Taking A Break

I didn't know I was going to do this until yesterday. Yesterday was a really bad day after a string of really bad days and I've finally been forced to admit that I need a break. There is a lot on my plate right now, a lot. I have been ignoring a good chunk of it and putting energy into other things so that I can continue to ignore it. But I'm putting my hands up and refusing to continue down this road. It is time for me to simplify life as much as possible. I find a lot of joy and fulfillment from running this site, but the truth is that it's not the most important thing and it shouldn't be at the top of my list. So I'm taking a break. It might be for a few weeks or it might be for a few months. I just need to get in a better place and keep the things that matter most closest to me. If you would like to get in touch with me, you can always email. Thank you all for your kind words. I'll be back later.

Husband Can Cook

I got real lucky in the husband department for a lot of reasons, but one of them is that homeboy knows his way around a kitchen. He is really good at improvising recipes and I really love it when he cooks. Our most recent favorite is his stuffed peppers (and he uses peppers from the garden). So here it is from him to me to you:

Equipment needed:
Small baking dish (square)
Large skillet
Small sauce pan

Ingredients:
1 c white rice
1 lb. ground beef
4-6 Large bell peppers
1-8 oz can of rotell tomatoes
1 half large white onion
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbs. cooking oil

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook rice normally according to directions. Chop onions into about 2" long pieces. Add 2 tbsp cooking oil to large skillet along with chopped onions and ground beef. Once the beef is browned add 3/4 c rice, can of tomato sauce, and Rotel tomatoes to the skillet.

Cut the tops off of the bell peppers just enough to be able to clean out the seeds and white parts. Put one spoonful of the ground beef mixture and sprinkle a little cheese on top. Continue layering a spoonful of mixture with a sprinkle of cheese until full. Place in small rectangular baking dish with 1/4 c water in the dish. Cook for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Guest Posting

Just wanted to let you know that I did a little guest feature over at Awkward Girls and you should totally check it out here. If for some crazy reason you aren't already following Awkward Girls, you better start now. They are super fun and I get really inspired by their outfits. Do it, do it.

Over The Weekend.

1 & 2. After going out to dinner, we went on a little drive and saw pretty things.
3. Currently reading We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson and it's keeping me on my toes.
4. Self portraits in my car are still in full swing.
5. The best quesadilla I ever made.
6. My sister in law was so sweet and got me this book about Katharine Hepburn's life. I'm so pumped to read it.

Happy Monday! Follow along on instagram: @secretlifeofbee

Pieces

Glimpses of what has been going on lately. I'm falling in love with books and trying to adjust to the ever-increasing heat. We're working a lot, getting little sleep and making grown up decisions. Mostly there is lots of stress, the good kind and the bad kind. This chick is ready for the weekend, who's with me?

No Thanks To Jamba Juice

I love a good smoothie and I've been having a lot of fun making my own lately. I thought I'd share a recent favorite of mine that I made up. (I give no credit of my smoothie skills to my employment with Jamba Juice in high school. Let's just make that clear.) The secret ingredient is the cinnamon. Also, I recommend using cran-cherry juice which is the best "cran" juice in all the land. I have found this smoothie is especially perfect while you're watching Blue Planet on Netflix, which is a thing that I do.

If you have any suggestions for smoothie combinations, be sure to share! (I just had the most brilliant idea pop in my head: nutella smoothie! Oh my gosh, head just exploded. I'll get back to you.)

Things To Smile About

Last week was one of the longest weeks of my life. Between my two jobs, I worked a total of 60 hours from Monday to Friday. One of the days, I worked a full 13 hours then came home for about an hour only to go back to my first job and work another six hours (I got home at 2:30 in the morning). I was feeling stretched thin. But by Friday evening, even though I was completely exhausted, I found a big smile on my face. The truth is, I really love my jobs and they are perfect for me in this moment of my life. I enjoy the people I work with and the family I nanny for. It feels really good to come home at the end of the day and know that I worked. I did something and I had a place to be. I may not be completely happy with where we are right now, but with each passing day I find more and more tender mercies to thank God for.

Happy Father's Day.

As I get older I appreciate the man my father is more and more. He is the hardest working person I know. He has been the best example to my siblings and me about hard work and doing things the right way and not the easy way. He is my ultimate example of a protector and provider. I love you, Dad. Thank you for everything you've done for me.

Photography is a Passion.

I got this book at an estate sale last weekend. It's copyright is 1963 and it is so awesome. A lot of it is about film process and development but I turned to the last page and found this as the last paragraph:

"Photography may be, for you, only a casual pastime. Or it may be a hobby. Or it may be an important adjunct to your hobby. Or it may be the thing on which you focus your whole active life. Whatever it may be, photography has in it the capacity to produce satisfactions far more deep and real than you may now suspect. But to discover and realize those satisfactions, you have to do your part. You have to know what you want to do, and how to do it. For satisfaction is never an accident. Back of every good picture is an idea; and back of every picture idea is an eye that sees and understands....You are the most important part of any camera you own."

Oh photography, my love for you grows with each year of my life.

Read My Lips//Of Anselm

1. I find confidence in my family
2. I find confidence in my faith
3. I find confidence in being true to my personality, which isn't always bold

My color fits my personality perfectly because I feel more confident in myself when I'm being subtle and feminine. Sometimes people with my type of personality feel the need to be louder than we would be naturally, more bold than we would be on our own. But my personality shines through the clearest when I'm true to what comes naturally to me: I'm mostly quiet. I'm mostly an observer. I'm mostly soft-spoken. I'm mostly subtle. And when I'm comfortable with those things, I'm Naomi.

Find more of Ms. Naomi at Of Anselm. She posts lots of pretty pictures of little things in her life. She is also going to have another little one in a few weeks! Can't wait to see that new addition to her family. Thanks so much for stopping by, Naomi!

Regina Spektor, I Love You.

It's been two years since we last heard from Regina Spektor but we finally have new music in our hands. I have a deep, borderline unhealthy, love for Regina and I was really excited when I found out this album was coming. Unfortunately, I have to admit, I wasn't blown away like I hoped to be. Now, Regina is incredible and significantly better than what they play on the radio. I will always love her, but this album leaves me wanting. I started listening to her when I was fifteen and the thing that attracted me most to her music was how raw and unapologetic her sound was. She challenged everything I felt I knew about music. There are four songs on this album that I feel follow that pattern (Oh Marcello, Ballad Of A Politician, Patron Saint, and Open). I still recommend this album to everyone. Like I said, I will love Regina forever and always. The video below is a song on the extended version that she did with her husband. (Apparently she got married in the last two years and no one knew about it.)

Humbled.

I need to take a moment to say thank you. Thanks to all of you for your sweet sweet words to this undeserving girl. I've been super selfish lately and feeling really sorry for myself, as if I'm the only person in the world that has problems. But the last few days I've been choking on my self pity as I realize how blessed I am and how temporary these "problems" are. It encourages me when I read your comments and learn that you struggle with the same things I do. Thank you, Thank you. You are all beautiful.

Latest Finds.

My finds lately have been in the category of records. We made the plunge for a record player for our anniversary in April. It has been really fun getting "new" music. There is a surprising number of places to find cheap records around here. The Fleetwood Mac Rumours album is my most prized piece. It is, as my dad said, one of the greatest albums of all time. Do you have any suggestions for albums I should keep my eye out for?

In A Bit Of A Funk.

I've been in a little bit of a funk lately. There is a sure-fire way to get yourself in a funk that I have found to be very successful: Look at your life and compare it to what you thought your life would look like at this time. You can also throw in comparing your life to your friend's lives, because that always helps too.

I am trying to find comfort in words from the amazing Marjorie Pay Hinckley:

“We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are.”

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“The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days, waiting for better ones ahead.”

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“There are some years in our lives that we would not want to live again. But even these years will pass away, and the lessons learned will be a future blessing.”

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“Everything you are learning is preparing you for something else.”

I cannot tell you how much these words apply to my life right now. Maybe they apply to yours too and can bring you comfort as well.

Heaven Is Here

Last week my mother sent me this wonderful gift in the mail. I had heard really good things about this book and was excited to read Stephanie's story. After I started it, I felt like I couldn't finish it fast enough. I couldn't put it down and I probably would have finished it in a day if I didn't have, you know, a life. I cried like crazy during certain parts and I gained a new appreciation for our incredible bodies. I am often very critical of this body of mine and reading this book helped me realize how much I take it for granted. I may not like the size of my thighs or the mole on my left arm, but my body is healthy and it works. It allows me to see and feel and hear. Our bodies are a tangible gift from God and I want to show my gratitude for it by taking care of it.

I recommend this book to everyone. It is such a beautiful story. If you aren't familiar with Stephanie Nielson, she runs NieNie Dialogues. You can watch a little synopsis of her story here.