a pre-christmas surprise wedding

Christina ElMoussa of Flip or Flop just announced her marriage to British TV host Ant Anstead yesterday, and I couldn’t be happier!

There was a little something out of the ordinary yesterday… My husband and I were just coming home from a late lunch at The Country Club, a yummy restaurant on 17th street, and noticed like a million cars parked on Santiago, overflowing onto Tustin Avenue and beyond.

Well this explains it! They were there for Christina’s wedding… you see she recently moved in around the corner from us.

Christina also recently shared her collaboration with local interior designer Raili Classen. Raili’s spruced up Christina’s home in the most hip and cool beachy sort of way. Check out these pics from Raili and Christina’s Instagram…

You may recognize Raili from some of my previous posts or from the Newport Harbor Home Tour. She’s had a home featured on the tour almost every year!

That’s not the only Newport Harbor Home Tour connection… You see Christina’s new home was featured on the home tour in 2016 when Shannon from Prairie Home Styling completely renovated it.

So if you were on the home tour in 2016, you technically have been in Christina’s house!

News broke over the summer, that Christina had moved into to this lovely home with the oversized yard and lovely, hip styled interior, but wait… 

the style wasn’t up to snuff with Christina, so an overhaul of the interior was at the top of the list.

Here’s a peek at the light and bright office, redesigned by Raili.

And here’s the before picture,

 as it appeared in HGTV Magazine. 

The master bedroom, as it was in 2016.

And here we are during the Newport Harbor Home Tour in 2016.

One of our earliest meetings at the home was during construction!

I love this birds eye view of the master bedroom from before Christina. I wonder how she’s styled it now!

This home has an amazing backyard that’s so perfect for parties! I can’t wait to see more wedding shots from her newly updated yard.

Here are a couple of exterior shots from our home tour files…

above, during the home tour and 

below when Christina bought the home.

And by the way, you can read more on Raili here and check out a handful of beautiful homes she’s designed.

This is Raili’s Lido Isle home from the 2018 home tour. And speaking of the Newport Harbor Home Tour, mark your calendars for May 16th, the next home tour! 

Our co-chairs Marena and Gina have been busy selecting homes for the tour, and the 2019 home tour promises to be another super fun day!

ciao! fabiana

for lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

Photo credit: 

People Magazine, Christina ElMoussa,

 Raili Classen and Newport Harbor Home Tour.

For more Newport Harbor Home Tour inspiration,
check out this brand new book:

geneva homes tour part two

I’ve still got all those pretty homes in Geneva on my mind. So today, I’m sharing part two of my mini "homes tour"…

This first home is probably the most prominent of all the homes in town, and it sits just near the train station. The trains don’t run that often so the noise is not at all a bother. I love how immaculately this home has been kept with pretty topiary hedges all around.

This Italianate Victorian style is quite popular in Geneva and I just love the little cupola on the top of this home! And look at all the vintage detail around the roof and porch!

This little update farmhouse is one of my faves! Isn’t the contrasting black and white façade just fabulous? This is how you modernize an older home without damaging all the character it was originally built with.

The courtyard and entry is so inviting! Look at those barn doors on the side of the garage… so cool!

And this house may look tiny, but it extends further back in the yard. The rest of the home is painted black like the garage, and is mostly hidden from the front street view. This home also sits across the street from the home I fell in love with, but more on that later…

This ivy covered home sits to the left of the black and white farmhouse. I also fell in love with the character of this home, especially those huge front windows that are original to when the house was built in the 1800’s. They have that soft wavy quality to the glass that you can’t replicate anymore.

Since this home sits on the corner, you can take in two sides of this ivy-covered beauty.  And speaking of ivy-covered beauties...

Here’s another home that looks like a beautiful mess. The ivy has just the perfect overgrown quality that just draws you in. And how about that red door! Always a welcoming sign, the door is flanked by two urns planted with coordinating petunias.

This pretty home with the red door has a sprawling back yard and sits on the banks of the Fox River. The island park is right across the river and features live bands during the summer! 

We visit this home every time we’re in Geneva because it’s the first house my husband lived in when he was a little boy. He remembers playing down by the cemetery and the train tracks which are both a block away, and that was all before he was six years old! 

He can’t believe his mother let him go on these adventuresome outings with his older brother and sister.

I love the wraparound porch, and with the morning light shining down on the red floor, a pink aura envelopes the whole side of the house. I guess the flamingos and gnome feel right at home! 

Now we’re headed back to my absolute favorite neighborhood in Geneva that features the little black & white farmhouse and the ivy covered home on the corner that I just showed you. Here's a stately and chic antique home that's quite to my liking, but wait…  

The front yard has been converted into an adorable vegetable garden that’s absolutely acceptable from the street because of its symmetrical beauty and gravel paths. Isn't it darling?

A Victorian farmhouse with Annabelle hydrangea for days… another favorite in my little neighborhood. Details, details, details!

Every morning, I'd let my family sleep in and I’d sneak off for an hour or two to walk around town and take in the early morning vibe of town. By day three, my internal GPS would automatically take me to this corner of 6th and Fulton Street where this home sits.

I sort of fell head over heels in love with this pale yellow home, which just happened to be for sale. Day after day, my affection grew, and I could picture myself living in this 1851 home with grand rooms, huge summer porches and a beautiful curving staircase.

It's the sort of home I've always wanted, and by peeking in all the windows, I could tell it was absolutely perfect! Luckily the house was vacant, so I wasn't overstepping my boundaries.

Well, those morning walks through Geneva were precious to me, and that pale yellow house still holds a dear place in my heart, but realistically California is our home, which really isn’t anything to complain about!

ciao! fabiana

a sweet home tour surprise!

Happy Thanksgiving eve! Today’s the day to get stuff done, especially if you’re hosting the big day tomorrow. 

I had to pop in today in between cooking some yummy side dishes to share great news that combines two of my favorite things... the Newport Harbor Home Tour and Cottages & Bungalows Magazine. 

Back in May, I invited Jickie and Kris of C&B to the NH Home Tour since they’d never been. I knew it would be a match made in heaven, because of our mutual love of pretty homes and fabulous décor. 

Well, Jickie fell in love with this particular gorgeous Belgian-inspired farmhouse that’s only steps away from the beach. I don’t blame her. This house was also one of my absolute faves from last year’s home tour! 

  

A few weeks later, the camera crew (Bret😎) shows up, and the rest is history... an indelible memory and an inside look at this home that some of us had the pleasure to visit. (These photos are by homeowner and designer Trisha Bass.) 

For those of you not able to attend the Newport Harbor Home Tour, you’ll be able to check this home out in-depth when this issue comes out around December 10.  

Architect Bill Guidero also shared some behind the scenes pics last spring. For more on this home, check out my blog post here. Planning is already underway for the 2020 Newport Harbor Home Tour.  

Tickets do sell out quickly, so check back in January for more details on when tickets go on sale. May 14, 2020 is the big day!  

I’m looking forward to reading this issue from cover to cover, but in the meantime, I’m back in the kitchen cooking up some stuffing and sweet potatoes for tomorrow. 

My table is set, and just needs a few finishing touches. I’ll try to share the final look soon! 

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!  

ciao! fabiana 

Other home tour links:

home tour part one

home tour part two
home tour part three
home tour part four



For more Newport Harbor Home Tour inspiration,
check out this new book:

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!