With less than a week to go before Thanksgiving, I should be searching for a turkey baster, a set of matching napkins that aren’t stained and a viable alternative to turnips. Don’t kid yourself. Nobody likes turnips.

Instead, I’m shopping for throw pillows.

In fairness, I’m extraordinarily picky. It took ShopGuy and me a year to find a living room set we could live with. It’s sleek and black and modern.

So much so that we need to soften the look a little. I figured pillows would be the icing on the cake. But no. They’re like thorns in my side, only less prickly.

I started my search on the Internet and immediately found the perfect set at Crate & Barrel. The caveat? The whole shebang would wind up costing as much as the couch and love seat combined by the time I was through. Ugh.

T.J.s seemed like the best option. And if I had any other combination of colors in my house, it would’ve been. Word to the wise: Just start here, because the selection beats pretty much every other option in the Greater Bangor area.

But alas, nothing fit my “scheme,” as I’ve taken to calling it. I tried Marshalls, which was like T.J.s with fewer pillows. I tried Kohl’s, but everything looked too beddish. Even the Simply Vera line. I tried Macy’s, but nothing was quite right.

I thought I had hit pay dirt at World Over Imports, until I realized they only had one pillow in my pattern of choice. The rest wouldn’t match – although I did not let this deter me from picking up a few rugs, a countertop compost crock and a decorative bottle in which to store olive oil.

The selection at Target was affordable – and stylish – but not exactly what I wanted. Kmart had some of the best pillows around – but the colors were all wrong. A trip to a Bangor home-accents shop that shall remain nameless would’ve been great had anyone actually offered to help me. Apparently I don’t look the part of someone who would custom-order fabric. Oh well.

And though I love Mardens, Linens ‘n Things and Bed Bath & Beyond, the selection of throw pillows at all of these places leaves something to be desired. I offered to buy the pillows off a couch at Mardens, but for some reason, the furniture guys didn’t think that was such a good idea.

Even Angela Adams, my favorite store ever, didn’t have anything that matches. And I’m not about to repaint my living room.

I was just about to give up hope when ShopGuy (sick of hearing me rant, I would imagine) found amazing – and cheap – pillows on Overstock.com. Then he went a step further and found pretty wool-blend throw blankets at SierraTradingPost.com.

So I guess that ends the pillow talk. Now I’m off to talk turkey.

Good thing I got a sweet deal on a roaster last summer. All I need now is napkins. And lots of them.

Deals galore

If you haven’t been to my blog, then you haven’t read about the open house this weekend at Ingrid’s. Or the great finds at the Zonta fair in Brewer. Or the trunk show at Terra Cotta in Ellsworth today. What are you waiting for? http://communityv1.bangordailynews.com/blog/4. And drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329, or by fax to 941-9476. For exclusive online shopping tips, click on the ShopBlog icon on the bottom of the BDN homepage: bangordailynews.com.