What's Up Wednesday

We lived with a naked tree for about a week, but it is naked no more!  I bit the bullet and transformed the living room while the kids were in school and the hubs was at work.  It was so fun to see their reactions as soon as they walked into the house!

While I love our tree, my favorite decorations are on our mantle.

Growing up, from my mom and dad's mantle hung the stockings that Mom had knitted for us when my sister and I were little.  I knew that once I had my first son, that I wanted to do the same for our family.  Last year, I finally finished my own stocking, so our set is complete!  The mini-stockings are just one of our many Advent calendars, and each one holds an Andes Mint for our boys.  I got the idea from a blog years ago when my kids (now 7 and 10) were just 1.5 and 4.  I fondly remember sewing the stockings while the boys took turns sitting in my lap to see what I was doing.  The village of little people adorned every room of the home I grew up in and were purchased in Norway when my family lived abroad.  Now they reside on my mantle during December.  My book page wreath and the countdown blocks hold wonderful memories of crafting with dear friends that I've made here in Murfreesboro. 

Our mantle is full of memories from my childhood and of when my babies were babies.  What is your favorite decoration?