Posted in Around Waco

Magnolia Market Waco: Christmas Installation

Magnolia Market Waco: Christmas Installation

Y’all, look at this beautiful display behind the check out at the Magnolia Market Waco!  It is inspired by snowflakes; each one created with pine tree needles on a faux snow back drop. Basically, a reminder of our uniqueness, and the beauty that can be found in all things.

Joanna Gaines has done it again with the latest 2019 Christmas installation at Magnolia Market Waco. From handmade installations to inspiring visual merchandising, there is so much attention to detail and creativity. Let’s take a look inside Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas.

The entrance of Magnolia Market includes real pine trees and piles of faux snow.

This is the first thing that you see when you walk into Magnolia Market Waco… a snowy winter scene reminding us to ‘seek beauty in all things.’

 

 

Nature Inspired Elements at Magnolia Market Waco

Pinecones and holly berry are made from paper and displayed in the kitchen area at Magnolia Market. I think the installations encourage us to take our time while visiting the store… to slow down and be sure to look all around. It is more than a shopping experience.  For example, it is a place to gain inspiration and find beauty in every season.

How cool is the ‘snow covered’ board that spells ‘noel?’ Again, the attention to detail by the visual team is incredible. Love the layered cutting boards that add warmth to this space, too.

Shelf styling using cutting boards, pine trees, marble accessories in Magnolia Market Waco.

A beautiful mix of wood tones, marble accessories and winter greenery,

 

 

Merry Mantles at Magnolia Market Waco

The mantles are permanent displays at Magnolia Market, but each season they are styled differently. Next to each mantle, is a set of built in shelves that showcase the newest products of the season.  Don’t worry, everything is available online, too.

When does the Magnolia Journal come out? 

If you didn’t know, the Magnolia Market goes through four changes each year.   The new installations coincide with the release of the Magnolia Journal magazine, which comes out in February, May, August and November of each year. This quarter, the theme is “the thrill of hope” with Joanna Gaines on the cover.

 

Christmas Ornaments

What would Christmas be without ornaments on the tree?  Magnolia Market has a variety of ornaments to represent traditional holiday memories, farmhouse Christmas and of course, everything at the Silos.  You can find them online, here. Stacks of gift wrapped boxes with ornaments are used in the displays.

 

More Magnolia Market News

If you missed the Fall 2019 installation at Magnolia Market Waco, check it out here. Furthermore, I took a rooftop tour last fall, read about it here and visited Magnolia Table for the first time, read about that here.

Christmas at the Silos is happening two weekends in December this year!  The dates are December 6-7 and December 13-14, 2019. There will be pop up vendors, concerts, Santa Clause for pictures, and new this year will be ice skating! I can’t wait to see how they transform the lawn into an ice skating rink.

The new coffee shop, Magnolia Press, opened in mid-October during Silobration weekend, as well. My kids and I took an afternoon to grab coffee and relax on the lawn at the Silos.  Visiting Magnolia Market during the events is exciting.  However, as a local, I love to visit when the tourists are few.

Thank you for stopping by the Cuter Tudor Blog!  It has been wonderful to live in Waco, and witness the changes happening at Magnolia Market.  Most importantly, there has been so much positive energy and growth in our city related to Chip and Joanna Gaines, Fixer Upper and the Silos.

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2019 Fall Visual Displays at Magnolia Market

2019 Fall Visual Displays at Magnolia Market

I recently visited at the Silos in Waco, Texas to check out the 2019 Fall visual displays at Magnolia Market.  If you love Chip and Joanna Gaines from HGTV’s Fixer Upper show, then you are probably already planning your trip to Waco, too!  If not, let me persuade you! Just take a look at the newest seasonal installation at Magnolia Market in the Fall. Everything from the rich Autumn colors of life life stems and florals to handmade coffee mugs will have you craving everything Fall!  Now, let’s look at what stood out to me in the 2019 Fall visual displays at Magnolia Market.

Magnolia Market’s Fall Inspiration

 

2019 Magnolia Market Fall Color Inspiration

A few weeks ago, I saw this Fall color mood board on Magnolia’s instagram page. Consequently, I was immediately excited for Fall. I knew that these colors were a sneak peak into Magnolia MarketT.   Naturally, I am drawn to the cool colors like sky, lake and river.  However, the warm colors are so rich and inviting, too.

Image courtesy of Magnolia
Image Courtesy of Magnolia

 

 

2019 Magnolia Market Fall Theme: Wholeness

Each season, there is a theme in the Magnolia Journal magazine that carries into the displays at Magnolia Market. In the article, Joanna Gaines shares her thoughts which correlate with the season of life that she is currently in.  For example, in the Fall 2019 magazine, the message focuses on the pursuit of ‘wholeness.’  Joanna discusses why she believes it is hard to achieve balance in her life.  Therefore, she focuses on the importance of being whole in relationships, family and work.  We can see the story unfold in the creative displays at Magnolia Market.

 

Where there is brokenness, there is an abundance of grace.
There is gold in every piece of your story.

 

2019 Magnolia Market Fall Kitchen Display

Joanna Gaines knows that great design includes classic pieces like white dishes, simple black elements to contrast and wood tones to add warmth and character. This is exemplified from the kitchen design to the decor pieces in her kitchen collection. You can always add a pop of color in seasonal decorations like florals or linens.  I love how this kitchen at Magnolia Market changes each season.  For example, it always boasts the latest color trends, yet remains classic!

 

Handmade, New but not Vintage Finds For Sale

If you have been to Magnolia Market at the Silos, you know that they sale a variety of handmade and new (mass produced or reproduction) home decor furnishings and souvenirs. For example, you can get the Magnolia signature coffee mug handmade from local potter, Black Oak Art, or a souvenir style campfire mug with the Magnolia logo. If you can’t make the trip to Waco, Texas, don’t worry.  All items for sale at Magnolia Market are available on their Magnolia website.

I did notice that they are currently using their line of Magnolia Home furniture in store displays, like this stained wood and black cabinet on the right.  For instance, this is the first time that I have seen this as they usually stage with vintage furniture pieces or custom builtins.  However, they do not sell their Magnolia Home or vintage furniture at the Silos.

Magnolia Market uses a variety of creative hand built displays, vintage furniture and custom built cabinetry to display goods and inspire visitors. For instance, the handmade umbrellas from the Spring installation were actually for sale at their Little Shop on Bosque. The Little Shop on Bosque sales last season, overstock & slightly damaged goods there, too.

 

2019 Fall Magnolia Market Garden

The outdoor garden area at the Silos includes a small greenhouse, storage shed, a ‘Feed & Seed’ shop that carries gardening supplies. In addition, many rows of beautiful flowers including zinnias in a variety of fall colors are planted.

 

Look Back at Magnolia Market’s Fall 2018

If you missed the Fall displays at Magnolia Market in 2018, read about it here! It is fun to compare the differences between this year and last year! Next, read What It Is Really Like at Magnolia Market in Fall, on this blog post. I share everything about Magnolia Market from the fall cupcake flavors and newest Magnolia building (which is almost complete) to what it is like to work with Chip and Joanna Gaines!

Will you attend Silobration on October 17-19, 2019? If so, leave me a comment! Chip and Joanna’s latest endeavor should be ready just in time for Silobration!  In short, it’s a coffee shop right next to Magnolia Market!!!

Thank you for stopping by the blog! Meanwhile, save this blog post to your Fixer Upper inspired Pinterest board or share it on Facebook! So you will have everything you need to make the most of your trip to Waco, Texas!

Everything You Need to Know for a Girls Weekend in Waco, Texas

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR A GIRLS WEEKEND IN WACO, TEXAS

Waco, Texas has been a hot spot for travel due to the popularity of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ tv show Fixer Upper.  Specifically, all of my home decor blogger friends love to visit me, I mean Magnolia Market in Waco!  One of my local friends, Jill Stout, who blogs at Gathered Grace, hosted a fun girls weekend in Waco, Texas! It was an amazing weekend in downtown Waco! Lots of laughs, lots of shopping, and lots of food!  Here are some tips for everything you need to know for a girls weekend in Waco, Texas.

 

Where to Stay in Waco, Tx!

There are over 300 vacation rentals in Waco from VRBOs to AirBnBs.  Some homes have been featured on Fixer Upper and others are newly renovated in the middle of downtown Waco. I love to stay in the downtown area, so that you can soak in all the culture that Waco has to offer.

For this particular weekend in Waco, my instagram influencer/blogger friends and I stayed at one of the most amazing downtown rentals… The Green Door Lofts.  The lofts are beautifully decorated with many great amenities like a heated pool.   Most importantly, they have the best location in Waco, y’all!  They are located on one of the most historical streets in Waco near lots of restaurants, bars and shops.  For example, the newly renovated Hippodrome Dinner Theatre is right next door.  In addition, the lofts are within walking distance to the Silos!  I felt like a big city gal walking everywhere with friends in downtown Waco!

 

Where to Eat in Waco, Tx!

Today, there are so many new places to eat in Waco than years before!  Some are Waco favorites that have stood the test of time, and others are entrepreneurs offering new flavors than anything Waco has seen before!

Breakfast is the food of champs!

My two favorite places to eat breakfast in Waco are Magnolia Table and Harvest on 25th Street.  However, this was a busy weekend so Magnolia Table had a long wait.  Therefor, we opted for a fairly new restaurant… Harvest on 25th street. Most of the ingredients are locally sourced within 50 miles of Waco.  Y’all, that’s fresh food! I love to try something different on the menu each time I visit and have never been disappointed!  For example, the sourdough pancakes, French toast, granola bowl and avocado toast are all favorites!

Granola Bowl
French Toast
Blogger friends at Harvest on 25th

 

Lunch & Dinner Plans! 

I feel like we ate so much food during our three day trip! One day, lunch was provided by 900 degrees pizza! The owners of 900 degree pizza have been in the pizza making business for 50 years! My favorite is the Margherita and Veggie pizza! It is a great place to grab lunch downtown!  I didn’t get a picture, but we also had a variety of pies from Pie Peddlars!  OMG, y’all!  The chocolate pie, and the buttermilk pie, were the bomb! Fresh homemade pies, located behind Magnolia Market!

Another great place to grab lunch or dinner downtown is Brazos Bar & Bistro inside Hotel Indigo.  It is located within a few blocks of Magnolia Market. The restaurant sources many local ingredients, but also fine chocolate and ingredients from around the world. For dinner, they offer artisan cheese boards, delicious steaks, cocktails and decadent desserts.  They also have a pretty fabulous weekend brunch, too!

900 Degree Pizza
900 Degree Pizza
Hotel Indigo
Hotel Indigo

It is always fun to dress up, and hit the town!  We had a fun night in the limo…radio up,  shopping & at dinner. Special ‘thank you’ to Legacy Limousine Service in Waco, for providing us with an AWESOME hummer style limo & great customer service. Our dinner was at 135 Prime, my husband’s favorite steakhouse in Waco!  I highly recommend the filet of tenderloin…it melts in your mouth!  Other favorites are the Iceberg Wedge salad with blue cheese dressing and layered chocolate cake.  Life is all about balance!

Shopping at Courtney’s Boutique
Legacy Limousine Service

Where to Shop in Waco, Tx

During our limo ride, stopped for private shopping at Courtney’s boutique!  I found my little black dress at Courtney’s, but they also carry casual clothing like some of my favorite t-shirts and shorts. The ladies at Courtney’s are fabulous at helping style you for an event or choosing what works for your body.

Spice Village
Prefontaine
Christi’s

Other favorite places to shop in downtown Waco are Spice Village, The Findery and Christi’s Boutique. Spice Village is made up of over 50 unique booths from clothing to decor.  The Findery is located next to Magnolia Market (free parking, y’all) and over 2 stories plus 10K square feet of shopping for furniture, home decor and a clothing boutique!  I stage at the Findery, so it will always be my favorite place to shop for myself and clients!  Another unique place to Waco is Christi’s on Austin Ave!  Christi is the OG of network television as she appeared on Trading Spaces years ago.  She currently has her own bedding line, Moon Rein, and another shop next door made up of several other vendors!  It is always fun to talk to Christi!

You can find lots of antique and home decor shopping on La Salle Ave – La Salle Shops, Junque in the Trunk, Junky Monkey… or on Austin Ave – Simply Irresistible, Cameron Trading Co, Linen & Cake, Sironia, Honey’s Homestyle, Salvage Sisters, La Grange…

 

Ultimate Travel Guide for Waco, Texas!

  1. Before you book your stay, check the hours of operation for the places that you want to visit to ensure that they will be open.  Magnolia Market, Magnolia Table, and some other shops like The Findery are closed on Sunday. A few of the restaurants are open for Sunday brunch, but close early for the day.  Many other home decor boutiques close on Monday too. My best advice is to plan your trip between Tuesday – Friday.  Saturdays are great, but the Silos get very busy!
  2. Go early or late!!  The best time to visit Magnolia Table, the restaurant, is between 6 am -8 am.  The restaurant is only open till 3 p.m.  During Baylor weekends, holiday weekends, Silos events and most of the summertime, expect a 1-2 hour wait.  Magnolia Table is not located at the Silos, but a short drive away.  If you do go to the Silos (Magnolia Market + Magnolia Bakery) on a Friday or Saturday, make sure you get there early. The bakery opens at 7:30 am and the Market at 9:00am.  Or stop in around 4:30pm in the afternoon when most visitors head out for the day.
  3. You can buy most of the products from Magnolia online, so that you don’t have to lug it on the airplane.  They do not have the shipping station in Magnolia Market any longer, but there is a nearby post office.  Some shops like the Findery will ship it for you.  Just ask the shopkeepers!

 

Special Thanks!

Special thanks to our additional sponsors for the weekend, including Purple Mattress Co, Lamps Plus, Rugs USA, & Staging Studio! Of course, I already love working with these companies.  My chandelier in my master bathroom is from Lamps Plus!  Rugs USA has a great selection of quality affordable rugs, so they are one of my go to places for rugs for my home & clients.  Andres at Staging Studio offers online courses for those interested in becoming a home stager! I look forward to sharing more about these great companies in future blog posts!

Also, shout out to DressBarn for dressing us for the weekend! One of my favorite outfits from DressBarn is this pair of super soft embroidered denim capris and a striped shirt with a lace detail! In addition, my black jeans and kimono over the tee in photos above are also Dress Barn! I encourage you to shop Dressbarn for not only dresses, but comfy casual clothing too.  I have worn this outfit everywhere from church to volunteering at my daughter’s school; it is the perfect mom style. I ordered online and was happily surprised that everything fit so well. I love when that happens.  Thank you again, Dress Barn!

Spring at the Silos 2019

Spring at the Silos 2019

In celebration of the arrival of spring, Magnolia Market’s Spring at the Silos event featured a vendor fair, food trucks, and lots of floral displays.  Also, Joanna’s new children’s book, “We are the Gardeners” released during the three day event.  Tickets were sold for signed copies of the book with Joanna making an appearance on stage to share her inspiration for the book.

 

Spring Displays

I love all the seasons at Magnolia, but Spring may be my favorite!  From the handmade faux floral displays to the pots filled with newly planted stems, plants are always in abundance at Spring at the Silos.  The garden area and potting shed are filled with warm sunshine, a variety of plants and lots of encouragement to spend time outdoors during this time of year.  It a a very calming place, and really good for the soul.  On a recent blog post, click here, I wrote about what was new for Spring at the Silos.  Most importantly, I shared how the theme for each season is well woven between the magazine and store displays at Magnolia Market.

 

The visual creative design team at Magnolia is so talented.  They did an amazing job of creating lots of photo opportunities to remember your trip.  One of my favorite displays is in the garden area with stacks of oversized books, flower seed inspired garland and lots of potted plants. This display coincided with the release of Joanna Gaines’ new book ‘We are the Gardeners.’   The Magnolia visual team also created an amazing back drop on the stage for the book talk with Joanna.

 

 

Vendor Fair and Food Trucks

Along two streets that run alongside Magnolia Market, food trucks and vendors line up.  It is an honor for artists, craftsman and vendors to be invited to an event at the Silos.  Hundreds of applications are combed over to bring unique, handmade and high quality products to Waco for this special event.

It is also fun to meet small shops that my daughter and I follow on Instagram!  My daughter’s favorite booths are Lola Jane Naturals bath bombs and Shop Andi’s velvet scrunchies. A new artist that I found is ‘Marry in Spring’ who does beautiful watercolor paintings.  I chose one of her tea towels depicting parts of Waco. Another favorite shop is called Gracefully, owned by Grace Messenger, who works with craftsman in Guatemala to produce beautiful handmade pillows through fair trade.  I was lucky enough to meet Grace the week before in Waco!  She is a gem!

 

Boston Flower Co
Marry Me in the Spring
Through the Porthole
Shop Andi
The Bees Knees Shoppe
Lola Jane Naturals
Urban Sips
Laura Denise Jewelry
Mary Claret USA
Gracefully
The Hyppo
Black Oak Art

 

Tips for When to Visit

During Spring at the Silos and even Silobration, there is a lot of excitement and positive energy in the air.  Please know that if you visit during special events like these that there will be long lines.  Often, you will have to wait to get into the Magnolia Market store and the Bakery.  The restaurant, Magnolia Table, is located a few minutes away and may have a two hour wait.  You do not have to wait to enter the Silos which includes the garden area, lawn and food trucks.  The good news is that you have a chance to get a glimpse of Chip and Joanna Gaines.  In addition, there is often more displays and vendors set up during the special events.  For example, there are at least 3 other areas neighboring Magnolia Market that hosts additional vendor booths in downtown Waco at this time.

  • At the Silos along 6th Street and Webster (Hosted by Magnolia)
  • 407 S. 8th Street
  • 5th and Webster
  • Savage Finds – behind Magnolia’s parking lot

It is a different feeling then visiting the Silos on a Wednesday morning in late Fall or early Spring.  During the slow times, you can soak it all in and feel the presence of God.  Lines are very short in the late afternoons and early mornings.  I love to walk over from staging at The Findery and grab lunch and a sweet tea.  You can read more about my experience in Fall of 2018 at the Silos, on this blog post, or check out the Fall displays at Magnolia Market.

By the way, I try to share a few insider tips in every post about Magnolia. For instance, January and February are slow, but often cold. March is one of the busiest months due to spring breakers all month long. Summer is always steady, so just avoid weekends if you can.   Early May, late September and early October during the week are great times to visit too.  Either way, when ever you visit, you will definitely leave feeling inspired.

 

Please save this on your ‘Waco Trip’ Pinterest board or share this blog post on social media!  You can find all my articles about Magnolia and Waco by clicking the ‘Around Waco’ category on the right side of my blog! Most importantly, thank you for stopping by the Cuter Tudor!

How to Press Plants, Flowers or Herbs

DIY Pressed Plants: How to Press Plants, Flowers or Herbs

  Since I was a little girl, one of my favorite things to do in the Spring time is to press plants in between stacks of old books. Growing up in the country, there was always an abundance of wildflowers in the pasture and along the county road where I lived. Pressing plants and flowers became a favorite past time in the spring and summer months.  For instance, I remember collecting wild flowers for a middle school science project.  In addition, my neighbor gifted me a couple of flower identification books that helped me learn the names of many plants native to Texas.  With this easy pressed plant DIY, you can learn how to press plants, flowers or herbs and capture the essence of Spring for months to come. pressed herbs   This year, instead of wildflowers, I decided to press herbs into beautiful wall art. I featured this easy pressed plant DIY in the current issue of Modern Texas Living magazine.  Certainly, check out the article and more in the online magazine at ModernTexasLiving.com.   With a magazine deadline fast approaching, I did not have weeks to wait for the herbs to flatten, so I found a way to press plants in a matter of minutes!  The key is the microwave oven! Whether you intend to press leaves, flowers or herbs, I believe that this pressed plant DIY will become your next favorite spring time activity with kids. You can press most plants with items from your kitchen, vintage books and the microwave oven.  Therefore, it is fun to experiment with a variety of techniques, but just ensure you are being safe and only using microwaveable items in the microwave oven.  To get started, gather your materials.   DIY pressed plants 2  

Here is what you will need for DIY Pressed Plants.

  • Flowers, herbs, any small plants
  • Vintage books with glued spines (no staples)
  • Microwave and microwavable Glass Bowls
  • Paper Towels or Parchment Paper
  • Masking Tape, Pencil
  • White Cardstock or Matteboard
  • Picture Frames

First, gather and cut your plants.  This can mean that you cut herbs from your garden, take a walk to collect wild flowers or pick up a bouquet of flowers from the florist. Plants can be pressed with or without the roots.  Remove any unwanted blemishes, leaves and or the roots with garden scissors.  If you use the roots, shake any excess dirt off and rinse thoroughly.

 

How to Press Plants, Flowers or Herbs

Next, arrange plants face up in the pages of an old book.  You want to place the plant the way that you want it dried. Therefore, pay attention to the way the stems, leaves or petals face and lay.  Then, close the book. NOTE: Ensure that the book is adhered with glue and not staples or any kind of metal before placing a book into the microwave oven.

 

After that, place the book in the microwave oven in 30 second increments. Meanwhile, you can place microwave safe bowls on top of the book to weigh it down.  Each plant is different, so you may have to work with timing.  Some herbs were flattened in 30 seconds and some took 1.5 minutes.  However, I do not recommend leaving the book in the microwave for longer than a minute at a time.  I did not try that, so I only want to recommend techniques that safely worked for me. OPTIONAL: You can sandwich the plant between two pieces of parchment paper or a folded paper towel to draw out moisture.  However, it is not necessary. Old book pages will draw out the moisture either way.  Laying the plant between parchment paper or a paper towel between two plates also works.  I actually misted the paper towel with water prior to microwaving it so that there was some moisture.  To clarify, I just wanted to be on the safe side and ensure the paper towel didn’t burn by applying heat repeatedly. After heating, wait a few seconds for the plant to cool before opening the book and trying to remove it.  The plant will be very delicate. Therefore, sliding it on paper to keep it well supported works best. Masking tape or spray adhesive works to hold the plants onto cardstock.  Lastly, label the flower or plant with its common and or scientific name.   Use a plant identification book or google to identify any unknown plants. In addition, I wrote the names of the plants on the card stock with pencil, but you could use a thin tip sharpie, or label maker depending on the style that you prefer.

 

Ready to Display your DIY Pressed Plants!

You can display pressed plants into a collection of picture frames. For example, I chose to frame these pressed plants in a variety of reclaimed wood frames.  Similarly, DIY pressed plants look great in floating clear glass frames.  For this technique, you do not have to mount the plants onto card stock.  Simply, insert pressed plants into the double sided glass frames.  I think these pressed herbs will look great hanging in a kitchen.  However, pressed flowers will look great in any room where you would hang botanical prints.  Another suggestion is to keep your pressed flowers in a blank journal or vintage book.   frame DIY pressed plants

Take the Spring DIY Blog Hop!

If you loved this Spring DIY, check out the rest of the Spring DIY Blog Hop! For instance, there are lots more creative ideas to help you decorate your home this Spring.  The blog hop is hosted by one of my favorite home decor bloggers, Jen at NotingGrace.com.  Be sure to check out her spring DIY! Most importantly, special ‘thanks’ to The Findery in downtown Waco for letting me borrow the wood tray, galvanized cups, chippy picture frames and vintage books for this project.  Consequently, these items and the pressed herbs are currently on display at The Findery!

I DIY-ed That Spring Blog Hop

MONDAY

Repurpose & Upcycle | Thrify and Chic | A Blue Nest | Noting Grace

TUESDAY

My 100 Year Old Home | The Tattered Pew The Homemaking Momma | She Holds Dearly | Seeking Lavender Lane

WEDNESDAY

Worthing Court Blog | Joy In Our Home | White Arrows Home Uniquely Taylor Made | Making It In The Mountains

THURSDAY

Beauty For Ashes Home | Cuter Tudor | The Red Painted Cottage The Honeycomb Home | Designs By Karan

FRIDAY

Deeply Southern Home | Rocky Hedge Farm Twelve on Main | Life On Summerhill