In The Pursuit Of Organization

This is our mudroom. I have had the lower baskets in place since we moved in. They are meant for shoes. Well...it seems shoes are constantly ending up on the floor "next" to the baskets and blocking the walkway from the laundry room to the kitchen (kids!).

Well...since I'm deep into my obsession with numbers, I decided if I labeled the baskets for each member of the family, it may motivate us to keep the shoes where they belong. Who wouldn't be motivated by their own special basket donning their birth date after all?

27 is for Allison, 14 for Jackson and 18 for me. . Daddy will have to share my basket since we only had space for three. We'll find another place to immortalize his special day --22.

A simple project that I used leftover dark blue chalkboard paint on the plaques and stenciled the numbers in off-white. Then I attached them to the baskets with craft wire.

Well...the good thing about these little projects of mine is that I dumped out all the shoes before I started, got into the cubbies and cleaned really well, tossed away the summer shoes that weren't in very good shape and only kept the shoes that we will be wearing here for the next few months before we need our rain and snow boots.

At dinner tonight I made them repeat after me "I will keep my shoes in my new personalized basket and not leave them on the floor...." We'll see if it keeps up. I hope so.

I love the way they look with my metal French cafe table marker in the upper baskets. Now what didn't' really dawn on me until today is just how much wall space on I have on either said of the mudroom. It's time to get some great family photos together there. That way we can recall wonderful memories as we are tugging our boots on o off. We did put radiant heating in the floor of the mudroom, so we'll look forward to the toasty warmth of that come winter days.

Easy and quick project...great organization impact...and now I have to work on some frames and photo displays in there and maybe a vintage or vintage inspired sign over the doorway....good thing I love to shop and create!

If you have any ideas for photos or artwork on either side of this built-in...send some ideas my way. I'm on a roll.....