Some people spend a few hours coming up with a Christmas display for their household, spending a couple of bucks for a few stockings, a manger scene, perhaps a paper Santa pin-up.
Patsy Melonakis' Westminster living room is 16 years in the making.
She has about 80 unique ceramic or porcelain structures and about 400 figurines carefully laid out upon cotton snow with styrofoam mountains lining her village, which sits upon the boxes they came in.
Throughout the years, the layout has never been the same.
"It can't be," said Melonakis, who is a real estate broker. "Every year I add more."
This year's newest additions include structures of the Golden Gate Bridge and a Krispy Kreme donut shop, although Melonakis, a die-hard Elvis fan, said her favorite is a miniature Graceland.
The first one was of a service shop, which was a present from Patsy's husband, Chris.
Now the display has grown so big, Patsy has trouble getting Chris to help set it up.
"You started out with a village," Chris said to Patsy. "Now it's turned into a subdivision."
The village takes 80 hours to set up and has grown to a size of 17 feet by 15 feet, leaving a narrow sitting area in the Melonakis living room.
Patsy said the display area has taken the place of a roaring fire, where her family comes to gaze while chatting together.
"I enjoy that my kids enjoy it," she said.
Some have suggested that the display stays up all year, but Patsy would have none of that.
"It doesn't make it special if you keep it up all year," she said.
Patsy inherited the tradition of setting up Christmas displays from her mother, Ginger. In their Globeville home, Ginger would have a manger scene and a few paper houses around it.
As Patsy's display grew and grew, Ginger would nag her daughter about the time spent creating the display, but after a few minutes Ginger would have a seat and gaze.
When Ginger died four years ago, Patsy considered not erecting the village, but Patsy's son convinced her that setting up the village would be what Ginger have wanted.
With space and pieces becoming harder to find, Patsy said she's not sure how much longer the village can grow.
"I've gotten all their is to get," she said. "There's not much more I can imagine I can put in. But if there is, I'll find it."