used jewelry: stories you can wear.

I'm not consistent with Jewelry. I go through stages. I remember a couple years ago I was really into earrings and I NEVER wore necklaces. Now I rarely wear earrings and I love long necklaces. I haven't worn many bracelets over the years, but now I'm all about them, and watches. Ah, the circle of trend.

It is for that reason, along with the fact that I don't trust myself to take care of expensive jewelry, I enjoy buying or 'acquiring' used jewelry. I say 'acquire', because some are from my mother's/grandmother's/friend's, etc jewelry box. Those are extra special.

I'm attracted to unique pieces, usually something with a bold statement. Estate sales are the best. I have found some pretty cool things. To locate an estate sale in your area, go to craigslist, click on garage sales and search for key word "estate". It is that easy. Or, you can just search key word "jewelry" and see what pops up.

Below are some that I bought or 'acquired' this summer (everything else I have is already in San Fran).



Jewelry can tell a story. Clothing can too, but I feel like jewelry more so. For example, the bracelets in the first photo I bought from my parent's neighbor whose boss bought them for her in Vietnam. Some pieces have a story that you will never know, like the elephant necklace I got at the Disabled Veterans thrift store. Last year I bought a gold locket at Value World with a very old faded photo still inside (not pictured). I love the mystery.

Usually items like those pictured above can be purchased from $.50 - $2. Very cheap for a one of a kind piece.

Do you buy/acquire Jewelry from Thrift Stores / Garage Sales / Estate Sales / your Mother's Jewelry Box, etc? If so, please feel free to share stories in the comments below.

Enjoy the week!

$.25 Clothing - Is it worth it? Yes!

One great thing about being in Michigan for the summer is Sunday mornings at the DAV. In case you forgot, select items are $.25. You really can't beat that price, can you? While I would like to go every weekend I've only been a handful of times in the last few months. It can take a lot out of you. The people there are...serious....about shopping. It is frightening sometimes.



You've gotta jump the crazy mountain-high piled clothing hurdles to get to the finish "check-out" line, which is what I did when I bought this lace-ish floral top. I actually left with 3 other $.25 items that day. Well worth it.



It is funny. Somedays I enjoy the craze; I gladly invite the adventure. Other days I think, get me the heck out of here! It must be the Gemini in me.



Let me provide some more detail to give you a better idea what I'm talking about. On Sunday mornings at the DAV, customers line up outside the front doors before the place even opens. Then, once it opens they push their way in grabbing one of the limited shopping carts and barreling directly for the far-side of the racks (where the $.25 items are). They proceed to stack piles AND piles of clothes in said carts, paying very little attention to what they are taking. I'm talking like stacks taller than them, really high. After their cart(s) is full they find a spot in the store to sift through all of the items to decide what they actually want to keep. The process is nuts. There are always creepers creeping up on the items I'm holding. You gotta stay strong, ha.



Have I turned you all onto the shopping experience yet? Who's free this Sunday!?

Anyway, I wore this top on Tuesday. I also wore it back in June (below) when I went strawberry picking. I've gotten quite a bit of wear out of it for just $.25!



I like it and I'd do it again AND I will!

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!

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.

MI, Face Paint and Double Dose #1

Hi, I'm in Michigan again. So far, fun times.

My brother is here too. We got into town on Thursday and started the trip out right with some Karaoke. We love Karaoke. We also love singing duets from High School Musical in a dive bar.

Today I took off work and hung out with the family. We did a little shopping, had dinner, played euchre and enjoyed some face painting.



My brother is a super talented face artist at Universal Studios. He does face painting and airbrush tattooing. He writes a blog about it called Structured Faces. Check it out. Don't I look like the witch doctor from the end of Beetlejuice?



For the next 3-4 days while I'm hanging with my bro you will be getting a double dose of wrinkled dollar; two outfits, 1 male AND 1 female.



I got my watch back!



Tuxedo Blouse: I purchased this top the last time I was in MI from the DAV Thrift Store. It was marked down to $.99! One more week and it would have been only $.25, but I was going back to IN so I snatched it up. I really like the detail (which you can see much better in the face painting photos above).



And now David's debut.



Button Up: This men's cotton button up is a Target donation from Goodwill. It was purchased on $.99 Sunday!



Tomorrow is David's 30th Birthday bash! I look forward to sharing photos of our costumes!



Time for bed. Have a great weekend everyone!

Blue Tee, Records, Antiques, Outlets and my Watch

Saturday was Record Store Day. Joe and I went to Landlocked, our favorite local record store in Bloomington, to grab a few things. It was pretty chaotic. Similar to the Goodwill Outlets, you have to be a little aggressive and lead with your elbows if necessary.

After we managed to get out of Landlocked we headed east to hit up some antique stores, thrift shops and the Edinburgh Outlets.



There is this one antique store in Brown County that I love because they have complimentary coffee and cookies while you browse. Can't beat that! I stopped for a photo opp with this mannequin modeling schlitz shorts. There was a lot of cool antique jewelry that I would love to own, but unfortunately the price wasn't right.

I didn't really buy much. At the outlets I got a few pairs of tights at Banana Republic (3.99 + an additional 40% off), but that's pretty much it.

We did however find a really cool abandoned house/building in Columbus (Indiana) to take pictures by.




It was cold and rainy yesterday so I wore a simple comfy outfit - nothing special, but very typical of what I like to wear when I don't feel like putting much effort into dressing myself.



The side of this building was very overgrown. You couldn't even see the brick because of the vines. Very pretty.



Blue Tee: I bought this shirt at the DAV Thrift Store in MI. It is just a simple Tee (Urban Outfitters brand), but I love the color and the fabric. To me, definitely worth $.99 cents.



I haven't mentioned it yet, but I have been pouting for about 3 weeks over the loss of my favorite watch. When I got home from Michigan it was no where to be found. My plan was to write a "missing" or "tribute" post in honor of the watch, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. It was a gift from Joe for Christmas and was NOT wrinkled dollar worthy, so it was really bothering me.

This morning at 7:45am I woke up to Joe putting my phone in my face. A text message from my mom read "I found your watch". I was very happy to say the least, thought I was dreaming. I'm not sure how it got in the back seat of my mom's van, but don't really care. We will soon be reunited.

See you guys tomorrow for Inspiration Monday & a new wrinkled dollar spotlight!

WD Spotlight & Vintage John Romain Handbag

Wrinkled dollar spotlight # 6 (finally)!


Miss Rockwell over at Lifestyles of the Thrifty and Shameless is looking mighty cute in this ensemble! She is fantastically frugal and there aint no shame in that! Here is the original post where she featured this outfit, but I recommend you check out all of her posts, because she is always getting good deals and sharing the low low prices.

Miss Rockwell, thanks for participating!

Time to feature my new bag.


Vintage John Romain Handbag: I found this bag at the DAV thrift store when I was in Michigan a couple weeks ago. Initially it was the fabric that caught my eye, but once I started examining I could tell immediately that it was old. Then I noticed the price was marked $7.99, which made me even more curious since the rest of the purses were priced around $1.99-$4.99. I pulled out my trusty smart phone and googled the brand. I couldn't find much, but I saw a few auctions and that was good enough. I pretty much figured it would be worth the buy, the condition is awesome. My first vintage handbag!













I know nothing about vintage bags, but based on my (very little) research John Romain purses were pretty popular in the late 60's - early 70's. eBay has some auctions for different styles, but the wide range of pricing is making it difficult for me to determine whether or not I got a sweet deal.

Any thoughts?

Anyone know anything about these bags, this style?




By the way, this is my new lace skirt from F21 and my $.25 cent shoes.

I had such a busy day today (including my first visit to a Goodwill Outlet). I can't wait to tell you about it tomorrow.

25 Cent Blazer

Great Sunday. I'm so tired. The weather in Bloomington is beautiful. A high of 77 today. Joe and I took two walks and enjoyed the warm sun and crazy wind.

Velvet Blazer: This blazer is one of the (many) treasures I found at the DAV Thrift Store. I purchased it on Super Sunday. It was tagged with the 'color of the week' which means the price was only $.25 cents!

It is one of two pieces I have found thus far that can be used in my $1.00 outfit challenge (still in progress). The other being these $.25 cent shoes, also found at DAV.



Yikes, it is going to be difficult to stick to blogging this summer. I just want to enjoy the outdoors!

Frolicking.



By the way, my closet is ultra organized. Closet Clean-Out 2011 was very successful. Maybe I will share some photos in the coming days. Also, my kitty is improving. Thanks to everyone for your kind words!



I'm behind on a spotlight for the week, coming soon. For now I must sleep. Goodnight.

WD Spotlight #5

Wow, brunch at The Breakfast Club was delicious this morning. I made good food choices and really enjoyed the company of two lovely ladies, Amy and Sandi.

And now, this week's wrinkled dollar spotlight.

Stacey @ Goodwill Huntingg (love that blog name) is raising my Spring fever to new heights with this outfit! Glam it up Stacey! Thanks for participating!


If you want to participate check out my wrinkled dollar spotlight page for details.

I went back to the DAV Thrift Store for Super Sunday. I bought a skirt and a blouse, each $.99. Unfortunately no $.25 items today. I also found this pretty Ralph Lauren top, but it was Small/Petite so I had to pass. It is always a bummer when you find something great, but it is not your size.

Last time I was at DAV I saw the sign about free garments so today I kept my eyes peeled. I ended up finding 4, but none were worth taking. Let's just say they are free for a reason, BUT if you are looking for scrap material for projects they would be perfect. In most cases the fabric is great, but the shape or size is odd.

While shopping I was confused to hear someone call out my name. I immediately thought, "oh crap, who knows me"? Luckily it was Joe's cousin Sarah, which was a very pleasant surprise! She is a fellow thrift-a-holic and had already found some great items, including an awesome coat. Sarah and I are teaming up for a shopping trip this coming Tuesday, which should be a lot of fun. Here's a photo of us just before I cut my finger on a staple and started bleeding everywhere.



That's about it my friends. Now I'm going to chill for a bit and watch Joe play Contra. I'm hoping for a Dr. Mario marathon this evening.

25 Cent Shoes!

In the future I must remember that planning two consecutive days of brunch is not a good idea. We celebrated my father in-law's birthday this afternoon and I am still stuffed. Being stuffed means I have pretty much no motivation to do anything. Tomorrow I'm off to another brunch at the Breakfast Club. So, that's pretty much my whole weekend.

Last night I had a great time at a family wedding (congrats Nancy & Eric). I meant to take a photo of my dress, but by the time we got home all I wanted was bed.

Enough about food and sleep. Today's feature are these shoes I got for $.25!



25 cent shoes! I found these at the DAV thrift store. If you missed my raving love post about this place you can read it here. These shoes had a "G" marked on the bottom, which means they were part of the Managers SUPER SUNDAY Special. The inside has a pretty cool plaid pattern too. Other than that, I don't know much about them except they fit and are in pretty dang good shape. I usually don't have much luck when it comes to buying used shoes, but things are looking up!

I can't wait to check out the SUPER SUNDAY special again tomorrow.



Today my whole outfit is thrifted (excluding sunglasses, watch and unmentionables): blazer and cardigan from Goodwill, Pants from Salvation Army and shoes (of course) from DAV. I'm also wearing the DIY necklace I just made the other day.



Do you guys like these shoes? How cool would it be to go to the SUPER SUNDAY special at DAV and put together an entire outfit for $1.00? Hmmm, sounds like a challenge. I already have the shoes. I also bought a $.25 blazer (yet to be featured). I will have to think more about this and get back to you...

On Thursday I introduced Value World to some lovely ladies from my work. We scored some sweet stuff (using the 50% off coupon, of course).



While shopping I noticed the Value World Hall of Fame wall. I'm not sure what you have to do to get your picture up there. Maybe one day I can achieve that status.

One can dream.