Bachelorette

My sister went all out and threw me a wonderful bachelorette party. It included international friends, lingerie and other fun gifts, AMERICAN food, and fun games. I felt really lucky to have my sister do that for me. In two months, I'll start planning hers and I hope it will be just as great!

Keep calm and só faltam 7 dias (7 days left) 

 Ohmmm...

 Groom's game... thinking about the groom...

 /And the next day... a spa and massage date!

Lazy Saturday mornings

Ah, those lazy Saturday mornings...

 

... that make you wish you were a cat...

 

... so you could sunbathe and nap on a warm, fluffy bed. And roll around, purr and be petted from time to time.

 

Living with a cat has been making me very jealous. I still think dogs are better... but cats know how to LIVE!

Viva Mexico!

 My dream has finally come true: a good Mexican restaurante in Lisbon. My sister and I have tried them all and it always seems when I order enchiladas they look like French crepes with mushroom sauce. Or something else gross and tasteless. My lovely sister found a new restaurant that has opened up in the food court of Lisbon's mall Colombo and it's pretty good. Not fabulous or mouth watering... but good! I'm so happy!

 

I had a veggie burrito, jalapeño poppers and a drink I forgot the name of... made from a plant!

Wedding stress

"Não tenhais medo", be not afraid, is the Fatima's sanctuary theme this year. We saw it last week when we went to Christopher West's opening conference at the Theology of the Body Symposium in Fatima. Which was AMAZING, by the way.

 

It's been hard for me not to be afraid lately. I've been acting out of fear: of not having a beautiful wedding, of things not being done on time, of not being able to rest, of things not going as I wanted. My poor fiancee is the one that suffers most with my fear and stress...! Yes, I totally lose perspective of what's important, it's true. With a week before my wedding, and a lot of stress I never thought would affect me...

 

God help me be not afraid!

St. Anthony

I only realized this year how big of a deal St. Anthony's day is in Lisbon.  Taking the metro downtown is like squeezing into a can of sardines and everyone goes out: old people and mothers with 5-month-old babies alike. Luckily, D and I were invited to our friends' house (downtown) for a special St. Anthony dinner. Here was their St. Anthony and lovely decorations...

Wedding perfectionism

"You know you'll look like an American flag? I'm sure you won't mind," my sister told me about the outfit I took to a wedding last Saturday. It was my favorite dress I've ever worn. And she was right, I loved wearing the American flag colors.

 

I just felt a little overwhelmed at the bride having similar taste to mine and pulling off a "elegant" and "country" wedding style... when I'm worried mine will be tacky and uncoordinated. Oh well. Note to self: don't go to other wedding weeks before yours and compare every minor detail and stress out yours won't be wonderful and perfect in every way. I'm REALLY trying to not be a perfectionist here!

 

 

El Cartel in Martim Moniz

My sister discovered a really nice place for a sunny day in Lisbon. It's in one of the worst neighborhoods in terms of crime: Martim Moniz. However, they set up a market in the square that has helped bring a different crowd (namely all of Lisbon's hipsters and vintage/bike lovers). We went to a latin american stand called "El Cartel". It was pretty good, just a bit overpriced. Don't order the chili, you'll starve with the tiny portion. The rest is good.

Austerity on CatholicStand

AUSTERITY IS GOOD FOR YOU

Julie Rodrigues | June 6, 2013 | 

Don’t be fooled by the cultural tendency to lead a sedentary, Starbucks-filled life (as much as I love Starbucks), striving towards beach vacations and massages. That’s not what you were made for. To live a happy and holy life, discipline and sacrifice must be cornerstones in your life. Fast to be able to savor the feast better; don’t get drunk on the old wine so you can taste the new wine (Cf. John 2).

Keep reading at CatholicStand:

http://catholicstand.com/austerity-is-good-for-you/

Makeshift table

Our fourth meal in our new house was the first eaten on a table... The table was my fiancée's creative engineering: a clothes rack with a cardboard box on it. The food was frozen pizza and my friend Sofia's wonderful salad recipe: tomato, avocado, red onion and basil. It was more romantic than any restaurant.