Marsha obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interior Design from Iowa State University. In 1972 she and her husband, Thomas Paine, established Nettle Creek Interiors in San Diego. She has been a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) since 1975 and is a past President of the San Diego Chapter. She has won several Designer's Choice Awards and was honored in 1997 with the prestigious Ethel Siegelman Award for outstanding service to ASID.