Magnolia

This winter, Magnolia Journal is making space for connection—and all the shared experiences that deepen our understanding of ourselves and one another. Find a guide to Christmas lights, gather around fondue, and design a dining room that invites everyone to stay awhile. Frequency of all magazines subject to change without notice.

A Letter from the Editor

Magnolia

Ten Years of Magnolia Journal • Jo and the team reminisce on a decade of Magnolia Journal and the defining stories—and moments—along the way.

S’more Ways to S’more • Nearly 100 years after the original recipe appeared in a 1927 Girl Scout guidebook, America’s favorite fireside treat is getting a camp-to-kitchen refresh. Delectable desserts, like brownies and brittle, bring new twists to the classic s’more, capturing all the flavor and nostalgia (minus the inevitable hazard of a flaming marshmallow). Same trio of star ingredients. Same sense of cozy warmth and delight. Still best enjoyed in good company.

Perennial Prizes • Plant them once, and these garden staples return year after year with color, structure, and seasonal beauty.

Golden Moments • When I saw my first “mindful moment” candle in a small shop in Austin, I loved the intention: a petit taper with a brief burn period designed to encourage set-apart time to make your own. To read, journal, reflect. To reset, settle, give thanks. The time is yours to do as you wish. Imagine that. —Jo

Rest Assured • A daughter reimagines her parents’ house as a relaxing vacation home suitable for familial living and long stays.

While It Simmers • The slow cooker is often framed as a productivity play—a way to trade cooking time for more checked-off to-dos. But the real gift it offers is far more meaningful than efficiency.

Let’s Stay Out Late • The light is fading but all the better.

The Slow Steep • It arrives with a whistle. In a slow pour with trailing steam. Brewing hot tea at home is more than making a drink. It can be a calming ritual that draws back the clock, tunes out the noise, and creates a moment worth lingering in—something truly comforting and delicious with just a few simple ingredients. We’re sharing common tea types, along with tips and recipes, so you can brew a pot worthy of a slower pace.

A Note From Jo: The After-Dinner Hours

Well Opener

The Shared Table • A DINNER PARTY WHERE PRESENCE IS THE POINT—FOUND THROUGH DELICIOUS FOOD, THOUGHTFUL TABLE SETTINGS, AND REFLECTIVE CONVERSATION.

Two of a Kind • In Round Top, Texas, designers Leanne Ford and Grace Mitchell created two family retreats on shared property that feel as lived-in and layered as their friendship.

La Cloche • The art of preserving memories and moments marked by flowers.

A Material World • What texture is, how it shows up, and why it can bring a room together

The Magic of Mahjong • A newfound love for the centuries-old game sparks opportunity to bring women around the table.

The Side Show • Spotlighting the scene-stealing side dishes filling our tables this season

Chip Gets the Last Word

Sourcebook

Magnolia Manifesto