Scrapbook Sunday - April 19 2015

This page is quite old, but it's one of my faves. It also makes me wanna go to Mexico, it has been too long.

Until next time!

-Liz

Ikea First Timer

Ikea Display (Like, can I move in???)

Have you ever been to Ikea with someone who's never been there before? Well it's an experience, let me tell you. My boyfriend used to hate Ikea, I thought it was because he didn't like the style of furniture or he thought it was not up to his standards, well that was not the case. He had never actually been there before! (I know, right?!) I think he had just assumed he wouldn't like it.

Last Saturday we went for my birthday to get me a desk so that I could have a real working space at home and even though I was totally psyched for my birthday present, it turned out to be way more fun than anticipated because of my boyfriend's reactions. The following are actual comments and questions made by my boyfriend:

"I'm scared."

"Are we in a world?"

"Are we at Disneyland?"

"I'm scared."

"I don't know why I was philosophically opposed before."

Yes, I know, he said he was scared a few times, but as it turns out he will be returning (yay!). And hello, why wouldn't he? Ikea is awesome.

More on my new workspace to come!

-Liz

Scrapbook Sunday: Dreaming of Morocco

My new scrapbook paper makes me think of Morocco. It looks like I'm going to have to go there to use it up. There's just no other option. Sacrifices people.

Until next time!

-Liz

Lisbon, Portugal: Getting Lost In The Alfama District

You cannot go to Lisbon and not visit the the Alfama District. It is the oldest part of the city which has existed since the times of Moorish control and it survived the big earthquake of 1755. I like to think of it as Lisbon's soul. You can easily spend a whole day in this neighborhood visiting its sites or getting lost looking for them because it is a maze of churches, restaurants, museums, and even a castle. You also get a glimpse into how people live in this neighborhood. One of my favorite parts was looking at people's clothes hanging to dry outside their windows or balconies. Oh and the views, don't even get me started on the views, they are amazing! There are terraces and squares that will give you incredible water and city views. Believe me they are worth climbing those hills and stairways, but whatever you do make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes because you will be walking up a lot of hills and a lot of stairs (think San Francisco). Here are a few of the places I visited in Alfama:

Santa Engracia, the National Pantheon

View from atop Santa Engracia

View from atop Santa Engracia

Selfie atop Santa Engracia

Alfama Stairway 

Alfama Street Art

Alfama Street Art

Alfama Stairway

City and Castle View from one of the Alfama Terraces

View of Church of São Vicente de Fora from the São Jorge Castle

São Vicente de Fora Monument

The City's Cathedral, the Sé

View from the São Jorge Castle

View from the São Jorge Castle

São Jorge Castle cannon

Until next time!

-Liz

Because We All Have A Cause That's Dear To Our Heart

I offered to buy my co-worker a Beans & Brews gift card for helping me out, but he said he preferred cash so I gave him cash, but he he gave it right back....all over my yoga mat, pfft!

After much consideration about what to do with this extra cash I decided to start a fund for a cause that's very dear to my heart. Feel free to donate. 

Until next time!

-Liz

Portugal And I Go Way Back (Sort Of)

I had been wanting to go to Portugal for years, I mean years. I would say at least a decade. Finally I got the chance to go last November. I went alone only because my boyfriend was unable to go with me. Unfortunately this meant I did not see as much as I would have liked since I am not as disciplined to get out and see everything when I travel alone, but I did get to see quite a bit of Lisbon and I fell in love.

Before I start sharing a bit about my experience in Portugal I'd like to share the connections I've had with it since I was a child which I discovered as an adult. Here they are in chronological order (duh, what other order would they be in?).

1.) My father was Catholic and I sorta grew up Catholic too (for a time anyway) so I grew up seeing lots images of saints and apparitions of the Virgin Mary. As a matter of fact my parents used to sell these kind images (I had a bizarre childhood ok?), but my favorite of them all was the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. I absolutely loved it. The story behind the image is about the Virgin Mary appearing to three shepherd children in 1917 in the town of Fatima in Portugal. I think it was the fact that this happened to children that made the story so intriguing to me, I am not sure, but even though I am not a religious person today I still love the story.

Our Lady of Fatima Prayer Card

2.) I traveled to Brazil for the first time in 2001, when I was 20 years old (eek, don't do the math). As you may already know, Brazil was once a Portuguese colony. Well it was during this trip that I absolutely fell in love with the language. After that trip I knew I wanted to learn Portuguese.

That's me at the Ibirapuera Park in Sao Paulo, Brazil in August of 2001

3.) In the summer of 2002 I received a postcard in the mail from Portugal that my sister had sent me (and I sill have it!). She was there for a work trip and had taken the time to write me. By this point I had already expressed my desire to learn Portuguese to her. In the postcard she mentions how she thought of me while there and asked if I had started taking Portuguese lessons yet. Ah the mementos and the feelings they stir up, aren't they wonderful?

Postcard from Santa Maria in the Azores in Portugal dated June 4, 2002

4.) In the fall of 2003 I started taking Portuguese classes. I was finally on my way to learning Portuguese!

The only Portuguese/English dictionary I still have (because it's the best!)

5.) In 2006, I was chosen to go on a semester long adventure as a student in the city of Salvador in Brazil which a lot of people don't know was the first capital of Brazil. It was an amazing experience, one of the best times of my life. It also resembles Lisbon very much.

That's me again at the Church of Bom Fim in Salvador, Brazil

6.) Alright, here comes another saint story. Saint Anthony is the patron saint of lost or stolen things, travelers, single people looking for love, and a slew of other things. Many people think that he was Italian because he lived and died in Italy, but he was actually Portuguese, born and raised in Lisbon. Saint Anthony is one of the most popular saints in Catholicism and of course I grew up knowing about him. Anyway, there's this tradition, in Mexico at least (I'm unsure if this tradition exists anywhere else) in which single people, particularly women, will put a statue of Saint Anthony on its head and pray to him for finding true love. Once they have found love they put Saint Anthony right side up again or another version of that is that he will turn himself right side up once true love has been found for that person. So this is where things get more interesting. I met my boyfriend in 2010 and things were moving along rather slowly. Honestly, I didn't even know if things would ever get serious between us. Well in the summer of 2011 I put both my Saint Anthony candles upside down and later that year our relationship got more serious. True story, but shhhh, my boyfriend doesn't know about this!

The picture I posted on Facebook on June 6, 2011 of my upside down Saint Anthony candles. Apparently nothing is sacred anymore in this age of social media (pun intended).

7.) San Francisco has been my favorite city ever since I can remember. When I was a kid and I would go to San Fran with my parents I would be in awe of this huge, incredible city. Oddly enough (or not) Lisbon looks like San Francisco. It even has a bridge with a striking resemblance to the Golden Gate bridge that's called the 25 de Abril Bridge. And just like San Francisco, Lisbon has a lot of hills. In fact it is called the city of seven hills. I guess I have a thing for hilly cities, I don't know.

This is me at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, circa 2003

So anyway, those are it. Those are the connections I have to Portugal and all I can say is what a dream come true it was for me to finally be able to go.

Is there some place you feel connected to that you dream of visiting some day? Do tell.

Until next time!

-Liz

Scrapbook Sunday: Madrid!

Here's a scrapbook page of Madrid, another old favorite.

I love incorporating the postcards I buy on my trips into my scrapbook pages. Not only do they make great souvenirs, but they make unique embellishments. I just love the look they give.

Happy Scrapbook Sunday!

-Liz