Happy New Year to all of my wonderful blog readers and friends! 2013 was a craptastic year for many but I have a very good feeling about 2014. Although a new calendar year really is just a number on paper, there's something inspiring and refreshing about the idea that you can start over with new plans, goals and a new lifestyle.

This year, I have a lot of great things planned for myself and for this blog. In 2013, I had great things planned too but with a lot of crazy personal stuff going on towards the end of the year, much of it had to go on the back burner. So, let's see what I've been up to lately.

Instagram
Since starting Instagram a few months ago, I think I post more things on there than anything else. Here's a peek at the past few weeks.  Follow me here @vavoomvintage

va voom vintage instagram


Back to Full Time Blogging
As I said about a month ago, I was going to go back to an out-of-the-house day job for the winter. Well, that happened and it turned out to be a terrible decision. I don't think I've been so exhausted and stressed out in my life. Next Saturday will be my last day and I'll be back to full time blogging/ housewife mode. I've always been one of those people that thinks she can do it all and the truth is, no one can. It's very important to know what your limits are and to not push yourself past that point. I pushed myself way past that point and nearly lost my marbles. I'm really happy to be back to doing what I love most and to have more time with my family.

Art
Art runs deep in my family. My mom is a full time fairy/fantasy artist. My grandpa has been an award winning watercolor artist since his college years and both of my siblings are very talented artists too. As a teenager, I loved to paint, draw, sculpt and all manner of creating but I stopped one day and haven't gone back. This weekend, I picked up some new art supplies and signed up for an online watercolor class on Skillshare with Katie from Paper Fashion. I'm very out of practice with my sketching but I'm having a lot of fun getting back into the swing of things. Its very relaxing and it's something that I can do with my kids at the kitchen table. Olivia especially loves to paint with her watercolor set. When I was shopping for my supplies, I picked up a new palette for her but I think she will soon want a rinse pan, tube paints and a watercolor pad of her own.

watercolor painting and vintage Enid Collins glitter bugs box purse


Too Much Plastic
With Christmas money comes more stuff to add to my collections and this year, it was Bakelite and Lucite in mass quantities. I scored some really amazing new pieces both online and around town. I've been learning a lot more about Bakelite too, which we'll be discussing here later. In the mean time, here's a peek at my addiction.

bakelite and lucite vintage bangle bracelet collection