Ever wondered what the original Magnolia Market in Waco looked like? I was there. Here’s a tour of the original little shop on Bosque.
Did you know I spent a big part of my life in Waco?
Yep.
Waco, Texas.
It’s where I went to school and wore my first pair of parrot earrings and decorated my first house and covered up my first purple couch with stapled sheets.
It’s where I drank my first cup of coffee wearing a pair of mittens and a beret.
It’s where I danced on the suspension bridge and went to football games wearing a prairie skirt and a concho belt and ate yogurt in the student center and sang “That Good Old Baylor Line at the Top of My Lungs.”
And it’s where I fell in love with a pair of twinkling brown eyes.
And so it should be no surprise that I was shopping at Magnolia Market before there was even a silo in sight. I can still remember walking through the doors of that tiny little shop on Bosque and feeling my heart beat faster and my eyes light up with all the inspiration and ideas that filled every square inch of that first shop.
Have you ever wondered where it all started?
Oh, good.
Me, too.
Grab a cup of coffee and take a little tour of the original Magnolia Market in Waco.
The original Magnolia Market in Waco
Just for the record….
…..I was a Fixer Upper fan from the very first fix.
(total aside: Hello 2015. I NEED those flower bottles.)
From the first house that looked like it needed a really good wrinkle cream and a new pair of Spanx.
From the first time the giant over-sized panels pushed back to reveal the amazing jewel underneath.
From the first farmhouse table.
From the first chippy letter.
I was a fan.
I started watching the show because of the whole Waco connection.
I wanted to see if I knew the neighborhoods or could recognize any of the streets—that’s truly what brought me to the table.
But what kept me coming back?
What made me set my DVR and watch episode after episode and spend entire Saturdays re-watching the Fixer Upper Marathon?
The decorating. And the ideas. And the inspiration. And well…
…okay…the decorating.
I mean have you seen the decorating?
*sigh*
It’s perfection.
I’ve seen every episode of Fixer Upper at least once and I can’t WAIT to see the new network.
My favorite part about Fixer Upper? Every house feels like an old friend. Except the old friend has had a complete make-over with a new set of highlights and a new hair-cut and amazing plastic surgery with extra wrinkle filler.
And she looks amazing.
But underneath her bone structure is still there and you can still see what made her beautiful all along.
And this is where it all started. I visited the original Magnolia Market in Waco during the very first season and I remember feeling like I’d stepped into an episode of Fixer Upper.
I was so like there’s the metal artwork from this episode and the cup rack from this episode and the vases and sign from this house.
And on and on and on.
I visited Waco a week ago and took the twins to the Silos.
It was wonderful.
And busy.
And we went to the new coffee shop and treated ourselves to a “Valentine.”
And while we were in Waco—I went back to the original Magnolia Market in Waco—the one over on Bosque. It’s still there except now it’s full of bargains and close-outs and seasonal items.
And when the twins walked through the doors—I wish you could have seen their faces.
They were full of awe and wonder.
It was amazing.
I saw it all again through their eyes. They asked me about this idea for their dresser and what about this for their walls and what about those flowers for their table and could we re-create that in their room. It was history repeating itself again.
And right then and there I knew that I knew that I knew—another decorating generation…
…was just getting started.
PS The twins and I are hosting a FREE craft party tomorrow for anyone who wants to join in.
If you are home and looking for stuff to do? Come hang out with us. All you’ll need for the craft is yarn and ribbons.
Just join us on my Facebook page here at 1o:00am CST.
My favorite Hearth and Hand from Magnolia Finds
(who knew they’d go from that little shop to a line at Target—here’s the CUTEST stuff I found in their new spring line)
Please tell where you got blue white rug on Your living room floor...
I too first went to store in Bosque & followed Joannas blog before it all blew up! . I have the original scalloped cake stand and black wall glass bottle holder (since painted gray) and Magnolia wreath all from that shop.
I so enjoyed your story!!! Especially about the twins and their excitement!!! Have a blessed day!
Love it! What a great place to spend part of your life!! I enjoyed the pictures immensely!❤️
My daughters ran the marathon there last year and we had SO much fun visiting the shops in Waco, scoping out some of the makeover houses, my cousin works in Waco so she was out tour guide :-) We also visited the little shop on Bosque, Clint Harp's shop, and the Silos. I love every. single. thing. I brought home from that trip. We were planning to do it again this year, but now....? Hopefully next year. Loved your tour, it brought back some happy memories. Stay well dear!
Thanks for sharing! Waco has been on my list of places to visit even before Fixer Upper. Thanks for sharing your story and the pictures.
How fun to see the original market. I haven't been to Waco in years. I grew up outside Ft. Worth, so I use to visit family in Waco. I need to make another trip.
Marty, I did not know you were a Texas girl! You may realize I live outside Fort Worth in the countryside near Mansfield, TX. Love this connection with you. And love the Texas connection with KariAnne. Judith
Enjoyed this post and know it's been fun to see it has grown. Those girls are so cute know you guys had a great time.
I LOVE the whole Waco experience when I went there last September. Oh, it was so fun and inspirational. I wanted to buy everything. Also, the biscuits and strawberry butter and the hunk of chocolate cake we had were worth EVERY calorie!
How fun! I'm pretty new to the Magnolia empire, but it would have been so fun to have been there from the beginning. :) Thanks for the great photos and everything!
What a delightful trip down Memory Lane! Who would ever have guessed how the influence would spread across decorating far beyond that little shop?
What a great connection!!
Well I stopped by to tell you I saw your commercial last night and was tickled pink! I told my husband "Hey I know her!" Ok, well...not officially but I have followed your blog for years and you often put a smile on my face! Thank you cute, funny Kari-Anne!
Someday I want to go to Waco with my girls son-in-lawn and husband ( my husband was stationed there when he was in the army). .It would be such a fun trip for all of us. Can’t wait to see what the silos have to offer ♥️✈️🛒
For those of us who aren't likely to make it to Texas anytime soon--what is a Valentine? I'm assuming it's some sort of chocolately coffee drink with pink and red incorporated in it????
Thanks for taking us on your fun journey. Your living rug is a favorite of so many. Can u tell me the color of the blue? Is it navy blue or different shades of blue. Also, the background of the rug. What r those colors? Sometimes our PC monitors don’t allow us to see the right colors. I love everything about this room n really the entire house. Lol. Thanks for inspiring the rest of us on a budget.
KariAnne, thanks for sharing your pictures of the original Magnolia Market. So happy to hear that your twins are following in your footsteps!
My daughter in law has worked for magnolia for several years now and loves it... She has since moved to the Bosque store and loves it as well....
I'm dying to visit Waco some day! Your pictures are beautiful and it sounds like you had an amazing time! Paige https://thehappyflammily.com
I love how you can find beauty in old things. So happy for the girls!
I grew up in Waco so would visit my Mother and I used to go to the original Magnolia Market also. It was not crowded and was so lovely. Sweet memories!
Hi, sweetheart. You had me at Magnolia. I was raised in Waco but moved before my senior year. I’m absolutely smitten with Fixer Upper. My mother junked and antiqued all my life, and when the Gaines came along an empty hole was filled. To the brim! I’ve spent so much time watching episodes over and over. Like so many lovers of homes. I exhaust Pinterest and HGTV, looking for anything that tugs at my heart for anything that comes close to Magnolia Home. So far, I’m still searching. You’re such a blessing to your readers, and your family. Thank you. ❤️