SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (WLS) -- Tina Berena's living room is home to a miniature world complete with restaurants, a business district, and small town American neighborhoods. This is her "Snow Village," made up of 169 buildings and countless more accessories spread throughout her Schaumburg house.
"It's a lot of memories," said Berena of the project, which is three decades in the making.
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Over the years, she's built up this massive collection-which includes a ski resort with a moving gondola and ski lodge. There's also a drive-in movie theater with a working projector.
Hungry characters can grab a McDonalds hamburger-still priced at 15 cents-do some shopping and refuel at Starbucks.
"It brings joy to everybody. People who come over they just enjoy looking at it."
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The buildings glow as warm lights invite onlookers to lean in for a closer view. One might notice the embers of a camp fire roasting marshmallows, the 1965 Ford Mustang spinning a dealership window, or the young couple sharing a milkshake at the local diner.
Berena and her family spend several weekends putting the displays up. Naturally, they top everything off with snow, sprinkled from above to make "Tina's Village" a winter wonderland.