Status
Available
Publication
Thomas Nelson (2016), Edition: 1, 208 pages
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Home Design & Déco Performing Art Nonfictio HTML: This eBook includes the full text of the book plus an exclusive additional chapter from Chip and Joanna that is not found in the hardcover. An exclusive look at America's first family of renovation! Taking you behind the scenes, Chip and Joanna Gaines share the story of how they met, the ups and downs of being an entrepreneurial couple, and how they built a life they love. The Magnolia Story is the first book from dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV's Fixer Upper. Offering their fans a detailed look at their life together, they share everything from the very first renovation project they ever tackled together to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today. While they both attended Baylor University in Waco, their paths didn't cross until Chip checked his car into the local Firestone tire shop where Joanna worked behind the counter. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Soon they were married and living in their first fixer upper. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garnered the attention of a television producer who noticed her work on a blog one day, leading to the incredible Fixer Upper phenomenon. In The Magnolia Story, fans will finally get to join the Gaines family behind the scenes and discover: The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby Joanna's agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple Memories and photos from Chip and Jo's wedding The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others, and bolstering the city of Waco along the way And yet there is still one lingering question for fans of the show: Is Chip really that funny? "Oh yeah," says Joanna. "He was, and still is, my first fixer upper."… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member Sandralb
We love this couple. and I loved their book. My husband wants to read it next. He's not the reader that I am. He is more of a computer guy. When we watch the show he says he and Chip are just alike. The scary thing is, he's right. Chip and Joanna are such a breath of fresh air. If you have ever
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watched their show, you will enjoy the book too. Show Less
LibraryThing member TexasBookLover
MEMOIR/AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Chip and Joanna Gaines, with Mark Dagostino
The Magnolia Story
W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson
Hardcover, 978-0-7180-7918-5 (also available as an e-book, an audio book, and on Audible), 208 pgs., $26.99
October 18, 2016
Risk-averse introvert Joanna met impulsive, outgoing
The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines (with Mark Dagostino, a former writer for People magazine) is written in a skillful mirror of the television show. Joanna is engaging and sincere; Chip is entertaining and goofy; she grounds him, and he energizes her. They inspire each other, and together they’re more than the sum of their parts.
The Magnolia Story is sweet and inspiring, as expected, but it’s also candid and absorbing. The Gainses share their early days together, the milestones, and the successes as well as the setbacks. Joanna’s first-person narration is regularly augmented, and intermittently interrupted, by Chip’s commentary. The two points of view are printed in different fonts, an effective format for keeping things straight when they’re finishing each other’s sentences.
The Gaineses spill on plenty that we don’t know from the show. For example, did y’all know that Joanna, a communications major, worked under Dan Rather, interning for 48 Hours in New York? And there was the time Chip was arrested for unpaid tickets incurred for violations of Waco’s leash laws. It was the principle of the thing.
Joanna writes movingly of the times when she and Chip didn’t balance each other out, and of personal epiphanies that both improved family life and contributed to her design philosophy and unique aesthetic. Chip, the “serial entrepreneur,” writes of his early beginnings in business when, as a child, he sold juice boxes to the kids at tennis camp, and Scantrons at Baylor on exam days. Sitting in business classes at Baylor, Chip stared out the windows and daydreamed of trading places with the lawn crew.
Favorite Chip quotation, riffing on do-it-yourself repairs of times past: “You found this old spare part, you did this other thing, you hooked it up to a donkey, and you tried it out.”
The magnolia serves as a fitting metaphor for this story. “Have you ever looked at the bud of a magnolia flower?” Joanna asks. “It’s a tight little pod that stays closed up for a long time on the end of its branch until one day, out of nowhere, it finally bursts open into this gigantic, gorgeous, fragrant flower that’s ten times bigger than the bud itself.”
Originally published in Lone Star Literary Life.
Chip and Joanna Gaines, with Mark Dagostino
The Magnolia Story
W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson
Hardcover, 978-0-7180-7918-5 (also available as an e-book, an audio book, and on Audible), 208 pgs., $26.99
October 18, 2016
Risk-averse introvert Joanna met impulsive, outgoing
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Chip in the waiting room at her father’s Firestone store in Waco, Texas. Chip was ninety minutes late for their first date, then he didn’t call for two months. Despite this inauspicious introduction, Joanna gave him a second chance. This case of opposites attracting is the beginning of love, family, and a business in which houses and found objects also benefit from second chances. Married in 2003, Chip and Joanna are now an empire. Most of us know them from HGTV’s hit series Fixer Upper, but the Gaineses are also the proprietors of Magnolia Homes, Magnolia Realty, and Magnolia Market at the Silos, a large retail development in downtown Waco. Their new memoir tells us how they did it, and gives a small sneak peek into what might be next for Texas’s unofficial sweethearts and busiest couple.The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines (with Mark Dagostino, a former writer for People magazine) is written in a skillful mirror of the television show. Joanna is engaging and sincere; Chip is entertaining and goofy; she grounds him, and he energizes her. They inspire each other, and together they’re more than the sum of their parts.
The Magnolia Story is sweet and inspiring, as expected, but it’s also candid and absorbing. The Gainses share their early days together, the milestones, and the successes as well as the setbacks. Joanna’s first-person narration is regularly augmented, and intermittently interrupted, by Chip’s commentary. The two points of view are printed in different fonts, an effective format for keeping things straight when they’re finishing each other’s sentences.
The Gaineses spill on plenty that we don’t know from the show. For example, did y’all know that Joanna, a communications major, worked under Dan Rather, interning for 48 Hours in New York? And there was the time Chip was arrested for unpaid tickets incurred for violations of Waco’s leash laws. It was the principle of the thing.
Joanna writes movingly of the times when she and Chip didn’t balance each other out, and of personal epiphanies that both improved family life and contributed to her design philosophy and unique aesthetic. Chip, the “serial entrepreneur,” writes of his early beginnings in business when, as a child, he sold juice boxes to the kids at tennis camp, and Scantrons at Baylor on exam days. Sitting in business classes at Baylor, Chip stared out the windows and daydreamed of trading places with the lawn crew.
Favorite Chip quotation, riffing on do-it-yourself repairs of times past: “You found this old spare part, you did this other thing, you hooked it up to a donkey, and you tried it out.”
The magnolia serves as a fitting metaphor for this story. “Have you ever looked at the bud of a magnolia flower?” Joanna asks. “It’s a tight little pod that stays closed up for a long time on the end of its branch until one day, out of nowhere, it finally bursts open into this gigantic, gorgeous, fragrant flower that’s ten times bigger than the bud itself.”
Originally published in Lone Star Literary Life.
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LibraryThing member JCGirl
The Magnolia Story tells the biography of famed TV stars from Fixer Upper Chip and Joanna Gaines. The book introduces their fans to a more candor look at their life behind the cameras. From sharing the story of how they met to detailing the struggle they faced trying to start a successful business.
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While throughout the book openly showing their faith as Christians and the blessing God as bestowed upon them. A genuinely engaging story that demonstrates the journey of the American dream and family. Show Less
LibraryThing member hobbitprincess
Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper share their story. Both of them go back and forth, which makes for a good read, seeing Thomas from both perspectives. There is a message too, about following your dreams and trusting in God. Like the show, the book is refreshing.
LibraryThing member Beth3511
A fun, pleasant read. My biggest problem with the book is how they credit so much of their success to God...God led them to the acquaintances who lent/gave them $100,000...God brought them together with the man who sold them their dream property below his asking price...and so on. This is published
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by a Christian imprint, so that might seem unfair. But I kept wondering if THEY ever wondered why God blessed THEM, and not some equally hard-working, good-hearted folks. The Gaines have gone through tough times, but they also came of age with a fair amount of privilege, especially white privilege. (Yes, Joanna Gaines is half-Korean, but she is half-white.) They appear to also have had the (continuing) privilege of good health. They had parents who had the means to help them financially in ways big and small. Yes, they give credit to these friends and family, but they don't acknowledge a system that has given them a lot and deprived a lot of others of similar assistance. Show Less
LibraryThing member Emma_Manolis
I LOVE Fixer Upper and I'm convinced that the Gaines family and my family would get along, so I was ecstatic to see that this book was going to be a thing. I enjoyed learning a bit more about their pasts, both individually and as a couple, but I feel like I would have liked this better as an
This book is perfect for: Anyone who has an unexplained fascination with Chip and Joanna. That's just about everyone, right?
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audiobook or as a special on HGTV. The thing that is annoying me about this book is the publicity. It's a short book, yet someone thought it would be a good idea to share some fairly large chunks in various media outlets. I've read some of those articles, so it was disappointing to me to read that same story in the book. This book is perfect for: Anyone who has an unexplained fascination with Chip and Joanna. That's just about everyone, right?
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LibraryThing member Gingermama
I had seen the show a few times but never really took much notice. However, after listening to the audio version of this book, I'll definitely be looking for them on HGTV. They are so down-to-earth and in this story share the ups and downs of growing their business, always staying true to
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themselves. Short but very enjoyable, even if you've never seen the show. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sunshine1
Good read. Inspirational
LibraryThing member Kristymk18
I enjoyed this short book that let's us look into the world of Chip and Joanna Gaines. They talk of their lives before Fixer Upper and I found many parts to be relateable.
LibraryThing member DeborahJade
Reviewed months after reading
This charming story about the lives of Chip and Joanna Gaines, the couple behind 'Fixer Upper' shows that their life hasn't been all idyllic. I loved reading about how two people who were so different, have woven their lives into one family with one focus.
It was also
This charming story about the lives of Chip and Joanna Gaines, the couple behind 'Fixer Upper' shows that their life hasn't been all idyllic. I loved reading about how two people who were so different, have woven their lives into one family with one focus.
It was also
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fun reading about Chip's antics with his children. Show Less
LibraryThing member cubsfan3410
I loved this book as much as I love Fixer Upper and this book is an absolute reflection of Chip & Joanna's relationship on & off camera. They are fun and loving.
LibraryThing member VintiqueBooks
Love them!
LibraryThing member wrightja2000
Cute, sweet, funny, real, inspiring. Just made me like the show even more. Liked the theme that repeated that God always has a better plan in store for us than what we ever dream for ourselves.
LibraryThing member jennybeast
I'm a fan of the show, and I was entertained by the book. Some reviewers talk about the charmed life/privilege/random windfalls of large amounts of cash and the weird relationship dynamics where Chip has a tendency to sell their home out from underneath them and Jo copes -- all of that is true.
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There's also a LOT of god talk going on in here, which I personally am uncomfortable with. I was still entertained. I still respect their hard work and that their relationship works for them. I'm glad they are using their powers for their community, and I appreciate their down to earth natures. Show Less
LibraryThing member TimBazzett
THE MAGNOLIA STORY (2016) is a charming little book about that Fixer Upper couple from Waco, Texas, that we've watched on HGTV for the past several years. All about how Chip and Joanna Gaines, both Baylor grads, met, fell in love, and had a bunch of kids, all while building a business of flipping
I bought this book a few months ago at a library sale for a buck, thinking my wife would like it. She had not picked it up yet, so I read it, in just a few sittings. Not great literature, obviously, but a pleasurable read about a couple okay young folks who have worked hard and got a big break: that popular TV show. If you like their show, you'll probably like this book.
- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER
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houses, living on the financial edge. Until they were 'discovered' and landed that TV show. I kinda enjoyed it, except for the fact that it was ghost-written by a professional, Mark Dagostino. I kept wondering, they're both college grads. Why couldn't they write their own story? Probably just too busy. And this book, which sometimes dwells just a bit too much about the hand of God in their success, may be just one more way to publicize their 'brand.' And it worked. The book was a minor bestseller, and NOW their show is only available on a paid subscription channel, while Joanna has just launched a solo cooking show. She seems distinctly uncomfortable in this role; not surprising, as she is a self-described introvert.I bought this book a few months ago at a library sale for a buck, thinking my wife would like it. She had not picked it up yet, so I read it, in just a few sittings. Not great literature, obviously, but a pleasurable read about a couple okay young folks who have worked hard and got a big break: that popular TV show. If you like their show, you'll probably like this book.
- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER
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Language
Original language
English
Physical description
208 p.; 6.38 inches
ISBN
0718079183 / 9780718079185
UPC
675900706415