Showing posts with label childhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label childhood. Show all posts

Saturday, 18 October 2008

Hollie-Anne Brooks dreses for sudden flights out of the country.

Dating someone with children has really helped me understand that my parents do have lives too and they're often more fun than my own! I guess something clicked when I first fell in love with my other half and I suddenly had such a new outlook on my parents, their divorce and their current situation. I think this is probably the greatest lesson my boyfriend has ever taught me, although I'm not sure how aware he is of it.

But even though I understand my father needs a life and a relationship, I've never approved of his teenage like behaviour and his need to gallivant, for one of a better word. I've never understood my father's need to be in relationship after relationship and for, well, all his life to overlap. He's never been single since he was about 16. A need to feel constant love after an appalling childhood? Maybe so but in this instance, it hurts.

As I sat doodling teacups and kittens this morning, my father called. He always has a habit of talking around the main point (the man was a massive success in the retail world, I shouldn't be surprised at this!) so he started asking how I was, what I was up to and what times I was in college for the following week. Then he got to the main point. Himself and K The Bore are off to Turkey for a week as of Monday afternoon. No time to see me between now and then, he's afraid so er...bye. Bye, Dad! You know, I haven't seen you in a few weeks and you're off once more spending cash you told me you didn't have when I asked for £10 for two research journals. It's not the money, it's just the madness of it all and the way he just appears to dump me the whole time.

Perhaps some people reading this will think I'm being a little selfish and my father is just living his life but he's irrational, unstable and falls in love constantly with new women because he likes the feeling of being in love. After I moved back in with my parents, it took weeks for my father and I to even speak but then we build up this amazing relationship and once I meet K The Bore and lie and say she's great, he drops me like a hat and doesn't call as much and hasn't visited or invited me over. Well, Mr. Brooks, do what you please because I do not care. Nope, not one bit. But doesn't ever girl need her daddy in fragile times?

So with a slight annoyed expression about me all day, I've created Dressing For with a pink stroppy stomp! This pink prom style dress would come in at around £12.40 if Forever21 existed in the UK; sometimes I hate living in Britain (this is a lie- I loooooooooove being British!). The shoes, however, not so cheap but aren't they a work of art? I actually want these Prada babies just to cuddle at night. Again, you'd be spending mega bucks on the Chanel bag but if you're daddy's little princess perhaps you could just flutter your eyelashes? Hey, it might work! Add this Juicy Couture belted trench for the autumn nights. See, people laugh at me for my love of Juicy Couture but how could you not love the label when they produce items like the sweet little trench? Finally, clip back hair in some Claire's vintage style slides and grab this Urban Outfitters watch necklace before they're all snapped up. A perfect outfit for pouting and sipping on a skinny mocha in Starbucks.

PS/ Promise I'll try and stop with the pink overload!


Sudden flights. by hollieanne

Saturday, 4 October 2008

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for a pizza party.

Today saw the 12th birthday of my step-brother, Anthony. It almost made me sad to realise that I was only a year older than him when I was struck down with depression equal to an adults and a future which would be controlled by it. Only now, at 19, am I in control of what is now diagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder and I almost live out my childhood losses in my two step-brothers' eyes. I enjoy their giggles, innocence and silly games knowing that I missed out on a lot of that. I feel privledged to have two such vibrant and mischeivous rascals to call my brothers.

And the giggles were at full speed today as we gorged on pizza, salad, cookie dough and stack loads of ice-cream until we were all nearly sick. We sang Happy Birthday at the top of our voices, popped the balloons which were blow-up for the birthday boy and chased each other around as if we were in a playground. Our laughing gained a few looks from fellow customers who perhaps thought the woman with the pink pout, dip-dye cardigan and smart wide-leg pants had too much sugar that morning. And what if I had? Today, I felt 12 too. And it was great!

The outfit picked for today represents the joy of being mature but young, silly but sensible, child-like but with so much life experience. I adore these La Garconne trousers which would be suitable in any editorial office or University meeting, the Topshop tee could easily slip under Yves Saint Laurent's "Le Smoking" tux for a quirky look and the Converse are commuting essentials which are swapped for killer heels on the corner of 6-8 Old Bond Street. I have a killer flu and this Topshop cable-knit scarf would be a welcome comfort. The Hello Kitty ring? Something I would have picked when I was 12 and something I'd probably still pick now, if truth were known.