Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for a confusing but calm day.

I'm joyous at the fact that I have not ventured outside my home today and opted for the calm of an afternoon bubble bath, a brilliant novel and pesto. Normally I'm seen as a blur within the greed of modern weekend consumerism and I'm a typical buyer who shops for the pleasure whether in need of anything or not. But this weekend (well, this Saturday) I have felt the need to stay home and clean, wish away the hours by talking to my mother, socialise with family members, do some painting, sub edit some articles and think about prominent clothing brands and their marketing tactics. Good stuff!

I shall most probably spend tomorrow back in that consumerism blur with the occasional tense moment as my football team play their closest rivals in one of the biggest games in British football. There's something to be said about opting to divulge in home life: I used to get rather low when I found myself home all weekend due to not making plans or feeling ill but now I really enjoy it. I enjoy the thrill of using up a whole pint of skimmed milk during the day from unstoppable cups of tea or lighting candles in the front room and relaxing as their mango haze soaks my senses. Very pretty afternoon.

But my evening was tinged with a worry about my father. I'm not a girl to bite my tongue, especially when it comes to this man. When he called me later this evening I found it hard not to feel exasperated at his current plans which will end in tears from all. Why does he wish upon himself such a complicated love life and why does he need one so much? My father is ten years older than my darling boyfriend but acts like a teenager. MYB and I have pretty much always managed to keep things low-key despite an eighteen year age gap, busy lives, my illness and a slight hiccup in between. So why can't my father keep things simple with any woman he dates? Why can't he accept he does things to himself and face the consequences? Why am I so wrong when I gently inform him the beauty he was with this time last year was actually too good for him? He's admitted it himself before. I never mention my relationship with MYB to my father so why does he insist on informing me of every heartbeat and affair in his? I care not for another turn around in my life. No, not again.

Shall we discuss the outfit? I think so. This outfit is half similar to what I wore today, actually. I love maxi dresses but at nearly six foot I can get away with them and not have to wear heels. I love a plain maxi dress (seemingly, I wore a black one today) that I can jazz up with accessories. This blue number is from Forever21 and I've added a belt from ASOS. I've matched the colouring of the belt with a gorgeous Mulberry classic and used bronze/gold necklaces by Kenneth Jay Lane and Forever21. I'd tie my hair back in a simple side bun and add this sweet bow hair tie from Monsoon. Deep pinks are introduced with some wonderful Yves Saint Laurent flats and a flower ring by Kara Ross which is also seen here in an off-peach colour. Finally, for true casual chic, pile on the bangles like these from Topshop. And I'm calm once more...



He's annoyed my calm day. - 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 UPS.

My BFF and I are, quite frankly, rather crazy. We have the sort of super silly friendship that I feel is rather rare. We bond over our private jokes which have lasted years and not a single person in the world can make me laugh as much as he can. We've been through everything together: bereavement, break-ups, career heartbreaks and finance issues. I doubt there is a single thing we couldn't do together.

And so this all brings me on to the theme for today. My BFF and I have a silly argument about the UPS mail service. Is it pronounced U.P.S or is it pronounced "ups" as in up and down? My BFF is a wee bit dim and thought it was the latter but I clearly knew it was single letters. So I e-mailed UPS today and explained our little situation. I explained that, if I were correct, I'd be forcing my BFF to wear my favourite pink lipstick.

I'm sure you all know I was correct, don't you? Thanks to the lovely UPS bloke who cleared it all up (or ups, even) and proved my stupid but gorgeous BFF wrong. So, BFF, you ready to pucker up?!

My outfit for today clearly celebrates my win. Dinner in style on my BFF as seen as he got it wrong. I've used some Dorothy Perkins jeans but dressed them up with gorgeous black Brian Atwood shoes. The silk cotton cardigan is by my future wedding dress designer, Oscar de la Renta. I've added a vintage bag, Juicy Couture ring and a Forever21 necklace. Finally, some Marc Jacobs sunglasses to wear as we drive through the country roads and farms near casa de BFF.


UPS - by hollieanne on Polyvore.com

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for getting nervous about Uni.

I'm inpatient, this much is true. And so I called my top three universities this morning to ask about waiting times for replies and the responses terrified me.

OK, I can wait until March for replies due to the log of applications- I expected that answer- but I cannot deal with the thought of how many people are applying for my courses!

In all fairness, I have a lot going for me as far as my application goes (lots of work experience, a career as a freelance journalist and top grades on my course) so I don't have too much to worry about; I'll get into some university somewhere I'm sure. However, when you hear there are 1000 people applying for your course at a certain university, it kind of feels fine to have a little cry about it once you're put the phone down. Eeeek!

I'm still ill so today was a very scruffy jeans and t-shirt day but this outfit is a more stylish version on my Wonder Woman tee and dull jeans. I adore this incredible tee and it's by Lanvin (ahh, my one and only!). The jeans are a 7 for all Mankind bootcut pair but it's the accessories that really make this outfit so wonderful. I've used some pretty colour pop pink peep toe Louboutins, a huge hair bow from Forever21, some pretty flower studs also by Forever 21 and a brilliant bag by Longchamp. Until tomorrow...



Nerves. - by hollieanne on Polyvore.com

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for television and tea.

I'm bored! I cannot take illness. I cannot take days off. And I certainly cannot take this exhaustion. And yet I have at least 3 more days of it. Kill me now!

This morning was odd; I woke up but kept drifting in and out on a super deep sleep that only lasted 10 minutes at a time. In the end, I went back to bed for several hours and only forced myself to wake up because my father was popping round for tea.

The guinea pigs and I sat watching mindless television pretty much all day. Reading hurt my eyes too much so that was, rather sadly, out of the question. How am I going to manage several more days? Shame MYB can't get away from work this week to come and spend some time listening to BBC World Service and reading the papers with me. One must remember it's the boyfriend that's middle aged and not self. Thus, note to self: have more fun! Anyway...

I looked horrid when my father came over earlier today but scrubbed up OK to pop out for a bit of fresh air. This pretty cardigan is Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, the jeans are True Religion and these stunning heels are Jimmy Choo. I've used some Banana Republic earrings, a Dorothy Perkins ring and an incredible Topshop bag. Finally, some vintage sunglasses to wear when my migraine becomes too much.


Television and tea with my father. - by hollieanne on Polyvore.com

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for tonsillitis.

"You got the tonsils" joked my darling BFF as I struggled not to cry this morning after a diagnosis of tonsillitis. I've been advised to spend at least five days indoors and relaxing but lectures, essays and freelance pieces are calling and I can't ignore them, can I? Anyway, I've seen a gorgeous bag from River Island that I must own so if that's not worth a trip out then I'm not sure what is.

I hardly slept last night and woke up freezing cold despite several blankets. I found myself sending MYB a text around 5am telling him how scared I was because I was in that much pain- sorry if it woke you, MYB. Luckily, early morning sympathy came from my other Boy that is my BFF. He's odd and has irregular sleeping patterns so I wasn't surprised to find him wide awake at 6am. We giggled for well over half an hour and it did add some comfort to what has been a dismal day.

MYB did call me to offer so major comfort during a break from his desk (a super rare opportunity, or so it appears of late) but I'd just drifted off into my first load of decent sleep in about 36 hours so was well mardy with him. Feel bad now but all I have to do is pout and he'll forgive me...or at least I hope!

Onto the outfit, however. It sounds vile but the primary colour of this look is the colour of my tongue and throat- a wonderful shade of white! The outfit is the definitive way to look gorgeous whilst being practical for keeping my fever down. This beautiful dress is See by Chloé and I've added some Jimmy Choo sandals in case one needs to pop out for jelly or chocolate custard (all I can swallow at the moment). The accessories are the main delight for this outfit with the stack rings by Chanel, a gorgeous Grecian style hairband, a Roberto Cavalli flower necklace and a total lust-worth Miu Miu bag.


Tonsillitis chic. - by hollieanne on Polyvore.com

Hollie-Anne Brooks dresses for swollen glands.

The psychical illnesses keep on coming and after a disturbed sleep, I find myself with really swollen glands. I've spent today with a huge migraine that ripped across my eyes and didn't disappear even after strong pills. Tomorrow morning will see me being tested for some kidney problem. When will this end? I feel exhausted!

However, despite feeling like death, I was able to do a wee bit of shopping for art supplies and a perfect piece of fashion beauty that holds more of a sentimental value between MYB and I than you'd think. A girl can always shop, right? In sickness and in health, as they say!

Apparently, according to my sensible BFF, I need to keep my neck warm in times of pain with my glands so I took such joy in going through my two (yes, two!) pashmina drawers and selecting the right one to go with a green and purple combination I'd already pre-planned for the day.

Sunday chic inspires the outfit for today but with an added need to stay warm and well. The striped top and perfect denim skirt are both by Cath Kidston and the flats are by the legend of Louboutin. I've gone for some pretty Rebecca Norman hoops, a Vanessa Bruno bag and a very plain blue scarf. Until tomorrow...


Swollen glands. - by hollieanne on Polyvore.com