Tag Archives: simple living

Letting My Own Life Be Enough

Posted on December 7, 2025 by Marcia Ren

This Advent season, I’ve been reflecting on gratitude, comparison, and the quiet practice of letting my own life be enough. A gentle reminder that contentment often begins not with more…but with awareness. Read the full blog post →

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Six Months In: A Labor of Love

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Marcia Ren

Six months after moving into our townhome, I’ve discovered that creating a home is less about filling rooms and more about shaping spaces with intention. From cozy corners to coastal touches, this labor of love has been about finding beauty in simplicity and meaning in the everyday. Read the full blog post →

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A Visit from a Pottery Barn Designer

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Marcia Ren

A recent visit from a Pottery Barn decorator offered more than just design tips…it sparked a deeper reflection on how meaningful it is to create a home that reflects who we are, not just what we see online. In this post, I share the gentle reminder that beauty often blooms in simplicity. Read the full blog post →

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A Quiet Courtyard Summer

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Marcia Ren

In this new season of life, I’ve traded in my wide garden beds for a quiet courtyard space… simple, peaceful, and just enough. It’s a shift toward intentional beauty and ease, and this summer, it feels just right. Read the full blog post →

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The Things We Keep

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Marcia Ren

There are just some things we hold onto. Sometimes for a reason, sometimes simply because they’ve always been with us. There’s a small wooden jewelry box. My father brought for me during a summer our family spent in Mexico City, between my fourth and fifth grade years. I remember the afternoon he brought it back from the marketplace… he had bartered for it, a proud smile on his face. I placed a little charm inside, a tiny, Our Lady of Guadalupe, a souvenir from the cathedral we visited there with my grandmother. The scent of the wood still lingers when … Read the full blog post →

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Seasons of Home: A new rhythm, a different kind of beauty

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Marcia Ren

For nearly a decade, I wrote from a place that felt deeply rooted in my soul…Marcia’s Cottage by the Sea. That name held the salt air, the rhythm of waves, the scent of hydrangeas in summer, and the cozy charm of a cottage built in the 1920’s. It reflected not just where I lived, but how I lived… soft, feminine, surrounded by the feminine comforts I loved. Now, life has changed. After 10 wonderful years on the coast, my husband, and I felt the gentle pull towards something different. We sold our home. We let go of many things. And … Read the full blog post →

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When the World Feels Loud: Listening for Peace in the Quiet Corners

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Marcia Ren

There are days that begin with the comfort of routine…grocery lists and favorite stores, a fresh haircut appointment, a tidy to-do list. Days where everything seems to hum along just fine. And yet, sometimes, beneath the quiet rhythm of life, there’s another current. One that pulls gently at the edges of the should, asking for attention. Today was a good day. I went to Trader Joe’s…a place I always enjoy, full of cheerful flowers and familiar things…and made an appointment at a nearby salon. I appreciated that it’s so close to home, even if it doesn’t offer everything I’m used … Read the full blog post →

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Easter Light: A New Chapter, A Quiet Blessing

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Marcia Ren

This week marks a tender, sacred time… Not only because it is holy week, but also because it reflects the season of deep transition in our lives. Just a few short weeks ago, my husband and I moved into a new townhome in a new city. The journey here began in January, when we first started talking seriously about downsizing and letting go of the home we had loved along the coast. We listed our home on February 10. By Valentine’s Day, it was in escrow. Since then, life has been a swirl of packing, donating, saying goodbye, and now… … Read the full blog post →

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After Goodbye: A Story Still Unfolding (Finding grace in the in-between)

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Marcia Ren

“Sometimes the bravest thing we do is begin again…quietly” – Unknown It’s been a week and a day since we stepped through the door of our new townhome…a modest, light-filled place nestled in the rhythm of a different city. The kind of place where the mornings are quiet, the birds sound unfamiliar, and the light pours in from just the right angle to remind me we’re somewhere new. In many ways, the goodbye we just lived through feels like it happened years ago. And in other ways, it’s still sitting with me…tucked inside half-sealed boxes, in the scent of our … Read the full blog post →

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Cozy Winter Living: A Look at My Home Right Now

Posted on February 24, 2025 by Marcia Ren

As winter envelops us in its chilly embrace, there’s something inherently comforting about creating a warm and inviting space to retreat to. Today, I’d like to share some cozy corners of my home, where elegance meets comfort during this transitional season. The Living Room: A Simple Elegance In my living room, I’ve kept the decor minimal yet elegant. The focus is on comfort, with an elegant flair, which gracefully adds to the room’s aesthetic. Instead of overwhelming the space with seasonal decorations, I have chosen to showcase just a book or two on the coffee table. One such book, centered … Read the full blog post →

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