The conference included lectures on decorating

The conference included lectures on decorating Sansing, 54, and her husband, David, put out their Christmas decorations last week. It includes the new tree, which was made to spec in Louisiana, as well as giant plastic figurines.Normally, the Sansings wait until November to put up their traffic-stopping fantasy-land display of plastic elves, candy canes, Santas, choir singers, snowmen, penguins, igloos, lollipops and nutcrackers.

But this year, they decorated early to greet 80 other extreme decorators from 18 states and England, who came to their home last weekend for a three-day conference.

The conference included lectures on decorating with Lasers and theatrical lighting and using technology to sync light shows to music. Sansing, who never repeats the same display twice, offered up her know-how on repairing blow molds -- or plastic figures (she owns more than 1,000).