Magnolia Market – The Scoop

A friend’s Facebook status said the other day that she was sure the month of May was going to be the death of her.  It’s funny how many of us chimed in that we felt exactly the same way!

When you have kids in school, May becomes one of the craziest months ever.  It might even surpass December in my book!

That’s why it was a little crazy that I decided on a whim to do what I did on Monday.  I got up in the morning, took a look at the calendar and realized that it was my only day without appointments, school functions, etc. until the day after school gets out on June 2.

So, I showered, got dressed, grabbed a bottled water and a few snacks and hopped in the car and made my way to Waco (about a 90 minute drive from my house) to go visit the Magnolia market created by Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV’s Fixer Upper fame.

I decided that if I wanted to see the place before the crowds of summer made it too crazy the time was now!

It was humid and rainy the day I went, but it didn’t stop everyone in Texas from going there!  It was way busier than I anticipated and I have since learned (from an Instagram follower who lives in Waco) that the size of the crowds are the every day norm!

I can see why.

The store is full of goodies that look just like Joanna’s beautifully styled homes seen on the show.  It really is a fun place to visit!

The prices vary — there are some items in the $6-$14 range and many more that go way, way up!

The faux flowers were generally $9 a stem and they were the really nice kind that look very real.

I loved the styled shelving and vignettes throughout the store.  

They have a large inventory, but let me tell you that everything was flying off the shelves!  There were a lot of employees tidying up and re-stocking as I shopped.

It was tempting to fill up my shopping bag, but believe it or not, I walked out without buying a single thing!

 

Outside the store are food trucks and a nice outdoor eating area.  Notice everyone is sitting under the umbrellas because of the rain!  

I did eat a very tasty gourmet grilled cheese sandwhich while I was there and sat at one of these cute little tables.

By the way, the green, grassy area behind the tables is a play space for the kids.  There was also a nice little playground across the street from The Silos.

If you’re planning a trip to Waco to see this new shopping destination I would recommend the following:

• Prepare to pay $10 for parking or you may walk a few blocks to get free street parking
• Inventory flies off the shelves, so if you’re thinking about buying something you see, grab it while you can and walk around with it while you think about it.  Trust me, it may not be there when you go back!
• Set a nice-sized budget for yourself if you want to get Joanna’s signature look.  The kitchen sign in one of the pictures above was around $80.  Many items were around $50-60.  Yes, there are more affordable items available but the prices here are generally not for every budget.
• This is not a destination that is going to take you hours to see.  Plan to see other destinations in and around the Waco area.  I also stopped by Clint Harp’s store while I was there (it’s a fraction of the size but was still a fun stop).

I have more pictures of the outdoors that I’ll share in another post.  The garden area was so charming, I thought I’d give it a post of it’s own.

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!