Your doormat is one of the first things people see when they come to your house…so why not make an impression? Give visitors a little preview of the stylish/quirky/awesome house just inside that door, and show off your personality while you’re at it! Now is the time to get a doormat, anyways. You’ll need something to wipe your boots off on, now that it’s fall! In Seattle, the beginning of fall means the beginning of rain. Literally. We had the most beautiful, sunny, amazing summer, and yesterday (the first day of fall), sure enough! Rain. Oh well--I’ve got a doormat, a fireplace, and some rain boots, so…bring it on. But in case you don’t have a doormat yet, here are my picks to remedy that situation.

1. Constellation - $34.99 / 2. Hi, I’m Mat - $24.99 / 3. Please Be Neat - $29 / 4. Slide to Unlock - $44.50 / 5. Hello there - $45 / 6. Sup - $50 / 7. Turn Off Your Straightener - $40 / 8. Come in / Go away - $38 (isn’t that cool? these are the same doormat, as viewed from either side) / 9. Nice Underwear - $24 / 10. Hello, Goodbye - $29

11. Whalecome - This is my doormat! It’s one of my favorite DIY projects--and for those of you who wondered how the porch paint would hold up, I’m happy to report that the answer to that is well. It’s holding up very well. / 12. Not You Again - $30 / 13. The Neighbors Have Better Stuff - $50 / 14. Well Hello There - $29 / 15. Mixtape - $38

Which doormat is your favorite? Do you have a funny doormat? A pretty one? Or none at all…yet?

About a month ago, Home Depot invited me and several other bloggers to be a part of a DIY challenge. The project was up to us…the only rule was that it had to involve plywood. I had a bunch of ideas (plywood is a fun material to work with!) but in the end I decided on something that I knew we’d actually use a lot: a shoe rack! Before we made this, we kept all of our shoes piled up in our entryway closet. It was the worst. I was always so irritated digging around in the morning to find the shoes I wanted to wear that day. Now, we have a cute little rack for all of our favorite shoes, and if we clear the top off, it doubles as a bench for sitting down and pulling on boots or tying shoelaces.

What I like about this project is how customizable it is. We used our shoes to determine the height and the depth of our rack, so it’s exactly right for us. And we made it the perfect size for our entryway. Likewise, if you have waaay more shoes or if you have a smaller space to tuck a shoe rack in, you can totally adjust all the measurements to fit your own needs. And if you don’t like the look of natural plywood, you could even customize that too--just stain the wood or paint it!

Check out the Home Depot blog today to see the DIY instructions and make your own. You should definitely check out everyone else’s plywood projects too! Lots of great ideas (a plywood lampshade, budget friendly artwork, etc.).

P.S. Happy fall (officially)!

Here’s the funny thing: I’ve been following Lidy for several months now on Instagram (and I love her style), but I’d never actually checked out her own blog until a couple days ago, when I saw her house tour on Style Me Pretty. I’m so glad they featured her! Not only is her house g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s, but her blog Hello Lidy is a new favorite of mine (I already added it to my blogroll). You should definitely check it out too…right after you scroll through these photos of her home!

Lidy’s house has a great mix of vintage and modern. I absolutely love her hexagonal dining table, and that awesome lighting fixture too!

Ok, to be honest, I’m kind of obsessed with her whole dining room.

My other favorite room in her house is the bedroom. I love industrial pipe shelving unit around the bed, and the exposed closet!

What’s your favorite room or detail in Lidy's house? I know, it’s hard to decide.

Photos by Christine Choi, originally featured on SMP Living.

P.S. I wrote a guest post for Bali Blinds that was posted yesterday, all about how to decorate with bamboo. Check it out here. AND I did a guest post about felt ball decor for Oh Lovely Day. Lots of links! Have a great weekend, everyone.

I’m thrilled to have our house featured in the latest issue of Rosieteapot! It’s a beautiful online magazine full of interiors, fashion, and food. And it’s totally free, so there’s no reason not to go check it out. My favorite feature in the issue was the home of Dana from House*Tweaking. I had heard of her before, but I never really spent any time on her blog. I’m so glad I finally checked it out! Her house is so inspiring…especially seeing the transformation of each room. I mean, they did some major tweaking to their house. Here are some of the afters--you’re going to be so impressed when you see the befores.

Dana’s house is so pretty, right? I’m totally inspired.

If you’d like to check out my feature on Rosieteapot, it starts on page 36 (right after Dana’s).