Author Archives: hardcastletowers

Here is a crib sheet of all things insta. There is this mysterious thing called the algorithm, no one has ever seen it or knows what it does but we need to obey it at all times and we must keep it happy. Just when you think you understand it it changes. You must postContinue reading “Insta rules”

The bond of motherhood is the strongest thing in the universe, stronger than a hypernova. It follows then that the pain when that bond is broken is unquantifiable. I have been motherless for more years than I was mothered. I have been a mother for more years than I was a daughter. I was goingContinue reading “Mothers’ Day”

This was first published in May this year. It’s my wedding anniversary tomorrow. Twenty one years since the day poor Tim was so nervous, he’d had a large glass of Brandy, had to have his Uncle Colin fasten his tie and had forgotten his name and address by the time he met me in theContinue reading “Me and Tim.”

Don’t scrimp on haircuts or shoes, always spend as much as you can afford on them. You can be anyone or anything you want to be and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Find someone who adores you just as you are and loves you just as much as I do, like I did withContinue reading “Advice to my daughters.”

What was your interiors game changer, the moment you found your style? Our first house was a little cottage and it was tiny. It was the nineties and it had quite a look, very ‘Changing roomsesque’ with lots of bright colours, stencilling and lime washed wood. We had a blue checked sofa, a plump yellowContinue reading “Game Changer”

You can’t failed to have noticed that we’ve recently had a new bathroom fitted. As is the same as when every new room is finished it’s my favourite room ever and I love it. Whenever I post any bathroom pictures I get asked lots of questions so I thought I’d write a little blog aboutContinue reading “My Bathroom revamp”

Yesterday marked the beginning of our fifth exam season in this house. It’s such an emotive time watching your children work so hard, much harder than we ever did back in the day. The pressure on them is immense and it’s hard to know what to do for the best. I have two very distinct,Continue reading “Parenting through the exam season.”

I still forget that not everyone knows this. It’s something we’re not really allowed to talk about on social media, so that part of our life is very carefully edited. We are actually a family of five and have been for almost three years now. I didn’t give up work to become a lady ofContinue reading “We are a fostering family.”