Let’s Go To Florence…

Posted on August 28, 2020 by Marcia Ren

When you love what you have, you have everything you need. Hello, sweet friends… Years ago Joe and I traveled to Florence, Italy. It was so beautiful. I smile as I remember those days of international travel. For now travel as we knew it is on hold. I’m grateful there are wonderful places close to where I live that I can visit. today I’m taking you to one of them which is just a little over an hour away. The Florence we are visiting is one of the Oregon Coast’s leading destination towns. With it’s scenic boardwalk… harbor lined historic … Read the full blog post →

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

It’s A “Shore” Thing…& A Great Pasta Recipe

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Marcia Ren

We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same. -Anne Frank Hello, sweet friend… Well…here we are in August still dealing, coping, and doing our best in regards to staying healthy & making choices on how to do so, since March… No doubt you need a break from everything I certainly do …so today I’m taking you for a visit to Shore Acres where you can enjoy the outdoors and all it’s beauty. The gardens are perched on rugged sandstone cliffs high above the ocean… and fortunately for us even with … Read the full blog post →

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

East Coast charm

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Marcia Ren

This post was originally published back in 2015… 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 are you? Hope you had a good week. Any plans for the weekend? In last weeks post https://marciascottagebythesea.com/nantucket-new-york-and-beyond/I mentioned about an upcoming vacation to the East Coast. It’s sort of funny to use the word “vacation” since I live in a small coastal town on the Oregon Coast, that often feels like I’m always on vacation. Well, so anyway… Earlier in the week Joe and I … Read the full blog post →

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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