Until last month, I had never been to the great state of Texas. My oldest son has applied for college in five different states, Texas being one of them. The draw of being thousands of miles away from home with a warmer climate while the rest of us are dripping with rain seems appealing to him, so with applications sent, and an acceptance letter in hand, we set off to Texas to tour three universities.
One of those colleges is Baylor University in Waco, Texas. What I have known in the past of Waco is David Koresh. Of course now, with HGTV's hit show Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna Gaines are leading the way to making Waco known for much more than the town with a crazy religious sect.
Our main objective while we were in Waco wasn't to tour Magnolia Market, though I was dying to step onto the grounds of those silos, it was to get a good feel of Baylor and see if it could be my son's next home away from home. In the meantime, I had to keep reminding myself that we were here for a college tour and if we had time, we would pop in before the market closed.
Glory of glories we had time! Plenty of fabulous time, so I was able to come to you with 5 things you should know before you visit Magnolia Market. You know, in case you find yourself in Waco touring colleges, or if you are a die hard fan making a trip with the soul purpose of visiting the market.
1. The market is closed on Sunday.
We had a tight schedule, so had the market been open on Sunday, it would have been ideal for our schedule, but it isn't, so a quick drive after dinner was all that we could accomplish the day we arrived. The market is open from 10-6 Monday-Thursday, 9-6 Friday and Saturday. There is a large fence surrounding the silos, so there isn't any after hours exploring.
I've seen pictures and heard stories that people line up to get in the doors when it opens. There was no line and no real crowds when we arrived on a beautiful Monday afternoon around 3 pm.
2. Fuel up first at the original Common Grounds
If you are chomping at the bit to get a Fixer Upper fix in, Common Grounds, the coffee shop made famous in season 1 opens at 7 am. While we were in Waco to get a tour of Baylor University, you can't stop in a college town and not make your way to the campus. College campuses are by far one of my favorite places on earth. Baylor's does not disappoint!
This quaint little coffee shop has a secret sauce they call Cowboy Coffee. I ordered a no bull hot and it was probably the best coffee I've had in forever. I hear the Arnold Palmer is pretty delicious too.
3. There is more than just shopping at Magnolia Market
While the shop is a large draw to the Magnolia Market, it's so much more than that.
This red truck is becoming an iconic feature in Waco and you are sure to find plenty more opportunities for photo ops around the grounds.
The large artificial turf field was the perfect place to run and play. We kicked around the soccer ball with a few toddlers before we settled in for a championship game of corn hole.
You will also find a half a dozen food trucks lining the outside area with plenty of seating. I would suggest if you are planning on purchasing any items in the market, that you visit the food trucks last. The woman in line in front of me received a discount coupon for one of the trucks when she made a purchase and she was disappointed that she couldn't use it since she already ate.
4. Joanna's style is felt every where
I must admit, while I love the show Fixer Upper, I haven't seen most of the episodes. We don't have cable and Netflix only has the first season, but I have seen her blog and follow all of the Fixer Upper social media accounts. Joanna's style is consistent and you can feel it in the shop.This front display had me swooning from the moment I walked in the door. I hear that the displays change quite often so you are always in for a new treat if you visit frequently.
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I didn't know where to start, so I just started around the sides and worked my way around the shop in a circle.
There are so many different beautiful displays. While I would love to say that all of the items that were available seemed unique to the Magnolia Market, they really aren't much different than some you might find at a local boutique home store near you. This may be disappointing for some if you are making a special trip just to visit the store. So please keep that in mind.
I was impressed at all of the design details every where you looked. This light above the elevator was stunning. Even the outdoor bathrooms had subway tile and were fabulous!
There are unique items that you can find in the market. These signs have been made by Joanna's favorite metal artist Jimmy Don.
You can even pick up a Magnolia Farms tray or other design elements that you are sure to have seen in some of the Fixer Upper episodes or in Joanna's own home.
We all know Joanna's love of shiplap. These coffee mugs are brand spankin' new and aren't available on-line. So if you visit, you may just find some items that are exclusive to the store.
5. The prices aren't cheap, but you can find some affordable deals
I'm not one to spend $26 on a candle, but I didn't think that some of the items were unreasonable. The pricing is competitive with items you would find at Home Goods and some items are more in the Pottery Barn range.
I drool over this purse every time I see it and even more so in person. Though it's one of those items that is a bit more expensive in the shop and I am not the kind of person that spends $200 on a handbag even though it shows up in my dreams and was softly begging for me to take it home.
That said, there were plenty of deals to be had! I'm a super shopper, so of course every single item I purchased was on sale. The signature Magnolia Market letters were all on sale for 50% off. I sure wish I had had room in my suitcase, but I did not. You could have scored a letter for as cheap as $2! I felt like this product was reasonably priced because I've seen prices much more expensive at other shops. Even not on sale, they were a good deal.
I also found several after Christmas items that weren't necessarily Christmas items for 75% off. I picked up 3 small eucalyptus wreaths for $3.50 each.
I also scored a beautiful leather wrap bracelet for 25% off. Many of the items I noticed on sale were only on sale in the market and were still listed at full price on the website.
It's a beautiful shop, well worth the stop if you find yourself near Waco. You will have to use your own judgement to decide if it's worth it for you to make a special trip just to see the store.
Before you go, make sure you stop in the Common Grounds coffee truck and pick up one of those cowboy coffees iced this time. It sure made the hour and a half drive back to Austin much more enjoyable!
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**update** Fixer Upper fans will love these inside exclusives.
What is it really like to be a client on the show Fixer Upper? Here's an exclusive interview with Jaime from season 3!
All that furniture on reveal day doesn't stay. Shocking? Maybe. Find out what a client's home looks like six months after the big reveal.
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