Festival of Trees

[gourleyfam]

I know that Festival of Trees is not for another almost 7 months, but we want the group's tree to be what each one of these heart kiddos/adults are: AMAZING! We came up with what I think will be a really cute idea: The Wizard of Oz. With heart defects, we are all on a journey. Some of us are waiting to go home, some are waiting transplants. Some of us are trying to find the courage to face every day (and there are even some of us that may need the brains that were lost after monotonous days spent in or at the hospitals.) I think it will be beautiful. We are thinking about finding little paper poppies and maybe getting enough to represent every child and adult in our group that have CHD's (and maybe even writing their initials on a little paper attached to the poppies.) This is also the 70th year anniversary of the release, so I think it will be a little bit easier to find some of the memorabilia we will need. We were thinking about finding an art student to custom make the tree topper of the Emerald City. So if you have any other ideas (and maybe some of the little Wizard of Oz Madame Alaxander dolls that came in Happy Meals @ Mc Donalds!) I am really excited about this and really want it to be a tribute to ALL of our heart warriors and angels. You can e-mail me with any ideas/comments!
Thanks,
Emily G.
emily_gourley@yahoo.com

[AngelMom]

HeHee! I am a kid at heart and collected those Happy Meals Wizard of Oz dolls last year. I will gladly give them to you for the tree :0)

I love the Wizard of Oz idea and I think it will be grand!

[Vicki]

This sounds like a fun tree. I am not really planning on doing my own tree this year, so I'll help in any way I can. I'll keep my eyes open for fun things for the tree and the whole display area. What size tree will you be doing? Small or the large?

[busyhoneybee]

I can volunteer my husband to make the tree topper. He is an amazing artist. Just let me know what you need and I will talk to him about it.

I too will keep my eyes peeled for Wizard of Oz stuff. This is going to be so darling!! I can't wait. Thanks Emily!!!

[Ellinger Family]

With memorial day right around the corner, getting a hold of poppies will be easy. In fact, I played taps for the Spanish Fork and Springville veterans groups when I was in highschool and college and so I could contact those groups to request as many poppies as are needed. Would you let me know within the next couple of days as this is the time when the veterans are making them?

[AngelMom]

I hadn't even thought about the poppies the Veterans sell. I had to sell them for the American Legion when I went to Girls State. I can contact our local American Legion to find out where to get them, as of course there is a donation associated with them.

I don't think it would take much if we made them ourselves. Just some orange crepe paper, floral wire and green floral tape.

[gourleyfam]

Sorry I have been MIA. That would be great if we could make the poppies, and someone said something about having paperwork for the group ( I think it was Mike) but I am planning on a 6 foot tree. And any help with a tree-topper would be great (I REALLY am not an artist) and I think we should plan a meeting for sometime in July. I am thinking maybe Saturday, July 18th. Or we could it even do it another/evening if that works better. Let me know what everyone thinks.
Thanks,
Emily Gourley

[AngelMom]

It was Vicki who had the paperwork for the tree since she is not doing one.
I think a meeting is a great idea.
Also, if you could think of how much this will all cost to so we can work on a budget for it, that would be awesome.
I look forward in helping get things ready.

[gourleyfam]

We are going to have another planning meeting October 29th at 6:30 pm. After that, we are going to have work meetings the 3rd, 5th, 10th, 12th, 16th, 19th, and 24th of November (which I will post directions for where we will be meeting! There will be a dry run before festival starts (it runs the 3rd through the 6th I think!) We are going to be making some of the ornaments, and than will be buying the others. I have purchased a bunch of the Hallmark Wizard of Oz ornaments. I have been watching and bidding on e-bay, and I have 7-9 already. Our theme for the tree is "If I Only Had a Heart" and will have a yellow-brick road ribbon going around to the top, where there will be the City of Oz. The idea is that those with CHDs are all on a journey. Some need a heart, some have already made it "home", and than there are some finding the courage to face the journey. We are looking for donations to be placed under the tree. We have been given a couple gift cards (Olive Garden, Rib City, and the Quilting Cottage in American Fork, and than some others from another member for a play and something else.) So we are looking for more gift certificates to be placed under (one of the biggest things people look for when purchasing a tree is what is under the tree, and it does not even have to go with the theme.) We are looking for the donation of a blue-ray player (which we will hopefully have donated from either Costco or somewhere else) which will go hand-in-hand with the 70th anniversary blue-ray edition of Wizard of Oz collector's edition that is being donated by my sister and her husband. I think that is about it. I live in American Fork. My address is 97 S 200 E. I live near the American Fork tabernacle. You can mapquest, or if you need directions from me (I'm a turn right at the cow kinda girl!) than e-mail me back. Everyone who wants to come is welcome, just would like somewhat of a headcount to be prepared for.
Thanks,
Emily Gourley

[tbulkley]

Does it need to be a gift certificate? My mom said she would love to donate a Scentsy warmer or two and some scents.

[BraveHeart]

I think that would be great,:) we could package it under the tree.

Hugs,

[ady.orrock]

Just checking for info on upcoming meetings. I'd love to be there!

Adrienne

[busyhoneybee]

Decoration day for the trees is Nov. 30th. The Festival of Trees will be Dec 2nd - 5th 10 am to 10 pm at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy.

www.festivaloftreesutah.com

[BraveHeart]

I will be in charge of handling this years Festival of Trees project, any previous works dates Emily Gourley had are canceled. Please contact me directly if you are interested in helping with the tree.:)

Thanks,
Mike Patton
mike@intermountainhealinghearts.org
(801) 253-0583 Home
(801) 633-7207 Cell

[busyhoneybee]

Anyone interested in Seeing the tree that Intermountain Healing Hearts has done, it is in Space B - 6. Wizard of Oz theme. If anyone else has a tree this year (I know there are a few of you) please post where they are so we can all go and see it!