Almost one month later, I am still on such a high from my time at Magnolia's Spring at the Silos. Y'all, it was so magical!
You know how there are things in life that everyone seems to obsess over and you wonder if all the hype is worth it... well, let me just say that everything at Magnolia lives up to the hype. The store and outdoor areas are gorgeous. I could spend hours soaking in all the botanical inspiration in the Garden House. And the sweet tea does not disappoint. But more than any of that, my most favorite part of the entire event are the people. Authentic, welcoming, down-to-earth and kindred spirits are the words that come to mind when I think about the Gaines Family, the staff, the customers, and the other vendors. I met the best people!
My neighbors were so fun! Definitely go check them out:
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Lola Jane Naturals: their booth smells amazing and we need to be booth neighbors forever and ever. I bought some of their healing salve and it has quickly become one of my never-leave-home-without-it products.
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Fox Hollow Studios: a fellow Fort Worth artist with the sweetest personality and most gorgeous paintings that you have ever seen. I bought two of her horse paintings for my horse-obsessed girls and they are in love.
A few of my big take-aways:
- My favorite pinch-me moment was the evening that Joanna came out to talk to the vendors as a group. She walked out in front of us (wearing her sweet baby boy in a carrier) and gave us the most heart-felt message to all of us. I felt like she was saying all the words that my heart needed to hear in that moment. There is so much that I appreciated about that evening, that words just don't it justice.
- I should have taken photos of my booth right after we set up. Every time I tried to take a good photo of the booth, there were always customers inside it (which is a great problem to have). But it meant that I did not get any shots of my setup.
- The crowds are HUGE. I knew they would be big, but I was blown away by how extreme. There was never any downtime.
- We sold out of a few product categories on Thursday (the first day). I was shocked as I thought I had brought enough. There is definitely a lesson in there for me as a vendor. But as a shopper, if you want first pick of items (especially one-of-a-kind originals) in any of the shops, you should plan to be there early on that first day.
- My husband has proclaimed Milk Bottle Cookies (one of the food trucks) to be the BEST cookies he has ever had in his entire life. And this is a man who knows his cookies.
- I am still dreaming about the vegan caramels by Wildflower Caramel Co. I am going to need more of those shipped to me.
Driving home that weekend, we were so tired and yet so happy. I felt like a kid coming home from summer camp - hungry, with loads of laundry, and so excited to tell everyone about all the adventures I had and all the friendships I made.
If I ever get the opportunity to participate in another Magnolia event, the immediate answer without any hesitation will be HECK YEH!
