Just before the holidays (yup, that’s how long it has taken me to write this post…all too often, life simply gets in the way) Coach informed me that he was attending a conference in Austin, Texas.
After a quick google map search, I determined that Waco, Texas-the home of all things Chip & Joanna Gaines-was only a stones-throw away, so I asked if I could tag along, see the sights of Austin and maybe I could rent a car and head out to Waco on one of the days? And so, I did. First stop, the silos, not as huge as they appear on TV or in social media, but nevertheless impressive.
To see those rusty old silos that sit on a street corner alongside some railroad tracks and imagine them as the anchor to your empire…well, you’ve got to give Chip major credit for that! The silos, the bakery and the Magnolia Market are on this block, along with some food trucks and the most gorgeous public bathrooms I have ever seen. I mean…
If you are a Fixer-Upper addict, as I am, you will recognize every style,
décor and design choice-even the old Jeep parked by the garden center…
that is absolutely on brand and pretty as the pictures you have seen a thousand times.
Shiplap, subway tiles, vintage tile floors, vintage wood doors, metal signage-walking into any of the many Magnolia establishments
feels like wandering into one of their many transformed homes-and it just makes you feel like you’re home.
The 
is sweet…again, much smaller than it appeared on the show…the magic of television…
and filled with delectable treats.
The outside enclosed “compound” has places to sit a spell,
take pics
and wander around the field at the silos where they hold their concerts and “Silobrations“.
The Magnolia Market at the Silos
had been decked out for the holidays,
all vintage country style.
Once I did a bit of shopping and checked out
“Chip’s Corner”,
I headed over to the newer Magnolia Press and took a peek, but didn’t stay for a bite because I was off to find Magnolia Table–
their full-serve restaurant on the other side of town. Tasting yummy, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs fare while being surrounded by more of the Fixer-Upper signature style made for an enjoyable afternoon. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to take a drive through Waco to check out some of the many homes they have renovated (there are actually maps online to follow their reno path), so that will have to wait for another trip to Texas! Have a great Wednesday, everyone, and remember…
xoxoxo Susan
not too far from home, but far enough to be “away” from our daily hectic lives. But first we had to narrow our geographical location-within driving distance-north or south? We started south-
But it would have been a logistical nightmare with the traffic and the ferry rides to take on a weekly basis, so we ruled it out. Moving north to Cape Cod, the same held true-between Boston and Cape traffic, the weekend traveling would have been prohibitive. Looking northbound, we finally landed on Maine-the Kennebunk area, to be exact, where our daughter was married in 2015.
At first we looked inland-our initial plan was to find a log cabin on a lake or river. A fixer-upper, something with character, age and charm…with a water view. So, we started the search last spring, hoping to discover that charming log cabin deep in the woods, right on the water. We viewed cabins and cottages and little old houses-primarily fixer-uppers-like this one in Kennebunk- that was over 200K!!
Some were on the water…rivers and ponds and lakes. But, as much as I enjoyed the looks of those bodies of water, they just didn’t have the feel of the ocean-is there anything else like the sound of pounding waves crashing the shoreline?
not on the water, but in a nature preserve overlooking towering pines and birch trees…this is the view from our back kitchen door : )
situated on close to a hundred acres of pristine Maine forest bordering 
and bathrooms and floors and the walls have been painted and I didn’t have to do any of it : ) And, most importantly, a matching SHED. What’s the big deal about a shed, you ask?
Well, that’s a story for another day…but for now, I’ve created 
there’s a lot required in outfitting a 3 bedroom cottage!! Thank goodness for 
Country Design Home 