For over 6 months, I've fell into a blogging rut. I've been writing Va-Voom Vintage for 5 years so I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner! I talked to friends and family about it and wondered if I should bring this blog to a close.
I started writing Va-Voom Vintage to give myself a creative outlet, a hobby away from motherhood and to connect with other people who love history and fashion as much as I do. It has grown into something wonderful over the years and has become a major part of my life.
I tried to find new ways to rekindle my relationship with my blog. I bought a fancy new blog planner, created an office space for myself, tried new blog topics. All of these thing got me excited about it for a short time but I was soon back to feeling burnt out, clinging to the hope that I would fall in love with blogging again.
Then, last week, I found that my domain had expired and I had to get a new one! For 3 days, my blog was down. I couldn't post if I wanted to. I couldn't see my old posts, all of my links directed to this spammy site. It was crushing. And that's when I found my love of blogging again.
I cracked open my day planner and saw all of my notes on things I wanted to blog about, tutorials I want to share with you and remembered emails from readers about how my blog made a difference in their life. I remembered women who I have never met before, who lived hundreds of miles away who said that my outfits and tutorials and such made them want to be a better version of themselves.
When I started this blog, I had exactly ZERO friends in my life that I wasn't related to. I was a housewife, I didn't know anyone. I wore pajama pants and flopped on the couch with a bowl of cereal in the afternoon. In the past 5 years, I've met Daffny from New York, Emily from Michigan, Lauren from California, Gina from Chicago. I met my best friend, Amanda who lived in my city and loved vintage. I met another mom who lives 3 doors down because we were introduced through a lady who met me through my blog! I've been featured in print magazines, traveled to another state to model for Maddy James. That's not to mention all of the great online friends that I haven't met in person yet! My blog led me to my kindred spirits.
My first blog post started in December of 2009. I had a point and shoot camera from walmart that I got on sale for 20 bucks and couple of things that I found at the thrift store that didn't look remotely vintage but I thought they did. My victory rolls were terrible but I put it out there and learned as I blogged.
This December marks my 5 year blogging anniversary and I am suddenly happy and excited about it. Most of all, I can't wait to see what the next several years of Va-Voom Vintage has in store for us.
My URL has changed and is now at vavoomvintage.net If you have any links on your websites, bookmarks or favorite pinterest pins, please help me out by switching your links. You can also read more on what's happening here by signing up for my email newsletter or subscribe to posts by email.
Thank you, from my bottom of my heart for taking a few moments from your day to read my blog, email me with your stories and questions and for hanging in there during my burnt-out phase. Now, let's have some fun again! I'm really ready.
Congratulations on a new beginning! You are a beautiful inspiration to me, another lady at home with kids. Wishing you the very best.
ReplyDeleteCheers to new beginnings. Your spirit is strong. Stay strong!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're continuing!
ReplyDeleteSO glad you're carrying on! I love your blog! It's vintage, but down to earth and welcoming. Congratulations on your blogaversary! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you are re-inspired! the blogosphere would be dim indeed without your lovely face and mind brightening it up
ReplyDeleteI was getting a little depressed when I first started reading this post worried that I was going to have to say goodbye to your blog. I'm so glad that your sticking around and have been re-inspired. I love reading your blog it's fun, creative and real life. Not to mention you seem like such a nice person :)
ReplyDeleteI'm super happy to hear that! Your blog has been a favorite of mine since I found it
ReplyDeleteFelicidades por tu nuevo comienzo! Congratulations for your new beginig ! I love reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from México!
ReplyDeleteSweet Brittany, thank you for speaking so candidly and straight from the heart. I think that for those of us who take on long term blogging in serious capacity, there are periods where we feel a certain discount with our site, no matter how much we love it, and must then wait for our blogging mojo to return (if it is to do so at all). I've been through those myself and have always had something power reign me right back in again - thankfully. I can't say for sure if I'll blog for the rest of my life, none of us can, but for now I'm very much enjoying it and am so glad I've held on for 5.5 years, just as I'm sincerely elated that you're going to continue to enrich our vintage community with your stellar site, beautiful posts and awesome yesteryear inspiration.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
Congratulations on your five years! I have been reading your blog for a few years now and love it, often finding myself nodding along :) Best of luck for the future.
ReplyDeleteEveryone gets burnt out from longterm blogging, or feels like they're stuck in a rut. It's OK to take time off or switch direction, though. Your personality evolves, your blog will as well. Some readers may find that hard to deal with, but you'll get new ones anyway! :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're continuing! Your blog was among the first vintage blogs I began to follow and helped serve as inspiration for me to start my own blog. I've learned so much from you. So many wonderful tips, tricks, and other fantastic posts. Here's to many more years of happy blogging! :)
ReplyDelete-Emily
Emily's Vintage Visions
Isn't it interesting how we don't hold on to something as fiercely as we do when it's threatened? I'm proud of you and your awesome blog, it's worth fighting for, and so are you! Love, Momma Lamma
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post on your up and down journey in the blogging world, thank you for sharing that. I have always loved your blog and it was one of the few that gave me inspiration to start my own. I'm excited now to be sharing ideas and thoughts thru the Vintage Bloggers group with you and all the other lovely bloggers I have enjoyed reading. Keep up the good work and Congrats on 5 years!
ReplyDeleteP.S. My links to your blog from mine are now changed :)
Liz
Good for you! Have fun, and we are all looking forward to seeing your enthusiasm again!
ReplyDeleteSo happy you're back! You were my introduction to vintage, and for that I am extremely grateful. I was looking up vintage hairstyles and found your blog, that's when I discovered that there were people doing this! People were actually living this classy, nostalgic vintage life, and I decided that I would too. Since then I have discovered so many other blogs, learned how to pin curl, learned more about vintage clothing (oh, I so did that thrift store thing too, I have so many 80s clothes that I regret buying :P), and am in the process of redoing my room to look more 40s. Going vintage has been the most fun project I have ever undertaken and it has been a boatload of fun. Thank you for taking me there. :)
ReplyDeleteI follow you on INSTAGRAM ... And began following you all because of your gorgeous red hair and flair for vintage dress ! I have a daughter in her mid 20s - she is a young mom, with gorgeous red hair, expecting her 3rd child and jay finished nursing school about 1 yr ago. She rocks the vintage dress! But she doesn't blog or IG :/. anyway- I constantly showing her your hair or outfits! We both loved your swim suit this summer!
ReplyDeleteNow I just sound creepy ... But I'm writing to say glad you're going to continue blogging -- I'll hve to send my daughter that way!
Best of luck to you!
Dear Brittany:
ReplyDeleteWhen I started reading this post, I thought it was your swan song! I'm so glad that it's not good-bye, but hello to a new beginning. You are truly an inspiration for me, and I read your blog faithfully.
Thank you so much for continuing, here's to the next five years!
ReplyDeleteI had wondered what was going on the other day when I tried to visit your site. I'm so glad you are moving forward with the blog and are feeling rejuvenated. You have been such an inspiration to me, I'm thankful for all the ways you have been a positive fixture in my life, even though we have never met.
ReplyDeleteShe Knits in Pearls
As I wrote to you on Instagram, I am SOOO happy you continue blogging. :) I would miss you SO much. You are so cute, sweet, beautiful and inspirational. I adore your tutorials, outfits, and your crafting post a lot. A whole lot! But I know exactly how you feel. I am going through the same feeling. I've been blogging in Danish for five years now, and in English for four years (I have TWO blogs to top it off). I don't gain much followers. I suppose it is due to the fact that I spread myself too much. Too many subjects, instead of sticking to one. I don't know. I love it as a creative outlet, just like you. I love to share photos of what I've been up too. But sometimes I run out of ideas. I got a smartphone this summer and am on Instagram, which I think I love much more. Easy to update, and easy to follow. I think a lot about if I should quit blogging and just use Instagram? But I think I continue, let's see. Thanks again for your lovely blog (and Instagram). Wishing you a nice day, dear. :)
ReplyDeleteI had a mini heart attack the other day when I couldn't get on your blog, but I am glad everything is back up and am thrilled you are going to continue to blog!
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspiring post! I am sorry about your domain, but it is so wonderful to hear that something great came out of it!
ReplyDeleteLike you I have met so many wonderful people and participated in amazing events just through having a blog, and this post helps me keep chugging away at my own blog!
xoxo
-Janey