It all started with . . .

This.

Which for quite some time recently I couldn't even remember where I got them it was so many years ago. But then, as I loaded the pics up just now, it hit me...Thanks bro! (-:

I got a bunch of them. But had a grand idea for this one.

First got it painted one fall afternoon.

Then my assistant helped me with the "hook" thingys.

My assistant was able to help me because he was home from 1/2 day kindergarten.

He was in 1/2 day kindergarten two and a half years ago.

I have had these pics of him on my desk top waiting to be posted since then.

I am not kidding!

I thought it would be the coolest coat rack ever.

In our tiny, three foot wide entry space.

And, I kept with the "it is so cool" theme for 2.5 years.

I did initially think it should be attached to the wall to be more out of the way but that never happened and it was useful to tuck shoes or boot behind occasionally. It was not useful when it got pulled over on a kid, especially when it was loaded up.

Last winter, or the one before, can't remember, I even stripped it of it's coats and bags and took it for a walk in the yard to have a little photo shoot, because again, it is so cool.

See how cool?

(-:

And then, a couple Sundays ago, after a few months of a stirring inside me (hahaha)...I couldn't take it anymore.

And hung all these sturdy hooks my very own self, with power tools, a trip to Home Depot, wall anchors and good vibes all around...even when I discovered, by the second to last hook, that I really should just try the screws that came with the hooks to see if they work (I thought they'd be too short for the anchors) because the screws that came with the anchors were a shiny metal that didn't match the hook.  Well, low and behold, after screwing in ten hooks, I discovered that the matching screws did work...hmmm...7:30p.m....do I go back and replace every screw???...Yeppers...good vibes all around!

Wha-la! 

I LOVE my new hooks and shoe baskets...that the kids even STILL (it's been a couple weeks) put their shoes in!! I thought the dirty shoe bottoms touching other shoes would be an issue, and they probably will be in the spring, but for now, it's working. Plus, I have a whole shoe holder thing hanging on the back of that door, I'll keep mine in there.

And...I'm going to move my and William's super cool hook hanging system out to my garden area where it'll still go to good use!