TLV: Spending Sheqels

The Flea Market in Jaffa is open throughout the week though mainly on Tuesdays and Fridays. There are bric-a-brac stalls and permanent vendors, such as shoe makers, Aladdin's caves of everything that comes to your imagination - hundreds of hanging scissors - and trendy homewares.

Nahalat Binyamin is an arts and crafts market which we wandered through on Friday. You can buy from delicate glass vases to faces carved into wood.

Ha Kamel is the food in Tel Aviv which is open early everyday. The sight and smells of the fresh fruit, veg and herbs is incredible as well as spices and teas. Baklava, pastries and sweets are also for sale.

Gavriel by Rubi Israeli is a homewares store, a bit like Laura Ashley but a tad more vintage. Alongside crockery and vases, there is jewellery, globes and even an old car. I bought a cute glass cup and saucer for just 10NIS (£2!)

Sabon started off in Israel but now has shops around the world - except in the UK! It's interior is like an old chemists shop and sells gorgeous products.

The Farkash Gallery in Jaffa has a massive range of vintage posters, many from El Al airlines and tourism artwork. I got one of a woman working on a kibbutz.

The Palais Des Thes on Dizengoff is an upmarket tea shop which sells a variety of loose teas and beautiful Japanese teawares. We were greeted with a mango tea taster too.

...and that's just a taster!

Images 1&2: Jaffa Flea Market 3: Jersularm Arab Quarter 4: Ha Kamel market 5: Rubi Israeli

Frame Grid

Today I've been tidying my room, prematurely spring cleaning. I enjoy a good clean! I've got lots of photos, posters and illustrations I want to hang up over my bed so these are giving me a bit of inspiration. Some still need frames, so I might make my own or go searching at a flee market sometime soon... or who said it had to be pictures!

Images found at pinterest 1. 16house 2. unknown 3. here

Grown Your Greens

I'm a big fan of vegetables, all sorts. Some I really love: peas, courgettes (which we live off as students, they are literally coming out of our ears!), corn on the con... some not so much: cauliflower, brussel sprouts. But when I eat them they make me feel good about myself, healthy!

In our project we wanted to incorporate allotments into the design, as urban gardens are really beginning to spring up everywhere! A great example are the urban gardens or organopónicos in Havana, Cuba where vegetable farms are set in any vacant spot in the city, car parking lots, site of demolished buildings. Consequently only 10% of produce is imported into the country, so with much more space available surely we could do the same!

Top is a poster by the Keep Calm Gallery, whose stuff and Alphabet bags are great! They have Keep Calm and Carry on posters too and other nostagic slogans!