Show Us Your Life: Hometowns

I don't normally participate in Kelly's Korner's "Show Us Your Life" Fridays but today I wanted to because it is to show case your hometown. I have only really lived in two towns my whole life and have been very lucky to love them both.

I grew up in Lafayette, Indiana and lived there for over 20 years. Lafayette is about 60 miles north of Indianapolis and is home of Purdue University! Go Boilers! Growing up with Purdue in my backyard was my favorite thing about my hometown. There was always something to do whether it was a sporting event, shows/concerts or camps..Purdue keeps you busy!


Downtown Lafayette has really grown since I was little. They have done a great job at getting businesses back into downtown along with amazing restaurants. Some of the best places to eat are in downtown. Two of my favorite things to do downtown are to go to the "Gallery Walk" on Friday nights where all the shops stay open late and they have live music and during Halloween to go on "Ghost Tours" of downtown where they tell you all kinds of true stories from Lafayette's past.


Fun Fact about Lafayette: They have the most restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the country.

My new town is Clemson, South Carolina. Lucky for me another college town, home to Clemson University. I have lived here the past three years and love the south. I spend most of my time on campus and attending sporting events. I haven't been to a campus that rivals a football Saturday at Clemson.


Another favorite of mine here in Clemson is it's super small but very cute downtown. I had never seen a downtown that is just one street until I moved here. It has everything from places to eat to high end clothing boutiques.


Fun fact about Clemson is a city of about 12,000 people that grows to over 80,000 on a football Saturday.

Hope you enjoyed taking a peek around where I have lived!

Our Favorite Family of 5!

Our favorite family of 5 has also decided to join the blogging world and I couldn't be more excited! We don't get to see them much and hate that we are missing our nieces and nephew grow up but now with them blogging we will get to read all about it! I can't wait to read funny stories about what the kids did and see pictures of them (hint hint Dylan and Beth, I like pictures). So I would like to welcome the other Leonard's to blogging. You can check out their crazy world with 3 under 3 at www.theleonards5.blogspot.com.

Colin is officially a blogger!

Colin has decided to join the blogging world. Not as a guest blogger on my blog but actually start his very own blog (insert reactions here)!

To check out his new blog visits www.c54leonard.blogspot.com. He actually needs your help. He wanted to start the blog to find different challenges to do but he doesn't know what challenges he should do. That is where you come into play...go to his blog and leave your comments on different ideas you have for a challenge. Just remember I have to live with whatever challenges he decides to try!

Thanks for your help and I hope that you find my husband's first blog as funny as I did!

Happy Birthday Jess!

Just wanted to wish my bff Jess a happy 25th birthday! I hope that you had a wonderful day! You deserve it!

Love you!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my wonderful Mom's birthday! She is not only a great mom but also my best friend. I hope that when I become a mom that I am half the mom she is. I don't know a kinder, more patient, giving, loving and stronger woman than she is. I love you Mom! Wish I could be with you today to celebrate!

Learning to Love Landscaping...

This weekend Colin finally had Saturday and Sunday off...a first in awhile. Not only were we lucky enough for Colin to have the entire weekend off but we had amazing weather, I mean 80's and sunny! So that means perfect weather for working on the house outside. Since we moved in last July we have yet to do anything with the outside, but it is much needed.

So Saturday we woke up early and headed out to shop for trees, mulch, flowers and potting soil. To be sure we were getting the best price we hit up both Home Depot and Lowes then back to Home Depot to purchase our goodies. In the end we left with 5 trees, flowers, 2 hanging flower pots for the front porch, 2 vining plants, a hoe, rake, gardening soil and TONS of mulch. Many of you know we drive either an Accord or Mustang so I'm sure you are wondering how we got home all of our purchases, well....the Home Depot rental truck. 75 minutes for $20 bucks...can't beat that when you only need a truck once in a blue moon. So we loaded up...I think I did all the heavy lifting this time because even an older man came up to us and told Colin he wished he could get his wife to load bags of mulch and that Colin must have done something right, I have to agree :0) Below is a picture of Colin driving the massive rental truck home.

Once home we started with the bed beside the garage and porch. This is where we planted the 2 vining plants. First we have to rake out all the pine needles (used instead of mulch and very ugly). Once those plants were planted and area was mulched it was on to the flowers around the mail box. Again we had to get rid of the pine needles but soon we should have some pretty purple and pink flowers under our mailbox! After all that Colin still wasn't ready to quit so he planted 3 of the 5 trees. Below are two pictures of the trees that Colin planted. We hope that in a few years they will give us some privacy between us and our next door neighbor. We did take a break in all the yard work to watch the Butler Bulldogs beat MSU to go to the National Championship...go Indiana basketball!

Sunday was spent a majority outside as well. Colin got up and finished planting the last 2 trees then it was time for me to mow the lawn for the first time ever! I have to say I actually like mowing the lawn and told Colin he might be out of a job! While I mowed the lawn Colin trimmed all the bushes and started to rake out the pine needles. We than put mulch all down the bed beside the garage. In between there we ran out of mulch and got to Home Depot just in time before they closed. After all of our work outside we decided to give Bella a bath, so she is now super soft and smells wonderful.

Salmon is on the grill and I think that we had a very successful weekend and a wonderful Easter!

Dining Room Update

We finally finished the dinning room! It was the first room we painted when we moved in and then it just sat there unfinished until last night. I'd been searching for drapes forever it seems like. We painted the bottom under the chair rail an orange so it was very hard to find drapes. I finally found some at Pier 1 and they were 50% off! Only problem was that I couldn't find them in the store. I ended up having to order them from Rockford, Illinois, but it was worth it...they match PERFECT! The next step was to get rid of the UGLY light fixture. We finally found one we liked at Lowes last night. Again, I have to say I am super lucky to be married to someone so handy because he put up the curtain rods and the switched the light out, all things that I would not be good at. I am totally in love with my dining room now! Below are some before and after pictures! Enjoy!

Before:

After: