Here we go with more changes Behind My Red Door…

Once again, times are a changing Behind My Red Door and I don’t mean just the clocks that we are moving ahead an hour this weekend. Thank you to everyone who left me a message here or on FB or the APP Forum or in an email. You all touched my heart with your kind words and pleas to keep my blog going. Because of that and after some thought, I decided that I will indeed keep my blog open and just post when it works for me, whether it is weekly or monthly or something in between.

But there is a change with Behind My Red Door. My Address. I have moved! No - not to a new house – believe me, if I ever do that, I won’t be able to keep it a secret. But I did change my blog address. I have my own dot com!! I now own BehindMYRedDoor.com. Isn’t that so cool!?? I think so!! And it was so easy to do using Google. The other day I was over at my friend Robin’s blog and she told us how to do it and you can see how if you click HERE. Thanks Robin!!

Last weekend spring was really in the air and Mr. Red Door and I took advantage of the warm temps and cleaned up some big snow piles outside so they would melt quicker and now ~ no snow left anywhere – except a little sliver in the back. It is such a nice change to see green grass again! The mallards are back to visiting our brook again and we are wondering just where Momma duck will lay her eggs this year.

And I recently made some changes inside as well starting in the master bedroom. I moved the furniture around a bit. Mr. Red Door’s armoire is in a new spot. It is hard to tell from these pictures but it fits perfectly between the closet and door to the hall.

I don’t know why I never tried this before because it gives us more room on either side of the king sized bed. Back in 1975 they didn’t build houses for such big beds

I wanted a new look on the bed and after looking at pictures of colonial decorated homes I enjoy, I got a new matelasse bedspread and now we are using the coverlet as an accent piece instead.

I hung a prim portrait over the bed too…

Still no headboard yet! I changed the curtains too. I really hate our short bedroom windows. They are not very colonial looking but I do the best I can with them. The little pewter chamberstick I found in RI is on Mr. Red Door’s nightstand now.

I took the plaid curtains and put them in hubby’s office and hung these swags with a more colonial feel. I found them at the Handmaiden in Sturbridge. (no website)

Here is a closer look at the fabric…

After moving my glove box mirror to the opposite side of my dresser, I also put a sampler that was in my office over my dresser.

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And the dining room got some changes in decor as well. I decided to take most of my pewter and display it together. At one time I had several more pieces but foolishly gave it away back when I was moving to a more primitive – less colonial look. But now that I have smartened up, I am appreciating my collection even more. I still want to add a large dinner plate in front of the big tray, but I am enjoying this display right now.

So of course I then needed to fix the little black bureau where my pewter tea set used to be. It turned out to be an easy fix. I just took the things from the black cupboard and moved them over and it works. You can see the gorgeous wrought iron candle holder that was a gift from Noel and Verge from Circa Home Living. I think it looks wonderful in it’s new home. Do check out their catalog!!

The last time I was here I showed you our old high chair I called back into to action for Lili. After searching high and low for a washable chair pad in a design that would work in with my decor, I ordered one from Carousel Designs and it came this week. It is a black and white mini check. It fits the chair perfectly and looks so much better than pink!

And I finally painted and found a home for the candle holder Jill made for me as a hostess gift when she was here last. It looks great hanging from the beam between the dining room and living room doesn’t it?

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Things are a changing with our sweet Lili every day it seems! She and I spend more time in the family room downstairs now when she is here. I have her jumper down there, as well as her porta crib and lots of toys and books and rocking chairs. That is the only room in the house with carpet so it is a good space for Lili to sit on the floor with her toys. Sometimes when I need to run upstairs for a minute or grab laundry from the laundry room next door or when I am reading in a chair nearby, I will put her in the porta crib with some toys and she plays so nicely. I put her favorite Mickey Mouse DVD on and she loves the music and bright colors. One day last week I watched from behind my magazine as she tried something brand new. At first she leaned over to the edge of the crib as she watched Mickey.

Next she scooted herself up on her legs.

And then she nearly gave me a heart attack as she started to lean WAY over the edge of the crib!

Just when I was ready to drop the camera and grab her, something on the DVD caught her attention and she sat back down.

And just when I started to breath again, she did it all over again!

It was time to change the mattress position in the porta crib at Grammy's house!! Her Mommy and daddy had to do he same thing in her crib at home the very next morning too.Then one day later in the week, her mommy was greeted with this...

Lili pulling herself up on her crib from the floor…

She likes to hold on the crib and ‘dance’ to music!! She is just so darn cute!

And not only that, but Lili has two bottom teeth just ready to pop out of her gums! Yes, times are a changing!

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Something else changed since I was here last – my AGE! I am now officially 55! WOOHOO! I remember when I was young and 55 was the speed limit. I thought I’d be OLD when I got that age. Now I know I am just BETTER! Oh sure, I have more arthritis and aches and pains, but the wisdom, maturity and confidence that come with age help make up for that. I got to celebrate off and on all week with family and friends and Sunday we are all meeting up at a local steakhouse so I can enjoy a nice porterhouse steak with a salad on the side. YUMMO! In addition to many beautiful cards, emails, comments and messages, I received a few special surprises. After a week of gorgeous sunny spring like days, yesterday was gray, rainy and dreary. But not for long because the phone rang and on the other end was sweet Lili making the cutest sounds! A prefect way to start my birthday! And not long after that, my friend Janet from Winter Willow Primitives called to wish me Happy Birthday. What a sweet surprise to talk to a blogging friend in person! Thank you Janet. It was a real treat!

And then shortly after that, the doorbell rang and I was handed this gorgeous basket of my favorite flowers from my friend Loretta from Under the Wild Cherry Trees.

When we were emailing one week about our weddings, she took the time to find out my favorite flowers and kept that info tucked away. How sweet is that? Thank you so much Loretta! What a sun shiny way to warm up my birthday. I have been so enjoying them!!

And then if that wasn’t enough to keep me smiling, when the mail came later in the day I got this absolutely gorgeous cross-stitched pillow from my friend Kris from Simply Prim. I wish I could show just how amazing her stitching is. It just blows me away!

I know how much work goes into a treasure like this and I promised Kris it has found a loving home. Right now it is in a cubby on my big shelf in the living room but who knows where it will end up the next time I tweak! It will always have a place of honor in our home. Thank you again Kris – I love it!

Thank you to everyone who made this birthday so special so far.

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Things are changing in our extended family as well. Our beautiful niece Jamie Lynn is getting married in April to her college sweetheart Will. Tomorrow Jen, Ang, Lili and I are headed to Hartford, CT for Jamie’s bridal shower. Congratulations Jamie and Will!

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The next several weeks are chock full of more birthday fun – more of mine, Jen’s and Ang’s as well as Jamie’s wedding, Jill’s very last trip down from Maine before she moves to SC, and a very special announcement too. The next time I am back, I hope to have a lot to share.

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I know a lot of my friends and bloggers are having difficult times so before I close and get busy cooking for the shower, I want to leave you with this..

The Blessings of God's Seasons
We know we must pass through the seasons God sends,
Content in the knowledge that everything ends,
And oh, what a blessing to know there are reasons
And to find that our souls must, too,
have their seasons . . .
Bounteous seasons and barren ones, too,
Times for rejoicing and times to be blue . . .
But meeting these seasons of dark desolation
With the strength that is born of anticipation
Comes from knowing that every season of sadness
Will surely be followed by a springtime of gladness.
~Helen Steiner Rice

Thank you as always for stopping by and making Behind My Red Door part of your day!

Until next time – hugs, Grammy Linda