A few weekends ago I had the privilege + honor + pinch-me-time-of-my-life opportunity to attend the spring issue launch parties for both the Magnolia Journal and Darling Magazine in Waco, Texas. It was so so exciting to be invited and I had a blast getting to know all of the other creative attendees and the members of the Magnolia + Darling team. Everyone was not only as sweet-as-can-be but also inspiring to be around. And the cherry on the cake? We even got to meet Magnolia Queen Joanna Gaines herself!! I’m sharing all the details below + a few snaps of our weekend in Waco!
My sweet blogger gal pal Dawn joined me for the occasion. The two of us had the best time road tripping from Houston in the Lexus SUV Dawn rented for the occasion. Hello, dream car! Stopping at antique shops along the way & grabbing what seemed like all the junk food to munch on, the three-hour journey was over before we knew it.
Dinner with Magnolia Journal at Magnolia Table
As soon as we arrived in town we headed straight for our first party of the weekend – dinner followed by a calligraphy class at the new Magnolia Table restaurant. Magnolia Table is the latest venture from Fixer Upper pair Chip + Joanna Gaines. It actually just opened this week and we were so thrilled to be some of the few people to be able to try it beforehand. With breakfast and brunch offerings such as lavender donut holes, pies, cupcakes, pancakes & pastries galore – I’m already ready to make a trip back … and soon!
The interior + exterior of the restaurant was just as swoon-worthy as the menu. An outdoor coffee + pastry bar is surrounded by stylish bistro chairs and the area even includes a cozy nook to sip coffee, with oversized stylish throw pillows to boot! As the fashion bloggers that we were, Dawn and I couldn’t resist snapping a few photos of our outfits amidst the stylish decor.
I wore a floral printed maxi dress that I styled in this post last year. The flowy dress + spring flowers were perfect for the occasion and I dressed it down with my go-to rancher hat & wedges.
Apparently, someone else had floral printed maxi dresses on the brain too! (I’ve linked hers above!) It was so much fun to meet Joanna Gaines in person! She seriously was stunnnning, y’all. But I mean, we all already knew that. She also seemed just as kind and genuine as she does on TV too.
The calligraphy class that followed dinner celebrated the overall theme of Magnolia Journal’s Spring Issue: Intentionality. The focus was to do everything in your life with intention and thought. For example, writing a letter. We chatted about pausing and savoring the “art of letter writing” the old-fashioned way. With a pen and paper. As opposed to the fast and somewhat less intentional forms of communication we use most of the time.
I left with the desire to write a handwritten note to everyone I knew! … But to be honest, I’ve yet to accomplish such desire. Maybe one of these days I’ll find that downtime to sit, pause, reflect and write with intention. Life is sure busy, y’all! Maybe that will be one of my intentions for spring: to find the time to slow down and just pause.
A Visit to Magnolia Market
But before I pause for too long, there is still so much to see and do! Dawn and I woke up extra early the next day to visit Magnolia Market before the morning’s events.
You can spot the Magnolia Silos from almost anywhere downtown and they’re just as impressive when visiting up close. Visitors to the Magnolia Silos can shop till they drop at Magnolia Market (which I very much did) as well as wait in a (totally worth it) long line for the famous cupcakes nearby. There are also food trucks galore and so many activities for both adults and kids. The big field in the center is filled with games to be played and I so wished Annie + Patrick were with me to enjoy them too.
All dressed up for Sunday Brunch with Darling Magazine! This Draper James dress I wore to the occasion is no joke my absolute favorite dress in my closet. And probably will always be. I bought it over the winter on super sale while visiting Nashville. Now that the weather has warmed up, I’ve found every excuse to wear it. Paired with either Tecovas cowboy boots, heels or wedges – it’s a go anywhere dress and I’ll be keeping it on rotation for years to come.
And now that I’ve talked it all up, I’m sad to say it’s sold out. BUT Draper James has so many just as cute styles that are also perfect for spring. A few of my favorites are below:
Sunday Brunch with Darling Magazine
Darling Magazine held their Spring Launch Party/Brunch at Wildland Supply Co., a super chic minimalist style boutique in downtown Waco. It was the perfect setting for Darling because the ambiance almost mirrored the magazine’s aesthetic too. Darling is a print magazine I’ve actually been reading for a while now. It’s one I discovered years ago on a shopping trip to Anthropologie, naturally.
The magazine often tells the empowering stories of real women from across the globe in the hopes to inspire, change, and ignite the fires of its readers. The theme of Darling’s Sunday brunch and workshop to follow was “Renovating Imagination.” Each table was given topics to discuss candidly with one another.
Many of the women at my table had just met each other that morning so it was an interesting dynamic to talk so openly about different things with new people – whose viewpoints you were unsure about. But it was also magical too! Being a stay-at-home working mom, I’ve found that I missed that form of creative communication I used to find in meetings at work or back in college classroom discussions. It was a treat to be able to experience that again, and make some new friends too!
I felt so blessed to be able to spend the weekend with such wonderful and inspiring (and also quite stylish!) women. My blogging career certainly has taken me on some adventures and this was an extra-special one. Thanks again to the Magnolia Journal and Darling Magazine for having us!
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xo, alice
