In honor of Thanksgiving, we here at 3rings are celebrating some of our favorite products of the year-so far. I, for one, am happy to participate in this effort, as Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday-it's got all the food, all the family, all the panache, and none of the horrid Christmas jingles.

In the spirit of giving, I must begin my thankfulness-in-design-review with Envirglas' EnviroMode, a wonderful terrazzo finish made from recycled commodes. For countertops and flooring, EnviroMode creates an artful look out of thoroughly unartful material. Enviroglas founder Tim Whaley turned Dallas' discarded toilets into an opportunity for green design. This type of juxtaposition-of creating something from nothing, art from found objects, treasure from trash-is always inspiring. A great designer finds beauty in the very things we might bypass; a great design can make the ugly desirable.

EnviroSLAB. Manufactured by EnviroGLAS.

From the ground, let's turn our attention up, toward the false sky of our metropolitan ceilings. Here, I'd like to turn your attention to ZNP Creative's Spaghetti Chandelier, which takes our nostalgic love for construction to new heights (I like to think of it as a lighting Lincoln Logs). A skeleton upon which dangle orange electrical cords, the Spaghetti Chandelier makes you the architect. Drape the bulbs on the sculptural frame and voila! Another fabulous find that reinterprets everyday objects is Maarten De Ceulaer's A Pile of Suitcases, a wardrobe made from stacked suitcases. It's like having a surrealist masterpiece in your bedroom: just as Dali's Hallucinogenic Toreador is made from a dog, a lake, and a boy in a sailor suit, to name a few, De Ceulaer's furniture piece is composed from abandoned luggage. A Pile of Suitcases should remind you of the strangeness of regular life.

Spaghetti Chandelier. Designed by ZNP Creative.

A Pile of Suitcases. Designed by Maarten De Ceulaer.

Speaking of celebrating the odd, I can't neglect my favorite gargantuan time device of the year, Anthony Duffeleer's Oclock, a big reminder to grab life by the horns. Live your life, the Oclock screams, or else-or else, in this case, being the devolution of your life as you become enslaved by time. Ironically, the Oclock minimizes the importance of time by looming large in your living room. You must face the fact that time is passing, and by accepting that, you can overpower it. The Oclock reminds us that life is oxymoronic, paradoxical, and absurd.

Oclock. Designed by Anthony Duffeleer.

Coming full circle, I need mention another recycled gem-Eric Johnston's Wall Sculptures. Crafted from wood recovered from New York dumpsters, these geometric pieces celebrate opposites. A stylish art object springs to life from the garbage heap. Straight angles are born from irregular scraps. Intense colors replace the once-graying plywood. Johnston reanimates the formless with an intense attention to the line as he reinvigorates the colorless with a provocative palette of saturated hues. These wall sculptures pay attention to the power of underlying form; as such, they complement modern and traditional interiors. Johnston's art proves that the line is alive and well, even if you have to coax it from decomposing fragments of abandoned and amorphous wood.

Oclock. Designed by Anthony Duffeleer.