I turned the corner into Magnolia Market and immediately thought, “Wow. It’s exactly like you see on Fixer Upper!” The food trucks, the cute little black and white tented benches, the grandioseness of the silos in their cream and rust color, the huge green space where kids are playing, and the details – oh the details! Chip and Joanna Gaines have their brand completely nailed down. The intention and care that goes into every detail at Magnolia did not go unnoticed.

A few weeks ago, my two friend Kira and Julia and I flew into Dallas, Texas for a conference and it was coincidentally my 25th birthday. We had a free morning and afternoon on Friday before we had to start our programming, so we woke up early, grabbed our coffee and breakfast for the road, and made the hour and a half (or so) drive to Waco. Just like Chip and Jo explain it, right when you pull off the highway in Waco, you can spot the giant silos that are the anchor point of their compound. We read online to get there either earlier in the day, or toward the end, so our arrival at 10:00 am worked out perfectly.

Magnolia Seed & Supply

We walked around the sweet garden first before it got too hot. As you can see from the picture, I was a happy woman. Jo’s plants are gorgeous and I especially loved the big shelves of herbs she had and the cute seed and supply shop with all the gardening things. (I have zero green thumb, or actual gardening space, but one day!)

Magnolia Market

Next we went into the actual Magnolia Market shop and it was incredible! Jo’s aesthetic is so on brand throughout and it was fun to see the little areas she’s featured on Instagram in real life. The kitchen area was where I spent most of my time dreaming because she had the cutest towels, cheese boards, measuring cups, and tiny trinkets I love as details. We didn’t see Chip and Jo, but we did see Jo’s mom talking to one of the store workers and she looked like she meant business while discussing the flow of the line!

One thing I was so incredibly impressed by was the amount of staff that was working, not only in the market, but throughout the entire area. They were everywhere. They all had a natural ability to strike up conversation and were so willing to help with anything! Every single one asked us, “Where are you from?” which just shows how many visitors they get!

Silos Baking Co.

The bakery was absolutely as precious as it was in their Fixer Upper episode. Because the line is so long to get in, they give you a little card to fill out in line with the cupcake flavors and baked good items you would like. There is also a giant tent with fans to keep everyone cool while you wait. We stood for about 45 minutes, which was not a short time, but having the covered tent made the time fly by. I got the summer special peach cupcake with a graham cracker crust and cream cheese frosting. I wished I would have gotten more of a taste of the peaches in the cake, but overall it was scrumptious.

The Surprise!

While Julia, Kira and I were sitting outside after finishing our cupcakes, all the sudden I turned around and saw my dad, step-mom and cousin with her two little boys! They surprised me in the middle of Texas for my 25th birthday! I was beyond shocked. We hugged and hugged, I cried, and just couldn’t believe they were in Waco. My cousin Anne has two little boys, Lincoln and Maddox, and so we went over to the big green turf area where they could play and lay in the shade under the silos.

It was so so special to have them surprise me for my birthday and to share the fun of Magnolia Market with them. Chip and Joanna have truly built a place for everyone from little kids to adults to gather together. It was awesome to be a part of that experience! I can’t say enough about the Gaines’ work ethic and incredible success story after reading their book. Their story is inspiring to me and I hope to be able to leave an impact through my work one day like they have done.

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela