Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for the car breaking down.

What a day! Here's me expecting a simple Sunday and it turns into a nightmare. This morning I woke up late, text MYB to tell him about my nightmare (I heart how much he looks after me even when we're apart) and watched Hollyoaks with a grilled bacon sandwich. I got dressed in some comfortable Sunday clothes, made a coffee and made plans to go out for the afternoon with my family.

My mother is learning to drive so she and her partner opted to spend the afternoon having a little practise whilst my brothers and I went shopping and had lunch together. Once we were dropped off, my brothers and I walked around the shops and I enjoyed getting male opinions on shades of lipsticks, high heels and jeans. My brothers may only be twelve and eight but they know their stuff on fashion! My younger brother even declared that today was the "best day ever" as he got to "enjoy all the shops for girls". Strange but cute.

My mother was taking a while but we were happy in the knowledge she was learning her driving stuff so we went for three large Starbucks hot chocolates and a shared shortbread. Drinking hot chocolate with my two little boys is almost as good as sipping on champagne with MYB!

After a while, however, we worried. My mother wasn't answering her phone and neither was her partner. The shops were close to closing when my mother turned up looking flustered. The car had broken down a fair while away and the RAC were coming out to rescue them. As it was a long way to walk, my mother suggested I keep the boys busy and she'd come back for us once the car was fixed but she warned us that if she was longer than an hour and a half, we were to make our own way back.

Two hours passed and they hadn't turned up. Worried and cold, the boys and I walked for ages in the rain to get help. I'd forgot my bank card so we had no money on us but the lovely people at Sainsbury's garage called us a cab and we paid once we arrived back home. An hour later, my mother and her partner arrived home totally exhausted.

It's been a tiring, exhausting and stressful day but we got through it.

Style is a must in these situations, however. No cash? No transport? Not a problem if you're dressed wonderfully. I love this Topshop jacket- it is so 80s and fabulous! I'd wear the jacket left open with this brown and white striped DAY Birger et Mikkelsen tee, some jeans from New Look and mustard colour heels by Kurt Geiger. This sweet cross the body bag is vintage and all the jewellery featured is from Topshop.


Broken down. - by hollieanne on Polyvore.com

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for Christmas Eve.

Happy Holidays, Everyone. Can you believe Christmas is upon us already? It's weird for me, really, as I had Fake Christmas with MYB last week and I really don't feel festive anymore. But I need to consider the following: since when was dinner at Nandos and discussions about Sam Ronson festive? Spending time with my parents (my father not included), too much wine, glittery decorations and the current wonder of really bad Christmas songs that currently fill this gigantic house rather successfully is what Christmas really is.

And it's going OK. I actually had a hospital appointment this afternoon but have spent the rest of the time slowly sipping on rosé and wrapping pretty gifts in purple paper.

I got lost in explaining Christmas Eve traditions to MYB last night and the major one of our household will be underway soon: the huge girly bubble bath and the new pajamas. I have to open the gift my mother selects from under the tree and it's always a pair of new pajamas. Although I fear my mother selected the wrong size this year and I'll be snuggling up in MYB's favourite bedtime attire of mine, my robot pajamas.

I am missing MYB tonight. We haven't spoken today and I'm pretty sure we won't as he's so terribly busy. And indeed, Friday will symbolise a family birthday for him and I'm certainly not family. Gutted.

Moving on, how sparkly and fab is this outfit?! The outfit is perfect for pre-Christmas cocktails with your BFFs. The Anna Sui dress reminds me of a flapper girl dress and the fact that it's covered in sequins makes it even more amazing. As the dress is quite short, I've gone for total excess with DAY Birger et Mikkelsen leggings and continued the sequin theme with some really pretty heels by Marc by Marc Jacobs. Accessories are mixed textures with some ASOS earrings, a wonderful octopus ring by Kenneth Jay Lane and a total lust-have via a classic Bottega Veneta clutch.



Christmas Eve Drinks. by hollieanne

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for being so wrapped up in cuddles that she forgot to blog!

I'm in trouble! I know, Readers, I know. What type of daily blogger am I if I go a single day without some sort of fashion and lifestyle twittering?

But you see, I was so wrapped up in cuddles and cocktails that I couldn't possibly bring myself to load up the computer, style some stuff together and write- especially not when MYB is around, anyway.

Thus I apologise and hope you'll realise it's a one off. Today (and indeed yesterday) marks a six month anniversary for me of the most life changing moment of my life and I needed to celebrate. I am allowed a single day off, right? Right?!

OK, so maybe not but you get the entry for yesterday this morning (12 hours late but it's still here!) and you'll get another entry tonight. I heart being in love.

So yesterday was a nightmare day with travel, a philosophy exam and then more travel. At the end, I got the good stuff! Hurrah! I needed to look smart and serious yesterday but also rather delicious in the afternoon so I've gone for a simple pallet of grey and black. I am a massive fan of sleeveless tops/dresses with a waistcoat, don't ask why but there's just something fabulous about it. So to get the look, I've gone for a pretty black ruffle dress by Forever21 and throw a grey knit Topshop waistcoat over the top for a more dressed down feel. Continuing with the grey, I've added ruffle shoe-boots, a sweet little cable knit bag by Dorothy Perkins and grey tights. D&G provide the silver chain necklace and the bangles are DAY Birger et Mikkelsen. Forgive me?

Sexy Philosophy by hollieanne

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for panic attacks.

When I was little I was trained, by my mother, in how to take care of my father whenever he had a panic attack and I was the only person around. I remember a little sheet that gave details of the symptoms of panic attacks and how to calm a person down. I also remember the huge batch of paper bags in the cupboard which were given to my dad from the pharmacy; they were printed with a green cross and blue text in a typical chemist style.

I've never really suffered from panic attacks- perhaps I had a few in my early teens and maybe a 'light' one once every now and again but it's never something I'd say I "suffered" from or that happened to me frequently. But today, for one of the only times in my life, I had a major panic attack.

The thing that's upset me most about it is that I found myself feeling really embarrassed about it as there was nothing, that I can recall, that brought it on. The location bothers me most about the incident, however. I happened to be right in the middle of Marks and Spencer and, in the middle of shaking and being unable to breath, managed to drop my basket to the sound of a loud clatter. What started off as short breaths and sweating turned into loud crying, intense shaking, chest pains, hyperventilating and lightheadedness. Right in the middle of an immensely busy M&S!

People crowded round me and worried people tried to ask me if I was OK but nothing came out of my mouth. Eventually members of staff made people move on and slowly took me to a back room to calm down. They gave me glass after glass of water and gave me a paper bag to breath into. Well done, M&S- you actually really helped! They were so lovely but I felt so silly and couldn't even look them in the eye. I ended up leaving my basket of wine and dessert as I was too flushed and worked-up. It wasn't good.

Dressing For is all about staying calm today. When I'm feeling ill I always opt for the floaty dress or top and skinny jeans number. There's something about a silky and floaty top that always makes me feel calm and comfortable. I love this over-sized Day Birger Et Mikkelsen shirt dress as it can be slipped on over jeans, like I've done, or worn on its own with some ribbed tights and a belt. I've added some skinny jeans by Cheap Monday and some bangles by French Connection. I've gone for browns and oranges with accessories and started with this Disney Couture pumpkin necklace- so cute! Finally, slip on some super comfortable moccasins available from Fred Flare and take advantage of Dorothy Perkins 20% off day and bag yourself this vintage looking patchwork beauty. Remember, stay calm and carry on...


Panic Attacks. by hollieanne