Author Archives: Marcia Ren

To Thine Own Self Be True

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Marcia Ren

“One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes…In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt Hi there! I hope that you had a wonderful week. I continue organizing things around the cottage. Things can accumulate rather quickly here if I’m not diligent in my simple living philosophy. I must constantly stay in tune to myself. Listening to that small voice. I think You know the one I mean.Your best friend. you…  The voice that knows deep down about things that are really important. Those priorities in life. I … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | 2 Comments

Peanut butter cookies

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Marcia Ren

Hi! I wanted to share a super easy recipe for peanut butter cookies. I love peanut butter, and since I don’t eat meat, or chicken, it’s a great way for me to get a little protein. Are you ready for easy? Okay, here it is. Peanut butter cookies 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg mix all ingredients together, & bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. That’s it! Sometimes I use peanut butter with coconut instead of plain peanut butter. And, of course I always use organic sugar, and eggs. However, it’s just a preference of mine, and … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | 1 Comment

It’s a Wrap!

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Marcia Ren

Forgive me…I’ve been meaning to share these adorable gift wraps since early December. This is when I met up with a couple of friends for a festive lunch. Anyway as always time slipped away. I’m mostly sharing photos of beautiful wrapped gifts. The wrapping itself is truly a gift, and will bring pleasure to the person receiving it. For me it’s hard to justify spending a lot of money on gift wrap when I know it’s just going to get torn up and thrown away in a few days. I loved the way my friends made the wrapping look like a … Read the full blog post →

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The Chill of Winter…& Downton

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Marcia Ren

“Sometimes it’s good to rule by fear”~ The Dowager I’ve been thinking about you, so I thought I’d “ping” a quick “Hi!” and share a yummy recipe. The chill of winter on the coast brings with it a desire for comfort. Thank goodness for a little group I was invited to join. I call it the Downton Abbey Groupies. A small group of ladies meet up once a week to chat, eat, and  of course watch Downton Abbey. This brings comfort for me. Just recently we all met up, and I decided to bake up my famous quiche. It is fabulous. I served … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Life as Adventure

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Marcia Ren

Hello, Welcome to Marcia’s Cottage by the Sea. ♡ I’m so happy to see you today my friend. ♡ Shall we have a little tea. ♡ How was your first week of 2016? So far so good on my end. Christmas is put away for a year. A new little birdhouse wreath decor for January has been lovingly placed. And,  of course my fresh new calendar is up. I purchased it at a shop in Nantucket “last” October. 2015. Wow! Seems like such a long time ago now. Nantucket was part of a two week vacation my husband and I … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Tamales

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Marcia Ren

  *So here’s a cute story for a Sunday. I grew up with a tradition of having Tamales on New Years Day. When I lived in Southern California it was very easy to go to a Mexican deli and just order them for the holidays. Often, when I was still a teacher, parents would bring some  in for me. One year I actually had a few parents come over to my home and teach me how to prepare them. I was somewhat in a quandary when I moved to The Oregon coast. I wasn’t sure where I’d find tamales. So, recently while eating dinner at a local Mexican … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage | 9 Comments

January 1, 2016

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Marcia Ren

Hi! Just thought I’d pop in and see how your first day of 2016 is going. Here is how mine began. It’s wonderful having a lighthouse so close by. I’ve always loved the symbolism of the lighthouse. A guided light.  Hope your first day is going well too!

Posted in Coastal Living | 4 Comments

2015

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Marcia Ren

I usually don’t enjoy endings. And, as 2015 comes to an end… I have visions of the year I’m leaving. I’ve learned a great deal this year. I feel it’s been challenging, productive and also enjoyable day to day. What a wonderful thought to live our lives with as few regrets as possible. I have to be honest that I don’t make New Year’s resolutions either. However, at the beginning of each year I do write down a few things I’d like to work on to improve myself for the coming year. I begin to resolve to use my energy in positive, constructive, … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage | 2 Comments

A Merry Excursion

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Marcia Ren

Merry Christmas! And may you feel a great deal of joy. After all the intense preparations, we can all relax at home. There’s a lasagne baking in the oven. Dinner tonight by candlelight. And, how about a merry excursion at eight. I think I have just the perfect one. Come along. You won’t be disappointed.   Less than an hour away from our cottage on the Oregon coast the charming Shore Acres State Park embraces the Yuletide spirit. Colorfully decorated gardens, and trees are lined with over 300,000 lights, dozens of small landscape lights, 26 large holiday trees, dozens of … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | 6 Comments

Christmas Tea Time

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Marcia Ren

Earlier this week I hosted an afternoon Christmas Tea. It turned out very nice. I invited a couple of friends over, and created a sweet, simple tablescape for lunch. A veggie pot pie, salad, and Christmas cookies for dessert were served.     The choice of tea was a Christmas blend, and a Rose tea. Perfect!  I highly recommend an afternoon such as this. It’s really very easy to organize, plan, and put forth in action. I promise the work will be well worth the effort. Your friends will enjoy chatting away the afternoon, and celebrating  the joyful spirit of the season.

Posted in Garden/Tea Time, Our Cottage | 4 Comments