Blogger's Favorites -- Tammy and Sarah of Banquet

I've long been deeply fond of Tammy and Sarah's confident, unique design sensibility...

As the founders of Banquet Atelier & Workshop, they turn out paper goods that manage to exhibit equal parts sophistication and whimsy and are an homage of the rich natural world that surrounds them in their home-base of Vancouver. Their blog of the same name is a regular stop for me, as it's a hugely inspiring daily representation of their enviable aesthetic.

And they're also supremely cool ladies, who, if they ever happen to make their way to Texas, I would love to join for a gin and tonic (our common cocktail of choice). So here's the plan, as we head into a weekend of relentless triple digit heat here in Dallas, I'm going to honor Tammy and Sarah's list by mentally summonsing the cooler environs of their northern neck of the woods. Feel free to join me.

Without further ado, Tammy and Sarah's favorites. Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend (and one that's hopefully cooler than mine).

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we have a lot of favourites and on any given day they could be 10 other things. but here in no particular order are the people and things that are inspiring us right now:

growing cacti on our windowsill. their shapes range from the architectural to side show bob's hair. best of all, they flourish with what is often complete neglect.



victoria gin. preferably with tonic. maybe lime. or cucumber.



our kids' art. no inhibitions, no constraints, it's a way of working we struggle to get back to, and when we can find that sweet spot, it always works. and when we can't get there we just frame up one of theirs!


shary boyle. her dark and tender porcelains are just the icing on the cake of a body of work that always manages to get under our skin. she is one of canadian art's best kept secrets, and we can't wait to see her upcoming show at the contemporary art gallery here in vancouver.



brian wildsmith. in our homes, his children's books are equally beloved by parent and child alike (sometimes they might even be tucked away on the top shelf for safe keeping. and how many illustrators have a museum in japan dedicated to their work?





gardening. taking a field of dandelions and making it into a plot of earth that will sustain all year has given indescribable satisfaction. growing and eating your own food has to be one of the greatest pleasures around. but i have to add, in retrospect, that grid of boxes looks pretty fantastic!



cookbooks. plenty, tender, canal house, vij's and anything by alice waters or david tanis. because without them, the aforementioned gardening would be more fun for rabbits than us.



Julie Morstad. when we first met julie she was creating the most fantastic drawings of bearded men and swans and castles in the sky, but these days it's her prints and work illustrating kid's books that blows our minds. she also has created one of the most magical homes we know.



a detacher. we love a detacher in new york for mona kawalska's covetable mix: strappy green suede sandals, antique jewellery, vintage maps, and pepto bismal pink jacquard cardigans. makes us work all the harder so that one day we can afford to actually shop there!