Fabulous Since 1974

Want to know a secret ?

I'm freakin excited that I have turned 40. I never dreamed that I could possibly feel this way, after all when I turned 30 I thought that life as I knew it was over.

Thank goodness I was wrong !

For the past 48 hours, every time I whispered to myself "I'm 40" I've felt like an excited teenager full of wild expectations.

I hope that's not wrong ..........

For the past 10 years. I've spent countless hours wishing I was thinner, prettier, smarter, a better person in general. I've put myself down, torn myself up, and cried rivers thinking that I had lost the best parts of myself. I forgot that I to was/am important.
After 21 years of trying and sometimes failing to be the best mother and wife that I could possibly be.  I'm realising that it's time to give myself a little more priority along with my family. To nourish my being and stop being a negative nelly.

I am a wife, I am a mother, I am a daughter, I am a sister, I am a friend and I am fabulous !!!

I hope ............

Last night after falling into bed exhausted and deliriously happy, I realised that yes I may be over weight, I'll never be beautiful, and although the past eighteen months have been an emotional roller coaster, I no longer want to waste anymore precious time. I am going to wash away any of these left over feelings of anxiety and hopelessness.
It's time to be the me that has been in hiding, to throw all caution to the wind and be the best fabulous me possible.

I am excited to see what the next decade of life has in store for me. I am determined to make this the best adventure in my life so far.

Linking up with Essentially Jess for another fabulous week of IBOT
beck xx

Rosemary & Garlic Bread

The other day I had a craving for crusty homemade bread. I wanted to fill my home with the glorious smell, and my belly with what should be a forbidden food [well for me anyway]  My first attempt many years ago was not what you would call a success, my loaf more resembled a blackened rock that would most likely break your foot if you dropped it !

Since then I have manged to work on and improve my bread making skills.

Easy, rustic and delicious. These freshly baked baguettes are the perfect accompaniment to a comforting homemade meal.

Rosemary & Garlic Bread

2 cups warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 tsp of dry yeast
5 cups flour
8 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1/3 cup rosemary chopped
4 tsp sea salt
flour for dusting
garlic salt

Sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the warm water and let stand for 3 min. Whisk in the oil.

Combine the flour, chopped garlic, rosemary and salt into a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and stir. On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and knead for 10 min until smooth and still lightly sticky.
Place dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 2 hours or until dough has doubled in size.

Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and press gently to deflate. Roll dough into a square and form into your desired loaf shape or into baguettes.
Place loaf/loaves onto a baking sheet and dust with flour. Cover with a tea towel and let rise again till doubled in size.

Cut 3 slits into the top of the dough and sprinkle with the garlic salt. In an oven preheated to 250 deg bake the bread for about 20 min.
Lower the oven temp to 180 deg and bake for another 20 - 30 min or until bread is lovely and golden.

Happy baking and enjoy :)

Linking up with the lovely Jess for another week of IBOT

We Are So Blessed

I did good when I married, I chose a keeper. I chose a man that has become one of the only people that I can lean on and trust. He has my whole heart, my never ending love.
My keeper is also a wonderful roll model to our sons, a fantastic Dad and our boys are truly blessed to have him.

There are so many different things that need to come together as a whole to make a Dad. As the saying goes.....

'Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad.'

A Dad needs to be a Protector. He needs to do everything in his power to keep his family safe. Physically, emotionally and spiritually.

A Dad needs to be a Teacher. To share his knowledge and principles, to help his family grow and develop.

A Dad needs to be a Disciplinarian. He guides his children to learn proper boundaries and to learn about consequences.

A Dad needs to be a Friend. To show kindness, compassion and interest in his children's lives.

A Dad needs to show Love and Respect. To share the work load of raising his children with his partner and live life faithfully.


Becoming a Dad is a journey of small steps, it is not always an easy road to travel nor does it always go to plan, but with love, patience and commitment the rewards can be truly amazing.


Watching my "men" interact and celebrate Fathers Day on Sunday, gave me a huge amount of pride. The bond between father and sons was a sight to behold and made my heart burst with joy.

I couldn't wish for a better father for my children, I am blessed to be able to share this journey of parenthood with him.

So thank you Dan for being you, for the love you share with us and the road that you have guided our sons to travel. You are an amazing father and each and every day I thank my lucky stars that you came into my life....

My Men x

Linking up with Essentially Jess for this weeks IBOT

beck xx

DIY - EASY PEASY DRINK COASTERS

While I may have been absent in the blogoshere of late, I have not been idle and have many projects to share with you.

 With the warmer weather right on our doorsteps, lazy days by the pool, and outdoor entertaining is right around the corner. Its time to put away our Winter warmers and pull out everything that screams Summer fun !

Whether in my choice of clothing or in my home decor, I love colour. And Spring/Summer is the perfect time to inject more into everyday life.

One of the many craft projects I have been working on, is a set of bright Summery drink coasters. With only a few craft supplies needed, they are a simple and effective way to bring a shot of colour to your table.

                                           

                                           

* I used a cork base, and picked up a set of 6 for around $2 at Spotlight
* Your choice of craft/scrapbook paper
* A good quality craft glue and sealer 


Start by cutting circles in the paper to fit your choice of base, and carefully glue together, wiping any residual glue from the edges. While they are drying, pick any accents that you wish to use. I used a combination of lace, ribbon, glitter and small size scrap booking tags.

When the glue has dried, decorate the coasters as you wish to make them pop and come to life.

I then left the coasters for a few days to ensure that all the glue had completely dried, so that the embellishments I used would not move and smudge at all whilst applying the hard setting sealant.

When they are completely dry, using a paint brush coat the coasters in your choice of sealant and allow to dry for the recommended time.
You can use any sealant/lacquer that you choose but the one that I use on quite a regular basis is Mod Podge, and once you own Mod Podge the possibilities are endless.

Once the sealant has dried 'TA DA' you have yourself a set of gorgeous drink coasters to use when entertaining this Spring/Summer.

Happy crafting :)

Happily linking up with the gorgeous Jess for #IBOT

beck xx

My Leave Pass Is Up !

Finally, Spring is here. A season of new life, of breaking out, moving forward and the perfect time to make changes. It's also my favourite time of the year which makes it the perfect time to bring this little ole blog out of hibernation. To shake of my bloggy blues and return with a new bounce in my step.
It is time to kick up my heels, enjoy the new season, and find a whole lot more to babble on about. Spring is certainly the time for new plans and projects both inside and out and I am looking forward to sharing my adventures with you all.

For the 'new season' of Crafty the idea is to shake things up a little [hopefully].
I hope to share a lot more of my craft with you, our recent home renovations, and more of our familly recipes. Try them if you dare :)
I will still be keeping you all up to date with our daily family antics, because lets be honest, there is never a dull moment around here.

When I started blogging, I had every intention to be upbeat, friendly and interesting. But to me, when I look back at some of my later posts, I feel as though I fell of that wagon and Crafty was heading in a direction that I was no longer happy with. Just glancing at my laptop made my heart feel heavy, and the very thought of sitting down to write gave me the heebie geebies !

So I took a break.
Quite a long break.
And it worked :) I am now looking forward to a brand new season, a brand new outlook for my blog and life in general. Looking forward and leaving the past in the past. Exactly where it should be !

I hope that you will join me on this new journey and give me a kick up the backside if I start to fall into old patterns again.

So without further ado, welcome and I hope you enjoy your stay.

beck xx