Country Roads: Projects and Stuff

Seems like so much has been going on around here in the past week (or weeks if I'm really honest about it!). I've been doing a bit of crafting/experimenting with Pinterest projects/dreaming of even more. I've done a few things and have a few more on the agenda when time permits and I get over this awesome cold I've had since the weekend. Yeah..a summer cold..go figure! And I caught it from my precious baby girl to beat it all! I think she's faired way better than I have though..which I'm grateful for!

Onto the projects...

First..I made homemade chocolate syrup about a week ago. YES..you can make it yourself..and its so much better than store bought. Plus its super easy! I got the idea from fellow blogger Rachel. A HUGE thank you for that post!! Here is the recipe and a picture I took in the process of making the yumminess...

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup cocoa

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

You whisk together the sugar and cocoa in a saucepan with a wire whisk until almost all the lumps are gone. Then add the water and salt and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring it to a boil and continue to cook, while stirring, for a few minutes..until it starts to get good and thick. You'll know....

Remove it from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then add the vanilla. Pour it into a container (I just happened to have used up a bottle of chocolate syrup..so I just cleaned it up real good and put it in that!) and keep in the fridge! Its AWESOME..give it a try!!!

I've also made Makayla a bandana dress..another idea from pinterest. I made a burgandy one and have the materials to make a blue one as well..just haven't gotten around to it as of yet....

How cute!!!

In the works..I'm very excited to try making a tshirt dress! I bought all the materials for well under $10 and I must say..with the color combinations I think its going to look rather snazzy!! Here are my materials for the dress..I opted for a tshirt rather than a tank top (if you look up tank dress on pinterest you'll find this idea) so I could wear it more than just for the summer months. The fabrics I found at Hobby Lobby (how much do you love this store!!??)...

I also plan on making another skirt with this material I found for 50% off at Hobby Lobby too!

I've also done some things that are non-wearable too. I had been wanting for the longest time to find Makayla an owl clock for her room..since we're so owl obsessed around here! Well..since I haven't seen a THING..the other night I thought hmm..wonder if you could make something like that? Well low and behold I found clock that was fashioned with some mod podge and scrapbook paper to create the color combination that particular person was looking for to match their decor. A lightbulb went off and so did my hunt for some sort of paper to mod podge onto a clock!

I looked at Hobby Lobby and a few other places with no luck. Then while at Walmart I came across a really cute owl gift bag for .98. YES..I think to myself..this will work perfectly! So I bought a cheap $3.98 clock..the owl gift bag..and some stickers (which I had to go back later on and buy more since I didn't have enough 1's). I already had brown spray paint at home since I wanted the rim of the clock to match her pink/brown decor..I didn't want to leave it white. This is the result..I can't tell you how much I LOVE THIS CLOCK!