What happens when someone looks at a perfectly normal pencil sharpener and thinks, “You know what this needs? A nose.”

Well… apparently, you get a nose pencil sharpener. 👃✏️

And yes—the pencil goes right up the nostril.

Welcome to Liquid Courage & Curiosities, where we take weird objects, questionable inventions, and curious little treasures and give them the attention they absolutely did not ask for.

This episode’s star is a wonderfully ridiculous novelty pencil sharpener shaped like a human nose. Is it useful? Technically. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. Is it hilarious? Oh, absolutely.

We’re putting this bizarre desk accessory through our Weird Scale to determine whether it’s clever, cursed, comedy gold, or simply proof that somebody somewhere had a very creative afternoon.

And naturally, we needed a drink.

🥒🍸 Pickle Me This is our salty, tangy pickle-juice cocktail created specifically for this questionable occasion. Because apparently, once we're sharpening pencils through nostrils, we might as well put pickle juice in a glass.

It sounds weird.

It IS weird.

But… it actually works.

Cocktail 🍸

• 1½ oz vodka
• 1 oz pickle juice
• ½ oz lime juice
• 2 oz soda water
• Dash of hot sauce, optional
• Tajín or pickle salt rim, optional
• Pickle spear for garnish

Mocktail 🍹

• 1½ oz pickle juice
• ½ oz lime juice
• 3 oz soda water
• Dash of hot sauce, optional
• Tajín or pickle salt rim, optional
• Pickle spear for garnish

Not a pickle person? That's okay. Neither the pickle nor the nose sharpener will take it personally.

Probably.

Intro: “Speakeasy Carousel” by Ilithop — Pixabay Music
Outro: “The Great Days of Chicago” by TokyoRifft — Pixabay Music

And a big thank-you to my hubby for being part of the fun and helping bring the podcast to life! ❤️

So grab your drink, sharpen your curiosity, and join me for an object that proves one very important thing:

Just because you CAN put a pencil in a nose… doesn't necessarily mean you SHOULD.

But we're glad somebody did. 😂

Have you discovered a weird, ridiculous, or wonderfully unnecessary object that deserves its own episode?

📧 Send it my way at [email protected]

Follow Liquid Courage & Curiosities for more oddities, novelty objects, strange inventions, fun cocktails and mocktails, and the occasional questionably useful piece of nonsense.

Because life is too short for boring pencil sharpeners. 👃✏️🥒

#LiquidCourageAndCuriosities #NosePencilSharpener #WeirdObjects #Oddities #Curiosities #NoveltyItems #FunnyPodcast #PickleCocktail #PickleJuiceCocktail #Mocktail #WeirdThings #QuirkyObjects

🫖 The Teapot Nightlight: A Little Glow After Dark

What do you get when a sweet little floral teapot decides it no longer wants to pour tea and instead chooses a career in nighttime illumination?

✨ A teapot nightlight. ✨

This adorable little curiosity looks like it belongs at a cozy afternoon tea party… until you notice the plug. Because apparently, at some point, someone looked at a perfectly good teapot and thought:

“You know what this needs? Electricity.”

And honestly? We’re not mad about it.

This week on Liquid Courage & Curiosities, we’re getting cozy with a tiny glowing teapot, sipping on an Insomniac’s Tea Party, and putting our little porcelain friend into Witness Protection—because she definitely has a past.

Whether you choose lavender or chamomile, and whether you add a little liquid courage or keep things mocktail-friendly, this warm and cozy drink is the perfect companion for a late-night tea party.

So grab your favorite mug, dim the lights, and join us for a little nighttime glow, a little tea, and a teapot that may or may not be quietly supervising your late-night snack decisions. 🫖🌙✨

Choose lavender if you’re feeling fancy or chamomile if you’re ready to be wrapped in a blanket and emotionally unavailable to the rest of the evening. 😂

Both versions can be made as a cocktail or mocktail!

Cocktail

• 4+oz hot lavender tea
• 1½ vodka or gin
• ½ oz honey
• Small squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Mocktail

• 4+oz hot lavender tea
• ½ oz honey
• Small squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Cocktail

• 4+oz hot chamomile tea
• 1½ vodka or gin
• ½ oz honey
• Small squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Mocktail

• 4+oz hot chamomile tea
• ½ oz honey
• Small squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Brew your chosen tea and pour it into a heat-safe mug. Stir in the honey syrup and lemon juice. For the cocktail version, add your vodka or gin once the tea has cooled slightly.

Garnish with a lemon wheel, lavender sprig, or chamomile flowers, depending on your chosen tea.

Lavender if you’re feeling fancy. Chamomile if you’re ready to be wrapped in a blanket. Cocktail if you’re feeling courageous. Mocktail if you’re simply here for the cozy vibes.

✨Intro Music:
Speakeasy Carousel — lithop (Pixabay)

Witness Protection Segment Music:
Film Noir - 60 Seconds Big Band — Sonican (Pixabay)

Outro Music:
The Great Days of Chicago — TokyoRifft (Pixabay)

Sound Effect:
Coffee Pouring into a Cup — DRAGON-STUDIO (Pixabay)

❤️ And a special thank you to my wonderful hubby for helping bring another quirky little curiosity to the show!

📧 Have a weird object, strange antique, quirky collectible, or curious treasure you'd like to see featured? Send it my way at [email protected]!

Liquid Courage & Curiosities is your oddities podcast for antiques, curiosities, weird objects, funny history, and the delightfully strange things hiding in plain sight.

Now go pour yourself something cozy...

…and if you see a little teapot glowing in the dark?

Just smile.

She’s probably watching the hallway. 🫖🌙✨

Do I make you curious... baby? 😏

This week on Liquid Courage & Curiosities, we're getting positively shagadelic with one of the most gloriously ridiculous Christmas ornaments ever made—an Austin Powers ornament complete with Union Jack undies, textured chest hair, and enough mojo to make your tinsel blush.
✨ Would this ornament have a successful dating profile?
🍸 Was its designer a drunk genius... or simply operating at a level the rest of us may never understand?
🇬🇧 And perhaps most importantly... who looked at that magnificent chest hair and said, "Groovy... but let's add more."

Mix yourself a Hairy Chest Highball, grab your favorite holiday sweater (velvet is encouraged), and join me for a swinging trip into the wonderfully weird world of novelty Christmas décor.

Just remember...

Mojo isn't just a state of mind—apparently it's also a Christmas decorating style.

Ingredients

• 1 oz vanilla vodka
• 1 oz Irish cream liqueur
• 3 oz cola
• Splash of half-and-half (or soy creamer for a dairy-free version)
• Maraschino cherry or orange slice (optional)

InstructionsFill a highball glass with ice. Add the vanilla vodka and Irish cream. Top with cola, finish with a splash of half-and-half (or soy creamer), stir gently, and garnish if desired.

Ingredients

• 4 oz cola
• ½ oz vanilla syrup
• Splash of half-and-half (or soy creamer for a dairy-free version)
• Maraschino cherry or orange slice (optional)

InstructionsFill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the cola and vanilla syrup, add a splash of half-and-half (or soy creamer), stir gently, and garnish if you'd like.

🎵 Intro Music

• Speakeasy Carousel by iiTHOP (Pixabay)

🎶 Featured Music

• Cheerful Electro Swing by Music_For_Videos (Pixabay)

🎧 Sound Effect

• Kiss by Universfield (Pixabay)

❤️ Special ThanksA huge thank-you to my wonderful hubby for spotting this gloriously groovy ornament. Your eye for delightfully bizarre treasures keeps this podcast stocked with enough curiosities to make even Dr. Evil raise an eyebrow.

Until next time, keep your curiosity groovy, protect your mojo, and remember...

Some Christmas ornaments sparkle. Others arrive wearing Union Jack undies and enough chest hair to deserve their own zip code. 😎🎄

Step aside, modern technology—this week on Liquid Courage & Curiosities we're taking a look at a fascinating antique stereoscope that may have been transporting people to scenic waterfalls, castles, and faraway places long before virtual reality was a thing. 👓✨

This incredible find came from Old Colorado City, where it was discovered (by Katie featured in this episode and me) at Antique Legacy. The tag on the piece actually said 1887, which immediately sent us down a rabbit hole of Victorian technology, optical illusions, and a completely randomly possibly reasonable theory involving cyclops-detection equipment.

Join us as we explore one of the most fascinating antiques and curiosities we've encountered so far, learn how stereoscopes transformed ordinary photographs into immersive 3D experiences, and visit the newly established Department of Historical Shenanigans, where we find the nearest available person, declare them a specialist, and immediately ignore them in favor of increasingly ridiculous theories.

Along the way, we'll discover how people in the 1800s experienced the world without leaving home, why this simple wooden device was once cutting-edge entertainment, and why humans have apparently always been looking for new ways to escape reality for a few minutes.

A huge thank you to our friend Katie for lending a helping hand during this adventure! ❤️

If you love an oddities podcast filled with antiques and curiosities, weird objects, funny history, and questionable conclusions, this episode is for you.

• ​2 oz spiced rum
• ​¾ oz blackberry syrup
• ​½ oz fresh lime juice
• ​Ginger beer
• ​1–2 dashes aromatic bitters

Shake the rum, blackberry syrup, and lime juice with ice. Strain over fresh ice, top with ginger beer, and add bitters. Garnish with a blackberry and mint.

• ​¾ oz blackberry syrup
• ​½ oz fresh lime juice
• ​Ginger beer
• ​½ oz spiced simple syrup (cinnamon and clove)
• ​Optional dash of non-alcoholic bitters

Shake blackberry syrup, lime juice, and spiced syrup with ice. Strain over fresh ice, top with ginger beer, and garnish the same way for matching vibes and matching chaos.

Special thanks to my hubby for providing his awesome voice in the intro.

Additional thanks to my friend Katie for helping with this episode.

🎵 Intro music: "Speakeasy Carousel" by lithop (Pixabay)

🎵 Outro music: "Positive Electro Swing" by Music-for-Videos

Got a strange antique, weird object, unusual collection, or historical oddity you'd like us to cover?

📧 [email protected]

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YNfdiKavqK5bxn5xpvv8B?si=XoMFy3uTQz6_EdrMKt-DSg

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liquid-courage-and-curiosities/id1890033892

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-liquid-courage-and-curiosi-326899576/

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8483f685-f5c6-46e1-aab0-259bd3bc6b4a/liquid-courage-and-curiosities

TuneIn, Podchaser, and other major podcast platforms.

Sip something good, question something weird, and we'll see you next time. 🍻✨

⚠️ Tiny apology in advance if you hear a couple random bumping sounds during the courtroom scene 😂 I shifted my computer while recording on the couch and somehow created accidental courtroom sound effects. Naturally, I didn’t notice until everything was already recorded and finished… so honestly it kind of fits the chaos of this episode anyway.

In this hilariously chaotic episode of Liquid Courage & Curiosities, we put one of the most questionable “just in case” items EVER on trial. Are these backup undies genius preparedness… or evidence that someone has truly seen too much?

From suspicious road trips to gas station regret, this episode dives headfirst into bizarre inventions, weird objects, and the kind of funny history that makes you laugh and immediately question humanity. We also discuss the phrase “fits most adults” like the threat it clearly is, tackle some very bold Taylor Swift Eras Tour dedication, and investigate one tiny tin carrying an uncomfortable amount of emotional weight.

If you want to see the actual Emergency Underpants for yourself, you can find them here:
https://mcphee.com/products/uh-oh-emergency-underpants

🍹 DRINK FEATURE — Spare Pair Spritz

Because if your day has reached emergency underpants level… you deserve a drink that at least feels a little classy.

The Spare Pair Spritz is light, peachy, crisp, and ridiculously easy to sip. It’s refreshing enough to feel like a reset button for your life choices, with just enough sparkle to make the chaos feel manageable. Basically? It tastes like pretending everything is under control.

🍹Cocktail Version:🍹
3 oz Prosecco
1 oz peach nectar or juice
Splash of soda water

🍹Mocktail Version:🍹
3 oz peach juice
2 oz sparkling water
Splash of lemon-lime soda

Optional garnish: peach slice or lemon twist

Bonus tip: Want the mocktail to feel closer to the cocktail version? Try alcohol-free Prosecco (yes, it exists and you can find it online). Some reviews say it’s not super bubbly, but it still gives strong “I’m having a real drink” energy.

Huge thank you to the Hubby!! for his awesome voice in the intro, sharing his thoughts on the Spare Pair Spritz, and absolutely committing to the courtroom chaos in this episode. We were cracking up behind the scenes recording this one 🤣💛

🎶 Contributions

Intro song: “Speakeasy Carousel” by lithop (Pixabay)
Outro song: “Positive Electro Swing | Fun” by Music-for-Videos (Pixabay)

Got a weird object you want featured? A drink idea I should try? Or something so bizarre it deserves its own courtroom trial?

📧 [email protected]

🎧 Listen on:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YNfdiKavqK5bxn5xpvv8B?si=XoMFy3uTQz6_EdrMKt-DSg

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liquid-courage-and-curiosities/id1890033892

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-liquid-courage-and-curiosi-326899576/episode/989-magic-fm-5409?app=listen

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8483f685-f5c6-46e1-aab0-259bd3bc6b4a/liquid-courage-and-curiosities

and more…

What happens when antique (or at least vintage) doll parts… get a second life as floral décor?

In this delightfully unhinged episode of Liquid Courage & Curiosities, we explore a bizarre and beautiful oddities expo find—porcelain doll heads, arms, and legs turned into planters, filled with dried flowers and delicate book page blooms.

It’s giving vintage charm…
it’s giving creative reuse…
it’s also giving why does this feel like it’s watching me?

While we don’t know the exact age of these dolls, they likely date somewhere in the early-to-mid 1900s—back when porcelain dolls were popular, delicate, and very easy to break. Instead of being tossed, pieces like these often found new life… and today, they’ve been transformed into something equal parts elegant and slightly unsettling.

Then things take a turn as we’re hit with an aggressively enthusiastic Infomercial From Hell, pitching “The Porcelain Bloom Collection” like it’s the must-have home décor item of the century… whether we like it or not.

If you love an oddities podcast packed with weird objects, antiques and curiosities, and funny history, you’re in the right place.

Pretty, floral, and just a little suspicious—this drink fits the vibe perfectly.

• 1.5–2 oz vodka (adjust to preference)
• ¾ oz rose syrup
• Splash of lemon juice
• More-than-a-splash cranberry juice
• ~⅓ oz water

Shake or stir with ice and serve chilled. Garnish with a lemon slice or dried rose petals if you’re feeling fancy.

• Lemonade
• ½–¾ oz rose syrup (to taste)
• More-than-a-splash cranberry juice
• Tiny splash of water (optional)

Serve over ice for that same soft pink, slightly eerie aesthetic.

We want to see it!!

Send photos, stories, or your favorite strange finds to:
📧 [email protected]

A huge thank you to my amazing hubby for lending his voice to the intro and occasionally popping into episodes—you’re the best 🖤

🎵 Intro music: “Speakeasy Carousel” by lithop (Pixabay)
🎵 Background music: “Positive Electro Swing | Fun” by Music-for-Videos (Pixabay)
🎵 Spooky background: “Spooky Horror” by BFCMUSIC (Pixabay)
🔊 Sound effect: “Breaking a Vase (remix)” by freesound_community (Pixabay / Freesound)

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6YNfdiKavqK5bxn5xpvv8B?si=XoMFy3uTQz6_EdrMKt-DSg

Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liquid-courage-and-curiosities/id1890033892

iHeartRadio:
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-liquid-courage-and-curiosi-326899576/episode/989-magic-fm-5409?app=listen

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8483f685-f5c6-46e1-aab0-259bd3bc6b4a/liquid-courage-and-curiosities

What do you get when you combine a formal living room, a dramatic vintage lady, and a box of tissues?

Apparently…a woman whose skirt is liCHrully full of emotional support.

In this episode of Liquid Courage & Curiosities, your go-to oddities podcast, we’re diving into one of the most wonderfully unnecessary pieces of antiques and curiosities we’ve seen yet — the lady dress tissue box.

Why did this exist?Who decided tissues needed this level of elegance?And how many emotional breakdowns has she silently witnessed over the years?

We explore the function, the vibes, and the absolute drama of this weird object, complete with a dating profile that proves she’s classy, supportive… and maybe just a little judgmental.

And of course, we’ve got the perfect drink pairing:The Ugly Cry Punch — sweet, slightly dramatic, and officially rated 5 out of 5 stars by my hubby (because yes… it’s sweet).

This episode blends funny history, vintage charm, and a whole lot of personality — because around here, curiosity always comes with a drink in hand.

💌 Got a weird object you want featured?A drink idea I should try?Or something so bizarre it needs to be discussed?

Send it my way (bonus points for photos 👀)

📧 [email protected]

(Tip: a standard shot glass is about 1½ oz if you want an easy way to measure!)

• ​1½ oz white rum or coconut rum
• ​3 oz pineapple juice
• ​¼ oz fresh lemon juice
• ​½ oz grenadine

Add everything to a glass with ice and stir gently.

(Optional: garnish with a cherry or orange slice for extra drama.)

• ​3 oz pineapple juice
• ​2 oz lemonade
• ​½ oz grenadine
• ​2 oz sparkling water

Add pineapple juice, lemonade, and grenadine over ice, then top with sparkling water and give it a light stir.

A huge shoutout to my amazing hubby for his awesome voice in the intro — and for occasionally joining in on the fun throughout the episodes 💛

Intro music:“Speakeasy Carousel” by lithop (Pixabay)

Dating profile voice:Generated using ElevenLabs – “Samara X (Smooth Classy British)”

Sound effects:“Sneeze” by starplatinums (Freesound via Pixabay)

Background music:“Positive Electro Swing | Fun” by Music-for-Videos (Pixabay)

🎧 You can listen on:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YNfdiKavqK5bxn5xpvv8B?si=XoMFy3uTQz6_EdrMKt-DSg

Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liquid-courage-and-curiosities/id1890033892⁠

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-liquid-courage-and-curiosi-326899576/episode/989-magic-fm-5409?app=listen

Amazon Music: ⁠https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8483f685-f5c6-46e1-aab0-259bd3bc6b4a/liquid-courage-and-curiosities⁠

…and more!

🍸 Drink Recipe — The Ugly Cry PunchAlcoholic Version🥤 Non-Alcoholic Version🎵 Credits & Contributions

This week on Liquid Courage & Curiosities, we’re diving into a small but mighty mystery… a bubbly little piece of botryoidal quartz from Colorado that looks suspiciously like grapes… and somehow ended up with a tiny wizard cat sitting on top of it.

Naturally, we had questions.

Is it geology?Is it decor?Is it the beginning of a quest?

We may not have answers… but we did name it.

Introducing: grape rock. 🍇

And of course, we paired it with a drink to match the chaos — the ✨ Sparkling Crystal Elixir ✨ — a shimmery sip that looks like it came straight out of a wizard’s cabinet (complete with grape garnish, because we commit to a theme).

Huge thanks to my amazing man for lending his voice to the intro, popping in mid-episode, and delivering that perfectly dramatic “booming” voice moment — truly iconic.

• ​1½ oz vodka or gin
• ​½ oz elderflower liqueur
• ​2–3 oz lemonade
• ​pinch edible shimmer
• ​ice
• ​grapes (garnish 🍇)

Stir gently over ice and garnish with grapes.

• ​3 oz lemonade
• ​1 oz elderflower syrup (or honey simple syrup)
• ​splash soda water
• ​pinch edible shimmer
• ​ice
• ​grapes (garnish 🍇)

Stir gently over ice and garnish with grapes.

Got a weird object you want featured? A drink idea I should try? Or something so bizarre it needs to be discussed?

Send it my way (bonus points for photos 👀)

📧 [email protected]

Music:

• ​Speakeasy Carousel by lithop
• ​The Great Days of Chicago by TokyoRifft

Sound Effects:

• ​Straw Slurp by freesound_community
• ​Fairy Sparkle (Long) by humordome
• ​Synth Cricket by freesound_community
• ​Magic Descend 3 by BenKirb

Courtesy of Pixabay.

You can listen on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YNfdiKavqK5bxn5xpvv8B?si=XoMFy3uTQz6_EdrMKt-DSg

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liquid-courage-and-curiosities/id1890033892

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-liquid-courage-and-curiosi-326899576/episode/989-magic-fm-5409?app=listen

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8483f685-f5c6-46e1-aab0-259bd3bc6b4a/liquid-courage-and-curiosities

and more…

Pour something fun, keep your curiosities close… and I’ll see you next time for another questionable treasure. ✨

This episode of Liquid Courage & Curiosities features a tiny treasure chest… with teeth.

Found at an Oddities & Curiosities Expo, this little monster box looks like it escaped straight out of a dungeon crawl and decided to live on my shelf instead. With sharp fangs, suspicious eyes, and serious “do not open” energy, this might be the only storage container that could bite back.

To match the chaos, tonight’s drink is The Mimic Bite, made two ways —a fizzy black cherry, lime, and ginger mocktail,or the tavern-approved version with a shot of rum for extra courage.

We also put this questionable little treasure on trial for fun, because any box with teeth probably has something to answer for.

Special shout-out to my man for the awesome intro voice!Intro & outro music: The Great Days of Chicago by TokyoRifft (Pixabay)Sound effects were mostly homemade, with the straw/slurp from freesound_community.

Thanks for listening to Liquid Courage & Curiosities.

You can listen on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YNfdiKavqK5bxn5xpvv8B?si=XoMFy3uTQz6_EdrMKt-DSg

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liquid-courage-and-curiosities/id1890033892

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-liquid-courage-and-curiosi-326899576/episode/989-magic-fm-5409?app=listen

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8483f685-f5c6-46e1-aab0-259bd3bc6b4a/liquid-courage-and-curiosities

and more…

Pour something fun, keep your curiosities close… and I’ll see you next time for another questionable treasure. ✨

#monster #treasurechest #odditiesexpo #oddities #drinks

This is the trailer for Liquid Courage & Curiosities, where strange objects, themed drinks, and slightly suspicious stories come together for a fun, cozy, and sometimes dramatic deep-dive.
Each episode features one curious find, a cocktail and non-alcoholic pairing, and plenty of humor, speculation, and entertainment along the way.
If it makes me stop, stare, and say “I don’t fully understand this… but I need it,” it’s probably going to be on the show.

Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pocketcasts, and more.

Sound & Music Credits (Pixabay):
Gavel of Justice — IntrepidMedia
Beverage Can — ShidenBeatsMusic
Spark Groove Electro Swing — Music-for-Videos