Easy French Bistro Style Winter Tablescape
We love to dine outside and this is the perfect time of year to do that in South Florida. Maybe it’s not the season for that yet where you live, but time passes quickly and before you know it you’ll be enjoying the warm weather too:-)
A table set for two the night that my husband finished the the work here.
We always enjoyed a petite cafe or tiny restaurant feel and believed in supporting local businesses when we could and still do. There was a local diner called The Mini Diner and another named Cafe Mendocino that were our favorites. As times change whether we like it or not, they were both sold and torn down for the building of the rapid transit Metro that opened here in Miami in 1984 🙁
I tried my best to recreate the vegetarian meals that we loved at Cafe Mendocino. We always said that we would model an area of our garden after the outdoor area there. A French bistro area complete with globe lights and gravel.
Then we got married, bought a home, had kids, sold that home, raised our family in what is now our home and life happened. Our cafe was put on the back burner but not forgotten about completely.
Picture of a happy guy in a happy place on the day that we completed the area and finished hanging up the lights. A little older and more grey, but content in the quiet and the smaller things in life…like being together at the end of the day for a nice meal and a glass or two of wine.
We are trying to make life more simple these days, and although we can’t get back those days of our youth…trying to take in these small moments and enjoy them. I set the table with plain white dinnerware and geared my tablescape to white and gold. It is “winter” so it’s my version of a winter tablescape, even though our winter is like your spring in most areas.
Our own piece of paradise and our version of Cafe Mendocino, and I’m hoping to either make or purchase a sign to hang somewhere back here as a fond reminder to slow down and enjoy life’s moments.
I love this! I especially loved reading how you recreate moments from the past into your present. I enjoy reading your blog, very inspirational. Although I live in snowy PA, I so enjoy seeing your Florida posts. Hopefully we will get an early spring so I can start dining on my deck, but I don’t think it will be for awhile!
Just lovely Janet! And what a handsome hubby you have!
Oh my what a beautiful story and love the bistro area I will have to try this Thank you for sharing memories and your tips and yes you do have a good looking husband
I love that you took a beautiful memory and recreated it for your home. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of sign you decide on. I have a very old birdhouse that has a sign saying “Come Rest Your Weary Wings” it’s in my garden by my roses which bloom pretty much all year here in Southern California. It reminds me to enjoy the sweet little moments in each day.