Guest Blog: Living in a House Divided

I live in a house divided in its truest form in respect to the Palmetto State Rivalry. My blood runs orange and I’m passionate about my Tigers, but my husband loves the Gamecocks. My dad is a Clemson graduate, so naturally he and my mom raised us kids to be solid orange. When I met Mike, I had to get used to seeing garnet and black all the time, but I would not let it outshine my orange and purple!

Our garden flag out front one year when it snowed.

People always ask us is if we pull for the other team when we aren’t playing each other. In our case, the answer is a resounding no! You can bet when Clemson plays Florida State that my husband will be chanting along with the ‘Noles. You can also guarantee that when South Carolina plays Florida, I will be doing the Gator chomp. Somehow we manage not to throw chips and salsa across the room, but it does get rather spirited in our house on Saturday afternoons during football season!

My husband Mike and I (note the bunny ears).

In our house, we have house divided political correctness so to speak. For every Tiger Paw there is a Gamecock, and for every Gamecock there is a Tiger Paw. From towels to Duck Tape® we make sure to keep it even.

In the utility room in the backyard –
we cover every square inch.

Even the bath towels.

At Christmas time too!

Even the fold-out chairs are divided.

Of course the biggest ordeal in any house that is divided by orange and garnet is the much anticipated game during Thanksgiving weekend. We always make it fun and make the most of it no matter who wins. I love to decorate for any and every occasion, and the Clemson vs. South Carolina game is no exception. We have plenty of merchandise around the house from both teams, so all I have to do is use a little creativity.

My dining room table decorated for the Clemson vs. South Carolina game.

I put candy canes in these and set them out around the food.

Collage I made using some photos I found online.

I made these little jerseys from scratch.

Although my husband has had the bragging rights the past few years, I hope that will change this November. I support my Tigers no matter what, and I get chills every time I hear the Tiger Rag, which is every time I get a text message since that is my ring tone. : ) Amidst the rivalry in our house, my husband and I have a lot of love, a lot of laughs, and a lot of fun. Go Tigers!

Guest post written by Kelli Brannen.

Author Bio: Kelli Brannen is a life-long resident of Florence, South Carolina. She is a graduate of Francis Marion University and works as a Technical Writer at ACS Technologies. She is married to the love of her life Mike Brannen, and they have a cat named Morris who keeps them on their toes. She loves God, music, Clemson, and all things Disney; especially The Haunted Mansion.