Tag Archives: simple living

🌸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 →

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

Finding Joy in the Simple Moments

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Marcia Ren

It’s e extraordinary how extraordinary the ordinary day is… This past week might seem uneventful at first glance, but upon reflection, it was filled with moments of pure joy and contentment. As I practiced the piano diligently for an upcoming summer production at our local community theater, I found solace in the melodies and the anticipation of sharing my music with others, it’s amazing how immersing oneself in creative pursuits can bring such fulfillment. With my husband out of town for a few days, I took the opportunity to treat myself to meals out and leisurely shopping trips. There’s something … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | Tagged , , | 2 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

Seven Years Later…🌻

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Marcia Ren

“To have courage for whatever comes in life…everything lies in that.” – Teresa of Avila Hello, sweet friends… I hope you are doing well… This week marks seven years since Joe and I made the move to a small beach cottage along the Oregon coast… looking back I realize now that this move was a h.u.g.e leap of faith for me… But taking a leap of faith meant that I fully surrendered to all expectations. It meant that I allowed myself to start anew and feel completely free. Along the way I came to realize that who I am is … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage, What’s Cooking? | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

T J Maxx Summer Haul👚👗👠

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Marcia Ren

“At the end of the day, you are enough exactly as you are.” -Meghan Markle Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are doing well… It’s amazing to think that Memorial Day is this weekend and that summer is just around the corner! I’m definitely looking forward to sunny brighter days… That being said recently I went shopping for a few summer outfits and today I would like to share them with you. Enjoy!

Posted in Coastal Living, My Style | Tagged , , , , | 7 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 →

Posted in Cooking, Garden/Tea Time | Tagged , , , | 10 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

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 →

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

Do You Know What You Love?

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Marcia Ren

  “Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it.” ~Ninon de l’Enclos More than likely as you read today’s post I’ll be in another country. Yep. I’m on a little vacation. I promise to share about it in a future post. However, today I have a question for you. Do you know what you love? Have you ever written it down? If you haven’t I would like to challenge you to take a little time to do it. You might be surprised … Read the full blog post →

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La Petite Maison

Posted on March 31, 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. ♡ It’s a new month, and I’m thrilled to see you today because of course I have a most delightful story to share. At first blush the “house” was just a worrisome project to be undertaken. And, not unlike any new relationship there was no  attachment. Similarly it’s a mystery as to when relationship shifts to attachment.  Or, as in this case a house becomes a home. Suddenly my soul was captivated by “this little … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Our Cottage | Tagged , , | 1 Comment