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.