Our Store 1-800-4CLOCKS, which is a leader in grandfather clocks discounts and sells clocks of all types, was intrigued by inquiries received in advance of the November 4 Presidential Elections.

The request was to purchase atomic wall clocks and atomic mantel clocks that could be used is polling places around the country, being especially helpful when it comes to closing time for the USA polls.  Atomic clocks are known for their accuracy to within a tiny fraction of a second, and being able to synchronize polling closing times was seen as a major benefit.

Among the clocks considered for use on a grand scale were Howard Miller Atomic Clocks.

Which were chosen and used where?  Unfortunately, we are not at liberty to disclose.

We can say that we were not able to offer, yet, an atomic grandfather clock.  Perhaps by the time the next election comes around.

With the economy putting financial strain on so many of us, we have had to make compromises in many areas of our life. While home decorating may seem like the last thing on anyone’s priority list right now, it is still a consideration regardless of the economy; making our home a comfortable place for ourselves and our family can be mentally significant for many of us and it doesn’t have to necessary come attached to a ridiculous price tag.

Clocks, for example, are one of the more affordable pieces that can be used to transform a home’s décor. Oftentimes we think we need to go big in order to make an impact on how our homes look but the truth is that all we really need are those special things that make us happy and say a little something about how we are as people and as homeowners. Clocks deliver on this front as they come in a variety of styles and prices and give us the impact we desire with an affordable price tag.

Through online resources, homeowners are able to find any and all clocks that appeal to them on a multitude of levels; including the price. So while the economy may be calling for a tightening of purse strings in order to come out ahead, there are still options for decorating your home in a way that is completely in line with your personality and your budgetary constrictions. Wall clocks, mantel clocks, grandfather clocks, and atomic clocks; just one placed with care in the room of your choice can have enormous impact.

Remember that person you were hopelessly in love with in high school (well generally speaking most people were in love with this person in this particular scenario) but that you felt to be out of your league? You couldn’t imagine that they even knew you existed at all. I remember feeling that way about a boy all through school that I thought was way too cool for me; I hung with a decidedly less “popular” crowd and just assumed he didn’t even know my name let alone would ever be interested. I ran into that guy twenty years later and it turns out that, not only did he know my name, he had a crush on me in high school as well. It just goes to show you that you that perception, while it may be our own reality, is often not factually based.

When I first bought this house and I began the process of decorating it I was really short on cash. I knew I had to wait on a lot but there were some things that I just wanted to do right away. I always imagined my fireplace to have a beautiful mantel clock sitting above it and, while a grandfather clock would surely have to wait until I had a little bit of a bigger space (not to mention budget) I pictured a pendulum wall clock in my formal living room that was, in essence, a small version of a grandfather clock. However, I just assumed that all of these purchases would be out of my budget confines; and, more than that, I had this perception that clocks of this caliber were for wealthy people with interior designers.

This perception, of course, was completely off base; something I learned when I found this great website that had all I had ever dreamed of in terms of clocks. There I was able to find my mantel clock, my wall clock, and clocks I had never even thought existed – all completely accessible, completely my style, and well within my budget. This is my new reality!

In the last post, we looked at the impact the Internet has had on all of our lives. The convenience it has afforded us has allowed us to do everything from shop to work online and most of us have become so dependent on its conveniences that we are often hard pressed to find another option.

However, being the age that I am, I reverted to past behavior when I found myself in need of a wall clock for my family room. Wanting something really special to hang above my fireplace, I went in search of a bricks and mortar location; as I couldn’t imagine finding something of high enough quality online. But when I pulled the phone directory out and began to leaf through it, my teenage daughter stopped me in my tracks with “Are you kidding me mom?”

She logged on within seconds and had me at this amazing website where I found all of the most stunning, high quality (and affordable!) clocks I could ever hope to find in a retail outlet – and then some! Everything from grandfather clocks and mantel clocks to wall clocks and atomic clocks were on this one site and easy to browse by style, price, or manufacturer.

In found the wall clock I was looking for and it only took minutes. Within a few days it was delivered to my door and every time I look at it I am reminded of the luxuries I am privileged to have access to online.

There are few of us who can even remember what life was before the Internet. I know that I, for one, have many younger nieces and nephews that are unaware that such a life existed, as they have always pointed and clicked for what they have wanted. I also know that there are many, many times during the week when I will find myself pondering a question – large or small – and know that I can simply logon for instant answers. I am old enough, however, that each and every time that I do this I think to myself, “How did anyone live without this?”

It’s true that the Internet has provided us with unbelievable convenience in nearly all areas of our life. From banking and shopping to research and education – everything is right there at our fingertips when it comes to the Internet.

More than anything, as the popularity of shopping online has exploded, vendors have really stepped up their game in terms of making sure that they are providing high quality products at all times. Shopping online is not an alternative scenario in many cases; it is the first place shoppers go. And the savvy and sophisticated shoppers of the modern world expect great products and great prices when they get there.

Recently I was in need of a wall clock. We have recently redecorated our family room and I was looking for something really special to hang above the fireplace. I decided a wall clock would be the perfect fit and I started looking through the yellow pages (remember those?) to find a retailer in my area that had really high quality clocks. You can imagine the look this garnered from the teenager in the house.

In next post, I’ll share how I found the wall clock I so wanted…

In the last post, I related my history with clocks; how clocks had always played an integral part of my childhood experience when it came to home decoration. Clocks were all over my childhood home, as well as the home of my grandparents; grandfather clocks, mantel clocks, atomic clocks, wall clocks, and so forth.

But when it came to decorating my own adult home, I forgot momentarily about the clocks of my past (they had so seamlessly fit into the décor that I almost didn’t take notice of the fact that they were there) and began to build my décor around other pieces such as furniture, paint colors, flooring, and other decorative items that appealed to me. However, when I came to what I thought to be the end of the decorative process, I found that there was still much to be desired in terms of the final result. What I eventually came to recognize is that the absence of clocks of any kind made my home “less than” in terms of achieving my goals. And so I set out to find clocks that would honor the home of my childhood and give me the same sort of warmth in my décor that I had found there.

Luckily, with the help of the Internet I was able to have access to some of the most beautifully crafted clocks of their kind. I found a website that sold clocks of all types and styles – everything from mantel clocks and wall clocks to atomic clocks and grandfather clocks.

I was able to find and purchase clocks that would fit well in every room of my home and within the budget that I had set forth. With beautiful mantel clocks on my living room bookshelves, a stunning traditional wall clock in my family room, a grandfather clock in my entrance, and a number of interesting atomic clocks throughout the other rooms in my home, I was able to fill in the missing pieces in terms of décor and give my home the sparkle it deserved.

Clocks and I have always had a very special relationship. My parents (and grandparents before them, as a matter of fact) had a grandfather clock in their home, as well as a collection of many different kinds of clocks in different rooms of their houses – mantel clocks, atomic clocks, wall clocks – so ingrained in the decoration of the home that I barely noticed them at all after awhile.

But I most certainly noticed them when they weren’t there!

When I moved into my own home, I was suddenly delegated with the responsibility of decorating every corner of the house. I was overwhelmed, as much because I wasn’t really sure what my style was, as the fact that I had little money to do what I really wanted to do.

I set about painting walls and buying furniture and accessories of all kinds – all within my budget and according to what most appealed to me; it really was a journey as I cultivated my own sense of style and weeded through pieces that I thought would lend themselves well to the overall decorative process that I had chosen.

But in the end, something just didn’t feel right; something significant appeared to be missing. With careful consideration I realized that what was missing were clocks. What had always been a central part of the decorative style of my childhood home was now completely missing from my own adult home.

And so I set to work finding those clocks that could now make their home in my home. In the next post, I’ll talk about some of the clocks that I found to complete my home décor.

There are those rooms that take on a life of their own; rooms that may have taken on a role for which they were not initially intended. I call my room “garage room” and it was obviously intended as a garage space as its name implies. That’s the way it was constructed anyway – to house a car or two and provide the necessary storage for the things that people typically store in the garage. But this was not adequate for my needs as my house was small and was in desperate need of a little more living space. I thought – why waste extra space on a car when it could be another room in which to hang out? And that is how my garage became “garage room.”

Out of this room came the tools and car related paraphernalia and much construction ensued. Vents for heating and air conditioning were added to the room, the door was removed so that it became simply another room in the house, walls were added, and flooring installed. When complete, walls were painted and into the room went furniture, shelving, and area rugs. What the room became, essentially, was a rec room of sorts; a place where the family was just as likely to play a game as they were to watch a show or serve appetizers to guests. The final product indeed confirmed for me that the garage – for us anyway – was a waste of space and that this room was the best use of what we had.

Decorating such a room was an interesting endeavor as it sort of has an interesting look to it. Because of what it was intended to be, the room is quite long and has a significant amount of wall space. I wondered what I could do on the walls to create an interesting display. And what I found were clocks.

While hunting online for some decorating ideas for my room, I came across this great clock website that features hundreds of clocks of all kinds. I was able to purchase a variety of wall clocks to fill what would normally be an awkward space on the wall and do so with style! My clock display really finished off the room and – best of all – it created something of interest that always sparks conversation!

In the last post I introduced you to two of my closest friends who are completely different by nature; one is considered a modernist and showcases it in everything from the way she dresses to the way she decorates her home – anything fun, funky, and bold is perfect as far as she is concerned. My other friend, however, is much more of a traditionalist and enjoys the classics in life. What these two very different people have in common, however, is clocks, which they both happen to love.

I’ve already shown you how my modern friend has used clocks in her home décor – in every room in her home from the kitchen to the bedroom; now let’s take a look at my traditionalist friend to see how she has chosen to use clocks throughout her own house:

* A traditional grandfather clock in the front study of her home. Everything about this piece is the quintessential grandfather clock and it makes a sophisticated statement in what is typically a formal room in the home.

* A pendulum style wall clock in classic wood style in her family room. From the dark cherry wood of this classic wall clock to its simple face design, this wall clock fits perfectly in this traditionally decorated room.

* A traditional mantel clock above the fireplace and used as bookends on a traditional bookshelf. These mantel clocks are what you would expect to see in such a traditional home – lovely shades of wood and ornate carvings.

The point is that clocks can be used in every capacity – no matter if you prefer traditional design or modern décor. The choice is up to you; but it is without a doubt that clocks will fit the bill every time.

I have two friends who are just about as different as two people can be. One has a very modern style and likes contemporary designs, bold colors, and just about anything that would be considered “out of bounds” by traditionalists; the other is all about tradition, enjoys things – from furniture to clothes – that are considered “classics,” and follows a neutral palette when it comes to color. But one thing that they both love is clocks; from wall clocks to mantel clocks, clocks of all kinds can be found throughout both of their homes, used in a variety of interesting ways.

What is the most interesting about this, of course, are the types of clocks that they have each chosen. My modern friend has been able to find – online- the types of clocks that appeal to her personality and sense of style. A snapshot of her house includes:

*A funky round faced wall clock in her kitchen with bold colors and interesting artwork emblazoned on the face.

* Another fun wall clock in her dining room that looks like a clock tower you may find on the streets of Paris.

* A variety of interesting mantel clocks in her family room – from the sleek and contemporary mantel clock above her fireplace to the myriad of eclectic mantel clocks found on her bookshelves.

*An atomic clock that is just her style that sits on her bedroom nightstand; it is big and bold and really makes a statement.

In the next post, we’ll look at clocks from the other side of the coin with a look at the way my other friend has used clocks in her traditionally decorated home.