before and after by Kate Pruitt 44

before & after: cheery nautical bathroom makeover

I love my rental apartment, but if there’s a room that makes me wish for the chance to own my home, it’s the bathroom. In my mind, it’s one of the spaces that benefit most from even minor renovations. I love gathering inspiration from great submissions like this crisp, sunny makeover from Julie of Belle Vivir. A kind reader of ours recommended this project to us, and I loved it so much that I thought we should share. The bright, cheerful colors; warm wood; and clean white tile put me right at ease, and the tub is incredible. Amazing work, Julie! — Kate

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before and after by Kate Pruitt 30

before & after: budget-friendly apartment redo

It’s been a while since I’ve lived in a space like this one, but it just takes one glimpse of this “before” image to remember all the decorating challenges that accompany a small city apartment. Niamh of Seek Design managed to inject this space with cheer and energy by adding the right colors and patterns and refreshing pieces that the client already owned. Wonderful work, Niamh! — Kate

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before and after by Kate Pruitt 28

before & after: toolbox wall organizer

Though they have no hope of holding all my supplies, there’s something about the look and feel of these old toolboxes that I just love. Why it never occurred to me to turn such a beautifully designed item into a wall display as Kim has done here, I will never know, but I’m thankful she’s shown the way. A jewelry designer on the side, Kim needed a place to store her supplies and some of her finished pieces in her studio. This rustic toolbox provides the perfect tiny shelves to tuck things away, and looks much more unique and elegant than the standard pegboard or shelving solution. I may not have the exact same materials as Kim, but I’m definitely tempted to adapt her idea for a lovely display. Great work, Kim! — Kate

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products by Amy Azzarito 16

Punch Box Valentines from Leafcutter Designs

I’m a sucker for anything with a little history. So these punch box valentines inspired by the 1940s party games are right up my alley. When artist Lea Redmond of the World’s Smallest Post Office spotted the game Parlor Coo Coo on eBay, she was inspired to create a modern handmade version. When it was time to play the game, you’d push out a little accordion-fold paper slip that would tell your fortune, ask a trivia question or give you a challenge. Where the ’40s version has instructions like “Tie your shoelaces together and strut like a peacock,” Lea’s valentine “Sweet Words” version has romantic little sayings like “You are so awesome that I would loan you my favorite wool sweater” and “You are my lucky penny.” You can also create your own custom version (wouldn’t this make the best proposal ever?). If you’d like to know more about these games (they have a bit of a seedy past), one of my favorite sources for collecting information, Collectors Weekly, put together a great piece on their history. And you can order a punch box valentine from Leafcutter Designs here. Thanks for the tip, Lisa! — Amy Azzarito

food by Amy Azzarito 8

momofuku milk bar cookie mix

It was a sad day for my skinny jeans when the Momofuku Milk Bar opened a Williamsburg location. When it comes to cookies, the world can be divided into two kinds of people: crispy vs. chewy. I fall decidedly into the chewy camp, so the Milk Bar was extremely dangerous. There was the cereal-milk ice cream with cornflake topping, the birthday cake truffles and the bagel bombs. But my favorite was the cookies; I’ve tried every flavor. I love the Compost Cookies — everything but the kitchen sink. The Milk Bar just came out with a cookbook, so if you want to re-create the recipe from scratch, you can. But the last time I was at the Milk Bar (saying a final goodbye to those New Year’s resolutions), I noticed they had just come out with Momofuku Milk Bar cookie mixes for those of us who are less patient. The Corn Cookie and Blueberry and Cream Cookie just require adding milk and an egg. For the Compost Cookie mix, you also need to add your favorite pretzels and potato chips. Yum! — Amy Azzarito

ashley campbell by AshleyAnn 39

DIY Project: ephemera collage valentine

The mighty ampersand takes two things and celebrates how they come together. “You & Me,” “Bread & Butter,” “Sugar & Spice.” Not only does the ampersand combine things, it also stands alone as a beautiful symbol. This year I made my valentine a card that celebrates being together. It is completed with a missing heart on the front that holds our pictures on the inside. In magazines, old books, vintage cards and other ephemera, I’m always coming across gorgeous floral images. Some vintage papers and cards are stained and often only have small sections that are in good condition. I like to find ways to incorporate the beauty of older floral illustrations into more modern designs for artwork and other projects. After giving this card, it can be turned into framed wall art to enjoy instead of being tucked into a drawer! — Ashley Ann