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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Who said trees can only be decorated at Christmas? Certainly not Colleen Ingram and Michelle Huxley.

Colleen Ingram hangs an ornament on her year-round tree. - Lauren McKeon/NNSL photo

The two have decorated a white tree at their shared office space to celebrate everything from Valentine's Day to its current back-to-school theme.

Right now, the tree sits in the corner of the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation/Environmental Health office bedecked with glue sticks, rulers, notebooks and more.

"Most people say, 'wow what a cool idea,'" said Ingram, but Huxley said others think they're "nuts."

"It's kind of comical to see their reactions."

Huxley is an executive assistant for the Stanton foundation. Ingram is an executive assistant for Environmental Health and she often also works for the foundation as well. The tree was donated last year as part of Northwestel's Festival of Trees, organized by the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation.

After they got the tree the office had a "Now what are we going to do with it?" moment, said Ingram.

"And I just said - jokingly - 'let's decorate it for every season.'"

Ingram and Huxley have been decorating it for the changing seasons since February. They even brought it to a baby shower, dressing it up with baby booties, bibs, sleepers and a pair of little Crocs to bring to the doctor's house.

Huxley said she hopes the tree will inspire a year-round Christmas feeling.

"People are so generous and so kind and helpful around Christmas time. I felt that maybe if we have a tree year-round people would maybe feel that way (all the time)."

This year's Festival of Trees will kick off Nov. 29.