It's Been Too Long + A Song Of Ice And Fire

I can't believe it's been well over a year since I last wrote on this blog. Wow. I think it started as "I'm going to take a little break, 'unplug' a bit" which then turned into a little longer than a bit, then before I knew it the holidays were here again, then wintertime hibernation took root, and now here we are, spring of 2014.

I'm excited and inspired to be writing again. I'm thinking I'll write as things strike me. Post lots of photos. Share the things that I love.

Speaking of which: A Song of Ice and Fire. Reading it now, just about done with the first book. Totally current with the show, which (oddly enough) doesn't seem to make the books any less awesome and surprising. In fact they inform each other and make each other better, in my opinion. The stories and characters are all so intense and layered.

And with that: here's to Game of Thrones. Writing. Springtime.

For The Love Of Chocolate (Heck Yeah!)

I learned today (while reading the Whole Foods Market Holiday Magazine) that the Hershey's Kiss came to be in the year 1907. This blew my mind apart. I never thought of these perfect little morsels of deliciousness as an antique sort of thing. I always thought they were more of a 1950s thing, in fact.

I also learned that the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (my favorite unassuming candy) came to be in 1928 by H. B. Reese himself.

While this Whole Foods Holiday Magazine is not the topic of this post, it's well worth a look. "For the Love of Chocolate": the article that bestowed upon me so many great bits of chocolate trivia, today...on this (our very first), very cold day in New England. Here, here!!!

P.S. After proof reading this post I noticed no typos or missed grammar, but I did notice that it's written in a very old fashioned-ish, proper-ish sort of tone. Not sure where that came from, but it sort cracks me up.

Weekly Song List: Friday, November 2nd

And so, here we have the first Weekly Song List of November! I love this time of year. I feel like the first day of November is a sort of clean slate. Halloween is done, you've got the "holidays" in the not so distant future. Starbucks breaks out their Christmas stuff. I'm a big fan of peppermint hot chocolate.

But I'm getting off topic. I give you 7 songs that I've been listening to non-stop, and the reasons that I love them.

1. Lilies. Bat For Lashes: From her new, gorgeous, brilliant album The Haunted Man. I love this album. It was really hard to choose just one song for this list, but "Lilies" it is. It's the first song on the album. Beautiful, haunting, hopeful song. Well done Natasha Khan.

2. Who. David Byrne & St. Vincent: Heard this song on WERS this week and immediately loved it. I bought the album later that same day. David Byrne sounds better than ever. And St. Vincent is someone who I'm really interested in and intrigued by. I've loved a lot of her solo work and was excited to learn of these two working together. Their styles and voices work really well together. Love this song! It's definitely one to listen to on repeat.

3. Danse Caribe. Andrew Bird: Oh my. Andrew Bird. My newest music crush. Again WERS introduces me to someone new and wonderful. "Danse Caribe" is one of my favorite songs of his (so far). I still have so much to hear of and learn about this fellow.

4. Skinny Love. Bon Iver: Love Bon Iver. Love this album. For Emma, Forever Ago. Love this song. Justin Vernon's voice is so beautiful and delicate. Heart melting for sure.

5. Shank Hill St. Shovels & Rope: I was lucky enough to see Shovels & Rope (Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent) open for Jack White earlier this Fall, and I just bought tickets for one of their Winter shows as well. I'm very excited. They're amazing live. This song is from their album O' Be Joyful which I bought this week. This song is a favorite. Rich, heavy drums. And the lyrics are nice and dark.

6. That Was My Veil. PJ Harvey & John Parish: My favorite PJ Harvey song ever. A real gem of song. Super atmospheric. Gritty. Gorgeous.

7. Here Sometimes. Blonde Redhead: Another new album for me. Penny Sparkle. Blonde Redhead had completely fallen off my radar, and then a couple of weekends ago I was hanging out with a friend and she was like "I love the most recent Blonde Redhead album" and I was like "what album are we talking about?" Oh my sweet goodness. Penny Sparkle is so good. The whole entire thing. Very atmospheric. Odd in all the best ways. I'm very excited about this album.

Photo: Shovels & Rope

Speaking Of Gorgeous Movie Posters

I originally wrote about this movie poster last Winter just after I'd seen The Innkeepers as part of a horror movie double feature (the other half of the double feature being The Woman in Black). Isn't it fantastically gorgeous!!! I love every bit of it. Gorgeous. Clever. Perfect.

Stoker And Its Gorgeous Movie Poster

I'm very excited for Park Chan-wook's new movie Stoker, to be released in the States come February. This stunning movie poster was just released, and I thought I'd share it. I love it with all of my heart. I have a thing for beautifully detailed, interesting, unique movie posters.

Stoker stars Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska, and Matthew Goode and (looks like) a dark family melodrama of sorts, but knowing Park Chan-wook's other work, I bet there's something very disturbing or horrific at play as well. We shall see!

Happy Halloween From Fussy Gussy!!!

Happy Halloween from Fussy Gussy (and Dean Winchester?) Swoon.

I hope that you're having a blast on this night of vamps and ghouls and other spooky things that go bump in the night.

Aside from it being Halloween, it is also Wednesday (my usual Weekly Song List day), and I've been thinking: since my previous two Weekly Song Lists have been posted on Friday why not try that out for a while?

And so, your Fussy Gussy Weekly Song Lists will now be posted every Friday, featuring seven songs that I love and the reasons why. Until Friday!!!

Supernatural: Bitten, Heartbreak, + Found Footage

This post contains no real spoilers, though (as always) I do make reference to a detail or two that may be better left unknown (until you've watched).

This week's episode of Supernatural simply titled "Bitten" was sort of a concept episode. Not entirely unlike "Ghostfacers". It opens in typical Supernatural style. The Winchesters break into a house and find lots of bad stuff. But they also find a computer with an edited movie that chronicles the events that have led up to the bad stuff. The better part of the episode is of this footage and nothing else.

I couldn't help thinking about the recent horror flick V/H/S which features a group of short horror stories told through a hand held video camera lens. It was one of the most nerve shredding movie experiences of my life. And it stuck with me in a big way. The found footage concept is pretty popular these days in horror.

I enjoyed "Bitten" and feel like this season is off to a great start. I loved last week's episode "Heartbreak", directed by Jensen Ackles. This whole plot thread of Sam-being-out-of-practice and wanting a "normal" life vs. Dean being super focused and warrior-like is bound to go somewhere intense and very dramatic.

I'm so looking forward to this Wednesday! Will we have a Halloween themed episode? It's not every year that Supernatural airs on Halloween night.

Evan Peters As Kit In American Horror Story

I love these cast photos from American Horror Story: Asylum.

Evan Peters as Kit.

American Horror Story: Tricks And Treats

I am absolutely unabashedly loving this season of American Horror Story. Not that this is surprising, being such a huge fan of season one, and of pretty much all of the actors this season. Zachary Quinto made his first appearance this week. Love him so much. He looks awesome in glassses. So handsome, as always.

This week's episode called "Tricks and Treats" was insane (in a great way). I cannot believe this stuff is happening on TV. Cable TV, sure. FX, ok. But still, AHS is particularly brutal and relentless this time around. At least, that's my feeling. I feel like it's one thing after another after another at Briarcliff. Does the horror never end?

Take "Bloody Face". So horrific and gross looking. I had made this delicious Fall vegetable (sort of) stew for dinner. Super excited to eat it. Super excited to watch AHS. Completely lost my appetite after one look at "Bloody Face". Completely. No appetite whatsoever.

Like last week, I don't want to give too much away for those who are getting caught up. And there's not too much to dissect yet, but be warned. Once there is, I'll be dissecting it like crazy. Fixating on the littlest detail. What does it mean? What's the secret? Is there a secret? I guess the one thing that I'm fixating on a smidge is the song that plays in the common room. You know, the very up tempo French song (I think it's French?) I wonder about that. Clearly, it would drive anyone mad to have to listen to it day in and day out.

As for the characters, Kit and Grace are adorable already. Love them. Love Grace's devotion to Kit, and so early on. James Cromwell's Dr. Alden is indeed very sinister and scary. Both of the Sisters (Jude and Mary) are super interesting. Sarah Paulson's Lana Winters (great name) continues to break my heart.

I'm making a conscious effort not to watch any teasers or trailers for the coming week's episode so as to be totally surprised by it. So far, so good. That said, I did happen to see that this week's episode (to air on Halloween night) is called "Nor'Easter". Love it.

Salem Open Market THIS Weekend!!!

I'm so excited for the Salem Open Market this weekend! Why am I awake at 11:50, the night before a craft fair??? Because I'm too excited to sleep.

And so, here are the essential details for the market:

What: Salem Open Market
Where: Derby Square (along Front Street), Salem, MA
When: Saturday, October 27th + Sunday, October 28th (11-6)

I'll be the one with bright pink tent and neon pink Jack-O-Lantern. And mini orange Jack-O-Lantern. And hair teased to the hilt. And modern-yet-vintage cat eye sunglasses. If it's sunny. Fingers crossed that it will be sunny!

Happy (weekend before) Halloween!!!