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A French-Inspired Garden and Home by Judith Stringham

Magnolia Summer Fun on Display

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Summer is coming... 

And with it comes fun in the sun or rain. This week we went to Magnolia Market in Waco to celebrate a friend's upcoming birthday and saw fabulous Magnolia displays brimming with ideas of how to have summer fun. 



magnolia-market-waco-texas-with-boxwood-planter


Can you believe my friend had never been to Magnolia Market even though we only live about 80 minutes away? She loves Fixer Upper, home decorating, entertaining with style, and is known as a gourmet cook. When we were talking about how to celebrate her birthday, she said she had never been to Magnolia Market and wanted to go, just never had. 

Just like that... a girl's trip was underway... 

along with much of America... plus Canada. 

In the Magnolia parking lot we saw license plates from Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, California, Quebec, and of course, from all over Texas, just on ONE row of cars as we drove out the exit. 

And summer has not even officially, or unofficially on Memorial Day, started. Yet, here all of us were on a rainy Texas day having summer fun with a road trip to Magnolia Market where we saw more 

Ideas for Summer Fun on Display 


magnolia-display-pastel-oars-around-fireplace
Four ideas are right inside the front door. 
  1. Canoeing ... with pastel painted/neutral oars ... Images of deep blue calm lake water broken by oars silently sliding into the still waters comes to mind. 
  2. Camping ... with an authentic red Coleman lantern ... Lying in a sleeping bag under the open skies with just a campfire and Coleman lantern to give light beneath the dark sky filled with stars is a perfect way to end the day of canoeing. 
  3. Archery ... with clutches of brightly painted arrows ... Shooting arrows through the forest trees to smack the designated trunk with a resounding snap fills an afternoon for everyone in the family. 
  4. Reading ... with faded hardback books that live year round in the cabin ... Snuggled in an antique quilt before a crackling fire offers escape on a rainy summer day in the mountains. 




magnolia-market-vintage-canoe-summer-fun-display
Turn from the blue fireplace display to the store's center display for more ideas for summer fun. 
  1. Canoeing ... in a vintage wooden canoe with a web seat ... A father-son adventure in the Great Northwest maneuvering between islands covered in evergreen trees is easy to imagine. 
  2. Drinking ... coffee made over an open fire and served in an enamel cup ... Slow days of summer call for more than one cup while talking and laughing with friends around a campfire.  
  3. Gardening ... using copper-colored flower buckets to hold freshly cut flowers ... Summer flower gardens overflowing with zinnias, cosmos, blue sage, and black-eyed Susans provide tall blossoms for the French-style buckets.  





magnolia-market-greenhouse-summer-fun-display
More gardening inspiration fills the outdoor wooden greenhouse. 
  1. Creating ... a fairy garden with miniature houses ... Hours of fun with girls for the summer by planting, tending, and rearranging fairy gardens gives flight to imaginations and much-needed daydreaming. 
  2. Planting ... succulents and small evergreens ...  Green plants are as important to a garden as colorful blooms. 
  3. Organizing ... flower pots and supplies ... Warm summer sunshine dries washed clay pots quickly, and rustic wooden boxes corral the pots for future use. Okay, some people may not find this FUN, but with a water hose spraying on your legs and barefeet in this beautiful greenhouse, I think it's fun. 




magnolia-market-vintage-olive-buckets-in-greenhouse
Vintage metal buckets and wooden crates in the garden shed are more fun to use than plastic.  
  1. Amending ... soil with composted humus and gypsum ... Summer flowers and vegetables need rich soil to produce show-stopping blooms and nutrient-filled vegetables. More questionable FUN, but playing in the dirt soothes my soul. 
  2. Storing ... antique olive buckets ... Summer is a good time to review existing materials and to restore metal items, and working with olive buckets is summer fun, fun, fun. 




magnolia-market-vintage-bicycle-picnic-summer-fun-display
A summery green bicycle equipped with rear side baskets conjures up more summer fun. 
  1. Bicycling ... on a vintage, chippy old-fashioned girl's bicycle ... A breeze blowing through your hair as you pedal around a New England village is bound to bring a smile to your face. 
  2. Picnicking ... using a woven wooden basket ... Spread an old blanket on a newly-mown grassy field, and food always tastes better. 
  3. Dining ... alfresco using open weave baskets, woven fabric round placemats, and pale blue enamel cups and pitchers ... Summer fun is as close as your back yard with your family on a week night. 

What's your favorite Magnolia Summer Fun Display? 


magnolia-market-14-summer-fun-displays


What are your plans for summer fun this year? Slow, easy days at home or a grand adventure? How about a road trip to Magnolia in Waco, Texas?