A Beginning in Two Places

The first thing we do when we land in Lisbon is grab an espresso at the airport café. It’s not glamorous, but it’s tradition. Then comes the drive over the bridge into the city — my husband pointing out where he used to live, me pretending I’m not already making a mental list of which hidden spots I’ll force on my friends when they visit. By the time the first pastel de nata hits my lips, I know we’re home.

Portugal feels expansive in a way D.C. doesn’t. My body literally shifts — my heart beats faster, but it’s not stress, it’s this wide-open excitement. I’m always chasing that feeling, the one that makes me want to pull people into it with me. That’s part of why we’re setting out to build a place here: a guesthouse for adventurers and people who live deeply.

Back in D.C., She Loves Me is still very much my world. Our goal has always been simple: make people feel special.

Like at Lindsay and Dylan’s wedding — free-form structures, experimental draping, fabric folding into flowers. My mom was a seamstress, so getting to play with textiles felt like home for me.

Those fleeting, can’t-hold-onto-them moments — that’s the common thread. Whether it’s flowers for a day or a trip you’ll never forget, beauty isn’t meant to last forever. That’s the point.

So here’s what "Meanwhile, In Portugal" will be: a little She Loves Me, a little Portugal. The petals and the pastries, the deadlines and the daydreams.

And if you think it’s funny that someone who hates hiking ended up building a life around flowers and countryside living… yeah, me too.