Last year, when we made our move to Texas one of the first things on my list was to visit the Magnolia Market and Silos. It would be a bit of a drive, but it just sounded like something fun to do. It took almost a year, but my mom came out for a visit and it was the perfect time for a little trip.
We dropped the older kids off at school and left the youngest with Jeff. He had taken the day off of work to stay home with her and to be there when the kids got home from school. So, it was just my mom and I. We enjoyed the time together to talk on the drive and set off on our own little adventure.
As we got close, we saw the roads lined with cars and people walking a couple blocks toward the silos. The parking lot was packed and all the street parking in the general area was filled. We drove around and around, trying to find a spot to park the car. We finally found one in a parking lot across the street from the Dr. Pepper Museum that wouldn’t be too far of a walk. We had set our trip for a Monday, during the school year, expecting slower crowds, and we were stunned by the numbers of people we found!
Walking from the parking lot, the Silos make it easy to see where to go — that, and the crowd of people all walking in the same direction.
The store was amazing and had so many cool things. My mission was to find something for my house . . . something unique that I couldn’t just hop into a Hobby Lobby or Kirklands and pick up. We found “it” pretty quickly. But we went through the rest of the building before coming back to these beautiful round metal shelves, just in case there was something else. When we got back, the stack had depleted and there wasn’t a complete set of shelves anymore. But I stopped a worker who happily made a call and in just a few minutes another stack of shelves was brought up. I snatched them up quickly and now these beautiful and unique shelves are decorating my kitchen wall and I love them. My mom also found some fun things that I’m excited to see how she uses them the next time I visit her.
Mom and my shelves — I needed to remember what they did so I could do something cute with them when I got them home.
Don’t let the crowds deter you! It is super busy but we didn’t encounter a single ornery person all day.
The grounds aren’t huge and my mom and I both sunburn really easily, so we’re not the type to lounge around outside. But we looked around and I snapped some pictures of some fun design details that I loved. We grabbed some lunch at one of the on-site food trucks (a grilled cheese with brisket that was amazing), walked through the gardens, and stopped in at the little garden shop. I took more pictures in the gardens and came home with a project for my husband – to make some copycat tree planters.
A little glimpse of the gardens and the first time I saw tulips in Texas. I had them in my yard in Colorado and have missed them!
Tree box! I now have 5 copycats in my backyard. It was like a real life Pinterest board — ideas everywhere you looked!
The last stop of the day was the bakery and boy was it worth it. The choices all looked amazing and it was a good thing we had to wait quite a while to get into the building so we had enough time to make our choices. They had someone outside with an order form so you could actually fill it out before you got inside — very smart idea. I was going to just get one but my mom talked me into picking 2 flavors and she picked 2 flavors. And we had to try a couple cookies too. Can I just say A-M-A-Z-I-N-G?! I liked them all, but my favorite was the Toasted Coconut. Its seasonal, so if you go sometime, I hope you go when they have that one. We also bought a Strawberries ‘n Cream, The Chocolatier, and a seasonal Carrot Cake cupcake. They were all so yummy and waaaaay too rich. We probably should’ve just had half of one, but couldn’t resist and ate a full cupcake before leaving — we saved the rest for the next day.
The side of the bakery . . . before getting in line.
If you’re in Texas sometime, you have to go! But before you do, get the book “The Magnolia Story“. My sweet husband bought it up for me a while back. I have a ton of books on my “to read” shelf and I just didn’t get to it until after our trip. The book was really great — funny, lighthearted, touching, and it reads just like Chip and Joanna are sitting there telling you all the fun and meaningful stories about their lives. I think the visit would’ve been even better if I had read the book first.
Tips:
- Read the book first!
- Wear comfortable shoes; be prepared to walk and stand in lines.
- There’s are two sets of bathrooms. There are big lines, so don’t wait until the last minute!
- Plan to eat lunch at a food truck.
- Definitely splurge at the bakery — take home extras to eat the next day!
- Don’t miss the beautiful gardens.
- Wear sunscreen.
- If at all possible, go without the kids. It won’t be fun to try to keep track of them in the crowds inside or trying to occupy them while you wait in line.
If you’ve been, tell me what you loved best! What did you buy for your house? What kind of cupcakes did you get?
If you haven’t been, I hope you get to plan a trip soon! In the meantime, read the book, then you’ll be even more excited to go!
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