It's Been Good 2013

2013

What a nice year. Actually. It wasn't that bad.

I'm even going to throw this out there: these past 6 months have been EXTRA RAD. 

TIME TO GET PERSONAL: I've probably changed the most this year. The beginning of 2013 was the first time that I actually liked someone! Aside from Aaron Carter and Gordo from Lizzie McGuire, I must admit I had never really liked a boy before. Wowie. 

I knew from the start that I was romanticizing him into someone he clearly wasn't...but it was nice having those feelings for the first time. Dopamine? Yeah, that. In fact, it was the most exciting thing ever. It was HOLY.

 The boy turned out to not be exactly how I pictured - but I will cherish him as my first school girl crush ever. 

 (God - I'm too old for this.)

 2013 was a year of self love. I remember being so anxious in the beginning, latching onto people who didn't necessarily have my best interests in mind. I felt like I became a friend to fill space, to get connections. Getting out of that situation was the best decision and feeling I ever had. It was pure EUPHORIA. Realizing that you can always opt out to do your own thing was brand new to me. 

Being able to be on your own is SO important. I began to learn how to deal with my anxiety, how to stop thinking negatively, and I finally reached out to those friends who were there for me the whole time. If I hadn't of taken that step - I wouldn't want to know the person I would have become. 

One of the best moments was seeing Crystal Castles with my friend Bonnie. You would think being squished against hippies and punk kids alike would be terrifying - but it was probably the best bonding experience I'd ever had. Something about the hue of the lights, the pounding bass. No one was trying to feel you up or buy you a drink, everyone was just there for the music.

 It was the best high of my life. What was even more euphoric was walking downtown in the chilled May air with my friends afterwards. Walking outside by the loner smokers, hugging old high school friends, catching the bus back - still buzzing. 

Then there was work, and all that comes with work. Meeting and befriending people you probably wouldn't have, watching how people react with each other, having the coworker bond of hatred against horrible customers whilst working retail, and really appreciating smoke/lunch breaks. It made me realize how good I have it, being able to have an education when I worked along people who deserved it way more but had to make a living instead. 

(DV stills)

Then fall. Fall 2013 was great. It was the first time that I felt like I belonged somewhere in a long time. I met up with old friends, made some new ones through activism, and generally had awesome weekends. I didn't act like my usual myself and I liked it. 

Then there were the random friends: the girl who was in my dorm last year.  We ended up getting late night coffee and talked about existentialism and how we have no idea what we are doing in school. It was the deepest conversation I've had to this date. 

There was the troublemaker in my French class who the teacher disliked (more than me, I might add). We bonded over our failures in the education system. She is like an older sister to me, but more crass. She's loud, not always P.C., and has the attention span of a goldfish. Yet, she is the most fiercely loyal person I've ever encountered and can go from making you laugh hysterically to making you spill your guts  in order to sort your shit out. 

I started making short films again, Mini DV/VHS/collage stuff. I used to detest everything I made in art - even the stuff that won awards, but this time it all just flowed out for some reason. I realized how important it is to have access to resources and technology  - and how comforting it can be to have them (shout out to Adobe and really nice Mac computers). 

Wrapping it up, I came in contact with someone who was really fresh. They had a passion like mine and seemed to have their life somewhat figured out, which let me breathe a little easier. They seemed driven and focused, but also childlike.  CHILDLIKE. I really admired that, I didn't think people could still have that when they "grew up". 

I admit - I can be really cynical of my own future. The economy, my barely-making-money "profession" path, my own issues - they all seem to hinder me from progressing. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to get through it all. To be honest, I still am.

But by just being in contact with this person I learned that everyone doesn't have it completely figured out, but making things work is do-able. Having the urgency to find yourself as soon as possible, make it big, get rid of all your debt - is keeping you paralyzed from actually living and creating things. 

This person made me feel like it'd all be okay, and I don't think they know that. 

So, cheers to 2013 - a turning point. 

Hopefully you all had a nice time this year, and if you didn't, I hope you keep optimism in you for this upcoming year.  My constant existential battle with human interaction proved fruitful this time around, even with the friendships I'd lost - the boys too. I would be lying if I said I didn't have major lows - they came and passed, but I wouldn't change a thing. 

You'd be amazed at how quickly you can change, or how quickly your environment can change. You have to be open to it. It's scary, but it's great.

Never be stagnant.

Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion 

Vintage Shopping in St. Paul, MN!

(Me and Peter Cottontail)

Hello everyone!

I thought I'd share with you a bit of my vintage shopping adventures from St. Paul Minnesota. Recently, I've been striking out with thrifting at my local Goodwills/Value Villages, so the concept of a vintage shop is really comforting to me. For those who aren't aware, there are differences between the two:

Vintage Shops: The owners hand select pieces they have thrifted, purchased from estate sales, purchased from antique fairs, or items they have acquired from home-visit sales. Cost= $$ to $$$

Thrift Stores: Houses items that are donated from the public in which the proceeds usually go towards some type of charity. Cost= $ to $$

(Missouri Mouse Antiques, 1750 Selby Ave, St. Paul)

There are benefits and disadvantages to both.  Thrifting is almost always cheaper, but you have to sift through a lot of material and risk not finding anything.  Vintage stores are usually more focused, so you have more of a possibility of finding something you like - yet because of this convenience the prices are almost always higher. It's ultimately up to the buyer to choose what's best for themselves. 

(Interesting finds at Missouri Mouse Antiques)

My friend Sarah and I ventured to Selby Ave. and went to Missouri Mouse Antiques. Like most vintage shops, there is more to it than meets the eye - literally. Every corner you take leads you to an entirely different room, covered with random knick knacks. It's sort of disorienting but if you have a lot of energy it can be amazing. 

 I managed to pick up a couple records for around 50 cents each before we left.  My purchases included The Sound of Music, Carousel, and The Steve Miller Band. Not sure what kind of condition they are in, but if anything they will be great for decor purposes. 

After realizing how draining antique shopping can be, Sarah and I headed over to the Neighborhood Cafe (1570 Selby Ave) for a couple grilled chesses and malts. 

After recharging, we headed over to one of my new favorite vintage shops called Up Six Vintage.  Half of the store is full of vintage clothes (big emphasis on the '80s), and the other half is furniture and decor.  I loved the abundance of metallic shoes they had, it gave me a '70s glam mixed with the millenia vibe (Comme Des Garçons, Rodarte, etc).  I think overall the owner has selected some really nice pieces, and mostly everything that I saw was under $50. 

I only walked away with a couple things - the first being a '70s dusty rose flowy dress. I also found some nice black lace up heeled boots that instantly reminded me of The Craft. 

We stopped at a few other stores and picked up some more pieces, but I thought I'd end it here. I guess the moral of the post is that you should always give vintage shops a try - even though they can be a little expensive.  You wouldn't imagine the thought and time the curators put into the shop. Even if you don't get anything, it's always nice to look around for inspiration. Anyways, I took some footage of our day as well, so perhaps I'll make a video/haul on the adventure on my youtube channel, JustACurbsideProphet.

I hope you are all doing well!

Much love, 

Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion 

I'm Still Here - Joaquin Style

(Me wearing my Nature Valley headband which I get mocked for MERCILESSLY everyday)

Hello! 

After I made my hiatus video on JustACurbsideProphet, I've been thinking a lot. Actually, my brain is almost as fried as the college sorority girls' bodies who happen to be kickin' it in the Keys over Spring Break
(no hard feelings tho tbh).

 Anyhoozle, I've come down to three things that I'm working on currently:

Human Interaction (see last post)

Redefining Confidence

Making plans and actually fulfilling them

    1. As for human interaction, things are looking up. I've made more friends, and made peace with others. I still have yet to talk to my dream guy who lives my dorm. He resembles an ungodly mix of Michael Pitt and Andrew Vanwyngarden, but hey - baby steps (we make eye contact a lot). 

2. Redefining confidence is a new concept for me.  You always hear people telling you to "just be confident", even those within the beauty/ fashion community. I don't think half of them even know what they are saying. It's become such a cliche that even I don't know what it actually feels like anymore.  But what does it even mean? What does it feel like to be confident? Is the key to ultimate happiness purely confidence? Can you really learn how to become that way or will that self doubt always linger? It's more about psychology than anything really.  I'm trying to find those revelations that can change the way you think... it's just been a little harder than I imagined.

   3.  Lastly, the third point is making plans and actually fulfilling them. For those who don't know me in real life, I can be a flake sometimes.  When I don't feel comfortable, or when I plan incorrectly, I kind of fall off the face of the earth and I don't like when that happens.  But this isn't just a social issue, I'm beginning to make plans for future projects, summer classes, jobs, and adult stuff. Blerg.

(Trees on trees on trees)

(Blueberry pancakes get at me)

(Lake Superior)

    So I'm currently Up North with limited internet wifi, thinking intensely about these three things. There's also this crazy thrift store down the road from me which I intend on rummaging through tomorrow, so expect a Youtube video on it if I find anything. That's something I've been into recently- absurd and quirky thrift shops like the one in The Doom Generation by Gregg Araki. I plan on going ham when I get back to the Twin Cities and hitting up all of the vintage shops when I still have the foggy illusion that I can afford the things I'll by. 

(Rose McGowan in the Doom Generation (1995) by Gregg Araki. You should really see it. )

   But as always, I love you guys and I want to thank you for sticking around on all of my websites! If you don't see a video from me soon, just remember that I'm still going through those 3 bullet points. 

Much love.

Lauren Rose
Curbside Fashion