When I was a kid, I was surrounded by a large, boisterous, opinionated, group of great food lovers.
Emotions running on high most times with passion being a staple part of the normal atmosphere.
Laughter and tears, often at the same time.
Never a dull moment.
It used to drive me a little up the wall when I was a kid.
Trying to find a corner to hide in just to get a moment of peace.
I'm talking about growing up in a Portuguese family.
If you have one, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
It's funny how the things that drive you crazy can end up being the exact same things you get nostalgic about when you become a grown up.
I guess that's why I stayed away from visiting Lisbon right away...
I knew I was going to be in for an all around REAL experience the moment I arrived...
Lisbon is pretty magical
Part of what made our stay so incredibly special was staying in a
sweet little space called the Art Attic.
A cozy space hosted by an amazing visual artist named Antje Webber, who has an impeccable
flair for decor. A perfect mixture of romance, modernism and nostalgic qualities.
View of the Tagus River from the Art Attic
For anyone travelling to Lisbon, I highly recommend booking the Art Attic, located in the heart of the Alfama district which is the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon.
Little did I know before choosing this area to stay in that there exists a
GIANT Flea Market called the Feira da Ladra
I walked away with a jackpot of vintage buttons
SWOON <3
In the same neighborhood is an AMAZING little shop called
Amores de Toquio
Isabel Tomás is the designer behind Amores de Toquio.
Most of her designs are handmade, some of the fabrics and jewelry
are laser cut with very cool designs.
Her creations are also inspired by Japanese elements and aesthetics.
Some of the details and fabrics had an up-cycled edge, which I really appreciated being as how I am a fellow up-cycler.
It was super cool having an artist for a host like Antje who was so kind to introduce me to some of her other creative pals like Isabel.
I walked away with this awesome laser cut, geometric swallow pendant
LOVE IT!
I really could write multiple blogs about all of the AMAZING discoveries we found while in Lisbon.
I was only there for 9 days but really managed to cram a tonne of ground work exploring this truly diverse city.
One place that I made a point to go to before leaving Lisbon was an award winning shop
called A Vida Portuguesa which translates as The Portuguese Life.
Everything in this shop is super authentic and proudly made in Portugal with a rich history and major nostalgic quality about what it means to live a Portuguese life.
A Vida Portuguesa believes that objects are capable of telling extraordinary and revealing stories.
It's about the people of this land and their peculiar tastes, about a society and its context, about a history that is after all a common identity. The objects are magical in that they awaken sensations and memories within the Portuguese way of living.
THIS place REALLY tugged away at the heart strings of memory lane...
THIS place REALLY tugged away at the heart strings of memory lane...
Check out the website filled with great regional products which can be purchased directly online. The website is full of intrigue and has a lot of interesting historical tid-bits about the Portuguese way.
I literally spent hours in this shop and I wanted EVERYTHING.
I walked off with some tasty treats & mementos for friends and family.
On my last morning in Lisbon, my host Antje gifted me with a book of her beautiful art post cards and I'm looking forward to putting them into frames to add to the growing vignette I have at home.
When I left she was working on some really cool Shadow boxes (many of the objects she boasted finding at the Feira de Ladra Flea market I mentioned earlier!)
I really enjoy seeing what she's working on through her Instagram page @antjeweberart these days...
I really enjoy seeing what she's working on through her Instagram page @antjeweberart these days...
Something tells me I'll be back to the motherland again one day...
Until then...
CHEERS! xo
