6 things I've discovered through blogging

I haven't been blogging for very long, maybe more consistently over the past several months, but this is what I've discovered!

My only exposure to computer coding/programming was an intro class I took in college. I also was briefly introduced to C++ (Is that still even used nowadays??), which I thought was pretty complex. As I browsed through many other blog sites and admired all the intricate designs, I thought it would be nearly impossible to create my own of such caliber unless I paid a professional to do it for me. There was NO way I could re-learn all this coding crap. Well let me tell you, google can teach you a LOT! It really is all just copy and pasting codes, changing a few numbers and links here and there, understanding how host sites work, and the rest is all from your own creativity and imagination! Each week, I learned something new- like designing my own banner one week. The next week I learned about picture hosting sites that then lead me to create my own buttons and such. At the end you feel like you made this new creation by yourself, kind of like painting a picture or baking a cake from your own recipe. As long as you know the basics, you can use that knowledge to create something truly unique and your own. I encourage you to give it a try! Just be patient, because it may seem kind of intimidating at first. Just take it one task at a time. Let me know if I can help in any way. I'm still learning though, so I'm still trying to figure out some of the more complex stuff :) 

I think I've always had a lot of clothes that I never really appreciated. I enjoy variety, but at the end of the day, I always end up coming back to the same old outfit: Jeans and a neutral shirt/sweater. I don't know why I have so many clothes if half of the time I don't wear them. Now I'm starting to sound like my husband. Maybe it's a girl thing! Yes, I firmly believe it's a girl thing. My closet re-discoveries initiative then forced me to re-open my eyes to what I currently have, encouraged me to use those pieces to the fullest potential and be creative with each clothing item. Blogging about it was what made it the most fun, because then I had a whole community to share it with :) Many of my close friends from college chuckle at me, because they knew me from back in the day where all I wore were sweat pants and dark clothing. I use to dress rather gothic.. but I'll save that story for a different day. I wouldn't necessarily call myself now a hard-core fashionista, but I do definitely appreciate the creativity and beauty behind style and clothes much more than before. I know that it's easy to always want to stay on trend and get the latest fashion pieces, but don't forget to appreciate what you have. The average closet investment is probably hundreds to thousands of dollars, don't take it for granted no matter how boring you think it is! It's amazing what you can re-discover without always getting more.

Remember the days when you could play all day with just a piece of paper, some tape, crayons and a spatula? Remember the days when you could make colorful posters, unique science projects, artistic paper mache creations, drawings, write magical stories and be proud of what you came up with? Maybe I just miss being a kid. Maybe I'm seeing Grace grow up so quickly, and I'm terrified that I won't be a very exciting mother because I feel like I lost all my creativity over the years. I use to love art, designing things, drawing, painting, etc. Going through 10+ years of intense medical training doesn't really give you much opportunity to exercise that, unfortunately. But blogging, creating new designs, painting my own online picture, finding art through photography, finding fun through fashion... what a great way to express your creativity through that! I feel like a kid again :) A really big kid.

There was an estimated 200 million active blogs in 2009, I don't know how many there are now but the blogging community has grown exponentially. There's a blog for almost everything nowadays, which doesn't surprise me since technological advances in internet communication and social media have grown so quickly. I think a lot of people tend to express themselves better through writing, and there's always some interested target audience who share similar opinions. The internet truly has been able to connect so many people together. I've met some pretty amazing people through blogging- fabulous mothers, fellow physician bloggers, beautiful fashion bloggers, lifestyle bloggers.. and have gotten to know a lot of you through your online journals. Thank you for all being so wonderful, positive and supportive. I've actually also been able to meet a few families who's children had health problems similar to Grace's, and we've been able to encourage, support and pray for each other through our blog connections. How great is that?

The camera is truly one of the greatest inventions of all time. I grew up hating taking pictures. Why, you ask? I think it was mainly because I was too lazy to carry it around. Plus I thought it was a really cheesy and touristy gesture. I wish I could slap myself back then. There's a huge chunk in my life from college through med-school and residency where I have no pictures at all. NOTHING. All because I was too lazy. I can't even find our wedding pictures that our awesome photographer Albert Yau from Second Print Productions took for us. That's how much photography didn't mean to me back then. One of my biggest regrets. Photography is beautiful. It captures history, art, life, memories. It captures something that my demented brain will probably forget someday. I want to be able to capture everything from now on and remember our lives. One of my favorite photography blogs is by Blue Bird Vintage. She takes breathtaking pictures of her kids every week, and you can literally sense her children's playful personalities through these pictures. They're amazing. 

I must also mention that you don't need a phenomenal $5,000 camera to take great pictures. We use a standard Sony Nex-5 and it has been great without costing us a kidney.

Aaron has actually been a huge contributor to this blog. Guess who actually came up with the name? While I was thinking of hideous blog names like "TheChan-Clanfamilyadventuresdaybook .blogspot.com" or "Christyslittlehumblecornerramblings.blogspot.com", or "The-geriatricianbyday- bloggerbynight.blogspot.com". He didn't make fun of me. How about Sunny with a side of...? Our days are always happy and bright, whatever we blog about will be an added silver lining to our day. 

He is the man behind the camera, taking those artistic shots and crawling on the floor to take the shoe shots without complaint. He also helped with the blog design too. The little dot that's floating away in the corner on my banner? I have no idea what it means, but he came up with that and I LIKE IT! It's been a nice hobby we can do together. He even reads your comments and gets all excited about new comments too. haha :) So please support him when he writes his movie reviews! I know it would mean a lot to him :) Anyways, his talents go way beyond this blog... and I'm proud of him for so many other things too.

Are you considering to start a blog? You should do it! :) If anything, it'll be something nice to browse through when I'm retired, sitting in a nursing home 50 years from now.

What have YOU discovered through your blogging experience? 

DAILY DOSE OF GRACE