Babou

2010-01-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

IGNITE YOUR CREATIVE FIRES AND TURN NATIVE IN THE HILLS OF ARGENTINA!

Make 2010 the year to dedicate a little bit of time to your creativity by joining Astrid Harrisson and Kirsty Noble on this carefully tailored luxury escape to Latin America's most extraordinary country. This promises to be the most perfect adventure for lovers of photography, horses and nature - and quite frankly, an experience you will never forget.

LOCATION: Estancia Los Potreros, Sierras de Cordoba, Argentina. High in the hills, crickets buzz and condors soar. Admire the history of Jesuit architecture and the beautiful patina of aged walls; experience traditions of rural life and learn to ride like a gaucho. Capture the intense hues of Argentine pampas in Spring and marvel at the starry, starry nights. Fine wines will be sipped and home-cooked meals feasted upon. And of course horses, horses and more horses - photographic magnificence awaits.

EXPERIENCE: Food, wine, culture and ‘off-the-beaten-track’ living will leave you with sensational memories etched into both mind and heart. Aside from daily photo-shooting opportunities, an optional horse-ride is included - as is the chance to try your hand at polo. You will want for nothing during your stay as all meals, drinks, accommodation and local transfers are included. All levels of riders and photographers are welcome.

DATES & COST: 8 – 13 November 2010, the cost is £1,650 GBP, although an early-booking discount of £200 applies to all bookings paid for in full by 28 February 2010. A deposit is required to reserve your place. Up to 8 adventurers can join us on this trip and even at this early stage we are thrilled that we have places reserved, so please get in touch as soon as possible if you are interested to learn more.

For more trip details, download a copy of our brochure here. If you have problems accessing this pdf, contact me and I will email you a brochure.

FERIA DE MATADEROS, JULY 5, 2009

2009-07-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

La Feria De Mataderos is unforgettable!

A quiet barrio in the west of the city comes alive every Sunday with the sound of thundering hooves as gauchos show off their fine horsemanship. Together with twirling folkloric dancers, decorated llamas and smoky parillas, this festival is a truely unique Buenos Aires experience!

Historically, a bustling livestock market and slaughter house (matadero literally means slaughter house), Mataderos was a meeting place for gauchos in the city. The barrio retains its rural traditions with this vibrant weekly fiesta.

With a mix of music, dance, food and crafts, Mataderos is a great place to experience some of these local traditions first hand. Watch artisans at work, pick up the local chimichurri spice or an engraved maté container to sip Argentina's national drink. Try and buy organic and regional food: Tucuman cheeses, salamis, olive oils, super sweet panqueques with dulce de leche .. all are delicious and all at great prices.

Lunch options are endless ... choose between corn and meat tamales or a steaming locro (corn and sausage stew). Or a choripan (sausage sandwich) or a vacipan (steak sandwich) from one of the huge parillas (grills)!

After you've wandered and eaten and watched the folk dancers it's time for the gauchos. For me, this was the true colour of the event. Gauchos galloping along this city street in displays of horsemanship and skill ... sensational!

I visited the festival with Fred & Karina of Silver Star Car. See Boutique Tours website for more details on our new Mataderos Tour.

for the guys ... beautiful shoes at Teran

2009-05-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

Teran ... owned by Gonzalo Teran, this store has some of the best men's shoes in the city, in one of the coolest showrooms.

In Palermo Soho, on Thames 1855, between Nicargua and Costa Rica. Teran is open 7 days from 1pm to 8.30pm.

www.teranonline.com

Thursday afternoon shopping in Palermo!

2009-05-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a bunch of girls had a great time checking out the winter collections in Palermo. We all swooned over the boots and heels in Lara Bernasconi while it was the bags that caught Anne's eye & she could not leave without buying this beautiful green leather carry all. Anne was stoked! Plus with Boutique Tours she got a 20% discount! This girl could not have been happier. Lara Bernasconi, Malabia 1753 http://www.larabernasconishoes.com.ar

Monica loved the dog in Nadine Zlotogora!

At elementos argentinos, the girls loved Fernando! We learnt so much about these beautiful rugs from Northern Argentina. Originally from Tucuman, Fernando Bach, and his partner Pablo Mendivil's, strong connection to the north and their love of design is obvious in the fabulous selection in store. What also makes elementos argentinos stand above other shops selling northern Argentine products, Fernando and Pablo's support of local artisans. They work closely with weaving families using traditional weaving techniques. In this store, every rug has a story and Fernando and Pablo take the time to tell you.
elementos argentinos, Goody Cruz 1720 www.elementosargentinos.com.ar

Feria de Artesanias

2009-05-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday is the day for one of the city's largest weekly markets.

For over 30 years artists and artisans have been selling their creations here at Plaza Francia.

I haven't spent time in the markets for a while so today I want to see what's new and what's happening.

The markets are situated beside the Cementerio de las Recoleta, the famous necropolis often compared to Paris's Père-Lachaise. Bizarre and slightly disturbing, the cemetery is a magnet for photographers. So if the weather holds I might take a walk inside and look for different angles.

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Saturday afternoon in Palermo

2009-05-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

I was in Palermo this afternoon looking for something different. And I found it!

On Borges, between Soler and Paraguay and away from the bustle of Plaza Serrano, is a small group of stores which will keep you busy for the afternoon. One of my favourite stores in this local was Colombas, a wonderful store showcasing the high quality of textile artistry available in BA. Textile Art is so important here that the city recently hosted the 5th International Biennial Textile Art.

There are several stores in Palermo Soho where you can find beautiful, designed fabrics. One of my favourites is Muchatela. Costa Rica 4448, is the exhibition space of Constanza Martinez and her guest artists. Every month you will find something new and different here. www.muchatela.com.ar

But down here on Borges, I loved the colour, rich texture and fabrics of Colombas! This is the perfect shopping stop for gifts, children and womens clothes , bags, scarves & a selection of tops and dresses for women. Located at Borges 2029, between Guatamala and Soler www.colombas.com.ar

Look for the jewelry of Lua Chea www.luachea.com.ar also exhibited in the store

While stolling along Borges, also look out for the very cool sneakers around at Puro, Borges 2184

www.zapatillaspuro.com.ar

Stop by a traditional porteno watering hole for a coffee at El Preferido de Palermo, Borges 2108.

And for a special treat that brings light and scent into your home ... Velas de la Ballena, on the corner of Borges and Soler, has tobe one of the sweetest smelling stores in BA!

2009-05-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last week, Gina Gattone joined me on a Boutique Fashion Tour in Palermo.

Amongst other things - this is one talented girl! - Gina writes a wonderful blog on life in BA.. ... http://buenosairestyle.com

Today Gina posted an article on her blog about her morning shopping. Here is what she had to say about Boutique Tours!!

Buenos Aires’ Shopping Queen

Submitted by gina on May 7, 2009 – 3:05 pm

Meet Kirsty Noble. She’s a garden designer, writer and photographer from Australia who moved to Buenos Aires and decided to start her own business. She needed to find something that uses her eye for good design, passion for finding new and interesting objets d’art and her love for the city of Buenos Aires - so she created the business model for BA Boutique Tours.

I went with her last week on one of her Palermo Fashion Tours and honestly - four hours passed in a flash. We started out meeting Kirsty and the rest of the small group of girls also on the tour at a cafe in Palermo. We enjoyed some coffee and really just broke the ice. As part of the tour, Kirsty gave us complimentary tote bags filled with a tailor-made itinerary with addresses of all of the stores for our small group, one of the latest style magazines, discounts and V.I.P. cards as well as some great suggestions for spending your time in BA.

As the tour began, I noticed right away that Kirsty was really speaking and most importantly, listening attentively to what each of the girls in my group had to say. To me, that’s all she had to do to sell me that this was going to be a fun time. Also something really important to know from the beginning was that she doesn’t work on commission, so I didn’t feel any kind of pressure to purchase something that wasn’t right for me.

Since this particular tour went through Palermo (she also does tours in Recoleta and San Telmo), I figured that I would have gone to at least some of the stores that she led us to, but I was totally mistaken. She took to these hidden gems that I’ve passed walking the down the street probably 40 times and said to myself, “Hmm. That place looks cool-” but never had the chance to stop in there or was too intimidated because I thought it would be too ridiculously expensive. I was so pleasantly surprised and proven wrong about the prices each time. As we went from store to store, Kirsty would introduce us to the salesperson, explain to them what we were looking for and in each case, learned so much information about the products and people behind the design that each person in the group felt really connected to them. I walked out of each place saying to myself, “I didn’t realize that this place that I passed up so many times was so interesting!”

Most tours end up with a luncheon at a chic new restaurant in the area and a chance to rest your arms from all the bags you might be carrying. Tours are open to the public and rates are very, very reasonable considering all of the energy, effort and organization that Kirsty has put into her programs. I highly recommend the fashion tour if you’re here alone, with friends (and this is NOT just for us ladies…) and even if you live here as a local, you’re guaranteed to find some new and interesting places (like I did!).

For more information on her Boutique Fashion, Photography or Garden Tours, go to her website: BA Boutique Tours. Her contact information is listed at the bottom of her web page.

For the article on Gina's blog go to ...
http://buenosairestyle.com/archives/729

Young Argentine Designer exhibits in Sydney, Australia

2009-03-30T09:57:00.001-07:00

Up & Coming www.upandcoming.com.au is an annual design expo in Sydney which seeks out the next generation of design stars in fashion, photography, jewelery, furniture, graphic design and ceramics. Held in Paddington, Sydney's Palermo Soho, this is a great opportunity to see what's happening with Australian design.

This year, amongst the Australian designers is Florencia Martinez, a designer from Buenos Aires!

Florencia Martinez – Product Designer and Jeweller

I am Flo. From Buenos Aires, now living in Sydney.

I am a product designer and jeweller.

Jewellery is my dialogue.

My rhetoric is the ocean, travelling, capturing moments, observaciones…

My inspiration evolves into delicately structured and vibrantly eclectic forms.

Check out the other local talent who will be exhibiting along with Florencia next month ..... www.upandcoming.com.au

Suerte Florencia!!

Interview with Virginia Spagnuolo of Divia Shoes.....coming here very soon!

2009-03-18T13:08:00.001-07:00

If you always wanted to find out what inspires one of Buenos Aires' most talented shoe designers - keep checking Babou!

Virginia Spagnuolo of Divia Shoes shares with you some of her design secrets, her inspirations and sensational shoes for the coming season!

New stores & artisans in Palermo Tours

2009-03-18T12:07:00.001-07:00

February sees new stores & artisans becoming a part of Boutique Tours. Jan, Cheryl & Maren were the first group to meet Andrea & Martin in their wonderful silver studio, Arbol Del Platero. Combining the traditional skills and training of Martin with the more contemporary eye of Andrea, these two artisans use traditional symbols and patterns, as well as drawing on inspiration from nature and translate these concepts into modern contemporary pieces. From necklaces, pins, brooches, bracelets to bowls, ornate and exquisite mates to larger items such as entire bridles, the quality of these silver pieces is outstanding. Located in an old restored industrial site in the heart of Palermo Soho, a visit to the studio and a private tour by Andrea & Martin is proving to be highly successful and very interesting for Boutique Tourists.

elementos argentinos is another wonderful store where you can find unique Argentine gifts to take home. Fernando & Pablo specialize in woven items from Northern Argentina. Passionate about maintaining history and traditional skills, they work with a small grop of weavers who continue to produce rugs, blankets and much more using the same techniques as their grandparents. Every item has a story and a visit to elementos argentinos is fascinating and a lot of fun!

Buenos Aires Fashion Week Feb 2009

2009-03-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

BAF 2009 might have been smaller than previous shows, but last week's launch of cool season fashions had lost nothing of the glamor or buzz. Dedicated followers queued for hours to see the daily runway shows. Designers showcasing their latest offerings on the catwalk included Cora Groppo, Prune, Semillero UBA, Puma, Como Quieres, Paula Cahen D'Anvers, Laurencio Adot, Lacoste, Grupo 134, Cook, Marianna Dappiana, Wanama and Vicky Otero. Designers with exhibits out on the floor included Jesus Fernandez, Fiorini Wichmacki, Bolu, Olive, Paula Ledesma, Tupe De Carla Di Si, Positivo, Huija, Garcon Garcia, Aintzi Buru and Logic Vacua. Great design and fashion books by La Paragrafica. The world's first Barbie store is now open in Buenos Aires - a good reason for the fashion icon to celebrate at BAF Week.

This is one of most important events on Argentina's fashion calendar, and one not to be missed by Boutique fashionistas! Babou will keep you posted on dates for BAF Week in November when the spring & summer collections are launched.

Palermo Tours Start!

2009-01-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Meetings with designers, discounts, discovering fantastic boutiques off the tourist trail, an excellent afternoon tea and of course.. purchases... it was a great start to our Palermo tours!! Thanks girls!

Argentimes Story

2009-01-20T11:35:00.001-08:00

Read what the Argentimes had to say about Boutique Tours...... http://www.theargentimes.com/reviews/thecapital/tailor-made-shopping-safari-/

Summer in Buenos Aires!

2008-12-29T18:03:00.000-08:00

January is is a great time to hang out in Palermo. Plaza Serrano is buzzing with entertainers, tourists and locals, all of us making the most of this beautiful summer! Sales are on and most stores are offering real discounts. Join us on a Fashion Tour to Palermo & Recoleta and find out where some of the best buys are.

Montevideo Feria

2008-12-29T17:17:00.001-08:00

For a unique shopping weekend take the ferry to Montevideo in Uruguay. The Sunday Feria is bizarre! From fur clad and crocheted Barbie dolls to antique toy bears; enormous hairy tarantulas to Australian budgies, cheese vans and a blind accordion player - this feria is one of the more unusual shopping experiences!

Fireworks & Globos - Christmas in Buenos Aires!

2008-12-26T03:07:00.000-08:00

Fireworks & flaming 'globos' make for an unforgettable and very spectacular Buenos Aires Christmas! Fireworks start at midnight. In the provinces where I spent the night, it was phenomenal! Enormous rockets, banned for years from Sydney backyards, lit the sky for hours! My favourite tradition was the lighting of 'globos'- paper lanterns which are lit inside & left to fly through the sky. Make a wish & let them go....the sight of these flaming lamps floating off across the treetops was unforgetable!

It's Christmas - giving to others

2008-12-19T23:28:00.000-08:00

This week I helped a group of wonderful women from Buenos Aires International Newcomers (BAIN) package Christmas gifts for the Fundacion San Francisco de Asis, which supports adults with disabilities.

Toothpaste, toothbrushes, soaps and handtowels were donated and eighty individual packages were wrapped!

For all of you that know me, before Buenos Aires and garden design in Sydney, I spent many years working with adults with intellectual disabilities. So I was very pleased to be part of this Christmas event.

For more information on BAIN and the charity work they do visit their website: www.baindt.org/sacs.htm

Kirsty

Museum Night in B.A

2008-11-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

November 16 was special in Buenos Aires.It was only a matter of having a copy of the noche de los museos itinerary and you where set for a night of art,history and other discoveries.The event was absolutly free and part of the gobierno de la ciudad´s spring cultural program. Small bus routes took you from one place to the other and if you cut out the back of your booklet urban buses carried you along.Public plazas presented music concerts of all styles combined with proyections of digital art and the central event in Costanera showed the classic Metropolis by Fritz Lang.Any place of the city you thought of had something to offer from 7pm to 2am.
That´sthe kind of great cultural life B.A has to give to both kind of porteños, the Argentine type and the world based type.Of course, being such a wide city,the expectations of getting to see everything from the museum of the acordeon to the world press photo opening was a hard task.We decided to visit the Borges Cultural Center and got lucky as it had a very diverse and interesting exhibit of local,international,up coming and solid artists, as well as documental photography and do it yourself art for children from 0 to 100 years old.We managed to sneek our camera into one of the exhibits by Karina El azem and into the playing with art hallway.
If you are always looking for an alternative weekend plan, keep your eyes on www.buenosaires.gov.ar for other similar events.

2008-11-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

Caminando y comprando.

2008-11-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

More Fashion Tours! We just keep walking and shopping, and girls are having a unique experience. This is what one of our guests had to say:

Thank you so much for a wonderful tour and lunch today. I enjoyed myself and the company. I wish you the best of luck into the future!

Beso,

Lauren

2008-11-17T06:08:00.000-08:00

Launch of promotional Fashion Tours!

2008-11-17T05:21:00.000-08:00

Recoleta is a perfect spot for our 'Hidden' Fashion Tour. Walking along the beautiful, leafy streets and enjoying the colorful settings of Jacarandas, architecture and window displays, this first group of shoppers had a great time discovering exclusive boutiques and being pampered every step of the way!

2008-11-17T05:18:00.000-08:00

2008-11-17T05:16:00.000-08:00

2008-11-17T05:12:00.000-08:00

Rainbow season.

2008-09-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about spring is giving up dark tones, which are great…but after two months of intense winter who doesn´t want a bit of color back in their lives!? Sometimes we can even forget how to combine, mix and match our spring outfits, so here we give you some rainbow ideas , color facts from crystal-cure.com and designs by Carolina Hermosa that can help you find some inspiration to blosom this spring-summer 2008.

Pink.

2008-09-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Pink is a combination of red and white. The quality of energy in pink is determined by how much red is present. White is the potential for fullness, while red helps you to achieve that potential. Pink combines these energies. Shades of deep pink, such as magenta, are effective in neutralizing disorder and violence. Some prisons use limited deep pink tones to diffuse aggressive behaviour. Pink provides feelings of caring, tenderness, self-worth and love, acceptance

yellow, gold.

2008-09-28T16:14:00.001-07:00

It is no surprise that gold symbolizes wealth used wisely, but it is also the symbol of good health. People who favor the color gold are optimistic.
The tibetan Buddhist believes in 5 sacred stones: the crystal for light, turquoise for infinity of sea and sky, coral for life and form, gold for the golden ray of the sun, silver for the light of the moon. Gold is intimately linked with Divinity and those gods associated with the Sun. It symbolizes wealth and success.

Blue.

2008-09-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

Blue is the coolest color - the color of the sky, ocean, sleep, twilight. The ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli to represent heaven. Blue symbolizes the Virgin Mary. A pure blue is the color of inspiration, sincerity and spirituality. Blue is often the chosen color by conservative people. Blue is the calming color. That makes it a wonderful color to use in the home, especially for babies. Blue is so soothing that is a good choice for pajamas. Dark blue is the color of truth and moderation. A blue iris means your friendship is very important to me. Wednesday's color is blue. Blue gemstones to wear to feel calm are blue sapphire and blue topaz. Lapis lazuli and azurite are said to heighten psychic power.

Green.

2008-09-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Green is a safe color, if you don't know what color to use anywhere use green.

Green is favored by well balanced people. Green symbolizes the master healer and the life force. It often symbolizes money. It was believed green was healing for the eyes. Egyptians wore green eyeliner. Green eyeshades are still used. You should eat raw green foods for good health. Friday is the day of green. Green jade is a sacred stone of Asia.

Purple.

2008-09-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Purple is the color of good judgment. It is the color of people seeking spiritual fulfillment. It is said if you surround yourself with purple you will have peace of mind. Purple is a good color to use in meditation.

Purple has been used to symbolize magic and mystery, as well as royalty. Being the combination of red and blue, the warmest and coolest colors, purple is believed to be the ideal color. Most children love the color purple. Purple is the color most favored by artists. Thursday's color is purple.