The Magnolia Journal Winter 2019

This was a different kind of year in the life of Magnolia Journal. For the first time, we began the year with an overarching theme in mind: a yearlong focus on identity. Our team wanted to understand what it means to be human, to learn to see each other as the unique individuals we’ve all been made to be. To that end, we spent each season thinking about a different aspect related to identity: what it looks like to choose authenticity, to chase freedom, and to live in the abundance of our whole story. And now, in this year’s final issue, we’re discovering how living with resolve can lead to a determined life, one that’s unfettered by popular opinion or even the lottery of uncertainty. We illustrate how this cycle…

magnolia press Our corner coffee shop at the Silos is officially open for business! We hope Magnolia Press will serve as a place where you can pause and enjoy the moment—and a good cup of coffee. Stay tuned for updates on our social media and read about Joanna’s inspiration behind the shop at magnolia.com/blog. we’re renovating a castle Early this year, Magnolia purchased Cottonland Castle, a historic landmark on Austin Avenue in Waco, Texas. Read more from Joanna on page 66 about what she has learned from Chip’s resolve to see beauty and potential in all things, even in an old, abandoned castle—and what’s next for the historic home. christmas at the silos DEC. 6–7 AND 13–14, 2019 Visit our winter wonderland for a weekend filled with holiday festivities, including a Christmas market of artisan vendors,…

SPRING authenticity Few things feel more like spring than blossoms. After months of barren landscapes, specks of color begin to appear, reminding us that beauty and light are never far from our reach. Like the buds that burst from their branches, who we are at our core is deep-rooted and waiting to be unearthed. Authenticity is a standing invitation to honor the truest, brightest, most beautiful you—the only one there was ever meant to be. SUMMER freedom Summer grows like ivy; it calls us up and out, into the glorious reality of longer days, warmer seas, and an abundance of fruits. It offers us a chance to step out of our rhythms. But mostly, summer calls us to be free: to run or sit, to dance or stay still, to be loud or be quiet,…

In the thick of the hustle, it can be easy to see January 1 as just another day, a flip of the calendar, a continuation of the same ol’. But because we’re human, we need chapters to end and old doors to close so that new ones can open. For that, New Year’s Day is worth celebrating and an event worth anticipating. But before we say farewell to another year of life lived, let’s first reflect on the moments and milestones that led us to where we are today. LOOKING AT THE YEAR behind These lists are meant to serve as an exercise of reflection, of taking an honest look back at the past year as well as a hopeful look forward at the year to come. Use them to gain perspective,…

My mind often replays moments and milestones that have shaped our years as a family. Some of these “most watched” memories have taken shape as a sort of mental highlight reel that I can play whenever I’m feeling nostalgic. Somehow, though, traveling back to the past always makes me curious to jump ahead to the future. I imagine what our lives might look like in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years. In an instant, I’m watching the rest of my life play out, but already in hindsight, instead of living it in real time. I doubt that I’m alone in this. Perhaps you also have found yourself keeping time in past and future tense. I think the frantic pace of our world makes it all too easy to do this. Many…

sources for the season’s bounty • Forage from pine, spruce, or cedar trees found in nature.• Repurpose trimmings from your Christmas tree.• Check a local market or nursery for seasonal shrubs.• Salvage castaway cuttings from a tree farm. natural beauty on display • Bundle with twine and hang on a wall or window.• Make into a free-form wreath to adorn a door.• Arrange in a vase for a loosely gathered centerpiece.• Layer on a mantel or windowsill as an accent. PHOTOGRAPHY BY CODY ULRICH PROP STYLING BY ASHLEY MADDOX…