Getty Chip and Joanna Gaines at the TIME 100 Gala 2019 Cocktails at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Joanna and Chip Gaines’ Magnolia empire started 18 years ago when they opened their titular shop on October 15, 2003.
To celebrate the anniversary, Joanna shared a throwback photo on Instagram of the couple in the original store.
In the post’s caption, she revealed she “woke up this morning with butterflies in my stomach” as she does every year.
“I can still hear the sound of the front door of that little shop opening, and the deep assurance that, despite how scared I was, I would never look back. Chip had pushed me to take a chance on something I believed in—so win or lose, I already knew I’d never be the same,” she wrote.
Since then, the famous couple has turned that initial Magnolia store – which is now the Little Shop on Bosque – into a campus of shops and eateries in Waco, Texas. With the success of “Fixer Upper,” they have written books and even launched their network, also named Magnolia.
As the 43-year-old continued, “I’ve said this before, but I truly believe that dreams beget dreams. And that sometimes all you need is someone to believe in yours, or a little momentum to keep you moving in the right direction.”
In an effort to “move someone else’s dream forward,” the former HGTV star revealed she was giving away $50,000 to a follower in pursuit of a business idea. The window for applications has since closed, but a recipient has yet to be revealed.
October Is Joanna’s Favorite Month
The anniversary of Magnolia’s opening is just one of the many reasons why Joanna’s favorite month is October.
Calling the month “a gift” on Instagram, she wrote, “It marks the return of my favorite month of the year—one that carries so much beauty, hope, and expectation–and some of my best memories.”
Among those memories, as Joanna wrote for Magnolia.com, “It was the month I met Chip for one thing, and that was just the beginning.”
More generally, she revealed that “magic seems to meet” her in October.
“From dreams born and dreams fulfilled, to simple memories of our family spending more time on the porch in the cooler weather, October simply stirs a sense of hopeful expectation,” the Magnolia matriarch elaborated. She added, “I love to open up the windows and let the cooler breeze sneak in, burn my favorite fall candle, and dust off that old playlist from the opening day of my little shop.”
The Magnolia Journal Is Celebrating 20 Issues
The Magnolia Journal is also celebrating a milestone, publishing its 20th issue. The Gaines partnered with the Meredith Corporation to launch the magazine in 2016, they announced in a press release at the time.
“Some themes hit a little closer to home, sit a little deeper in my heart, and this is one of them,” Joanna wrote on Instagram. “Because when I think about forward motion, I see Chip. Reminding me to look further. Teaching our kids that progress in any direction will be as winding as it is beautiful. Believing in what can be true in time if you ‘just start moving.’”
Calling forward motion her “anthem,” the “Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines” star added, “I’m so proud of this issue, the stories inside, and the team behind every page. Here’s to 20 more!”
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