Stella and Dot wannabe weekend in Chicagoland

I spent this past weekend in Chicagoland with my friends Megan, Bethany & Emily.  (We can paint this Chicagoland weekend as glamorous as you'd like...but actually when I say "Chicagoland" I really mean Huntley...a burb west of the City.  We spent the weekend at Megan's townhouse, visiting, shopping, watching a dvr concert of Beyonce, eating Hot & Ready pizzas, complaining about Sister Wives, and crafting in our sweatpants.  Fancy, I know.)

I wanted to show you the results of one of our crafts.  We were all quite fond of the look of this lovely Stella and Dot necklace -- but due to budget constraints, otherwise known as Dave Ramsey, we could not afford the originals.  So we took matters into our own hands and crafted a new version of these beaded beauties.

Stella's

Thanks to the generous bead supply at JoAnn's & Michael's, some handy 50% off one item coupons, and some coordinating ribbon, we managed to update our jewelry collection for less than $9 a necklace (and that's talking full price...if you're thrifty enough to use a coupon, you can shave a few extra pennies off!)  We made both coral and turquoise necklaces.  I would love a cute mustardy yellow one...but I couldn't find any beads the right color.

Ours

I actually swapped out my choice of ribbon after I took these pictures.  I ended up using something a bit thicker and sheer so the beads would stay put when I untie the necklace to put it around my neck.  I will try to post an updated picture soon. 

*note: we did not fill our entire ribbon with beads like Stella and Dot does...

# 1. I thought that would be a bit heavy on my neck.

# 2. We were crafting on a budget and more beads equals more money.

Stella's necklace is likely more impressive but we were perfectly happy with our results!  The other girls made bracelets too. (I didn't.  I stuck to necklaces.)
One more thing....Sunday I rushed back for a deRoo dinner with my inlaws. Ingrid, my super-fab sister-in-law who is an amazing chef made this:

Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce

Oh my, it was amazing.  And I am not just saying that because the only thing I had eaten all weekend was salt infused fast food covered in grease-- this dish was seriously so good.  Ingrid thought it was good too but not something she would make all the time, but seriously, Taylor and I devoured it.  We would eat it every day! You should try it!  Ingrid hasn't blogged about it yet, but I think she should!  :)   It's Looking Like a Beautiful Day.

Linked to:

Blue Cricket Design
House of Hepworths
katies nesting spot