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

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.

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!!!

Weekly Song List: For Friday, October 26th

As you likely know (from my pervious post), I am in the midst of craft fair craziness getting ready for the Salem Open Market this coming weekend. I've been sewing up a storm, making all sorts of Halloween themed pot holders, dish towels, aprons, and more.

And so, my weekly song list will be posted on Friday this week. Hmmm. Halloween theme, perhaps???

Also, stay tuned for my weekly American Horror Story post, also on Friday. Oh, how I love this show!

Photo: Natasha Khan of Bat For Lashes

P.S. I just bought the new Bat For Lashes album The Haunted Man. Can't wait until it arrives!!! I'll most definitely be writing about it. And soon.

Salem Open Market THIS Weekend!!!

I'm heading into heavy sewing mode this week getting ready for the Salem Open Market this weekend. I'm crazy excited to be selling my Fussy Gussy handmade goods at this market, and oh so close to Halloween! I'll likely be writing more on the market later in the week, but for now, here are the essential details.

What: Salem Open Market
Where: Derby Square, 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.

Oh My Sweet Goodness, It's October!

I'm so happy that it's October. This might be my favorite month. Or December. Or maybe April? Hmmm. It's a tough one. Anyway, I love October for all sorts of reasons. I love Autumn! Halloween. My crazy craft fair season begins this month. And I like to see it a sort of fresh start. Seasons are the best that way.

Just a reminder/update: Weekly Song Lists are going to be up every Wednesday. I may do a few on a Halloween theme, but we'll see how it goes. I've heard a lot of great new music these past couple of weeks, so I'm particularly excited about this week's list.

Supernatural is starting back up this Wednesday, October 3rd. Oh my sweet goodness!!!(That's my new favorite exclamation.) And American Horror Story will be starting up on the 17th. Aaaahhh!!! So much awesome, dramatic, spooky TV.

I've seen lots of great live music this past week, so stay tuned for my standard-overly-detailed-accounts, and photos, very soon.

And that's that for now! I leave you with this beautiful black and white film still from The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, one of my all time favorite movies, and one of the great haunted-house-love-stories ever put to the silver screen.

Photo: Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison

Sam and Dean, Meet Mulder and Scully

This past Spring I did something that I should have done a long time ago. Something that was a ton of fun and kept me totally entertained for months. I watched The X-Files from start to finish.

This was quite an undertaking, but I loved it so much and may do it again this Winter. While watching, I kept a list of actors who I recognized from my favorite show of all shows Supernatural (which will be returning for its 8th season on October 3rd!) I'd planned on sharing this list in the Spring, but decided to save it to include as part of my countdown to Supernatural series of posts.

And so here you have it! Note that the actor's name is listed first, followed by their Supernatural character name and finally, their X-Files character name.

Jim Beaver: Bobby/Coroner

Mitch Pileggi: Samuel/Skinner

Steven Williams: Rufus/Mr. X 

Mark Sheppard: Crowley/Bob the Caretaker

A.J. Buckley: Ed Zeddmore/The Dude

Katharine Isabelle: Ava/Lisa Baiocchi

Chad Lindberg: Ash/Bobby Rich

Nicki Aycox: Meg Masters/Chastity Raines

Mark Pelligrino: Lucifer/Derwood Spinks

Titus Welliver: War/Doug Spinney

James Otis: Famine/Arien Sacks

Fredric Lehne: Azazel/Young Arthur Dales

Mark Rolston: Alastair/Bud LaPierre & Richard Odin

William B. Davis: Folklore Professor/Smoking Man

Nicholas Lea: Elliot Ness/Alex Krycek

If there's anyone I've left out please feel free to share in the comments section below. Enjoy!

Bride Of Frankenstein Doll On Etsy

Every so often I happen upon an Etsy shop or artist that totally floors me. Uneek Doll Designs is one of these shops. I find Debbie's clothespin dolls inspiring and beautiful. I love the subtle detail and intricacy of the dolls, the handmade one-of-a-kind quality, and the expression in the faces. They amaze me!

Debbie's dolls are (for the most part) inspired by real people: famous authors, poets, musicians, artists, actors and actresses, historical figures, you name it. Anyone from June Carter Cash to Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock to Abraham Lincoln.

She even has a Sasquatch doll. Awesome!

I especially love this Bride of Frankenstein doll inspired by the 1935 film of the same name, starring Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester (who plays the dual role of Mary Shelley and the Bride). I think she's absolutely divine.

To check out Debbie's complete collection of clothespin dolls, visit Uneek Doll Designs on Etsy.

Hope you have a great week!

You've Just Gotta Watch It!

We're four weeks in, heading into the fifth week with "Halloween: Part Two", and American Horror Story is totally killing it, in a good way. I love this show! And I have to be honest, whenever I try to explain to a friend or family member what's so great about it, I find myself struggling to find the balance between revealing plot details and keeping it mysterious and shocking, just as it is. I want to share everything, but that would ruin...everything. And so, I've turned to the old stand-by "you've just gotta watch it!"

The most recent episode "Halloween: Part One" was so, so good. We finally "meet" Chad and Patrick, the "stylish" couple who most recently owned the house. We learn a bit more about Charles Montgomery, the man who built this doomed house in the first place.

But for me, a good chunk of my love for the show stems from my love of the character Tate, and his secret, forbidden romance with Violet. They're so sweet! And he's so strange and dark and disturbingly charming. For anyone who has not yet seen the show, I don't want to reveal too much. I just hope that we find out more about Tate soon. I'm so curious to know his story!

Happy Halloween From Fussy Gussy

And from Buffy and Spike...??? ;)

This photo is from the classic, totally awesome episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer called "Something Blue". In the episode, Willow is super sad and casts a spell to have her will be done, but it goes terribly awry and Buffy and Spike end up engaged! (This is long before Buffy and Spike were actually involved, back in the days when they were basically enemies who sometimes helped one another for the greater good.)

Happy Halloween everybody!!!