TV Muse: Roswell (1999)

 Roswell or Bust.

When I was 11 years old I used to lie awake at night clicking through T.V. channels until four in the morning. Insomnia? No. Strange addictions to crappy television shows? Yes.
With that being said, aliens have always had a special place in my life. I used to sit for hours watching UFO reenactment shows on the Travel Channel until I'd fall asleep. Preoccupied by conspiracy theories, I was determined that there was something out there- and that someone was HIDING THE TRUTH FROM US. 

Anyways, during my preteens I vaguely remembered an alien based show called Roswell on The WB playing after 7th Heaven, yet I never really gave it a go until my last few years of high school. Best decision ever.

Welcome to Roswell, New Mexico.  Liz Parker and her best friend Maria are two teenagers stuck working at a podunk touristy restaurant when one day a fight breaks out among two truckers (of sorts). A bullet fatally strikes through Liz, that is until Max Evans (a mysterious boy from high school) steps in and magically heals her wound amid the chaos. 

Liz later goes on to search for the truth behind Max's healing power, discovering that him and his two friends (siblings) are indeed ALIENS. Oh - and the kicker? Her current boyfriend's father is the town sheriff, determined to find ALIENS and exterminate them. Amazing, right? 

This show is a classic love story between an extraterrestrial and a human being. It's got the Twin Peaks mystery vibe going on - but a bit more hip and current (1999-2002). Familiar faces appear, like Shiri Appleby (Girls), Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy), and Michael Horse (Twin Peaks). It's the perfect teen drama with a sci-fi flare that would make most real sci-fi nerds want to reject humanity. It's basically Twilight. 

(outfit inspo much???)

So obviously the show is really bad - did we get to that yet? But that is what makes it so good. It is probably the ONLY show that truly represents my curated early 2000s millennial vibes. Remember when everyone was so excited to be in a shiny new era? How everything was suddenly "metallic" inspired? How we were all so intrigued with believing in aliens and discovering outer space - that is - before NASA stopped getting funds?? This time period was such a hyper materialistic moment, right before 9/11 and the start of the U.S.A's ongoing economic depression. It was beautiful.

I love this show for it's insanity, it's indulgence. Roswell ,New Mexico is the center of all my visions associated with this outlier of a time.  

The first two seasons of this show are PRIME.  Later it gets a bit weird and tangent-y, but I highly suggest watching it. You owe it for nostalgia's sake! Let yourself melt into a world of silver and neon green, desert valleys, and hot teen pheromones. 

P.S. Shout out to the hunky Jason Behr (Max) who was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota! 

Hope you guys enjoyed this T.V. Muse (will this be a new thing?).

Keep it cool!

-Lauren Rose 

Curbside Fashion

(P.P.S. all screen caps are from the Pilot episode!)

Moodboard - S/S '13

(Left to Right: The Doom Generation still, Unknown, Pageant Girls by Petra Collins, Unknown Gwen still, Unknown Spice Girls Still, James Huang, Unknown, The Doom Generation Still, and Unknown)

  So I thought I'd make a moodboard for today's post. Since in my last video I talked about the glam '70s/millenia 2000s vibes I thought I'd show you some visuals that pretty much embody my brain at the moment. Actually, now that I look at this it's mostly focused on the millenia half but you get the point nonetheless.

I've been thinking about the summer recently and what I'm going to do with it.  I originally planned on taking summer classes at my college in May to get ahead, but I might not pursue it because the financial aid will be beyond shitty. Plus, I don't want to burn myself out for the upcoming school year. Which leads me back into the post vibe - road trips.

For those who haven't seen The Doom Generation, its a hyper stylized film about 2 teenagers who are trying to escape their seemingly messed up lives.  They encounter strange places and psycho characters along the way.  It makes me sort of reminisce on all of the absurdity that lies in the outskirts of the U.S.A. The joke shops, touristy destinations, etc. It'd probably be super depressing to constantly reside there (shown in the movie), but popping in on a road trip and leaving when you want just seems so appealing to me in a voyeuristic way.  

Something else I've been inspired by recently is the concept of Roswell New Mexico/Aliens. I remember staying up late and watching crappy reenactment shows about alien abductions on T.V. as a kid. It just makes me really intrigued how so many people across the world believe in it whole heartily and dedicate their lives to exploring the matter.

Anyways, I guess what this all comes down to is mystery. What's still out there? What can I document? Maybe that's what I'll do over the summer - get some money together and bum it across the U.S.A. More fashion inspiration on this topic will be coming soon!

Much love, 

Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion 

(P.S. I watched this documentary called "Kurt and Courtney" on Netflix last night. I never knew there were hardcore conspiracy theorists that thought Kurt was murdered. I liked when they showed people from his past (his aunt/ex girlfriend), you can really see the impression he left - it's actually super depressing. Also Courtney is kind of displayed in a bad light (then again it's hard to make her seem like a saint), but her dad is the biggest asshole on earth. Wow. That is it, over and out. )

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