On the Hunt for Vintage Photo Props

Recently (And by recently I mean February....what can I say I have a one year old keeping me busy) I took a little girls trip with my mom to Waco.  Yes....to visit Magnolia Market.....but also to hunt down some cool antique photography props.  I also have to preface this with the fact that I love looking at antiques.  I'm a former History teacher and I love old stuff, old stories, and everything history.

Here's a run down of the trip with a review of the Magnolia experience mixed in for those of you contemplating a visit. 

We arrived in the morning and stopped at several antique stores on the way in.  Most of them open around 10 am which was nice to have a relaxing morning with no rush to get there. 

LaSalle Shoppes, the Junky Monkey, Junque in the Trunk, and Shades of Shabby are located Lasalle Avenue on the way in from Austin.  This was the highlight of the whole trip.  We could have browsed for hours and hours, the stores weren't too crowded, and the prices were incredibly reasonable. 

I picked up some super adorable finds that I am itching to use!!!

A classic red radio flyer tricycle.  Perfect for 1st birthday shoots, baby announcements, and even newborns.  How cool would it be to use it for all three for the same couple...before baby, the newbie, and the one year old. 

In use!  A super fun 18 month photo shoot at the park. 

Vintage Samsonite Luggage.  I'm in love.  Had I only had this when I did my son's newborns.  Like most of you my husband and I love to travel and taking some photos of him on some cool luggage would have been so cute!  I also like the idea of doing a newborn shoot with the suitcase and then photographing the same baby in the suitcase at six months or one year. 

Love these wood blocks....with numbers and letters we're all set for initials and birthdays

We then checked in at Hotel Indigo, just a few blocks from Magnolia.  I highly recommend.  The hotel was lovely and since we had heard that downtown Waco was not particularly safe for groups of women to walk around alone.....we stayed in the hotel bar that night and had a great time chatting over wine.

The walk to the Silos was super quick and it hits you right away what Chip and Joanna have done for downtown Waco.  Without their marketplace the downtown area is pretty much empty and abandoned warehouses take up the majority of the space.  I'm looking forward to going back to see the domino effect the market has created....I hope more mom and pops open up nearby. 

The place was a zoo!!!!  It's beautiful, no doubt, but the line to get into the bakery was around the block and I never did get my cupcake.  The store was so crowded it was hard to enjoy the shopping experience.  I was disappointed with the selection of goods Joanna now offers in her store.  The shops we perused on the way in were full of unique pieces and her collection has been refined beyond an inch of it's life. A lot of what she offers is white, made in China, and expensive.  Definitely not the cool and eclectic array of decor and furniture pieces you'd expect to see based on her work on the show.

The outdoor play area was beautiful and great for families.  That Saturday it was full of kids enjoying the space and though they have food trucks we opted for a real restaurant for lunch.  We ditched the market and walked over to the Hippodrome movie theater.  There's a restaurant in their upstairs and it was divine!  Totally beat the food trucks.  We ordered bellinis and had a beautiful lunch. 

Around the corner from the Hippodrome is Cameron Trading Company.  Go!  Lots of 50's and 60's memorabilia and antique pop culture items.

After we explored Magnolia we went to Spice Village, located upstairs in a warehouse.  SO CUTE!  We could have browsed for hours and this was just a fun boutique.  No antiques just clothing, jewelry, home decor.  Loved it. 

Sunday morning we went in to the Olive Branch and had breakfast and outstanding coffee.  Highly recommend!  Then it was back to Austin to relieve my husband from baby duty all by his lonesome. 

Just like on TV!  It really is a beautiful place.

My mom and I had a great time and if you like antiques and home decor you'll have a great time in Waco.  I have to say the Magnolia Market was not the highlight.  Joanna seems to have refined her collection down to a few key products and browsing the store didn't lend to much variety or interesting pieces I felt like I couldn't get anywhere else.  But go!  It's amazing to see what they've built.