Category Archives: Our Cottage

A No-Bake Summer Dessert

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Marcia Ren

“A party without a CAKE is just a meeting.” – Julia Childs Hello, sweet friend… June has arrived! warmer weather… gardens in bloom… and visions of all things summer are dancing in my head… a perfect time to feast on this delicious summer delight. 👩‍🍳 What’s Cooking… A Berry Trifle Ingredients Lemon Glaze ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup lemon juice ¼ cup water ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 14 ounce prepared angel food cake Cream Cheese Filling 16 ounces cream cheese2 (8 ounce packages). softened ⅔ cup sugar 2 cups heavy whipping cream Fruit 4 cups blueberries 4 cups strawberries sliced Instructions To make the lemon glaze, whisk together sugar, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Cooking, Garden/Tea Time, Our Cottage, What’s Cooking? | 6 Comments

A Christmas Tea Gathering…🎄☕️🌟

Posted on November 23, 2021 by Marcia Ren

“My life has two seasons: Christmas & almost Christmas.” -Amy Gillis Benson Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are well. I’ve been looking forward to this special season… 🎄 a time which allows opportunities to celebrate… ☕️ today I’m excited to share a recent Christmas Tea gathering… 🌟 a festive afternoon with friends… 🎄 I kept everything super easy… 🎄 by purchasing decorative cupcakes… ☕️ macaroons… 🌟 and mini cheese cakes from a local bakery… 🎄 along with an order of ‘sugarplum cheese danish’… (from Starbucks) ☕️ I made sure to schedule our gathering on a day after all my … Read the full blog post →

Posted in My Style, Our Cottage, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

How To Host an Autumn Tea🍁☕️

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Marcia Ren

“There is no joy in life unless you share it”-anonymous Hello, sweet friend… Fall is here… And I’m excited! Today I thought I’d share with you how to prepare for a small harvest tea. I will be using only those items which I currently have to create a simple yet elegant tea… You can do this too! I hope this post will inspire you to host one of your very own during this wonderful autumn season. *Other traditional English finger sandwiches include roast beef, sliced ham, chicken salad tea sandwiches, tuna salad finger sandwiches with capers, tuna salad finger sandwiches with … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Garden/Tea Time, Our Cottage | 2 Comments

Where Love Resides…

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Marcia Ren

”The measure of achievement is not winning awards. It’s doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile.” -Julia Childs Hello, sweet friends… .and I I’ve heard it said that the best homes have something to do with the people who live in them…. that being said…no doubt the best rooms in those homes are ones which bring a sense of comfort to those who share it… This awareness somehow brings a smile since my biggest joy has come from creating a welcoming home… Old fashion as it may sound…preparing a meal is best when I share it with … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage, What’s Cooking? | 4 Comments

In The Midst Of My August…

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Marcia Ren

“But if you have nothing else to create, then perhaps you create yourself.” -Carl Jung Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are enjoying your summer… When I reflect over my own… I have really enjoyed nesting in our home… whether it’s been sitting on the back deck… hanging pictures… trying out a new recipe… or taking a walk along the river in late afternoon… allowing each moment be what it is… not holding too tightly on to what I’ve thought it should be… Reflecting helps me with this process… looking ahead with a deeper understanding of what makes life valuable… … Read the full blog post →

Posted in My Style, Our Cottage, What’s Cooking? | 1 Comment

Anastasia…One Year Later…

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Marcia Ren

”When Rome burned, the emperor’s cats still expected to be fed on time.” – Seanan McQuire Hello, sweet friends… Anastasia came to live with us last August… a tiny… timid… bundle of nerves… Who has since grown… into a funny gal with real personality… pointing her tail in the air… gliding from room to room… She has mastered the art of her meow… for everything… One year later she is officially QUEEN home. 👩‍🍳 What’s Cooking? Shrimp Alfredo Ingredients Fettuccine pasta  Shrimp (I used frozen 31-40 count per pound size shrimp. You could use smaller or larger. If using smaller … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage | 6 Comments

Six Years Later & A Garden Tour…💕

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Marcia Ren

Life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. – Leonard Nimoy Hello, sweet friends… This past weekend Joe and I shared our home in a local garden tour… and six years ago (on the same weekend) we had made the biggest move of my life… moving from California to the Oregon Coast…. Reflecting on these past years… I’ve learned that changing the direction of your life is a bit like growing things from seed… Those early ideas dreams can be compared to early seedlings… some just don’t develop at all… others grow … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Garden/Tea Time, Our Cottage | 8 Comments

Music…My Father…and…The Piano🎶

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Marcia Ren

  “Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song.” -Pam Brown Hello, sweet friend… These past few days the weather has been beautiful… I’ve been enjoying the garden…  The ‘Doris Day’ roses Joe planted in memory of my father’s 100th birthday… are blooming beautifully!  That being said…and with Father’s Day just around the corner… today I would like to share a re-edited post written several years ago…dedicating it to my father a.k.a.… ‘Captain Ed’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Original post published June 2015   One of the reasons I love to blog… is that I … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Garden/Tea Time, Our Cottage | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Retirement…10 years later & A Mini Summer Garden Tea…

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Marcia Ren

To Do…1. Plant a Garden✔️2. Bake a Pie✔️3. Read a Classic✔️4. Shop all Day✔️✔️ Hello, sweet friends… Today marks the 10th anniversary of my retirement. Similar to those 30 years of teaching…these past 10 years have been an exciting adventure …and the years have sweetly flown by… Now come and join me as I share how I spent the day…

Posted in Garden/Tea Time, Our Cottage | 6 Comments

Earth Day 2021…Planting A Garden👩‍🌾

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Marcia Ren

“Smell the sea, and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.” -Van Morrison Hello, sweet friends… With the warm weather… and vaccines rolling out… in-person celebrations… activities and more in our communities are slowly coming back… specifically outdoor events… I was very excited to receive notice that this year’s summer Garden Tour will go forward as planned… Something wonderful to look forward to… so this week I made a quick trip to one of my favorite nurseries ‘Dragonfly Nursery’ where I picked up a variety of garden starters…lettuce…tomatoes…bell peppers & cucumbers… Along those lines… what better way to … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Garden/Tea Time, Our Cottage | 1 Comment