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In the interest of time...

This seemed appropriate as I'm running late in posting today...

I have a very poignant memory of the cuckoo clock that was in our living room when I was a kid. It's a sad memory from the day my grandfather died. Suffice it to say that I had an early lesson in the yin and yang of life when receiving heartbreaking news while listening to a cuckoo clock happily trill the news of 9 a.m.

Cuckoo clocks, you see, are just fun. There's hardly room for sadness when they're singing their tunes. And a shiny cuckoo clock? Well, let's just say it's the right clock for the right time.

I've had my eye on this clock from Fred Flare for a long time. It's about as opposite, in a design sense, from my other favorite clock as can be. But what can I say? I'm like a crow - I'm drawn to shiny things.

This one plays several tunes for your hourly enjoyment - 12, to be exact, including Oh, Susanna! and Fur Elise.

Think of the happiness you could bring to your boyfriend's cubicle...or daughter's playroom...or even just your kitchen this holiday season. This would even make a cute hostess gift.

Mine will be hanging in the living room, to stick with me through happy times and sad.

Shiny cuckoo clock, $16, FredFlare.com

tick, tock, tick tock...

...you're gonna practically steal this clock...

I know what you're thinking. You've seen this before, haven't you? You're wondering, why bother writing a design blog if you're not going to show me something fresh, something new, something undiscovered?

Because this blog is not only about great design, but great deals, too. That's why. And oh, do I have a good one for you here!

The wood LED clock shown here is officially called the TO:CA 'wood' LED clock, designed by Kouji Iwasaki in 2002. And according to UnicaHome, which offers the clock for $176, it won top prize at the Asahikawa International Design Fair in 2002.

I've seen this clock in the most fabulous places. In a stunning modern rambler in Seward Park in Seattle. At ultra-hipster Giant Robot in LA. Even aloft, in SkyMall!  (Okay, so maybe that's not the most highly-regarded design reference you've ever read, but I've got to uncover every stone, right?)

It's ethereal. It's wondrous. It will make you wonder how? And why? Do they maybe have a projector set up somewhere across the room? Will I ever understand physics? Does my boyfriend really love me?

Don't worry. It's like a car - you don't need to understand all the mechanics to own one.

And here's the best part. The deal. SkyMall sells it for $147. Kikkerland for $170. ThinkGeek has it for $150. But for you, gentle reader, we've found the greatest deal of all - $85. Yes, you're reading correctly.  At this price, you can buy two - your coolest friend will thank you when s/he opens it!

Wood LED clock, $85, Artafax.com

UPDATE: One of my elves just discovered what appears to be a good-looking knock-off in the Discovery catalog. Doesn't appear to be the original, but still great-looking - especially for $40!