Every morning, before the tea pot whistles and emails ping, my day begins with a quiet glint of gold and silver in the primary bath. Here, I greet a dear old friend: a petite Cartier® “Personal Line” desk clock that perches—steadfast and sparkling—on my vanity for the past 25 years. It’s small enough to cup in two hands yet commands any room with its ageless spirit—a daily reminder that beauty and function can share the same heartbeat, and unequivocally one of my favorite things.

Long before I sold luxury penthouses, I sold stories. In 1990 I walked away from my post as advertising director for Today’s Chicago Woman, determined to chart my own course. That leap of faith launched a decade of self-employment, a travel magazine called Travel Your Way, and, eventually, a real-estate career built on curated spaces and show-stopping marketing. One object has ticked through every chapter with me: my Cartier® desk clock from the maison’s Personal Line.

Even back when I bought the clock, I was drawn to objects that blended elegance with subtlety, and Cartier® has always understood that alchemy better than anyone. The piece nods to classic Art Deco geometry: a beveled square set within a broader square, edges framed in polished gold, and on either side, tiny sapphire cabochons—deep blue fire that catches light as I move.

It’s a jewel masquerading as a timekeeper, a reminder that function need not abandon beauty.

A Witness to Life’s Chapters
That little clock has ticked through every milestone I’ve cherished. It inaugurated my first home office—the editorial “nest” where I birthed my magazine, a curated collection of first-person adventures told the way friends recount capers over cocktails. It was present when I signed the paperwork for my very first listing above a million dollars. And it crossed the threshold of marital life with me in 1999, settling onto the shared vanity alongside my husband’s colognes and my ever-rotating tray of cufflinks. Through it all, the clock has never aged: no dulling of the finish, no fading of the Roman numerals, just the soft whisper of gears doing what they were born to do.

Some possessions bow to time; this one travels through it. That endurance mirrors a truth I preach to clients and friends alike: if you invest in quality and handle it with gratitude, your surroundings become a living scrapbook—ever fresh, forever relevant.

Design in the Details
Why keep such a prize in the bathroom, of all places? Because the bath is my sanctuary—where morning rituals set the emotional temperature for the day. The clock reassures me that the minutes ahead can feel luxurious, even in the rush. Its square silhouette balances the oval mirror above and plays off the right angles of statutory slabs of marble below. Those sapphire cabochons tie back to navy hand towels, proof that the smallest color echo can make a space sing.

When guests tour the home and spot the clock, they often pause. “Cartier® in the loo?” they tease. Yet their eyes soften, recognizing that thoughtful placement transforms routine into ritual. Beauty belongs wherever we spend our time—especially in the spaces where days begin and end.

Design That Still Dazzles

Quick specs for design lovers:

• Line & Era: Cartier Personal Line, c. 1990—gold-plated brass, 90 mm diameter.
• Dial: Ivory lacquer, Roman numerals, blued-steel sword hands, “Cartier Paris” so discreet it could be a whisper.
• Movement: Swiss quartz calibre built for years of autonomy (I’ve changed the battery fewer times than I’ve changed zip codes).
• Details: Twin sapphire cabochons nod to Cartier watch crowns; beveled edges catch light like a jewel box.

A Symbol of Happily Ever Always™
More than décor, the clock embodies a principle: you can “always look good” (and feel good) when you choose, live, and care for objects that spark joy. It reminds me to curate, not accumulate; to celebrate the ordinary act of keeping time; to affirm that elegance and practicality needn’t be mutually exclusive.

Most of all, it demonstrates how small delights compound into big happiness. One jewel of a clock, seen daily, has fueled decades of smiles—a potent “small act, big impact” if ever there was one.

Design Lessons from One Little Clock

• Curate, Don’t Accumulate. One timeless piece outshines a dozen trendy trinkets.
• Honor Transitional Spaces.  Elevate the rooms where days begin and end; they frame your mindset.
• Tiny Touches, Major Magic. Two sapphire cabochons catch the light and catch my heart—every day.

An Invitation to Notice
Identify your own “timeless jewel”—a fountain pen, a ceramic bowl, a travel-worn camera. Give it pride of place where you’ll see it at sunrise and under lamplight, assuring you that time is both canvas and curator. And finally, let it remind you that great style, like happiness, is less about quantity and more about daily, deliberate delight.

My Cartier clock isn’t just a timekeeper; it’s a manifesto in miniature, proving that when you live Happily Ever Always®, elegance keeps perfect time.