Just a few favorite snapshots from home....

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

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....

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!!!

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...

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!!!

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

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

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

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!

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)