She's Living Life in Color - A BESTeam Feature

There are times when I'm assigned a feature to write on a jewelry shop or a shop owner will approach me and ask if I'd consider featuring their shop on my blog, so I head on over, take a peek inside and immediately frown. Oh, not because they don't have beautiful jewelry! Rather, because like the shops owned by Norah Downey - ALL they have is beautiful jewelry - and to steal one of Norah's favorite words - I get "vertigo" trying to narrow my favorites down to just a few!

As a jewelry designer myself, sometimes I know I can be a bit critical on some things, and I know I have my definite likes and dislikes. Well, YourDailyJewels and PJClarke are two shops that completely appeal to my love of beautiful, colorful, and feminine jewelry. So, why two shops then, you might be asking? I'll explain that as I show you a few of my favorites from each shop! A little about Norah first...

A pediatric physical therapist by training, Norah seems to have an innate sense of how simple things like a sparkly touch of color can change your outlook on life. Her slogan of "Live Life in Color" is about more than just jewelry though - it's about being able to see that little patch of bright blue in a sky full of clouds or the shimmery flash of a bright orange koi in a murky pond. In other words, it's about being able to look past the negatives in life and find something positive to be grateful for or to be able to see that light at the end of the tunnel as something more than a train coming at you! I've been blessed with the opportunity to work closely with Norah on several occasions so I've gotten to know her a little better than some of my other teammates, and let me tell you, she is one special lady! I'm very happy and proud to call her my friend!

Her energy definitely shows through in her designs - these, from YourDailyJewels, are colorful, vibrant, and uplifting and I don't think anyone could wear one of her designs and not feel spectacular all day!

These beautiful cornflower Blue Chalcedony Drop Earrings with Gold Vermeil are more than stunning - they're elegant enough to go with your most formal evening wear, yet they're simple enough to be worn day to day with everything from your favorite jeans to your most professional office attire. And did you know that wearing blue can make you feel more calm and serene?

I LOVE this Gray Green Pandora Finish Beaded Bracelet! Sometimes you just want that perfect hint of subtle color to add a little pizzazz to that grey business suit or that black pantsuit. This is that perfect piece! I love the swirls of soft green, yellow and gray with just enough black to make them "pop" - and the sterling silver silver accent beads and findings add just the perfect touch of vintage inspired shine! Green tones are nurturing - perfect for embarking on that new business venture or deal!

Spectacular. That's the word Norah uses in her description to define this necklace and I have to agree. I'm a huge fan of druzy (that would be the crystalline pendant in this piece) since I love earthy materials. This is such a lovely cherry pink specimen and the cherry quartz beads and sterling silver setting, closure and accents are the perfect choice to really make this a truly spectacular one of a kind piece. Want to come across as loving and compassionate? Wear pink!

I took a quick jump over to PJClarke, Norah's shop where everything has "a re-purpose in life." This is the place to go if you love vintage jewelry components that have been meticulously cleaned, polished, re-purposed, and used as part of a redesign process that allows them to continue bringing beauty and color to the world.

SPARKLING TURQUOISE Flower Earrings
REPURPOSED Pendant DISCO Lives

Bright AMBER Quartz Glass Fancy Wired Pendant Necklace with SILVER

Norah likes to be busy, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that she has a beautiful blog, a very active Facebook page (where she does a giveaway each week!), she's always creating new treasuries on Etsy, and she even manages to share the occasional tweet or two on twitter! I hope you'll take a moment to stop by and check out her shops and venues on the web - you will be so glad you did!

Have a spectacular day! I'll be back soon with my next feature :)