Hall closet makeover

For MONTHS, heck maybe even years, I have been trying to figure out how to work in a piece of furniture, hooks, baskets, SOMETHING to corral the kids' backpacks, hats, jackets, shoes, and other flotsam and jetsam.  All without success.  The problem is that, like most families, we use our garage as our main entrance and exit to our home.  That means where we enter our house there is a very short, 7 foot long hallway, and it is only the width of the door we just entered.  So there is no space to add any kind of shelving, bench or storage.  BUUUT, there is a closet in that hallway.   Directly, opposite of the door to the garage.  So, after cruising around blogland, I got the idea to empty the closet and change it into the storage space I had been searching for all this time. 
Before the change over, the closet contained wrapping paper, the vacuum, some craft supplies and random stuff....

This is the "before" minus the vacuum cleaner and some wrapping paper.

So, I emptied it out.  I relocated the wrapping paper to a tall, no longer used laudry hamper and put it in the garage.  During this I noticed that someone in this house seems to have a habit of buying things post holiday clearance and forgetting that the items were purchased---I'm gonna have to talk to those boys about that! heehee

Sorry, I didn't realize this pic was so blurry---this is the closet once it was empty and with the shelf moved in to it

And here you go, the almost finished project, the basket on the top shelf and the blue bin next to it, contain the paint and some craft supplies--these are probably going to be moved out as soon as I tackle my craft area.  The blue bins below that are flat and are going to be for me and Mr. G to catch things that need to go out the door with us in the morning--in my case errands and things like that to be dropped off somewhere, in his case his wallet, keys, cell, security badge for work, etc.  Below that is the wire shelf.  I put a large basket on top for the boys packs.  Below that I have one bin for ball caps.  I still need to get another bin or basket for things like gloves, scarves, etc. and on the bottom shelf  I want another basket for their shoes.  I put the hook at the top for my purse and my tote bag that I carry to school.  I want to get a couple of 3m hooks to put lower on the door for the kids to hang their jackets on.  I did this last night and already introduced the new area to the kids.  I am so glad to have a place for our backpacks and other "to go stuff" to live other than the backs of my dining room chairs and the breakfast bar. 

Next up I am reorganizing a small counter area in our kitchen for mail and the many, many papers the kids bring home every day.  Pics to come!

On a seperate note:  thank you for the prayers for my father in law.  Today his condition is still listed as critical but stable.  But, today he has the oxygen mask off, is eating and is talking.  And the nitroglycerin is making him FIESTY!  He is the most soft spoken, mild mannered man but he has been riled up since they got him in the hospital.  Some of his funniest quotes:  he didn't want morphine because the last time he had it he felt like the windows were flying around.  The nurse told him that she was sorry but that the morphine would make him feel better.  He told her that he heard marijuana would do the same thing and she wouldn't give him that would she?!?  He also told the nurses that he didn't need heart surgery, there was nothing wrong with him, the doctors just wanted his money.  And that he wasn't crazy and they needed to either quit asking him what his name and birthday are or write it on the door so they could remember!    These things are making us laugh because we know this is so unlike him--it will make for some funny stories to tell him once he is out of the hospital.  :) 

I will keep you updated as his status changes.  Thanks again for the prayers.

Blessings,