Welcome Aboard!

Tom Smith (a.k.a. "Smitty") has lived on Martha's Vineyard almost all of his life. Today, like Jon Searle, he helps defend the place he loves most as an officer with the Edgartown Police Department. Among other things, Tom has worked the K-9 Unit, which once had him coordinating with the Secret Service to protect visiting dignitaries like former President Bill Clinton. Tom's job can be stressful, so when he gets home, he likes to relax. But up until recently there was just one problem. After converting his basement to a place for his two sons Conor, 14, and Liam, 11, to play, he found himself without his own area to unwind.

Tom is the kind of guy who counts time in football seasons. He's a man's man. He needed a Man Shed. What began as a modest place to put his stuff quickly turned into an outdoor living room complete with recliner, flat screen TV and beer fridge surrounded by patches, pins, muskets, medals and other keepsakes Tom has acquired throughout his years on the force and in the military. His Man Shed has all the comforts of home, which is why it takes a lot more than a cold snap to get him out of his chair (he's been known to watch Pats games in the dead of winter huddled with a sleeping bag and a space heater). We were fortunate enough to experience the Man Shed on the biggest game day of the year: Super Bowl XLII, 2008. With a full spread of beer, chili and nachos, the Man Shed did not disappoint.

In fact, the only thing Tom and his boys like as much as the Shed is, you guessed it, vineyard vines. On a recent school field trip to Washington, DC, which Tom chaperoned (first mistake), the Smith gang snuck off from the rest of the group. While most students wanted to see the Lincoln Memorial or the White House, the Smiths simply couldn't leave town without checking out our new Georgetown store. They'll be pleased to know that when we're on island, we feel the same way about the Shed.