2 Years Down....Eternity to Go

Mike and I celebrated our 2-Year anniversary on Monday. I can't believe that we've been married 2 years. It seriously went by so quickly!

We have had two amazing years together and I just can't image my life without Mike in it. He is my best friend and I feel so lucky to have found him!

To celebrate our anniversary, we had a dinner picnic on Cabrillo Beach, the place we first met. We had an instant connection when we first met at a Church Bonfire party and we couldn't stop smiling and laughing while we were talking - and we could keep our eyes off each other. I still remember the butterflies I had in my stomach when I first saw him.

When Mike returned from his mission, I remember the first time we talked on the phone. It was so weird not to have to wait a week to hear his responses to my questions. And when he drove to Utah the next weekend to see me, I remember hugging him for the first time in 2 years and really feeling like I returned to a place I belonged.

Another awesome memory is when my mom met Mike for the first time. She just had the biggest smile on her face since she already knew Mike was the one for me.
Moms know these things.
We did our little Happy Dances together when Mike left for the night...and talked for hours about how dreamy he was and how cute our future kids would be.

But of course, my favorite moments were when Mike proposed on the same beach we met, Cabrillo Beach (and calling my parents afterwards and sharing an exciting scream!!) Planning our wedding we such a fun experience - especially since I had the best wedding planners in the world...my parents!

Also, it took me awhile to get use to my ring! I would always stare at it with a dreamy look on my face...as if it wasn't real.

And of course, the day I married Mike is by far the best day of my life. Mike promised to take care of me and be there for me for the rest of eternity...and I can happily say he is doing a fabulous job so far! It was the perfect day and each day has been amazing ever since. Happy 2 Year Anniversary baby! Love you forever!

Christmas Recap...

Ok people...the tree is gone, the Christmas decorations are put away and the sugary treats are out of the house. It’s January! And that means a new start. I love January just as much as I adore Christmas time. With Christmas you have the wonderful songs, the spirit of giving and the hope that Santa really does exists and your parents were lying to you all these years. With January, you have the resolutions, a clean slate of a year and the hope and potential to be anyone you want to be. (Can you tell I’m an obsessive list-maker?)

I love lists. I love goals. I love planning. But more importantly, I love crossing things off my list! I feel so accomplished and, well, let’s face it...amazing! But, before I get carried away with my 2010 Goals, here is a breakdown of our Christmas:

This year was my first Christmas without my Anderson half. Yup, it’s a milestone in my marriage, but this was the first year I was not with my family for the holidays. Luckily, my parents loved me enough to come to Southern California for Thanksgiving, so I wasn’t completely cut-off. But, Mike and I were hopeful this year since it was our chance to start our own family traditions.

Things actually turned out fabulous except for one aspect. For the life of me, I could NOT recreate my Dad’s holiday recipes. I wanted to bring some amazing dishes into our Pless family traditions and it turns out...I’m not as skilled in the kitchen as my dad. Granted, he has a few years of practice on me, but I was secretly hoping to be able to make a culinary masterpiece without any experience. Mike thinks I’m being too hard on myself since he thought my recreations were masterpieces in their own rite...but I don’t know if he is just saying that or if he really means it. I guess I’ll never know. Either way, thanks Dad for sending me your awesome recipes. It was fun trying them out.

Back to the holidays, Mike and I spent time with Mike’s family throughout our break since they live 10 minutes away, but we really had a great time keeping this year simple. We did Christmas with just the two of us and it was really peaceful ... and short. It doesn’t take that long for two people to open gifts. 10 minutes tops. But the one gift I was super excited for (a birthday/Christmas combo gift) was my amazing over-sized reading chair Mike got me. I can’t decide what I love more...the actual chair or the fact I found it at a 75% discount! Thanks Z Gallerie Warehouse! Also on our time off, we went to Universal Studios, Mike went snowboarding and I went ice-skating and we had a blast just relaxing at home with friends and family.

All in all, we had an amazing holiday season and we ended the year exactly how I imagined it...together chaperoning at an awkward Church Youth Dance. Haha...well, not exactly as I pictured it, but we were together and there was lots of dancing! I feel so blessed to have shared this past year with my best friend and love of my life. We have had an amazing year together with lots of love and laughs in our home and we look forward to what 2010 brings! Now...onward with the New Year and all the new possibilities! 2010 Resolutions...here I come!

Halloween Time...Geek Style!

Last Halloween was so depressing! Mike and I carved pumpkins last year and within 48 hours, they completely rotted! (The nerve of that mold...ruining my holiday spirit!) But that wasn't the worst part of our Halloween last year; we had no trick-or-treaters, even though I had a mount of candy, and Mike and I just sat watching TV movies all night. Totally pathetic.

Well, this year I was bound and determined to make a change. And here was my first brilliant idea...

Say hello to our pumpkins this year. I'd like to see the mold attack these beauties!

I saw this amazing craft blog a few months ago that gave me the idea to paint computer monitors as pumpkins as a replacement for carving. Since Southern California is so hot during October, I thought it was the perfect idea for two computer geeks like us! Don't worry, the monitors were completely useless and about to be recycled. It makes me giggle to think what the recycle company is going to say when they see these bad boys...

This one is mine...an alien pumpkin I've been carving since I was young thanks to my brother. It's a tradition now.

This one is Mike's.

I do have to say, we are getting some weird looks for neighbors, but it has put Mike and I in the best Halloween mood ever! This year is lookin' up!

I Simply Remember My Favorite Things.....

There are a few things in life I love enough to blog about. Obviously Mike, my family happenings, occasionally work...and of course ruffles. But as soon as I saw the first episode of this show, I knew it would make my 'Top 10 List of Things Jessica Loves'. I love everything about this show, but mainly it is because of all the singing.

That's right...I'm in love with GLEE!!!!!

This hysterical show is about a high school Glee club that embraces their inner dork and belts out amazing vocal talent and fun dance moves. I only wish my high school had a Glee club like this...or at all. I would have totally joined! But the real reason I love this so much, is because I would die if my world had time for jazzy dance routines and awesome song solos in the middle of the day. Well, without getting labeled as 'that crazy girl'. Sadly, our world doesn't approve of a 25 year old brunette expressing herself through a jazz number in the grocery store. One day...

Another reason to love this show...the costumes. How cute are these yellow dresses? I love that half of them are modest! (The others just need a cute white cardigan.) Seriously people - take a look at this picture and tell me you don't want to start a Glee club with me!

The last reason I love Glee...the germaphobic guidance counselor, Emma. She is always wearing the cutest outfits and bringing back jeweled brooches in a big way. I love her little cardigan ensembles.

Bottom line here, you should catch at least one episode of Glee to see what you are missing. You can watch all the episodes online at Hulu.com.

Unfortunately Glee is not my husband's cup of tea. But as the great, supporting husband that he is, he sits with me every week and plays Suduko on his phone while we "watch" Glee together.

I love it!

Costa Rica Vacation

Mike and I went to Costa Rica a few weeks ago and it was phenomenal! We went with our good friends Jared and Jen Harris for a week at the Allegro Papagayo Resort in Guanacaste. Our week was amazing! Our hotel was nestled into a lush forest and unfolded onto a black sanded beach which had the softest sand I have ever felt! We were able to go on a few excursions which included a tour through their main town of Liberia, a zip-line adventure and a hot springs stop, and - in true tourist fashion - snorkeling. It was a breath-taking adventure and Mike and I were so grateful to have the opportunity.

One of the things I pride myself in is finding deals. When my co-worker mentioned AppleVacations.com, I was naturally curious. Mike and I did some research and we found a great All-Inclusive vacation option for a really reasonable price. So, we had a blast and didn't break the bank!

Here are some pictures of our trip. More to come...

Sunset from our room

The resort and ocean from our room

The black-sanded beach

The nearby volcano and scenary

Our resort from the beach

Our week was wonderful and we were so happy to have some down time together. Mike and I were finally able to relax and be care-free again. (sigh) It was just magical. I'll post more pictures of our adventures soon.

What can I say..

What can I say, I'm just a sucker for ruffles! (not the chips mind you...). I'm so excited to see ruffles in style lately. And for those fashionistas out there that read this blog, I know I'm a little late on announcing my love, but I've been holding it in for a while.

As I'm getting older (a whopping 25 and 1/2 years old), I've realized that my tastes are being refined and I love it! Somehow finding your unique style is quite refreshing. My dad always teases me about my random loves, but let me paint you a visual picture. Growing up, our house had a very monotone feel inside; white walls and grey carpet in every room. That is...until you got to my room. I had bright purple walls! I guess looking back, it was my way of rebelling...Mormon style!

Back to my point, I've been noticing some great trends lately and I just felt I should blog about them. Not because I think everyone should have the same loves as me...but because I've noticed that all styles are trendy right now. It's nice to see variety and see how people choose to express themselves. Here are some of the things that have caught my eye:





How could someone NOT like ruffles after seeing these gems? If anyone is curious, most of these selections are from J.Crew and the high-collared Ruffle dress is from Shabby Apple, the cutest dress store! www.shabbyapple.com

I know my last post was all about jewelry and this post is all about ruffles, but like I said, tastes are being refined. All in all...I think the bottom line is the fact that I love being a girl!

Stella & Dot

One of my passions in life is to find great deals and let my friends know about my discoveries. So, with that said, about two months ago, I found this great jewelry company called Stella & Dot. I loved the different collections and signature pieces they offered since I am a huge fan of unique and timeless jewelry. I decided to host a party by inviting a Stylist (or consultant) in my area to bring her inventory to my party for all my friends to view and try on. The party was a success and I had a blast talking to the Stylists and trying on the different pieces. Plus, in the end I was able to get great deals on jewelry I wanted since I hosted the party.

After thinking about how much fun I had, and how awesome my jewelry selections were, I thought to myself, ‘Why can’t I do that?’ So, I want to officially announce that I am now a Stella & Dot Stylist! I figured I’m social enough with different groups and I love the jewelry, so it is a win-win situation.

Now, don’t worry, this blog won’t turn into a Sales Blog! But, I will say if any of you are interested in Stella & Dot jewelry, take a look at my website and let me know what you think! www.stelladot.com/jessicapless

Just one more thing to keep me busy! Also, I've included a few pictures of the jewelry I fell in love with.











Also, I will be posting pictures from our Boston trip soon! Stay tuned...