Fall in Love with Van Cleef & Arpels’ Pont des Amoureux

I fall in love the first time I laid my eyes on this gorgeous watch.




Pont des Amoureux by Van Cleef & Arpels

The actual Pont des Amoureux is a French bridge going over the Thiou River in Annecy, a town also known as the Venice of France. The fabled bridge earned a reputation throughout the years as a rendezvous place for couples in love.

This is not your typical watch. It has a story, a romantic and poetic one. Two figurines travel along respective hour or minute retrograde dials to display the time. The delicate figure of the woman carrying an umbrella serves as the hour indicator, while the man, secretly holding a flower behind his back, points to the minutes. The retrograde display has been further complicated by the fact that upon hitting the 12 o’clock hour, the lovers meet at the center for a kiss. The concept, while seemingly quite simple, was actually an incredibly arduous feat of engineering.

The bridge depicted on the dial isn’t the actual Pont des Amoureux, but a fairy tale rendition conceived by Van Cleef & Arpels. Background of the face is the contre-jour enamel painting of the buildings and starry night in gray tones tha was completely done by hand.

It is a remarkable and beautiful timepiece for a lady, further enhanced by the story behind its design and construction. I would love to have one but priced at $116,000 would only make me dream about it.

Ring On

After two and a half months, the ring is now on my finger, again!


Setting: Tacori's Cresent Collection

My fiance, Walt, proposed on April 30, 2010 around 9:30pm, the night before my 2nd Half Marathon race day in Room 201 at the Courtyard Marriott hotel in Rancho Cordova. He caught me so off guard, in the way that I imaged least how my engagement proposal would be like.

While sitting on the bed and clipping my toe nails after showering, he came up and questioned me "How are you feeling (before the race)? Are you nervous?"

"Not nervous, not excited." I answered. "No adrenaline either. It sure doesn't feel like the first time."

Then he went on to say "You know...It's the end of April. April is a good month. It was my birthday and our 2 year anniversary..." I paused him. "But you forgot our anniversary on the 25th. It'd already passed," I stated.

Walt continued, "No, I didn't forget. I got a little something for you and will also help to boost your adrenaline." He walked toward a drawer as he finished his sentence. He opened the lower drawer and took out a small blue box. I thought to myself what could possibly be in the box. It might be the Bulova watch that I liked and showed him one time we went shopping together. While I was still staring at the box, Walt was on one knee next to the bed slowly flipped the box open. Although I didn't have a mirror to look at my own facial reaction, I definitely sure that I one of my eyebrow raised and surprisingly said "whatttttttt??? while clipping my toe nails?"

The next second, I found myself rolling on the bed giggling, probably for about 30 seconds. I sat back up. Walt was still on his knee. I took another glimpse at the ring and said "Thank you" to Walt. Quickly, I glanced back at the ring again.

"But you haven't say 'YES'?" he questioned me. HAHAHAHAHAHA...Yes, I forgot to say 'YES' and so I did. Then he puts the ring on my finger.

At that moment, his brother, in the bathroom, asked "Can I come out now?" His brother was part of the plan. He held the ring for Walt as well as the bottle of champagne to bubble up the occasion.

So that was my engagement story, clipping toe nails, pajamas, and cozy setting.

Betsey Johnson in the House

Yay!!! Yay!!! Yay!!! I found the dress!!! The dress for my brother's wedding!!!

It was after hours and hours of shopping online and Saturday afternoons in Nordstrom, Bloomingdale, Macy's and Neiman Marcus. Surprisingly and ridiculously, I didn't see any eye catching dress. Yes, N.O.N.E!!! Feeling a little depressed and exhausted, I thought maybe I should stick with the jumpsuit, which I purchased from Bluefly, originally for the wedding. But who would had guessed that my fiance and mom didn't think it wowed them. With only 1 week left, so short of time, I wouldn't able to find something to my liking. I hate shopping under time constraint!

As we were heading home from the mall, my fiance suggested to check out the Betsey Johnson store. The mood sort of change, like excitement, new, fresh as I stepped into the store. For years and years, I never ever thought I would shop at a Betsey Johnson boutique because that's so not my style. It's too cute-sy, too colorful, too flowery, too poofy. Well, it won't bite to give it a shot.

My fiance picked out THIS one dress for me. I looked at it thinking that it might work. Not bad! It is a little different from my usual style. Let's try it on. I went into the fitting room with a pair of shoes the saleslady gave me that went well with the dress. I came out, looking in the mirror...then tada...I felt like a PRINCESS! Twirled a couple times and turned around to ask my parent and fiance "What do you think? Is it cute on me? Is it sexy on me? Does it make me fat?" One of the young teenage shoppers turned to me and murmured "You look beautiful!" I smiled cute-sily back at her. Then, I didn't want to take it off!

Just one problem...the price tag is urghhhhhhh...$410. After thought, consideration and reconsideration, I stepped out the shop with a Betsey Johnson in my hand. I have never bought a dress that costs me more than $200...NEVER. This is the FIRST ever in my life! But, I felt good...really good...really really good! I can't wait to WOW people at the wedding!




Betsey Johnson Evening Ombre Queen Bee Strapless Dress


Frankly, my fiance is good at finding clothes that would look good on me. Maybe that's why most famous designers are male. They know what they want their girls to look like...hahaha

#1 Daddy's Day!

Look at this cute and thoughtful Father's Day present that I gave my Dad this year!!! A #1 Dad bobble head!!!



My fiance saw this at Michael's while we were shopping for papers (to handcraft the menu and table number for my brother's wedding). So, I bought it along with some paints and brushes. Well, I should had paint it but instead my fiance INSISTED of helping since I had to make dinner too. I had to admit I was very impressed of his talented artistic painting skill.

This present is way better than all those predictable presents such as shirts, chocolates, ties, suits and etc...how boring are those.

SVIT Bike Loop

I was juiced to get back on my bike this weekend. It was hard to decide where to ride since I am not in the fittest shape to climb hills. Or else, we could easily climb Calaveras Road from my house or even join a few other riders up Tunitas-Old La Honda loop (goal to ride this route in a few weeks -.-).

Decision, decision, decision, my fiance suggested the route that he did last Sunday for his SVIT race. I like the fact that he mentioned flat and only 40K. It's a reasonable distance for me to pump up the cycling season and only 2 weeks left till the opening of Tour de France!!! I can't wait to wake up at 7 in the morning to catch the last 1.5 hour of the race with Mark Cavendish zooms pass the finish line with victory arms in the air or Andy Schleck accelerate on the hill stages passes Lance Armstrong!

Parked on Winfield, nearby Almaden Park, as our the starting point. We went down Coleman Ave for about 2km and made a right onto Santa Teresa Blvd. The road is a fairly long stretch which I never noticed. I loved the fact that fewer and fewer cars as we headed further and further south. We were cruising at 30km/h (roughly 18mph).



There were some pretty decent houses in the really quite neat neighborhoods along the way. We passed by acres and acres of empty lands filled with brown grass, green grass, farms, cows, etc. For a moment there, I felt like I was in the countryside. 



Cruised with a speed of 33km/h (roughly 19mph) for approximately 18km/11mi till we turned around on Hales (part of Santa Teresa Blvd) and Kalana. The road was fairly flat but it sure felt like a steady climb with the cruel head wind on the way back. Spotted at a little farmer's market, one and only one within 10 miles of radius, at the corner of Santa Teresa and Bailey to just take a picture of me.



Continued with a left into Bailey. The mediocre difficult stretch of hill was about 1.5km into this road. But it wasn't all so EASY for me but Wallie was happy to see me suffered. I needed a little breather after reaching the top. HILL is a good way to determine the body condition of a cyclist.



Downhill for about 3km, at the end of Bailey, we right turned into McKean Road. There, we spotted a small lake at Calero Park.



There were people fishing and water sporting (water and jet skiing). There's nothing better than to come chillaxing here on a hot summer day with speedboats. I want to have one so badly now >.<







The finding of the park is the best part of the ride. Oh! this is Wallie and me!



After a 5 minutes rest, it's time to be on the road again. We still got about 10km to the starting point. Down McKean Road we went, onto Henry Road and it turned into Camden Ave. It was Almaden that we made a right turn till we hit Winfield. There was no outlet on Winfield and Almaden. But I spot an entrance to shortcut through Alamden Park to get back on Winfield. There was our car.



Woohoo! The odometer read 41.83km in 1 hour and 36 minutes.

To avoid getting more tan on my arms, I had a long sleeve shirt with a sleeveless inside which was really wet. So I was thankful for the wind as the temperature was around 80s by the time we finished at1:30pm. It was a really pleasant ride with Wallie again, the best riding companion, and the cooperation of the weather!     

Time to head home for a shower and get some goodies to refuel.

Here's a map of the route: