-
Hi, I’m Marcia.
Teacher turned storyteller, coast dweller turned city explorer. I share everyday beauty through words, music, and photos…welcoming slow mornings, garden paths, and all the little joys that make a life well-loved.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG
ABOUT ME
-
POPULAR POSTS
Two Months In: A Mid-Year ReflectionJune 9, 2025A Quiet Courtyard SummerJune 16, 2025Styling Our Home in This New ChapterJune 2, 2025Dressing for this New ChapterMay 26, 2025 BLOG ARCHIVES
- June 2025 (5)
- May 2025 (4)
- April 2025 (8)
- March 2025 (5)
- February 2025 (4)
- January 2025 (5)
- December 2024 (4)
- November 2024 (4)
- October 2024 (6)
- September 2024 (5)
- August 2024 (4)
- July 2024 (5)
- June 2024 (4)
- May 2024 (4)
- April 2024 (5)
- March 2024 (4)
- February 2024 (5)
- January 2024 (4)
- December 2023 (5)
- November 2023 (4)
- October 2023 (4)
- September 2023 (5)
- August 2023 (5)
- July 2023 (5)
- June 2023 (5)
- May 2023 (7)
- April 2023 (4)
- March 2023 (4)
- February 2023 (4)
- January 2023 (5)
- December 2022 (4)
- November 2022 (5)
- October 2022 (4)
- September 2022 (4)
- August 2022 (4)
- July 2022 (3)
- June 2022 (5)
- May 2022 (4)
- April 2022 (4)
- March 2022 (4)
- February 2022 (4)
- January 2022 (4)
- December 2021 (5)
- November 2021 (4)
- October 2021 (2)
- September 2021 (5)
- August 2021 (4)
- July 2021 (4)
- June 2021 (4)
- May 2021 (4)
- April 2021 (5)
- March 2021 (4)
- February 2021 (4)
- January 2021 (4)
- December 2020 (5)
- November 2020 (4)
- October 2020 (5)
- September 2020 (4)
- August 2020 (5)
- July 2020 (5)
- June 2020 (5)
- May 2020 (5)
- April 2020 (4)
- March 2020 (4)
- February 2020 (4)
- January 2020 (5)
- December 2019 (6)
- November 2019 (5)
- October 2019 (4)
- September 2019 (5)
- August 2019 (3)
- July 2019 (5)
- June 2019 (3)
- May 2019 (4)
- April 2019 (4)
- March 2019 (4)
- February 2019 (4)
- January 2019 (4)
- December 2018 (4)
- November 2018 (7)
- October 2018 (2)
- September 2018 (4)
- August 2018 (5)
- July 2018 (4)
- June 2018 (4)
- May 2018 (5)
- April 2018 (3)
- March 2018 (5)
- February 2018 (4)
- January 2018 (4)
- December 2017 (4)
- November 2017 (6)
- October 2017 (7)
- September 2017 (4)
- August 2017 (4)
- July 2017 (5)
- June 2017 (4)
- May 2017 (5)
- April 2017 (5)
- March 2017 (5)
- February 2017 (7)
- January 2017 (5)
- December 2016 (9)
- December 2015 (1)
Recent Comments
- Marcia Ren on A Quiet Courtyard Summer
- Kathi Marquette on A Quiet Courtyard Summer
- Jose on A Quiet Courtyard Summer
- Marcia Ren on A Morning I Almost Missed
- Marcia Ren on A Morning I Almost Missed
Summer, Sweetly Begun
A soft summer evening filled with music, meandering, and a spontaneous stop for something sweet. This gentle night marked the beginning of the season…and reminded me of the quiet joy in showing up for the small things. Read the full blog post
Posted in Our Home
Tagged Evening Walks, Reflections, Seasonal Joy, Simple Liing, Slow Living, Summer
Leave a comment
A Quiet Courtyard Summer
In this new season of life, I’ve traded in my wide garden beds for a quiet courtyard space… simple, peaceful, and just enough. It’s a shift toward intentional beauty and ease, and this summer, it feels just right. Read the full blog post
Posted in Garden/Tea Time, Our Home
Tagged Courtyard garden, intentional home, simple living
3 Comments
Two Months In: A Mid-Year Reflection
It’s been just two months since our big move, but it all began on New Year’s Day with a simple conversation and a hopeful. “what if?” In this mid year reflection, I’m looking back at the world of decisions, boxes, goodbyes… and all the ways this new chapter is already shaping our lives. Read the full blog post
A Morning I Almost Missed
Sometimes moments become precious gifts. Read the full blog post
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged grace in the moment, life is precious, relationships, spontaneity, unexpected gifts
6 Comments
Dressing for this New Chapter
In this new chapter, my wardrobe has softened…welcoming comfort, ease, and quiet confidence. I’m dressing for slower days, peaceful moments, and the simple joy of feeling at home in my own skin. Read the full blog post
A Small Victory: Stepping Up and Settling In
In the quiet moments of change, we often met was surprising clarity. This post is a gentle reflection on finding peace when life feels uncertain, and how faith, presence, and even small victories can anchor us. Part of the “Seasons of Home” series, it’s an offering of encouragement to those navigating new chapters, wherever you find yourself today. Read the full blog post
In Faith and the in-Between
There’s a tender space between what was and what’s not yet. A space where the old chapter has gently closed, but the new one hasn’t fully settled in. I’m living in that space right now. We’ve moved. A new town, a new rhythm, new sidewalks I’ve only just begun to walk. Some days I still reach for things that no longer fit my life here, and other days I notice a new leaf on the path that tells me…I’m starting to belong. It’s a liminal place. That space between familiarity and unfolding. And while there’s an urge to rush ahead, … Read the full blog post
The Things We Keep
There are just some things we hold onto. Sometimes for a reason, sometimes simply because they’ve always been with us. There’s a small wooden jewelry box. My father brought for me during a summer our family spent in Mexico City, between my fourth and fifth grade years. I remember the afternoon he brought it back from the marketplace… he had bartered for it, a proud smile on his face. I placed a little charm inside, a tiny, Our Lady of Guadalupe, a souvenir from the cathedral we visited there with my grandmother. The scent of the wood still lingers when … Read the full blog post
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Life in Transition, Meaningful Moments, Seasons of Home, simple living, The Things We Keep
2 Comments
Seasons of Home: A new rhythm, a different kind of beauty
For nearly a decade, I wrote from a place that felt deeply rooted in my soul…Marcia’s Cottage by the Sea. That name held the salt air, the rhythm of waves, the scent of hydrangeas in summer, and the cozy charm of a cottage built in the 1920’s. It reflected not just where I lived, but how I lived… soft, feminine, surrounded by the feminine comforts I loved. Now, life has changed. After 10 wonderful years on the coast, my husband, and I felt the gentle pull towards something different. We sold our home. We let go of many things. And … Read the full blog post