Author Archives: Marcia Ren

Meet Anastasia

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Marcia Ren

In the current world situation feeling “happy” takes a bit of effort at times. Read the full blog post →

Posted in 2020, A Quarantined Life, Cooking, What’s Cooking? | 6 Comments

A Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Marcia Ren

”If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.”-Dolly Parton Hello, sweet friends… I thought that this week would be a perfect time to share some extra sweetness… Yes, today I’m sharing the mother of all everyday cakes. I spoke about it in last week’s post: Midsummer Diaries…A Vlog This cake recipe is delicious and comforting. and we could all benefit from a bit of comfort right now. The house smells gorgeous when it’s in the oven, it’s a cinch to make and you can vary it by changing the jam in the middle, adding butter cream, … Read the full blog post →

Posted in 2020, A Quarantined Life, Cooking, What’s Cooking? | 2 Comments

Midsummer Diaries…A Vlog

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Marcia Ren

Hello, sweet friends…Happy August! Today I invite you into my home…where we will prepare a meal…take a walk along the river…stroll in my garden…a drive to the coast…& just spend time hanging around together. I hope you enjoy these midsummer diaries. “Always leave people better than you found them. Hug the hurt, kiss the broken, befriend the lost. Love the lonely.”-Unknown

Posted in A Quarantined Life, Coastal Living, Garden/Tea Time, What’s Cooking? | 6 Comments

5 Years Later…and What’s Cooking?

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Marcia Ren

And suddenly, you know…it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings… Hello, sweet friend… Sometimes the smallest decisions change our lives, reroute our destinies without even our own awareness… So quietly… without fanfare like a soft phrase willing us to follow the source. That was me on moving to the Oregon coast from California five years ago. With limited knowledge of the area… I was completely unprepared for such a move.… However five years later (I forget that I’m still somewhat of a recent transfer to this area)… I now feel more like the proverbial … Read the full blog post →

Posted in 2020, A Quarantined Life, Coastal Living, What’s Cooking? | 6 Comments

The Art of Friendship…& A Recipe For The Best Lemon Bars Ever!

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Marcia Ren

The greatest gift of life is friendship…and I have received it. Hello, sweet friends… At a recent garden tour I hosted… and shortly before my guests arrived… I placed a basket of personalized cookies that were an unique art form of me and my home. That is until my neighbor came early and was shocked that I was about to serve them. She exclaimed “those should be out in a shadow box!!!!’ I was in a dilemma…what was I to serve? I had prepared lemon bars as a backup and she said to me “you put those away…and I will … Read the full blog post →

Posted in A Quarantined Life, Coastal Living, Cooking, Garden/Tea Time | 4 Comments

Rose Castle Cottage…2020…& A Garden Tour

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Marcia Ren

The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds for mirth, one is nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth-Dorothy Frances Gurney Hello, sweet friend… For several reasons I thought today would be a perfect day to share our garden. As you know shortly after moving into our home last September we were asked to participate in the 2020 garden tour. I felt honored & excited since the date of the tour coincidently marked 5 years since moving from California to the Oregon coast… With the concerns over the pandemic this year’s tour … Read the full blog post →

Posted in 2020, A Quarantined Life, Coastal Living, Garden/Tea Time, Together Apart, What’s Cooking? | 7 Comments

A Summer Haul & Cake Too!!!

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Marcia Ren

Bad vibes do not go with my outfit… Hello, sweet friend… Whether or not this month will include zoom calls…virtual workouts…or playing ping pong in our basement… I am looking forward to warmer weather…sunshine…opening up the windows…sitting on the deck and wearing comfortable summer-worthy outfits. Let me share with you a few items I recently purchased paired with those I’ve had to guarantee a comfortable quarantined summer. 👩‍🍳 What’s Cooking? Angel Food Cake with Berries I had so much fun making this dessert. I decided to make the angel food cake from scratch since there weren’t any cakes available in … Read the full blog post →

Posted in 2020, A Quarantined Life, Coastal Living, Cooking, My Style | 4 Comments

The First Week of Summer…Artful Living…& Strawberry Pie

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Marcia Ren

Summertime is always the best of what might be. Hello, sweet friends… Happy Summer! My calendar is littered with cancelled events & vacation plans…and has been filled with… nothing. But wait. There is still fun to be had… the adventure of discovering ways to enjoy this summer… coming up with ideas for how to entertain… social distancing gatherings with family and friends… while still staying safe. Now more than ever I am so grateful to live in an area surrounded by rivers…forests…and of course the ocean. This past week Joe & I visited Golden and Silver Falls State Park a … Read the full blog post →

Posted in 2020, A Quarantined Life, Coastal Living, What’s Cooking? | 6 Comments

My Father…A Jewelry Box…& Biscuits

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Marcia Ren

Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart– Winnie the Pooh Hello, sweet friends… With Father’s Day around the corner I wanted to share a story about my father…aka…’Captain Ed’ Before my father was married and while serving duty in the Navy he promised his mother my grandmother who was always praying for him that one day he would take her back to visit her hometown in Mexico. Many years later and during the summer of my 4th grade he fulfilled this promise to his mother taking her back to her hometown. along with his wife … Read the full blog post →

Posted in 2020, Cooking, What’s Cooking? | 6 Comments

What I’ve Been Thinking…& Lemon Scones

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Marcia Ren

The more he gives to others, the more he possesses of his own. -Lao-Tzu Hello, sweet friend… As a child I never understood what my parents meant when they said “it’s better to give than to receive.” I now know that when I give to others I do this out of abundance. I have already received and therefore I’m able to give. I can’t give away something I don’t already have…and so I’ve learned to give when the spirit moves me knowing that it will be replenished. That being said…I’ve come to also accept that I can’t change the world… … Read the full blog post →

Posted in 2020, A Quarantined Life, Coastal Living, Cooking, My Style | 6 Comments