Tag: hobbies

Just Saying Hello!

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Hey Sunny Siders, I hope you all have been doing well the past couple of months. I have been super busy the last few months as it is busy season for my job so I took a break from blogging, but I am excited to get back into in again!

I also took a break because I had this idea for a more research based blog that I wanted to be my next post, but the thought of doing more work during this very busy time made me unmotivated and overwhelmed.

So instead, I thought I’d start small and simple and work my way up to that more intense post when I am refueled and ready.

Today, I am just saying hi and thought with the growth in the blog it might be fun to do a little reintroduction!

For those who are new or need a refresher, Sunny Side Up With Siri started as a project to document my honest college experience and then transformed into a personal blog showcasing my hobbies, interests, and growth.

This blog has had many phases coinciding with my interests: fitness content, recipes, fashion, anime, drawing, and more over the past 5 and a half years.

Right now, I am new to the corporate life working my first 9 to 5 job learnings lots about setting boundaries, advocating for myself, and growing my career the way I want. It has been tough and I am not great at sticking up for myself, but each day I am learning more and more about navigating this new chapter of my life!

I recently started a small business selling my digitally drawn and then printed stickers. Sunny Sider Crafts has been such a learning experience and has allowed me to tap into my creativity in a new and exciting way. I am currently trying to get some cards ready for the upcoming holidays like Mothers and Fathers Day, but I cannot wait to get back into doodling for fun alongside my business designs.

Exercise is still a big part of who I am, but it has had many different phases since the inception of this blog. From high intense workouts daily, to slow walks for recovery and everything in between. Right now I have been doing lots of home workouts and prioritizing stretching since work leaves me very exhausted by the end of the day. Simple easy exercises during the week coupled with walks have been my norm. On weekends is when I spice it up by going to the gym and really sweating it out, whether that be a cycling session or weights. Being transparent, I’ve lost a lot of my strength in the last year shifting from school to full time employee due to low energy levels, but I am working hard to get back to a place that is healthy and manageable for me.

Fashion is still a fun one that I enjoy, but don’t experiment with as much as I used to. Now that I have my personal style locked in I don’t buy clothes nearly as much as I used to, meaning I am fully an outfit repeater. Interestingly, working a corporate job has also limited my wardrobe in that certain outfits I used to wear just aren’t appropriate at work (jeans, shots, skirts, etc). Since I spend most weekends at home, a lot of my favorite outfits don’t get worn as much as they used to, but I am working to change that on the few days I do go out during non working hours.

I still love anime, but the rate at which I am watching anime has slowed down dramatically. TV time has primarily been replaced with playing Stardew Valley with my friends instead, or reading, which I got into more thanks to my slow transition to a dumb phone user.

To all the new Sunny Siders and to those who have been with me since day one, I am so excited to keeping reinventing this blog to coincide with my passions, and I am even more excited to share those passions with you!

As I get back into blogging, get excited for more surrounding these core pillars of my personality as well as new and exciting areas that I am certain will crop up as I continue to grow.

So hello, I am Sunny Side Up With Siri and I am so happy you are here!

Blogmas Day 15: Holiday Doodles

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Hello Sunny Siders, welcome to Blogmas Day 15! I can’t believe we only have 10 days left, it’s been flying by so fast!

Today, I wanted to share some drawings I’ve been working on for Doodlemas over at sunny sider crafts on Instagram.

Like Blogmas here, I’ve been challenging myself to share a holiday inspired drawing each day from December 1st – 25th, and I’d thought I’d share what has been posted so far!

If you like to see more of Doodlemas, be sure to follow along at sunnysidercrafts on Instagram!

Sharing Some of My Digital Art Projects

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Hey Sunny Siders, I shared a few weeks ago that I was trying out some new hobbies, specifically with shrink plastic. Well as I was working on that I stumbled upon a new hobby that I’ve been really enjoying – digital art.

I had some Apple Store credit and decided to purchase the Procreate Pocket digital art app two weeks ago and I’ve been having so much fun doodling in my free time.

I’ve been hyper-focused on Halloween inspired doodles and I thought I’d share some of my projects here that I’ve been working on!

I have to say this has been such a fun creative outlet for me. It’s pretty low cost and every night I come home from work it’s been a great way to relax and get my creativity flowing.

mushroom house where little ghosts live in the forest
three kawaii leaves with a little motivational message
this cute spider was inspired by this decoration I purchased at an antique store years ago
a ghost grape parfait, I’m working on an entire series of animal/creature parfaits
a squishmallow inspired frog that is also a witch
ghosts having a midnight tea party in the graveyard – this was my first project working on a background
sui from campfire cooking anime holding a Halloween dango
Stardew Valley Junimos dressed in Halloween costumes
a chibi version of myself with a ghost best friend
A doodle of Mii-Kun from How to Keep a Mummy
The orange puffle from Club Penguin dressed as a Frankenstein
a ghost potion shop inside a potion bottle

I’ve been having so much fun that I even started an Instagram account to document my progress as an artist. If you’re interested, check out Sunnysidercrafts

I’m also debating taking commissions for customized pieces, but I’m not sure yet! Let me know your thoughts if you think I should start selling my art!

Today I Tried Something New

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Hey Sunny Siders, today I was in a super crafting mode and spontaneously headed to Michael’s to buy supplies for my new project. I wanted to make shrink plastic keychains and potentially start selling them if they turned out well.

Spoiler, I have a lot to learn so I won’t be selling anything yet, but I’m really excited to keep practicing and see where this journey takes me!

I started off drawing out what I wanted to make for the keychains. Since I’m not really great at drawing, I wanted to get all my mistakes out on paper and have a template that I could trace using the shrink plastic.

I wanted to make some cute ghosts since October is right around the corner, and I also had an idea for some animal themed parfaits.

Once my designs were sketched, I headed to the craft store to pick up some of the extra supplies I needed to make keychains.

Then, I got to drawing on the shrink plastic. I had a a lot of fun picking colors and coming up with cute items for the ghosts to hold. I also found some solid white shrink plastic which I tested a second version of ghost on.

Once I’d finished making some designs I baked them in the oven at 325°F until then completely finished shrinking. A tip for anyone crafting with shrink plastic is to be patient, they’ll curl up on themselves but eventually with enough time in the oven they will lay completely flat.

Once they were shrunk I tried using UV resin to add a nice shine and secure the drawing in place. This is definitely the step I need more practice with, but I also may opt for using a different product. For the ghosts I made with sharpie, the UV resin caused all three to bleed which made me very sad. I also ended up with a lot of bubbles even though I spent a long time trying to clear them away. I think I’m going to opt for dimensional magic next if I can’t figure this resin thing out.

The one thing that’s great about the resin is that they cured in just 2 minutes under my UV lamp that I use for doing gel manicures! Once they were cured I made keychains out of the two of them that I liked most and also felt I could give as gifts.

A ghost holding a pillsbury cookie and a ghost grape parfait
Three ghosts using white shrink plastic, the sharpie bled 😦
My other two hand colored ghosts, I think I like the already white shrink plastic for these guys

My next step is to keep practicing with the UV resin and figure out how to make the sharpie not bleed. I think with some more practice I might be able to craft some cute gifts/sell some kawaii keychains 😊

My Current Energy Givers

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Hey Sunny Siders, wanted to keep this streak positivity up by sharing some of the things in my life that are giving me lots of energy. These range of just little pick me ups to specific hobbies/activities that I’m enjoying at this time. I think it’s really important to have things in life, both big and small, that can turn any day around.

Stardew Valley

One of my favorite activities lately has been playing games with my boyfriend and my brother. The three of us all hop on Discord and chat while we play video games, one of my favorites being Stardew Valley. In this game you are in charge of running a farm in a small town. I adore it so much, delegating tasks with my family as well as talking to all the in game characters has been really fun the past few months I’ve been playing.

Club Penguin Journey

Another video game I’m loving is Club Penguin Journey. It’s a spin-off version of Club Penguin from my childhood and I’ve been obsessed with playing it for the past year. The developers have so much love and care for the original but have managed to make this new version even more exciting and I love that little dose of nostalgia I get every time I login.

My Cozy Corner

I have a little corner in my apartment designated to all things cozy. It houses my little coffee cart, a bookshelf, and a beanbag chair. I love sitting there and relaxing at the end of a busy day. I always feel so calm and relaxed when I’m in my cozy corner.

Baking

One of the hobbies I shared a few weeks ago was baking, and I’m still very much enjoying it. I’ve been loving making different sweet treats to enjoy after a long day or to share with friends and family. It’s very therapeutic for me and I get something delicious out of it too!

Exercise

I’ve been in a really great zone with exercise lately. My goals have been to get some for or movement everyday and I’ve been sticking to it. Some days that looks like a nice walk outside or a quick stretch, while others are more intense with cycle sessions or Pilates. Overall, I’m just loving a little movement everyday.

Fall Scented Candles

I’ve been over summer since it started. An unpopular opinion I have is that summer is by far the worst season of the year. That’s why I’ve been in fall mode since the beginning of August. I’ve been loving lighting a fall scented candle before bed. It makes my place smell delicious while also being so cozy.

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

It’s been back at Starbucks for 3 days and I have already had it twice. I’m usually not a big Starbucks fan, but there is something about the pumpkin cream cold brew that I adore. I always try to make my own at home and it never turns out, but I truly do love how this one drink brings me so much joy.

Totally Spies

I recently found out one of my favorite shows from childhood is free to watch on YouTube, so I’ve been watching it everyday after work. I throw on an episode or two while I do my daily workout and it’s just so much fun. I can’t help but smile reminiscing in my childhood.

Gravity Falls Lofi

Another show from my childhood that holds a special place in my heart is Gravity Falls. They recently created a Gravity Falls Lofi playlist and I’ve been enjoying listening to it everyday at work. It’s so soothing but makes me giddy when I remember it’s tied to my favorite show of all time.

Current Things I’ve Been Making

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Hey Sunny Siders, I’ve been tapping in to my creative side lately and wanted to share some of the things I’ve been making with you all lately. It’s been really fun spending time doing things that don’t involve a phone screen and O hope this may inspire you to take up a new hobby!

Minecraft Flowers

I recently started making Minecraft flowers as wall art for my room. I’ve seen these online and decided to give it a try myself and I have been having so much fun! I’ve made three so far, but my goal is to make all the flowers as a really fun wall art design for my office space!

Cell Phone Straps

I have also been really in to beading and I tried my hand at making a cellphone wrist strap. I love cottage core and fall, so this mushroom and green themed strap has been my absolute favorite thing.

Beaded Bracelets

I’ve also been making lots of bracelets lately. These are my two favorites I’ve made, they’re inspired by the eye colors of my loved ones. I made matching ones for my family and I love that we all have this subtle piece of jewelry to wear.

Baking

I don’t have any photos for these baked goods, but I wanted to share a bit about a few recipes I’ve baked lately!

The first one I want to discuss is brown butter chocolate chip cookies. I found this recipe online courtesy of Samanttha Chen on Instagram. I’m not exaggerating when I say these are the most phenomenal chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever tasted. The use of brown butter makes these cookies taste like toffee and it’s amazing. Highly recommend checking out her recipe and making these for yourself because wow I’m never making another kind of chocolate chip cookie again. Cookie Recipe

The next item I’ve baked recently is my grandma’s white cake with homemade buttercream frosting. This has always been my favorite cake and the only buttercream frosting that I like to eat. I always asked for this cake for my birthday growing up and this year I tried my hand at making it for my brother’s birthday. it wasn’t a good as grandma’s, but I had a lot of fun making it and it still was delicious!

The last thing I’ve been baking a lot of is homemade breads. I love making Japanese milk bread, as it’s my favorite bread. But I’ve also been making regular sandwich bread too. Homemade bread is so much better than store bought in my opinion, and nothing beats a slice of fresh bread with butter right out of the oven!

Why Hobbies Are Just as Important as Work Experience

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Hey Sunny Siders, today I want to delve into a topic that I believe most of us are familiar with: Resumes. I’m sure that everyone here has crafted a resume at some point in their life, but I bet only a handful of you have ever considered including your hobbies on a resume. I’m here to share why you might want to reconsider adding your hobbies to your resume; it could very well be the reason you secure an interview in the first place.

This summer, I applied to become a Graduate Assistant at my university. The process is quite straightforward: basic information, a checkbox of your current skills, and submission of a resume. I decided to include “Canva Design Tool and WordPress Web Design” in the “Skills” section of my resume. These are skills that I didn’t acquire through work or school, but rather skills I picked up when I started running this blog back in 2019!

I had wanted to initiate a blog to document my college experience for friends and family, allowing them to share in my journey. I invested time in learning how to create drop-down tabs on the Homepage, incorporate photos and banners, design a logo that encapsulates the essence of the blog, and much more. For those of you who have been long-time readers, you probably remember the @/sunnysidewithsiri Instagram account that supported this page. I employed Canva to craft graphics to complement posts and enhance the overall content engagement. These skills were cultivated not due to a job or school, but rather because of my passion and interest in managing a blog.

Fast forward and I recently received a call to interview for the position of Webmaster at my business school. I didn’t land this interview solely because of my prior work experience or education. The interview came my way because I listed WordPress as a skill in my toolkit. This blog not only secured me an interview but also clinched me the job – something I never could have imagined in a million years!

The takeaway here is that just because something is a hobby doesn’t mean it isn’t equipping you with valuable skills that can be applied elsewhere. Even if your hobby doesn’t yield concrete skills to add to a resume, it might still be cultivating intangible skills that prove invaluable during the interview process. A great example is someone who engages in ceramics as a hobby, like me. Ceramics has taught me patience and the importance of meticulous planning from the initial design phase to execution. It has also honed my problem-solving abilities and encouraged me to discover fresh, creative solutions when a project encounters setbacks. Although I didn’t learn these skills on the job, they are still transferable and set me apart from others.

So, the next time you’re updating your resume to apply for a job, take a moment to consider the skills you’ve gained just by indulging in the activities you love on a day-to-day basis. Who knows, you might just end up securing a job due to a hobby, just like I did!

Lastly, I’d like to express my gratitude to every one of you for following and supporting this blog over the years. As I mentioned, I wouldn’t have landed my new job if it weren’t for every Sunny Sider! You all are truly amazing, and I hope you realize just how thankful I am for sticking around as this blog has evolved. To the new Sunny Siders, welcome aboard. I sincerely hope you derive as much enjoyment from the content as I do from creating it!