Have all you need for Thanksgiving?

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Thanksgiving is upon us, which means full tables for many of us. No matter how much you plan ahead, there always seems to be a need for a few last-minute items. Luckily our local stores are open, fully stocked, and ready to help. Here are but a few great examples of the plethora of stores our Island offers.

For your cooking needs, LeRoux at Home, on Main Street in Vineyard Haven, not only has your traditional needs like turkey lifters and roasting pans by All Clad but they also have some more unique products to take your turkey dinner to a new level. You could try a new preparation — the Fire & Flavor Apple Sage Brining Mix ($7.99) — or set your turkey apart from the rest with the Turkey Frills elegant touch finish for turkey legs ($4.49). You might even choose to set your table with Geoffrey Allen’s Rooster Bowls and serving ware to embody the holiday feel. While at LeRoux, make sure to head up to the second floor to peruse their fine selection of home decor and possibly select the extra pillows or blankets you might need for holiday guests. If you are in a truly festive mood, you might elect to change just a few things in your home to give it that fall holiday feel, perhaps with new throw pillows, towels, or accent rugs in the hues of fall from LeRoux.

Just up Main Street you will find The Beach House. Tables are laden with a variety of holiday linens for you to choose from. Their Natural Habitat placemats in a rainbow of fall colors are eye-catching and their 100 percent cotton woven table cloths and 22″x22″ napkins are a breeze to clean in your washing machine after holiday use. They also have a wonderful selection of serving platters, candles and holders, along with an aromatic selection of bath and body products that will make your guests feel like they are staying at a spa. Try one of their leading brands of spa products by Speziali Fiorentini or Maria Evora to bring a smile to your guest’s faces before they even sample your food.

Centerpieces

Decorations for your home and table can be as simple as carving your own small pumpkins or gourds to make tea light-sized candle holders for your table, to visiting one of our many local florists to have them help you design your perfect table-scape. A visit to Donaroma’s floral department garnered some inspiration from Senior Designers Sue Weyl and Mariko Kawaguchi.

Ms. Weyl shared her inspired Turkey Arrangement (an arrangement made of various fresh and dried flowers that depict an actually turkey, right down to a Birds of Paradise head with googly eyes and grass or feather plums) that first came to be more than eight years ago.

“It was a whimsical, fun thing that we did, and the first year we produced it we had great fun laughing about it and only sold a few of them,” Ms. Weyl said. “But after that, people caught on and they started ordering them because it had become a holiday tradition for some people. We have actually shipped them, and now that children have grown and moved away they still want these turkeys on their dining room table.”

Asked why she feels they really took off in popularity over the years, Ms. Weyl responds, “People find them unique, a conversation piece, a fun piece. We have people who will buy one for their side board and then have a traditional centerpiece on their table.” Turkey Arrangements, like all arrangements, can be ordered ahead by calling the floral department at 508-627-8366, though they will have some pre-made and available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the shop.

If a Turkey Arrangement or planned centerpiece is not your style, Ms. Kawaguchi offers some sage advice on making your own centerpiece. “Go take a walk. Go find some interesting stones on the beach, or a unique cluster of twigs. We are really fortunate and should be thankful that we have beauty all around us, and with a few accessories from a great store (straw flower bunches at Donaroma’s are $5) you can make something really special and genuine.”

May your Thanksgiving be filled with family, friends and a colorful environment. Happy Thanksgiving.