What Would the Colonel Wear?

Last weekend Joe and I went on a mini-vacation / road trip to Kentucky - just a little way to celebrate the completion of his MBA. We stopped in Louisville, Lexington and Corbin.

My favorite stop was Louisville, specifically Bardstown Road, which has a lot of cool shops, restaurants, bars, etc. We shopped vinyl at a couple record stores, had dinner, played some vintage arcade games and tasted Graeter's Ice Cream. All in all a great night.

Joe would probably choose Saturday as his favorite. We started the day out at a Toy Antique Mall and THEN drove a couple hours south to visit the birthplace of the 11 herbs and spices - the original Harland Sanders Café



We had some lunch and paid our respects to the Colonel.



My plan was to wear a white dress that day so I would match the Colonel, but the weather was very unpredictable. Instead I settled for a white skirt and this bright striped top I bought at Goodwill. I bought it on the first Saturday in April, which means it was 50% off.

Unfortunately, I had to pull it out of my laundry basket to take this photo.



So that was last weekend. This weekend has been fun as well. Yesterday morning we had breakfast at a Bloomington dive called Wee Willie's and then went to a community garage sale. I've been to quite a few joint garage sales in the past, but this one kept going and going and going...

We bought a few things. One is this collection of string that I got for $1. I'm excited to make some bright friendship bracelets.



This morning we checked out $.99 Sunday at Goodwill. I didn't buy anything, but I took a second to reflect on all the great purchases of the past since this will be my last $.99 Sunday! Not sure I mentioned it yet, but Joe and I will be saying our farewells to Bloomington at the end of this week. More on that to come.

Back with a $2.99 Outfit!

Hi guys. I kinda fell off the face of blog-earth over the last week. Everything is fine - just life getting in the way and since Real Life > Blog Life, I've been forced to neglect wrinkled dollar. I'm back now, although I may periodically duck out. I appreciate my readers very much and hope you will see me through this high stress time. I will be back full force once things cool down a little. With that said, I still plan to post, maybe just not as much as I have in the past.

So, let's get to it. Here's an outfit I wore last week when the weather still felt Spring-like. Miss you sun.



I purchased these white shorts on $.99 Goodwill Sunday. I'm pretty sure they were some little dude's tennis shorts in the 80's, but they fit well and are in great condition. I predict they will get some major wear this summer.



Do you <3 2 hate?

Here's the break down of this $2.99 outfit. The shorts, as mentioned above, are from Goodwill and the top is from the Disabled Veteran's Thrift Store.



The blouse is originally from New York & Co. It was 1/2 off at the DAV!



A very feminine outfit and one very vulnerable to stains. I'm quite clumsy. We'll see how long the shorts last. Even if I only get a few wears out of them I only paid $.99!

What items in your closet are you excited to wear this summer?
Do you have any luck keeping white clothing in good condition?

Have a great rest of the week!

EBEW: Floral, Inspiration Monday & My New Sandals

Before I get into today's post I want to tell you that wrinkled dollar is now on Twitter. I think it will be a good forum to share some of the little wrinkly things that don't necessarily warrant an entire post. The tweets will most likely consist of deals I encounter while shopping and other cool things I see, but don't necessarily buy. There is a button to the right if you would like to follow. I will be sure to follow back.

I don't know if it is coincidence or intentional, but I want to thank the ladies at Two Birds for choosing an outfit for Inspiration Monday that also works for tomorrow's Everybody, Everywear - Floral.


That is what I call killing two birds with one stone - via Two Birds, ha.

I don't have much floral, but I just so happen to have this dress I bought last summer at Cha Cha, a little boutique in Bloomington, IN.



And here is the inspiration image:



I don't own a romper and for some reason I don't have a jean jacket, so taking from this image I based my outfit on two things - 1. Something floral (a one pieces if possible) and 2. some type of jacket.

I figured now is as good a time as any to wear my new white blazer again.



The real feature today though are these sandals I bought at Goodwill for $4.29. I am very picky about sandals and have been looking for a good pair since the beginning of Spring. I was thrilled to find this pair, which pretty much fulfill all of my sandal guidelines. They are in near mint condition! My guess is they were never worn by their original owner. Thanks original owner for never wearing and donating.



Now that the weather is looking up I can actually feature some of the springy/summery items that have been shelved during rainy April - stay tuned!

Coincidental White Blazer

I have to tell you a funny story about how I acquired this white blazer for zero dollars.



There are normally a few specific items I search for every time I go thrifting. The items change over time depending on what I've already found and new things I see and really want. It is almost like a fun challenge for myself. For example, I will see a purse in an advertisement or on a display at Target and I say to myself - I bet I can find something like that thrifting. Then, when I'm out thrifting I always look for that item until one day (hopefully) I find something.

Over the past month or so I have been looking for a White Blazer.



At work the other day my friend and I were discussing a possible thrifting excursion together before I head back to Indiana. I just so happened to mention during this conversation that I was currently on the hunt for a white blazer for Spring and Summer layering. She replied with, "I have a white blazer in my trunk right now". For a second I was really confused and looked at her like, huh what!? Turns out she had this blazer in a bag of clothing items that she was planning to donate to Goodwill.

Later that afternoon we took a quick break and headed out to her car to check out the blazer. She said she had it for years, but only wore it a few times. I was excited that it was in really great shape (hard to come by with white clothing) and fit well.

How funny that I mentioned I was looking for a white blazer and not only did she have one, but she had one that she didn't want AND it was currently in her trunk right outside. Strange coincidence or fate? Either way, I have a white blazer now.



I'm still looking for a red polka dot dress - anyone have one in their trunk?

Baby Wrinkled Dollars

I will have a new (little) man in my life soon. My best girl is due to have a baby boy in late August. Ever since the day she found out the gender I have being going nuts shopping. Knowing the sex ahead of time makes shopping so much easier and in my opinion more fun!

I asked Catherine (best girl) ahead of time if she is opposed to second-hand clothing for her new baby. While I'm totally cool with used clothing I know it is not for everyone and that's cool - I respect that. Luckily she was totally on board, which means I added a whole new level to my thrifting adventures.



Most of the onesies above are from Goodwill. $.99 is the regular marked price, but I waited until they were 50% off. I also got some at the Goodwill Outlet, which means they were priced by weight and around $.10 or less.

Babies grow so fast that they barely get to wear their clothing. That means that a lot of used baby clothes are in great condition or in some cases never even worn. I was very selective when choosing items, careful to check for flaws.



Some of the clothing (like the doggie shirt & dino shorts above) are Goodwill Target donations, so they are brand new! Either way, I washed everything before giving to Catherine.

I made a rule that I wouldn't spend over $1.00 for any one item. There are so many baby clothes at thrift stores that I figured I could find a lot without spending much, so I stuck to my price cap...except for a few things.

I fell in love with this striped outfit below. I broke my rule and spent $1.99. The little shoes were just $.99.


So far I have purchased approximately 30 items and only spent around $17! The key - as usual - is to wait for the items to be marked down (.99 cent Sunday, 50% off Saturday, Color of the Week, etc).

If you or someone you know is expecting a little one, I recommend checking out your local thrift store. You can gather quite a wardrobe in 9 months! Now I just have to wait patiently for the little man to come!

Double Dose #4 - Birthday, Braid and Brother

Today is my brother's 30th birthday (officially). Happy Birthday, David.

On the first "Double Dose" post I wrote last week I got a great comment from Judy C. She said:

"As an only child, I am telling you that you are truly blessed to have a brother and especially one you can enjoy being with. I'm happy for you".

Thanks Judy! You are so right; I am so lucky and so very thankful! David and I had a LOT of fun last weekend, but unfortunately he flew back to Los Angeles this morning. I'm bumming. Luckily I have another set of "Double Dose" photos to share!


It is fun to take photos with David, because he is like Austin Powers - Yes, Yes, Yes, NO NO NO, and...I'm Spent. We have a lot of funny outtakes, because we make a lot of ridiculous faces/poses.

This minnie mouse shirt is one of the many retro tees I've stolen from my mom/dad over the years. The tee is broken in and reminds me of family - how can I not love that?!



I am hair-impaired so I take advantage of my time at home by begging my mom to braid my hair. If only I could pull off this cute braid by myself. I'm so impressed by those who french braid their own hair!



Doing our best to find interesting locations in Livonia (MI).





David being back in CA means that he will be back at work soon, which also means that he will be updating his blog with some new faces and stories. If you missed it before, you can check it out here.



David's shirt is from Goodwill and was 50% off the original price - Color of the Week!


My sweater is from a Church Rummage Sale that David and I found on Saturday morning. It is one of only two items that I purchased, even though you could fill a paper bag for just $3! Wish I could have found more...



I was awake until about 2:30am last night and then got up this morning at 6:30am for work. I'm tired. I'm going to relax and maybe stream something on Netflix. See y'all later.

Double Does # 3 - Costumes Revealed

Happy Monday everyone! I don't have much time to write today because I spent too much time creating these photos of our costumes from David's 30th Birthday Bash on Saturday.

So here's the big reveal.



I decided to go as Rosie the Riveter, because it was easy and inexpensive! In total I spent less than $5 for the entire costume.

1. Shirt (borrowed from Joe) - Free
2. Pants (purchased at Goodwill) - $2.15
3. Scarf (Cut from a blouse purchased at Value World) - $2.00
4. Tool Belt (borrowed from Joe's dad) - Free
5. Old Power Drill (borrowed from my parents) - Free

David (my brother, the birthday boy) went as...THE David.



His costumes are always impressive, but he may have outdone himself this time. What do you guys think, amazing huh?

We had a great time with family and friends.



That's my mom in the photo with us above. I think her costume deserves a mention. She went as "Mommy Dearest" - note the wire hanger. By the way, my brother and I found her dress at Value World for $3.00.


I have so many more photos, but I will refrain from posting a million.
BUT, here are (just) two more.

I also participated in Two Birds Inspiration Monday today, but only had a second to snap one photo.

Below is the inspiration image, miss Joey Potter (as I choose to remember her).


And below is my take. I don't have any high waisted Jeans so I just wore some flares. The rest was fairly simple, which I appreciated, because I didn't have much time this morning to think about my outfit. Thanks again Inspiration Monday for helping me get dressed.



Have a great week everyone!

Double Dose #2: Blue Shorts & Gray High Waisted Skirt

Yesterday was busy. David and I were out and about all day preparing for his 30th birthday bash. We passed a bunch of garage sales, but there was no time to stop. Although I did break for a church rummage sale. You could fill a paper bag (grocery store size) and pay only $3! I only managed to find a sweater cardigan and a scarf and they asked a $1 for both. Works for me.

I checked the weather before we left the house so we could dress appropriately. Unfortunately I looked at Bloomington instead of Livonia (MI). It was like a 20 degree difference. We froze, especially on this windy bridge where we decided to take photos.



This is a little bridge over a busy road so people can easily cross the street. It is difficult to find good photo locations is this area...



On Friday David and I did a little shopping at Value World, which is where we both purchased our feature items.

Blue Shorts
This is one of two pairs of shorts that David found. He tried on one and they didn't fit. Since they were both the same size he was going to put both back assuming the other pair wouldn't fit either. I was like "Whoa whoa whoa, you need to try those on too". He did and they fit. I've said it before and I will say it again, NEVER trust size when shopping second-hand. Try everything on! I've bought things that read 3 sizes too big and 3 sizes too small and they ended up fitting.


Gray High Waisted Skirt
This skirt was regularly $.80. Not sure why. Maybe it is ugly. I like it though so who cares. Something about the fabric and shape is appealing to me. I purchased it with a belt attached, but took it off cus I have other wide belts I like better. One lame thing about Value World is that they do not have dressing rooms, which means you have to guess or discretely try it on over what you are currently wearing. My advice is to always were a tank so you can take off your shirt and try on tops (without risking indecent exposure). Also, I'm thinking that a skirt may be the best bet for the bottom half because you can slip pants on underneath. Sorry guys, you are out of luck unless you want to throw on a kilt.

Usually I gather all of the items I'm considering, bring them to a mirror (usually there is one somewhere in the store) and try everything on at one time.

Taking photos with my bro is fun.



Check out this photo of me mid fall. Posing is dangerous. I was able to catch the railing before any major damage was done.



The party last night was fun. Look for photos tomorrow. I woke up this morning at 10:00am and everyone was still sleeping. DAV Thrift Store waits for no one (according to Joe) so I pulled myself out of bed and headed over. I'm pretty excited about a retro Lacoste jacket I found.

Now I'm just hanging out dreading the return to work tomorrow. Isn't that what Sundays are for? Ha.