I’m a firm believer in what Brenda Ueland calls moodling, “long inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering.”

In a weird time-twisting way, I’ve discovered that one secret to getting a lot done is being willing to spend a lot of time alone doing nothing at all!

Gazing out a window with a cup of tea. Soaking in a bath. Sitting still and paying attention to the breath.

And listening. Lots of listening.

But not to the radio or the TV or a favorite selection in iTunes. Listening to the sounds of silence around me.

The hum of a heater. A distant ambulance siren. The rumble of the FedEx truck. The pitter-patter of a squirrel scampering across the roof.

It reminds me of years ago when it was necessary to let my car idle for a few minutes before shifting it out of park. My mechanic insisted that it needed this time to warm-up every morning in order to keep the engine functioning properly.

And so it is with our lives.

We all need to do a little idling to keep our imaginations warmed-up and working smoothly.

And like so many skills in life, if you don’t use it, you lose it.

As kids, we were all fabulous moodlers. Yes, even you.

Maybe you can remember gazing up at the sky and being mesmerized by the shifting shape of the clouds or a twinkling blanket of stars. My nephew once watched a parade of ants at a picnic for half an hour. I could spend an entire morning searching for four-leaf clovers in an empty lot near my house. And I remember once when a bunch of us neighborhood kids dug a hole for two straight days just to see how deep we could make it!

No adult would ever engage in such foolishness, right?

Well, thank goodness some grown-ups still do or we wouldn’t have things like wonderful literature, breathtaking art, ingenious gadgets, toe-tapping music, scientific breakthroughs and inspiring films.

Moodling, without a doubt, is an integral part of the creative process, which means it’s not just for the artists and inventors of the world.

It’s a worthwhile activity for moms and dads, employees, students and business owners, too.

Doodling. Coloring. Humming. Skipping. Daydreaming. Zoning out.

Perhaps more grown-up moodling is just the prescription needed to remedy the boredom, malaise, and routine that has replaced the childlike wonder, excitement and imagination that used to fuel our days.

But, like children, we tend to not want to take our medicine, so we immediately counter with “I don’t have time for that!”

Ah, but remember the time-twisting nature of moodling?

When you make time for moodling, moodling somehow makes time for you.

It gifts you with creative solutions to old problems. It contributes to flashes of insight that help you remember exactly where you left that thing you’re looking for before you have to spend an hour searching. It cuts the time to write your monthly report in half because while you were moodling, there was a subroutine running in the background that was organizing your thoughts without you realizing it.

And there’s no better time to give moodling a try than right now in the middle of winter.

Cozy up to a fire in a comfy, lambswool sweater like today’s VPOD.

Allow yourself to get recharged by plugging in to nothing at all.

Remember what it’s like to take two hours to do a crossword puzzle, or to slowly cross-stitch a few rows of your sampler, or to sketch horrendously but gloriously, or to get lost in reminiscing.

It’s just one more way to unleash creativity, in fashion and in life, for any Vintage Crusader!

Available at Twin Hearts Vintage.

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Two hot colors stood out in Oscar gowns this year.

First, we saw a bevy of ladies in the color purple: Mila Kunis in lavender Elie Saab, Natalie Portman in violet Rodarte, Cate Blanchett in pale lilac Givenchy Haute Couture and Scarlett Johansson in plum Dolce & Gabanna.

And then we saw Jennifer Hudson wow everyone with her tangerine Atelier Versace.

Today’s VPOD combines the best of these two color worlds into one fantastic daywear outfit.

Designed by Yves Saint Laurent, this set pairs a longer skirt with a men’s style cardigan but injects plenty of feminine energy with fleur de lis decoration and a tasseled cord belt. It’s the perfect weight for this transitional time between seasons and it’s a fine way to add some color under the remaining gray skies we’ll see in March.

What a delightful purple find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Quintessentia. | Discovered at TheFind.com.

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Conservationists are celebrating the annual arrival of Monarch butterflies in Mexico with a sigh of relief since researchers recorded a 109% increase in their numbers this year.

Last year saw the smallest amount of forest covered by the creatures in the last 17 years and concerns were rising that extreme weather, fires and deforestation were posing a serious threat to the Monarch’s survival.

And you gotta hand it to these little guys and gals. They make over a 2,000 mile migration from Canada over the US and into Mexico each year (which certainly puts your morning commute into perspective!).

If you get a thrill every time you see a butterfly (I know I do even though it seems to happen less frequently every year), then you’ll adore today’s VPOD.

This vintage cardigan by Jantzen dates from the late 50s to early 60s and has its very own embroidered flock of charming lepidoptera.

What a lovely spring find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Adore 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.)

So many things in life aren’t black and white but end up being shades of gray. And so often we live in a place of limbo, not quite ready to leave where we are but not yet ready for where we’re about to go.

For instance, I have a friend who is struggling with marital troubles and she is completely stressed out because she doesn’t know if she’ll still be married in six months or out on her own with her two children.

Another friend desperately wants to leave her job and devote herself full-time to her business (she’s a talented designer) but financially, she’s too scared to take the leap of faith just yet.

Maybe you can relate. And I think there’s a lesson here from fashion.

Think about what we do during this fall transition period. We’re in-between seasons right?

It’s way to cold for our summer wear. It’s still not cold enough for the all-out winter coat, scarf and gloves ordeal.

And one of the ways we cope with is by embracing this in-between time, not fighting it or resisting it.

So we grab a transition piece like a great maxi sweater. Today’s VPOD is a colorful choice with an oversized hood and tie-front closures.

Or, if you prefer a more minimalist look, you may also like these cable-knit fisherman versions:

These in-between pieces ease us into the next phase and you can do the same thing with life’s challenges. Embrace the in-between.

Oh, it’s gonna be scary!  Believe me, I know because I’ve been there many, many times.

But you can’t worry yourself out of a problem.  You have to take action—even if your action is to consciously decide not to take action just yet.

And, remember, action doesn’t have to happen in a flash.

You can gradually and gently ease yourself into a new situation with baby steps and the help of a life transition piece, like a good friend, a therapist, a hobby to take your mind off things, or a class to learn something that makes you feel more confident as you face the changes looming in your future.

Remember, everyone’s life is in transition, not just yours. After all, that’s what life is—one big or little change after another.

And you can weather your changes with style when you’re a vintage fashionista!

Available at Nasty Gal and Zuburbia on Etsy.

(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.)

Say hello to Fall and the first official day of Sweater Weather!

Everyone warned me when I moved to southern California that I’d miss the change of seasons. After all, I grew up near the Poconos where Mother Nature puts on a magnificent display of colorful leaves for a few weeks every year.

But surprisingly, even in LA, there are four distinct seasons. Sure, those seasons are a lot more subtle, but that just means you have to pay a little more attention.

And after sweltering in an oven called Tempe for the last few days—the temperature is hovering about 107 degrees in the afternoons—I’ll be reaching for a lightweight sweater when I return to the cooler 60 degree evenings in LA this weekend.

Today’s VPOD would be a perfect choice. This unlabeled multi-color striped lightweight knit from the 1980s looks like a Missoni descendant and is simply charming with its keyhole neckline and wooden loop closure.

It’s a pretty Fall find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Nasty Gal.

(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. | Disclosure: Zuburbia is a Nasty Gal affiliate.)