Dawn’s Showin’ Off Saturday challenge this week is “What makes your house a home?” Here’s my contribution. I could live pretty much anyplace as long as Mr. Hot and Shortman were around me. And these:

Pippin (the tabby) and Daphne (the torti). They’re brother and sister and love to torment Poopy the Puppy.

My second favorite spot to sit and blog (the first being my couch). The cross stitch pictures were part of an internet round robin. Seven other women from around the U.S. and Canada stitched a tulip (on the shelf) or a lily (on the wall). It was my first brush with the amazing sense of community that the web has brought together. These are treasured pieces.

and

Books. I couldn’t live without them. See how the shelfs sag? That would be because these are cheap, put them together yourself bookcases. My dream is to have real honest-to-gawd oak bookcases - floor to ceiling. (Ignore the vacuum cleaner handle - I AM going to actually run that thing today.) Mostly because of this:

My living room after 3 hours of American Idol and Rock Band last night. We started at 7 pm, and next thing I knew, it was after 11. Neither Mr. Hot nor I could speak this morning. I rocked Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”. Spending three solid hours laughing with my husband and teenage son - priceless memories being made.

—- Now, go check out Dawn and get yourself in the running for the next Showin’ off Saturday. —-

There’s a Rock Band duo going on in my living room again this afternoon. My darling Dawn has a new Showin’ Off Saturday challenge for today.

And, I’m nothing, if not up for a challenge. Especially since I’m trying not to go sing “Fear the Reaper”, which, y’know, with a sore throat, wouldn’t work Dawn was nice enough to put my little graphic at the top of her post.

So, here I go:

When I’m really pissed off about anything, this song is amazingly cathartic:

When I want some pretty girl pop with a little bit of funky thrown in (which usually means I’m singing in my car):

I saw Chris Duarte for the first time around 1994 - he opened for Robert Cray in Ann Arbor. When I want some good, old fashioned blues guitar, I crank this:

Reliving my youth, I play Motown - especially The Supremes. Although Diana Ross disappointed me greatly in later years, I can still do all of the backup singer moves for this song and Stop, In The Name of Love:

And this song brings me to tears every time. The sound is really low, unfortunately, but I couldn’t find a better version of the video.

—- Make sure you go check out all of the other participants! I’m going to go pick up the microphone and belt out “Orange Crush“. —-

Dawn came up with this Showin’ Off Saturday last year at the end of December, and fog-headed brilliant as I am, I’ve been forgetting waiting for someone to come up with an idea that I can show off.



So when presented with this last week, I decided that this was going to be the day that I actually participated. Y’know, because I’m brilliant. Dawn reminded me.I don’t normally wear sweatpants. I may come home and throw on yoga pants or pajama bottoms, but out in public? I’m more of a jeans kinda girl. Either Shortman’s that have been outgrown, or my new favorites.

At work? It’s pants and a turtleneck sweater in the fall and winter, a long-sleeved tee or short-sleeved sweater in the spring (under a blazer or cardigan), and in the heat of summer? A short sleeved t-shirt, or a sleeveless sweater under a linen jacket or a light sweater for chilly offices and conference rooms.

I’m not very creative with clothing. I wear what is comfortable so I can move around and easy to clean because I’m damn clumsy. So, here you go. My normal wardrobe - and a chance to see that I do have arms, and legs.



Complete with Blackberry

One of the few times you’ll see me with a necklace on. Doesn’t it look like I’ve been twisting it? Now, the hot pink raincoat? I love it. Even though all of the buttons are falling off and it’s a bitch to sew them back.

These days, I don’t meet with clients. If I’m with anyone else at all, it’s either my team (in a building that tries to stay business casual and fails miserably) or other managers - who do understand business casual. So my dressy tees, blazers and pants are just fine.

What I’d really like to do, though, is get back to a more formal working environment. I know there are those of you out there who shudder at that thought. But really, I like to wear suits at times. This one would be wonderful.

—- Now, that suit? Red pumps? That will make a woman feel powerful in a room full of men. Too bad the only one I can find online is 4 sizes wrong. —-