For us fans of Joanna Gaines, who hasn’t daydreamed of visiting the motherland? I am so happy I got the chance to visit Waco for work this spring! I got to speak at & photograph my sweet friend Brianne’s mastermind retreat and it included a day at Magnolia! Yes please!
Magnolia Shop on Bosque
This is where we started! Brianne’s mom and I swung by on the way home from the airport and I LOVED it! This was Joanna’s original shop and it now is an outlet of the big store. Everything is 40-70% off and it is full of hidden gems! It is different inventory than the Market and if you’ve made a purchase at the Market on the same day you get a discount at the shop on Bosque.
Magnolia Table
The next day we got up early and headed to Magnolia Table for breakfast as soon as it opened! We were seated immediately and while I’ve heard it can get crazy busy, it wasn’t the whole time we were there! I was curious to see if the restaurant would be more about the atmosphere than the food and I am thrilled to say they hit BOTH out of the park! The design of the restaurant is darling, blending modern design with old school charm. There are thoughtful touches everywhere like baskets on the wall for you to keep your phone in while you eat, and even the “employees must wash hands” plaques in the bathroom are cute!
The food was KILLER. Jojo’s biscuits were fantastic, but the strawberry butter stole the show! I ordered pretty much one of everything and didn’t regret it for a second! It definitely isn’t just a novelty. If I lived nearby I would eat there all the time!
Magnolia Market
From breakfast we headed straight to the market and sure enough it was amazing! The yard was my favorite part. A huge grassy area with swings and play areas is there to welcome you as soon as you arrive. It is surrounded with food trucks, the perfect place to grab lunch and enjoy the sunshine. There is music playing on loudspeakers throughout the whole property. The day we were there they were playing Lauren Daigle and it made my heart so happy!
The whole property is of course- filled with intentional darling design decisions. From the window boxes, to the doors, to the light fixtures. The store itself was beautiful! Each nook and cranny is a vignette full of beautiful finds. I had heard that everything was exceptionally pricey, but I was pleased to find that not to be the case. Word on the street is that they’ve lowered prices substantially since opening. I had a hard time narrowing down my purchases and ended up with a few gifts for friends, a couple pretty vases, a pillow, and a plate that sits on my kitchen counter! My rule with paraphernalia or souvenirs is to only buy things I would buy if I saw them in another store at home. That way I know I won’t come home with a million t-shirts or mugs that won’t get used.
Chip’s Office & the Rooftop
As a special surprise for Brianne’s retreat girls we got to tour the offices including Chip’s old office and the rooftop. This was SO FUN. The walls of his space are filled with pictures of their family, and the roof offers a fun view of the whole property.
We talked for quite some time with the gal that manages their social media and something she said has stuck with me ever since. I mentioned that on the show Chip & Joanna always seem so relaxed, but with so much on their plate they must have incredibly busy lives. She responded “oh no, they are like that all the time.” She said that they have really strict boundaries around evenings, weekends, and travel and that they fiercely protect family time and maintaining an un-rushed lifestyle for their children. This trip was 2 weeks before wedding season began and I was deeply craving insight onto how to not make the upcoming season feel rushed. The timing was divine. 1. If Chip & Joanna Gaines can live slow and simple lives, anyone can. 2. For them to have built what they have without sacrificing their family and spaciousness in life they must have to make millions of small decisions a day to protect that. I bet they say no 1000x more than they say yes. It really made me evaluate getting in the habit of saying no rather than automatically saying yes and then trying to make it fit into my schedule. Anyway, just a few thoughts. It was really inspiring and encouraging for me to hear that.
Overall, this was such a fun trip! There doesn’t seem to be much else to do in Waco, so it definitely great for a quick 2-3 day trip! If you get the chance to go I would really recommend it!
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