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It’s been a long time coming for JoAnna Garcia Swisher and the cast and crew of Sweet Magnolias, but after 21 long pandemic months, season 2 has finally arrived on Netflix, and season 3 is on its way. “It was really celebratory being back,” Garcia Swisher, who plays Maddie Townsend, tells Glamour. “We had been waiting so long to start back up again—but it was nerve wracking. You’re like, ‘I hope people are still so excited about the show and just as invested.’”
She needn’t have worried. Ever since season 2 was announced after a majorly successful out-of-the-gate debut in 2020, fans have been clamoring for any details about the series. “It was just so fun,” she says of coming back and filming in Georgia. “We all needed it.”
While it doesn’t mean that everything’s going to be sunshine and rainbows in Serenity (need we remind you what happened at the end of season 2?), just stepping back into Maddie’s shoes was like being reunited with an old friend. “At one point I said to Cameron [Dale, the costume designer], ‘If you’re out there shopping, here’s my credit card!’”
You can’t blame her. While Maddie has a lot to juggle in her life between an ex-husband, three kids, a boyfriend, and a still very new business, she finds the joy in life’s little things, whether it’s margarita night with her Magnolias or yoga sessions at the spa.
The same is true of Garcia Swisher, who after a difficult year—her beloved mom passed away in March 2021, just two weeks after her grandmother’s passing—has been taking comfort in life’s small pleasures. As we Zoom on this particular afternoon, her youngest daughter, Sailor, 5, joins the conversation along with the family’s Great Dane, Romeo, who bring the smiles and laughter. (Not to be left out, of course, are her husband of 10 plus years, Nick Swisher, and eldest daughter Emme.)
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Then there’s also her lifestyle endeavor, The Happy Place, which Garcia Swisher founded over three years ago as a destination for all things home and happiness. “We have some really exciting things that are about to happen, so it’s just so nice to see it grow and continue to take on a life of its own,” she says. “It’s been such a great thing to focus on through all of this [grief]. It’s saved me.”
And one of those “exciting things” is the launch of a new home décor collection called Clover by Jo, which as of May 9, 2022, is available on HSN. It’s inspired by the renewed sense of energy that comes with the spring season, all designed to bring joy and happiness to your living space.
It’s one of the reasons why we at Glamour knew that our Your Fave’s Faves column would be the perfect place for Garcia Swisher to highlight the sweet stuff that makes her feel her best, whether it’s her favorite spring dresses or the comforting candles that light up a room. (And don’t for a minute think we’d forget to ask her about those must-have tortilla chips Maddie snacks on.)
So what’s on the list? Check out Garcia Swisher’s favorites below; they’ll make you feel that you’ve created a hometown, Serenity vibe of your own until the return of season 3.
I am completely in love with my woven baskets. They are so versatile. I use them to store everything from throw blankets in my family room to towels and essentials in our guest bathrooms to the stuffed animals in the girls rooms. I even use them to organize all the madness that I have in my car!
The pom-pom throw is an absolute fixture in our home. We have them in every room. They are warm and cozy, yet they are lightweight and easy to store. They come in the most subtle spring shades that coordinate with the entire collection. They’re truly the perfect accent to a freshly made bed or draped over your reading chair! I love them!
The Clover by Jo sheets sets had to be the one item I spent the most time working on. I love a soft, cozy sheet. But I still crave the crisp and clean feel of a “hotel” sheet. So after testing out our blend of cotton and modal, I knew we had it! They come out of the dryer beautifully and they are still so comfortable!
Chips and salsa. There are these sweet potato chips that our local supermarket carries in Florida that I love, that are honestly the unsung hero of Sweet Magnolias season 2 because they were given to us on margarita nights. And they were delicious. So phenomenal. But I’m not going to throw any tortilla chip out of the way. I have love for all of them.
I like a good cabernet or a red blend, and I love Casamigos tequila. For nonalcoholic, I love sparkling water. I just got this faucet called Zip Water that makes sparkling water, and I’m so excited about it.
My Lumi for cleaning my face. Shani Darden’s serum, that’s new. And Tatcha’s Kissu sleeping mask for your lips. It’s beautiful. And then of course, Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen. I don’t put any makeup on my face without using sunscreen first.
It Cosmetics CC Cream has always been something that I really love. But I also love Ilia and the new Charlotte Tilbury foundation. Those are my go-to products depending on how much coverage I want.
Chanel has this creamy bronzer that is really easy to use, and it contours without contouring. So it gives you that sun-kissed look without feeling like you’re shaping your face. I really like it.
Right now I use Magic Myst leave-in. It’s great. And I’ve been using the Ouai, which I really like.
My girlfriend Hadley has a little boutique, and I buy a lot of my headbands from her. You can buy from her @Hadleyllc. I also like Scünci that you can get at Target. They have the cutest headbands.
My giant pink robe. It’s from when I appeared on Chelsea Lately. Nick is like, “Here she comes, ladies and gentlemen!” It’s freaking ginormous. I’m so my mom in so many ways. At this point, this robe could be crusty in some areas, but not on the inside, so it’s a problem for everyone else but me. It’s fantastic. She’s just an old faithful. I also have this short one from Victoria’s Secret from 10 years ago that has my hair color on it from when I bought my hair dye at home, but it’s just a really good cotton terry robe.
I am wearing a lot of Mother Denim and Agolde right now. Anything high-rise. I’ve thrown away all of my low-rise. I’m not even really interested in getting back together with my mid-rise girls, and I don’t care if they’re not in fashion after this. After you get used to everything just being held in, how are we ever supposed to go back?
I invested in a million different types of sweatsuits during COVID and really found them to be just a great everyday piece of clothing. Sailor, my youngest is like, “Mama, why are you wearing your pj’s out?” And I’m like, “They’re not pj’s. This is street legal, and they’re cute. And they were not cheap. So, are we good? Come on, woman. Let me do this. Let me be me.” She’s pretty bummed out. I can only imagine how much I will embarrass her as time goes on.
I have really been loving Montce. They have little ruffles. They’re cheeky. They hug me in all the right places. And I love Solid & Striped. I do a lot of water sports, so my swimwear has to be more practical for those days.
I live in Dôen, and they are a little bit of an investment, but the Dôen dresses that I have for years, I’m still wearing. And every time I wear them, I’m complimented on them. I love The Great for dresses. They’re really flowy and voluminous, and their prints are so beautiful. And I love Xirena—they have really fun prints.
The Nécessaire exfoliant and their body serum are so delicious. I love their stuff. I tend to use products that are fragrance-free because I have sensitive skin and I’m allergic to lavender. Trader Joe’s has a hyaluronic body lotion that is fantastic because it’s not greasy and sinks right in.
And then Osea products are literally my holy grail. I use their scrub. Nick will go through their body oil like nobody’s business. We have it in our shower, so when it’s still steamy, we put that on. Their antiaging balm, which is a little bit thicker, I put on my neck and my chest.
We have a lot of Voyage et Cie. Their scents are really yummy and affordable. They really light up a room, no pun intended—or pun intended, at this point.
I love Barefoot Dreams. I’m always collecting them. I got a bunch of really good ones at Pottery Barn recently, but you can always find the Barefoot Dreams ones on sale at Nordstrom Rack.
For more on Sweet Magnolias, check out our coverage here. This feature originally ran on February 4, 2022, and was updated on May 9, 2022.
Jessica Radloff is the Glamour West Coast editor. You can follow her on Instagram at @jessicaradloff14.
