beautiful houses

Spring has been behind here in northeast Illinois. It's been unseasonably cold with lots of rain, and even some snow. Buds are just now forming on the trees and my daffodils are finally up. Otherwise, we've had way too many days of gloom and not much sunshine. So when this past Sunday beckoned with warmer temps and sunshine, we headed to the lakefront (Lake Michigan) for a long walk.

This walking path along the lake was filled with people walking with dogs or pushing strollers, bikers and runners. One of those days where it simply felt good to be alive. One thing to be said about the long winters here: it sure makes one appreciate spring!

I've showed houses in Evanston on my blog in the past. This town has some real charmers. Hope you enjoy the ones I saw on my walk this time as much as I did...

Happy Easter and Passover to those who celebrate!

beautiful views, homes and landscaping

California vacation, part two ~

One morning, we woke early and before we headed out to pick up Tim and go about our day, we decided to walk the neighborhood.

I don't think I'd ever get tired of this beautiful view. Even in the overcast weather, the mountains are beautiful shrouded in clouds.

This is the owner's house of the guest cottage we stayed in.

While walking around the neighborhood, we noticed a lot of Spanish-style architecture....

and beautiful foliage and landscaping. We don't have any of these plants and trees in the Midwest, so it was all fascinating to me...

Like I said in my last post, I couldn't get over all the lemon and orange trees in people's yards. To be able to just walk out your front door and pick fresh citrus any time you want it, is incredible to me.

I know we're living in a stressful time right now. I'm finding that reading blogs is a nice diversion. It always is, but moreso now. I hope you all are doing well ~ physically, mentally and spiritually. 💓

birthday fun ~ and a tour of gorgeous houses

 Just one thing I love about summer is being out and about, enjoying the beautiful weather and dining outdoors. Last Wednesday, the 10th of August was my birthday. Me and my mom celebrated the weekend before that with lunch at a lovely restaurant on a nearby lake. (Ignore my stringy, limp hair - the humidity does a number on my tresses!) Aren't those big, puffy clouds fantastic? 

On the actual day of my birthday, Brian and I went to a Coach outlet store, as my present from he and my mom was a new purse! I picked out a classic black purse that can be carried with short handles or worn as a crossbody. I needed a new black purse and I've been a fan of Coach since I was a teenager, as they've always been quality handbags that last for many years.

 I chose a Thai restaurant for my birthday dinner - the ending to a perfect day.

This past weekend, we went to our happy place - Evanston. We hit our favorite vintage store, had lunch at a fantastic Mediterranean restaurant and took a walk in the park along Lake Michigan.

 Right next to the park is a block of multi-million dollar homes on the lake. I snapped a few pictures to share.

 Loved the terra cotta roof on this house that was under construction.

Isn't the house itself gorgeous? Wonder what's in that tower with the three windows in front?

Several of the homes were covered in ivy, but very neatly trimmed around the windows. Every yard was professionally manicured. 

Something we noticed was there wasn't a soul in sight. No one out in their yard, no kids playing, no one working in their garage. Maybe they all hang out in their back yards because it's more private? 

 Love the entrance to this house ~ and check out the unique stone driveway to the right.

Close-up of the driveway.

This was my favorite house on our walk, though we were trying to figure out why an air conditioning unit was on the roof! (See the block on the top left?)

 I zoomed in for a close-up of what looks like a four season room on the front of the house...

Even the entrance to this home is enchanting. 

We then headed back to our humble home (we definitely don't have a manicured lawn and that's just fine with us - we both actually like yard work!) and to watch our little town's annual fireworks over the lake. We avoid the massive crowds and watch them from our back yard.

Have a wonderful week!

anniversary getaway

This was us in 1983 - a year before we got married. We were just babies!

And here's us now, celebrating 31 years of marriage. A little less hair and more wrinkles, but at least we're in this aging thing together.

We took an overnight getaway earlier this week to the town of Galena. Galena is a small, historic town in the northwest corner of Illinois, right near the borders of Iowa and Wisconsin. One of the many things I treasure about this little town is the rollings hills and open farmland. Most of Illinois is flat, so to see hills and valleys in our state is quite exciting. I learned from Wikipedia that the reason Galena's land is like this is because it escaped glaciation back in the Ice Ages.

We didn't get into town until the early evening, so we just had a leisurely walk around the main shopping strip. Love the beauty of the historic buildings and the church steeples reaching towards the sky in the backdrop.

I have no idea what's going on with the horse in the window, but I found it creepy-amusing.

The next morning, we hit the main street again and browsed in the many stores. I have no idea what my honey was looking at in this antique shop, but obviously something piqued his interest.

Maybe this derby hat?

This is what piqued my interest. ;-) I was a good girl and only got a few pieces. I even still have one left!

We did the wine tasting thing, too ~ and it being a weekday, we were the only ones in the place. We had a nice, leisurely chat with the two employees. And we bought a few bottles of wine, one of which is a delicious strawberry-rhubarb. A nice sipping wine while sitting out on the patio in the evening.

 

Now here's an enterprising elderly woman in town! She stood right in the street in a parking spot, selling her doggy jackets. And she smartly parked herself right outside a pet goods store. My first glance was one of pity, but then as I observed her more, I began to think that she was actually enjoying herself.

To wind down the day, we had dinner at a fun restaurant. 

This is the waiting area. Someone has a great sense of humor and knows what attracts customers!

The inside had a lively, fun vibe, too. We originally wanted to have dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant in Galena, but we were disappointed to find out it's closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

 

After dinner and before heading home, we drove around the town looking at some of the pretty houses. The architecture and beauty of these houses are just stunning.

This mansion is a B&B. I looked online for prices and it said to call and inquire. My thinking is that if it's not posted and we have to ask, we can't afford it. Like when it says "market price" on restaurant menus.

 

When we slowly drove towards this house, I spied two deer in the lawn. They were parallel to each other and standing perfectly still, so my first thought was that they were lawn ornaments. Then one began to move and I yelled to Brian to stop the car so I could take pictures. They were so sweet, taking turns washing each other. I talked to them out the car window, cooing, "Hello, pretty babies!" Please don't tell me I'm the only one that does this. ;-)

As we were heading out of Galena to return home...

Hope you enjoyed the little virtual tour of Galena. Have a fantastic weekend!