A note from Joanna Gaines on the ‘Fixer Upper’ finale and what’s next

Originally posted by Joanna Gaines on Magnolia.com.

Tonight marks the final episode of Fixer Upper—the series finale. This season of life has been rewarding, challenging, unbelievably fast and furious and nearly everything in between. Back in September when Chip and I posted the blog announcing that this season would be our last, it still seemed so far away. At the time, we were knee-deep in the restaurant renovation, we had filming left to wrap up, and we were working toward finishing up several projects. April felt like it was forever away, but somehow it snuck up on us. Time is funny like that, the days sometimes seem long, but the weeks, months and even years fly past us when we least expect it.

I really loved this final Fixer Upper season because there was such a variety of styles and projects that really kept us on our toes. We did everything from an old barn out in the country to a downtown loft apartment. We also got to do some pretty unique projects like my garden house, a new build for clients, our restaurant, and an ADA compliant house for two amazing boys and their family that we met through the Tim Tebow Foundation. Oh, and of course tonight’s episode, where we do a renovation for a Rockstar! You can read a recap of all the homes from this season and see photos of all the designs up on our website under the tab “Show”. We are grateful to all the families who joined in on this journey with us over the past five years—what an honor to be a part of their stories.

I do want to take some time to update you on a bunch of things that are going on in our neck of the woods now that filming is over. We are so thrilled that our restaurant, Magnolia Table is finally up and running. The whole project was a huge undertaking, and we are so happy that it is officially open! If you come visit the restaurant, some of Chip’s favorites are the Farm Eggs Benedict, tater tots, the bacon and eggs appetizer and of course Chip’s Ham Sandwich. I am currently craving the pancakes, chicken salad sandwich, lavender latte and the Gaines Bros Burger with the jalapeño drip jam. My stomach is growling as I type this!

We also finished my cookbook, Magnolia Table, which will be out April 24th. It’s a collection of recipes from my kitchen, our restaurant, and some of my favorites from family and friends. Cooking is so special to me because time spent around the table with family and friends is such a gift. My hope is that this book inspires you in the kitchen and that you’ll find recipes that become tried and true favorites for your own family!

I am working on finishing up my design book this month! My passion is to help people in their own homes—you don’t have to be a designer to get it right. It’s not about rules and special formulas. I believe it starts by simply going with your gut and telling your story. I unpack many different looks and styles in this book and give a deeper look into the design process and where to start with your space. I can’t wait to share this project with you, and I will keep you posted on when it will be available.

As far as renovations after Fixer Upper, many of you may know that we were doing construction and design years before the show came online. Our company Magnolia Design and Construction has been fixing up homes for over 15 years now and we don’t plan on stopping any time soon! We have some big projects in the works and we are currently renovating a few flip houses and building about 20 new homes here in town. I will be posting some pictures soon—I can’t wait for you to see all of these new designs. Once these homes are a little further along, we will share more info with you about them so stay tuned!

We have exciting plans for our online store this summer here at Magnolia! We will be launching Magnolia Kids which will have everything from children’s furniture to accessories. There may be some baby stuff, too, because of course that’s all I can think about!

And now for a quick update on the home front. Chip continues to increase our pet population. He recently surprised us all with a new kitten AND a new puppy. Oh, sweet Chip…

Chip is also busy training for the Silo District Marathon in May. He is doing such an amazing job and anytime he goes on a long run, my favorite thing is watching the kids wait for him to come down our driveway so they can cheer him on in those last steps. I always get teary eyed because I am just so proud. When this marathon comes, I am going to be a big ball of a mess when he crosses that finish line. Chip wrote about wanting to run a marathon a year ago in his book, and now he is just a month out from reaching his goal!

For us, the end of this final season marks the beginning of a new one. If you would have told me that I’d end this season of the show pregnant with our fifth baby, I would’ve laughed. Like the entire Fixer Upper opportunity as a whole, life has a way of surprising us. With our little ones getting bigger, we had this gut feeling that it was time to step back and focus on them and our businesses here in Waco, Texas. And although that’s why we thought we decided to step away from the show, we now realize with this little one on the way that there was a bigger plan in place for us all along.

Pregnancy has been so fun, in fact my two favorite things to do are take naps and eat! Since it’s been over eight years since I was pregnant with Emmie Kay, I joke with my friends that it feels like it’s my first time being pregnant. The best thing about all of this is the excitement that my kids have shown for their new baby brother. Since I had our first four babies so close to one another, none of them actually remember me being pregnant. They love my growing belly (and boy is it growing), and they cannot wait to meet him. I truly believe this baby is a gift from God for our family in this season.

I hope you’ll tune in tonight for our final episode on HGTV at 9/8c. This project is one of my favorites, and of course, we must end the series with some shiplap! Season Five’s Behind the Design episodes will start airing next Tuesday, which will give you an in-depth look into the process and also some rooms you didn’t get to see in the original reveal.

Today is really bittersweet for us. Fixer Upper is the thing that introduced our family to yours, and every Tuesday night for the past five years, we have felt you rooting us on from the other side of the screen. We’ve said it many times, but it’s worth saying again—thank you to everyone who has walked beside us on this journey. Whether you watched every single show since season one or you are just now tuning in, you all have been a part of this and Chip and I will always be grateful for your support. We’re not saying goodbye! I’d love for you to follow along with us on our newsletter, on social media or right here on my blog for future updates. We’re so excited for all that’s still to come!

You might also like:

• Chip and Joanna Gaines’ decision to end ‘Fixer Upper’ is #familygoals
• Chip Gaines’ advice for working parents will put your heart at ease
• An open letter to Joanna Gaines—from a fellow mother of 5