28 Women, 1 Table, and the Kind of Connection You Can Taste

Jog pants, jams and just the right people.
That could’ve been the title, honestly. Because that’s how it started.

I had two things on my mind:
I wanted to reconnect with friends I hadn’t seen in ages, and I wanted to quietly (but meaningfully) introduce them to my new baby — La Table de Sandrine.
Not in a big “ta-da” kind of way. More like: here’s what I’ve been pouring my heart into — hope you like it.

I wasn’t sure what they’d think.
Am I on to something? Is the table too much? Too little? Is it even pretty? Is it good?

So I invited them — 28 women.
And I let the table do the talking.
Everything but the fish and the baguette
Let me say this: my table was special.
Not because it looked pretty (though, yes, it did).
Because it was made with care.

Everything on it was made from scratch —
Except the baguette (credit to my local bakery) and the smoked salmon (sadly, I didn’t catch it myself).

But everything else?
Me. My hands. My kitchen. My heart.

Meringues, cheesecakes, pavlovas, tiramisu, truffle sticks,
French cheeses straight from Brie and a village near Chambéry in the French Alps, lovingly carried by my Maman,
Homemade quiches, flaky pastries, and four kinds of jam — all paired with the cheeses (and fine, I admit it — one was my mom’s creation: pear and green tomato. My bad. But also… her jam is amazing).

This wasn’t catering.
It was caring.

Jog pants, David Guetta, and jam jars
Hours before the party? Honestly, a vibe.
I was in jog pants, music turned way up — chopping, stirring, assembling.
No stress, just pure flow.

I wasn’t rushing — I was enjoying.
It felt... good. It felt right.

By the time the first guest rang the bell, La Table de Sandrine was glowing, and I had transformed into a semi-glamorous hostess, grinning with a glass in hand.
And then they came
One by one, they arrived.
Laughing, chatting, catching up — and staring at the table.

At first, they just stared — hesitant.
“It’s too beautiful to eat,” someone whispered.
But then, one brave soul reached in for a bite…
And just like that, that was it.
They followed, like curious little bees — tasting, smiling, reaching for seconds, snapping photos, trying things they’d never had before.
And best of all — they were happy.
What I’ll remember
Yes, they loved the food — but that wasn’t the real star.
Not the pavlova. Not the truffle bites. Not even the cheese.

It was the vibe.
The warmth.
The way these women showed up — supporting me without even realizing how much I needed it.

That’s when I felt something crystal clear:
I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing.
Because it lights me up. And somehow — it lights others up, too.
To you, reading this
Here’s what I want you to know:

When you do something with your whole heart, it’s never the wrong choice.
You won’t regret pouring your time, your energy, your creativity into something that lights you up.

As Mel Robbins — my mentor from afar — says:
“You’ll never regret spending your life doing what makes you happy.”
(Thank you, Mel 💛)

So go ahead —
Do the thing that inspires you.
Put your heart in it.

Because when you create something out of love,
you’re not just making something beautiful — you’re making something true.

And that kind of magic?
It always finds its way back to you.