So what to do with all this excitement until January 20th kicks in, you ask? How about take up a new hobby: knitting! With a nod to this week’s baggage theme, knitting gives you an outlet for mental anguish, physical excitement and visual pleasure - or material pleasure depending on how great your bag comes out. And Israel’s own 2KN knitting studio will show you how you can do it, yes you can. Founded by Billy Kimor and Miri Namer, strove to provide knitting fans - or bored individuals - with a hobby and habit to whittle away the hours productively. Located in the northern city of Haifa, 2KN sells materials and accessories and offers workshops, including a coffee clutch and knitting circle for women that apparently books up early, so, interetsed ladies, please register in advance.

And if you’re in the NY area, join 2KN founders at the Eldridge Road Knitting Salon in White Plains on November 20th to learn about how to knit their HoHashi clutch (featured above) while hearing about life in ISrael and knitting in Israel and munching on Israeli snacks. To learn more about this event and register in advance (and pay $65 for all related materials ), visit the Yarn Princess.

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And from the political, I’ll segue into the visual with Yanga Bags. I saw their amazing tote, shoulder and hand bags a few weeks ago while shopping in Tel Aviv. I had never heard of them before and was taken immediately by the interesting shapes they designed, layers of beautifully textured fabrics, and overall construction. The bags were both practical and sensual. Looking at their website, their pictures don’t seem to do their bags justice. But the cool thing is that you can customize your own, ideal, bag through their website (Hebrew only) or in-store on Diezengoff Street in Tel Aviv.

Everything from the shape to the straps, embellishment (satin strip or ribbon trim where applicable) and lining fabric is for your (s)election. Reasonably priced too - considering it’s exactly what you want - prices are upwards of 200 NIS - an especially lovely option for those of us who prefer fabric bags to leather and don’t want to sacrifice quality or style. And my shoulder bag in ‘08 vote goes to the top left ‘Skirt’ bag in a black Damask-like fabric with purple trim.

Here’s to hoping all our dreams come true with Obama as President in 2008!

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So, let me start this post by saying, thank you, my patient and loyal readers, for sticking through the silence and subscribing, visiting and checking in on me. Please know that I haven’t forgotten you and/ or DD and am just working out a few kinks. So while things may be a little slow around here, I am following the advice of the uber-encouraging and creative-supportive Tim Gunn, who I dream of telling me in person one day, “[Ziva], Make it work!”

And in celebration of the mental blocks and life obstacles that we all have to deal with and overcome in one way or another, this week’s all about baggage! Ha, get it? Both the mental/ emotional baggage we all carry around with us and the beautiful bags that we physically carry around with us.

To kick off the week, I’m going to start with the Magnes Sisters beautifully crafted, handbags and shoulder bags. A few reasons why: the company’s founders Israeli-born and super talented; the bags are divine looking; and (and here’s the funny part) I actually met Dina a few years back, traveling through Vietnam - which was totally, unbelievably amazing btw. Harry and I were out on a junk boat in the middle of breathtaking Halong Bay, in the middle of nowhere. And wouldn’t you know it we met other Israelis and Jews from NY. Ha. Small world indeed.

Back then, Dina was talking about the company she and her sisters were starting to get off the ground. We talked about the production and design I remember. And now, I’m thrilled to see they’re making waves. And rightfully so: the Classic Martini and Dry Martini Clutch featured above are amazing feminine, retro shapes made of colorful leather so luxurious it’s satin-y. Pricey for an everyday bag but certainly perfect for a special occasion.

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Nothing like the 2009 IKEA catalogue – and a quick trip for new home accessories – to get me feeling all inspired and creative again. And just in time to celebrate the Jewish new year! The IKEA catalogue is among the most anticipated home design/ accessory events of the year - especially for the design-conscious and budget-restricted set. And this year’s new products and catalogue did not disappoint. Remember that old joke, what’s black and white and re(a)d all over? Well this year - according to the IKEA gods - our lives are black and white and color all over, or just in our homes.

Start with new items like the black credenza (above) featuring curvy, decorative edging and details that break from IKEA’s typically boxy and minimal lines. A new soft white, fabric tufted bed looks too luxurious to even be from IKEA. And I love these contemporary white chairs (above) as an eclectic option for traditional dining rooms.

And then the technicolor fun begins: textiles bring basics to life with bold graphics in lime and blue . New shapes for endtables - for living room or bedroom - also come in colors like golden yellow and bold royal blue. There’s even a new storage bench in burnt red, tall dresser in faded blue and glassfront armoir in muted yellow to liven up your bedroom havens. Green PAX wall closets are certainly a new wall unit color for Israeli homes to dress up your walls. Or add some orange and purple modern-design inspired lounge chairs to your living room and you have yourself an complete color wheel.

Of course the downside is that apparently Israel has the most expensive IKEA in the world. Go figure. But don’t let that stop you (too much) from starting 5769 with some new (and affordable) items for your home.

Wishing you all a a wonderful (colorful), happy (stylish) and healthy (fun) year ahead!

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The fmarket site is all in Hebrew but for English-only readers, I’ve written up some directions in my Winter sale post, here. Other notables from the winter season sale event can be read here and here.

And if any readers want to share their great buys or fun at the fair this year, please write me (to rub in how much I missed) and let us know what you enjoyed most. Looking forward to hearing about it. And so upset I’m missing it.

I’ll also be back to more regularly scheduled posting soon. I know I’ve been promising but really next week I’ll be at the Jersey shore without a regular internet connection - yes, I know - which will give me plenty of time to sort out allll the great posts I’ve been stockpiling in my head. And there’s some great stuff head. So enjoy the last bit of Summer and I’ll be back to you soon. Really truly this time

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Oy, so I didn’t make it a Sunday update this week but all in good time. Because essentially, the biggest news to hit the art-and-design-o-sphere comes this week from Comic Con: Israeli comic book artist and illustrator Rutu Modan was just awarded an Eisner Award for Best New Graphic Novel in 2008 for her work, Exit Wounds.

Set in modern-day Tel Aviv, A young man, Koby Franco, receives an urgent phone call from a female soldier. Learning that his estranged father may have been a victim of a suicide bombing in Hadera, Koby reluctantly joins the soldier in searching for clues. His death would certainly explain his empty apartment and disconnected phone line. As Koby tries to unravel the mystery of his father’s death, he finds himself not only piecing together the last few months of his father’s life, but his entire identity. With thin, precise lines and luscious watercolors, Modan creates a portrait of modern Israel, a place where sudden death mingles with the slow dissolution of family ties.

I’m not so sure that today’s Israel can be so easily categorized as a place where family ties are not strong. In fact, I believe quite the opposite is true. And you’ll find Israel’s biggest ‘celebrities’ eating Friday night dinner with their families before going out to the ‘hottest’ clubs. (I put that all in quotes because it’s all so (ir)relevant, celebrity, fame, stardom, etc…) But don’t let that detract from interest in or attention for the work. For sure, it’s a prestigious award that was bestowed on one of Israel’s decorated and renowned illustrators. So if anyone gets their hands on a copy and has a chance to read it, let us know what you think of the theme.

And in the meantime, we can all agree that the images, as they relate to the topics of terror and death, are indeed breathtaking. There’s something of an older aesthetic or vintage look in the work, as if it draws upon the historical element of Tel Aviv despite its newness of subject and view. Whether it’s by the coloring of the page, the people captured in the street scenes, or the simplicity of the fonts used as conversations. Check out a 5 page excerpt from the novel here.

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A Sunday roundup on Tuesday!? Well it’s never too late to get up-to-date with the headlines. And I bet the image above made you go hmmm? Which is what many Bezalel Graduate of Graphic Arts, like Nir Avigad, aspire to achieve. So check out the links below from the weekly roundup of Israeli artists and designers in the news.

~ Rebecca over at The Big Felafel has put together a bang-up resource called “Where to Study Graphic Design in Israel”. Links, information and even Rebecca’s personal experiences. It’s ‘Everything you needed to know about graphic design in Israel but were afraid to ask’

~ Though I didn’t see Nir Avigad’s end-of-year graphic work when I visited the Bezalel Graduate show opening last Thursday, he is making all sorts of waves with his graphic take on Hitler. Yes, who knew Hitler was so iconic. An icon of evil if you will. (Take that, Dr. Evil). For obviously reasons, you can imagine why this has struck a chord with many. However, check out Avigad’s flickr page to see his 150 works on the subject. I have to admit, some of these made my chuckle. And I’d love to hear what you thought: Is it art (small cap)? Art (big cap)? or some sort of blasphemy?

~ FTV, the best eye candy channel ever, features their picks from the Shenkar College Of Design Annual Graduate’s Fashion Show, 2008. Nice to see that Shenkar fashion grads are getting the attention they so deserve from the international fashion community.

~ Ha’aretz features a really interesting interview with Druze artist Fahed Halabi, from the village of Majdal Shams on the Golan Heights, where he talks aboutbeing suspended between worlds of identity: Arab, Druze and Israeli.

Above, “Third Generation Hiter” by Nir Avigad. Copyright of the artist.

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Well, Jerusalem-based artist and advocate Mike Darnell’s a great place to start with Designist Dream’s new-weekly feature: the Sunday news roundup. So start your week by kicking back with a tasty cup of coffee, a cool summer breeze and some hot-off-the-press links to Israeli artists and designers making headlines across the globe.

~ Israeli jeweler and artist Esther Knobel wins the prestigious Andrea M. Bronfman Prize for the Arts (the Andy), for her series The Mind in the Hand. More about her work and life at ISRAEL21C.

~ Israeli-born architect David Fisher talks to the Jerusalem Post about his ambitious and gravity-defying Dynamic Tower set to spin over Dubai by 2010.

~ For the Hebrew-reading set, check out Iton Itzuv (”Design Magazine”) a new online Hebrew design magazine featuring everything from fashion and interior design to industrial design and architecture. They’re so trendy that their guide section critiques restaurants across Israel according to taste first, food second - ie. design taste.

And when you’re done reading and starting to look for things to do, keep up-to date with the latest events by checking Mike Darnell’s new (English!) art calendar on his homepage.

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Wow. What happened? Things got so quiet around here. Too quiet, I’m sorry to say. So after about a month of post ideas building and writer’s block overtaking, one special (and delicately put) comment from Jennifer has officially shaken me out of my stupor. That and a hand-delivered invitation to tonight’s Bezalel end-of-year exhibition of graduating students from every department they have: design, jewelry, art, fashion and more.

I am very excited to meet up and greet down with the art and design makers in Jerusalem and will be writing up some of the more interesting items for both Designist Dream and Jerusalemite in the coming days. I have a ton of things to catch up on for you all, my beloved DD readers. So thanks for bearing with me these past silent days of summer. And I will get you back a’plenty with interviews, news, products and other great works from Israeli artists and designers making waves around the globe.

And so, you may be wondering, what’s the connection to the Davidka (as photographed above with its designer David Leibowitch)? Well it’s a foreshadowing really: DD is coming back louder, prouder and more powerful than ever. With new enthusaism for and inspiration from the many amazing artists and designers I’ve been coming into contact with since starting this blog - the past few months in particular. Some say the Davidka was Israel’s greastest military design product, winning significant battles across Israel in 1948 by its incredible, fear-generating noise. Not a great weapon but quite the shocking sound. So my plan is for DD to make some bigger noise across the world. And follow up the boom with an even bigger bang: what’s going on here or coming out of here in the fields of art, fashion and design.

And, just as an example, here’s a link to my post on highlights from Israel’s past 6 decades as published in Serbian for Pilotka a widely distributed Serbian daily newspaper. A great honor to be a part of the project from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and cool beans to be translated into Serbian. So stay tuned for more great stuff coming your way!

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Fascinating article in Haaretz this week about Miriam Shek, an Israeli arts advocate, who struggles against the stereotypes of the roles of ambassador’s wives, to raise the profile of Israeli art in whatever country - or conversation - she finds herself. From curating large-scale galleries and museums to the walls of her own home, Shek talks about the undercurrent of politics that influences and even shapes her decisions - both for better or worse.

Above, Nimrod by Israeli artist Itzhak Danziger in 1939. A monumental sculpture in the body of Israeli art that investigates the history of man, biblical to present, in Israel. Photograph courtesy of the Israel Museum.

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