Hi Friends,

I recently went to Waco, TX to explore all the changes at Magnolia. If you are a big Chip and Jo fan like I am, you’ve seen the new shops online, the old church they just had rebuilt on the property, Magnolia Press, Magnolia Home, and so much more! I usually go to Waco every year to check out what’s new and get new design inspiration. The 2020 COVID pandemic made me miss a year, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me in 2021. I’ve already had COVID in the last three months so I wasn’t as worried about traveling during this time. For those of you who are thinking about a trip there in the middle of the pandemic, I thought I’d share my experience so you can know what to expect (or at least what I experienced).

If you want to read more tips and tricks about traveling to Waco, check out our other blog post here!

First, let me start with the stay! I LOVED staying at the Gathering Oaks Retreat Center while in Waco. It’s clean, cute, away from the city a bit, and when you turn left onto the main road to head into Waco from the retreat center, Chip and Joanna Gaines’ house is on the right. It’s basically across the street from this property! When you’re in Waco for all things Chip and Jo, that’s the best way to start the day, I’d say.

Gathering Oaks Retreat Center

We stayed in one of their tiny houses and it’s SO ADORABLE. It was comfy and had everything we needed to relax at night.

The tiny house we stayed in!

A huge thank you to Lacy and Brandon for having me stay this trip!

The first thing I wanted to do while in Waco, since I’ve been there many times before, was find the house where Joanna Gaines records her new cooking show.

I had to call in some help from my friend Carrie because I was having troubling finding it. It’s actually only about 10 minutes past the Gathering Oaks Retreat Center. Pop in the address 401 E Avenue A, Valley Mills, TX 76689 and it’ll bring you right to the house. It’s private property so don’t actually try to go onto the property (even if you really want to like I wanted to!) lol.

401 E Avenue A
Valley Mills, TX 76689

Joanna Gaines Home for Cooking Show

I also couldn’t wait to check out the new Magnolia Home store. I have recommended so many rugs, pillows, furniture, and more from her product lines. So to see it all in person felt like Disney to me! It was beautiful.

Connected to the Magnolia Home store is the new Magnolia Press coffee shop.

At this point… I wanted to scream, “Is there anything they don’t do well??”. It was stunning. The lavender latte was sublime. The staff were all so friendly. I couldn’t get enough of all of it! The space sparkled with vintage charm. Hunter green and gold complimented each other in the most sophisticated way. Geometric patterns and pops of white sharpened the designs and brought it into 2021 trends that also feel completely timeless. Well done, to the team at Magnolia Press. You knocked it out of the park!

Another new favorite for me was the church building that they moved to the center of the new section on the Magnolia property. It’s a quiet place for reflection, prayer, or to sit and chat with friends. It’s absolutely stunning. If you’d like to read more about the history of moving the church to this location head here.

If you look to the right of the church in the picture above, you’ll see a grouping of new small shops. They are on both sides of this area. All of them are owned by Chip and Joanna, but they all have different names. The names each have special meaning to Chip and Jo (ask the workers in each store and they’ll tell you the story behind the name). This was another really fun new addition to Magnolia. I loved the jewelry shop and craft supply store. Both are filled with items that you won’t find at most stores so it feels local and small business even though it’s not.

Of course the iconic Silos, food trucks, and main Magnolia Market never disappoint. I would say the difference in these areas compared to other years – the staff was a little quieter (I’m guessing because of the masks), they didn’t have staff to take your pictures (probably because of COVID). It was hard to get good pictures, and the main store felt not quite as filled or staged as it was in other years. I hate to even sound like I’m complaining because I still loved it, but this year that was the main difference. The mantles weren’t decorated with as much detail, the jewelry corner was gone, Chip’s corner was gone, and the back area was a bit sparse. I’m guessing that’s because they are using many of those items in the smaller shops now so it may take time to fill in and fill up the larger market. The prices seemed higher to me this year, too.

The front display at the market was beautiful though!

The lines weren’t bad and they were keeping good track of who came in and out to keep the numbers low. We waited only about 10 minutes to get into the Market. They require everyone to wear masks once you get into the entire area (outside grounds, too) so expect that while you’re there. Obviously, you can take them off while you’re eating at the tables, but no where else. The seating area is much larger and the grass area has been expanded by the food trucks so it looks really beautiful!

OF COURSE we had to go to the Magnolia Table while we were visiting… twice actually. lol The food was just as amazing! The staff wasn’t quite as perky as they usually are, but still good. The wait was about 45 minutes each time. You can make reservations now which I wish I knew before I went because I would have made them ahead of time. Make yours here. We waited 45 minutes the first time and 30 minutes the second time.

A huge thanks to my sister in law, Tasha, for joining me on this last minute trip, enduring my endless photographing and excitement, and enjoying it right along side me! My girl! 💕

Oh, and we can’t forget the Silo Baking company.

Sooooo gooood!!!

I’d say you could easily spend 2-3 days in Waco and have plenty to do if you’re a Fixer Upper fan! It’s so relaxing and fun! If you have any other favorite spots in Waco, please share them in the comments below!

If you need any upstate NY design help, remember… I’m your girl! If you’d like me to help with the design in your home (can be done virtually to help anyone in the US), let me know. We also sell painted furniture, build barn doors and tables, and paint your kitchen cabinets. Let us know how we can help you!

Thanks for being the best funcycler’s around! 

Sarah Trop