Banff Park Blanket

I spent this past weekend at a friend’s place in the woods on the Island. Saturday’s miserable rainstorm threw any plans for a hike to the wayside in favour of huddling under blankets and making a vat of chili inspired by Bonnie’s in Aspen. It was the perfect way to embrace the changing season, and a reminder that a great blanket can get you through the most miserable day. I’ve had my eye on this new line that the Bay has put out in partnership with the iconic Pendleton Woolen Mills to celebrate our national parks—Banff, Algonquin, Laurentian and Kootenay. Banff is my personal favourite (of course), crafted in rich chocolate brown and cool aqua, it’s made for an afternoon of doing nothing other than enjoying each other’s company.

Banff Park Blanket from the Hudson’s Bay Company Collection, $295, available in Vancouver and Calgary at thebay.com.

Teixidors Sisteroni throw

After a particularly rainy Sunday here this past weekend in Vancouver, I officially gave up the hope that we might see a couple more days of summer in the city, and started shifting my home (and my wardrobe) to the cozy. Many years in the magazine business means I love a throw or two on the sofa to make it feel warm (an easy way to change up the colour scheme in your room), and practically speaking, a blanket at the ready is perfect for those weekend naps I like to steal whenever I can. These Teixidors throws were a big hit a photo shoot we did recently on a rooftop patio—once the sun went down, guests quickly grabbed the soft merino wool blankets for their shoulders. The company has a great story too: it was built to provide employment for people with learning disabilities, and each blanket is handwoven from ecologically sustainable wool. And they’re just pretty enough to make me feel good about the transition to cooler weather (almost, anyway).

Teixidors Sisteroni throw, $499, available in Vancouver at Provide, providehome.com; in Calgary at Pomp and Circumstance, pompandcircumstance.ca.