Something I’ve come to really notice about myself since moving and living with amazing new roommates, is that I’m pretty odd when I’m home. Home is supposed to be where you can take off your shoes, get comfy and just be yourself. It turns out my version of being myself and comfy at home is wearing goofy clothes and singing to myself all the time.

I work part-time as a marketing coordinator for a local nonprofit. That means, in the morning I don my corporate-friendly clothes and head out to change the world (or at least contribute in some way). By mid-day, when my hours are up, I come home to do my freelance work– and included in this routine is changing out of my work clothes, Mister-Rogers-Style, and putting on something a bit more comfortable and laid back for the afternoon and evening work.

While most people may be content to simply switch into sweats, here’s what I do:

I wear this hat almost every day. 

Seriously. Every day, home alone, in my  basement office, odds are I’m sitting at my computer, typing away and wearing this bad boy. I’m not even sure why- it’s warm, but its’ not like I’m cold at my desk. It does have a nice way of blocking out anything other than my thoughts? In theory, at least.

I wear big bright scarves. And tights with shorts. And pose with weird props. 

That last one might be more specific to this particular picture, but I do tend to make fashion choices that are a bit more bold than I would normally go for outside the home. I think there’s this idea of dressing for the part of “freelance Portland designer” that makes me feel I should be a little more risky, creative and just plain weird with my clothing choices.

Sometimes I just go ahead and dig into the dress up drawer. 

Yeah, this is from before the move. And yeah, I’m 25 years old and have a dress up drawer. But you know what? It’s fun. Sure, I might be home alone and working, but I can certainly make myself smile. And some days, that’s really all that counts.

What are your secrets when it comes to being solo?