What Pippa Wants ~PippaGoetz https://www.whatpippawants.com Entertaining Essentials . Fine Art . WPW blog Tue, 02 Apr 2019 10:56:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.whatpippawants.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cropped-cropped-Screen-Shot-2022-06-27-at-11.58.18-AM.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 What Pippa Wants ~PippaGoetz https://www.whatpippawants.com 32 32 117092530 | SPRINGING | https://www.whatpippawants.com/2019/04/02/2623/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2623 https://www.whatpippawants.com/2019/04/02/2623/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2019 10:55:16 +0000 http://www.whatpippawants.com/?p=2623 Honestly… I had a whole other post about 70% written but it wasn’t ‘speaking’ to me… it felt forced. Weird. And really just not where my head space actually IS right now. Que up a little family dinner, some epic fart jokes, a glass (ok… maybe 2ish) of vino and a good old “Alexa, play […]

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Honestly… I had a whole other post about 70% written but it wasn’t ‘speaking’ to me… it felt forced. Weird. And really just not where my head space actually IS right now. Que up a little family dinner, some epic fart jokes, a glass (ok… maybe 2ish) of vino and a good old “Alexa, play Led Zepplin” sesh… and if you are pulling out the LED then you need a good old CRANK IT UP’ kinda dance party to show your kids “how it’s done”. And THEN you need a whole lotta laughing… because if you can’t laugh at yourself then… and we are back in business…. Why? Because THIS is my life… and LIFE can sometimes be AWESOME… and LIFE can suck, but it’s LIFE and I wouldn’t have it any other way…

I’ll be perfectly honest, When I IG teased this post the other day that I was ready to kick March to the curb. I seriously wasn’t lying. Kicking off the month with ACL repair for our buck-thirty lb fur baby was only trumped by the last few weeks which, have been BEYOND ridic. I wasn’t going to dish it. I actually had grand intentions of keeping it close to the vest. If for no other reason than because y’all don’t need to know EVERYTHING, and I prefer it that way. But then tonight… as I attempted to force a post I realized that these posts aren’t just for YOU. They are for ME too. These blog posts are 1) Cheaper than Therapy. 2) Gets crap off my chest that otherwise might weigh me down and 3)… shit… I don’t know what number 3 is BUT, I am SURE it is super esoteric and poignantly related to numbers 1 & 2. 

Here is the gist. Aside from Hockey Try Outs (which seemed like THE BIGGEST DEAL) we learned a lot more this week that revolved around ourselves. The end result? Vaccinate your kids. (I did!) … Then when you are done vaccinating … wrap them in bubble wrap and seal the package nicely and uniformly with a crap-load of Duct Tape, enough to make Martha proud but not enough to suffocate… and then hope for the friggin’ best. Here is why…

Whilst your AMAZING hockey tryout prayers were SO well received (I mean, you all THREW IT DOWN!!!! And so did the Witzend Wee ones!!!) on the day after, the littlest Wee One awoke with a fully swollen face on one side. I mean WTF is that?!?!? Truthfully, he was thrown into the boards (ILLEGAL!!!) pretty hard at practice and I was pretty convinced it was related to that. But No. Like any good Mom I made an appointment. I know what you are thinking, and you are probably right, but bear with me because, if I DON’T get this out then there may be irreplaceable harm to someone else… and because yes, I have said it before … blogging is cheaper than therapy. 

So, Yeah, where was I …. Dr. appt. scheduled… everyone else put on the bus, life was status quo… WHOA….not so fast… Actually more like a fast and furious call from the Ped. Office on my way back down the driveway. ” the Dr. asks that (baby boy) actually come in at 9 (in 30 minutes!!!) and, would you please mind using the back door?“  I’m so ridic wrapped up in my own hoorahrah that I’m beyond freaking out and just totally complacent… I mean earlier appointment? YEZZZZZZZZ! Booyyah! But wait.. back door?  Just GO MAMA GO mode in full effect and STILL not figuring things out… Urgh, to think that my “issue of the day” was how many hours I was losing to paint Eggs. 

If you have read this far and you watch ANY sort of news, you may very well have figured out where we stood at that moment. What are the symptoms? What are the signs? I actually WATCH the news… but did I know? Nope. But still… Yes… we were a suspected MUMPS case. I mean WHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT!?!? Seriously y’all… my kids ARE fully vaccinated! We aren’t supposed to get this Shit. NOT SUPPOSED TO GET THIS!  But here we are. We have had over a week of Quarantine (with an  Asymptomatic kiddo, and still waiting on final test results) who has been bored out of his MIND…How bored? Sooooooo bored that he decided to treat our living room as a Parkour Course and jump from Sofa to Sofa… a sanctioned activity on a GOOD day? NEVER… on a bad day? STILL A NO GO ZONE YO! But he DID it and, ok … go ahead, guess it… 

You KNOW how it probs works out dontch’ya? Yep… missed the landing. A claw foot table base, a small wrist… formerly known as intact… and a full day that otherwise could have ben spent doing oh… I don’t know  EVERYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN BEING IN THE ER!?!? Urgh, 9 hours and a full surgical reset and cast later and this kid… the SWEETEST kid on the planet and the CRAZIEST FRICKIN’ kid on the planet at the same time is on the mend. Me? Still working on the mending part. Life can be such a vicious dichotomy right? Urgh… So yes, Pretty Easter Tablescapes make me happy…So happy that actually I shot this with said quarantined boy in the wings just out of view… Spongebob marathon for the WIN y’all. but truly… there was NO way I wasn’t doing this… and my little patient helped… and that makes everything I do all the more special. 

Cheers to Eggs En Masse…to a “cant miss” Tobacco leaf layout, to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, to the new start that Spring brings and to casts to match your favorite team colors (Go Flyers!) . May the light of spring shine on you and that your days be blessed with the spirit of a new start, a new season and a new approach to life. Just do me a favor… don’t jump on the FRIGGIN’ furniture. 
XO, 

Pippa

P.S…. a big HUGE thank you to the always amazing Mottahedeh for providing the Pink Lace and Tobacco Leaf plates shown here!


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| THE SPRING REVEAL | https://www.whatpippawants.com/2019/03/12/the-spring-reveal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-spring-reveal https://www.whatpippawants.com/2019/03/12/the-spring-reveal/#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2019 10:32:34 +0000 http://www.whatpippawants.com/?p=2571 The last of the snow… melting slowly with the finally warming temperatures… a day or two here and there, a teaser… then a few days in a row… then a fresh light coat. Just enough to piss you off. You have pined for a warm up. You are counting the days to the official launch […]

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The last of the snow… melting slowly with the finally warming temperatures… a day or two here and there, a teaser… then a few days in a row… then a fresh light coat. Just enough to piss you off. You have pined for a warm up. You are counting the days to the official launch of Spring. You have weathered the storms and bitter cold. Toward the end you force color on everything. You force it to the breaking point and fill the house with early bulbs that blossom brightly in defiance as if to say “it won’t be long now, be patient”…


And you TRY to be patient… it’s not MY virtue… but maybe YOURS. You carefully watch the forecast, as if to predict the timing of the bounty that Mother Nature will bring forth when she is ready to wake from her tumultuous slumber. You scroll old photos desperately trying to determine when the first tree actually buds and then erupts in flames of glory. You watch as the sea of white outside your window starts to morph into the patchwork quilt that tells of the next season approaching… and then it happens…


That expanse of frigid (Eww, dirty) snow suddenly takes a turn and, reveals what was laying beneath for months. The beaten down grass. The peeks of pressed patches of green that in short time will become towering tufts of mowable perfection. But it doesn’t stop there… as the blanket begins to dissipate there is something more hidden beneath that remnant of the tundra…. 


The CARNAGE. The carnage of having children and dogs. The green tinged array that you have longed for to yield hope and blooms looks nothing like the expanse that you imagined when wishing for this vital shift. Exposed, it is a disastrous display of forgotten treasures and, a mine field of canine bombs that suddenly appear untouched and unaffected by months of snow. Poo fossils that have survived the arctic blasts like wooly mammoth carcasses that survived the life ending ‘Snowpocolapse’, only now to be discovered eons later. The 48 golf balls half buried in the brown and green sponge. The lacrosse goal that was knocked over in a wind storm is suddenly revealed. 2 snowboards, a broken toboggan left for dead in the woods, a soccer ball from fall perched among far fallen sticks, And a patio cushion that never made it inside in time to be salvaged… now stuck in the bramble.  


And as you peruse the wreckage that has been left behind, you find yourself inadvertently staring off into space and thinking… FUCK…This place is a friggin’ DISASTER! That hopeful onset of Spring is suddenly and heart wrenchingly replaced by annoyance. You KNOW the battle that lays ahead will be fraught with stomping feet, whining, eye rolling and the endless cleaning of dog shit and squishy mud off of sneakers. The yelling through the now (thankfully) open window… “if I have to clean it up, then it goes in the TRASH”… not to mention the (now) ongoing fear of the season of such exchanges. Which means that, unless you are an “Alaska-esque” kind of remote, your neighbors will hear you airing your dirty laundry, yelling at your kids (because you already asked nicely 45 times) thar this is the ‘LAST STRAW’… and you hope that Social Services isn’t called… or better yet… the Coppers.

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Welcome to the onset of Spring my dears. May you fill your abode with joyful blooms to welcome the arrival of a long awaited Spring and ignore every SINGLE thing that remains in your yard for a few more weeks until we can officially run naked around the firepit and start popping the Rosé. 
XO,
Pippa

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| THIS IS HOW WE DO IT | https://www.whatpippawants.com/2019/02/12/this-is-how-we-do-it/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=this-is-how-we-do-it https://www.whatpippawants.com/2019/02/12/this-is-how-we-do-it/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2019 11:20:49 +0000 http://www.whatpippawants.com/?p=2561 You know… I was planning on doing a whole ‘back-into the blogosphere’ post waxing poetic about all things gushy and love related to go with this Valentine’s day set up… I PROMISE I was. Poetry in motion kinda thing. Tug yer heart strings… blah blah bah.. Mainly because it has been a RIDICULOUSLY long time […]

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You know… I was planning on doing a whole ‘back-into the blogosphere’ post waxing poetic about all things gushy and love related to go with this Valentine’s day set up… I PROMISE I was. Poetry in motion kinda thing. Tug yer heart strings… blah blah bah.. Mainly because it has been a RIDICULOUSLY long time since I last posted (Didn’t I warn you that I was a delinquent blogger?). But then, LIFE happened… the kind of life Like, EAT.SLEEP.BREATHE and wonder ‘where THE HECK every stinking hour of EVERY stinking day went’ kind of life happened. Hockey? Yep. Shells? Yep. Crappy weather, awesome weather and back to crappy weather? Yepper. Oh and Family. Oh, and friends who I feel like I haven’t seen in oh… like FOR FREAKING EVER. And, a babysitter with a new (read: REAL) job that makes it difficult to get out for date night.  Urgh. But you know what? It’s just the way. LIFE. And sometimes life GETS in the way. Then sometimes the way to love life is to live life. Am I getting a little out there for ya yet? I know, even I am getting confused. So let’s move on.

You may be wondering what the HECK is going down here at Witzend. But I’ll tell ya… I bought myself Valentine’s flowers. Yep. And Double Yep… guess what… they were only $29…All of ‘em. And before you question my Old Man’s chops just know that I did it ‘Cause my husband is one lucky dude’. Not just lucky because I save him a truckload of duckets on flowers or, because I schlep my own arse to the flower shop but, because heck, let’s be real… He’ s married to me. And I love buying my own flowers – a whole LOTTA flowers. And because He loves me… and I put upwith love him to pieces, and he works a crap load. SO, in order to make sure he pitches up with flowers I buy them myself. And that makes him extra lucky.

Actually, I may have told you before. My husband and I don’t actually celebrate Valentine’s day. It’s not because of the true origin of the holiday (although that would be grounds enough). It’s not because of the crappy Hallmark Cards or overpriced roses that don’t smell like anything or the cheesy gifts like the pajamagram thing (‘cause he knows that if that box ever shows up on our doorstep – that’s it. He can pack his bag and Peace-out yo). It is because a mere 2 days later is a much more important day for us. It is our Engage-a-versary! Bring on the schmoopsie-poo love fest here kiddos. This is our day! That’s the day that my husband (as he says) “put this whole operation in motion”. It’s the day that he asked me (in the nicest way he could) “Can you please Shut the ‘EFF’ up so I can ask you to Marry me?” Yep… that’s actually how it went down. No bended knee, He didn’t have a ring. OH… and he hadn’t yet asked my father for his blessing. It may have been the few drinks deep we were, or the warm Bermuda air. Or the fact that we were sitting on the Waterloo House Patio post dinner and in complete shock of the newly learned news our precious place was going to be torn down. Whatever it was, it apparently was the moment that he suddenly realized that he couldn’t live without me. It was perfectly imperfect and perfectly us. And I said Yes, because I realized I couldn’t or didn’t ever want to ever live without him. And the rest is history. But wait…

… ‘Did she say yet why ALL of the flowers?’ … ‘If she doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s day then why would she go to such trouble?’ … let me let you in on a little secret. Just because I am not the biggest fan of VD (you know what I mean… get your mind out of the gutter) does that mean that there needs to be a lack of all things PANK and gushy? Nope. Sure, you can think “I mean, really? Who entertains for Valentine’s Day like THIS?” Go ahead. I’ll tell ya who… it’s ME.

Here’s another little secret…there will be no additional guests seated at this table. This table is set for my boys. Yes… a truckload of flowers IS apropos for ‘lil gents in training. Why? Because (aside from the fact that I lurv those littles so much I could squeeze ‘em ’til they pee their pants) they need to KNOW that they are loved. And they need to know that flowers (and china, and the company you keep, and maybe wine) are the best way(s) to make a simple farm house table a beautiful place to convene and share love. And that THIS is just one of the many ways that their mom shares a part of her heart. That the part of my heart that is reserved for setting beautiful tables for my dudes is a big part of who I am (and a lot of what you see in my squares). They should know that they should trim stems every day and replace water, and that THIS advice will come in handy when they finally meet the person whom they want to give their whole heart to… because fresh flowers, knowledge and “knowing things” about that knowledge makes a true gentleman… and mark my words, they may beat the crap out of each other on a daily basis, but these dudes WILL be true gentlemen (or else).

I love that they are never surprised to walk through the door to the sight of armloads of flowers on the counter ready for a barrage of vases. I love that they help pick the vases. I love that they help keep tabs on who is dying and who is thriving. I love that they know that when things start to wilt that it’s time for help. And, just so you know, it is not lost on me that this is completely euphemistic for so many other things in life. The boys learn flower names. They are starting to learn how to pull together a bouquet. They are learning life lessons every second of every day. And if it is done through flowers, or homemade food, or a big huge hug when your teacher sends a nasty gram saying you aren’t behaving (ahem… yes … current sitch) then they can come home and know that they will be welcomed with open arms and a sea of beauty to remind them that they are loved. So all in all, Shit. I guess this did kinda turn out to be a smoochy love-fest after all. Funny how that works. I hope that you fill your home with flowers, with love and, with life lessons my dears. Happy Valentine’s week and I hope you go out there and hug someone so hard they pee their pants.

XO,

Pippa

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| “FALL” REFLECTIONS | https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/11/20/fall-reflections/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fall-reflections https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/11/20/fall-reflections/#comments Tue, 20 Nov 2018 11:35:20 +0000 http://www.whatpippawants.com/?p=2415 I knew it wouldn’t last forever. Six dutiful years of our on again, off again love affair, then a recent and turbulent turn revealing a truer self… not sure of one’s footing and, starting to waiver. I had faith. I thought we could make it last. I pushed a little harder, made it work a […]

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I knew it wouldn’t last forever. Six dutiful years of our on again, off again love affair, then a recent and turbulent turn revealing a truer self… not sure of one’s footing and, starting to waiver. I had faith. I thought we could make it last. I pushed a little harder, made it work a little more. Smothered it with cheer as if to say that if I ignored the deep seeded problem it would miraculously remedy itself knowing that it was an integral part of my being… but my “Sister Mary Sunshine” approach just didn’t work, we hadn’t seen eye to eye for a while.
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I had pressured too hard. I had forced my hand and the retribution for piling on the projects was utter mutiny. One morning I found my relationship in shambles. Every thing and every emotion on the floor. A demeanor that can only be described as awkwardly downtrodden. As if slumped over in a fit of despair whimpering “enough”. It had given up. It had given out. And, oddly, it took me 10 minutes and a cup of coffee to catch my beaten breath and register that I had (uncharacteristically) lost. This stark pre-holiday realization was a devastating upset, reminiscent of a one time boyfriend’s epic and heart wrenching disappearance.
Despite my cursing, despite my furrowed brows and pursed lips, it wasn’t going to buck up. I had worn this relationship down to utter collapse and, in the process, was forced to come to terms with the hard reality that I just can’t force beings into doing my bidding without riotous reciprocity.
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A disastrous mess frustratingly abated, I set to fixing this affinity. As if to say that I could TRY and be less harsh. I audibly promised not to be a bitch and to try and treat our partnership with respect and kindness.
Filled with the remorse of the unfaithful I found myself asymptomatically begging the bejesus out of my compatriot with the hope that it was enough of an apologetic effort to make our relationship persevere through the holidays. It was a viscous dichotomy… tying to be forgiving, supportive and simultaneously holding back the frustration of having our lives resort to this, a heavy handed reliance on the glue and strappings that would only be an attempt to piece our lives back together.
Would it hold? Would my loving restraint be enough to enable us to withstand the clang of passing plates, the leaning in to revel in raucous banter into the wee hours, the heavy lift of never ending celebrations, the reaching over for seconds and ‘please pass the peas’? The daunting weight of heirlooms and linens. My heart says yes. My head says that I don’t stand a chance, that my efforts will be futile and fraught with the fear of failure in the face of family and friends. That the entire scape will come crashing down. A virtual calamity of crushed crystal and a pitiful pile of porcelain left in nothing but pieces because I didn’t care ENOUGH.
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With all hope my efforts will not go unnoticed. My willingness to concede some of my usual expectations will, with any luck, be enough evidence of my desire to continue our relationship. That the process is part of the healing. Knowing that being the foundation for family and friendships is a herculean mission. That our relationship is built on the trust of knowing one can carry their own weight in times of extreme measure. That it will take the kindness of others knowing the precarious precipice that each gathering hinges upon. That we must be more tender in our treatments and, respectful of the fragility of each of our existences.
This week of Thanksgiving and the coming weeks ahead we will remain on tender-hooks. Never knowing if this will be our last time together. Never able to truly foresee if the glue and screws used to piece our partnership back together will hold or, if the cracks in our facade will yield deeper disappointment. After all, I suppose one can only ask so much of a Dining Room Table.
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Happy Thanksgiving my dears. Be thankful, be loving and above all be sure to treat your furniture with the same respect you do your dear family and friends lest you end up like me and find yourself  grabbing the Gorilla Glue less than a week before the holiday kicks off!
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XO,
Pippa

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| PIPPA’S PUN’KIN PATCH | https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/10/02/pippas-punkin-patch/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pippas-punkin-patch https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/10/02/pippas-punkin-patch/#comments Tue, 02 Oct 2018 10:34:24 +0000 http://www.whatpippawants.com/?p=2343 For five days in a row I was rocking jeans, an ever rotating array of my favorite OCB’s (that’s Oxford Cloth Buttondowns if you were like ‘whaaaaat?’) and was stacking the shorts to be stored away… firepits, hydrangea trimming, pumpkin patches and fewer ice cubes in the vino. Fall was in full swing… THEN, I […]

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For five days in a row I was rocking jeans, an ever rotating array of my favorite OCB’s (that’s Oxford Cloth Buttondowns if you were like ‘whaaaaat?’) and was stacking the shorts to be stored away… firepits, hydrangea trimming, pumpkin patches and fewer ice cubes in the vino. Fall was in full swing… THEN, I woke up yesterday and it was bright sun in all of it’s glory and tipping the temps out at 80+… I mean USUALLY I would be like WTF, ‘cause really all I want to do is stop having to shave my legs … but, I’m secretly not ready to give up alfresco living quite yet… plus the pool is still open (win!) so this transition is hunky dory in my book.

And since, for SOME reason, I always somehow manage to get the funniest looks from people when I roll up to check out with mountains, cartloads and full on filled-to-the-brim baskets of mini pumpkins, I might as well layer it all on the old table nice and thick-like… I mean, MINI orangey goodness that is just waiting to be matched up with my Blue and White, you HAD to know I was going to keep ‘going there’.
So what actually happens with all of those little nuggets of autumn inspiration here at Witzend? Pumpkin Fauxpiaries THAT’S WHAT!  Y’all know already (if you are new here WELCOME! And take note…) if it stands still long enough I will no doubt try and paint it, glue something to it or turn it into a “faux-piary”. I used these little blue and white vases last spring for a cute daffodil version (click here) and all summer I have been waiting to take it further somehow.
Enter my hallowed hoard of mini gourds… sooo many that there was no way I wasn’t going to try and stack ‘em. And look how great they turned out! Let me tell you… aside from discovering new arm muscles I didn’t know existed, these were pretty easy to make. They would even look adorable in a little terracotta planter, or even a tea cup right? Soooo stinking cute. And how much CUTER would they be as holiday place cards?! OMG! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
So there you have it… transitional tables for fluctuating temps… or a bright bold holiday or just ‘because’. Oh WAIT!  You want to make the Fauxpiaries too?? Yipppeeee! Click here to head over to the “Make It” section so you can take a stab (haha.. get it?) at impaling and going vert’ with your own little fall finds.
Happy endless summer that’s supposed to be Fall my dears!
XO
Pippa
| SHOP THIS TABLE |
Sea Grass Placemats : World Market | Chargers: Hand Painted by Me | Blue Willow Dinner Plates: Personal Collection – Similar HERE and HERE | Chinoiserie Salad Plates: K Sweigart Collection | White Napkins: Similar HERE | Miniature fish vases: (available in store only) The Christmas Tree Shops  | Miniature Blue & White Vases: Lotus International | Potted Topiaries: Similar HERE | Double Happiness Vase: Personal Collection – Similar Favorite ones HERE and HERE | Blue Gingham Tablecloth: Similar HERE and HERE | Bamboo Flatware: Horchow | Bamboo Napkin Rings: Thrifted but some cool ones HERE | Blue Wine Glasses: Similar HERE | White Ceramic Candlesticks: Similar HERE and HERE

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| FULL TILT | https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/09/18/full-tilt/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=full-tilt https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/09/18/full-tilt/#comments Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:36:10 +0000 http://www.whatpippawants.com/?p=2268 Thank you Caspari For Sponsoring this Post! To read my full disclosure Click Here Ok… I know, I know… Fall doesn’t officially start until the 22nd… Blah Blah Blah… let me tell you something my friends, last week’s cold and rain definitely jump started my pumpkin mojo. Not a deep fall russety type of mojo, […]

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Thank you Caspari For Sponsoring this Post! To read my full disclosure Click Here

Ok… I know, I know… Fall doesn’t officially start until the 22nd… Blah Blah Blah… let me tell you something my friends, last week’s cold and rain definitely jump started my pumpkin mojo. Not a deep fall russety type of mojo, more like the ‘our pool is still open and my flowers are (kind of) still cranking’ and ‘I freak out over color’ kind of mojo – pair that with an industrial size bottle of mod podge and a slightly embarrassing freak-out when Caspari asked if I would be up for making some magic with their newest designs and BOOYAH… here we are!

I mean… CASPARI!!!!! As in, if you were to open any drawer at Witzend you would quickly find a borderline obsessive level of their products. Napkins; plates; place cards; invitations; wrapping paper; yada yada yada… let’s just say that there is plenty enough to justify the possible need for a paper goods 12 step program. You in the same boat? Yeah, I know you are, fingers crossed maybe we can get a group rate?

Not only that but you probably know me well enough by now to not be surprised that I nearly peed my pants over this Imperial Silk pattern! It’s as if Caspari READ MY MIND, spied on me, sent a team of napkin fairies to my house to figure out ‘What Pippa (actually) Wants’ and then BAM… threw down a pattern that made me hyperventilate.

So here is the deal… how lucky am I that this whole ball of wax came full speed trucking my way just in time for the temps to take a slight autumny turn AND coincide with birthday brunch in honor of my mom? Who, BTW, is more deserving of a beautiful scape to celebrate another trip around the sun than anyone I know.

So yeah, I may have gone a little nutso with the decoupage. I don’t really care ‘cause, I’m a sucker for a celebration, go gaga for a theme and, this pattern is so friggin’ gorgeous in person that if I didn’t cover every surface that stood still with it you would probably find me conspiring a way to sew it into new bedding or try and recover a chair with it.

So go forth and embrace FULL TILT Fall color, save the neutrals and browns for later, revel in the early autumn sunshine, and don’t glue your fingers together if you take on a serious craft project like this. (not that I did or anything)

XO

Pippa

 

PS: Want to see ALL of the knee knocking goodness in this new Caspari Line? Click HERE!

 

| SHOP THIS SCAPE |

Green Spot Wrapping Paper (used as covering) : Caspari | Gold Lacquer Placemats: Caspari | Chargers (made by me) | Blue Splatter Plates: Caspari | Cabbage Plates (Personal Collection) | Imperial Silk Napkins: Caspari | Green Spot Paper Linen Napkins (Amazing!!!): Caspari | Blue Willow Plates: Personal Collection | Green Acrylic Goblets: Caspari | Blue Acrylic Wine Glasses: Caspari | Gold Flatware: (Personal Collection)

 

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| SUMMER SECRETS, SOME ARE NOT | https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/08/21/summer-secrets-some-are-not/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-secrets-some-are-not https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/08/21/summer-secrets-some-are-not/#comments Tue, 21 Aug 2018 11:46:37 +0000 http://www.whatpippawants.com/?p=2237 I know, I know… it’s been a while since I’ve spilled a few beans about myself, almost a whole YEAR actually. If you are new here, you might be taking up precious minutes seconds of your day wondering “who really IS this girl Pippa? What makes that bad ass mamajama tick?” If we have been […]

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I know, I know… it’s been a while since I’ve spilled a few beans about myself, almost a whole YEAR actually. If you are new here, you might be taking up precious minutes seconds of your day wondering “who really IS this girl Pippa? What makes that bad ass mamajama tick?” If we have been peeps for a while then you probably already know what kind of ride you are in for… there are a lot of petals on this delicate flower, so let’s pluck a few shall we?
1) If it comes on a Triscuit I’ll eat it…Sure, I love the finer things in life, champagne, caviar, a perfectly constructed and memorable meal that stays in your heart forever, but I can’t live without Triscuits (or Krud Kutter or Ziplock Bags… different post). They make my world go ‘round (or square in this case). Growing up my Aunt Debby would eat cottage cheese with Triscuits almost every day… Seriously, it’s so good that every time I have it now I text her to let her know. Everything and anything else on a Triscuit? Yep… I’ll go there, can’t go wrong in my book.
2) I hate snakes. To my friends who have ever posted a picture of a snake you probably know this (please don’t do it again) but no joke, I abhor them. I’m cringing just even typing about “them”. Soon after we moved to Witzend I spied one in the yard thankfully from the safe comfort of a window, slithering off with not a care in the world. Pffft! No way man. The hubs was at work so I sent him 45 text messages that each read “SNAKE IN THE YARD! Come HOME!” … and then I didn’t go to that section of the yard for weeks. I swear, every friggin’ leaf that rustled scared the bejesus out of me, my nerves were shot for months. If you ever see ME post a pic of one of “those” things know this…either my account has been hacked or I have been kidnapped by a band of rabid vampires and I am using the picture to secretly let everyone know that I need to be rescued, it’ll be our safety word, OK? Just come get me. Please?
3) One of my biggest pet peeves are the friggin’ jackwads who drive in the left lane… all.of.the.time. People… it’s for PASSING! And ONLY for PASSSSSSSING! I also happen to have a lead foot. So much so that my dad used to call me “Shirley Muldowney” growing up (Legend). Yep, every trip has a finish line and if you find yourself lollygaggin’ in that left lane you can be sure as shit yer probably gonna see the grill of my big old bad ass black Suburban in your mirror. Stay RIGHT and nobody gets hurt… MmmKK?
4) I don’t die my hair. I mean, I did. I mean, I used to…duh. But then I got lazy (or we could politely say that life got in the way) and the grey started to come in…and then I started totally diggin’ it. Why? It’s good grey. It’s the kind of grey that says ‘I’ve earned my stripes’. I’ve made it to my mid 40’s and have a lifetime of antics under my belt (plus, um…mom of boys, hellllooooo!?) I’ve earned every friggin strand and, dag nabbit I’m going to rock it. And truthfully, I have had some dear friends not live long enough to be given the chance to embrace a few stray greys. I know for a fact that they would have if they could have. So that’s that, I’m still here, that part of the salon trip ship has sailed and I dig my grey.
5) My primary goal as a mother (other than to keep the Witzend Wee Ones alive) is to teach the boys that they can do any and everything that they want to do if they dream big enough and work hard enough. Cheesy but true. Probably why I bawl my eyes out every time someone gets the golden buzzer on AGT. My parents instilled this in me early, and I ran with it, shoooooot, sometimes I ran circles around it (and sometimes I didn’t). But it is my job now to make sure that if my boys can dream it they can do it. It may just be goals of making motorized lego contraptions and super awesome secret forts for now, but as they get older I hope that they remember that there is always a way to make their dreams come true. They better just make sure though that if one of them wants to to be a frigging juggler and run away with the circus that that circus is the BEST DAMN CIRCUS on the planet. Or if they want to dig ditches, fine.. the word needs ditch diggers too but they better dig the deepest ditches known to mankind.
~
There you have it, Now go forth and be your own best juggler or ditch digger, just make sure you aren’t juggling something crazy dangerous like knives, or balls of fire or vicious toy poodles, and that you call before you dig.
XO,
Pippa

 

 

 

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| SCENES OF SUMMER | https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/07/24/scenes-of-summer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=scenes-of-summer https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/07/24/scenes-of-summer/#comments Tue, 24 Jul 2018 10:41:23 +0000 http://www.whatpippawants.com/?p=2178 There is something cathartic about being elbow to elbow with your nearest and dearest and tucking into a big old sticky finger mess of Barbeque. The rest of the world seems to drift away, like a lens blur where, you know deep in your heart that Monday is always going to come but (thankfully) that […]

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There is something cathartic about being elbow to elbow with your nearest and dearest and tucking into a big old sticky finger mess of Barbeque. The rest of the world seems to drift away, like a lens blur where, you know deep in your heart that Monday is always going to come but (thankfully) that concept is masked by the smoky sweet haze of grill smoke. That, some of the previous week’s seemingly insurmountable problems are temporarily replaced by twilight chuckles and the clank of passing plates. Where hands are held and memories made, where the fight for the last piece of corn or the sloppy dribble of Mop sauce is more important than what happens on your Twitter feed. Where the sticky sweet remnants of the 4 giant pieces of watermelon that your kids housed while you were busy laughing at stories you have heard a thousand times makes the weekly laundry grind almost palatable.

Slow moving fireflies in the sultry summer air, the echoing sounds of laughter coming from the adults lazily digesting at the table and the fattening feeling of being happily satiated with tender food and wonderful moments. It is quintessential summer. It is nights like these that I remember best from growing up. Those which made childhood so sweet, and that we now have the honor of being tasked with creating for our boys.

And for all that to happen you need some stinkin’ good sauce. Sauce made with love. Sauce that is SO good you want to share it. Sauce that makes your taste buds shout a resounding HELL YES! from deep within and leaves you wanting more.

So here ya go… 3 from my arsenal. A little sumpt’in for everyone. Because summer memories need to be made, and we should all be spending less time searching and more time relishing the humble and happy feeling of being surrounded by those we love.

Bourbon Beer Baste  |  Carolina Mustard Sauce  |  Southern Vinegar Mop

XO,

Pippa

 

Sources:

Tobacco Leaf Cocktail Napkins, Monogrammed Pink Napkins, Pewter Pig Carving Board (similar), Pink Lanterns, Pink Melamine Dinner Plates (similar), Tin Tobacco Leaf Plates, Blue edged Deco Salad Plate, Corn Dishes, Galvanized Buckets (I got mine from The Christmas Tree Shops but here are similar if you need an online option), Ball Jars, Dressing Jar

 

 

 

 

 

 

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| TROPICAL THUNDER | https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/06/12/tropical-thunder/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tropical-thunder https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/06/12/tropical-thunder/#comments Tue, 12 Jun 2018 11:00:42 +0000 http://www.whatpippawants.com/?p=2141 Sultry… that’s the sexy way to say HOT AF. And you know that I don’t mean hot as in “man of the year” hot, or hot like “50 shades of Greige” hot… I’m talking the kind of hot where you can feel beads of sweat slowly sneaking their way down your temple and dripping into […]

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Sultry… that’s the sexy way to say HOT AF. And you know that I don’t mean hot as in “man of the year” hot, or hot like “50 shades of Greige” hot… I’m talking the kind of hot where you can feel beads of sweat slowly sneaking their way down your temple and dripping into your cleavage only to puddle in the most inopportune place as to say… “Why yes, my boobs DO end HERE” (much lower than they used to). Or, shirt soaking hot that whispers “Certainly! I would be HAPPY to share the fact that I still have that stupid tattoo on my back that I got in college” … for the record, it seemed like an AWESOME idea at the time, and YES, I will publicly go on record to confirm that my Mother WAS correct, I WOULD come to regret it one day.

I digress. It’s not summer in PA unless at some point you bring up our region’s official token 3 words… Hazy. Hot. Humid. And yep, it’s coming my friends. And if we have to bare the Amazonian environs then we can most certainly take things up a notch. So here we are… the breezy tropics in the landlocked burbs. I also guess that you may be here because I tricked you teased a little bit of a table runner story. True, it is tucked away under this swath of flowers and can barely be seen… but it’s there so I’ll try and keep it short (which is “Pippa-ese” for grab a drink and settle in kiddo).
WAAAAAAY back in the year 2k, post Millennium apocalyptic threats newly passed, I was the Chef on a 156’ sailboat called… oh crap, I signed an NDA so I actually can’t tell you but anywho, we sailed from New Zealand to Seattle… the LONG way… a South Pacific island hopping “scenic route”, if you will. My kinda trip, and if the owner weren’t such a pig headed pain in my ass it would have been WAY more fun. Again, I digress. I happened to have fly from Vanuatu to BWI to be on hand for mind eraser shots, Old Bay covered EVERYTHING and to cry my eyes out and clap until my hands throbbed when my brother graduated from USNA (GO NAVY!). Let me be the first to tell you that I won the Superintendent’s “award” for traveling the furthest for the festivities. ‘Cause yeah, it took me almost 4 days.
Why!? I mean, modern travel should have had me there in about 16 hours you say. And YES, that was the plan. However, I had a layover in Fiji. ‘OMG!’ you say. ‘Tough Life!’ you say! Well, kick me ’til I turn stupid, we found out in mid-air that Fiji was under a coup d’etat and that upon landing we were to be whisked away to safety AND that with any luck we would get off the island. Yep, let it sink in… you get to FIJI… the land of tropical milk and honey and instead of umbrella drinks you get LOCKDOWN for God knows how long… OH, and your mother will crap her britches if A) anything happens to you and B) you miss the golden child’s hat toss.
The gist is this. 36+ extra hours in a bug infested hotel room overlooking only an unkempt hedge, a half working air conditioner and not allowed by Martial order to do anything other than shelter in place- far from ideal. So yeah, Fiji was GORGEOUS… crystal waters, sharks, lush landscapes and everything you see on every island hopping oasis travel show and National Geographic picture… but I saw it from inside a shit-hole bus passing through military checkpoints and in my tropical dreams. So, you better believe that when we were released and taken back to the airport I bought every single thing I could. Baubles, bags, the runner(!) and anything else I could cram in my carry-on.  I didn’t care that is was airport tourist crap because after being on one of the world’s dreamiest islands by myself, practically in the dark, sweating, without a phone or tv (or computer btw) I lived to tell the tale.
Yes, I absolutely want to go back, but for now I just use my little runner and regale anyone who will listen that I personally have seen that the Fijian military wear sarongs AND bandito belts. (Seriously, they do!) So let’s get Tropical my friends. Hazy Hot and Humid will soon be here and there is no reason for us not to channel a little Island life if just for one night.
Bula! (Fijian ‘Cheers’) my dears!
XO
Pippa
Sources:
Rattan Placemats, Monstera Leaf Placemats, Chargers– hand painted by moi, Mahogany Plates (vintage but here are similar), Bamboo Flatware, Wine Glasses (similar),  Palm Candlesticks, Silk Palm Leaves, Pineapple Napkin Rings (I got mine from IG vintage seller @Pennvetdoc but here are some fab ones)

 

 

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|SPRING HAS SPRUNG| https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/04/24/spring-has-sprung/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spring-has-sprung https://www.whatpippawants.com/2018/04/24/spring-has-sprung/#respond Tue, 24 Apr 2018 11:26:12 +0000 http://www.whatpippawants.com/?p=2100 Ok….  For REALZZZZZZ y’all,  I am pretty sure we had (save for the scant token few days of actual warmth) 107 days of January… I mean, lemme tell ya, I would give Mother Nature the what-for but, I’m going to need her help going forward so I am pretty sure that would just be bad […]

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Ok….  For REALZZZZZZ y’all,  I am pretty sure we had (save for the scant token few days of actual warmth) 107 days of January… I mean, lemme tell ya, I would give Mother Nature the what-for but, I’m going to need her help going forward so I am pretty sure that would just be bad Juju, and it is NOT smart to mess with Juju. Plus, these last few days have been AWESOME(!!!) so, she is starting to redeem herself…

However, In light of the fact that spring was SOOOOOO far behind schedule I had to take matters in my own hands and throw down some serious Spring vibes. As in ‘cutting as many daffodils as I could fit on this table’ kind of vibes. And the kind of vibes where one, with great and frustrated fanfare, fills every single planter, pot, and vase in the house with something flowering as if to spite what is happening on the other side of the windows.
 
We’ve been CRAZZZZZZY busy here, as you may have noticed (due to my slack-ass blogger mentality) but here’s the rub… I’ve been tiling, I’ve been painting, weeding, digging, planting, more painting, edging, raking, hauling, more painting…. shoooooot my friends, we even re-roofed our pool house (finally! And, OK, I was shingle and nail lackey while my husband did the climbing stuff but, it counts!). Oh and I’ve been painting some more… actually I’m STILL painting, and probably am never NOT going to be painting. But, for now, I am procrastinating so I can toot our own horn. We have been DOING, and we somehow have managed to keep DOING what we have been doing despite my husband starting a new job AND our 6 days a week spring sports schedule (for which I would be happy to blame on the Witzend Wee Ones instead of myself who thought I wouldn’t take issue with such madness).
Do I pass out by 10pm? Yup. Hand up, raised high, this mama is whooped. BUT… When I found these cutie patootie little pots at my local garden center the other day I nearly “you know what” in my old “getting stuff done” mom-jeans…. stop the bus, hold the phone, they are tooooooo cute AND they were less than $4 each (!!!) OMG!!!!
 
So I bought every one they had, and my mojo kicked into gear on the 7 minute ride home and I had some serious REM that night about making these little floral topiaries. So, the next day I woke up and Booyah… helllloooooooo Sister Mary Sunshine! Because, there is little that compares to a Spring table. Old Mother Nature may need a few therapy sessions for the kind of havoc she’s been wrecking out there this year but, for a brief time it was full tilt boogie Spring in my kitchen. And these little “Faux-piaries” are SOOOOOOO easy to make… I mean seriously y’all… click here for the fast and furious tutorial… you’ll wonder why we haven’t been making them with every bloom that stands still and how many machinations of this little DIY we can come up with.
So, until we are fully freed of freeze warnings and I can rationalize dragging my rear to the nursery for patio plants and ‘Maters I may just keep coming back to ogle all things Spring in little squares and hope you do. Happy Spring!
Xoxo
Pippa

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