Fall has always been my favorite season of the year.

The scent of burning leaves.  The explosion of color.  The crisp chill in the air.  Cider.  Pumpkins.  Halloween.

Nature uses fall to prepare for winter and we do, too.

While we might not hibernate as deeply as the bears, we certainly tend to be less active and spend more time indoors when the weather’s inclement outside.

And just as animals will shore up their nests or dens with additional leaves for insulation, we’ll add extra blankets to our beds or snuggle under down duvets.

Heck, a few of us humans have been known to do an annual migration south just like many birds do!

And, of course, one other rite of passage in the Fall, since we can’t grow thicker fur coats like our animal friends, is to pack up our bikinis and halter dresses and pull out our cashmere and wool from storage.

Which makes Fall a perfect time to do a little wardrobe purging.

But when it comes to assessing what gets to stay and what has to go, I know a lot of women who struggle. So here are three tips that I find helpful:

1. If an item has sentimental value and that’s the ONLY reason you’re hanging on to it, take a picture of it. Often a lovely picture of the item is enough to satisfy your need to “keep it” while allowing you to pass it on and make room for something new and better to arrive in your life.

2. If you’re unsure if you want to keep certain items, place them in a box, tape it shut and mark the month and year. If you haven’t gone looking for the pieces during the next year, drop the entire box off at your favorite charity. (No peeking inside again!)

3. Picture someone else enjoying the item you’ll give away. Remember, someone somewhere is longing for everything you have just as someone somewhere has everything you’re wishing for.

Afterwards, if you discover some new found space in your closet, you may want to fill it with today’s VPOD.

This metallic silk ensemble from the 1970s screams Fall in a muted color palette that is simply gorgeous.

It’s a fine way to celebrate the changing seasons for a Vintage Crusader!

Available at Katy Kane Vintage & Couture Clothing.

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I spent this past weekend at my first Mastermind meeting in San Diego.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, it’s a process inspired by Andrew Carnegie and shared by Napoleon Hill in his 1937 book Think and Grow Rich. It’s described there as “a coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”

In the case of this particular Mastermind, there were about 60 of us entrepreneurs gathered from around the world.

The US, France, Germany, Australia, Denmark, Japan, Vietnam and Canada were all represented.

I was a newbie, attending for the first time, but the group gathers twice a year to share resources and connections, to provide accountability and inspiration, and to support each other in achieving personal and business goals.

What I found particularly inspiring was that among this group of very successful social entrepreneurs, everyone — every single one — had a story of personal struggle or had overcome a major obstacle in their life.

Some of these stories were particularly dramatic.

A bodybuilding champion struck down in his prime by a debilitating injury…An ex-convict…A man abused and abandoned by his family…The Wall Street guy who suddenly found himself driving a taxi…A young pregnant mom told to say goodbye to her husband and two-year-old son because she’d never survive her emergency operation...A successful woman who woke up one morning and realized she had no job and nowhere to live.

But no matter how difficult or tragic the personal obstacle, no matter how frightening or humiliating or embarrassing the personal story, every single person in that room had met their struggle head-on and pushed forward. And they were all running businesses that championed social causes or were seeking to serve others in big ways.

The bodybuilder who used to be champion of the world is now a champion FOR the world inspiring today’s youth. The ex-convict became mayor of his hometown. The taxi driver created a business helping thousands to tell their own inspiring stories on network television. The mom watched her son grow up alongside his baby sister and now helps major corporations to bring their manufacturing operations back from overseas. And the woman who woke up without a job or place to live, well, that was me.

Was it easy? NO!

Did they feel beat up and broken down? YOU BET!

Did it feel like things would never turn around for them? UH-HUH!

So what’s holding YOU back?

Because whether your goal for 2012 is to lose 10 pounds or participate in a triathalon, whether you hope to one day climb Mount Everest or climb the corporate ladder and be CEO, whether you want to turn your knitting from a hobby into a business or leave corporate America and join the Peace Corps, whether you want to spend more time with your family or travel the world, the only thing standing in the way of making those things happen is YOU.

You tell yourself that it’s because you don’t have the money, or you don’t have the time, or you don’t have the education. You think you can’t because you have a husband or kids or weigh too much or hurt too much.

But they’re really just excuses.

Because someone, somewhere, faced a similar or even higher hurdle and found a way to sail over it. And it means you can find a way over your hurdles, too.

So what are you waiting for?

Today’s beautiful vintage dress and coat set was designed by Ronald Amey in the 1960s. I adore Ronald Amey’s clothes, but, sadly, we lost this brilliant artist to heart disease when he was only 52 years of age.

And none of us know how many minutes are left on our clocks. We don’t know if our Someday will ever arrive.

So the only time we can make our dreams happen is NOW. Today.

So be bold.

Take a baby step toward your dreams right NOW. Today.

Go ahead.

Because that’s what you do when you’re a brave Vintage Crusader!

Available at Archive Vintage.

(To receive the VPOD free via email with detailed size and price information, 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.)

Any moms out there or any big brothers and sisters are well-aware of a child’s developmental stage known as Separation Anxiety. Teary goodbyes and tantrums can mark a period when babies and young children experience high anxiety and get truly upset when being separated from their parents or caregivers.

But I find that lots of women suffer from a special Fashion Separation Anxiety as well, caught up in  their belief that if they bought separates that were made to go together they have to wear them together. Or, more commonly, who want to wear items as separates but just don’t know how to integrate them with other pieces in their closet.

Fortunately, clothes won’t take a tantrum or make you feel guilty if you decide to take only one piece out on the town and leave its siblings in the closet. So dare to wear!

Take today’s VPOD for instance. This vintage 1980s selection is what one would call an ensemble: a group of complementary and coordinating pieces designed for their effect when worn together. And what a life it’s lived!

Originally owned by a Countess who wore the suit to a cocktail party attended by the President of Venuzeula, you know that it’s going to ooze quality and craftsmanship in all three pieces. And the astute fashionista will see this ensemble as three fantastic vintage pieces that she can play with to her heart’s content. The blouse alone could breathe new life into your closet by creating an entirely new look-and-feel for a skirt, blazer or trousers.

But that’s not all. The ensemble also include a fabulous cape with macrame fringe (and you know capes are all the rage right now).

So get rid of your Fashion Separation Anxiety and open up a world of styling possibilities with this fabulous ensemble for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Vintage Virtuosa.

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Vintage 1930s Draped and Beaded Evening Gown (redhousevintage) | Vintage Turquoise Print Maurice Dress (cork123) | Vintage 1960s Woven Wicker Handbag (citrinedream) | Vintage 1990s Versace Couture Cocktail Dress (betz6358) | Vintage Hattie Carnegie Rhinestone Floral Earrings (hawaiibeads) | Vintage Paco Rabanne Nautical Skirt and Halter Set (koko1954) | Vintage Edwardian Coat (those12days) | Vintage 1930s Satin Wedding Lounging Gown (mynoble) | Vintage 1940s Grey and Chartreuse Day Dress (cheapthrillsvintage) | Vintage Limited Edition Yves Saint Laurent Necklace (remark16) | Vintage 1980s Khaki Safari Jumpsuit (thriftwares) | Vintage 1950s Alfred Shaheen Sarong Sundress (venusdjangoanddot) | Vintage 1970s Ethnic Gauze and Sequin Tent Dress (lacedwithromance) | Vintage 1960s Jackie O Dress and Coat Set (booboopeedoo) | Vintage 1950s Mexican Dress (gambinica) | Vintage 1950s Lace Ruffled Prom Dress (tangleofthorns) | (Disclosure: Editorial selections are made by Zuburbia with no direct promotional consideration from Bay sellers. Zuburbia is, however, a member of the eBay Partner Network).

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GET READY, GET SET, BID!!!

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Vintage 1930s/1940s Art Deco Print Dress (its-vintage-darling) | Vintage 1970s Scalloped Lace Mini Dress (meat-market) | Vintage Oscar de la Renta Bright Print Dress (claireinc*) | Vintage 1970s Valentino Boutique Suit (linda*s***stuff) | Vintage Panetta Ring (timetwister) | Vintage 1960s Leonard Print Dress (blackolive666436h) | Vintage 1960s Silk Beaded Dress Suit ( stargirls80) | Vintage 1980s Embellished Belt (wickedplumvintage) | Vintage 1970s Knit Cape Coat (funkinjunkievintage) | Vintage Lanz Tulip Sundress worn by Carrie in Sex and the City (babyfeeshmouth) | Vintage 1970s Claude Montana Lamb Suede Jacket (koko1954) | Vintage 1950s Emma Domb Tulle Prom Dress (tangleofthorns) | Vintage Mary McFadden Quilted Jacket (gbrllhrwd) | Vintage Ossie Clark Wrap Maxi Dress (ferryvintage) | Vintage Alfred Shaheen Sarong Halter Sundress (astroa) | Vintage Valentino Dragonfly Necklace (pino660127) | (Disclosure: Editorial selections are made by Zuburbia with no direct promotional consideration from Bay sellers. Zuburbia is, however, a 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.)