Friday, October 29, 2010

Oz, the Loyal Babysitter

It's times like this that we remember why we love Oz. This knee surgery will give him a longer, more fulfilling life. And every kid deserves to grow up with a puppy pal.


<3 to everyone who has placed orders! Don't forget, the Holidays are right around the corner. Email me at lordozwald (at) gmail.com so you won't be scrambling at the last minute for gifts!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Coffee Cat Coasters

Ever picked up your coffee cup, only to realize that you've left a stain on your desk, table or papers? Well, fret no more! Even if you manage to leave a ring on these coasters, it'll only add to their catty charm!






Each of these cats are unique and based on authentic, caffeine-laden stains. Want to raise your cup and be greeted with a happy cat? Can do! Prefer to maliciously squish a smug cat with your cup? That can be done, too! Need a set of various cat personalities to suit you day-to-day? No problem!

These misfits run $4/pair. If you prefer a darker cat, they can be made with a stronger coffee or tea.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Wide Waffle Scarf


This tricolor scarf features a distinct basket weave (or “waffle”) pattern. Measuring 7" wide and 50" long, this is a chunky scarf with some serious warmth. The tassels measure 10.5" but can be trimmed to any desired length.




This scarf is $15 and is available in different colors (and dimensions) upon request.

(Skinny) Black Scarf

Not a big fan of those extra-wide scarves? Then this scarf is for you, allowing you to keep your neck warm while not making it feel like you've got a sleeping bag wrapped around your throat.

This loosely-knitted scarf measures roughly 4" wide by 72" long and is super soft (and warm!). The  9.5" tassels can be kept long or trimmed to whatever length you desire.




This scarf is $10 and is available in different colors (and dimensions) upon request.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Love & Food Decor Tiles

Do you love food? Do you really love food? Do you want other people to know how much you really love food? Of course you do!!!

Thia "love food"/"food love" tile set is meticulously stenciled and painted on tumbled ceramic tiles. Each one comes with a sawtooth hanger firmly attached to the back for wall display.

 

These tiles are actually quite red (despite what the product picture shows).
These tiles run $5/pair. Custom words can be done upon request (though pretty much limited to 4 letters due to stencil size). Different colored tiles can be requested but the final price will depend on the cost of materials.

Leopard Print Display

How many times have you rummaged through your jewelry box, looking for a matching earring? Or maybe your necklaces are getting tangled. Or MAYBE you forget about all the awesome pieces you have because they’re all buried in the jewelry box (aka, the black hole). Out of sight, out of mind, right? It’s like a much more expensive toy chest. You only know what you have based on what’s on top or what’s scattered around on the dresser.

Well, it’s time to get organized! Hang earrings, bracelets and necklaces.  Heck, if it can be hooked on or tied to the sturdy galvanized steel mesh, DO IT! Keep your prized items in view and within reach while creating a spiffy wall decor accent! Just like decorating with old books, using refurbished picture frames makes you look intelligent AND trendy.



This sexy little piece runs a cool $15. It can be mounted for vertical or horizontal hanging. This particular frame is sold but I can make more!

Rainbow Wrist Warmers!

Whether you're nostalgic for Rainbow Brite, showing your support for LGBT or you just like the pretty colors... Oh, who am I kidding?! Putting on these wrist warmers transports you back to the gaudy 80's and you suddenly find yourself singing the "Punky Brewster" theme song. Which is awesome. Yes, even in public.


Each pair costs 15 chickens (that's 80's slang for $15). That would have only been $7 back in 1984! Buy them now, because after another 26 years inflation will have driven them up to $22!

Twisted Lace Wrist Warmers!

I am proud to say that this knit pattern is 100% mine. With alternating sections of knitting and lacing, you get plenty of warmth without sacrificing style. The lacing technique created a surprise "twist" in the work that honestly just makes it that much more awesome. What can I say? I exude greatness, and some of that greatness has apparently rubbed off on these babies!



These sexy girls are $15/pair and can be done in any color I can find.

Ruffled Wrist Warmers!

Is your winter coat neglecting your hands and wrists? Maybe you've had a sudden growth spurt, or maybe your dryer used a little too much tough love on your garments. Whatever the reason, these babies are for you! The lacing pattern and ruffles of these knit warmers provide a cute accent to any coat while protecting those delicate digits from frostbite.



These beauties are running $15/pair. They can be made in pretty much any color (ie, any color I can find). The length of the forearm portion can be increased in future versions or kept shorter to limit coat-wristie conflicts.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Girls Night Out Coasters

It's time to work up a buzz with your girlfriends, and what better surface to rest your drink on than these flirty, chic coasters? Whether you're brandishing wine, liquor or beer, these coasters have you covered. Unfortunately, they can't protect your table from any party fouls that occur once the glass leaves their surface.




These 4"x4" alcohol buddies are available in any number (2 or more) at $4/pair.
They are also available in 6"x6" tiles for $6/pair.

Android Logo Coasters

No one can resist the cuteness. And who would want to?

Those beady little eyes staring into your soul. Those pointy little antennae listening to your thoughts. That stunning trademark shade of green, hex color #A4C639.

Let him lull you into a false sense of security as he dutifully holds your drink. He plans on slipping you mind-controlling substances in while you're not looking.


These 4"x4" androids come in any number (2 or more) at $4/pair. They can be placed in any position on the coaster. This set just shows a few options.
They can also be made on 6"x6" tiles for $6/pair.

Zebra Print Coasters

Rawr, baby, rawr!

Unleash your inner animal with these sexy herbivore coasters. They add a bit of flair to any decor. They also know their place in the food chain, patiently holding your beverage container of choice without complaint.


These 4"x4" beauties come in a herd size of 2 or more at $4/pair.
They are also available in 6"x6" tiles at $6/pair.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Yes, We're Open!

Hi everyone and welcome to Lord Ozwald's Curious Goods. Who is Lord Ozwald, and what are these "curious goods" that he sells? Well, let me explain...

My name is Lauren. Oz (aka, Lord Ozwald; aka, Ozzy; aka, Ozzybodens; aka, Bobo) is a Rottweiler that my husband MJ and I adopted at the end of January 2009. We had been robbed just six months after moving into our first home and had decided to get a second dog (one of a larger breed) who could act as a deterrent to future burglars while serving as a loving and loyal companion to us. We already had a rescued 3-year old Feist mix named Dizzy and five rescued cats (Fiona, Jekyll, Gremlin, Jinx and Mojo), but we had always planned to get a second dog so Dizzy could have a playmate.

What we ended up with was a shy, 6-week old puppy who wanted nothing more than to spend every waking moment with us. We even took turns sleeping on the floor with him the first couple nights because he would cry to the point of hyperventilating when we crated him. We knew he would never be a real guard dog and we had no desire to make him one. We just wanted a giant teddy bear who looked tough. :)



In April 2009, I became pregnant with our daughter. Some people worried that a Rottweiler would be dangerous to have around a child, but we knew the real Ozzy. Sadly, the criminals in our area realized that he was nothing more than a big baby and we were robbed again. Fearing for our own safety as well as that of our pets and our future daughter (we had a full security system installed prior to the FIRST burglary), we finally bit the bullet and put our house up for sale.

Fast forward to December 2009. Our house was still up for sale (not even a single offer) and our daughter Tessa was born on the 18th, the day before Oz's first birthday! He fell in love with her and became her diligent protector and companion. He would check on her with she cried and lay by her when she was in her swing or bouncer.


When I returned to work in March 2010, all hell broke loose. We had numerous attempted break-ins (including one on my first day back at work!). Despite still having our house on the market with no offers, we knew we had to get out RIGHT THEN. We found a new home (a much better one in a MUCH better area) and relocated. While this made us feel more secure we now had the financial burden of a second mortgage in addition to the added costs of raising an infant. Add in the drama that we almost couldn't get homeowner insurance on the new house due to the claims on the old house and that the company insuring our old house DROPPED US, and you've got a tight situation.

Anyway, back to our Ozzy. Despite all the drama and all the stress he has always been our loving pup. He loves us, loves our other pets, loves our family and friends and can't understand why anyone wouldn't want to give him butt scratches. Since he was roughly 6 months old, he had suffered from intermittent leg and joint pain. The vet had diagnosed it as panosteitis ("growing pains") and a short regiment of anti-inflammatories seemed to be enough. In August 2010, things got worse again and I took him in for another assessment.

Oz was diagnosed with torn cranial cruciate ligaments in both back knees. His left knee is significantly worse than his right. The fusion and swelling in the joint is pronounced and arthritis is already detectable on X-rays. Oz was only 20 months old and already becoming crippled with arthritis. His right knee, while much better, was showing early signs of swelling (probably partially due to shifting most of his weight off his left knee). The vets unanimously agreed that Oz needs a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). This is an intensive surgery that runs roughly $3,000 plus aftercare physical therapy costs. It's also reported that 40-60% of all dogs that need the surgery in one knee will need it for the other within 2 years.

For now, Oz is on a weight loss program to minimize the stress on his joints and has been prescribed pain medicine for his "bad days." Ultimately, he will need the surgery. If the ligament ruptures, he will need the surgery immediately. Our goal is to manage his condition so that surgery can wait until after our old house is sold (it's now being sold as a a short sale at nearly $45,000 less than the balance of our mortgage... UGH!) and we can put away enough money to put a good dent in the veterinary costs.


This is where Curious Goods comes into play. Neither MJ nor I like to take handouts (we've already taken some monetary help from family to ensure financial stability while we try to get out from under the second mortgage), so I wanted to come up with a more creative way to raise the money. I've always loved to do crafts (painting, knitting, etc), so why not focus this hobby into a way to raise the money? I can do it in my free time, which means I still get to spend time with my husband and daughter. It also gives me a creative outlet, something I've neglected for a long time thanks to all the house drama.

I try to use reclaimed items whenever possible. Not only does this keep my costs down, but it also benefits the thrift stores and re-sell stores that I purchase them from. (Why spend $15 on a brand new picture frame that I'm going to paint when I can get a similar item from a thrift store for $3?) Right now most of the items involve tiles (coaster sets, wall art, etc) and picture frames (display frames or decorated picture frames). I also do knitted projects (scarves, wrist warmers, etc) and baked goods (dog treats and human treats!). In addition to coming up with my own designs, I encourage people to request custom designs and suggest new craft ideas.

Anyway, I just wanted to give everyone a better idea of what this whole thing is about. I was hesitant to create a blog (hearing "blog" used as a verb actually makes me cringe at times), but this medium will be much more manageable than some other options and make the products available to those who don't have accounts on social networking sites. It's going to take me a few days to get most of the current items posted, so please bear with me. Once it's all caught up, I should be able to update regularly.

Thanks for checking out Lord Ozwald's Curious Goods! Please feel free to email me at lordozwald@gmail.com regarding item inquiries or suggestions!