Today’s media world allows anyone to be a celebrity and makes it easier than ever to claim your 15 minutes of fame.

But have you ever noticed that often the people who deserve the most attention are hiding from the limelight while those clamoring for the spotlight often have very little of value to add to the mix?

In the good ol’ days, VIP status was earned through hard work and significant contributions to society but today you can simply rent your own paparazzi!

It’s been my experience, however, that the need to be treated like a VIP is often inversely proportional to a person’s self-esteem.

When you know you’re a VIP on the inside, you’re not so concerned with being treated like a VIP on the outside.

And it isn’t just celebrities who want VIP treatment.

I recently read about a fashion blogger whose agent demanded a hefty speaking fee plus first-class air travel and hotel and myriad other perks in order for her VIP client to attend a large conference.

The result? The conference organizers booked another not-so-VIP-obsessed blogger instead.

Here’s the thing.

I’ve been fortunate to meet some real VIPs this year, amazing men and women who are making significant contributions to society. And you know what?

None of them could care less about whether they get the best table at a restaurant or how many Facebook or Twitter followers they have. They’ll gladly give up their First Class seat to a soldier returning from overseas. And they recognize that how you treat anyone is how you treat everyone.

They’re not about hype. They’re about truth.

They’re VIPS because of what they contribute, not because everyone knows their name.

And when you know you’re making a meaningful contribution to your family or your work or your community, when you know that just being alive in this world matters, and when you have a mission or a cause that goes beyond you, then whether someone else treats you like a VIP won’t make much difference.

And please remember that every single one of you is a VIP to someone. Right now. Today. Even if there aren’t paparazzi outside your front door.

Now check out today’s VPOD.

This vintage 1990s Moschino little black cocktail dress is a fun tongue-in-cheek way to announce your VIP status to the world.

It’s a fabulous vintage find for a Vintage Crusader!

Available at Swank Vintage.

(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.)

The bloodsuckers of True Blood have returned to HBO for their fourth season and you may or may not be inviting these vampires into your home on Sunday nights.

But, if you’re like most Americans, you may be surprised to learn that you are entertaining about 40 energy vampires each day that are feasting on 10% of your electricity.

Fortunately, fighting off these energy vampires is soooo much easier than dealing with the undead kind.

The biggest culprits?

Plasma TVs, computers, laptops, DVD players and video game consoles.

The solution?

Simple. Just shutdown and unplug.

Remember, just because an electrical appliance is turned off, if it’s still plugged into the wall socket it’s most likely still drawing power from the grid.

And while a lot of Americans are already aware of this fact, it still doesn’t seem to stop a lot of us from hitting the switch on a power strip before heading out the door to work or from thinking about the iron that might still be plugged in before getting on the plane for our well-earned vacation.

So here’s a trick that might help you remember to turn off the lights and unplug appliances whenever you can.

Since coal accounts for most of the electricity produced in the US and is also the biggest contributor to air pollution, think of turning off that light switch or pulling that plug as severing your connection with a coal plant.

When your lights are are, the stereo’s blaring, the TV’s playing, the oven’s baking and the kids are Playstationing, ugly toxic fumes are streaming into the atmosphere from that coal plant. But when your lights are off and you’re unplugged, it’s clear skies.

So be a hero and slay your energy vampires. Then do a little personal unplugging.

Don something pretty like today’s VPOD, grab your favorite someone, and dine by soy or beeswax candlelight for a romantic change of pace.

This vintage 1950s organza party dress features lovely flocked roses, a satin bow and fabulous handkerchief sleeves.

It’s a beautiful creature of the night for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Circa Vintage.

(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.)

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something…Pink?!

Oh, yes!  For her recent marriage to Bill Toth, Reese Witherspoon looked radiant by opting-out of traditional white and opting-in to a custom-designed pink wedding gown by Monique Lhuillier.

And any budding brides can follow her lead with today’s VPOD.

This vintage 1960s brocade and feather caped wedding dress will make you feel like a princess without hiding your killer legs under layers of lace and tulle.

It’s a beautiful bridal find for a vintage fashionista!

Available from Mill Street Vintage.

(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.)

GET READY, GET SET, BID!!!

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Vintage 1950s Satin Cocktail Dress (millstreetvintage) | Vintage 1970s Givenchy Cuff Bracelet (willowbrookantiques) | Vintage 1980s Ivory Wool Coat with Fox Collar (meat-market) | Vintage 1960s 1970s Russian Bohemian Coat (redhousevintage) | Vintage Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Wool Blazer (hudson1807) | Vintage Lilli Diamond Brocade Cocktail Dress and Jacket (crazymancrazy) | Vintage 1960s Bonnie Cashin for Coat New Old Stock Handbag (grendel_providence) | Vintage 1960s Navy Velvet and Lace Dress (sleepyheadvintage) | Vintage Suede and Leather Handbag (allison3103) | Vintage 1960s Camel Harlequin Print Knit Jacket (thriftwares) | Vintage 1950s Lilli Ann Splatter Print Halter Dress (landof1000dresses) | Vintage Faux Leopard Coat (buttercups11) | Antique Late 1800s Wool Jacket (party-store) | Vintage 1940s Nightgown (mootz1963) | Vintage 1940s Sequin Trim Evening Gown (lafriperieboutique) | Vintage 1970s Yves Saint Laurent Deco Necklace (art-deco-masters) | (Disclosure: Editorial selections are made by Zuburbia without promotional consideration from Bay sellers. Zuburbia is an affiliate member of the eBay Partner Network).

(To receive the eBay Roundup via email, sign up for the growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)

I spied a Tweet the other day asking why vintage clothes were so expensive and the way I see it, any price tag on a piece of vintage clothing reflects two different things:

1. The value of the original garment (based on its creator, fabric, construction, scarcity, provenance, etc.)
2. A dealer premium that reflects the dealer’s efforts to make the piece available for sale.

Now for those readers who aren’t dealers, please believe me when I tell you that vintage clothing dealers work hard!

For every minute they spend purchasing a great vintage find, they spend fruitless hours driving from thrift store to estate sale to private appointment to auction and returning home empty-handed. They must carefully inspect each item and soak, steam, press, launder, dry-clean, mend and otherwise bestow many hours of tender loving care on it before they can offer it to you. They need to research its era and check “comps” so they can price it fairly and, if it’s sold online, they have to photograph it, measure it and write its description.

Whew!  It’s exhausting just thinking about it!

When you combine all this work with a valuable garment like today’s VPOD, well, you shouldn’t expect to pay $100 or even $200. This vintage 1950s couture-quality chiffon party dress hails from Italy. And yes, by couture-quality, I mean that every single one of those hundreds and hundreds of chiffon rose buds was created and sewn on the skirt by hand!

It’s a breathtaking and one-of-a-kind find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Vintage Vibrations.

(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.)