A ROAM OF NORWICH

This is a new part to the blog, every now and then I will be featuring places that need to be visited when in Norwich.  A travel guide of Norwich.

First up is the beautiful little shop Balfour & Moffat. 

As it is close to Christmas I thought I should let you all in on my secret place for beautiful gifts. 

I don't just love this little shop because we both share the name - Balfour - I love it because as soon as you walk in the door you are greeted with the nicest smile, the warmest hello & not just a conversation about the damn weather.  Louise (shop owner & a very stylish lady) makes sure you have a real conversation, takes interest in you & your stories.  For me, this makes for a pleasurable shopping experience. 

A little store that's full of treasures; clothes to wear, items for the home & even food to eat.  Quality items made to last where provenance is paramount. 

Handcrafted, one off investment pieces? This is the place to come. 

With it's striking dark walls and string lighting the interior is to die for.  Never before had I contemplated dark walls in my own home, but after seeing this classy example I am seriously considering the brave leap.  The impressive colour scheme lends itself to a warm & homely environment.

The necklaces & crisp white shirts shown above are definitely on my Christmas list.  And from Reuben's reaction I think he's enamoured with the selection of prints.

Balfour & Moffat have also become the first stockist of the beautiful, minimal Nor-Folk tote bags made by another local - Fiona Burrage (@the_smillie_burrage).  The perfect bag for the folk, or visiting folk, of Norfolk. 

"Where can I find this shop?" I hear you screaming:

Balfour & Moffat

23 Wensum Street, NR3 1LA.

01603 660562 

http://www.balfourandmoffat.co.uk 

Project time.  You can't beat a project.  First things first - buying the pieces for your project. We went to three different DIY stores to find the perfect plywood. Yes really, I am that anal about things.  Secondly choosing colours. As you can see from the picture above Reuben favourited the pinks (to make the girls wink). This took some time. 

Thirdly paying. I struggled with my PIN number, I removed the card too early & I generally ballsed it up. Maybe because secretly I am so tight.  That's the basis of project shopping for us. 

This project will be revealed in my next post (one of them anyway), I just have to fine tune as I am a perfectionist. Hopefully this may be one of the first products of CONCEPT JAR.

A few bits we collected on the DIY travel. 

I saw a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing on the sea;
And, oh! it was all laden
With pretty things for thee!

There were comfits in the cabin,
And apples in the hold;
The sails were made of silk,
And the masts were made of gold.

The four-and-twenty sailors
That stood between the decks,
Were four-and-twenty white mice
With chains about their necks.

The captain was a duck,
With a packet on his back;
And when the ship began to move,
The captain said, "Quack! Quack!"

Yesterday we sat at the curved window & watched the ships & fishermen bob up & down on the sea.  The sound of our evenings have been the gentle sound of crashing waves.  

I love the coast & small village but my dear I have missed the city.  I like being able to pay on card & being able to grab a coffee from a coffee shop at 6am. 

So last night when I finally dragged my arse into my own bed for the first time in a week, I opened the windows & just listened.  I listened to the people chatting, the clicking of heels, the laughter, the arguments, the taxis & the take away delivery men.  This is my sound this is where I belong.  City living.  With the occasional costly break of course. 

HOW PERFECT IS THIS DIY CONSTELLATION. DEFINITELY GOING TO GIVE THIS AGO IN THE YOUNG ONES ROOM. BUT WILL OURS BE ACCURATE? WE CAN ONLY HOPE. 

FATHER & SON. A BOND. A TIE. A LOVE. 

ADMITTEDLY I FEEL SORRY FOR THE POOR FATHERS WHEN THE LITTLE ONES ARE FIRST BORN. THEY  ARE RELIANT ON THEIR MOTHERS MOSTLY, THEY ALREADY HAVE A BOND WITH THEIR MOTHERS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE STILL STRANGERS. 

BUT AS THE CUBS GROW SO DOES THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR FATHER. 

THEY LOOK UP TO THEM, THEY RELATE TO THEM THROUGH SMILES & PRECIOUS EYE CONTACT. NO LONGER DO THEY LOOK THROUGH THEM. 

THE MOMENT ALEX WALKS THROUGH THE DOOR OUR SONS FACE BEAMS WITH A LOVE I HAVE NEVER SEEN FOR ANYONE BUT MYSELF. 

ALEX WILL TEACH HIM THE WAYS OF THE WORLD, HE WILL TEACH HIM MANNERS, TEACH HIM ABOUT LIFE & ALL THE UPS & DOWNS THAT ARE TO FOLLOW. HE WILL GUIDE HIM THROUGH PAIN, THROUGH HAPPINESS, THROUGH ANGER & LOVE. 

TOGETHER THEY WILL TRAVEL EMBARK ON NEW ADVENTURES, NEW LANGUAGES, NEW CULTURES.

TOGETHER THEY WILL JUST BE. 

WORK HARD IN SILENCE

LET SUCCESS BE YOUR VOICE

- FRANK OCEAN 

LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF

OH GOODNESS, INTRODUCTIONS.  I COULD SIT HERE & EXPLAIN MY LIFE STORY, I MEAN I REALLY COULD, I LOVE TO TALK.  BUT I THINK I SHOULD KEEP IT TO A MINIMUM, AFTER ALL I LOVE THE MINIMAL LIFE. 

SO FIRST THINGS FIRST I WILL GET THE AWKWARD 'MY NAME IS' OUT OF THE WAY... I AM (INSERT AGE OR SOMETHING BORING HERE). 

MY NAME IS JAZMIN.  MY MIND IS 31, MY BODY IS 22. 

THAT WASN'T SO BAD.  NOW WE CAN MOVE ON.  MY CURRENT JOB TITLE IS MOTHER (YES, IT CAN BE A JOB) HOWEVER WHEN I AM NOT SHOWERING MY CHILD, REUBEN, WITH UNWANTED KISSES OR CLEANING A SNOTTY NOSE I WORK AS A VISUAL MERCHANDISER FOR A HIGH STREET FASHION BRAND.  AMONGST THIS I RUN A BUSINESS CREATING MENS TIES, BUT, THAT'S FOR ANOTHER DAY. 

^LOOKS THATS ME^ 

I HAVE STARTED THIS BLOG TO DOCUMENT MY JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE & CREATING A BRAND. HOWEVER AT THIS POINT I WILL NOT BE DISCLOSING TOO MUCH ABOUT THE BRAND WE ARE CREATING, ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE SUBTLE CLUES THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY. 

"CONCEPT JAR" WHY CONCEPT JAR? WELL I WAS LAYING IN BED SCROLLING THROUGH MY INSTAGRAM FEED (@JAZMINBALFOUR) AT 3AM FOLLOWING THE DREADED NIGHT FEED LOOKING AT ALL THESE INSPIRING MOTHERS & THERE & THEN I DECIDED I WANTED TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT NOT ONLY I COULD ENJOY BUT ALSO MY SON & ONE DAY FUTURE HUSBAND. 

I WANTED IT TO BE AN ABSTRACT IDEA, A CONCEPT. 

JAR IS FORMED FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF EACH OF OUR FIRST NAMES, JAZMIN, ALEX, REUBEN. 

SO THERE BE CONCEPT JAR. 

A WELCOME NOTE.

DEAR ALL

WELCOME TO CONCEPT JAR 

OUR LIFE 
YOUR LIFE 

THE JOURNEY OF BUILDING.
BUILDING A FAMILY
BUILDING OUR LIFE.