Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for dancing to The Saturdays.

Last night, as I watched Ruth fight for her place on X Factor, my mum's bloke made a comment about my weight. Sure, I'm no size 8 and I guess I am overly comfort eating in a time of stress over UCAS and my father but I do think there's zero need for comments like the one he made. I cried. My mum comforted me.

The comforting lasted well into today and I refused to be in the same room as her bloke. I admit, I wanted to make him feel bad and I was rather embarrassed at my current body shape, too.

My mum always has a way of making me feel better no matter what; everyday I think of the couple of years after my dad left when it was just the two of us. The house smelt of perfume and lipstick, we ate cheesecake and Chinese food and cried at girly films nearly every night. I miss those times but they're often repeated when it's just the two of us alone in this new home.

After finally giving in and dressing in a striped top and navy cords, my mum dragged me downstairs and presented me with home-made cheesecake- perhaps not the best thing for a girl with major image issues right now but it worked! With my mum's bloke and my brothers out for the day, my mum and I snuggled up on the sofa and watched Sex And The City: The Movie and giggled at how much of a Carrie Bradshaw wannabe I am (who isn't?!).

But it was letting go and listening to BBC Radio 1 that did it for me. Dancing in the kitchen is something I always, always, always do. When I lived alone, I did it. When I moved back home, it was one of the first things I did and no doubt when I go to Uni/move into a penthouse in New York/live in my shabby chic future Persian country house, I'll do the same. Today's choice was "Up" by The Saturdays. I don't care if some people think they're a cheap Girls Aloud/Sugababes/Spice Girls- I. LOVE. THEM! My mother and I have some sexy dance moves and let's face it, you couldn't shake like we do without lots of bootaaaaaaay!

Sunday if often my favourite day to dress for. It's lazy before the office week starts but it's also pretty and girly for Sunday lunch with your granny. And, can I add before I start explaining this outfit, my gorgeous mum loves this ensemble! I love this Chloé number, it's perfect for slouching in and yet would look amazing glammed up, I also get the impression it would hide one too many Yorkshire Puddings rather well. Add on some Marc by Marc Jacobs (fabulously priced) skinny jeans; there's not really a more pretty yet casual look that I enjoy more than a dress and jeans. Throw on some gold bangles, an amazing Isharya Filigree that should be a modern classic and then wrap your feet in some Grecian style Topshop sandals. Finally, I would happily lick some rather manky feet for this super pretty Bottega Veneta Butterfly intrecciato bag. Until tomorrow...



Untitled by hollieanne

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for going auburn.

I had a duvet day today. A lie-in after meeting The Hoosiers last night and shaking my bottom off in a fancy dress outfit that I described as "an oppressed 50s feminist housewife" but was twice described as "Kim and Aggie from Channel 4". Either way, for last night and last night only, I came across as a woman with a lot of scrubbing power!

I emerged from my gorgeous double bed at 11am. Sadly, there was no yummy man next to me to provide cuddles and breakfast in bed so I wandered downstairs and watched This Morning with my mum. I am a classy bird.

After lazing about in my favourite pjs of the moment, I got dressed in a fabulous blue check shirt with ruffle detail, comfy jeans and the cape of my dreams. In retrospect, the gladiator sandals were not a good idea in the rain but it was fabulous and cosy in my hair salon/beauticians.

After a while of staring at Nicola Roberts from Girls Aloud in the likes of Now Magazine, I knew I needed to embrace the world of ginger hair! I know, I know, it's apparently not enough for me that I have glasses, a gap between my teeth, a rather large pair of hips to say the least and a quirky dress sense- I just had to go into bully central and go all out.

It took two hours and lots of bleaching of my hair to give me the auburn look I craved. It's not exactly the bright ginger that I really want as to clash with my signature pink lipstick, but it's the best they could do with my darker than dark hair until November 25th when my hair will be going under another dye job. I love it.

So, to show off my new auburn colour, I've picked the key shades to match my new tone. Starting off with this "I must own and I'll happily sell my gorgeous, intelligent and successful boyfriend for it" Marc Jacobs trench; nice autumnal colour, eh? Underneath I've added this Diane von Furstenberg Tuvallu kimono dress. Blue works amazing with ginger shades, thus my blue check ruffle shirt I wore out today. As it's getting colder, wetter and typically English outside, it's time to add some tights by Topshop and slip on these Chloé boots. And it does seem a shame to cover up newly done hair but I would for this classic over sized floppy hat.



auburn by hollieanne

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for hanging on the telephone.

I sighed lots today. Why oh why must you keep me hanging on the telephone? Why must you say you'll ring back at a certain time and never do? Why must you ignite the over crazed worrier in me and make me thinking of everything from you being taken away by a unicorn to you having an affair with Paris Hilton?

That's the apparent art of modern day technology though, isn't it? You can get hold of anyone via means of text message or calling them on their mobile but it breeds a certain amount of anxiety. It's true! Suddenly your significant other doesn't reply to a text for 24 hours and you're worried they've run off with the whole cast of Hollyoaks/Simon Cowell/Boris Johnson (the latter is a serious worry for my other half, I'll have you know!). You wonder if the non-replying person has had an accident, if they've suddenly fled the country after being involved in a crime or whether they've been kidnapped by aliens or Girls Aloud.

Slow down! He/she is fine. They've been in a really long and important meeting all day and couldn't get a signal on the train. They love you very much but they have more important things to do in work time than reply to your "Hiya Love, what do you fancy for tea?" text message.

Still, it isn't by half annoying when you can't get through. So today we're all about slouchy comfort for when you're phone is fixed to your ear like you'd fix Gerrard Butler to your lips. And when you finally do get through and feel like an idiot for panicking so much? A sharp coat and killer heels for stomping about town.

Forever21 provide one of the only reasons I want to visit NYC so I've used one of their simple striped tops with a pair of DKNY wool pants. Tuck your top into the trousers for true high-waist chic sailor girl style. Add a nautical belt and a Bottega Veneta bead necklace which I've fallen in love with. When it is time to go out, slip over this Fendi trench coat and Topshop heels and grab this yummy clutch to take the outfit from day through to night.

hanging on the telephone. by hollieanne