{Magnolia Market...My Day At The Silos}

I finally made my much anticipated trip to Waco on Friday to go to Magnolia Market & y'all - I loved it!  I had heard so many mixed reviews from people who have been so maybe I had lowered my expectations somewhat?!  But I was pleasantly surprised & enjoyed every minute of it!

We had originally planned to go on Thursday, but a 100% chance of rain made us postpone the trip til Friday.  I wanted to go & experience it all {which I knew we couldn't do if it rained}.  Thankfully we only live about 2 hours away so it wasn't an issue.  They began their summer hours last week so they opened at 9am instead of 10am.  We arrived around 9:45 & I was shocked at the number of people already there.  It was super easy to find {you can spot the silos from I-35}, but parking was somewhat of a problem.  There is a church right next to the silos that will let you park there for $10 bucks...pay the money!!  The money is going to a good cause & you are literally one block from the silos. The parking lot is small though & when we got there, there were only 3 or 4 spots left. 

One thing I was surprised about was the overall size of it all.  It's large, don't get me wrong...but I guess I was expecting it to be bigger?!  But oh what a heavenly sight to see. =)

The bakery was the first thing we saw when we walked up.  Unfortunately it was not open yet {darn, because hello?! Cupcakes!!}, but we did get to peak in & grab a quick pic.  It's beautiful & I can't wait to go back when it's open...black, white & wood - perfection!

 

Before we went inside the Market, we make a quick stop at the ladies room.  And y'all, even those are pretty.  Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the inside {there was a line & it was close quarters}, but I loved all the white subway tile & black accents. So classic.  One thing I realized on Friday is that I absolutely LOVE the black, white & wood combination Joanna uses throughout...from the bakery to the bathroom to the market.  I will definitely be incorporating more of this at my house very soon.

At this point, there were not many people out & about around the grounds yet...because clearly they were all inside shopping!  It wasn't too bad & we were still able to navigate throughout the store without any problems.

 

From the moment you walk in, Joanna has every detailed planned out.  From the Welcome on the floor to the gorgeous displays.  It's not just shelves of merchandise, but rather little vignettes everywhere!  So you have to walk around the entire store multiple times in order to take it all in.  Be sure to look on the floor, under tables, on the walls...because there is stuff everywhere!

 

One thing I knew prior to going is that most of the things she sells there are mass-marketed.  And I was ok with that.  There are antique stores nearby {that she shops at on the show} that you can go to if you are looking for that kind of stuff.  I overheard several people commenting that they could buy the same things at Target or TJMaxx.  True for some of the items, but when there is an average of 25,000 people visiting there a week, there is no way you can have all one of a kind things & keep the store stocked.

Speaking of keeping the store stocked, I was probably most impressed with the amount of staff she had working.  There were associates all throughout the store to answer questions & as soon as the stock depleted, someone was there restocking the shelves.  I was highly impressed.  There are also 2 sets of checkouts - one upstairs & one downstairs - with a cashier & bagger at each register.  That place runs like a well-oiled machine & they get people in & out of there in no time...so don't let a long checkout line discourage you.

I had a hard time deciding what to buy & ultimately settled on a white hobnail jar {which I plan to use for utensils in my kitchen}, a wire & glass tube flower holder centerpiece {which I am thinking I will use on my breakfast room table} & a wooden postcard.  My total was around $45...not too bad I didn't think. Don't get me wrong - I could have easily spent hundreds...those signs were calling my name.  Unfortunately that wasn't in the budget right now. =(

 

As we were walking out, the lady working the front door told us that if we would like, we could go over to the tables under the silos & Baylor marketing students were there doing a survey.  She said it would take less than 10 minutes & we would get a gift card at the end.  Sure, why not?! My mom & cousin took the kiddos to play and my aunt & I went to do the survey.  They were super nice, asked lots of questions about our expectations prior to coming, our shopping experience, what all we planned to do in Waco, if we thought we would meet Chip & Joanna, etc.  It maybe took 8-10 minutes & when it was over, she said - here is your $25 gift card to Magnolia Market.  What?!  Seriously?!  You are giving me $25 bucks for answering a few questions?!  I was thinking maybe $5 or $10 bucks.  Or it would have some stipulation that you had to come back & use it another day.  But nope, we could go right back in the store & use it that day...and that's just what we did!!

 

By this point it was around 11:45 & while there was still not a line to get in the store, the inside was C.R.A.Z.Y.  Like - couldn't hear yourself think - crazy.  I will admit that it was a little overwhelming.  Every time I turned around, I would bump into someone.  I couldn't remember what I saw the first time around that I would want to spend my gift certificate on & it wasn't near as easy to navigate the store this time.

Finally after a little thinking, I decided on a metal Gather sign made by Jimmy Don!  It was $29 so my gift certificate almost covered it.  They show it mounted on a wooden tray & then hanging on a wall.  I am thinking I may have to make a little shiplap frame of some sort to hang it on?!  Stay turned to see what I do!  But I love that it's actually something "made" & exclusive to Magnolia Market.

 

We headed back outside, hung out for a while longer & people watched.  Unfortunately no sighting of Chip & JoJo. =)  I was hoping that we would have stayed a little longer & had lunch at the food trucks, but we ultimately decided to leave around 1:00.  After a trip to Target, lunch & then Kohl's - we headed back home.

 

 

Several people have asked me 1) if I was disappointed {Nope} and 2) would I go back {Yep...I'm thinking Christmastime?!}  My only advice would be to go during the middle of the week & get there right when they open if you want to truly enjoy it.  

It's not just about the shopping or the adorable things they sell - it's about the whole experience of just being there.  Chip & Joanna did it right.

 Now excuse me while I go & start on my shiplap wall. =)