To Grey or not to Gray

A mix between black and white, gray is by definition a neutral. But its varying shades, from light dove to dark charcoal, make gray versatile as any color. According to some Grey and Gray are the same thing just spelled differently, according to others it’s a completely different color swatch, and to others it’s not a color at all. For the simplicity of this post, I will refer to this color as G.R.A.Y as Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary says so.

Gray is still hot and one of the most popular colors clients request for all their upholstery needs. 

Some hints and tips with decorating with Gray

• Add plenty of texture, or pattern
• Add different shades of grey together
• Add variety of light sources, gray is already the color of a shadow. Position lights throughout the space at different heights by using a mixture of table lamps, floor lamps, scones and pendants.
• Add a punch of color in the room.

As for different color combinations that include gray, purple is always a good choice. Red, blue, brown or yellow are also nice options. Since gray a black and white combined, you can also use it with the classical black and white and maybe with some subtle touches of red.

Gray no longer needs to be saved for stuffy offices and come off as drab; it has become the new tan and is proving to be stylish in both modern and traditional decorating schemes. Enjoy using this versatile color in your room; just remember to identify the right gray color scheme for your space. Pair cool gray with blue for a crisp, classic look or coordinate warmer gray walls with purples and plums for a rich, cozy feel.

Enjoy…..send us your pictures and tell us how you have decorated with this new neutral!

Check out our website for all your upholstery needs. 

www.halstead.ca

Wedding Disaster!

Your wedding is meant to be the happiest day of your life it’s supposed to be a day to remember and hopefully for the right reasons.

Our family was invited to my cousins wedding Saturday May 12, 2012 and it’s a story that needs to be told!

My cousin Kevin and his beautiful bride to be Jodi have been together for 12 years and like many young couples have gone through so much and have fought for their love and strength of their relationship. When a wedding date was set we all celebrated in this union as whenever you were in a room with these two you could see the love and admiration they had for each other. The sheer shock and disappointment started Friday night May 11th with the arrival of the wedding party to the venu1008 in Inglewood for the wedding rehearsal. The excitement was apparent with everyone involved as there were two families coming together to support and celebrate this union. However, there was another wedding party there with the same excitement and joy in their eyes. How could this be two wedding parties, two brides, two grooms, and one venue, there must be some mistake…..yes there was a mistake two contracts signed and the venu1008oblivious to this development. Soon it became apparent that only one family was going to be celebrating at the venu1008, contracts were pulled out and scrutinized and the bride and groom that signed first would be granted the venue. Kevin and Jodi at 6:00pm Friday night were told they would have to find another venue for the wedding that was scheduled for the following day! The wedding party and families came together with cell phones in hand calling every place they could think of that might be able to help out! Another venue was found that evening and all invited guests were called with the changes.  PHEW, the next morning at 9:00am the NEW venue called and said they made a mistake and would not be able to accommodate the wedding…..SIX hours prior to Jodi walking down the aisle to marry her best friend and the man of her dreams she is being told once again, “we are sorry” how can something like this happen, how cruel and unfair! 11:30am another venue was found. Port O’Call Calgary Airport Hotel http://www.bwportocallhotel.com/first thought was how sorry we felt for Jodi, and how hard this is on her,Kevin and the families. Second thought was how are they going to pull this off,ceremony and reception with limited time? 

We arrived at the Port O’ Call in at2:30, and the hotel had the wedding posted on their event board and we went to find the ceremony room, WOW it was beautiful, chairs, alter, flowers, music,decorations. We must be in the wrong room; this wedding venue was just decided on a couple hours ago! As family started to flow in we knew we were in the right room and at 3:30 the guests stood as Kevin played his guitar and serenaded his bride down the aisle, there was not a dry eye! At 5:00 the reception doors opened and supper was too be served at 6:00, we found out throughout the evening what this venue did to accommodate this wedding on short notice and it was clear they are committed to customer service and going above and beyond. Port O Call, brought employees in by taxi to get the reception room set up and the meal prepared, and what an unbelievable job they did. The room was beautiful, the supper fantastic and the night was truly magical. I am not sure what would have happened if the Port O' Call wasn’t called, but what I do know is this is an establishment that really went above and beyond and showed that it is a first class wedding facility. 

Brides and Groom plan for months to pull the perfect wedding together and this one with the help of an army of people was planned and executed within hours and proved to be a wedding that will not ever be forgotten. 

Looking back Kevin and Jodi will see that this was one day in a long life together as husband and wife. It didn't go as planned, but it's a sign of the resilience they have as a couple. And they now have a story to tell that is unique and always memorable. 

As a family we are very proud of this couple how they showed that love will conquer all and once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale

This mother’s day I was fortunate enough to spend it with my mother, and there is no other present which is as beautiful as the presence of your mother.  I enjoyed watching my children interact and spend the day with my mom and I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful sight. I remember being a young girl and my mom sharing this poem with me that she clipped from the newspaper. At first I was a bit offended by what she was trying to say but now being a mom of two teenagers I find myself on this mother’s day sharing the same poem with my children.

I HAD THE MEANEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD

WHILE OTHER KIDS HAD CANDY FOR BREAKFAST, I HAD TO EAT CEREAL, EGGS, AND TOAST.

WHILE OTHER KIDS HAD CAKES AND CANDY FOR LUNCH, I HAD A SANDWICH. AS YOU CAN GUESS MY DINNER WAS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER KIDS DINNERS, TOO.

MY MOTHER INSISTED ON KNOWING WHERE WE WERE AT ALL TIMES. YOU'D THINK WE WERE ON A CHAIN GANG OR SOMETHING. SHE HAD TO KNOW WHO OUR FRIENDS WERE AND WHAT WE WERE DOING.

I AM ASHAMED TO ADMIT IT, BUT SHE ACTUALLY HAD THE NERVE TO BREAK THE CHILD LABOR LAW. SHE MADE US WORK! WE HAD TO DO THE DISHES, MAKE THE BEDS, AND LEARN HOW TO COOK. THAT WOMAN MUST HAVE STAYED AWAKE NIGHTS THINKING UP THINGS FOR US KIDS TO DO.

AND SHE INSISTED WE TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. BY THE TIME WE WERE TEENAGERS, SHE WAS MUCH WISER, AND OUR LIVES BECAME MORE UNBEARABLE. NONE OF THIS TOOTING THE CAR HORN FOR US TO COME RUNNING;

SHE  EMBARRESED US TO NO BY INSISTING THAT FRIENDS COME TO THE DOOR TO GET US. I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT MOST OF OUR FRIENDS WERE ALLOWED TO DATE AT THE MATURE AGE OF 12 OR 13, BUT OUR OLD-FASHIONED MOTHERREFUSED TO LET US DATE UNTIL WE WERE 16. SHE REALLY RAISED A BUNCH OF SQUARES. NONE OF US WERE EVER ARRESTED FOR SHOPLIFTING OR BUSTED FOR DOPE.

AND WHO DO WE HAVE TO THANK FOR THIS? YOU'RE RIGHT OUR MEAN MOTHER. I AM TRYING TO RAISE MY CHILDREN TO STAND A LITTLE STRAIGHTER AND TALLER, AND I AM SECRETLY TICKLED TO PIECES WHEN MY CHILDREN CALL ME MEAN.

I THANK GOD FOR GIVING ME THE MEANEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD. OUR COUNTRY DOESN'T NEED A GOOD FIVE- CENT CIGAR: IT NEEDS MORE MEAN MOTHERS LIKE MINE.

Author Unknown