The Scarlet Peacock

•  Martha's Devil's Food Cupcake Recipe

TSP: Hi Mia! How did your shoppe come to be?
Mia: My father is a jewelry designer and I always watched him work when I was little. I studied design in college but it wasn’t my major (just what I loved the most). I continually created things but didn’t have a good venue to sell my items and support my craft. I had tried ebay years ago but hated the chance of underselling my pieces. I was very excited when I found Etsy. I knew it would be the perfect marketplace. I opened my shop within a week.

      

TSP: Describe your own creative style and inspiration.
Mia: I am inspired by feminine, delicate, and romantic things. I love old architecture and design. Usually when I am feeling uninspired I get out my books about France, French Architecture, and design. It usually doesn’t take long for me to feel much better.
TSP: What do you love?
Mia: I absolutely adore vintage china. I have boxes and boxes of it that I have collected. When my kids are grown I’ll get it out and use it.

 

TSP: Sounds gorgeous. But I think you should get it out and have a lovely dinner party! If your shoppe were a band and a song, which would they be?
Mia: Wow. I guess I would have to say the movie/book my shop would most resemble would be Emma by Jane Austen. Although it isn’t French, it has themes of femininity, vulnerability, delicacy and romance- just what I strive for in my designs. If it were a song I guess it would be 'make you feel my love' by Adele (originally written by Bob Dylan, but she sings MUCH better than he does!) It’s a very romantic song ::sigh::.

    

TSP: Ah yes, the bug romantique. I know the disease well! But back to your shoppe- what advice would you give a friend who might be considering starting their own etsy shoppe?
Mia: I would advise them to take their time and really learn how things work. Decide how much you are wanting from your shop and be prepared for the commitment. Don’t cut corners on customer service or quality supplies. Invest in good shipping supplies as well to make sure your items make a really great impression when they arrive to your customer.

TSP: That’s really great advice. Speaking of great shoppes, what are some up your favorites? 
Mia: Burnt Mill: She is a soaper and has the most amazing lime coconut soaps. Next is Pretty Little Pearl: she makes the most adorable bags! I have one and I love it. I also love txbutterfly74, as she makes paper goods and I get all my tags that I use for my packaging [from her]. She uses vintage images and makes super quality items at reasonable prices. Another is Refabulous, where you can find the most amazing recycled products from cat toys to laundry sachets. I use her laundry products and they are wonderful. My laundry smells so nice! These are those that quickly come to mind but I must say Etsy is full of amazing shops and sellers! I am so happy to be a part of it.

      

TSP: I really love your glass jewel pieces. How do you come about creating them?
Mia: I love the look of these glass jewel pieces. Most of what I use has been purchased from a shop in Paris that refurbishes vintage jewelry. I love that these gorgeous jewels have a history and, because of their beauty, I feel they can stand on their own. Sometimes they are a simple solitaire and sometimes I pair them with accent pieces, which makes them more interesting. Mostly I just play with them in the light to see what I like.
TSP: We’ll definitely have to check those out! Where do you see your Mia Sophia shoppe in the future?
Mia: Hopefully always growing. I don’t have huge ideas to expand and wholesale everywhere, I just want to keep on creating, learning, and trying new things as well as becoming better and better at what I do.

An extra special thank you to Miss Mia of Mia Sophia for sharing her pretties with TSP... and if you find your favorites over at the shoppe, mention 'The Scarlet Peacock' in the message to seller upon checkout, and Mia will very kindly offer you, dear Reader, free shipping! 

Truth be told, I've always wanted to add a little something extra to the cute underthings I sometimes get the opportunity to wear. Although those occasions now fall few and far between (*cough*Bug*cough*), these cheeky little flask holders are inspired by those worn in the 1920s, and would sprinkle a little bit of mystery and fun to pretty much any occasion. Wouldn't these darlings add a little *spark* to a night on the town, a bit of something extra for that perfect girlfriend on her birthday or even be wee sassy bridesmaids gifts? Maybe Santa will be generous this year...

Looking: through the latest issue
Reading: this lovely article and
Wishing: I were taking a walk on the same path
Bookmarking: this and this and this.  oh, and this too!
Feeling: a bit nostalgic
Hoping: there will be a perfect find for framing
Liking: that next weekend will bring tons of fun with Bug!
Making: plans to celebrate 
Thinking: that this is my dream house! 
Watching: this and giggling
Wondering: which class I'm going to sign up for...
Drinking: something that's a little bit naughty for a sunday's eve
Dreaming: softly that the plans for the week will flourish

What's in store this week for you?

Darling Reader,

Have you ever come across little pieces of art that sparkle and shine, that ooh and aah you, and that bring tons of tiny stories of whimsy to your head? You have? So you’re familiar with the work of Ms. Janet Hill from Janet Hill Studios, too?! Well, my dearest Reader, be prepared to fall in the loveliest of love with Ms. Hill’s work, and la artiste herself…
    

TSP:  Hello Janet! Give us a little bit of a backdrop about your history of painting and your etsy shoppe.
JANET:  My artistic background is that I received my BFA from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. After graduating, I traveled and worked various jobs until I decided to open a retail store in Stratford, Ontario. After six years of being a 'shop girl' I grew to loathe it- I wasn't a good salesperson and I kept thinking that there was something else that I should be doing. So I shut the shop and decided to paint full-time. I started selling my work on ebay then I discovered etsy and pretty much switched over to etsy. It seems less confusing to me.
    
TSP:  I completely agree. What medium do you work in?
JANET:  Oil on canvas. Pretty traditional. My ideal setting to begin a piece is pretty much in my studio.  I'm very boring. I'm not very big on working anywhere else because I hate moving my messes.
TSP:  I wouldn’t call that boring- I would call that smart! So how would you describe your creative style?

JANET:  I don't really know if I have a creative style. I'm pretty pragmatic about it. Sometimes I wake up and I'm full of ideas, other days I almost have to be poked with a stick to get myself into the studio. So I guess, the fear of poverty, or working for someone else keeps me pretty driven. Also, I think my creativity comes out almost intuitively. I see things and later it sinks into my brain and comes out into a painting. 
TSP:  Your intuition is definitely visibly spot on. What are a few of your favorite things?

JANET:  I adore my family (this includes my husband and our crazy cat and dog, and extended family), our tiny Victorian cottage, the color green, raw oysters, cocktails and gossip with my girlfriends, French-milled soap, my little black Mercedes, and the ocean.  How's that for variety!
TSP: Charming! Let’s chat about your shoppe. Describe it for us.
JANET:  If my shop were a band...mmmm. probably it would be a mix of Paris Combo and Charlotte Gainsbourg. If it were a song: 'The Songs That We Sing'.  If it were a movie, that's pretty hard- I think it would have to be a mix of Peyton Place and Portrait of Jennie: Peyton Place for color, feeling, and nostalgia, Portrait of Jennie for it's magical realism. 

TSP: Very nice combination of films. If you had to choose some of your current faves, what would be a few etsy shoppes that are ace on your list?
JANET:  Paris Breakfast, Viv Strauss, dottie angel, and 2Dy4.
    

TSP:  Where do you see your Studio in the not-too-distant future?
JANET:  In five years I hope that I can slow down a little with original work- it's a lot of work!  I'm lucky enough to have an art publisher that will be reproducing my work into a line of cards and posters, so I'm hoping that will help out a little. If I'm really dreaming here, I would love to move to the Canadian east coast and have a much larger studio space maybe even a little gallery.

TSP:  Congratulations on the line of minis! I don’t think the Canadian east coast/gallery idea is too far-fetched… your work is gorgeous. Speaking of which, one of my favorite pieces of yours is full of lovely colors and light. Walk TSP through how you come up with an idea for a piece.
JANET:  That painting that you quite like- Cafe Americano- I think came about after I watched Gilda....for the tenth time. I had that whole Argentinian vibe going on, but it likely comes across as European.  What a painting starts out as, and what it ends up as, is always a mystery to me.
TSP:  But you know what they say: Mystery is at the heart of creativity!
     

My warmest and sincerest thanks to Janet for taking time away from her gesso’d canvas to share a little bit about herself and her work with TSP. Can’t wait to see what she’ll come up with next…

Watching: Don Draper & Co
Reading: Discrete Probability Distributions
Making: sure it looks alright
Eating: Pan Dulce
Feeling: slightly overwhelmed 
Thinking: ...I just need to make it to Xmas...
Hoping: that this is in my near future
Wondering: how Bug will do in her advanced kinder class
Hearing: she got dressed
Liking: this and this and this
Wanting: this!
Playing: the reading-our-favorite-sight-words game with Bug 
Wishing: others would also practice non-selfish acts
Enjoying: this lovely article- can't wait to design my own!
Coveting: my favorite buttery shades

thanks pip!

Ah, the stories of Edith Wharton! The dramatic irony of high-society New York is one that Scorsese presents incomparably: a glimpse into the past featuring dazzling cinematography, dress (swoon), and intimately refined and intricate details in every frame. I have seen this film so often since it's release that I have most of it memorized; however, I must admit that each time I get to relive the storyline, I am mesmerized by the touching nature each main character (however slight) provides. Romantic, delicious, and definitely my favorite period piece, won't you fetch a cup of tea and take a tiny peek into the world of Newland Archer with me just once more? 

One of my favorite movies, The Waitress, is on my mind this early Sunday morning. LoveLOVELove the ideas for creating pies that 'Miss Jenna' consistently has to mark the occurrences in her life. "Gonna Bake a pie, gonna bake a pie..."

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine coconut and graham crackers in food processor until coarse crumbs form.
Combine crumbs and butter with fork.
Press to bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate.
Bake 10 minutes and cool on wire rack.
Heat marshmallows and milk in 3-qt. saucepan over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly.
Remove saucepan from heat. Cool completely (30 minutes.)

In large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form.
Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream with grated chocolate.
Spoon filling into cooled crust. 
Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours or overnight.
Top with mini marshmallows, maraschino cherries and rainbow sprinkles.

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I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie

serves 8


1 pie crust


4 tbs butter


3 slices ham


8 green onions


1 cup brie cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated


4 eggs
2 cups heavy cream


1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Cover pie crust with foil and bake for 10 minutes. 

Remove foil and bake 5 minutes more. 

Remove crust and reduce heat to 325 degrees.


Julienne ham. Chop green onions.
 

In skillet, saute ham until brown. Remove and set aside.


Saute onion until tender.
Remove with slotted spoon and combine with ham.

Spread on bottom of pie crust. 

Spread brie over ham mixture and sprinkle with parmesan. 

Combine eggs, cream and nutmeg; pour over cheese. 

Bake 30 minutes or until set.
Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.

The wee Bug has been having fun cruisin' all about the net, looking up games, websites, and all kinds of other edumacational sites (all mum-approved, of course!). I thought I'd share some of Bug's most recent favorites (since I find myself humming these particular tunes while in, out and about). Which are your Bug-friendly favorites? 

Milla Jovovich's latest published photoshoot for Harper's Bazaar Russia is a stunning collection of victorian and rococo inspired gowns laced with a more modern 40s flare. I had to share in the deliciousness that is captured by photographer Igor Vishnyakov. Just lovely.

I love to cook. Really, I do. But sometimes, I get into these moods where I don't even want to walk into my kitchen to get a glass of water- much less pop on that apron and go to town! So to help me get back in the cookity-cooking mood (as I have a counter-top full of veggies and other yummy things calling out my name) I thought I'd share some of my favorite must-have items in the kitchen- for everyday use and entertaining.