I am a HGTV Fixer Upper Magnolia Market addict. It drives TJ crazy because I will always have HGTV on the television if I am home. I love the designs, the love, relationship, and final home showcase. Living in Waco would be a dream because we would definitely get Joanna and Chip to do a house for us, complete with furniture. So as soon as we booked our tickets to Texas I did a map search to see how close we would be to Waco.

As I was entering the address, I was so nervous that it was going to be too far away and so I didn’t get too excited, but then when it popped up that it was only 2 hours away from the workshop, I knew we had to go there. I mean 2 hours is so much closer than from Virginia! I was so excited that I began to search all of the addresses of everything related to Magnolia Farm and Waco. We found that Harp Design Co. had a storefront and Magnolia Market was only minutes away.

My excitement was bursting at the seams from the minute that I woke up because I knew we were going to see the infamous Magnolia Market. I had little expectation that we would actually see or meet Chip and Joanna but I was content with visiting their little part of town. All of these addresses were written down and I was so overwhelmed with where to go first because it was all minutes from one another so TJ selected Harp Design as our first stop.

It was the cutest little shop hidden in a residential area, with what we believe to be Clint’s home next door, but we couldn’t confirm. Let’s just say that it looked almost too identical to the shop with the gray siding and white trim. Anywho…everything inside was so warm and inviting.

Harp Design was a small and quaint little area with the wood shop in the back yard, which can be seen on the show in some clips. Clint actually created his pieces that close to the shop but he does! We didn’t get to meet or see Clint either but again, understandable. We were just so excited to see the beautiful wood pieces that he created. TJ and I truly fell in love with a table but knew that it would cost a fortune to have it shipped cause it wasn’t going to fit into our suitcase. The downfalls of flying.

After visiting at Harp Design we visited Magnolia Silos and Market. The silos were huge and could be seen from blocks away so I knew we were getting close. I also knew by the number of cars parked on the street and full parking lots that we were getting close. We lucked out and got a really awesome parking spot and I think I skipped and almost ran in excitement. I was in shock. You would have thought I saw the president or a celebrity when I walked up to Magnolia Market. I struggled on deciding if we should walk around outside or go in to the market. Thankfully TJ was sane and suggested we check out the grounds first so we didn’t have to carry around anything we buy, he knew we would be buying something!

The outdoor area is so relaxing, calm, and family friendly. There were bean bags, cornhole, bases for kickball, food trucks, swings and so much more. It was so nice to see a low key environment where families could enjoy each other’s company, have some foot, and play games. We sat and enjoyed the weather for a bit then explored the seed & supply, the gardens, and then the food trucks! TJ ordered a wood fire pizza from a food truck. Crazy right?! It was delicious too!

Then we headed inside to the market and it was GORGEOUS! It was as if we were walking into a home that Chip and Joanna remodeled. They had the metal signs, bath and body items such as lotions and soaps, clocks, and decoration items galore. We wanted to purchase everything but again found that bringing it home would be a challenge and we could purchase all of the items in their online store. We saw staff that were fulfilling the many shipments from the orders from the online store. The staff at Magnolia Market were all so friendly, offering to take photos of us together and small talking. The overall experience was amazing and I want to go back. I highly recommend that you add Magnolia Market to your bucket list and make your way there!

This cute little building was under construction while we were there. We later found out that Joanna will be making this Magnolia Flour, a new bakery. This newest addition will make any visitor happy, because there is nothing better than sweet treats. Joanna released this secret a few weeks ago and has been sharing some sweet treat ideas and names on social media. I wish it was open when we went but that is just another reason for us to have to go back.

After visiting at the Silos, we found the original Magnolia retail store that Joanna opened in 2003. Joanna closed the shop for a while to raise her children but then reopened it back in 2014. In October 2015, Magnolia moved to its new location next to the Silos. It is a good thing because it is so much bigger and more family friendly. The original location was tiny and didn’t allow for a lot of parking. It was still neat to visit where it all started and to see some of the light fixtures were still up and the original Magnolia sign. 

After visiting the original location we tried to locate a house that Chip and Joanna remodeled with very little success. We understood that it would be a long shot since families do actually purchase the homes and live in them. They wouldn’t want tourists around their home at all hours of the day. But we found an article about “the shotgun house” and how it moved from seventh street to its current location. The second story loft was added so we decided to drive by and it was more beautiful in person. It is really long and the big windows were gorgeous. TJ and I didn’t get too close because people live there. But it was neat to see an actual house from the show.

Magnolia announced they were opening a bed and breakfast and would be available Spring of 2016. I was hopeful that maybe we would have the opportunity to spend at least one night in this beautiful home. But you can’t just rent a room, you rent the entire house and it is completely booked for 2016. But we made sure to stop by and get some photos before we caught our plane.

It is about 30 minutes away from the Silos and Market but well worth the drive. Joanna fell in love with the shape of this house and almost remodeled it for clients. But she got the idea to make it a bed and breakfast. The shape is very unique and homey. It almost makes an “X” with porches and rocking chairs. The bed and breakfast sits on a quiet corner lot with the most adorable white fence.

Nothing better than some silly iPhone selfies before we left.

Homeward bound…Washington Monument from the sky!