My San Francisco Break | The Foodie in Me and I
|June 15, 2013
I’ve been super busy with the re-design of DesignBreak that the weeks just flew by, but I sure managed to treat myself! I guess you can say that I re-discovered hot chocolate all over again thanks to the people at Chocolate Lab and Craftsman & Wolves. Talking about being a foodie, I also ate the most amazing Vietnamese chicken salad sandwich at Bar Tartine. It was soooo good! Other than eat I managed to explore the Academy Of Art 2013 Spring Show (I loved their Ceramic exhibition the most!) and just after that ate one brilliant veggie burger atUmami Burger oh and I saw the Fela! Musical, which was so much fun!
{Photos by Me}


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A Typographer in The Making | Take Thirteen
|May 24, 2013

 It seems like Liron is having a moment…
It’s crunch time and there is still a lot of “Typefacing” left to do before the final showdown.
I can’t blame her… I’m sure that it’s very overwhelming.
On a brighter note, even when it’s super stressful, Liron knows how to have some fun and take some foodie and design breaks along the way. I love the way she mixes and balances it all. She is one inspiring lady and… well, by now you all know how much I love and admire her.
Liron, take it from here!
{Photos by Liron Lavi Turkenich}
As if someone heard me praising the sunny weather, we were moved from our sunny studio to a new one. Cold and with less windows. Perhaps that would help being more work-efficient, no more staring outside and wanting to be there. Pressure starting to grow with the design of the typeface. Punctuation, Diacritics, Numerals, currency symbols. Parts of a typeface which are not first priority, but are necessary. We are in the stage in which optical alignment and weight distribution are critical, and the printers are cheating. We have to cheat back.
Bank holiday. Not really knowing why it’s called Bank, but happy with the extra day of weekend. Going to magical Oxford, having a relaxed picnic. Taking a punt, champagne and berries and floating down the Isis stream. Leaving the house once in three weekend days to go and buy a dress for a wedding. Rest of the time spent hearing good music and some more and some more while “Typefacing”. Going to a British football game in Reading. Asides from the rain, we were lucky to sit on the winners side. Which is obviously, the team I supported.
Eating the Korean dish with the sweetest name: Bibimbap. Visiting the Design Museum, and loving how it gets personal and connected to my life. Jólan van der Wiel‘s Gravity Stool that I saw at the Unger‘s home placed in the kitchen near a dog sculpture with a barrette, was now standing on a museum white pedestal. The British motorway signage system that we learned so much about, was becoming live and again disconnected from it’s natural surrounding. What an odd thing, a museum. Overflow of emotions caused by detached things in a space. What an odd thing, typeface. So much thoughts and emotions that if successful – no one will never notice.
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{Don’t miss Liron’s Reading Calling and A Typographer in The Making}

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My San Francisco Break | Too Much Food Too Little Time
|April 6, 2013
Looking back on the past two weeks, I wasn’t really sure why they flew by so fast. There are so many things that I want to do, and probably some that I don’t even know about.
Other than trying to find my place in this big city, I spent my days with some pretty amazing new friends. Found the best cupcake I tasted so far. Visited the Farmer’s Market during the middle of the week and then during the weekend with my better half (he is the best, btw!). We felt like true Americans, when we ate really amazing burgers and fries (Liron, thx for all your brilliant foodie tips!). Oh and we visited Sonoma for the first time!
{Photos by Me}


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A Typographer in The Making | Take Eight
|March 13, 2013

 First thing first, it sure took Liron a long time to mention the great Ottolenghi in her posts… I was wondering what went wrong ;) Anyways, this time is all about a weather report (FYI, back in Israel there’s a lot of sunshine even in March…), Amharic development, a little bit of window shopping and of course some foodie talk. You’ll find it all in this times A Typographer in The Making by the cutest typographer, Liron Lavi Turkenich.
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On a side note: here is a Hebrew friendly interview with Liron about her journey so far, taken by one of my favorite Israeli journalists.
{Photos by Liron Lavi Turkenich}

Cheaper in the UK and therefore worth eating as often as possible: mushrooms, sweet potatoes, cereal. Truly falling into the biggest weather scam of the year: Eating my lunch outside and enjoying the sun without my coat on (!!!) and believing that it makes sense that the spring has arrived. After all- it’s March already. But then, evil as British weather can possibly be – snow and wind froze my bones. Did I write March? March already, unbelievable that we’ve been here for six months already. Hearing too many different opinions about my ‘j’ and having to just decide for myself. Finely visiting, drinking and eating the best award winner brownie at Lily Vanilli. Entering stores on Columbia Road – all sharing the amazing ability to make you feel that you NEED to own every single item. The Amharic (Ethiopic) letters in my typeface are starting to look coherent, much more work needs to be done. Changing my regular seat at the studio might help productivity, although I believe that choosing seats by their relative location to heaters and daylight is the proper way. Watching a male only modern dance performance and thinking about the incredible strength they have to lift each other and make it seam easy. Putting an end to my homemade-marshmallow crave: Pear & Elderflower. Managing to choose among the unlimited possibilities that Ottolenghi offers (almond croissant, carrot-apple-oatmeal muffin), and while eating it thinking about what to get next time. Hearing a fascinating talk about Tibetan, Mongolian and Javanese and suddenly thinking that Hebrew, as a script, doesn’t seem that wild or too exciting anymore. But maybe it depends on whom you ask?
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{Don’t miss Liron’s Reading Calling and A Typographer in The Making}

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A Typographer in The Making | Take Seven
|February 26, 2013

 By now you probably know the drill, every other Tuesday Liron Lavi Turkenich shares with us her day to day life as a typography student at Redding. You would expect lots of fonts and alignments talk but instead you can find lots of foodie talk with a dash of design-y and artsy shows. Don’t worry, there is still plenty of room for Liron the typographer (she is so cute when talking about her future font!).
Go ahead and read her post… It’s super “Israeli” in a way but don’t miss the part where the marshmallow pop up shop is mentioned (!!!)
{Photos by Liron Lavi Turkenich}

White rain, black ice. BBC weather website is addicting. Cannot trust my intuition anymore before going out of the house. Accidentally buying a skirt, accidentally getting a nice perfume tester and Nespresso capsules in Selfridges. I am willing to move there anytime. Discovering Monmouth coffee in Borough and not wanting to stand the long line. Not using the word “line” anymore, but it’s British equivalent ‘queue’. Happy to be cravings-chaser when it succeeds, and in Covent garden’s Monmouth cafe enjoying the pleasures of cosy communal table, fresh Brioche, great conversation and most important- another rare case of good coffee. Having a very bad series of “Everything is sold out or closed”. Hayward Gallery Light Show, Farmers market in Bermondsey, Tate’s Lichtenstein Retrospective, marshmallow pop up shop on Kingly court. To be continued… Finally starting my typeface’s Italics, and loving their friendliness. Designing a bold weight in my opinion, but a semi-bold in everybody else’s opinion. Wondering what that says about me. Coming to London for the opening of an exhibition, but not being able to feel my frozen toes and standing in a very crowded room makes the experiance seem a lot less cool. Giving a talk about Hebrew in the department. Being happy with the large turnout and tempting people to love Hebrew by giving homemade Tahini cookies. Buying family size Tahini jars too often. Getting to the point of missing real Hummus, and going with school friends to a surprisingly good Hummus place, not without teaching the “Nigguv” movement. Starting to see letter forms as humans or animals but understanding that its part of the deal. Or maybe it’s just me?
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{Don’t miss Liron’s Reading Calling and A Typographer in The Making}

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A Typographer in The Making | Take Six
|February 13, 2013

 I hope you enjoy Liron Lavi Turkenich’s posts as much as I do.
I’ve always wanted to get a sneak peek into a student’s life these days (it’s been way too long since my days as a student) and Liron is giving us the grand tour! Anyways, this post is all about some numbers and yet again some food talk, just the way I like it…
Oh, and it seems like Liron has yet to design 389 Amharic characters (!!!)
I can’t wait to see them all but I sure hope it won’t interfere with her foodie tour around London ;)
{Photos by Liron Lavi Turkenich}

Time for some numbers. We’ve been here for 21 weeks, payed 5 months rent. Number of weekend of not visiting London: 3, number of times watching Les Misérables: 3 (including one overpriced ticket+popcorn in the cinema). Number of Latin characters designed: 26. Number of Hebrew characters designed: 14. Number of Amharic characters designed: 31. Remaining Amharic characters to design: 389. number of 100% final letters designed: 0. But actually, why bother with numbers? Don’t we have the privilege as designers to get dizzy by numbers and stop calculating? Taking a really close look at Dürer‘s engravings and thinking that art history classes seem so long ago. Smiling because of the oddities I spotted in old catalogs Getting the privilege of accessing the Monotype archives on a heavy-snow day. Starting to find my way through the unbelievable amount of type related material, sketches and specimens just in time to find out that the building has to be shut down because of the snow. Once again visiting a supermarket and feeling like in a museum. This time it’s Whole Foods. Escaping before buying the entire store but still getting the best carrot cake ever. Needing a mint colored sweater that I spotted months ago, and having everyone search the storage room for it. Mint sweater- check! Discovering the Cyrillic script. Discovering the wonderful lakes and forest just 10 minutes from our flat. Discovering the large community of bird-watchers in Reading. Being enchanted with the sun and forgetting that it was rainy yesterday, and therefore having to wear a ridicules rain coat so my nice coat won’t get soaked with mud from our bicycle ride. Onion soup, risotto, home made hummus, tons of Antipasti, pea soup. Comforting, warming and giving you an excuse not to move after eating them. Can’t decide if the winter should end or last a little more. I guess no one is really asking me…
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{Don’t miss Liron’s Reading Calling and A Typographer in The Making}

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A Typographer in The Making | Take Four
|January 15, 2013

 Like every other Tuesday, we tag along to get a glimpse into Liron Lavi Turkenich‘s life as A Typographer in The Making. I have a feeling that being a foodie myself and reading Liron’s post made me love her even more (although I’m not sure if it’s possible).
So… Take Four is a foodie post with a little bit of a Christmas vibe.
I’ll leave it to Liron to explain it all…
{Photos by Liron Lavi Turkenich}

Christmas feeling in the air. And on the streets. And in the stores. Trying to get a glimpse of the most beautiful window displays of the year through a river of shoppers. Drinking the best Glühwein in Southbank’s German Christmas Market. Shocked with all the effort put into the Hyde Park’s winter wonderland’s extravaganza. Eating a surprisingly good “Sufgania” in the Swiss table at Monocle Christmas market and receiving so many designed giveaways. Two sets of gloves is not enough for me. Still freezing. When riding a bicycle it’s even colder but faster. Watching a live demonstration of a Monotype caster and loving the bins with the metal leftovers. Opening the drawers with wood and metal letters in school and feeling like it’s opening presents. Eating (or drinking?) an incredible hot chocolate at Ladurée with a spoon and pretending I’m in Paris. Feeling like in a museum at Harrods. Writing really really fast with a calligraphy pen in an Italics workshop and wanting to integrate every single outcome in my own typeface. Starting to understand the massive scope of material in the department’s collection. Not breathing while touching a type specimen from 1500, laughing while reading diaries from the 19th century and trying to figure out how I can combine everything in my dissertation. Once again, eating a Raclette in the never disappointing Borough Market. Going to the V&A for the Hollywood Costume Exhibition and spending another hour in Light from the Middle East photography exhibit. Being happy that Tal Shochat, the Israeli photographer presented optimistic work. Finding a good direction for my typeface. The three scripts are so different but it might work. Can’t decide if the desserts in Yautcha are more beautiful or more delicious. Is there a connection between letters and desserts? There must be. Otherwise, how can it be that I love both of them so much?
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{Don’t miss Liron’s Reading Calling and A Typographer in The Making}

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World Break | Ana Dominguez | Towers of Bread
|January 8, 2013
When you love to eat, you also love looking at food and foodie pictures. At least that’s how it works for me…
I guess this is the only explanation I have for my instant connection with Ana Dominguez’s Bread series. Stacking baguettes, ciabatta, rye and other fancy kinds of bread never looked better. I feel like buying some and building my own version ;)
FYI, this is an Apartamento magazine production with the help of Omar Sosa.
{DesignBreak found Ana here}
{Photos by Nacho Alegre}
{This is a Spanish Break}

www.anadominguez.es


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World Break | Ryo Takemasa | Vegetarian Posh!
|November 21, 2012
  • Onion
  • Welsh Onion
  • Cabbage
  • Pomegranate
  • Onion
It’s no secret that I like to eat, scratch that I LOVE to eat! However, since I first began documenting my ever growing foodie outbreak, it became clear to me that I’m now addicted. From the actual real deal to photographs to illustrations… SO, the first time I visited Ryo Takemasa’s illustrated playground, I couldn’t stop looking at his beautiful vegetarian vintage like illustrations.
I’ve always been one of those who prefer salad over any other meal and now I think I know why. Ryo’s vegetables look so sophisticated and extra posh!
{DesignBreak found Ryo here}
{This is a Japanese Break}
www.ryotakemasa.com


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Shlomit Sauer | Cookies Alert
|November 15, 2012
At this point I need a comic relief and I feel like these Schmackary’s Cookies Illustrations will do it for now.
Shlomit Sauer, a 2011 graduate out of the Bezalel Academy, is the one behind this cheerful beauty. You know me, draw some chocolate cookies and I’ll imagine the rest! I can already see myself finding my way to the nearest bakery tomorrow morning… Another plus is that I just found out about Schmackary’s, which means that the foodie in me will have to check it out the minute I find myself in NYC.

www.shlomitsauer.com


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InstagramBreak | Miminature | Minilicious Treats
|November 7, 2012
  • Van Leeuwen's Artisanal Ice Cream
  • Mast Brother's Hand-Crafted Dark Chocolate
  • Small-Batch Pickles
  • Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
  • Ippudo Hirata Pork Bun
Confession time: whenever I check my instagram feed I hope to find a new mini creation by Miminature aka Mimi O Chun. Mimi is a well known designer, who “during the day, designs for people and at night, she designs for herself.”
I can go on and on about her extraordinary aesthetics, however as a foodie all I really want to do right now is stare at my iPhone screen and wait for her next minilicious beauty.

instagrid.me/mimiature


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InstagramBreak | I’m a Foodie Now!
|August 28, 2012
This past Sunday I received a message on DesignBreak’s facebook page saying “you’ve been chosen as our instafoodie of the week“. The message came from the people behind the fancy restaurant Raphael. I must admit that I really enjoy snapping pictures of the food I eat and see around me. You probably don’t know, but Raphael is one of the most prestigious restaurants here in Israel, so them choosing me is a super special thing! Well, I guess now My Mr. will have to take not being able to touch his food for the first 5 to 7 minutes more lightly. BTW, if you follow some foodies of your own, write their name down, I’d like to see!
{Photos by me}


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Student Break | Neta Cohen | Paper Crush and Then Some…
|August 12, 2012
I’ve been looking for this animation all over the web like a mad woman, and finally I found it!
Neta Cohen sure knows how to intrigue. Her graduation animation aka Tap to Retry, is also her first attempt at stop motion, how crazy is that?! I can’t stop pressing on the repeat button. I can’t even begin to understand the mad amount of work and hours that have been poured into this project…
Hope you don’t mind the foodie frames I chose ;)
FYI, Neta is a 2012 graduate of the Visual Communications Department at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design.

cargocollective.com/NetaCohen


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My Japanese Break | My Super Delicious Foodie Experience
|June 21, 2012

  • Floresta's cutest doughnut
  • Ramen Fever . Take One
  • Cherry Blossom Pastry
  • Ramen Fever . Take Two
  • Heavenly Chocolate Pestry
 It’s been almost two months since I came back from Japan, however I just can’t miss the opportunity to share with you my journey.
I want to tell you everything so I am working on a series of posts such as my Tokyo and Kyoto favorite places, my stationary findings and of course there is a foodie post that I better start with. As you probably know I’m a foodie and there is no way to sugarcoat it.
{Photos by me}
So, let’s start with my fav foodie finds:
-with our first day my romance with all things Green-Tea began; Green-Tea KitKat, Green-Tea ice-cream, Malebranche biscuits, but of course Green-Tea tea and the list goes on and on.
-If I have to put my finger on one amazing finding, it’s most definitely the BAKERIES all over Japan! You can find them all over and I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I say that I had a pastry of some kind almost every two or three hours.
To name a few:
The Rose Bakery at the top floor of the Dover Street Market in Ginza, Tokyo.
The crazy beautiful variety at Takashimaya‘s food courts.
The never ending treasures at the Muji Cafes in every other corner.
The cutest doughnuts at Floresta‘s Kyoto.
Miyajima’s special maple leaf shaped cookies.
-If ramen is what you crave for, ramen it is. My ramen experience was like no other: you can order a ramen on the street, from a vending machine, while waiting for your train or while waiting in line with the locals in a super tiny and crowded shop (best feeling ever!)… There is no way I can rank all the ramens I ate but one really stood out and it was the spicy lemon one at the vegan T’s Restaurant at Tokyo’s Keiyo Street Station. Yup, a super clean and well designed restaurant in a subway station! Who would have thought…
  • The Mighty Ramen Vending Machine
  • Ramen Fever . Take Three
  • Maple Leaf Shaped Cookie
  • Green-Tea KitKat
  • The Real Green-Tea
As you can see, I ate like there is no tomorrow and all this food talk is making me extra hungry ;)
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I know it’s not your usual DesignBreak post but I hope you enjoy it and next week there will be a more design related Japanese Break.
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Have a yummy weekend, my sweet Breakers.

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