's parents were visiting from Carmel
and joined us for the fun. Her dad Rudy was so
creative and helped with the finishing touches.

First night of craft club was a success! Can't wait for the next one!