weekend visit to Geneva, Illinois

My husband was fortunate enough 

to have been brought up in the 

charming little town of Geneva, Illinois.  

Last weekend, 

he had an opportunity to visit 

his childhood town and friends for a few days.  

I've been there several times, 

but this time I stayed home to be a part of the end-of-the-school-year festivities here in California.  

He knows how much 

I love the architecture, history and curb appeal 

of Geneva, so he photographed 

some of his favorite sites for me, 

and now I get to share them with all of you!  

This first home is called Elizabeth Place 

and was built at the turn of the last century

 by Henry Bond Fargo, 

who was a a prominent figure in Geneva, 

and also served as mayor.  

Isn't the Mission Revival style intriguing?  

 

the coach house 

this creek runs through the property

This Victorian  house is in town 
and has a colonial style entrance.

It's right next door to the Garrison's home, 
where they hosted this fun summer party. 

Here's a peek at the inside of 
Mary's eclectic home... 

This is the home where 
"Mr.Ciao" lived his first five years...

and this is his childhood home, 

filled with so many fun memories and adventures.  

His mother grew up in this same house 

and then bought it from her parents 

when she got married!

Here's another gorgeous black and white home...

 This secret grotto in the woods,
is just a short hike away from town.

Secret Shrine

Thanks for the inspiration, honey.  

I can't wait to visit Geneva again!

ciao! fabiana

geneva homes tour part one

Happy Monday, and it looks like it’s gonna be another HOT one!! Even with this outrageous heatwave we're having in Southern California, it's still nice to be home. 

I was gone all last week on a family vacation to Geneva, Illinois and I have a whole lot of pretty pictures to share with you all… 

Geneva's a darling historic town about 45 minutes west of Chicago, and my husband has deep roots there. It’s his home town and his mother’s home town, so we still have lots of friends and family there.

Driving into town, this gorgeous brick Georgian colonial home caught my attention! Look at the pretty sun room on the left side.  

Every street in Geneva is filled with the most charming homes. I walked by this little farmhouse with the wicker swing each morning.

This is one of my favorite styles, and it's white with black shutters! Three stories, plus a basement, of fabulous square footage…wow! 

The variety of architectural styles is amazing!

Some of the stone houses are among the oldest in Geneva.

This Victorian house on the hill sits right behind my husband’s childhood home. It was once the home of the Bogash family, and is a prominent fixture in Geneva on Batavia Avenue.

The Fox River runs through Geneva, so every morning I would walk along River Lane and admire all the pretty homes with sprawling backyards that sit on the riverbanks. We stayed at the Herrington Inn & Spa which is only a few houses away from this stone beauty.  

Huge white hydrangeas are everywhere in town… and they're so perfect for summer! 3rd Street features several blocks of shops and restaurants that are converted from beautiful old mansions.

Most of the side yards are just as beautiful as the front!

I love seeing all the American flags flying proudly on these stately old homes.

More hydrangeas!

There’s really a great variety of vintage farmhouses too.

This farmhouse, below, has really charming Victorian gingerbread details, but it’s not over the top. It’s currently being refurbished, yay!

So cute!

Who doesn’t love a great wraparound porch?!

Besides admiring all the architectural beauty of Geneva, I really enjoyed the little sights and sounds of the town.

I never felt alone walking around, because in the early morning the robins, squirrels, bunnies, chipmunks and songbirds were out and about too. The sound of the train in the distance is also very comforting and nostalgic.

ciao! fabiana

geneva, illinois in the fall

Happy Monday!  

💛

It’s been a week or so since I last checked in, but I’m finally back at my desk. My family and I just returned from a little trip to my husband’s home town of Geneva, Illinois.

'The Herrington Inn’

The fall color there in the Midwest was absolutely breathtaking, so I quickly wanted to share a little preview of my favorite homes and their fabulous curb appeal surrounded by the spectacular autumn foliage.

I’ll be back later in the week with some of my favorite restaurants, coffee houses and treasure hunting excursions.

We actually arrived on Halloween night and stayed through the weekend at our favorite inn ‘The Herrington’.

Every morning I bundled up in my coat, hat, gloves and scarf and took a morning walk through this idyllic town that we love so much…

It wasn’t too too cold, but it does get a little gusty out there during those cool morning walks, as you can see!

This white Victorian home is one of my absolute faves! It’s located right near the quaint little train station in Geneva.

↑

This is where I started my walk each morning. 

I can’t wait to share more with you about this sweet little historical town! There's so much to explore! Check back this week for more!

 ciao! fabiana

P.S. Don't forget to follow me on instagram for all the latest!

happy 4th!

photo by Serena & Lily 

Just wanted to wish you a very

 Happy 4th of July!

Blue Door Cottage on Little Balboa Island

My favorite house in Geneva, Illinois

Such a pretty porch!

Another photo from Geneva, this time on Third Street.

Taken at the amazing The Ivy restaurant in Beverly Hills

Geneva, Illinois and those gorgeous Annabelle hydrangeas!  

My patriotic decor for Farmhouse Style

A tablescape for Farmhouse Style

A vignette from Romantic Homes.

stay safe this holiday...

ciao! fabiana