Category Archives: Our Cottage

Organizing My Closet For Spring🌸👚🧢

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Marcia Ren

“Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris Hello, sweet friends… Springtime is a wonderful season along the Oregon coast, with the arrival of warmer weather and blooming flowers. At the same time organizing my closet for spring in the Pacific Northwest can be a little bit tricky as the weather can be unpredictable and tends to be rainy and mild. However, with some careful planning and a few tricks this past week I created a functional and stylish closet that will work well for the season. … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, My Style, Our Cottage | 2 Comments

🌸The Coming of May/ a DIY👑

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Marcia Ren

“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” -Diane Mariechild Hello, sweet friends… I hope you are well… At a recent luncheon surrounded by successful women who are making significant contributions to their community… I listened to their stories and insights, and became acutely aware of the important roles that women play in our lives. From mothers and caretakers to entrepreneurs and community leaders, women are an essential part of our world. Reflecting on this experience, I realized that May Day and Mother’s Day, two upcoming holidays, provide a perfect opportunity to … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, My Style, Our Cottage | Tagged | 7 Comments

A DAY IN THE LIFE🥰/SHE SHED🐓/Part 2

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Marcia Ren

“It always seems impossible until it is done.” Hello, sweet friend… Living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest can present challenges when it comes to completing outdoor projects due to the region’s inclement weather… such was the case this past week… due to cooler temperatures, and rainfall I realized that my spring She Shed refresh… would most likely take longer than I had anticipated… however… I do look forward to sharing the finished project with you…if I can manage to complete it… until then here is the link to Part 1🌸My Cottage She Shed & Spring Refresh|Part 1🌸 where I shared … Read the full blog post →

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

A Spring Soiree🌸

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Marcia Ren

“We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are” – Max Depree Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are well… Spring is a wonderful time of year to host a gathering with friends…the weather is warming up…flowers are in bloom…and everyone is ready to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. However, spring weather can also be unpredictable… that being said let me share about how I recently hosted a small gathering inside. A few easy tips… 1. Plan your venue…(outside/inside) 2. Create a guest list… 3. Menu: a spring soiree calls for light, fresh, and colorful food options. … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage, What’s Cooking? | 6 Comments

Spring Awakenings🌸|Easy Spring Tablescape🌸

Posted on March 23, 2023 by Marcia Ren

“Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.” –Lilly Pulitzer Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are well… With the winter being over at least on the calendar my hunkering down and being cozy at home mentality has changed almost like the recent clockwork…desiring the brighter happy colors of spring… I am ready to open all the windows to watch as flowers bloom and life awakens once more… And with the daylight being longer again it’s the perfect time to start planning those fun long get togethers with friends & family… 👩‍🍳What’s Cooking… Recently I hosted a small luncheon to celebrate … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Garden/Tea Time, Our Cottage, What’s Cooking? | 1 Comment

☕️Day in a Life|☃️A Snow Day|Hello March!💚

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Marcia Ren

“No winter lasts forever, no spring skips it’s turn.” -Hal Borland, journalist and naturalist Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are doing well… A recent snowstorm in late February formed a beautiful blanket where I live…it made the garden look so sculptural. since I didn’t have to do any shoveling the quiet garden and restful day allowed me the luxury to experience my favorite time of year Christmas and magic of the holidays once more before the Spring… Happy March!

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage | 2 Comments

FEBRUARY…💗

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Marcia Ren

“I never think of the future. It comes soon enough”-Albert Einstein Hello, sweet friends… I hope you are doing well… Where did the time gone? Just yesterday it seems I was counting down to the New Year… swish went January and just like that February has arrived… While this month is associated primarily with Valentine’s Day, the journey of love…doesn’t stop there… It’s the month where the ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ movement is held… (encouraging us to do something for other people, randomly) It’s also ‘International Friendship’ month… and since it’s the month of Valentine’s Day…which is btw one of … Read the full blog post →

Posted in My Style, Our Cottage | 8 Comments

What I Got For Christmas…(big smile)

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Marcia Ren

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” -William Morris Hello, sweet friends… I hope your January is going well… Before January is over I thought I would share with you what I got for Christmas.. since it only recently arrived. Looking back it is possible that my husband might have been a little surprised by my reply that early December afternoon after inquiring about any ideas for a gift… “I would really like a velvet Chesterfield tufted nailhead sofa for the living room” I had said. There are a … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, My Style, Our Cottage | 6 Comments

January, Rest & Reset With Me…

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Marcia Ren

“I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” -Carl Sandburg Hello, sweet friends… Happy New Year… How has it been for you? This time of year is a bit confusing for many myself included. I find the mountain of motivation and ‘best life talk” at the start of the year to be quite overwhelming. I often feel bombarded with messages on “how to go forth” when actually I think what is most beneficial is to just turn in a bit…to explore my feelings and allow myself to feel gratitude for all I already have. … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, My Style, Our Cottage, What’s Cooking? | 2 Comments

Making Tamales…

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Marcia Ren

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Hello, sweet friends… When I first came up with the idea of making tamales during the holidays I thought it was because the idea of trying something new sounded appealing. Once I began the whole process I realized it was more…linking me to a much bigger picture by connecting me to people who have come before me giving me a sense of security, belonging, & identity Making tamales during the holidays had been a ritual in my family … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage | Tagged | 4 Comments