Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for a girly evening in with mum.

I have the best mother and boyfriend in the entire world. I'd love someone to live my life for a day and just see how kind, caring, sweet and gorgeous my two most important people are. But it's all about my yummy mummy tonight!

My mum called me this morning to make sure I was well and insisted we have a sweet little evening of cooking dinner, painting nails and just being fabulous. It's been such a simple evening of cooking chicken and pesto pizza, watching television and my mother plaiting my hair as if I was three once more. But it's what I've needed and I'm much happier than I was at the start of the day.

The outfit I've styled for today is perfect for a relaxed dinner out or a few chilled glasses of white wine in the spring heat. I've started with this pretty Topshop tunic, added some Current/Elliot jeans and beautiful sandals by Musa. Forever21 provide pretty extras in the form of a bracelet and ring and this simple but chic clutch is Stella McCartney.

Girly evening. by hollieanne featuring Current/Elliott jeans

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for an early morning in Manchester.

I'm back. Indeed, I was back twelve hours ago. My plan to stay wriggling in bed and enjoy several more hours of sleep whilst my love got an early morning train kind of changed. Once he woke up, the idea of a hot bubble bath was too tempting and I threw my outfit together and was holding hands with my love on the streets of Manchester by 0610am.

Early mornings are nice sometimes, aren't they? I enjoyed the crisp air hitting my face as I snuggled into my love as we walked to the station. By 0630, I was alone as MYB went off for a train to work and I used my spare half hour to grab an iced mocha and a granola bar from Starbucks.

I had such a lovely morning. I like normality best so silly things like morning walks to the train station and waving goodbye to the man I am in love with make me a very happy girl indeed. It's similar to the smell of library books, seeing a man in a tuxedo, wearing my hair in plaits or drinking hot chocolate. Y'all know I'm a simple country girl!

I have to admit, my darling and I looked rather stunning together this morning- perfectly styled clothes, shiny hair, shiny shoes and loving smiles- and I felt beautiful despite the early hour. I've styled up a really sharp outfit for today, starting with this Rebecca Taylor ruffle front sweater. I've added some fab purple A.P.C cotton shorts and Fendi strappy heels and finished the look with a white Celine frame bag. Jewellery comes in the form of these crest earrings by ModCloth and a cute little turtle necklace by Accessorize.

Early morning Manchester. by hollieanne featuring Rebecca Taylor sweaters

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for a new hair colour.

I am the biggest fan of ginger hair. Auburn, copper, apricot, deep amber...if it's anywhere near ginger, I heart it. I'd love to look like Nicola Roberts (although I'd opt for bigger boobs and a little more padding all over, really) or have naturally flame red hair that just makes a statement of pure unique beauty. Until I can change my DNA, I'll have to stick with a lifetime worth of hairdressing bills and home dye jobs.

Today, I had my hair coloured a shade called amber and I have never been happier! With the darkest of dark brown hair, I'll never get a bright ginger shade but I can currently be seen with a lovely deep ginger shade with little flicks of my past dark brown.

There's really something about having your hair coloured, isn't there? OK, so I'd never go blonde or pink or anything or the sort but I enjoy staying safe for a really healthy look that makes me smile as my newly coloured hair bounces in the wind full of shine and softness.

Therefore, the outfit pictured is all for co-ordinating with my new shade. I've gone for a bright blue and super pretty dress from Forever21 which would create a clashing but striking look with my hair. I've added some Miu Miu sandals, a bright blue bag from Pauric Sweeney and a little white rose ring from Wet Seal. Finally, a beautiful piece from one of my favourite designers, Alex Monroe.


New hair. - by hollieanne on Polyvore.com

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for getting back to normal.

Very productive day in my little world. Woke this morning and booked two Beyonce tickets, went back off to sleep for a little while whilst wishing MYB was there to spend a lazy morning with me and then I spent the afternoon in town catching up on the much needed feeling of contentment which has been missing due to illness these past few days.

It was nice getting back to the normality of skinny coffee, Marks and Spencer, daily newspaper buying and freshly blow-dried hair. I devilishly read pages of the book I'm currently reading as I sat in Starbucks and I lost myself in daydreams of MYB and I chain smoking in Paris. I haven't felt like this all week; illness just makes me feel stupidly depressed and I cry more than most because I feel helpless and hate not being up and about and going at a million miles an hour.

My mother finished her first week of her new job so I met her at the hospital with a card and the biggest and most expensive bouquet of flowers I could find- she really deserved it.

The outfit for today is very sweet and I love the navy shades with the clashing pinks, oranges and browns of this Forever21 dress. Over the top of the dress I'd throw on a relaxed trench like this Mike and Chris one. I've added some navy flats, a pretty glitter beret by Coach and a clashing 3.1 Phillip Lim clutch. Lastly, I've added some flower rings with the neon pink one being from Topshop and the other from Forever21. Happy Friday!


Starbucks and flowers. - by hollieanne on Polyvore.com

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for cosmetics shopping.

What a fabulous day! Don't you just love the days when you swish around town with nothing but your mother and a fringe bag on your arm? Perfect!

Today I said hello to S/S09 ("S/S09? You're such a geek!"- MYB) with a nod to new florals in coral and feather hair accessories. I'm adoring the new season stuff already with the boho look and pretty feminine shades already filtering through onto the high street. Marks and Spencer added soft grey shades and bright blues and pinks to their Limited Collection and New Look showcased a mix of ghastly patterns and pretty frills. On my high street wish list after today? A M&S patent pink tote, a M&S boyfriend blazer, a black leather jacket I spied in New Look and some Marc Jacobs-a-like satin heels from Clarks.

But mummy and I left the clothing behind for all of a few minutes and headed to the cosmetics counter. As I'm sure I've documented on my blog before, my Yummy Mummy has never been one for designer items and favoured cheap alternatives which would never last as long but today I convinced her, in lure of her new career, to really splash out. With thanks to the usual amazing service at the Chanel cosmetics counter, we purchased mascaras, blushers from the new season collection and lipsticks all to give her a boost on her first day. And me? Well, Mummy and I always share but I think I'll be keeping my classic Miami Peach Chanel nail polish all for me.

As I adore Chanel cosmetics so much (the quality, the shades available and the wonderful service and advice), I've added three Chanel pieces to the outfit selected for today. Firstly, we have this timeless yet colourful tweed jacket which is mixed with a curved 2.55 black bag and a pretty flower ring. Coming in a little closer to most price bands, I've used some Acne skinny jeans, a Topshop tee and some quilted French Sole flats. Happy Saturday, Guys!


Cosmetics. by hollieanne

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for weekends away.

I can't say much about this weekend, really. I want to, but perhaps it's best not to for fear of complications. A weekend away is just what I need and I want to talk about plans, my company and all in between but I've been asked to keep it low-key. And before you question it, no, I am not off for an illicit affair/filthy weekend with some woman's husband/to sleep around behind MYB's back/to undergo some secret boob job. Quite the opposite, actually. You can probably guess where and who with but not so much why the secrets. I'm not too sure, either.

But anyway, my weekend bag is packed and I raided the Chanel and Lancome beauty counter in House of Fraser this morning for a quick pick me up. I'm all set to go and meet my date for the weekend at 9pm tonight somewhere in Yorkshire (or at least I think it's Yorkshire...).

I spent several hours at the salon this morning having my hair done. I am now a really natural looking shade of ginger and I adore it! Oh my god! I feel like Nicola Roberts but without the size 6 figure, cash and string of "hard-men" boyfriends. I hope it goes down well tonight- I don't see why not!

So, as I'm going to be away until Sunday evening, my lovely Readers get 2 outfits: one for train travel and late evening drinks and the other for a fabulous cocktail drinking and shoe shopping Saturday in a (probably) Yorkshire city.

Friday evening: I need something comfortable to travel in but I also want to look stupidly hot. This DKNY dress is sort of fugly but that's why I love it. It's so fussy so doesn't need much in the need of accessorising so I've picked some simple gold jewellery and some Sigerson Morrison boots that I'd sell MYB to own. All that's needed is a weekend bag in the form of this Balenciaga number and you're done!

Saturday: Saturday calls for a lie-in and a big bubble bath before going out for a light lunch and to raid the Topshop sale. I've gone on a bit of a Sonia Rykiel love-fest with this. The gorgeous coat, sweater dress and killer shoes are all by the lady herself and the tights and bag are Topshop. Grab about 10 shopping bags and a glass of wine to complete the look.

Have a fun weekend!



Friday travels. by hollieanne

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for being ill!

Urgh, I am ill. Spent the morning peeing into a cup and being given medication. I am classy, aren't I?

I feel tired and dizzy and like I could throw up every bit of food I've had to eat since the age of three. However, I am a trooper and will be setting my alarm for 6:25am tomorrow to make it to my morning lecture. So, an early night is in need thus a small post.

So, what are the vital things I need when I'm feeling ill? Well, apart from my gorgeous boyfriend to stand around looking gorgeous to distract me, I need pretty night clothing to make me smile. I've selected the most gorgeous Malene Birger negligee which could easily be worn as a day dress, add some Ugg boots for warm tootsies and a Marc by Marc Jacobs hairband because, if you do vomit, you really don't want sick in your hair!


Ill. by hollieanne

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

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for using watercolours.

It's so nice to spend only an hour of my day in a lecture and then come home and enjoy the finer things in life such as my slippers, Coke Zero in a mug, Hawaiian Tropic body butter, Jeremy Kyle and painting.

I haven't touched a paintbrush in weeks. I am ashamed.

I'm no artist in the typical sense. Picasso isn't my father and my mother would probably switch the lights off in some modern lighting exhibition show but I give it a go! And it was nice, it was nice to paint and feel so calm whilst doing it and create pretty images on a pretty page inspired by pretty days out with my best friend, my mother and my boyfriend (ahh, Chatsworth...).

Not even the disruption of my two younger brothers arriving home from school could annoy me as I painted Persian blue and emerald green onto grease-proof paper (yup, the stuff you put in the oven!) and sang along to random Amy Winehouse lyrics that kept cropping up in my head.

Sadly, the day didn't stay as calm. Brothers should not be allowed near laptops, put it that way!

The outfit I've made up for today is a very "Hollie-Anne" outfit. I tend to go for the chic and feminine look day to day and hardly ever wear trousers or jeans but opt for pretty pink colours and wonderfully constructed or floaty skirts. I love this rather dressy printed skirt from Forever21 and it speaks for itself so only needs a Topshop vest and a Forever21 grey cardigan over the top for understated elegance. I'm slipped on some pretty Topshop salmon coloured gladiators (make sure you've got your pedicure!) and I'd use a pretty pink satin hairband to keep hair tamed and classy. Finally, there's always time for a touch for timeless designer and that's why I've selected this Tiffany and Co silver necklace and Miu Miu leather tote to carry around everything from books to paints and, of course, lipstick. I love it!


Watercolours. 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 fancy dress outfit shopping.

Tomorrow evening I'll be in fancy dress for the first time ever- yay! I've never been to a fancy dress party before (sad, I know) so I am so excited.

My mother and I spent a hurried afternoon rushing around the shopping centre and trying to source inspiration. Despite tomorrow evening being planned for months, we didn't quite get our act together so have had to settle for what we could grab today. But what we found wasn't bad at all!

So, when I go off and see The Hoosiers tomorrow evening, I'll be dressed as a 1950s house-wife. Not very inventive, I know, but I have a lecture in the morning and then a hospital appointment with very little time to change in between. So unless I wanted to meet my doctor tomorrow dressed as Superwoman/Amy Winehouse/a naughty nurse, I'll have to work with my own clothing.

My style is quite 50s feminine anyway so my favourite mustard and purple floral dress will come in perfect, teamed with my cupcake apron, rollers in my hair and all the added accessories of a duster, rubber gloves and a feather boa for good measure. I can't wait!

As the shopping was quite hurried today, I've picked an outfit that's perfect for a slouchy morning with magazines, pastries and Hollyoaks followed by a Sunday lunch and glass of wine with your bloke and then trying on wigs quickly in fancy dress stores.

I love this Charles Nolan silk blouse- it's the perfect piece for work and for weekend. I've paired it up with a pale pink cotton Miu Miu skirt, Topshop knee high grey socks and amazing geometric style Chloé leather flats. Finally, as well as the Topshop bag, I've gone for cupcake jewellery- hooray! I heart cupcakes and The Humming Bird Bakery in South Kensington is the place of my dreams. Oh how I miss it...



Fancy dress shopping. by hollieanne