The Hastings: fair as spring’s first blush, wise as winter’s hush.

The Hastings.

In a quiet town called Grantham, England, on the morning of July 31st, 2000, the summer air carried the scent of wet leaves and blooming flowers. In the maternity ward of the town hospital, two small cries filled the air ten minutes apart—the first belonging to Marie Goudriva Hastings, followed by her younger sister, Marcie Goudriav Hastings.Since childhood, Marie and Marcie were like a melody, each note completing the other. They grew up side by side, learning to walk together, and discovering their love for music before they could even pronounce the word “guitar” properly. Marie, with her endless curiosity, loved observing the world, questioning everything, and getting lost in her thoughts. She was often found sitting by the bedroom window, writing song lyrics or sketching in her notebook—little drawings that would one day become paintings.Marcie, on the other hand, was quieter, but never passive. She was full of plans. Every piece of her life felt like a puzzle she carefully arranged. While other children were still weighing dreams of the future, Marcie already knew she wanted to one day own a small bakery on the corner of town. Her passion for baking began in their home kitchen, when she helped their mother bake a cake for their father’s birthday. From then on, the scent of vanilla and buttery batter became something that warmed her heart.They were raised in a humble and loving family. Their father, Simon Hastings, was a high school history teacher and a gifted storyteller who loved to read tales of the past at bedtime. Their mother, Daphne Hastings, was a home-based seamstress known among the neighbors for her skill in handcrafting classic dresses. It was Daphne who introduced them to the world of art and music—singing while sewing, or playing a few chords on the old piano in the living room, just to keep the house filled with sound.Marie inherited her mother’s artistic soul. After graduating from the University of the Arts London with a degree in Fine Art, she decided to become a full-time painter. She worked in a small studio not far from the city center, a room with tall windows and walls covered in colorful strokes. Her paintings were often somber but striking, capturing emotion in blurred forms that couldn’t be ignored. She never chased popularity, but her work slowly found a place in independent galleries and collective exhibitions.Marcie walked a path just as grounded. She continued her studies at the University of Nottingham, majoring in Industrial Engineering. While the degree seemed far from the world of cakes, to her, it was all connected. She learned about planning, efficiency, and management—the foundation of her dream. After graduating, she opened her own bakery on a brick-paved corner, where people came to find comfort in fruit tarts and warm chocolate cookies. The shop’s interior was simple but sweet, filled with the aroma of baked wood and low-hanging fairy lights.Now, they live their own lives—Marie with her brushes and canvas, Marcie with her oven and dough. Sometimes they still perform together, singing old songs at family gatherings or simply reminiscing on a Saturday night. Sometimes they argue, sometimes they quietly admire each other. But they always return to one another.Marie and Marcie. Two sisters born of the same womb, raised in the same home, growing into two worlds—different, yet in harmony. They never needed to walk the same path, because they knew how to walk side by side. Like vocals and guitar—not meant to be the same, only to know when to fill the silence for one another.

Marie.

Name	: Marie Goudriva Hastings
DOB	: July 31st, 2000
Birth Place	: Grantham, England
Nationality	: British
Education	: B.A. in Fine Art, University of the Arts London
Occupation	: Painter and Visual Artist, based in Grantham

TRIVIA.

• Marie loves the color lilac, and in all of her paintings, there will always be an element of that color.

• Marie loves spending her time on the second-floor balcony of her studio.

• She designed her small painting studio together with her twin sister, Marcie. It’s a cozy, warm two-story building called Lilly Blooms.

• Marie loves Marcie’s croissants so much that she could spend the rest of her life eating nothing but those.

• Marie was very nervous at her first art exhibition. She cried all day the day before, and only Marcie knew about it.

• Marie has no talent for cooking — whatever she tries to make always tastes ‘very strange,’ according to her mother.

• Marie loves eating — she lives to eat!

Marcie.

Name	: Marcie Goudriav Hastings
DOB	: July 31st, 2000
Birth Place	: Grantham, England
Nationality	: British
Education	: B.Eng in Industrial Engineering, University of Nottingham
Occupation	: Pastry Chef and Owner of a Small Independent Bakery in Grantham

TRIVIA.

• She is a neat freak—everything has its place, and clutter makes her uneasy.

• She is passionate about swimming, and often won gold medals in high school, but an injury forced her to stop.

• Her bakery is named “The Golden Whisk,” inspired by a brass whisk she inherited from her grandmother.

• She keeps a small handwritten recipe book locked in her bakery drawer, passed down from her mother.

• She prefers brown, black, and white.

• Marcie plays the ukulele quietly in her room but never in front of others. Only Marie has ever heard her sing.

• Whenever Marcie tries a new recipe, she asks Marie to be the first to taste it. Marie’s reactions, whether thoughtful or teasing, have quietly guided Marcie’s confidence since they were kids.