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.

Rock & Roll Yard Sale Tomorrow!!!

I'm happy to announce that I'll be at the Rock & Roll Yard Sale tomorrow, from 11AM to 5PM. That's Sunday, August 19th, in Union Square, Somerville, MA. This yard sale is the BEST. It's so much. Not only are there crafty darlings (like yours truly), but also vintage goodies, home baked deliciousness, live music, and tons of records. And you know how I love records. I'm so excited!

What: Rock & Roll Yard Sale
Where: Union Square, Somerville, MA
When: August 19th (11-5)

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Nancy Drew On Etsy

I love this Nancy Drew themed treasury on Etsy! There are so many adorable goodies featured, from cool pendants to upcycled pocket books and notecards. I love the set of Nancy Drew notecards pictured above, and handmade by Nouveau Nancy on Etsy.

My Mystery of the Tolling Bell pocket mirror was also featured. Very exciting!

Thank you Retrospect  for putting your girl detective skills to super crafty use, and for putting this charming, perfectly vintage treasury together!

Jack White On American Pickers

Over the holidays, I watched an awful lot of cable TV at my Mom's.

As I'm currently without cable, I rarely get to watch things like Hoarders or better yet, Hoarders: Buried Alive (I still don't understand what the difference is, but that's another post for another day). I love catching up on these reality shows, and am equally relieved when I return home to my 10-ish channels and cable box free living room.

All of this said, I really, really like The History Channel show American Pickers. It follows Mike and Frank on their "vintage picking" adventures all across the country. These guys are the best. They're smart, funny, and wicked entertaining.

And so, you can imagine how happy I was to see Jack White on last week's episode titled "The Elephant in the Room" in which Mike buys a taxidermy elephant head and then sort of panics when he realizes that finding a buyer might prove difficult. Enter Jack White (who apparently already has a taxidermy giraffe).

It was a lot of fun to see Jack White haggling with Mike and Frank, and to see how much fun these guys were having with the whole thing. You can watch the full episode at The History Channel or click HERE to check out the 7 or so minutes with Jack White.

I Love Christmas! On Etsy

It's no secret that I love Christmas. And so, when I discovered that my sexy santa pot holder was featured in a fabulous Christmas treasury on Etsy I knew that I just had to write about it.

The treasury features lots of sparkly retro goodies, like this vintage inspired Christmas card handmade by Retro Rose Collages. I love it!

Thank you Chrysa of Etsy shop Simply a Circle for curating such a fabulously retro treasury!!!

A Rainy Retreat On Etsy

I am in love with this treasury very aptly titled A Rainy Retreat curated by Peru Lily Crafts on Etsy! Words like cozy, warm, charming, sweet, snuggly, and perfectly lovely come to mind. And I love it when an Etsian gathers together such an interesting and varied collection of goodies on such a specific and unique theme.

I especially love this vintage postcard garland by Vintage Scraps. And it's just one of the many goodies featured.

Thank you Peru Lily Crafts for creating such a lovely treasury!

Ice Cream On Etsy!!!

I'm getting more and more into Etsy treasuries these days. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Etsy vernacular, a "treasury" is group of items curated on a theme or color by a member of the Etsy community. This holiday season I've really enjoyed searching the treasuries for things like "gingerbread" or "peppermint swirl". I'm loving it. And I'm finding lots of new shops along the way!

Today, my treasury find is this ice cream themed treasury put together so perfectly by Sarah from Morebees. I love the pastel colors and general yumminess. I also love how many different kinds of goodies there are. There's an ice cream cone lamp (for example) next to a deliciously kitschy vintage ice cream advertisement. Love it!!!

Thank you Sarah for creating such a uniquely sweet treasury!

Vintage Christmas On Etsy

This is my favorite time of year, in general. It's Autumn, the leaves are changing, the weather's getting colder. We may even have the occasional freak snow storm, like New England saw over Halloween weekend.

And Christmas is right around the corner!!!

But, I especially love this time of year on Etsy because there are so many beautiful, kitschy, and unique Christmas themed treasuries! Check out this vintage Christmas treasury created by a fellow Etsy seller, Pretty Little Bikes.

My christmas rockabilly pinup girl pot holder was featured as well as lots of other adorable goodies, like these kitschy bottle brush Christmas trees handmade by Ruin Bibber.

Thank you Pretty Little Bikes for creating such a splendid treasury!

Rebecca On Etsy

Yesterday as I was perusing Etsy, spending my precious morning hours gazing upon handmade delights of all kinds, I happened upon a Rebecca themed treasury and thought, "wow, kindred spirits!"

Thank you Ellie-Rose for curating such a splendid treasury!

Rebecca is possibly my favorite movie of all time and I tend to love virtually anything written by Daphne du Maurier (who wrote the novel of the same name that the movie is based on). What a treat to see so many lovely handmade and vintage items along such an equally lovely (and mysterious, and romantic!) theme.

The photo above by Elle Moss is featured in the afore mentioned treasury. Elle Moss' photos are haunting, surreal, and perfectly intriguing.

All That Heaven Allows

I'm back from my Wintertime hibernation, although Winter is in full force her in New England. The snow is crazy!!! We've had something like 7 or 8 feet fall, and then the snow is plowed and piled up into these giant snow mounds. Lucky for me, I like snow.

Which brings me to the photo above and the title of this posting...the beautiful and heart wrenching technicolor classic, All That Heaven Allows. It tells the story of recently widowed Cary (played by Jane Wyman) who falls in love with the local landscaper, tree farmer, wood worker, and all around free spirit, Ron (played by Rock Hudson). Now keep in mind, this is the mid-late 50s. Keeping up with the Joneses is all that seems to matter to most everyone in this story. Everyone, except for Cary and Ron (and a few open minded close friends).

A wealthy widow and mother of two grown children falling in love with a free spirited tree farmer-come-wood worker!?! Enter: wealthy, judgemental, gossipy society and you've got one killer melodrama. And this is about 30% of why I love this movie. The other 70% goes to Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson who were perfect in their roles, and (of course) to the art direction. Lush, gorgeous landscapes and interiors, some Christmas decor during the holidays, and plenty of snow.

I've watched it a few times now, and plan on watching it again soon. I think I'll make it a Wintertime tradition!

Fussy Gussy Storque Feature

Fussy Gussy Cafe Curtains have been featured on the Etsy Blog as part of a larger feature called Get the Look: Home Decor Edition. Very exciting!

PINK On Etsy

Check out these items on Etsy!!! Love this pink dress by vintage seller ♥Thrush♥ (top) & this adorable Lolipop Girl Journal by ♥Fric de Mentol♥.

♥Hello + Welcome To Fussy Gussy♥

Hello and welcome! My name is Meagan, and I am the beauty, brawn, and brains behind Fussy Gussy. I live in a charming 1930s era house, complete with plenty of dormers, nooks, & crannies. I've been told that my home reminds people of a gingerbread house. For me, this is a great compliment.

Fussy Gussy began out of my own need for the perfect shopping tote. One thing led to another, and I started making pot holders. And now I'm know as "the pot holder lady" at craft fairs. 

I have a fondness for vintage pinup girls, glitter nail polish, and all things kitsch, but having lived in antique New England houses all of my life I like objects that have lots of history and the inch thick layer of dust to prove it. I'm inspired by mid-late 19th & early 20th century art & fashion & design & culture, vintage gothic romance novels from the 60s & 70s, horror movies, ghost stories...the list goes on and on. 


I collect vintage cake decorating books, and the occasional vintage cookbook. My favorite is the "Gone With the Wind Cookbook". I'm both terribly romantic and (somehow, also) fairly practical. I love watching (and talking about, and writing about) movies, especially horror and classics. I love, love, love music. I love to dance. I (clearly) love using parentheses. Clover honey is my sweetener of choice. I graduated with a BFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. I love what I do, and feel fortunate to be a part of the ever growing local and handmade community.

You can find all sorts of domestic delights, as well as the lovely lady above in ♥my Etsy Shop♥, as well as at boutiques and craft fairs across the country. Enjoy!