There is something about eating outside that makes a meal more enjoyable and more complete.  I don’t know what it is…maybe the fresh air that awakens an appetite or maybe it is being closer to the actual source of the food I am eating.  Whatever it is, eating outside is a treat that I so often forget about in the rush of life.  But when I stop and remember to venture outside to eat, I am struck by the beauty and question why every meal is not enjoyed outside.

Recently my sisters, mother, and I went to the beach for a bit and enjoyed meals on our deck as the sun set and the moon rose in the sky.  The sound of the waves crashing gently on the beach and the laughter of those most beloved to me was soothing to the soul.  We had to work with what we was at hand…which is typically not much in a rental…but we did the best we could to set the table and enjoy a delicious meal together outside enjoying the splendor of our natural setting.

We scavanged in and around the house to find anything that could be used as a centerpiece and were delighted to find these huge shells.  We just went with the beach theme…why fight it when we were in fact at a beach.  A large pot worked for an ice bucket to keep the wine and perrier chilling.  Two bushes out front provided the napkin rings and the centerpiece.  An old perrier bottle worked as a vase.  Easy and it took 10 minutes to find and set.