Official Blog of Gallery Furniture's Mattress Mack of Houston, TX

A Children's Furniture Bonanza at High Point found by Gallery Furniture

Lea Furniture was visited by the Gallery Furniture High Point Market in full force, if for no reason than the fact that no matter where you turned your head in High Point, there was a Sponge Bob Square Pants or Dora the Explorer everywhere, and all because Lea paired up with television network Nickelodeon.  Gallery Furniture, the world's greatest furniture store, understands being ubiquitous in marketing, but the fun part was going to check out just what all the hoopla was about and do the due diligence test.

 

 

The ladies that make up the Gallery Furniture High Point market team were certainly not fooled, and passed by the cartoon-branded product line and found a higher-quality, more durably constructed set beyond the initial cartoon-created line.  They found the Lea furniture elite collection for children.  A line that truly exhibits the form, functionality, and beauty that your child deserves.

Nancy Burke said "as a mom, I grow tired of seeing big, bulky same old, same old bunk beds and children's furniture that makes me yawn.  Look!  It's also the same panel bed that everyone has.  This line offers a serious love of diversity in style, form, function, and at a retail price that rivals the current lines you see.  This is not some big national chain nonsense that everyone has, this is unique and it is beautiful, and your child will grow with hit."

Patricia Brickner, former photographer for the Houston Chronicle, was quick to add: "this line has your regular style bunk beds, and they make them well, but they also have your standard sleigh and panel beds - but the fun difference is storage, Houston families need storage to grow because not everyone has space to spare."

 
And the furniture thinks about kids, offering a media chest for a youth room that has room and a special area designed for XBox or Wii systems and a place for a Playstation.    Also modular, like the vanity and chest set shown below.  Move out the chests, and you have a freestanding vanity.

With trundle options and more, the sets from Lea were a hit with the Gallery Furniture High Point Market team.  The storage, the modular ability, everything you can think of to grow with a child for a time to come, are encompassed in the various collections they want to show Mattress Mack and the Gallery Furniture team.
 

How Sweet the Cougar Victory, How Delicious the Food, How Awesome the TV!

      

Every red-blooded Texan loves football, and everyone loves a hometown team.  So when the chance came to help the students of the University of Houston so they could be a part of the action when UH hosted the Texas Tech Red Raiders this past Saturday, Gallery Furniture - the world's greatest furniture store - stepped up to the line of scrimmage and got involved.  Turns out that the University of Houston's ticket office had a challenge that any university athletic department likes to have but finds difficult to get through - tons of demand to get in, not enough tickets to give out.  Gallery Furniture is Houston's leader in solving all kinds of problems, and instead of furniture, Gallery Furniture delivered food, fun, and a HUGE LCD TV!

   

You see, Gallery Furniture decided to offer up some free food in the form of BBQ ribs, burgers, sausage, hot dogs, and some corn along with a HUGE LCDTV on a  GoVision truck - a huge 9' high x 16' high Daktronics LCD television that broadcast the University of Houston matchup against Tech within the Red Lot at the corner of Scott and Wheeler - right in the heart of tailgate alley. 

  

The board's brightness could be seen from as far as the top deck of Robertson Stadium, and the students and alumni and guests that didn't have a chance at a ticket enjoyed some great Texas football at the Gallery Furniture Official Cougar Watch Party.  Gallery Furniture is more than just the world;s greatest furniture store - Gallery Furniture knows how to tailgate.  As the game played, and the emotional rollercoaster that played out on the grid iron reverberated in the cheers, gasps, and outcries of the tailgaters in the crowd, Gallery Furniture helped to create a fun, safe, and festive atmosphere for the enjoyment of all.  Whether you were an opposing Texas Tech Red Raider or a hometown University  of Houston Cougar, you were right there for every minute of one of the most exciting football games of the year.

   

Coach Joe Curl, who this year celebrates his 11th year at the helm of the University of Houston's Women's Basketball Team, kindly donated not just of his talented cooking efforts, but his world-famous Pitts-N-Spitts BBQ trailer to cook all the great food supplied by Gallery Furniture.  Working side by side with the Gallery Team, Coach Curl led the troops in feeding the massive horde of fans from both sides of this pigskin match.  Cougar and Raider alike tore into burgers, dogs, and ribs and cheered their team all the way until the clock reached zero - and what a sight it was.  The energy of the evening eclipsed anything the Gallery Furniture team had seen in some time - with one member of the crew saying "it reminded me of when the Astros played in the World Series - it was awesomely beautiful to be in the center of the energy and the experience."

Dropping by for some grub that evening and to talk shop with Joe Curl and the Gallery Furniture team was Assistant Athletic Director of Ticket Operations for the University of Houston, Mike Rea.  Along for the visit with Mike was Director of Ticket Operations for Texas Tech, Jarod Huddleston, who was excited to chow down on some delicious grub.  The energy of the tailgate crowd impressed Rea and Huddleston, who chose to watch part of the 3rd quarter at the Gallery Furniture tailgate party and were impressed with the set-up.

 

Team effort.  That's what wins games, and that's what won the night for the University of Houston football team in a tense game whose down-to-the-wire win will go down in the annals of Houston history as a storied tale of a great passing game, smart defensive plays, and sound clock management.  Just like the Cougars, the Gallery Furniture team came together for the students, alumni, and guests with sound best practices in event management so that Raider fans and Cougar fans alike could enjoy a game near the epicenter of energy this past Saturday - the tailgate lot of Robertson Stadium, home of the mighty University of Houston Cougars.   And a few ticks after midnight into Sunday, the explosion of triumph could be felt throughout Houston, with the party starting at the Gallery Furniture University of Houston Cougar Watching Tailgate Event.

Monkeys and Birds in a Furniture Store? Yes. Only at Gallery Furniture.

Many people have asked, "Why monkeys and birds in a furniture store?"

Gallery Furniture has always marched to the beat of its own drum, and many folks wonder why there are monkeys and birds in a furniture store?  Fact is, my wife Linda and I have always loved animals and for years have chosen to share this love of all of God's creatures with friends, family,  and the world's greatest customers - those that walk through the door of Gallery Furniture.

Leading our lovely flock is Mack the Hyacinth Macaw - who has been the number one bird at Gallery for over 10 years.   Over the years, Gallery Furniture has hosted the Three Amigos miniature horses, Post Oak the Grand Champion Steer, champion race horses, and other birds - yet Mack the Hyacinth Macaw has always held stage front and center.

Following the evening of the devastating fire of May 21st, Gallery Furniture received many inquiries from friends, and our family of customers who wanted to know how the birds - and the other beautiful animals - were and their condition following the fire.  A series of blogs showcasing the animals, including one of Post Oak the Champion Steer living in a ranchland paradise, made their way so that folks could see that the animals they grew to know and love were doing quite well.

My wife and I then decided that since folks loved the animals so much, we should look into bringing more of them into the Gallery Furniture family.  And While Linda was looking into acquiring some more birds she met Robert Williams and his then six-month old baby Brown-Tufted Capuchin monkey "Sasha".   Robert is a native Houstonian whose love for exotic animals started when he was sixteen and has culminated into a passion to rescue and re-home several capuchins, an older female chimpanzee, even two brown bears!  

The chance meeting of Linda and Robert was one of serendipity - turns out my wife has always loved monkeys herself, and she wanted to share the wonders of these delightful creatures with those who visited Gallery Furniture.   Wanting to bring a new a new and dynamic experience for the world's greatest customers, we hired Robert for his many years of experience working with birds, primates and the general public.

Since the 100% Grand Opening Celebration, Gallery Furniture is proud to have one of the few Toco Toucans born each year outside the wild to share with its customers.  There are also three Keelbilled and two Swainson's Toucans that came from expert breeder and bird caretaker Chad Jensen in San Diego, California.  Together, Robert and Linda have put together a collection of over seventeen different species of exotic birds, which includes Mack the Hyacinth Macaw, who serves as patriarch to this magnificent assortment of birds.

Naturally, all creatures big and small need care, and with the Gallery Furniture monkeys, this is no exception.  Both Linda and Robert are very busy with the six baby Gallery Monkeys and the two that belong to Robert.    With love, care, and helping hands, the expert care of these creatures allows Gallery Furniture to bring to the world's greatest customers an experience to watch these great creatures interact with one another  - from seeing them gleefully at play or sleeping peacefully - in the fabulous monkey habitat which made its debut Labor Day Weekend.

The Gallery Furniture Monkey troupe consists of Parker, a 4.5 month old female and Tidwell a 4.5 month old male, both Brown-Tufted Capuchins that were born at the Smokey Mountain Zoo in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  Recently added to the troupe is Logan, a 3.5 month old male and Kate, a 10 week old female.  Logan's namesake is that of the selfless young man who walked into the Post Oak location after the fire and insisted on giving myself and the Gallery Furniture family of employees a bag of money he had been saving for an Apple iPod.  Since Logan's sister's name is Kate, it followed to reason that the we honor the family names.  Gallery Furniture also has a baby Brown-Tufted male and White Throat male that are currently looking for names in the "Name the Monkey" contest (as shown on the front page of GalleryFurniture.com). 

Sasha and Cody, also Capuchin monkeys, are Robert's own and they love to ham it up for the Gallery Furniture customers while in the monkey habitat - especially the male Cody who loves to swing and perform for all of the wonderful Gallery Furniture customers who stop by to watch and wave hello.

Gallery Furniture's animals are always there to bring a smile to the many visitors in the store every day of the week.   Likewise, they are also there to provide educational opportunities unlike any other. Gallery Furniture will be starting a school field trip program where classes of children can come to the store to learn about the animals in an up close and personal setting.   With Robert's expertise in education and instruction - he teaches at the University of Houston Downtown - Gallery Furniture will offer a unique look into these creatures for children who may never venture far out of an urban environment.

The Gallery Furniture animals will also continue the great Gallery Furniture tradition of charitable good will and helping others in need.  For example, two of the Gallery Furniture monkeys made a special appearance at Petapalooza to help raise money for the Houston Humane Society - a notable organization looking to help God's creatures who have no voice of their own.

So, why monkeys and birds in a furniture store?  Because Gallery Furniture is a one-of-a-kind furniture store.  Not only will Gallery Furniture save you money and deliver your furniture TODAY, Gallery Furniture will also bring you a store experience unlike any other in the world… TODAY.

Breathtakingly Big Screens, Big Sights, and Big Sounds TODAY.

Come out to see Gallery Furniture’s new 10 x 7 Big Screen TV in the new and improved Gallery Furniture located at 6006 I-45 North between Tidwell and Parker.  It’s a Texas fact – Gallery Furniture customers from all over Houston love  their college and pro football!  And what better way to see the BIG GAME then with your entire family while shopping at Gallery Furniture? 

While shopping, you can to enjoy gridiron greatness on the brilliant 10-foot by 7-foot Toshiba Big Screen TV while you enjoy great  values on furniture, home theater seating & electronics, hand-made and natural dyed rugs, and solid wood furniture all at Gallery Furniture’s stunningly beautiful  100,000 square foot showroom that is 100% open for you with hundreds of ways to save TODAY.

The exciting and vibrant new Gallery Furniture showroom is incredible, and here’s what other Gallery Furniture customers just like you have been saying about the newly-remodeled 100% open Gallery Furniture showroom:

“They opened a new showroom and it’s just breathtaking! Absolutely awesome!”

“It’s amazing, it’s huge, it’s big, and it’s brand new!  We’ve seen the monkeys they are adorable.  There is so much to do you could spend the day here!”

“Coming to Gallery Furniture was a really great experience they have beautiful rugs and we love to shop here!”

“It’s much more wide-open. It’s great! You’re actually able to see all of the furniture and see the way it would look in your house ... the way it’s designed now.”

Putting it simply, you  have gotta see it to believe it!  Take time to come out TODAY to the 100% open Gallery Furniture, at the address you know by heart – 6006 I-45 North between Tidwell & Parker – and let the newly remodeled showroom take  your breath away.

Oh, and one more thing.  There is a much better way to watch a big game on a big TV, and that better way can be found TODAY in the new Gallery Furniture showroom.  The best way to view your favorite college football rivalry or pro team is in your very own Gallery Furniture home theater room – surrounded by family, friends, great food, and great drinks!

A Visit from a USO Volunteer at Gallery Furniture

Don Thomas dropped by Gallery Furniture today, and took time to tell his Gallery Furniture story.  "I had to come in and tell Mack that I remembered all these years later when my son had just moved to Houston and boy, let me tell you, he was just starting out at his first real job and I went up and asked Mack if there was anything we could do for my boy - and wouldn't ya know it, he went ahead and waived the delivery fee.  That was good, because we did buy a lot of furniture and that was a very nice gesture Mack made.  My family - and my son - really appreciated it."

When asked what brought Mr. Thomas to Gallery Furniture today, he smiled and said "Well, of course, what so many people come here for - I need a quality mattress.  I had been putting it off, but recently when Mack had renovated the Bush Intercontinental Airport USO where I volunteer, I remembered to come on by."  You see, it turns out Mr. Thomas is a proud USO Volunteer, showing his true patriotic spirit by serving the service men and women in the armed forces by giving of his free time at the USO at Bush Intercontinental Airport.  USO centers, like the one decorated by Gallery Furniture at Bush Intercontinental Airport, give the soldiers a sense of home and a place they can unwind as they move from base to base and to and from the forward lines of conflict.  These USO centers are havens of rest, a place to reconnect with family using computer terminals, or just somewhere to catch some well-earned Zzz's as they wait for the next plane to come in.  Mr. Thomas is proud to volunteer at the Bush USO Center, and had this to add:

"I told Mack that the Bush Center was once just a basic USO center - but now, with everything Gallery Furniture has done for the USO Center at Bush, it is truly a world-class USO center.  I mean, wow, everything, the furniture, the sofas, the chairs are top notch, the quality office chairs [built to order by United Leather of Dallas, TX], the lamps, the artwork, everything - just is quality and wonderful.  It is put together well, looks beautiful, and the place is outstanding."

Mr. Thomas then suddenly remembered he had to back to his Gallery Furniture saleswoman Shala, who normally works with Gallery Furniture's hand-made and natural-dyed rugs, and he said "You know, I came in here for a mattress, and my son has a Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic, and I am thinking of learning more about them myself - my son raves about his, and he says wonderful things about his Tempur-Pedic, I need to try them out."  Shala then took Mr. Thomas over to Ceasar in the gorgeous Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic showroom and from there, Mr. Thomas expressed again his gratitude and thanks for Mattress Mack.

"I have to say, I have been coming here for years, and it meant so much to my family and me that first time we came in here for my son - I am happy to be back.  And a big thanks to everyone at Gallery Furniture for all the hard work you folks do for the USO, that means a lot for the troops!"

And thank you, Mr. Thomas, not just for being one of the world's greatest Gallery Furniture customers, but also for your continued support and volunteer work with the USO.

I Work Late – Just Like You. I Get Up Early – Just Like You.

I'm trying to support my family and community just like you.  At Gallery Furniture, we strongly believe in the Judeo-Christian Work Ethic, and just like you - we are working hard to bring the bright, sunny future into the present TODAY.

 

Please come visit the new and improved Gallery Furniture at 6006 North Freeway as well as the Gallery Furniture store located across from The Galleria at 2411 Post Oak Boulevard.  Whether you visit the original location or the new Gallery Furniture Post Oak, one thing is certain - you'll find hard-working Houstonians, just like yourself.  Gallery Furniture employees have an unquenchable desire to serve and delight customers like yourself - it's our spirit and work ethic that guided Gallery Furniture to 100% just 100 days after the devastating fire on May 21st.


      

Gallery Furniture wants to help you and your family by improving the quality of your home though offering in the best in comfort and value - from beautiful solid wood dining room and bedroom furniture to gorgeous children's furniture, to getting a great night's sleep in a Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic and more.  Come let us help you live your dreams TODAY!

Nothing Ordinary About Toni

There are a number of people who have been an inspiration to me.  Sometimes they are well known people, but usually they are ordinary people who do extraordinary things.  From time to time I’d like to share their stories with you.

You should meet Toni.  Though it’s best you don’t meet her on the job.  She’s a cardiovascular nurse, a dedicated woman who took care of my brother George McIngvale while he was in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at St. Luke’s last year.  She took good care of George, even coming in on her day off to check on him.

Whenever one of the family was there with George, you could count on seeing Toni.  You could also count on her strength, her skill, and her caring heart.

Toni’s a true saint.  She says she’s not, that you could describe her as a “hard-working mother” or a “loving parent” but anything else is an overstatement.  Still, the way she does her work and treats her patients and their families is a marvel.  There’s another part of Toni that earns her even more admiration.  That’s what she does at home.

Even though they have five children of their own, Toni and her husband Jerald took in another six kids two years ago, the children of a relative who was having trouble.

So now there are ten children at home and one at school.  The kids at home range from three years old to fifteen.

It has been two years of making adjustments.  At first it seemed overwhelming, then Toni says it all started working out.  It has to be tough.  Toni and Jerald both work and then go home to a house with ten kids.  

 

How do they do it?

“The secret is structure,” Toni says.  “We have a work assignment sheet, family meetings, and family activities.  I do a lot of multi-tasking.”

There’s one other important activity according to Toni.  Prayer.

“It’s the number one thing,” she says.

There’s got to be some patience involved as well.  

Toni also has a good sense of humor and a joyous nature.  She credits her grandmother for a that. “She told me it costs nothing for you to have a smile, and you’ll wrinkle a lot less.”

Toni learned to make the best of what you have, a lesson she’s passing on to the children along with many others.

She’s trying “to grow them with character, to set a good example.”

This week Toni brought eight of the children to see the renovated store at 6006 North Freeway.  After spending time with the kids and Toni, it’s pretty clear that she really is growing them with character.  

The world needs more people like her.

"You can't replace Elvis's Car, hun!"

Mrs. King came into Gallery Furniture to buy some new furniture, and while her story may seem sad, she wanted everyone to know the joy she felt being able to come to a new Gallery Furniture.  Her story, below, was one that moved many staff members to tears and offered a glimpse into the feelings of some Houstonians who watched the events of the May 21st fire unfold .

"I had taken my 52" TV up to my husband's transplant wing at Methodist hospital, and I remember watching with him, tears rolling down my face, as we saw the fire.  There was a sense of loss in the room, as  many of the people, my husband included, watched in disbelief.  My husband was waiting for a transplant, like so many there, and many of the folks with us knew that they may not make it - but even in that environment, even with some people knowing this may be the end, everyone in the room shared a Mattress Mack story because they had one.

It was so heartwarming to listen to people tell their Mattress Mack story, and to talk about how much good he had done for the community, and it was just a beautiful thing to hear and feel the energy in the room be so uplifting when they each told their story."

Ms. King took a minute to pause as she recounted the evening, and while she tried to fight back the tears, she then told the Gallery Furniture staff some more of how her and the patients took the news as they followed the news regarding Gallery Furniture.

"We were so, so, sad and a bit angry when we heard it was arson.  That was so wrong, so bad, and we felt bad for everyone at Gallery Furniture, especially Mattress Mack.  We thank God no one was hurt."

When asked what else had passed through their thoughts about the fire, Mrs. King did take some time to smile because of something her husband told her.

"I remember talking with my husband after we found out no one was hurt and I turned and I told him that 'I sure hope the Princess Di necklace made it out okay' to which my husband said 'I am more concerned about Elvis' car, honey!  A necklace you can replace, but you can't replace Elvis' car, hun!' - and I laughed so hard!"

Sadly, Mrs. King's husband passed away before a transplant could be found, and she said that "Had he been here, he would have been so happy to see Mack rebuild Gallery Furniture like this, and so that's why I came out, because I knew he would have wanted to be here to buy furniture at this beautiful new store!"

One Loyal Gallery Furniture Customer Spreads the Word... TODAY!

Long-Time Customer Danessa Turns Simon into a Gallery Furniture Loyal Customer!

Her name is Danessa, and she's been coming to Gallery Furniture for about seven years now - she fondly recalls her first trip to Gallery Furniture for a dining room table back then.  "I was a single mom," Danessa said, "and Mack was right there in the store when I came in looking for a dining room table.  My children and I had been wish shopping for some time, and it was time to buy.  The dining room set I wanted was still available and they were getting ready to tag it with a price."

Danessa was then shocked and pleasantly surprised when Mack walked up, grabbing a price tag when she realized she shouldn't be waiting and said "Here's the price, how does this look?" Danessa was stunned at the low price of the table - "We had looked around, and Mack really took good care of me as a single mom, and the table and chair set was going for about 700 everywhere else in town at the time, and Mack had it for 325!"

That moment was a defining moment for Danessa - she has been coming back ever since, and, as she added: "I bring everyone I know to Gallery Furniture!  This is Simon's first time!  He's a newbie here!"  Danessa laughed, and so did Simon, as Danessa recalled other purchases she made at Gallery Furniture.  "I had been looking at a Dream Deal at one point, then I ended up buying more than just that, as I picked other items out that were here - and so there is no other place to buy furniture as far as I am concerned."

Simon, now a Gallery Furniture believer, was not as convinced at first, and took Danessa to Roomstore and other competitors before the purcahse of their new gorgeous Coaster dual-toned panel bedroom set at Gallery Furniture.  "I took her around to other stores, and she was set on Gallery Furniture the whole time."  Adds Danessa: "I knew there was no where else to shop for me.  Especially since that awful fire, I had to come out and show my support for Mattress Mack and Gallery Furniture."

And Simon's new opinion of Gallery Furniture? "I admit, this is the best deal in the whole city.  I mean, we went everywhere, and well, this is the best price and the best deal for this set but you wanna know what really gets me - it's the solid feel of the wood that you can feel.  The solid furniture at Gallery Furniture is just sturdy, and you can hold it and feel it.  You go to those other places, it's all, like, particle board and junk.  Here, you get the value and the quality.  It's nice."

Danessa couldn't help but chuckle and add, "I knew I'd make a believer out of him!  He's on board the train now!"

After a good laugh, Danessa then took some time to discuss her thoughts the night of the Gallery Furniture fire May 21st: "It was sad, it was more to me than just some business having a disaster, it felt like a loved one, a member of my family, was going through a horrible time.  My kids cried and cried, they came to me and asked if Mr. Mack would need help and they offered to come by and help do anything later, clean up, or something.  It was sad for us all, so I was so excited to hear about the reopening.  It's just so tragic that something so bad happened to a man who gives so much to the community."

Simon quickly added: "I had family displaced by Katrina that came to Houston, and they got all their furniture at Gallery Furniture and still order from here, even the ones that moved back."  Quickly, Danessa noted that her aunt and uncle, also displaced by the ravages of Katrina, shopped at Gallery Furniture.  

So, now that Simon has had his first Gallery Furniture experience, what does he have to say? "I will definitely be coming back!"

As for Danessa, she does have one thing she'd like to see different at Gallery Furniture: "Why don't we get a University of Houston home theater room installed?  They had a UT one and a Texas A&M one after all!"

The San Jacinto Council of Girl Scouts Visit Gallery Furniture

Mattress Mack, center (with a delicious Lemonade cookie in his mouth) accepts a donation of cookies for the Gallery Furniture Customers and Staff today!

The World's Greatest Furniture Store, Gallery Furniture, was blessed with a warm and loving visit from the San Jacinto Council of Girl Scouts when they visited Gallery Furniture and donated delicious cookies to the Gallery Furniture customers and staff.  The wonderfully delicious cookies were delivered with milk to Mattress Mack and the girls happily gave video testimonials to Mack and the Gallery Furniture team after the press conference concluded.

Mattress Mack speaks with members of the local San Jacinto Council of the Girl Scouts of America during their visit.

Mattress Mack and Gallery Furniture thank the ambitious and civic-minded young women that belong to the Girl Scouts of America for all of their hard work in serving the community, being true to this great nation, and putting others ahead of self.  The San Jacinto Council's warm act of donating cookies to the Gallery Furniture customers and staff is a testament to their spirit of giving and thinking of others!