All in the Family

I've been thinking about making up an "official list" of summer activities and excursions to enjoy with my kids this summer, like I did last year.  But then my husband just jumped in and started making it happen:  a super-memorable-and-fun-arts-and-crafts-activity!

He has gotten all kinds of "handy" with his basement tools, and his latest project was a sort of bookcase for storing our shoes by the back door.  We were using a small wire rack that was sadly deficient, and led to shoes being strewn in front of the back door.  I fancied it a kind of burglar trap, actually, since no one could get in our house without tripping over all of the mess!

But I like the results of my husband's efforts much better:

He used the frame of an old bookcase, then created new shelves for the shoes.  We wanted to use paint we already had, rather than buying anything new for the project, so we ended up with the same blue we used in our dining room.

Bayla, my younger, helped to paint on the blue while Katy was at preschool (much to Katy's competitive chagrin!)...

and then when she got home, Katy used one of my craft paintbrushes and orange acrylic paint to add her own "signature" to the project:

I am the only member of the family who didn't contribute to the project!  But I probably enjoy it the most now, as it adds order to my ridiculously-small double-duty mudroom/laundry room by the back door. 

I declared a "new rule":  no shoes that don't fit on the shelves!  (And now I have to be careful that I'm not the one who violates it!!)

Enjoy a happy, artful weekend!