I'm opening an aromatherapy spa

... for mice

It’s been a rather calm and creatively refreshing day. I went for a walk, stopped by the bookshop to look through some books, had a nice lunch … and stopped by Holland and Barrett on the way home to stock up on peppermint oil.

Now, why stock up? Well, you see, last week, as I was peeling carrots, I saw a wee little thing scurrying out from under the fridge and disappear. Last night, Salvu (yes, that is what I called him, and I’ve just assumed it’s a he) decided to have a goodnight’s, snuggly sleep in the bedroom only to dash off first thing, at 6 am this morning. So, it’s that time of the year again - the one thing I’ve found that mice absolutely hate is the smell of peppermint oil, we saw one seriously panicking at the smell of it last year. And before you ask, yes, I live in Edinburgh, and yes, they are all too common, especially in old buildings, and no I don’t have the heart to kill such a small creature so yes I will live with my home smelling like an aromatherapy spa with the hope it’ll bugger off at some point, and they usually do … eventually.

For such small creatures, they’re not very subtle or silent. I saw one bash straight into the wall out of sheer panic a few years back, and another struggling, after repeatedly failing to bounce onto a step, I also had a bit of a stand-off with another one that tried to push through the aluminium foil barrier I made under the fridge. Ever since moving to Edinburgh, I’ve seen a side to mice, I never thought existed - and it’s all too entertaining as another plus to all this is I’ve noticed that they mostly come in for warmth, and not food as such. So hey, as long as it stays out of my cupboards and bedroom, we’re all good. *Proceeds to put the cardboard barrier in front of the bedroom door again.*

So in the spirit of the latest goings-on, here’s Salvu at the Mouse Spa 🧀

Hiya! If you're new to my stack. I'm Fran, I'm an illustrator and picture book maker living in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Gee's Storees originally started as a quarterly newsletter and has slowly evolved into this Substack publication. Here, I share news and updates on my work, behind-the-scenes content as well as insight into my journey in the magical world of children’s publishing and illustration ✨ Hope you'll join our lovely community, I am looking forward to getting to know you!