Mice Mouse Who Lived In A Shoe House Watercolor Illustration Painting
By Charlie

Living In A Shoe

Written by Charlie O'Shields

For our prompt of “Shoes” today, the first thing that popped into my head was the nursery rhyme of the Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe. So we ended up with a little sketch with a family of mice living in a blue sneaker. In truth, I could only remember the first part of the rhyme saying, “There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.” As a kid I always wondered how tiny that woman must be to fit inside a shoe and then wondered why an old woman ended up with so many kids in the first place. It’s an odd rhyme that only gets odder when the last two lines are delivered, “She gave them some broth without any bread; Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.” Apparently, this old woman had no business having one child much less several as she lacked a proper residence and even the most basic of parenting skills. So, I much prefer to think about little mice making a nice little home out of a shoe they found and simply living happily ever after.

When Philippe looked at my little doodle for today, he just said, “awww” and then, “they live in a stinky house.” I hadn’t thought much about that, but I suppose unless the mice had happened upon a fresh sneaker, it would be rather difficult to get the odor out. Indeed, of all of the magical places one could live in a fairytale, I think a shoe is probably the least likely to be considered in demand real estate. At any rate, I thought a colorful sneaker would be a nicely modern replacement to the typical old boot that’s normally depicted. Though I think if I were a woodland fairytale creature, I’d like a nice treehouse of some kind instead. Something with a grand view that would be a bit more cozy in the rain than a wet sneaker. But, it was fun to imagine something silly and fun this afternoon while I was watching family Halloween movies in the background.

Tonight, Philippe is making his fabulous chili and I’m rather excited to have some. It’s been a touch warmer here this week, but there’s still a bit of chill in the air that always puts me in the mood for chili. Our dog Phineas is sitting in the kitchen looking intently at Philippe while he cooks. He’s already eaten, but one can’t blame a dog for hoping there’s a bit more coming. Truly, both Phineas and myself would probably eat until we were sick if Philippe didn’t control our portions. We both just adore food! And this time of the year brings many of my absolute favorite dishes. Some have made an appearance already, but there are many more delicious dishes to come so I’m thrilled for the weeks ahead. And even Phineas will get a few little special treats along the way  as well. I’m grateful for my little family and happy that we have a cozy home to enjoy the upcoming holidays. Yet, I suppose that any home can be cozy if it’s filled with love, even if one finds themselves living in a shoe.

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 Mice Mouse Who Lived In A Shoe House Watercolor Illustration Painting Sketchbook Detail

Charlie O'Shields

Creator of Doodlewash, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world!

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28 thoughts on “Living In A Shoe”

    1. Thanks for the heads up on cocoa. I will have to try it. Of course, I live in San Antonio, Texas and we don’t really get cold-cold (thank God), but it is always the right time for something chocolatey! Yumm!

      Reply

  2. Well, your little mice are just adorable, Charlie!! Though, Philippe does have a point….not the freshest smelling place to reside. Do you suppose the old woman in the shoe is somehow related to the Bros. Grimm?

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  3. When you consider that animals rely on smell rather than sight, a little foot odor might be considered the height of fancy decor. Although, I suspect the mice would rather eat that sneaker than live in it

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  4. Such a cute scene. 💜 A few years back, I received an email forward from a friend that I now wish I had kept. It explained the origin of sayings like “it’s raining cats and dogs” and “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” It was very interesting to find out where and why these sayings and stories come from. Remember that song about someone swallowing a fly and then a goat to eat the fly and so on? I remember Phoebe from ” Friends” who sang a similar song to the old lady in a shoe. Hers was that there was a crooked woman, who lived in a crooked house and walked a crooked mile. haha haha
    Well, now our toilet decided to act up! So frustrating! Even worse, we called the plumbing company and the answering service assured us that a technician would come out only to find out hours later, the company is closed weekends. No!!!! I so want 2020 and covid to end already.

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    1. Thanks so much, Marisela! 😃💕 Yeah, it’s so interesting to learn the origin of those phrases. Sometimes even, we still use them to mean things that are quite different from their original intent! Oh no on the toilet! Ugh! That’s the worst. I guess Monday won’t come a moment too soon!!

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      1. Yay! Nothing like a new toilet! The new plumbing company that we called, showed up early, listened and answered all of our questions, even joked with us, and, best of all, NO toilet water on the floor! I get super grossed out with toilets. Yuck! The plumber had such a great attitude and sense of humor. He said our toilet was no good because we treated it like crap! haha haha 😋

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    2. I really love mice and yours are just what I imagined as a very little girl when my mom told me to be very still in the bath. My mother told me mousies lived in my ears and water would ruin their house. The pediatrician told her water in my ears might ruin my hearing, so the battle of the wills was on! And I was the winner! I have very good hearing but sadly, my mousies moved on. Still, I never see one, imaginary or real that I don’t have a little giggle and wonder who’s ear they’re looking for!

      Reply

  6. A few years ago I opened the glove box in our van and the was a mouse nest in UT!!! All chewed up paper and some leaves. No mouse though, thank goodness! I’m not afraid of mice, but they can startle you. My helper girl was here today and she was doing some yard work and ran across a little toad buried in the garden. Startled her for a moment too.

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  9. Dear Charlie🌻
    I love all of your sketches and paintings and lovely stories that go with them. I also love your sweet and loving relationship with Philippe and your doggy, Phineas. He sounds so much like our dog, Scrappy Doo!
    This “mice living in a sneaker” is just the best! Thank you!

    Sincerely,
    Cecilia

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much, Cecilia! 😃💕 hehe… Oh Phineas is definitely Scrappy Dood! We pretend Scooby Doo is his hero so in our minds that’s the highest compliment he could receive, short of being compared to Scooby himself! lol

      Reply

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