World peace?  Organized shoes by the front, side or back doors? Is either one achievable?  I have pondered both of these problems and have yet to come up with a solution!

Before we renovated our home, this was our “mud room.”  We had a door on the right at the base of the stairs.  Imagine six people heading downstairs to load coats, shoes, etc.  It wasn’t easy.  So when the opportunity arose, we converted our utility room to a mud room.

One thing you learn upon any renovation is how many surfaces in your home aren’t level!  Hence, the gap between this door and the floor is very tight.  One of my coffee bags is the perfect solution to this problem!

But one look up when you step inside reveals the shoes.  Shoes, shoes, everywhere!

I admit, I like to kick off my shoes when I enter the house.  (And yes, that’s my tote bag thrown on the bench….)  But a girl can dream, can’t she?  Look at that nice bench with four cubbies – perfect for four kids.  They can organize all their shoes in those cubbies.  Any shoes that aren’t used regularly can be placed in the closet to the right.  The closet is where my husband and I keep our shoes and there are also more shelves for other shoes.

 Look at that mess.  There’s flip flops in there for crying out loud!  It’s November – in Ohio – not flip flop weather!  And high heels, those aren’t every day shoes.  And the pink satin shoes in the first cubby – that’s oldest son’s cubby.  Good thing he’s away at college!  Plus, now that we are approaching boot weather, I toss a few more rugs down in the mud room to collect the wet snow.

Enter me, a plain side of a coffee sack, some fabric paint and a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor.

A perfect spot for fake Uggs, Dinkles, and Crocs.

 I will be greeted by shoe organization when I walk in the door.

Now, on to world peace.

PS.  If you have any successful shoe organization tips, I’d love to hear them!