It’s been about a year since ASI employees started working from home in an effort to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In those early weeks, when many of us were sure we would be back in the office by the summer of 2020, ASI Media launched a weekly series where staffers shared their insights, the shows they were bingeing and what hobbies and activities they’d picked up to pass the time. When it became clear that remote work – and COVID – wasn’t going away anytime soon, we phased out the series.

However, that doesn’t mean staffers stopped baking bread and embarking on ambitious home improvement projects (though discussions of Tiger King certainly saw a precipitous decline by the end of 2020). Here’s a quick look at what we’ve been up to the last few months.

Sara Lavenduski
Executive Editor of Digital Content

Sara’s “mixed media” coloring page, featuring colored pencils and glitter gel pens.

Did you keep up with the hobbies you started at the beginning of the pandemic?
I got back into coloring books early on, but let it go by the wayside after a few months. Fortunately, I’m well stocked. If you tell my mom you like something, she goes crazy and buys everything she can find for your birthday. When I told her I was “getting back into coloring as an adult” a couple of years ago, she bought me like every coloring book they had at Michaels. I have abstract designs, Japanese prints, landscapes, stained glass windows, not to mention kid books from the National Parks. Doesn’t matter what it is, if it’s coloring, it’s relaxing.

Have you developed any new hobbies recently?
I’ve tried some recipes from my family’s Italian cookbook. It’s really old and wasn’t printed well, so that’s an adventure unto itself. My goal is to make more progress, but pasta fagioli, lasagna with homemade crepe noodles and rum cake were some highlights.

Dee Iavecchia
Team Lead, Advertising/Marketing Services Coordinator, Production & Advertising Operations

Dee’s latest creative project is a faux window for her home office.

Did you keep up with the hobbies you started at the beginning of the pandemic?
I’ve been busy in the past year getting in touch with my creative side. I started out with simple things like adult coloring, framing puzzles and painting rocks. From there, I moved on to redesigning the first floor of my house (with my husband’s help). We did the basic painting, new lamps, throw rugs etc., but with my creative juices flowing, I came up with some extra ideas. First, for a feature wall, we gathered pallets, took them apart, sanded them, cut them to various lengths and stained them three different colors. The end result is awesome. I also refinished my wood end tables to give them a country look and repurposed an old decorative mirror into a photo gallery mirror.

Have you developed any new hobbies recently?
In 2021, I moved on to crafting decorative things for around the house from small shelf items to things for the walls. My favorite is a project I just finished for my home office. I turned a thrift store wall art frame into a faux window with a photo I took in Jamaica, so it looks like I’m looking out the window at my favorite scenery.

Mandy Salay
Senior Web Designer

Mandy has been perfecting her bread recipe and giving loaves to anyone she sees.

Did you keep up with the hobbies you started at the beginning of the pandemic?
I’m still loving jigsaw puzzles – I find them very relaxing. I just finished a 2,000-piece one with worldwide landmarks. And my breads are looking and tasting better and better. Anyone who sees me goes home with a loaf.

Have you developed any new hobbies recently?
My new hobby is training the beagle pup we got over the summer! No offense to everyone at ASI, but she’s become my favorite co-worker during this work-from-home time.

Joan Chaykin
Managing Editor

Did you keep up with the hobbies you started at the beginning of the pandemic?
Yes, I’ve kept up with taking better care of my house plants and have another Christmas poinsettia that’s still doing well.

Have you developed any new hobbies recently?
I’ve been using my staircase to do step aerobics. I laugh the whole time because my dog looks at me like I’m insane and can’t figure out if I’m coming or going (which I can’t).

Stephanie Turner-Scott
Director of Corporate Marketing

Stephanie has started using curtain tiebacks to display her bathroom towels in a more decorative way.

Did you keep up with the hobbies you started at the beginning of the pandemic?
I kept up the home improvement projects, and I’m not sure if this was a good hobby or not because we’ve expanded from minor enhancements to knocking down walls, adding recreation rooms and building a custom bar for me to continue making exotic cocktails. At this point, I think I qualify as “master mixologist.”

Have you developed any new hobbies recently?
My new hobbies are being more creative with bathroom towels and using curtain tiebacks in a decorative way.

Tricia Walter
Manager of Corporate Events

Tricia has been walking about six miles a day, bundling up when the temperatures dip below freezing.

Did you keep up with the hobbies you started at the beginning of the pandemic?
I started walking each morning before work back in mid-April, and I’ve kept up with it, even walking each morning when the temps were very low. I now walk both before and after work and average about six miles per day.

Have you developed any new hobbies recently?
I’ve started preparing a lot more meals in the slow cooker, and I meal plan on the weekends. I cook up everything for our lunches and dinners for the week. I also became somewhat addicted to a paint-by-number app on my iPad – it’s very relaxing.

Christopher Ruvo
Digital News Director

Did you keep up with the hobbies you started at the beginning of the pandemic?
Still Zumba-ing. My sons have started doing it with me too. We feel a bit ridiculous, but we goof around and make it fun. It’s a decent workout. Our skill level is mediocre, but we’ve tightened up the cores a bit.

Have you developed any new hobbies recently?
None. Boo me. But I have kept up with the hobbies that sustain my brain, like running, kayaking and, less frequently but most fun, banging on the drums. One thing we’ve been doing is nerding out big time and watching the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Marvel movies in chronological order. We’re nearing Endgame in Marvel but we’re not quite ready to rewatch what happens to Iron Man.

Elizabeth Italia
Executive Director, Marketing Content

Did you keep up with the hobbies you started at the beginning of the pandemic?
I had picked up yoga in the beginning of the pandemic, but as soon as the gym opened up in June, I got back into lifting. I still do yoga, though not as often, but I’m much better at stretching throughout my gym workouts than I was before. Before the pandemic, I’d had an injury AND surgery, so I finally feel like I’m almost back to my “pre-injury” shape and strength. It’s been a long road.

Have you developed any new hobbies recently?
I went back to school starting in the fall to get a certificate in Applied Animal Behavior from the University of Washington. I should wrap up the program in June.

Theresa Hegel
Executive Editor of Digital Content

Theresa and her 9-year-old daughter have been doing family art lessons via Zoom every two weeks.

Did you keep up with the hobbies you started at the beginning of the pandemic?
At the beginning of the pandemic, I was training for my first marathon with a friend. It was supposed to be held in April in New Jersey, but was later postponed to November and ultimately, switched to virtual only. We kept up with our training schedule ended up completing a marathon of two with friends and family cheering us on with homemade signs and an actual finish line. It was awesome.

Have you developed any new hobbies recently?
My 9-year-old daughter and I do Zoom art projects with my mom and aunt every two weeks. We take turns picking a project, then give instructions and encouragement on the call. We’ve bound miniature, accordion-style books, dyed paper with food coloring and shaving cream, and created masterpieces using salt, school glue and watercolor paint. It’s fun to catch up with family and a great creative outlet as well.