Well, the crazy clever alarm clocks by Nanda Home landed on the front page of The New York Times Home section today. If you’re like Whitney on A Different World and need to hire Dwayne Wayne and Ron’s SHAKE ME WAKE ME morning business to get you out of bed (I miss that show), Tocky and brother Clocky will literally drive you so nuts you have to get up.  Here’s what writer Farhod Monjoo had to say after reviewing several aggressive alarm clocks:

The most straightforward gadget I tested was Clocky. Invented in 2005 by an M.I.T. graduate student, Gauri Nanda, Clocky is an alarm clock on wheels. When it’s the hour to rise, the $39 timepiece emits a cute bubbly animal sound, rolls off your night stand and trundles around your bedroom in the manner of a headless chicken. This behavior is quite adorable when you test the clock during the day. First thing in the morning, it’s not so endearing.

Tocky, Clocky’s bubble-shape successor, has the same problem. It’s better looking than Clocky, and it can play MP3s in addition to sounding alarms. But at $60 [note, we sell them for $58], Tocky is more expensive than Clocky, and just as infuriating. In fact, that’s the point — your rage at springing out of bed to catch the blasted clock is supposed to invigorate you. But is that the best way to start the day? I’m sure that the cliché that couples aren’t supposed to go to bed angry applies to waking, too.

While the author isn’t so sure waking up annoyed and enraged at one’s clock, he acknowledges their effectiveness! And seriously, unless you’re Cinderella with a bunch of birds and mice getting you ready in the morning while you chirp out a happy song, who doesn’t wake up annoyed and enraged at having to get up early?  The point is that you’re up, right?

Edward Zitron recently contacted me to ask if we’d be interested in sharing information about HomeTalk with you. HomeTalk is a community of homeowners, renters and home improvement pros who enjoy sharing ideas and advice about home and gardening. After checking it out, I said mos def (just kidding, I know I can’t get away with “mos def” no matter how many episodes of The Wire I have memorized, but I did say yes) and asked him if he would be willing to write us up a little guest post to give you all a taste of what HomeTalk is all about. Take it away Edward! -Becky

Hometalk is a great community to learn from; you can ask questions of and interact with hundreds of thousands of homeowners. You can share and be inspired by projects going on throughout the country in everything from roofing to gardening to upcycling. Speaking of upcycling, HomeTalk’s community boards have been full of members sharing how they’ve turned other peoples’ trash into their own treasures lately. Here are three fun examples.

Inspired by Donna from Funky Junk Interiors, HomeTalk member Laura (of The Ironstone Nest blog) crafted the cool and quirky outdoor sofa from 4x4s, 3x3s and a few pallets:

HomeTalk member Deb B shared “So I have finally run out of clay pots and have moved on to the next best thing. Coffee cans, soup cans, paint cans, teapots, chandelier parts and even anchovy cans for the feet. Meet my newest garden helper:”

Don’t kick yourself for knocking over that clay pot last week, upcycle it like HomeTalk member Cith did!

The best aspect of this project is that it’s completely free; turn the pot cracked-side down in your planting bed and watch as your old flowers take on new life. A similar look can be achieved on a larger scale by turning an old bathtub on its side and filling it with your favorite bulbs and annuals.

Oftentimes, the best upcycling ideas come from simply visualizing an everyday item in a new way. So the next time you go to throw out that used mayonnaise jar, just remember, you can easily make an outdoor light, a terrarium or a hurricane out of it.

Do any of you have some home projects planned for over the weekend? I wrote a guest post for Lovely Indeed this week where I was showing three super-chic offices, and then realized I had not set foot in either of my home office spaces (one is a former garage, one shares space with a litter box; don’t go thinking I live in some sort of fancy manse) in months. The filing had stacked up, the dust had stacked up even higher, and in the garage-turned-office my face hit cobwebs as soon as I walked in the door. Yuck.

Misewell Tokyo_I Desk Lamp

A preliminary deep clean was worth the effort, because I got big rewards (try not to get too jealous). I found my autographed picture of STYX and a letter my friend wrote me in junior high that said “I am so annoyed. The stupid Iran-Contra hearings keep preempting Santa Barbara” which totally cracked me up and made me feel ancient at once.

If you have cooler weather than I do, why not get outside this weekend? You could start an herb garden. I’m not saying you have to do the entire yard like on this house in Provincetown, Massachusetts, but you could simply pick up some basil, rosemary and thyme plants when you are grocery shopping and create a small edible container garden. There’s nothing better than running outside for fresh basil for a little tomato, mozzarella basil treat in the summer.

Loll Designs 405 Chaise

If you have any weekend projects going on, drop us a line in the comments section and let us know what you’re up to. If you’re doing nothing but hanging out at the pool, please drop me a line and invite me over and I’ll forget all about the organizing!

Hi Everyone! What have you been clickin’ this week? I have to admit I’ve gotten lazy; so many of the people I follow on Facebook post such cool things that it’s become my new blog reader. I think I get about half of my favorite links from my FB peeps! Here are five of the best:

I’ve seen plastic water bottles turned into a lot of interesting things over the past few years, but these huge fish on the beach in Rio are the coolest.

These 8-16 story high trees in Singapore are so much cool than those cell phone towers that are supposed to blend in as pine trees but are oddly 40 feet higher than the treeline. These Supertrees collect and “generate solar power, collect rainwater, and act as ventilation ducts for plant conservatories beneath them.”  More on discovery.com.

Now that’s a good present! Sculptor and avid dumpster diver Matt Buttrill crafted this yoga studio for his wife from 75% recycled materials, including the beautiful windows. Check out Popular Mechanics’ slideshow of 10 Super-Green Sheds.

The Herculean restoration of Mies van de Rohe’s Villa Tugendhat in Brno, Czech Republic is very inspiring. If someone had put the slideshow on fast forward and paused at the unexpected curves in the house, I woud have sworn it was a Corb villa. Check out the full story and slideshow on Wallpaper* magazine’s site. If you can’t make it to Moravia, check out the exhibition in London this summer.

What did you enjoy looking at/reading about online this week? Please share links in the comments section.

I have a confession: working in the modern design industry has turned me into a complete design snob (I mean this in a very positive way, of course).  I used to wander into a furniture store and have no clue what the various pieces of wood, metal, and plastic staring back at me were saying.  However, being that I come from a background in fashion, I could tell you all about clothing – and pinpointing the standout items, brands, and trends was second nature to me.  Now that I’ve been in this world for almost a year I’m beginning to feel the same way about modern design – I can tell you all about the industry and about standout items and brands.

Which is why I’m so excited to share my passion for Spot on Square – this is a brand that truly stands out – it shimmers with awesome.

In the sea of modern design, Spot on Square’s line of simple, eco-conscious, quality products truly shine.  The company was started by husband and wife team, Bob and Nicole Springer (an industrial designer and teacher, respectively) who used their combined knowledge to break into the world of modern furnishings. Spot on Square began their line specifically for children but it has morphed into a line that is fitting for folks at any point in their lives – the products are so well-designed that they can carry you through a number of life stages – from bringing home a new baby all the way to retirement!

Pictured are the Spot on Square Roh Credenza and the Spot on Square Roh Bookshelf

Pictured are the Spot on Square Roh Dresser and the Spot on Square Roh Nightstand

I’ll be honest – chances are that there are no babies in my future.  I already have two kids and well, my clock is quickly running out of time over here.  But when I look at the Spot on Square Roh Crib, I have to say that it almost makes me reconsider my decision. Almost.  Then I remind myself that having the opportunity to design a really cool, modern nursery is simply no reason to bring a child into this world.  And I almost convince myself.  Almost.  And let me just tell you – I’ve spent a lot of time shopping for cribs and other nursery decor (it’s a sickness, really) and I can tell you without hesitation that Spot on Square makes some of the coolest modern cribs on the market.

And don’t just take my word for it.  I have proof.

Pictured is the Spot on Square Roh Crib

Pictured is the Spot on Square Eicho Crib

Pictured is the Spot on Square Hiya Crib, converted to a toddler bed

See what I mean?

If you are expecting, or know someone who is expecting, I encourage you to check out Spot on Square. Their furniture would make an awesome addition to anyone creating the perfect modern nursery.  It’s also your lucky day because we here at Design Public haver partnered with our friends at Spot on Square to give away one of their gorgeous Eicho cribs to one of our readers here on Hatch!  Use the form below to enter – we will draw a winner sometime after July 1, 2012.  Please share with your family and friends – we would love for one of our awesome fans to win!

Thanks for entering, and good luck!

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