Festival of Trees 2011.

Black Friday sales are over and the turkey’s been turned into sandwiches, so that can only mean one thing: Time to get in the Christmas mood!

Mountain Home Montana’s annual Missoula Festival of Trees is one of the merriest ways for the whole family to put the Christmas season in full swing.

Betty's loves designing and decorating a tree for this event, and this year our tree is named Go Tell it on The Mountain.
Here's Lael topping our tree! What an angel!

Our tree belongs in a humble cabin on the frozen shores of Lake Mary Ronan in 1945.


Most of our decor came from a year of perusing the Montana Antique Mall and area garage sales (one of my favorite things to do!) The star of the show is the strand of lights adorned with .22 shotgun cartridges, made by a local Missoula dude last xmas. They are actually what inspired our theme, and they received much appreciation from the other designers last night!

A tree from Betty's would not be complete without some feathers (or feathered friends on it!)

Leah from Selvedge hooked us up with some of her husband's old MT button collection, and our pals at Statriot Designs donated some of their popular MT coozies, stickers and T-shirts!

A set of postcards from Yellowstone National Park, sent to a woman in Los Angeles on July 4th 1945, perfectly complimented the boughs! We gawked over them, imagining somebody using a postcard we sent to a freind to decorate a tree 66 years into the future! Mind boggling!

I loved the look of these old-timey ice skates, but after attempting to skate with them a few times this year and nearly crying out in pain, I decided they were much better under a tree!

The winner of the tree not only gets all these vintage ornaments, but a grand array of gifts for all their friends! Socks, slippers and caps abound amongst the branches of this here Noble Fir, along with a fun assortment of kitschy PBR items thanks to our friend Sparky!

This MT book distracted us from our decorating duties for a bit...Lael discovered some unique and wonderful poems and drawings within its pages...

Hark! Another Betty's signature....lingerie on the branches! This camouflage bra is sure to please an A-cup in your life!
Our job woud not be complete if our outfits for the evening did not tie into the tree design! We both donned Pendleton woolens and old-timey footwear for the occasion!

So get yourself out to the Hilton and fire up you your yuletide spirit! Here's how:

The 2011 Festival of Trees begins with the Tour of Trees from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 1 and again on Friday, December 2. Admission is free, but they do accept donations, if you feel so inclined. Enjoy all the beautifully-decorated Christmas trees and get a little inspiration for decorating your own!

Kick up your heels on Thursday night from 7:00-11:00 at the Jingle Bell Jam. 2011 is the inaugural year for this Festival of Trees event, and with live music by Cold Hard Cash Show, dancing, and a bevy of Christmas cocktails, it’s sure to put you in a festive spirit. Tickets are $25 for singles and $40 for couples.

The Missoula Festival of Trees’ flagship event is the annual Gala Dinner and Auction. The live and silent auctions, holiday music, and gourmet dinner party are a fabulous excuse to support Mountain Home Montana! Tickets are $75 per person, and 10-seat Corporate Tables are available for $1,000.

The Teddy Bear Tea Party closes the festival from 10:00-11:00 on Saturday, December 3. Young Missoulians and their teddy bears are invited to spend the morning sipping tea, making crafts, enjoying snacks, and visiting with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Tickets are $7 each.

Rock around that Christmas Tree!!