BU Create

Just a few favorite snapshots from home....

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Thu, 08 May 2014 16:33:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

So now that our baby girl is approaching 9 months I'm constantly trying to find creative storage options and ways to arrange furniture and such so that everything we use on a regular basis is within arms reach. Many of these items are tiny of course, and we have a lot of them so I'm struggling a bit on how to keep our spaces looking tidy and pretty and functional at the same time.

While I continue on this journey of decorating I'm happy to post a few pics of some favorite spaces in our home prior to Alexandra's long-awaited arrival!

Stay tuned for some "new and improved" pics of our spaces once I figure things out!

M.

Today's Design Tip

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:16:00 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! For those of you that know me and have been to my house you know that my #1 design staple has always been coziness. Most importantly the living room, which is where we spend the majority of our time but second most important is the bedrooms.

A bedroom, whether it's the master or a spare should always be a relaxing sanctuary. A welcoming retreat that comforts you at the end of every day. Tons of pillows and blankets are always a must, but have you ever thought about where you place your bed?

I practiced feng shui a lot in my twenties and still utilize many of the philosophies that I learned and felt helped the feel and flow of our home a lot. My most favorite (that I absolutely swear by it) is the placement of your bed.

The foot of your bed should never be directly facing your doorway so that you see the door while you're lying down. Always try to place it on a wall away from the doorway so that it's on either side of you. If at all possible, place it on a wall that doesn't allow you to see the door at all. This is the direction that helps me get the most restful night's sleep. If your bed ends up being a little close to the door (which ours is now and was in our last home) it does go against the rule of having something blocking the flow of good chi when you enter the room, however I think it's okay in this situation. As long as you have a good clear path into the room that's clutter free it's still okay.

So if you find that you have trouble sleeping try moving your bed to a different wall and see if it helps!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

And my love for the marshmallow continues....

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 23:55:00 +0000

So Manchester has been super lucky lately with all of the amazing eateries that have been popping up everywhere downtown. My newest crush? Planet Marshmallow. Jay and I stopped in there this past Saturday on our way to a pool party at our besties' house and walked out with the most delicious marshmallow plate and iced caramel latte EVER.

Needless to say the marshmallows were a huge hit, especially with 3 year old little Bells :) I'd mention the best part about this place, but there's way more than just one.

First, it's located on the cutest, most hopping block of Hanover St., right across from the Palace Theater, second, they serve wine and beer and third (but not last since they're SO awesome) they serve almost every delicious flavor of gourmet marshmallow under the sun. Not to mention various other desserts, salads, cheese plates and specialty coffee drinks.

We happened to meet the owner herself Heather Cox during our visit and she was sweet as pie. We felt right at home immediately and can't wait to go back this weekend. The atmosphere is awesome, the location is perfect AND they're open 6 days a week! That makes me and my marshmallow addiction very happy.

So if you're in the neighborhood definitely stop by! We'll be visiting them again Friday night for some dessert and a glass of vino while we listen to the live music outside!

If you haven't liked them on Facebook already here's your chance!

Hope everyone is having a great week and staying cool!

Meliss

Hello hello!!!

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 15:47:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to post an update on our whereabouts as of late and why we've been lacking in our fantabulous posts!

Tina scored an awesome project (yay T!) and has been working on location putting in 16+ hour days so needless to say she has LESS than zero time to blog.

Jay and I finally wrapped up all the major renovations on our new house (double yay) and are just settling back into our daily routines after a much needed R&R trip to Key West. SO, with that being said I will be making up for tons of lost time on here and will be posting some super awesome and creative stuff ASAP!

To jump start things now here's a great project idea I found on one of my most loved sites Pinterest recently!

LOVE the idea of using these whiskey barrels for coffee or side tables inside or out! I think the hay on the inside is a really nice touch and softens it up perfectly.

Another exciting note is this AMAZINGLY cool new place Jay and I are going to check out on Friday night! It's called Baked Downtown Cafe & Eatery. Here are just a couple of sweet treats on the menu and they also have soups, salads, sandwiches and dinner entrees. Pretty sure I might help myself to a cute little whoopie pie along with a Pineapple Upside Down Cake martini! Perfect ending to a long week :)

Hope you're all having a wonderful week and enjoying the summer so far! We've missed you tons and can't wait to share some awesome new stuff with you guys very soon.

Chow for now!
Meliss

Future curb appeal and our current lack-there-of...

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:11:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

Okay I can't hold back the excitement any longer so I have to post some pics and give an update on our next big house projects!

Jay and I are going to be having some really fantastic landscaping done to the front yard soon, and we'll be painting the exterior of the house so the change is going to be super dramatic. I'm SO excited for things to get started!

Here is a picture of what the front of the house currently looks like (it's ghastly I know...) Can you believe there used to be a front door and stairs between the picture window and bathroom window?? That's Jay's handy work at it's best! And I do owe a ginormous thank you to Donny Parker, owner of Parker Landscaping in Bedford, NH for getting rid of the stairs. Thanks Donny! He and his guys will be doing all of our landscaping as well :)

Here's a picture after I've spruced it up in Photoshop (love it!) We've already chosen the plants and trees we want, as well as the paint color which is Pewter Cast by Sherwin-Williams.

What do you guys think?? This is just an idea of placement and garden bed shape but Donny will be working his magic on this one. We're hoping to have everything complete within the next few weeks (weather permitting) so fingers crossed everyone!!! I'll post some official after pics once it's all complete!

It's almost here!!!

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:07:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

I have some very exciting news to share with all of you! Bilodeau Design & Décor is currently in the process of a HUGE transformation. After almost a year of collaborating with one of my most fabulous friends Tina Ulee, ex-New Yorker currently working in Boston, about ideas we share on everything from design & fashion to pedicures and great sushi, we have finally decided on a home for our new project. A new design and everyday life blog called ‘BU. Create’.

Here you will find more inspiration and ideas than you’ll know what to do with about things like traveling, local places we love to dine at, great wine bars, tips on dieting and delicious recipes to try and of course, anything and everything relating to design and home décor.

Our goal is to really build a community within our blog. To have all the readers interacting with each other, getting inspired by our posts and each other and share all the things they love about design as well.

We’re super excited to get started so keep your eyes peeled for all the fabulousness that’s about to come your way!!

Hope you’re all having a great week and have an ever better weekend, and remember...

(One of my favorite quotes ever!)

Bye for now!
Meliss

Custom made home decor signs

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:41:00 +0000

Hi everyone and happy Saturday!

I hope you're all enjoying a super wonderful weekend wherever you are! Jay and I are busy wrapping up some projects here around the house...finishing up the new mudroom, organizing closets and of course the never ending clean out of the garage. How did we ever accumulate so much stuff?? I think a trip to Goodwill might be in order!

So I'm very excited to announce that I'll finally be selling some really awesome custom made signs! This is a photo of one that I made for Jay as a house warming gift - it's the least I could after all the hard work he's put into making this our most beautiful home yet. The sign lists the names of all the streets we've lived on so far, growing up and together. What do you think??

If you love vintage subway signs, bus scrolls, and destination lists as much as I do, just think of how awesome it would be to create one that's unique to you and your life?

I'll also be creating some new ones of my own design to purchase as well. You can order one by contacting me here or by visiting the link below that will bring you to my posting on Craigslist. Opening up a shop on Etsy might be in the near future but I haven't decided yet. Will keep you posted on that!

Well I'm off to grab some much needed java and get back to work. Hope everyone has a really great weekend!

Click here to order your custom made sign today!

How to make your home cozier than ever

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:47:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

I'm so very sorry it's been AGES since my last post. We've been so busy remodeling and decorating our new house that time has just gotten away from me it seems!

I did however, come across this great post on Apartment Therapy that I wanted to share with you immediately if not sooner, because the #1 thing that people closest to me know about my decorating style is that COZY is KEY. Click below and read on to see how you can make your space the coziest it's ever been!!

Cozification: 7 Steps to Your Coziest Home Yet!

A Stylish Home with Practical Storage via BHG

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:55:00 +0000

Here's a great home tour on staying organized in super stylish ways... I'm definitely going to steal some of these tips! (view slideshow)

Enjoy!

Quick post before I start doing some more packing!

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:21:00 +0000

So I'm trying to keep up with my blogging as often as I can, although with all the packing, renovations and moving we're doing between the new house and 2 apartments it's proving to be a little tricky squeezing it in. Just wanted to post a few pretty pics before I jet off to do some more packing!

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend everyone!
(images via House Beautiful)

Living Room Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:34:00 +0000

Happy Sunday everyone!

Jay and I are finally closing on our new house tomorrow which means I've been stock piling inspiration pics for my new decorating project. Here's one that has the same feel as our new living room with the large window area and fireplace (minus the windows behind the sofa.) Although I do love the color scheme, we'll be replacing browns and taupes with shades of gray. The set up is perfect though!

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!
(images via BHG)

Inspirational pic for the day

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:57:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend! Mine was packed with friends, music, wine and delicious end of summer food so it was very nice. Although I'm sad to say goodbye to summer, I'm so happy that fall is finally here!

Today is a bit dreary, so I'm totally wishing that I was snuggled up on this bed right now. And I'm so in love with this linen duvet cover. This picture has all the right elements of building a super comfortable bed!

Enjoy and I hope you all have an amazingly awesome week!

Super cozy chairs

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:34:00 +0000

I came across these chairs in Pottery Barn's Teen section that I absolutely LOVE. The butterfly style is super comfortable and would look perfect pretty much anywhere in my house, and the faux sherpa desk chair would be a dream come true to sit in all day! :) Aahh...I just love fluffy things...

Hope you're all having a great day and Happy September!

Inspirational photo for the day!

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:02:00 +0000

Love this photo...when I finally get my breezeway it's definitely going to look something like this. Hope you're all having a great week!

Bilodeau Design & Décor is finally here!

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:53:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

For those of you who aren't already receiving emails from Living a Beautiful Life, I wanted to give you the opportunity to signup if you'd like and also to share some exciting news!

Living a Beautiful Life has finally found it's home in a brand new web site. Bilodeau Design & Décor houses all the fabulous things that I am passionate about and live every day of my life doing, along with an amazing shop section that will soon be filled with custom graphic pieces and an array of found and refurbished items for the home.

The new site is still in it's baby stage but I wanted you all to be along for the ride as it grows... Check it out today and be sure to follow and subscribe to keep being a part of all the exciting changes that are happening!

Thank you to everyone for all of the amazing support and encouragement that you've given me along the way. I could not have done this without each and every one of you!

Random pretty photos

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:13:00 +0000

Happy Thursday everyone!

Super chic house tour with a link that works!

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:41:00 +0000

Sorry everyone! I was so excited to share this with you guys that I forgot to make the link actually work!

I'm literally obsessed with the photos of this gorgeous house tour. I'm particularly inspired by this photo and have decided that the interior doors in our next house will most definitely be painted black. Which will go perfectly with the pale grey and white color scheme we already have planned (for whenever we move...NO idea when that will be.) So I'm REALLY crushing on these pics right now.

I'm already in love with black exterior doors so it's only natural to be able to look at something I love so much all the time right? I think so!

Check out the house tour on Apartment Therapy and let me know if there's anything about it that inspires you!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/boston/rich-amp-emilys-somerville-surprisehouse-tour-154380

New artwork project!

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:20:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

So here's a picture of the next project I have planned. I love all the old train station signs out there but really wanted one that had some sentimental value for us. I decided to use our most favorite vacation spots and made one of my own, now I just have to decide what medium I want to have it printed on!

Canvas is my first choice but it can be very pricey. My friend suggested having the text printed on vinyl and painting a salvaged door or piece of wood black then placing the letters on. LOVE that idea too so I'm not sure yet which direction I'll head in!

Let me know if you have any other cool ideas for this piece, I'd love to hear from you!

My current source of inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:42:00 +0000

Happy Wednesday everyone!

So sorry it's been ages since I've written! My schedule has been super busy lately with new ventures, developing plans for the future and quite a bit of travel. Things are finally starting to feel somewhat calm so I'm taking the opportunity to share a little beauty with you.

I decided to use the photo of this kitchen as my computer's desktop wallpaper so I can feel inspired by it throughout the day (even if it's only for a few seconds at a time when half of my usual 12 open windows are minimized.) I'm so in love with it. I find so much beauty in it's simplicity and I love the balance of masculine and feminine, which I strive to achieve in our home all the time.

The only aspect of this room I would change is getting rid of the entire wall on the right. I'd have this room open to the rest of the house like ours is set up now (so much more perfect for entertaining.) I'd also swap out some of the top cabinet doors on the left with the glass ones for a more airy feel.

My 3 favorite pieces are the chairs, window treatments and pendant lights. I would add all of these to my kitchen in a heartbeat! Perhaps in our new place? Once we finally find it that is... I'll keep daydreaming until then!

Cheers everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Guest Blogger Post: Dining in Boston...

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Today we are going to take a little trip to Boston…..

I am in Boston very often and for those that love food, we know there are more then enough restaurants to choose from depending on your mood. My fiance and I have developed a love for Florentine Café’ on Hanover Street in Boston’s North End.

The menu offers a great variety and they have a great bar selection. We usually stop in for lunch but both know their dinner menu is just as delectable. Here are a few of their selections of the menu:

Veal Alla Crema – Veal scaloppini with shrimp, onions, mushrooms and roasted peppers in a sherry wine cream sauce over linguine.

Chicken or Veal Marsala – Chicken breast or veal scaloppini with prosciutto, mushrooms, Marsala sauce and choice of pasta.

Carpacccio – thinly sliced carpaccio of beef sirloin with asparagus, arugula, aged balsamic extra virgin olive oil and Romano cheese.

One of my favorite dishes and very easy to make at home is pollo con ziti – sautéed chicken with garlic, olive oil, garlic, white wine, broccoli and parmesan over ziti.

Vesuvio – sweet sausage, tomatoes, caramelized onions, smoked mozzarella, zucchini and parmesan.

Florentine Cosmopolitan Martini

Equal parts Orange and Citrus Vodka with Orange Liqueur, Fresh Lime Juice and a splash of Cranberry Juice

Wines
2006 Maso Canali, Pinot Grigio, Trentino $10

2004 Rocca della Macie – Chianti $16

Bon Appetite!

Some of my favorite packaging

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:17:00 +0000

I'm currently doing trend research for two long days of marketing meetings, and have come across so many different beautiful and interesting designs for bags and boxes. From everything to small bags shaped like conversation hearts for Valentine's Day to gorgeously wrapped nesting boxes for Christmas or everyday.

Below are some of my favorites, especially the eco-friendly kraft products...just love the simplicity of them. I've also included some of my favorite retail packaging as well!!

Enjoy!

Today's Beautiful Room

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:29:00 +0000

So I had made up my mind to switch over to a cooler palette in our new home, and I've really been loving grays, purples, blacks and whites together for a while now.

However, while flipping through my new Pottery Barn catalog I absolutely fell in love with the feel of this room. It's so warm and cozy and I can't ignore the fact that I've always been emotionally drawn to that. It makes me think of long, warm summer nights with windows open, jazz playing and candles burning and the smell of delicious food that was cooked on the grill.

No idea what we'll end up doing but I already know which end of the color spectrum Jay's always on... super warm :)

Happy Sunday! Hope you all had a beautiful weekend.

For Japan With Love

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:47:00 +0000

My heart goes out to everyone who is involved in this awful disaster. My thoughts and prayers are with them all.

Bloggers Day of Silence

For Japan With Love

FINALLY!

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Happy Monday everyone! If you're far enough away from the East Coast to not be caught in this horrible icy weather I'm super jealous! I'm so grateful for telecommuting which is keeping me safe and warm inside today.

Well I have some very exciting news to share! Now that I have told my parents, siblings and girlfriends, I can finally share with everyone that Jay and I will finally be moving into our second home! We are purchasing another 2-family that is amazingly 7 houses away from where we live now which is great. The move will be a lot easier and maintenance and any emergencies that arise will be a piece of cake since we're so close.

Of course I've been a busy bee collecting all sorts of inspirational photos for decorating purposes and here's my collection so far! I don't love every aspect of these rooms, but will be pulling bits and pieces away from each to put our brand new look together.

Enjoy and keep an eye out for my revamped version of the exterior which will be coming soon!

Have a beautiful day everyone!

Current source of inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (BU. Create) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 20:04:00 +0000

I must apologize for being away for so long....the stress and germs of the season finally caught up with me and had me sick in bed and on the sofa for the last few weeks. But I seem to be on the mend (finally!) and I'm anxious to share this gorgeous room with you!

It's a guest room at the Elysian Hotel in Chicago, (photo courtesy of ELLE DECOR) and is my current source of inspiration to reference when we decorate our next home (whenever we finally purchase one.) My goal is to incorporate gray furniture and carpeting because my whites and ivorys are proving to be very high maintenance with a house full of pets.

I love all of the crown molding here and the black door is just stunning. The purple flowers and large wall mirror complete the look and make it feel polished and comfy at the same time.

So in love with it!! :)

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and is staying warm wherever you are!!