There’s nothing like being home for the holidays.
Patty Ross couldn’t agree more ” and that’s why she tries to share a little piece of hers each year. But the La Jolla resident has a non-traditional way of showing her Christmas spirit. Instead of opening her home to friends and family, she brings a miniature version of a cozy, bright and inviting dwelling to schools, churches and even retirement homes.
“I’m what you call a miniature enthusiast,” Ross said, as she straightened an ornament on a tiny pine tree in the 3-foot-tall Christmas dollhouse she began constructing more than seven years ago.
Originally from the East Coast, Ross began collecting miniature three-dimensional replicas of everything ” including an intricate wall hanging, real working lamps, an old-fashioned stove and a scroll parchment with a letter to Santa ” about 24 years ago, while she was living in Florida. She got so involved she even joined a miniature collectors club.
“All the people in the club were retired ” they all had gray hair except me,” she said with a laugh.
In 1999, she was inspired to combine all the pieces she had been collecting and create a detailed three-story home, complete with Santa placing presents under the tree, Mrs. Claus baking cookies in the kitchen and elves using tiny tools to build presents in the attic.
Plywood used for the frame of the house was collected from a local lumberyard and textured spray paint from a fabric store helped her create the realistic-looking roof shingles. White felt material was used to for snow. It took Ross a week to build the house.
“You really have to look closely and spend some time taking it all in,” she said of her creation.
Each room has been thought out and designed with care, right down to the red and white heart wallpaper that Ross had only a small piece of but felt was so perfect for the tiny home that she made color photo-copies of it to go in each room.
This year, Ross has brought the house to the Children’s Academy Center in Clairemont and Father Joe’s Village School, and will be taking it to Seaside Church in Encinitas in the next few weeks, she said.
“I noticed that retirees really enjoy it,” she said. “They’ll look at it a really long time and try to figure out how I put something together.”
But she appreciates the children’s reactions the most, and admits that ” although her hobby is not the cheapest in the world, with all the miniatures inside the house totaling close to $1,600 ” the look on each youngster’s face when she shows her work is priceless.
“It makes me happy to show the house to children because they get so excited,” she said, recalling several humorous stories, including one about a young girl who asked if she could eat the box of chocolate candy in the house.
Even teachers get wrapped up in the fun. One in particular became fascinated with the delicate penmanship on the miniature Christmas cards, she said.
The house still has a similar effect on Ross, even though she sees it the most.
For Ross, home is on the other side of the country and because of her independently owned motivational company, “Lifestyle Transformations,” which requires frequent traveling, she has not been able to visit close family and friends in quite some time, she said.
However silly it may seem, looking at the house she constructed helps her get through tough times.
“It makes me feel warm and gives me a little piece of home,” she said. “It keeps me sane.”
For more information about the Christmas house or to schedule a public or private showing, contact Ross, (702) 845-2561.