Some of my favorite posts here on Midwest In Style are the guest posts; when I have the opportunity to feature some of my favorite creatives. Today’s guest post features Amanda Block of Dwell 605. Not only is she a gorgeous wife and mama living in Platte, SD, but she’s also an incredibly talented maker of wood signs and freelance interior designer. She’s dabbling in flipping homes right here in South Dakota which makes her even more fun to follow on Instagram.
If you’ve seen photos of my living room or dining room, you’ve absolutely seen her signs, but I love everything she does. Her classic meets farmhouse style is spot on and she makes it all so achievable.
Amanda recently took a trip to Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas. She is so graciously sharing the story of her trip right here for all of us to enjoy {oh… and to help us start planning our own trip to Waco 😉 } Hear from Amanda about her experience at “Magnolia Market aka Heaven on Earth!”
When it comes to Chip and Joanna Gaines I feel like I am somewhere in between fan girl and stalker—ok, not really stalker because I live thousands of miles away and I am not creepy like that—but I am positive we would be friends if we got the chance to meet.
Last October, my husband and I decided to go to Texas to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary. Texas in October was perfect. The weather was not blazing hot, but still nice enough for us South Dakotans to lay out by the pool.
The main reason we decided to vacation in Texas was so that we could visit Magnolia Market in Waco. My husband enjoys watching Fixer Upper as well so it wasn’t like I was twisting his arm! We flew in to Austin and stayed at the cutest hotel outside of downtown called Hotel Granduca. It felt like I had been transported to Italy, but still had the convenience of downtown with restaurants, shopping, and nightlife only minutes away. Austin is a very eclectic, fun city and only a couple hours drive to Waco, so we thought it was the best choice for us.
We set our alarms for 5:30 Friday morning. (Yikes 5:30AM on the first morning of vacation? What were we thinking?!) But believe me, I’ve never popped out of bed with more excitement than I did that morning. It was Magnolia Market Day! We grabbed Starbucks and a couple snacks for the two-hour drive.
Arriving early was and is key. I think we waited in line at the Silos Bakery for 5-10 minutes. I ordered the cinnamon roll and my husband ordered a cupcake. They were excellent, of course. The bakery is quaint and is decorated in fabulous Joanna style. Even the bathroom was perfect!
The Market shopping building does not open until 9:00. We had time to wander around the courtyard and look at the Magnolia Seed Co. More people started to show up when it got closer to opening, but it was by no means crowded. The doors opened right on time and it was time to shop!
My husband and I walked around together at first, but then he graciously said he would wait for me in the courtyard because he knew there was no way I was ready to leave. (Brownie points for him!) I took my time looking at everything! I imagined where I could use different pieces in my home or how I could style items at my husband’s office in the bank where he works.
Each area of the Market had beautiful displays. My favorite was the kitchen area. I loved the subway tile and all the signature Magnolia kitchen items for sale. I came home with the measuring spoons. My daughter who loves to bake probably uses them more than I do!
I did purchase other items for our home and for my husband’s office, but looking back I wish I would have snagged a few more pieces. There is always next time, right? For convenience, there is FedEx shipping station right inside the Market for shipping larger items back home. I should have taken advantage of this as I was shoving items into both my suitcase and my husband’s!
Our trip to Magnolia was really all I expected it to be. It was relaxing, inspiring, and fun to be in the presence of what they built their brand into. I loved every minute of being there and the few hours we were there felt like they flew by.
My next trip, I will take more time to enjoy the food trucks and the Magnolia Seed Co. We didn’t visit the foods trucks because we went to The Findery which is down the street from Magnolia and then over to Harp Design Co. Harp Design Co. is much smaller but they have great items as well. I brought home a couple pillows, which did not fit inside our luggage. On the way home, I toted the cutest striped pillows right through the airport. It was worth it!
If you are planning a trip to Magnolia Market my main tips would be to plan on going during the off season and arrive early. {I have heard that the lines during the summer months are long and the wait time to get in can be over an hour!}
Take advantage of the Silos Bakery when you arrive and then enjoy the courtyard and beautiful grounds prior to the doors opening. Before you go shopping, have an idea of what you are looking for or take a look at the Magnolia website. It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the beautiful pieces!
If you are looking for a specific item the staff there is super helpful and nice. Make sure to take advantage of their expertise.
And lastly, TAKE.YOUR.TIME. Soak up all the joy that comes with experiencing this destination. It is a wonderful trip and I highly recommend it to others. The highlight of my time at Magnolia was meeting Joanna’s mother. She was so sweet and spunky! Just what you would think Joanna’s mother would be.
If you have any other questions, please connect with me on Facebook or Instagram.
– Amanda, @dwell605
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