Tag Archives: gracious living

Rediscovering Retreats: A Getaway for Self-Care and Reflection

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Marcia Ren

Sometimes, we need to step away to rediscover ourselves. In the quiet moments of self-care, we find clarity, renewal, and the strength to embrace what truly matters. -Marcia While I haven’t attended the retreat since 2019, this trip felt like a rediscovery of that tradition in a new form. It was a chance to step away from daily routines, explore a new area, and focus on myself. My husband, ever supportive, encouraged me to take this time and assured me that everything at home would be taken care of, including our little pets Camille and Anastasia. His thoughtfulness made it … Read the full blog post →

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🌸Creating a Charming Mother’s Day Tablescape: A Spontaneous Collaboration Story

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Marcia Ren

Set the stage for love and appreciation this Mother’s Day with a charming tablescape that speaks volumes before the first bite… – Marcia💕 Recently, an unexpected opportunity knocked on my door in the form of a collaboration with a YouTube Creator. The challenge? Crafting a captivating tablescape for a week-long feature. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I decided to embrace the occasion and curate a special setting celebrating the essence of motherhood. The twist? I resolved to construct this tablescape using items already nestled within my home—a testament to creativity sparked by spontaneity. A few weeks back, during … Read the full blog post →

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Unveiling the Magic: My Festive Christmas Decorating Journey of 2023

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Marcia Ren

In the warmth of home and the magic of Christmas, hearts aglow with love, creating a tapestry of joy that makes every season bright. -Marcia🌟 As November 1st dawned, I eagerly embarked on my Christmas decorating journey for 2023. With anticipation, I retrieved my Christmas bins from the attic, each box containing cherished memories and festive treasures. Sorting through decorations, I carefully selected elements to transform my living space into a holiday haven. Fueled by the spirit of the season, my goal was set to weave the magic of Christmas throughout the living room, dining alcove, and kitchen. The living … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Downton Inspired/A Battenberg Cake

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Marcia Ren

“I do think a woman’s place is eventually in the home, but I see no harm in her having some fun before she gets there.” – Dowager Countess Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are doing well… Joe and I are heading out of town for the weekend. I am looking forward to this little getaway since it will include a movie date to watch the new Downton Abbey film ‘A New Era’. In anticipation of this excursion I ordered the Downton Abbey cookbook and selected a recipe to prepare. I love the cookbook and plan on baking more recipes … Read the full blog post →

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Just Another Week in Paradise

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Marcia Ren

“Take care to keep open house: Because in this way some have had angels as their guests, without being conscious of it” ~Hebrews 13:2 I’ve been meaning to share with you a chair that I saw a few weeks ago. It seems as if I’m often finding chairs that call out to me. This particular one came home with me that day. Oh and since we are becoming such good friends I also thought I’d  share a little quirky thing I do quite often  Periodically I go on the outside and pretend that I’m a visitor. I walk, look around and imagine that … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Navigating Into The New Year

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Marcia Ren

  It’s mid~day, mid~week, and close to being mid~month as I sit down and write today’s post. Since our last visit together I’ve built a snowman and seen it melt,  Experienced raindrops come and go pouring down rain  hung the new 2017 calendar🎉 halfway through January already!  and the Christmas decorations have all been tucked away  The rainy weather has provided a perfect backdrop for staying inside and getting organized again. When the sunshine is out, I have to be outside. credited to my SoCal roots (most likely) riding a bike, walking the beach, gardening or running around discovering new wonders on this beautiful coast  … Read the full blog post →

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Nantucket, New York, and beyond

Posted on October 16, 2015 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. ♡ Here we are in the second half of October. This time of year is special don’t you think… Well, I’m thinking this will be a short post, since right now I’m in the midst of everything. On the other hand, once I start talking. .. Here are some highlights of my week. I managed to take a few photos of the final completion of all our windows, which I shared about in last weeks … Read the full blog post →

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