:miss melicious Let them eat
If you like Pina Colada and getting caught At The Drive-In then Miss Melicious has a treat for you
cupcakes
who goes by the name Missy to most. "There is a lot of pressure out there to be something that you're not." The mother of three remembers obediently waiting until she reached
the legal age to be adorned with her first tattoo. "You need to wait until you know what you want otherwise you end up with something hideous. My children aren't getting any tattoos until they're at least 30."
Her chest piece, which she says is her life mural took 22 hours in total to complete (eight hours for the outline, eight for the shading and six for the colour). Raised by a single mother and extended family, the cameo in the centre of the artwork represents the strong women in her life. She also has seven stars on her back and two on her front, each representing a niece or nephew. While there are plans to carry symbols for her three daughters, Aza Paree (6), Sierra Cherry (5) and Parker Mischelle (3) Missy reveals she has no plans to etch her husband's name onto her skin. "If I was to die tomorrow it wouldn't be very fun for his next wife," she quips. Only those closest to the creative know Missy's true identity.
Because her husband plays bass for New Zealand rock band Blacklist (formally Blindspott) the couple try to keep their children out of the limelight as much as they can. "My mum was a kindergarten teacher and taught after school care
and everyone called her by her first name. I developed this jealousy for the relationship other kids had with my mum. Other people call me Missy but I like that my children know my name. It's their special thing." This September Missy celebrated the launch of her first cookbook,
a collection of cute cupcakes with nostalgic names and wacky flavour combos that you can make at home. "I was pregnant with Parker when we started the business and
MISS MELICIOUS IS AS colourful as the cupcakes she earns a living from. Her hair colour changes from blonde to pink to rainbow and her decorative chest tattoos are a constant display of her creative flair. Her cupcakery, Miss Melicious Cupcakes was launched in
November 2011 in the Te Atatu Peninsula out of her do-it-yourself mantra and desire for self-expression. "With other jobs I've had to cover my tattoos, take out piercings or tone down my hair colour… just like in school," says Miss Melicious,
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during the research process I was eating a lot! Many of the basic recipes were inspired by my cravings like feijoa and the watermelon cupcake which is my favourite recipe in the book." Every cupcake has its own unique character and story behind it inspired by a person, an event in Missy's life, a movie or song.
Recipes reprinted with permission from Miss Melicious Cupcakes, published by Penguin Group NZ, RRP$30. Copyright © Melissa Fleming 2012 Photography © Shadbolt
