Fab Girl Fall: Part II

Walking, weights, spiritual woo woo, and the supplements that keep me from unraveling before Christmas.

I apologize for the significant delay on Fab Girl Fall Part II. I have no idea if anyone cared or has been wondering about it LOL but if you were marking down the days like Shawshank then here it is.

I wrote the other day about my very personal journey with autism and want to start by saying thank you for the wonderful reception. I really wanted to share that because maybe it helps even one person.

And I know that On the Fringe is a total hodgepodge of design, life musings, fashion, skincare, mishaps, chaos, part memoir and part design magazine. But I hope you are here for it because you truly never know what you are going to get.

Now let us get into it. Mental, spiritual, the whole bit. OH and if you missed Part I, here you go!

First Things First: Peptides

Before we go anywhere else, I need to say this. Peptides deserve their own section. Notably BPC-157, TB500, and MOTS-C. And I want to emphasize, loudly, that I did them first. I was early to the game back in 2021. Everyone and their trainer may be talking about peptides now, but I was there before it was trendy and I need everyone to know that LOL.

The Workout (and My Tangents About Working Out)

So here is where I feel like a fraud. In the past two weeks, I have only been to Barry’s once and to my personal trainer once. That is it. Unless you count the manic Thursday night cleaning spree that had me sweating like it was cardio, plus the excessive amount of walking I have done.

But here is what I know works, because I have done it before and I am doing it again. You do not need Barry’s or pilates to be in shape. I like pilates, but I am intimidated by it and only go to one studio. Technically it is Lagree, and I use the microformer which is the smaller reformer on the ground. Supposedly harder than traditional Lagree, but who really knows. Every girl in NYC intimidates me anyway.

Funny tangent: my dentist does the Nofar Method, and we literally bonded over it between cleanings. So maybe I have an “in” after all.

When I am in Vero, I stick to three things that get my body where I want it to be. Same in the city or upstate.

Walk. Then Walk More.

I swear I invented both the hot girl walk and 12-3-30. Back in junior high, when I was exercise bulimic, I was already trudging uphill at 12 incline, 3 speed, 30 minutes long before TikTok. And the hot girl walk, where you tell yourself you are hot while walking? Yes, Tinx coined it, but in my mind, I made it up.

After my mom passed away, I would walk for hours listening to her favorite songs. Not the healthiest, but it got me moving and it healed something in me. Ten thousand steps is my baseline.

Add Bala bangles, pump your arms, do curls while you walk. You will look crazy on the West Side Highway, but who cares. In Central Park or in the suburbs, no one bats an eye.

Weight Train. Lift Heavy.

When women say they weight train, they usually mean with 8–12 lb dumbbells. Cute, but no.

My trainer is in her early 70s, looks phenomenal, and has me benching 65–70 lbs which is more than two-thirds of my body weight. Heavy lifting changes your body in ways light weights never will.

Push-Ups If You Refuse to Lift

If weights or trainers are not happening for you, do push-ups. People DM me all the time asking me to “drop the arm workout.” At first, I thought it meant stop showing off my arms. Turns out they wanted me to share it. The answer is push-ups.

Do 10 a day and keep working your way up! Add tricep dips on benches during your walks. Simple, effective, free.

This Fall’s Addition: Stretching

Back in my Physique 57 era, the stretching between sets was life changing. My new goal is to get into a split again.

Flexibility is everything. It changes how you move in the world. You feel swan-like. This fall, I am committing to YouTube stretch series to stay accountable.

The Supplement Drop

Here is my medical rap sheet: Lyme, babesia, long COVID, Hashimoto’s, myocarditis, celiac, osteoporosis, osteopenia. I have seen every doctor and every specialist. Through all of it, I finally found the supplement stack that works.

The Non-Negotiables:

• NAD: Julia Amory swore it changed her life. Then TIBAL swore it changed theirs. I caved, and it changed mine. Two in the morning. NAD is basically food for your mitochondria, the energy factories in your cells, which is why you feel more alive when you take it. I notice the difference the second I run out.

• Vitamin D3 + K2: Especially if you live in the Northeast where the sun barely shows itself for half the year. D3 supports immunity and mood, and pairing it with K2 makes sure the calcium actually goes to your bones instead of clogging your arteries.

• Omega-3s: The Metagenics lemon flavor avoids the fish burps. Omega-3s are linked to brain health and mood regulation. There are studies showing lower levels in people with depression, so it is one of those easy wins that supports both body and brain.

• Magnesium: BiOptimizers and Neuromag. Neuromag is the one that crosses the blood–brain barrier, which is why it helps with focus, sleep, and calming the nervous system. One in the morning to balance out coffee jitters, one at night to help with sleep.

• MegaSpore Probiotic: Elite. A spore-based probiotic that actually survives your stomach acid, unlike most of the fluffy stuff on the market. Gut health is connected to literally everything; energy, mood, immunity- so this is a true foundation piece.

If you only take a handful, start with these. Everything else is bonus points.

Spiritual and Mental Wellness

This is where I lean into the woo woo. And let me tell you, none of it is cut and dry. It is messy, personal, and only works if you actually do it. But when you do, it changes everything.

Transcendental Meditation

At 25, I paid $1,500 at the NYC center to learn TM. Three days of instruction.

• Day one is celebrity testimonials. Martin Scorsese, Jerry Seinfeld, Howard Stern, all saying TM changed their lives. I sat there thinking, “Is this a cult?” and honestly did not mind if it was.

• Day three, you are given your personal mantra. You never share it.

The practice is 20 minutes twice a day, morning and afternoon. It sounds like a lot, but when I have done it consistently, I have felt calmer, clearer, and more energized. The benefits compound.

And here is the science-y part. Studies have shown that meditation can actually increase gray matter volume in the brain, especially in regions linked to memory, learning, and emotional regulation. It also lowers cortisol, which explains why you feel less frazzled and more resilient when you practice regularly.

I have resisted it lately, but I know when I get back into it, it transforms me. Even billionaire Ray Dalio supposedly makes everyone at his hedge fund learn it, down to the janitors.

If you can invest, do it. If not, find a guided meditation on YouTube, Spotify, or Insight Timer. The key is carving out the quiet.

Scripting

This is where I really lean into woo woo. And I no longer apologize for it because it works.

Scripting is journaling in the present tense as if your dreams already happened. You do not say “I want” or “someday.” You say “I am” and “I feel.”

Example: I am sipping Earl Grey in my de Gournay clad sitting room, looking out at the ocean from my Martha’s Vineyard house. I feel elated, at peace, and proud of what I have built.

Your brain does not know the difference. When you put yourself in the emotional state of already having what you want, you start to notice opportunities that align with it. And here is the science-y part: this is tied to neuroplasticity. Your brain is constantly wiring and rewiring itself based on repeated thoughts and experiences. When you script, you are literally training your brain to carve new pathways that make your future-self scenario feel possible and recognizable when it shows up in real life.

I started scripting in 2018 after my mom bought me a journal at Rizzoli. So much of my life now, from projects to collaborations, was once scribbled there. And yes, I even scripted a licensing deal with a major player in the design industry. It has been my dream since I was a child, and it is now launching in summer 2026!

Write Down Your Goals

Dreaming is one thing. Mapping it out is another. This is where SMART goals come in. Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound.

I like to write mine in a chic monogrammed journal. Mine is embossed HLP and makes me want to use it. That is the point. Make it fun and ceremonial.

Vision Boards

Call it what you want, but they work.

Here is why: your brain has something called the reticular activating system. It is the part of your brain that filters information and decides what to pay attention to.

Think about it: you buy a new car and suddenly you see it everywhere. Not because there are more, but because your brain has been trained to notice it. The same thing happens when you make a vision board. You are literally training your brain to filter for the things you want, which makes you more likely to spot opportunities that line up.

And if you think this is all woo woo, you must listen to the podcast episode with MD and PhD Dr. Tara Swart Bieber on the science behind vision boards. She explains exactly how and why they actually work. I swear it will convert even the skeptics.

I made my first vision board five years ago and nearly everything on it has happened. Not instantly, but over time. That is the magic.

Wrapping It Up

Tonight I am putting myself together instead of throwing myself together. Case in point: the Lingua Franca dress (it looks like Dries van Noten- so beyond chic). I literally walked past the store, took a photo, thought “I need that,” and days later it arrived as a gift from the brand (talk about manifestation!). My first fashion gifting, ever. They went on to give me a discount code: HOLLIS15 for 15% off!

So here is the Fab Girl Fall Part II vibe:
Be delusional. Walk. Lift. Stretch. Take your supplements. Meditate. Script. Write it down. Make the vision board. And most importantly, get dressed.

Part III will be about home wellness, because your environment matters just as much as your body.

With gratitude,
Hollis