jillivictorio@gmail.com /

With my in-laws in town for the week and my mother-in-law being a huge Fixer Upper fan (who isn’t?!), it was the perfect opportunity to take a day trip to Waco to try the new Magnolia Table restaurant, then show them around at the Silos.

Recently opened this year, April 2018, the Gaines’ first restaurant, Magnolia Table combines Waco history with Chip and Joanna’s signature Magnolia touch.

Photo courtesy of Magnolia

Magnolia Table restaurant was once the Elite Cafe and the Gaines’ have renovated and restored the entire building while preserving so much of the rich architectural details, while seamlessly incorporating new and creative design elements and staying true to the building’s original features.

 

1. Have an Early Breakfast at Magnolia Table Restaurant.

Breakfast is the focus on Magnolia Table’s menu, and since the restaurant does not take reservations, consider dining early or on a weekday when there is a less likely chance you’ll get stuck in a long line.

The stars were aligned on our first visit to Magnolia Table restaurant, we arrived mid-morning on a Saturday, we found parking right away and there was no line! We still had to put our name down to receive a text when our table was ready, which we were told about an hour and half wait time.  Don’t let the wait time discourage you as there is so much to do while you wait for your table.  We hung out on the beautiful patio where you can order coffee/pastries/juice, take in all the gorgeous architectural details, and bonus points – there is a kids outdoor play area adjacent to the patio.

Convenient walk-up coffee bar on the patio. The Lavender Latte is a must!

 

The Patio with outdoor seating, a kids play area, and where you can order coffee, pastries, and get a head start on the restaurant menu while waiting for your table.

 

Beautiful and intentional exterior landscaping design

2. Expect excellent customer service by Magnolia Table Staff.

For the restaurant being open for only 6 months, the staff really has it down with customer service, restaurant flow, operations, etc. It was refreshing to be greeted and served by such friendly and welcoming folks working at Magnolia Table.

Outfit Details: Top:  Wild Fable | Mules: Nic + Zoe on sale!| Scarf: Missoni

3. Prepare to Enter Magnolia Biscuit Heaven

Even though biscuits are not a staple in my regular daily diet, I knew I had to try the country-style biscuits made with the recipe Joanna worked so hard for a year to perfect. They are definitely worth ordering! Joanna highly recommends pairing them with strawberry butter as an answer to a lot of life’s problems…YUM!

I ordered the Farm Breakfast which included one of Joanna’s biscuits, along with eggs, thick cut bacon, and hand rolled tater tots.

Farm Breakfast

My hubby got the Breakfast Tacos which is probably the best value on the menu – only $2.50 per taco and they are huge.

Breakfast Tacos

The kids portions are also the perfect amount for smaller appetites and feature breakfast staples such as eggs, sausage, bacon and pancakes with real maple syrup.

Kids Breakfast

4. The Restaurant Has a Rich History.

Magnolia Table has been renovated and was once Waco’s historic Elite Cafe.

“It had been a Waco icon for nearly 100 years,” Joanna said about the old cafe. “We couldn’t let a place with such a rich history be forgotten. I’m convinced that this place holds at least one memory for nearly everyone in Waco, Texas.” (via People magazine)

The building is a Historical Landmark.

 

5. Savor Homegrown Ingredients from Joanna’s own garden at Magnolia Farms.

Magnolia Table specializes in fresh, homegrown ingredients and good old fashioned homestyle cooking. There is something on their menu for everyone, including children, vegetarians, vegans, and gluten free options.

Select produce used in dishes at Magnolia Table are grown locally at Joanna’s farm garden, and many of their eggs come from her chickens. The restaurant also partners with local vendors for menu staples such as grass fed hamburger patties.

 

6. You Can Skip the Lines and Still Enjoy Deliciousness.

There’s a takeaway area and market at Magnolia Table serving baked goods and a gift shop.

A few Magnolia Table favorites are available for take away. These items are already prepackaged and ready for you to take out. You can also order coffee and espresso, and purchase an assortment of gifts such as shirts, hats, mugs, olive oil and jams.

Another great design strategy to keep the crowds at bay – a designated take away area

7. Allow the Decor to Inspire your Decorating Schemes!

There are so many great decor ideas to get inspired from Magnolia Table’s interiors.

If you love modern farmhouse decor and the designs you see from Joanna Gaines on Fixer Upper, you’ll love the design here. Vaulted Ceilings, wood beams, black and white floor tiles, white subway tile, black trim, barn style lighting, huge windows which allow abundant natural light, simple clean lines, natural wood surfaces, fresh greenery, and vintage style accents.

The painted white brick is a gorgeous backdrop to compliment those beautiful white quartz countertops!

 

Original lobby floor tiles

Even the bathroom has inspiring details. Here’s a peek from my visit.

The prettiest casual restaurant bathroom you’ll ever take a bathroom selfie in – floor to ceiling subway tiles, black metal doors and details, black and white floor tiles – perfection!

 

Next Stop: Magnolia Market Silos, about 2.5 miles (a 6-minute drive from the restaurant)

 

After a fun breakfast experience, we headed to the Magnolia Market Silos to check out the new holiday installations. This was our second visit to the Silos and the seasonal design installations and changes are fun to see. Our first visit to Magnolia was in February this year before the restaurant opened, so this time felt like a new experience all over again.  Mom was equally excited as this was her first time to travel to Waco and experience all things Fixer Upper.

New Holiday Installation in the Market

We also got to see Santa at his first visit of the holiday season in the Garden at the Magnolia Seed & Supply.

Santa In The Garden, Magnolia Seed & Supply

 

Have you visited the new Magnolia Table restaurant? If so, what are your favorite items on the menu we need to try next time? Tell us in the comments!

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

Kapolei Hawaii June 2018

One of my favorite holiday traditions is writing and sending out Christmas cards to our family and friends. I pick a favorite photo and memory from the year to preserve and use on our Christmas card. This year, I chose a photo from our family vacation to Hawaii in June where John and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and had a vow renewal on the beach. I’ve used TinyPrints every year for their premium quality luxe paper, amazing picture quality, and beautiful designs.  Check out their new luxe holiday cards here.

A gift from me to you as a thank you for reading and visiting my blog: Enjoy 40% your order using code: MDLT-EJWM-K3C8-UNSX42 (while supplies last)!

 

xo,

Jilli

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

The Restaurant District brings chef-driven cuisine to the Shops at Willow Bend, opening mid-to-late October.  As part of a $125 million renovation, The District adds a unique dining experience to Plano and the North Dallas area. Leading the culinary side is Knife, a steakhouse by celebrity chef John Tesar, along with local favorites Terra Mediteranean and Whistle Britches. So when we were invited to experience a preview of The District and private Chef’s Tasting of these upscale eateries, I knew we were in for a treat!

When you enter the District plaza, the courtyard is stunning. Landscaped grounds with a water feature, modern architecture, exterior art, outdoor decor with modern accents welcome you to a unique dining experience and a an environment where family, friends, and communities can gather, discover, and share.

The courtyard at the District is bright during the day and lights up at night setting the tone

The evening started with a cocktail reception in the courtyard followed by the first tasting from Mexican Bar Co. Cocina, then Whistle Britches, and finally Knife. The evening culminated with live music and a fireworks finale.

Outfit Details:  asymmetric slip skirt , Booties: Spendid LA, Sweater: Zara

 

 

The Chefs

First tour and plated tasting at Mexican Bar Co. Cocina

Mural art along the perimeter walls of Mexican Bar Co. Cocina

 

Second tour and plated tasting at Whistle and Britches

Third and final tour and plated tasting of Knife

Knife ranks #1 in Texas and #6 nationally for best burger! Photo by Carter Rose Photography

The star of the show for me was the burger at Knife. Simply the best. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Shake Shack, but this burger is just special. There are no bells and whistles. It’s just pure 44 Farms beef, thick, salty, with a pure, clean meaty aftertaste, topped with two slices of American cheese.

All the new restaurant additions are perfect for casual dining with friends for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Reservations are not required so you can pop in after work on the weekends, or before a game. Opening mid-to late October.

A brief description of what you can expect by the amazing chefs from Knife, Mexican Bar Co. Cocina, Whistle Britches and Terra Mediterranean, which will all be opening in phases throughout this month.

Knife – @KnifeSteakhouse

  • Chef John Tesar (@ChefJohnTesar)
  • Knife offers state-of-the-art steaks that guests can either enjoy in the dining room or take home and cook themselves. Knife Burger offers walk-up burgers, shakes and fries. This is the second Knife location.
  • Opening date – mid October

Mexican Bar Co. Cocina – @MexBars

  • Chef Patricio Sandoval
  • Mexican Bar Co Cocina brings authentic Mexican flavors to Plano. The Picnic will offer walk-up tacos and Mexican street foods. This is the first Mexican Bar Co location.
  • Opening date – mid October

Terra Mediterranean – @TerraMediterranean

  • Chefs Adam Shanaa and Jalal Chanaa
  • Terra Mediterranean serves classic and authentic dishes featuring staples of the Mediterranean diet. Terra offers a lunchtime buffet and terrace-level patio seating. This is the third Terra location.
  • Opening date – late October

Whistle Britches – @whistlebritcheschicken

  • Serving the tastiest, juiciest and crunchiest bird in town; the pickle brined bird, farm-fresh ingredients and soulful cooking will leave you wanting more.

 

Thank you Shops At Willow Bend for having us for a preview of your new restaurants and delicious tastings! The District at Willow Bend is just what the North Dallas area desires for a place to gather with family and friends, and a new retail plaza serving the DFW metroplex as a dining destination. I wish all the restaurants all the best in success and I hope to see you all soon for many memorable meals.

Go taste and see for yourself when the restaurants open later this month and let me know what you think!

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

One of the many perks of traveling or moving to a new place, is discovering must-shop stops in the various cities and towns. Highland Park Village is one such find— it also happens to be America’s first outdoor shopping center, and is best known for its luxury shopping, amazing restaurants and beautiful Spanish architecture.  Highland Park Village became the prototype for retail destinations all over the country when it opened in 1931. Originally conceived to be a town center, it’s now a bustling hub for all things fashion and food.

Where to shop… anywhere you can afford, CHANEL, Hermes and Valentino have been long time staples with new designers & boutiques rotating in yearly such as Alice & Olivia, GOOP, FRAME, Dior, Vince, James Perse to name a few. My favorite new store is the hip Veronica Beard.

Where to eat… Austin favorite, Royal Blue Grocery is the spot for specialty food and market provisions and sandwiches. The tiled entry floor is instaworthy for a shoe pic! No trip is complete without a stop at the beautiful and chic Bird Bakery. They make the freshest baked goods daily, while their cafe menu features delicious fresh sandwiches featuring breads baked in house and yummy soups. They also have beautiful cakes if you’re needing something special.  The bakery is not only beautiful, but kid-friendly!  The back of the cafe has several tables, and larger farmhouse table and benches, and little TV stations for kids. For a more refined yet casual dining option, Bistro31 is the quintessential Dallas brunch spot.  The menu specializes in cuisine with French, Italian, and Spanish influences and is surrounded by European decor.  For a more cozy and luxe setting, between the bright outdoor patio and terrace villa, head up to Lounge 31 where you’ll find the most beautiful bar interior featuring a Spanish-style Carrera marble bar and an indoor champagne lounge with plush velvet tufted seating.

 

The Beautiful Bird Bakery

 

Marble and Brass throughout the interior – my two favorite materials in the world

 

Wandering and admiring all the architecture. These tiled stairs are goals!

Blazer: Save here Wild Fable Splurge here: Anine Bing | skirt and Belt Bag Who What Wear | Mules: Nic + Zoe on sale!| Eyewear: Ray Ban

 

LOCAL

Over the weekend, my family and I enjoyed a relaxing morning at HP Village LOCAL. LOCAL is a seasonal neighborhood market featuring a variety of Dallas-Fort Worth’s favorite vendors, farm-sourced produce, games and entertainment the third Saturday of each month.  Can’t wait for the next one where the weather will definitely feel more like fall. I’ll be featuring my favorite cozy fall sweaters in the next HP Village LOCAL post.

 

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

After nearly 2 years of searching, and a few close calls along the way, I finally found the cabin I loved and we were fortunate enough to close on it last month. It’s a cute and cozy A-frame on Harstine Island, nestled in the woods above the Puget Sound and Case Inlet –pinch me!

My heart was really set on a waterfront beach house or cabin.  We spent many months on and off looking at several properties around Puget Sound, before deciding to start searching around Hood Canal and South Puget Sound with beach access, and boy are we glad we did!  I spent some summers in my youth at the Canal so I’m familiar with the area and have gained a better appreciation for it as I got older.  The water body temperature of Hood Canal is considerably warmer than other Puget Sound regions, allowing for comfortable swimming and water activities.  Hood Canal is a 2-hour drive from Seattle which isn’t too bad if you’re looking for a weekend getaway, and access to fresh oysters from the beaches is a bonus – I LOVE oysters.  We stumbled upon Harstine Island by way of our Shelton and Belfair search. I had never heard of this island before and learned that it was connected to Shelton via a bridge.  Shelton is part of Hood Canal, often referred to as the Gateway to the Olympics,  and is commonly known for its Taylor Shellfish Farm empire. Harstine Island itself is more remote and an insanely beautiful, quiet, peaceful area.  While most of the properties in that area weren’t any where near our price range for a second home, this one popped up and we had an agent video tour it for us immediately, loved it and put an offer in that day!

Here are some things we considered:

1.)  Our family isn’t getting any younger.  John would fish 24/7 if he could, and Jonah and Baron would BE fish is they could.  We all love the water and we try to get on it as much as possible.  The Pacific Northwest is our first and original place we call home and we wanted a place to come back to during the kids summer breaks.  We want to invest in our family….and we feel a cabin will create some fun memories for us.

2.)  We view it as an investment.  Not only is real estate property always an asset, we also want to make some updates to the cabin and rent it out a portion of every month and as a summer Airbnb vacation rental.  We have an opportunity with a great platform to reach a large audience who may want to enjoy cabin life and beach living as much as we do….and the fact that we can potentially have a cabin that could pay for itself, WHILE we still can enjoy it? It’s a win-win in our book!  As we look to the future, this could be another great opportunity to generate additional income while not taking away from our family.

3.)  Accessibility.  I love riding the ferries, but I was looking out for the ability to rent it out and the accessibility factor for potential tenants and guests for this home.  Not having to rely on a ferry schedule was one less thing I had to worry about when managing a vacation rental from out-of-state.

As avid users of Airbnb, VRBO/Homeaway ourselves, and working in the OTA industry for many years, I felt I had a good grasp on what it would take to manage and market a property of my own from both the traveller’s perspective and from the accommodations side.

With all of that thinking…a lot of discussing and researching, we purchased the cabin for exactly what we were hoping to get it for.

While the A-frame alone excited us, what sold us was the beach access and private community. The beach! I grew up in Seattle, and even having lived in the NW all my life, I’ve never seen anything quite like this beach and forest combination in a unique island community.  The water and salty air is just as crisp as I remember, and the view of Mt Rainier is remarkable.

Our plan is to Airbnb it (listing here!), then rent it out (you’re invited!) and continue to enjoy it as a family, too. We already spent a wonderful weekend here with the kids and are looking forward to making more memories starting now.  While this post doesn’t include any mood boards, my plan is to produce a cozy cabin vibe. We love the natural wood walls in the main areas and can’t wait to add in more modern, nautical style touches to our forest island getaway. Here’s how it looks on the inside now.

The front door, per se, is actually in the back of the cabin, and upon entering, the wood paneled walls and wood floors and bright room is the first thing you notice.

The cabin came furnished and I packed and travelled with my own decor items, some of which I’ve had in storage and some I acquired and saved knowing that we’d own a vacation cabin one day. The only items I needed to buy were the essentials: linens and towels, toilet paper, paper towels, soap, etc.  Thank goodness for AmazonPrime!  I wonder if the driver was beginning to think I was a crazy lady ordering every day all day with packages arriving every day when we were at the cabin.

Small yet functional kitchen. The a-frame windows really bring in a lot of natural light.

The main floor bedroom also has a door to the bathroom.

 

The bathroom had an older sliding shower door that we removed and replaced with a curved shower rod and a crisp white shower curtain.

 

The fun part is the loft. I wanted to create a fun sleeping space for the boys and with kids in mind decorating with fun modern nautical decor. The colors are classic and fun for any age and gender.

Loft or kids sleeping area

 

The Community

As a bonus, the cabin is in the Hartstene Pointe community, a private gated community with tons of amenities we knew the kids would enjoy as would we.  There is a seasonal outdoor heated pool if the kids ever get tired of the beach (highly doubt it) but nice to have the option, along with a children’s playground and a clubhouse with a library, pool table, ping-pong, foosball and good old-fashioned board games. There is also a boat launch, a marina, picnic areas and gazebos on the beach, sports courts, a lagoon and spit, walking trails, and miles of private beach. The island is home to many wildlife with deer, fox, eagles, and cougars, while the Sound is home to the occasional orca sighting.

Puget Sound Case Inlet on the North Point

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boys loved the pool and playground and we think our guests with kids will love it too!

The photo above is the from NWMLS and is the perfect gathering spot for summer bbqs.

During our first week at the Pointe, our nightly routine consisted of going down to the beach after dinner to play in the sand, hop on the rope swing, play in the fort and watch the sunset.

We even dug for dinner one of the nights – fresh clams off the beach!

This is the entrance as you enter the island. How cute is the oyster shell covered median with a little row boat?  Of course we had to get out of the car for a pic!

A couple of months ago we celebrated our 10th anniversary and throughout the past ten years, I’ve learned that anything feels possible with John by my side. We are so excited to be able to create a place for not only our family to enjoy, but for any of you to eventually come and experience, too.  It’s something I’ve wanted to do for so long and I can’t wait to get started. Now, pass me a hammer!

Thanks for reading and following along this new project as we enter the world of vacation home ownership.  Follow @harstineislandbeachcabin on Instagram!