The Mighty Laundry Room

With this house, I have a laundry ROOM.  It's the most amazing spacious laundry room I've ever had, and it's my favorite part of this house.  I know, nuts, but when you have 6 people living under one roof, the laundry never ever ever ends.  No seriously.  Ever.  It's the one room that gets filled to the brim with laundry and shoes and backpacks and mess because it also doubles as a "mudroom".  This room needs help.  It's boring.  I spend so much time in it that I feel I need to warm it up so that it's not just a "dump your stuff" and run room. Make sense?

So two days ago, I made a leap and pinned up some straw cowboy hats up on the wall, that had been laying around and not being worn.  .  I'm starting to think we have a "buy too many cowboy hats and never wear them" problem, lol.  I also "shopped" my house and placed some dark wicker type baskets on the shelf above the sink and the room instantly felt warmer and not so utilitarian.  The problem is, I'm stumped.  I want to put something on top of the cabinets right next to the hats.  

I've thought about a rug for the floor rather than tacking stuff up high, but with the dog's bowls in there, and it being a room where water could surprise me at any time, I'm opting to not worry about it.  So that leaves me with wall space.  

I'd love to hear some thoughts...Oh and colors.  I'm not opposed to just about anything, except maybe red since I've got those UT orange laundry machines, which I love love love too!

And here's the "mudroom" area of the space.  It's at the end of the room on the 

right hand side.  It sits at an angle across from the dryer and fridge.

Where did summer go?

I just realized that I haven't blogged since June.  Actually the last day of school in June, also known as the happiest day EVER, around here, lol.  However, today I'm finally back to blogging and it's already the 3rd day into a new school year.  Where did summer go?  Why did it have to take the sleeping in, care free, pool days with it?

I miss my kids.  Tremendously.  So does the dog.  The house feels too big when it's just me and the pup, and I find myself with time to do all that needs to get done, but yet I avoid it.  I really miss my kids, their over the top antics, constant chatter and laughter, and even the messes, well ok not the messes. No, I definitely don't miss the constant messes, lol.

Does anyone else feel like this and if you do, how do you cope with it until you fall into your new groove?