Update to entryway.

Okie Dokie.  Today I was able to spend most of the day working on our youth group space at church.  I painted one of the dressers, computer desk and book shelf.  I also started painting the mirror frame.  I'll post pictures as everything is finished with those.  I am trying to remember to do before and after pictures of each in order to show the progress.
J and I got to work together all afternoon and that was fun. He made supper, and I prepped some meals for the week.  I grilled a big pack of chicken on the Foreman and put it with veggies in plastic containers to place in the fridge/freezer. I haven't tried making my own frozen dinners before so I will let you know how that goes.  Together we folded and put away the laundry and I put our new over-the-door shoe organizer in the entryway closet to organize our hats, scarves, gloves and other things:

I am still in need of a mail sorter that I am trying to pickup at a Thrift store or yard sale.  I am absolutely in love with these entryways but I am also realistic about how much money we are able to spend on this small project.

Some of my favorites entryways/mudrooms from around the web:

Solutions for entryway

This is what our entryway looks like right now:

We have a closet and hooks, plus the little book shelf. But because 1)we are lazy,
b) we are always in a hurry and
choo-choo train) we have no organizational system
it ends up looking like this:

YIKES! Wow I am super embarrassed... but this is really how it ends up looking. Well, with maybe the exception of the pile of small boxes and junk in the bottom left corner; I had just dumped them out of a bag that I needed to put donated clothes in when I was cleaning out my closet.  However in its place are normally 5-6 or more pairs of shoes that come off as soon as I walk in the house.  

I need some creative and Very Thrifty solutions.  I need somewhere for the hats, scarves and other little wintery accessories to go.  

I need some system for sorting mail: Not a trash can.

Maybe a notepad for reminders or notes for Jason and I.

I'd like it to look nice too if at all possible. I've seen some great ideas from Martha Stewart, and from the Container Store and IKEA but am interested in what you think and what works for keeping you organized.