Geneva's Little Red Barn Door adds Little Barn Baby

When merchants listen to what their customers say, it can lead to new adventures.

For Sylvia Torres, owner of the Little Red Barn Door home décor and furniture store in The Berry House shops in Geneva since 2017, it means a new store is coming.

After hearing customers say they liked the Onesies, booties, cute toys and other items for babies in the store, Torres got the idea that maybe she could offer something she hadn't otherwise seen along Third Street - a store entirely devoted to baby items.

Sometime in mid-September, she plans to open Little Barn Baby in Suite 110 of the Third Street Terrace, in an open spot between the Livia and Ristorante Chianti restaurants.

"I was a little hesitant at first because we are a home décor store, and I wasn't sure if I really wanted something else," Torres said. "I put some items out in our store and the response was really good; they were selling like crazy."

She kept bringing more items in, and they kept selling. That sort of math led her to the idea that a separate store could work.

"I saw that spot on Third Street was available, there was no one else with a store solely for babies, just stores with some sections for babies," Torres added.

The new store will still have the "Red Barn Door" feel to it, and Torres was pleased the city is allowing her to change the color of the location's facade.

But the new store is only part of Torres' current hot streak in terms of Third Street retail. She is planning on moving from her spot on the second floor of The Berry House to a location that is opening on the first floor when the Catholic Shop moves out.

Her current second floor spot will become a showroom for the furniture and other items she often has in a St. Charles warehouse.

"I tried to do a showroom at the warehouse, but people weren't sure where that was, so I could possibly lose some customers," Torres said. "Now, I can take them to the upstairs showroom."

The warehouse in St. Charles is still a valuable part of her family's overall business, and it has recently relocated to 731 N. 17th St., Unit 3.

For now, Torres is hoping all of the new store activity falls into place with the baby shop opening in September, and the Little Red Barn Door opening in its new spot in The Berry House in October.

That means it would all happen in time for the holidays, and Geneva's Christmas Walk, of which Torres and her shops will be a sponsor this year.

Enjoying those previews:

If you enjoy the coming attractions at the movie theater, the AfterImage Film Festival has something for you.

The festival, to be held Sept. 26 to 29 at the Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles, is holding a special preview event from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at Playhouse 38 in Geneva.

The preview night will feature the film trailers for the independent films that will be shown at the festival in September.

The AIFF is part of the Fox Valley Film Society and it's trying to make the event bigger and better for filmgoers.

This first film festival will include feature-length documentaries and narratives, as well as short films.

"Mike Wallace is Here," a documentary about the TV journalist that has already received high marks from critics, is on the festival agenda, along with "Summer 1993" and "Cold Case Hammarskjold."

There is no charge for the trailer preview night, as it will be a first-come, first-serve setup at the 80-seat Playhouse 38. Beer and wine will be available for purchase.

Backyard adventures:

Backyard camping was quite an adventure when I was a kid so many decades ago, but I can't say for sure it carries the same appeal with today's youngsters.

But a note from Blain's Farm & Fleet, the general merchandise mecca for families and farmers, provided "backyard camping tips."

It is, after all, that time of year. Dry and cool nights and the final weeks of summer were always signals that maybe your dad would put the tent up in the backyard for a sleep-out with siblings or friends.

The tips were pretty standard in making sure you had the proper lighting and supplies, and even an idea for stringing rope from two trees and draping a blanket over it to create your own tent.

Mostly, it was kind of fun to eat outside, and this again seems to be the theme of the week. The Kane County Farm Bureau's newspaper had an entire section highlighting campouts and, I suppose, the thoughts could transfer to the backyard variety easily enough.

You can't have a campfire in your backyard, but can do the next best thing in creating "Tin Foil Stew," or one of my favorite dishes that my wife puts together, the "Girl Scout Dinner."

It's basically hamburger meat, vegetables, potatoes and onion soup mix all placed in aluminum foil and cooked on the grill or in the stove.

Yes, it's all quite an adventure.

Wally and The Beaver:

You never feel entirely comfortable when a promotion has the caveat of "all guests subject to change or cancellation without notice."

But for some time now, I have had the Wheaton All Night Flea Market on my calendar for Saturday, Aug. 17.

Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers, forever known as Wally and Beaver Cleaver, are scheduled to appear from 3 p.m. to midnight to meet fans at the market held at the DuPage County Fairgrounds.

I still watch reruns of "Leave it to Beaver" on occasion for the nostalgia of being about the same age as these boys at the time of their show from 1957 to 1963, but also because it's still funny.

And if these guests cancel without notice, I'll still see what all the hoopla is about regarding this "world famous" all-night flea market.

dheun@sbcglobal.net