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Feel free to come back every Tuesday and Link up at Frugal & Fab!
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How to Shop for Vintage Jewelry

There is no doubt that vintage is in. If we don't actually find vintage clothes, we find resemblances of such styles in new clothing handing in big box or department stores. Known for their clean lines, fun colors and patterns, and timeless beauty, vintage pieces simply make a wardrobe. In addition to vintage clothing, vintage jewelry has become incredibly popular.

Due to their uniqueness and generally less expensive pricing, vintage jewelry pieces are a great way to jazz up any wardrobe in a cheaper way. Couples seeking to get married have even begun choosing to buy vintage. Whether it be an engagement ring for women or wedding bands for men, many couples are buying throw backs to previous decades simply to save a couple bucks while still getting quality jewelry.

While vintage jewelry can be a great way to find a good deal on a fashionable piece, you can also get swindled easily. Before you buy any vintage jewelry, you want to take a few precautions to make sure that you are truly getting quality jewelry at the right price:

Educate Yourself

You never want to waste your money. So before you start to seek out vintage jewelry, do some research first. Look at various pieces throughout the periods you are interested in, and look for signs that would indicate a piece is actually authentic. There is nothing worse than spending your hard earned money only to realize that you bought a fake.

Check the Condition

Vintage jewelry is sure to have passed through a couple of hands, but that doesn't mean that obvious batter marks or poor repairs are acceptable. If you notice that the jewelry you are looking at is missing several stones or has poor looking plating, then avoid it. The piece hasn't been taken care of, and probably doesn't have very many years left in in.

Always Choose Quality

Buying vintage jewelry can always be a little tricky simply because you don't have someone there telling you what is and isn't of quality. To make sure that any vintage jewelry you are interested in purchasing is of quality you want to look for fine features such as heavier weights, smooth plating, bright stones, and pronged settings. If the piece you are looking at doesn't have these features, then it probably isn't worth paying top dollar for.

We all want to be fashionable, but at the same time, we don't want to break the bank doing so either. Choosing to shop vintage can lead to some great finds for cheaper prices, but buyers need to keep a watchful eye to ensure they get quality jewelry.

Recipe Test Drive: Panera's Ultimate Mac & Cheese!

I love mac and cheese so I was super psyched when Panera posted their recipe on their web site. I've never made a mac and cheese with American Cheese before, but it was really really good. As in, start boiling your water, you're making this tonight good :)

Recipe (copied from their site):

Panera Bread’s Signature Macaroni & Cheese
Adapted by Head Chef Dan Kish

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) package of rigati pasta (or other small pasta shells)
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2½ cups 2% reduced fat milk (or cream)
• 6 slices white American cheese, chopped
• 1 cup (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
3. Gradually whisk in milk (or cream); cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
4. Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
5. Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated).

Serves 4 to 6


p.s. : Click here for more of my favorite frugal recipes!

More CVS Deals

CVS Deal for this week: buy 3 Hallmark cards, get $3 ECB!


What I Bought:

• 3 - Hallmark Cards (@ $.99 ea) used B2G1F CVS coupon (from coupon machine) = $1.98
• 1 - Canister of Chocolate wafers (filler) = $.99

Total: $3.21, paid with a $2.49 ECB and a $.75 ECB (adj to $.73), total oop= $0
Received $3 ECB for buying Hallmark cards!

Quick CVS Deals

Have you stopped in at CVS this week? Scan your card at the coupon machine to get these great deals:

• 1 - Almay Mascara (@$5.99) use $3/1 Cvs Coupon = $2.99 (Free after ECBs)
• 1 - Sally Hansen Quick Cleanup Pen (many others on sale) marked down to $2.62, used $2/1 CVS Coupon = $.62
• Tax: $.16

Total: $3.77 (Used $3 ECB) total = $.77
Received $3 ECB for buying Almay product!