Spun content-home.php with Custom Circles

<?php
/**
 * @package Spun
 * @since Spun 1.0
 */

/*
 * Get the post thumbnail; if one does not exist, try to get the first attached image.
 * If no images exist, let's print the post title instead.
 */

global $post;
$postclass = '';

if ( '' != get_the_post_thumbnail() ) {
    $thumb = get_the_post_thumbnail( $post->ID, 'post-thumbnail', array( 'title' => esc_attr( get_the_title() ) ) );
}
else {
    $args = array(
                'post_type' => 'attachment',
                'numberposts' => 1,
                'post_status' => null,
                'post_mime_type' => 'image',
                'post_parent' => $post->ID,
            );

    $first_attachment = get_children( $args );

    if ( $first_attachment ) {
        foreach ( $first_attachment as $attachment ) {
            $thumb = wp_get_attachment_image( $attachment->ID, 'post-thumbnail', false, array( 'title' => esc_attr( get_the_title() ) ) );
        }
    }
    else {
        $thumb = '<span class="no-thumbnail">' . get_the_title() . '</span>';
        $postclass = 'no-thumbnail';
    }
}
?>

<article id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>" <?php post_class( $postclass ); ?>>
    <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php echo esc_attr( the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ); ?>" rel="bookmark"><?php echo $thumb; ?></a>
</article><!-- #post-<?php the_ID(); ?> -->

<?php
/* Get custom circles */
        $args = array(
                'post_type' => 'custom_circles'
        );

        $custom_circles = new WP_Query( $args );

        if( $custom_circles->have_posts() ) {
                while( $custom_circles->have_posts() ) {

                        $custom_circles->the_post();

                        $link = get_custom_field( 'link' );

                        // I don't know how to return something useful from
                        // get_custom_field that'll let me know if no image
                        // has been specified, so I'm doing this elongation:

                        // Convert the image to an integer
                        $image_id = (int) get_custom_field( 'image:wrapper');

                        //If it's more than zero then it has matched
                        if ( $image_id !== 0 ) {
                                $thumb = get_custom_field( 'image:to_image_tag' );
                        }
                        else {
                                $thumb = '<span class="no-thumbnail">' . esc_attr( the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ) . '</span>';
                                $postclass = 'no-thumbnail';
                        }

                        ?>

<article id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>" <?php post_class( $postclass ); ?>>
    <a href="<?php echo $link; ?>" title="<?php the_title() ?>" rel="bookmark">
            <?php echo $thumb; ?>
        </a>
</article><!-- #post-<?php the_ID(); ?> -->

                                <?php
                        }
        }

?>