I presented a short talk to about a hundred people on Sunday and I began with a number:

17, 288

That’s the exact number of days I was alive when I opened my eyes on Sunday morning.

And except for one young lad who was celebrating his 17th birthday and had lived a mere 6,205 days, most of the people in the audience had clocked upwards of 11,000 days in their lives.

You, too, have lived thousands and thousands of days.

But how many of those days do you remember?

I mean, you remember the happy milestones, right?

A graduation, a wedding, a birth, a coveted award, the day you moved into your dream home or you opened the doors of your business.

And you remember what I call your Meteor Moments — those events that happened while you were sailing down life’s highway in one direction but got slammed onto a completely different trajectory.

Maybe you were hit by the Divorce Meteor or the Bankruptcy Meteor or the Cancer Meteor.

But of the thousands and thousands and thousands and THOUSANDS of other ordinary days, you probably remember very few.

And of these, isn’t it interesting that often a day when you were six or seven years old is easier to remember than Tuesday morning from two weeks ago?

Certain days, certain memories, are so clear that decades later you can still smell the salt air or taste the sweetness of the cake or identify the exact shade of orange in the sunset or hear the drumming beat of the music.

And yet you often completely forget even these hyper-clear memories for years at a time until something you see or hear or smell triggers you to remember them again.

When I traveled to Costa Rica with my daughter more than a decade ago, I arrived at the hotel and discovered that I forgot to bring my camera battery. With no chance of replacing it, I was devastated at the thought of having no pictures to remember the trip.

But what a gift this was!

Knowing I couldn’t rely on my camera lens to remember the trip for me, I knew I would have to really experience my days in Costa Rica if I wanted to remember them. This meant I was much more present and alive in each and every moment.

I engaged with the line of ants crawling up the wall of the bathroom. I felt the squishy mud seeping into my sneakers as I dismounted my horse on the ride up the mountain. I noticed the air whipping past my cheeks as I held tight to the zip line and sailed across the canyon.

Of all the vacations I’ve enjoyed in my life, it is this one — the one where I was forced by circumstance to feel most alive in the moment — that has imprinted the strongest memories in my consciousness.

Being present will always be the most important step in remembering more of your life but there are other things that help you bear witness, too, and it’s perfectly okay to utilize these tools. If keeping a journal, looking at photographs, holding on to mementos or recording conversations helps you access your memories later on then by all means use them!

Perhaps this is why so many of us have a garment that we wore on some memorable occasion tucked away in the back in the closet.

Of course, I still haven’t figured out if outfits help to create memorable moments or if moments just make outfits more memorable!

Either way, I think we can all agree that dressing in clothes that celebrate your unique sense of style will always help you to be more memorable to others.

Which means the gal who sports today’s VPOD, a pair of vintage 1990s studded punk leather shorts by Gianni Versace, will be unforgettable.

Available at Vagabond NYC.

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Right around now is when parents start pulling out a pretty strong behavior card: Santa’s Naughty and Nice list.

Think about it.

You don’t hear parents out in public with unruly kids in June sternly admonishing them, “Behave! You don’t want to end up on Santa’s Naughty List or he won’t bring you any presents!” But it’s a common occurrence during these last few weeks before Christmas.

And putting aside my feelings about the whole Santa myth for a moment, I have to ask why there has to be a Naughty OR Nice List and why there can’t be a Naughty AND Nice List. After all, sometimes it pays to be Naughty.

For instance, we all learned that we should respect our elders and not talk back, right? That’s playing NICE.

But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use your voice and speak up for yourself if someone is taking advantage of you. No, go ahead, SPEAK UP! Even if it means that you’ll receive one big black mark on that person’s Naughty List for doing so.

Or, here’s another example.

We all learned that we should try not to hurt other people’s feelings, right? NICE people don’t do that.

But don’t you most respect the friends and loved ones in your life who can be brutally honest with you? Who can call you on the excuses and rationalizations that work with everybody else but don’t work with them because they hold you to a higher standard? The people who aren’t afraid to bruise your feelings if it means helping you see a truth that’s in your blind spot and holding you back?

And where do these people live? I know I have them on my Nice List.

Or let’s take the example of a hassled, frazzled mom juggling a bunch of kids and a job. Or a single person juggling her career and caring for a sick or elderly loved one.

What’s NICE is to unselfishly give and give and give until you can’t give any more.

What’s NAUGHTY is to say NO once in a while. To selfishly say I NEED A BREAK and this next hour is for ME. And then to take that time to re-charge so you can return to your challenges conscious and refreshed.

Now, is there anyone out there who would put you on a Naughty List for doing that? If so, I say THEY’RE the ones who should go on the Naughty List! Don’t you agree?

Debbie Ford, author of The Dark Side of the Light Chasers among other bestsellers, has spent her career teaching about our Shadow. It’s that part of ourselves that we bury, that we don’t want to acknowledge, that we try to suppress or hide. It’s the NAUGHTY side. The part of us that we identify as lazy, critical, controlling, selfish, angry or weak.

But rather than trying to tame this beast and making sure every one of our actions shows up on somebody’s NICE List, we need to integrate and reclaim these Naughty aspects of ourselves and use them to serve our purposes.

Just as there are often gifts hidden in our greatest challenges, there are also gifts hidden in our greatest weaknesses. And by shifting our perception of what’s NAUGHTY and NICE about ourselves, we are empowered to live out lives that are so much more whole and authentic.

So don’t feel like you have to choose between today’s Naughty and Nice VPODS.

It’s quite all right to admit that you find both of them appealing whether you’re more drawn to the sleek, wicked, attention-grabbing vintage 1990s Jean-Paul Gaultier catsuit or the more innocent and demure vintage 1950s beaded circle skirt.

They’re both naughty AND nice choices for a Vintage Crusader!

Available at Chi Chi and the Greek.

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Going, Going, GONE!

CLICK IMAGE TO GO TO EBAY AUCTION

(Auctions all end within the next 4 days.)

Vintage 1940s Floral Dress (vintage_vixen_nyc) | Vintage Miriam Haskell Necklace (discountsportcards) | Vintage 1980s Knit Sweater (tinroofvintage) | Vintage 1950s Chiffon and Ribbon Cocktail Dress (holly_yama) | Vintage Christian Dior Necklace (urbantiques) | Vintage Little Black Dres (rosie27) | Vintage 1940s Nightgown (miso_vintage_supply) | Vintage Fringed Leather Poncho (windfallfarms) | Vintage 1960s Givenchy Caftan Top (maxamillionvintage) | Vintage Gucci Leather Jacket (thevintagezone1) | Vintage Modernist Brass and Turquoise Ring (space.dwe) | Antique Irish Crochet Gown (heartnsoul1) | Vintage 1960s I Magnin Blazer with Chain (pamh23) | Late 1990s Chanel Boucle Pencil Skirt (claireinc*) | Vintage 1960s Kimono (vintage_american) | Vintage 1960s Pucci Scarf (lmel1951) | Art Deco 18k Sapphire and Diamond Ring (clares1225) | Vintage Don Loper Llama and Alpaca Coat (robynosa) | Vintage 1970s Tooled Handbag (kristin_bolton) | Vintage 1970s Nipon Coat (luckyvintage) | Vintage Vollbrach for Sofere Pop Art Top (macade9) | Vintage Lucille Ostrich Handbag (christoper31) | Vintage 1960s Fox Collar Swing Coat (bustownmodern) | Vintage Whiting & Davis Mesh Top (jooana) | (Disclosure: Editorial selections are made by Zuburbia without direct promotional consideration from Bay sellers. Zuburbia is an affiliate member of the eBay Partner Network).

PLEASE NOTE that Zuburbia does not endorse the use of fur, feathers, leather or animal skins in fashion. These selections are offered only as more thoughtful and eco-friendly alternatives for contemporary fashionistas who have not yet eliminated animal products from their wardrobes.

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GET READY, GET SET, BID!!!

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Vintage 1990s Chanel Silk Blouse (claireinc*) | Vintage YSL Bracelet (mrbmax) | Vintage Evening Dress and Coat Set (efind894) | Vintage 1970s Goddess Maxi Dress (sistersoftheblackmoon) | Vintage 1950s Satin Party Skirt (pmainstudio) | Vintage 1960s Adele Simpson Kilim Coat (promking59) | Vintage 1938 Geissman for Coro Brooch (kaysglitz) | Vintage Ossie Clark for Radley Maxi Dress (sunny1968_0) | Vintage 1960s Ann Barron Cocktail Dress (afro*chic) | Vintage 1970s Deerskin Embroidered Purse (indiecultvintage) | Vintage 1970s Plaid Coat (bustownmodern) | Vintage 14k Gold Mabe Pearl Ring (urbantiques) | Vintage 1960s Leather and Coyote Jacket (indiecultvintage) | Vintage 1960s Bohemian Suede Coat (redhousevintage) | Vintage Pauline Rader Ram Head Necklace (batmobile$) | Vintage Hermes Ostrich Clutch (lovesurf1) | Vintage Gucci Bangle Watch Set (jamie52282) | Vintage 1980s Colorblock Dress (orangesuitcasevintage) | Vintage Hermes Henri de Linares Scarf (jajezus) | Vintage 1970s Peacock Print Maxi Dress (sistersoftheblackmoon) | Vintage 1970s Roberta di Camerino Bamboo Print Dress (slini) | Vintage 1970s Pocket Boots (thriftwares) | Vintage North Beach Leather Jacket (sleepyheadvintage) | Vintage Alfred Philippe for Trifari Bracelet (trifari.com) | (Disclosure: Editorial selections are made by Zuburbia without promotional consideration from Bay sellers but Zuburbia is an affiliate member of the eBay Partner Network)

PLEASE NOTE that Zuburbia does not endorse the use of fur, feathers, leather or animal skins in fashion. These selections are offered only as more thoughtful and eco-friendly alternatives for contemporary fashionistas who have not yet eliminated animal products from their wardrobes.

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Way back in 1931, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson wrote a song called “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries” with lyrics that preached:

Life is just a bowl of cherries
Don’t make it serious.
Life’s too mysterious.

But there’s no denying that there are some serious things happening in our world right now!

From uprisings on the other side of the globe to devastating storm destruction here at home, sometimes life seems nothing like a bowl of cherries. And one might wonder if there’s any underlying meaning behind it all (although I’d like to point out that the End of the World didn’t exactly happen at the date and time predicted last week).

But the lyrics also remind us:

The sweet things in life
To you were just loaned
So how can you lose what you’ve never owned?

Small consolation to those good folks grieving over their losses from the mighty tornadoes. But a good lesson for those of us waking up today with roofs over our heads.

Maybe we should all try thinking of ourselves not as the owners of anything, but as stewards of everything!

Can you imagine the mindshift this might cause?

You would realize that anything and everything has only been placed in your care for a limited amount of time. It would change how you handle objects and how you treat people. And it would help you understand that even the little things — like turning off the water when you brush your teeth, for instance — can and does make a difference in the world.

But good ol’ Lew Brown and Ray Henderson weren’t done yet. They still had one more observation to share:

You work, you save, you worry so,
But you can’t take your dough when you go, go, go.

Which means that each of us should enjoy every day, every moment, every item to its fullest while we have the opportunity, and that includes today’s VPOD.

Fashion often takes its cues from interior design (and vice versa) and right now fruit prints are everywhere — on sheets, wallpaper, and all types of housewares. They’ve also cropped up in fashion which is serving a veritable fruit salad of delights from the likes of Prada and Stella McCartney.

Grab your own juicy fun with this vintage 1990s dress by Moschino that combines whimsical polka dots with bold fruit appliques of watermelon, cherries, lemon and orange.

It’s a sweet summer find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Claire Inc.

(To receive the VPOD via email along with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)