Girls Trip to Magnolia

Last weekend the Farmhouse Living team took a girls trip to Austin for a Pop Up Podcast with our friend Kristin Schell. On the way in we stopped at Magnolia. I wanted to share all the inspiration we received from our pitstop in Waco.

This is not my first trip to Magnolia. I’ve been a few times and it’s worth the trip every time. Beyond the beautiful products that Joanna and her team have carefully curated, the Silos have a unique atmosphere with the Gaines’ story thoughtfully woven throughout.

As a blogger, store owner and interior designer, I am so inspired by Joanna. She has great taste. She’s basically single handedly created the latest design trends. Their TV show is amazing. BUT that’s not it. In 2016 I was in Downtown Rockwall and Joanna was at a local restaurant there, because she was shooting for their first Magnolia Journal at a local venue right outside of Rockwall. She came out of the restaurant and offered to snap a photo with the few people outside of the restaurant, one of those being me in my gym clothes sweaty and full of fan girl feelings. The moment I knew she was the real deal was after she had snapped a few photos she walked down the street and walked in a local home decor boutique, HomeGirl, that had opened that very week. She loved on the owner Lisa and told her she loved the shop. Talk about encouragement.

Today it’s so easy to compare yourselves to others. Many that have “made it” wouldn’t be humble enough to walk in and bless a newbie in such a beautiful way. The theme of Magnolia this fall reminded me of this moment: Made Ready.

Whatever season you’re in, whatever life may throw at you, whether it feels like success or like failure, expected or unexpected, you have been made ready.

This year was a hard one for me. Although Farmhouse Living has had tons of fun opportunities with design, our online store and the blog, we shut down our retail store in the heart of our city. Our brick and mortar was located in a revitalizing area just 20 minutes east of Dallas—Rowlett. Rowlett is where I grew up, it’s where my dad’s business is, where my husband’s business is and where our home that we just renovated is. In July of this year, I heard the Lord so clearly to leave and come back. This broke my heart and was so discouraging to our team, but Joanna’s story just kept popping in my mind.

The Lord told her to close her little store and that if she obeyed that it would be bigger than she could ever ask, dream, or imagine (Eph 3:20). Although, my story is different than Joanna’s it gave me so much hope to know that the Lord does care about our dreams and He prepares us for more and better. I know we’ll be back in Downtown Rowlett and that the Lord has called us to restore and revitalize there. Until then the Farmhouse Living girls will be filled with hope and continue to create home with you.

 

“We both hope, with all of our hearts, that the people who read this book and watch our show and come to see what we’re working on in Waco will take a chance to go after their dreams too. Because the key to everything Chip and I have learned in our life together so far seems to be pretty simple: Go and find what it is that inspires you, go and find what it is that you love, and go do that until it hurts.
Don’t quit, and don’t give up. The reward is just around the corner. And in times of doubt or times of joy, listen for that still, small voice. Know that God has been there from the beginning–and he will be there until…

The End.” 
― 
Joanna Gaines, The Magnolia Story

 

I hope this post not only inspires you to create a home you love, but that if there’s a dream you’ve been waiting to chase that you believe you’ve been made ready. Grab someone and encourage them and believe in community!

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2 Comments

  1. As Downtown Rowlett grows we hope you lovely girls and Farmhouse Living returns to our town with your great products, ideas and awesome attitudes and wonderful smiling faces.

  2. As Downtown Rowlett grows we hope you lovely girls and Farmhouse Living returns to our town with your great products, ideas and awesome attitudes and wonderful smiling faces.

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