30/30: Yes!

Phew!! Today is my last day of the 30 for 30 challenge. I feel so relieved.

Let's just get this last outfit out of the way really quick.

30/30


I wish I could have ended the challenge with a 'wow factor' outfit - instead I'm masking my blasé-ness with some beautiful California vegetation.

It's pretty nice out so I'll probably take off my cardigan.



I learned a lot from the 30 for 30. I plan to write a recap post about the challenge sometime next week after vacation is over.

I will say that as much as I enjoyed participating, I'm really glad it is over. I want to refocus on what wrinkled dollar is and what my initial visions for this blog were, before the 30 for 30. If I decide to do the 30 for 30 again I will have to tweak it so that I don't feel like I am compromising my own ideas in order to experiment with someone else's. Please don't get me wrong. I think the 30 for 30 challenge is awesome! It teaches you so much about your closet and how to really get use out of your clothes. I recommend everyone participate, whether you have a blog or not. I think I will take a season off and try it again in the summer.

Meanwhile I'm very excited about Polka dot day tomorrow at Everybody, Everwhere

Tomorrow is my last day in CA. We'll take the red eye to Indy tomorrow night and then head to Michigan the very next day. From sunny CA to snowy MI. I need to go enjoy the warm weather while I still can.

Happy Monday.

29/30: Meetup

Another sunny day in California.

I awoke this morning to a picture text from my mom. They got another 5" of snow last night in MI. Joe and I are headed there after CA. Ugh, not ready to make that weather adjustment.

Today was very exciting, because I experienced my first blogger meetup! Yep, I had brunch with Lidi of Eclectic Flair. Everything was fantastic.

Great food



and awesome company



Lidi is great! I'm so happy I had the opportunity to meet her. It was nice to hang with a fellow blogger and talk shop about the joys and pains of the 30 for 30 experience.

We also had a little photo shoot. Thanks Lidi for shooting my 29 of 30.



After brunch Joe and I went to Santa Monica. Later we had Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles for dinner. Stuffed.

Just one more day and the 30 for 30 will be complete.

That's about it. It's vacation.

28/30: True Vacation

I'm having trouble remembering what day it is. I think that means I'm on vacation.

Joe and I haven't been able to catch up on sleep since our flight debacle. We fell asleep early last night, but woke up wide awake at 7:00am this morning. Since we were awake we went and got breakfast. I had some yummy french toast. After stuffing myself and feeling insanely bloated I got to pose for a photo. Joy.

28/30


It was a little chilly in the morning so I layered my blazer over a sweater. I also threw on a cowl. No jacket required.



Our room was in the corner of the 9th floor. There was light pouring in from two huge windows. We soaked it up and relaxed in true vacation form.



I had to share that photo, because it was cracking us up. Joe is hugging his coke like a teddy bear. Pretty accurate.

Then it was time to pack and head to the airport. Leaving San Fran too soon. We'll miss you.



Hello LA. What's up?

Only two outfits left in the 30 for 30. I've been trying not to complain, but I seriously cannot wait. I'm looking forward to sharing more wrinkled dollar worthy items.

Oh yeah, I also have another wrinkled dollar spotlight. I normally post them on Saturday, but 1. I'm out of town without my computer and 2. I think I'm going to choose a different day to feature the spotlight. I want more people to see you guys and how you spend your wrinkled dollars.

As of Tuesday I'm allowed to shop again. Any must shop vintage stores in LA?

Ok, My brother just got home. Time to get some Pinkberry.

bye.

27/30: San Fran

We made it to San Francisco!

I'm a little low on resources while I'm on vacation. Outfit 27 of 30 is being brought to you today by the self-timer on my point and shoot.



Pretty cool view, huh? well it gets cooler.



Oh yes my friends, a beautiful view of Banana Republic.

Mufasa: Look, Jessica. Everything the light touches is your shopping kingdom.



ahem...(tapping microphone)...no Lion King fans here?

Anyway, around the corner is H&M and American Apparel. I'm kinda loving this hotel location.

So today has been a pretty chill day. I spent most of my time walking around window shopping, but I did check out the SFMOMA, which was pretty awesome!

In an effort to be positive I decided to tell you all of the good things before the bad. I guess it doesn't matter now anyway, because everything worked out. BUT, just in case you are interested, here's my story...

Joe and I were SUPPOSED to fly from Indy to Minneapolis then to San Fran. Our Flight to Minneapolis had a long delay so they had to redirect all connections. We were moved to a flight going to LAX, then would have to switch airlines to get to San Fran from there. Ok, we can handle that. At that point we would still get into town around the same time as the original plan. THEN, there was a mechanical issue with the plane and we had to wait 45 minutes on board while the issues were resolved. By the time we got in the air our estimated landing time in LAX was 10:05 and our connection to San Fran was departing at 10:25 (in a different terminal). We still had hope until we landed and there was no gate available for our plane. we taxied for another 45 minutes before we could exit. You can imagine our frustration at this point. After waiting in a long line to reschedule a flight for the next morning, we got to bed in our (free) hotel room at 12:30am and had to wake up at 3:30am to go back to the airport.

Did you seriously read all of that? Sorry. To make a long story short, it sucked, but we recovered. Please refer to the first sentence of this post.

Despite all of the travel frustration I'm truly happy to be here right now. And, if it wasn't for our messed up delays we wouldn't have flown in to San Fran just after sunrise and had the opportunity to see these awesome aerial views.





Oh yeah, I also met a new friend on our horrendous flight from IND-LAX. Love that. Her presence helped ease some of the stress.

I'm pretty tired, but I'm pushing through. Joe just got back from his conference so I have to go meet him at the hotel.

Back to LA tomorrow evening...see you then.

(please stay tuned - normal wrinkled dollar format will return post-vacay)

25/30 AND 26/30

I started my 30 for 30 late, because I was stuck in California. Now I have just four outfits left and I'm already headed back. Yes, just four outfits left, because I am sneaking two in today. Technically the first is what I wore today and the second is what I'm planning to wear tomorrow.

25/30


Creepy Blair Witch woods.

I figured I'd get get my last 30 for 30 wear out of this dress before I leave so I don't have to stuff it in my carry on. It has been remixed three times. Below, here and here. Pretty dang good for a $5 dress.



This will also be the last appearance of my ($.99) purple polka dot shirt, which got a LOT of action in the 30 for 30. I think I might do a post about all the remixes for that top...coming soon.

Ok, now on to outfit #2. This is a very comfy outfit, because I will be flying across the country tomorrow.

Items when originally featured linked here -> Cardigan, Gray Top, Jeans, Boots.

26/30


How do you guys dress while traveling? Back in the day flying was such an event that people put on suits and dresses! Now you see a lot of people hanging out in their PJ's (not that there's anything wrong with that).



My outfit is dictated by what I don't want to pack. That's why I'm wearing my big black boots. I want to bring them, but I don't want to pack them. I normally use this strategy with bulky sweaters as well.



The Bloomington sun was really pretty today.

Bye Bye Bloomington. See you in a week.

24/30: "Really" face

You know how I always say that I can't write a lot and then I write a lot? Well today I can't write a lot and I'm really not going to.

24/30


Today's photo shoot was quick too. You would think that an alley would be a good 'low traffic' location with little to no people. WRONG!

Here's my annoyed look at the GMC that kept driving back and forth.



Yep that's my classic "really" face.

Since I don't have time to feature an item, here are links to original posts where I featured the items in this outfit.

Cord Pants
Gray Cardigan
Beige Top with Rosettes

Despite my grumpy photo today the reason for my rushed post is actually positive. I'm heading over to a friend's place for girls night. I have to make some guacamole and be ready to go in about 10 mins. And on that note, bye.

23/30: Flower & Thrift Tip

Turns out the last four days of my 30 for 30 will be spent in California! Joe and I will have one day in San Francisco and then 3 days in Los Angeles. We're leaving on Thursday. At least packing will be easy, right? Or, maybe not. Today was the first day I really struggled with picking out an outfit. It doesn't help that there are probably about 3-4 items I don't really use. Yet another thing to remember for the next challenge if I decide to participate.

Checking out the 10 day forecast in LA, it looks like it will be in the high 60's low 70's. Maybe I can get away with wearing some of my lighter items without a sweater. I'm guessing the weather in San Fran will be cold enough that I will need some of the heavier items. Sounds like I'm going to plan the outfits in advance. I'll be traveling without my DSLR so the pics will probably leave something to be desired, but that is a sacrifice I'll make for a mini vacay.

I don't want to get ahead of myself. It is still Monday and I'm still on 23 of 30



I'm beginning to run out of items to feature.



Brown Flower: I bought this flower at the equivalent of a jewelry dollar store. It's from a place called Glitter that used to be in the mall here in Bloomington, but has since closed down. The back has a hair tie and a clip so you can put it in your hair or use it as a brooch. Not too shabby for $.99.

By the way, I'm the sad victim of a pricker bush attack at today's photo location. I'm now risking injury for wrinkled dollar.

THRIFT TIP: I thought of another thrift tip today. The plan is to add it to the original list and then eventually create a tips page. I also want to add some of the great tips you guys shared in the comments section of the original post. One fine day I will have time.

Anyway - here's the tip.

Good Looking Out: Since most thrift stores do not have scanning capabilities, the cashier usually punches in the total of each item by hand. Typically items will be priced by style, for example sleeveless tops are 2.99, long sleeve tops are 4.29, etc. Make sure that you are not distracted during checkout! Keep your eye on the amounts that are being punched in for each item, because it is very easy to mistake one style for another. This can sometimes work to your advantage (I once bought a pair of boots and the cashier rang them up at the shoe price) or your disadvantage (I once bought a sleevless top and was charged the blouse price). This is not a tip on good morals; whether you decide to point out an undercharge is up to you!

Bye!

22/30: J.Crew Cowl # 2

It is almost Oscar time. Well technically it already started, but I'm DVRing. I really like Black Swan, The Fighter, Winter's Bone and 127 Hours. How about you?

A few quick updates. I added two new pages to wrinkled dollar: About and Spotlight. Let me know what you think. Just incase you missed yesterday's spotlight, you can find it here.

I also wanted to send a huge THANK YOU to Tiffany @ a reason to be fabulous for nominating me as most helpful in her FBFF blog awards. Thank you so so much!

Here is outfit 22 of 30


First time I've tried the scarf (or in this case, cowl) under the belt thing.



I guess if it starts raining I can just pull it over my head.



J.Crew Cowl: This is the same as the gold cowl I wear all the time. I got them both from the J.crew Outlet on clearance. Both were $9.99, marked down an additional 30%.

Here are links to the original posts where I featured the rest of the items in this outfit. Dress, Black Tunic, Belt, Boots.

Now I want to show you some cool things I saw at the antique mall yesterday.



Some of the items pictured - silk scarves, hat boxes, lots-o-jewelry, shoe carrier, etc etc. I really wanted the red bag (bottom right) to use as a carry on. I'm still thinking about it and may go back. So many amazing things. This is just a small sample.

Alright, now I'm going to relax and watch the rest of the "Young & Hip" Oscars. ;)

19/30: Tights of a Questionable Color

Hi! A much better day today!

I have a hair appointment at 6:30pm, so I'm a little short on time. Question: Is it a bad sign to get a haircut the day after your brother dreamt you were going bald?! I'll let you guys know how it goes. I'm only getting a trim so the risk level is low. This is coming from a girl who once came home baring a close hair-resemblance to Rod Stewart. You can't get much worse than that.

You may have noticed that I changed up the look of wrinkled dollar. I'm trying to simplify. My brother says he misses the old banner. Well David, I don't know what to tell ya. First I am going bald in your dreams and now my blog restyle is leaving you disappointed.

One really cool thing I did last night was customize my URL icon. It used to be the blogger 'B', now it is a wrinkled dollar. Look up! See it? Or, you can look down, because I am going to paste a screen shot.



This awesome little adjustment is all thanks to Kileen over at cute and little. She posted a tutorial that is super easy to follow. You should go check it out if you want to create your own custom URL icon. When you are over there check out her 'Blogging Tips' page, because there are a bunch of other useful tutorials. Thanks Kileen!

Okay, here is 19 of 30.



My skirt is totally stuck between my legs in that picture. Here is one where that is not the case.



Tights: What color are these tights? They are like a light brown, or slightly burgundy. Anyhoo, I got them from the Banana Republic Outlet about 2 years ago. They were on clearance, of course! When you are shopping at the BR Outlet, don't forget to look on top of the clearance rack, because there are all sorts of cool accessories at great prices. I always see a lot of jewelry, socks, tights, belts, shoes, etc.



Windy day we're having.

Ok, I gotta go.

18/30: Lilac Rope Belt

Wednesday. Wednesday. Wednesday.

Another relaxed outfit today. I just want to be cozy.


Lilac Belt: Belts at Goodwill are only 99 cents! This one had a black tag and black was the color of the week when I bought it, so it was only 50 cents! I really like the color, soft and subtle. I will try to pair it with a more interesting outfit in the future. Again, I just want to be cozy.



Can we get serious for a second? I had a really crappy day - just couldn't shake the blues. Everything felt wrong. You know that sinking pit in the stomach feeling? It wouldn't leave. I don't want to go into detail on the reasons why I felt so badly. (They are the basic woe is me downer blah blah crap). I'd rather tell you what got me feeling better.

My mom is a hospice nurse. It takes a special person to do her job. I could never. Many times I try to avoid talking about her work, because it is so sad. Today she was telling me a story and it really upset me. So much that I almost starting balling on the spot, but after I hung up the phone it was like my feelings about the day transformed. It is so important to put things in perspective. I immediately started to realize all of the great things that happened today that somehow got lost in my negativity.

1. had good conversation with my brother, best friend, great old friend and mom.
2. saw a great new friend at lunch.
3. realized how lucky I am to have such a patient husband (who puts up with me).
4. had an imromptu post work nap on the couch with Joe.
5. listened to music that really moved me.
6. Got some killer points in 'words with friends'.

Oh, I also got a card via snail mail yesterday from a very dear friend of mine, just because, love that.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, the future is not guaranteed and I don't want to waste my time feeling unhappy. I'm just another girl trying to look on the bright side of life! Please remind me tomorrow when I start complaining again. ;)

Oh I almost forgot. I'm so thankful for all of the support from my followers/commenters. Thanks for providing the motivation to post each day. I'm not sure if I could do it without you!

bye.

17/30: Gap Jeans

Hi guys. I'm getting to wrinkled dollar a little later than usual tonight, because' Words With Friends' is a serious time sucker. I was so jealous of all you iphone users before, but now it is available on android, therefore I am super unproductive this evening.

I just wanted to be comfy today, so that's how I dressed. Here's 17 of 30.


I wrapped a floral scarf around my waist today instead of a belt. This drab day was asking for some color, so I obliged. I'm not sure why I do any favors for this drab day. Maybe if I butter him up he will improve his mood tomorrow, which will in turn improve mine.

Gap Jeans: Jenny (thrift-shopping-partner-in-crime) pointed these jeans out to me while we were doing some mad Goodwill shopping. It was mad shopping because it was during the first Saturday of the month sale, which means ALL items were 50% off. At that time Jeans were only $4.99, so I got them for only $2.50! Goodwill recently raised their prices so jeans are now $6.99. Glad I got them when I did!


Please note: My shirt is not dirty and I do not have a wicked case of dandruff, that is sleet.

For those of you who don't know, my hair is the longest it has been in years. I was sporting the chin length look for most of my adult life until I recently decided to grow it out. I want to try new hairdos now that I have something to work with. Let me know if you have any suggestions. In fact, if you know of any good tutorials, link them in the comments and I will give them a try and show you in an upcoming photo shoot! I'm a novice so nothing too difficult (although I do like a challenge).

I got totally inspired by the hair from the Erin Fetherston show, which I saw via Keiko Lynn.

Until tomorrow, bye.

16/30: Beige Top with Rosettes

This is a pretty accurate depiction of how I feel today - just want to hideaway.

(16 of 30)
But, the week is sure to get better and the rain will eventually stop.



I totally wrapped a scarf around my head and then did some twisty thing in an attempt to create a flower. Not sure if it works or not. What do you guys think? Just trying something new.

Beige Top with Rosettes: This cute top was on the clearance rack at the Banana Republic Outlet. It was already marked down to $15, but they were having a clearance special that day - take an additional 60% off!

That reminds me, now is a great time to shop, because many retailers are having Winter clearance deals. If you are not participating in the 30 for 30 challenge I suggest that you go check it out. Many will also have an additional % off their clearance for a limited time. You can always call ahead and ask (that's what I do). Or, you can do a little browsing online. Urban Outfitters has this cute hat for just $3.99, originally $28.00. BDG Fur Pom Beanie
This morning when I was looking they also had a really nice winter coat for just $9.99, but it is already gone. You better move fast!

Alright I have to jet so I can get this Thrifting Tips & Tricks post done tonight.

Later.

15/30: Beige Open Cardigan

Lazy Sunday today. So lazy that I showered long enough to sing a full rendition of Part of Your World from Disney's Little Mermaid. Sign of a good day? Yes, I think so.

Tired Sunday is usually preceded by fantastic Saturday and yesterday was no exception. We went to a Wine & Vinyl party. Joe and I collect vinyl so this was right up our alley. Great fun.

This morning we took care of one of the items on our Bloomington Bucket List. For those of you who don't know, we are only living in Bloomington temporarily while Joe is working on his MBA at IU. Since his graduation is quickly approaching we are trying to hit all the places we love one last time, as well as checking out places we never got around to visiting. So anyway, today we had brunch at Le Petit Cafe, a family owned southern French bistro. You basically get what they are serving that day and they bring it out course by course. Some highlights today included cold strawberry soup (kinda like yogurt), cheese pastries, mushroom quiche, hard boiled eggs in a tomato puree and some dessert with blueberries. I'm not sure what it was, but it was yum. And they gave us banana bread to take home. I'm stuffed and have been fighting off a nap all day since.

Alright, back to clothes. Here is 15 of 30. I'm officially 1/2 way done!

Beige Open Cardigan: I found this cardigan at the Gap Outlet about a year ago. Unfortunately I don't remember exactly how much I paid, but I'm fairly certain it was under $8.00. Sorry guys, I won't let you down in the future; as of January I've been tracking the price of everything I buy. ;)



Cool location, right? We just fell upon it today while driving around.



Hey check back tomorrow if you get a chance. The plan is to write about my thrifting tips & tricks.

bye.

14/30: Gray Top w/ Lace and WD Spotlight!

Another beautiful day in Bloomington.

Gray Top with lace accent: I found this top on the clearance rack at Macy's. It was marked $9.99, but I had a friends and family coupon for an additional 30% off. Score!

After this top there is only one of my 30 items left that I haven't worn. I believe that means the remixing officially begins!



One more outfit tomorrow and the 30 for 30 will be 1/2 way done. :)



And now I would like to introduce a new segment of wrinkled dollar:

the wrinkled dollar spotlight!

I want to see how you are spending your wrinkled dollars! Next time you find a killer deal, send the following to wrinkleddollar@gmail.com and I will feature you on an upcoming post!

1. A photo of you wearing the item(s)
2. A description of where/how you found the item(s)
3. The cost of the item(s).

You can submit a whole outfit, just one item or anywhere in between (it doesn't matter, I'm not a stickler). You don't need your own blog to participate, but if you do I will be happy to link your URL in the post. If you link back to mine that would make me smile, but it is not necessary.

Let's share our shop-for-less stories. (Mom, I know you want to participate!)

Thank you to my beautiful friend Krystle for being the very first wrinkled dollar spotlight. She did an awesome job on this outfit that she wore to work last week!

Miss you, Krystle!

Enjoy the evening everyone!

13/30: Gold Cowl and FBFF

I'm on outfit 13 and it is a full moon...creepy.

In all seriousness, have you seen the moon tonight? It is so large, bright and pretty. A perfect sphere in the dark sky.

Gold Cowl: Jcrew Outlet clearance - sometimes you can find great deals, sometimes you can't. The day I found this cowl I was pretty pumped because it was already marked down and then I took another 30% off (I think). Either way, it was $6.98 all said and done, which I think is a great price for the quality, plus I wear it a lot, maybe too often. I wore it a little bit different here.



Today's Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday is about body image. Head over to Modly Chic to see what others are saying.

1. Since you started blogging has your image of yourself changed?
I just started recently so maybe overtime I will see a more obvious change in my self image, but so far I feel pretty much the same.

2. Are you self-conscious about any aspect of yourself? If so, do you go out of your way to avoid it or do you post it/talk about it anyway?
Of course I am, isn’t everyone? For the most part I don’t discuss my insecurities, because I rather not dwell on or draw attention to them. I used to whine a lot about things I was unhappy with (and probably still do quite a bit to my husband), but once you fix one of those things, you will find a new one to obsess about, so why give into the vicious cycle?

3. Based on how you are feeling now, what do you think the future holds in the evolution of your body image?
Some of my body image issues are a result of getting older so I imagine those may increase in the future, but I’m trying to work through those fears now so I can gracefully accept aging – I’m only 27, but time flies. Considering the more near future, I think blogging will help to improve my body image, because it forces me to get dressed, put on makeup, do my hair, etc, which makes a huge difference in how I feel on a daily basis.

4. Do you photograph yourself for your blog? If so, how do you feel about the experience when you're having your picture taken? If you choose not to post pictures of yourself, what prompted that decision?
The picture taking experience is pretty rough. People tell me I’m photogenic and I laugh, because they don’t see the 200 outtakes. Sometimes I am happy about the way I come across in photos and other times I feel like giving up altogether. Taking a photo everyday really forces you to examine your face/body from different angles & in different light, for better or for worse. In the end you have to make yourself believe that in reality you always look like the one picture that turned out – ha. It is okay to be delusional sometimes if it keeps you happy…right?

5. What would you want every person who struggles with body image to take to heart?
You are your worst critic! The so-called flaws you obsess over probably go unnoticed to others. Instead of focusing on what you don’t like, try to accentuate what you do! Hold your head high and be confident – people will notice a difference and wonder if you changed your hair…or something. Love and take care of your body – it’s the only one you’ve got!

Happy birthday to my kitty, Annyong who turns 4 today.

12/30: Black Boots

Next time I think drinking a 24oz coffee at 7:30pm is a good idea, please stop me. I laid in bed forever last night staring at the ceiling. Toss, think about work, Turn, think about blog, Toss, think about weekend, Turn, think about Quinn's boots on this week's episode of Glee, Toss, think about my cat attacking my foot, Turn, listen to Joe fast asleep.

It was rough.

I'm going to be quick today, because I'm looking forward to watching The Kids are Alright, which came today via Netflix.

Outfit 12 of 30 coming-atcha



Black Boots: These boots are from Target and they were originally $49.99, but I found the last pair on clearance - 75% off! I was pretty dang surprised they were my size, since I wear 8 and there are never 8's on clearance. I get so jealous of all you size 5's and 10's, so many clearance options...

Today was overcast, but still unseasonably warm, very windy. I had to hold my scarf down because it was blowing in my face!



Thanks everyone for your comments and feedback! A lot of people have been asking me how I find these items at Goodwill, Value World, etc at such low prices. Stay tuned, because I'll be writing a post in the next couple days with some of my tricks!

Oh, by the way - I found this red silk scarf at Value World a couple months ago. I really love the pattern!

later.