Mystical Orb Dangle Earrings

The sky dimmed and dark monsoon clouds began to roll in as I sat down to type out this review. I put on Bjork’s Vespertine to further capture what seems to my American sensibilities to be a melancholy mood. Bengalis love the monsoon because it marks the end of summer, the cessation of long days where the heat index is upwards of seventy-one degrees Celsius (that’s 160 degrees Fahrenheit for the metrically challenged) and one prays load shedding will be staved until the sun graces the other side of the planet. Monsoon means nourishing newly planted crops and keeping produce prices low. It means falling in love in Bollywood films.

Sometimes I feel the romantic allure of the monsoon, like when a shower pops up out of nowhere and I can’t pull my umbrella out of my bag fast enough to avoid getting soaked. Other times, I can only see rain as I carefully wade through waterlogged streets, watching out for downed power lines and other potentially fatal perils.

As it dangles from a thin, nearly weightless, U-shaped wire hoop, the faceted crystal beads on Shadesongs' Mystical Orb Dangle Earrings look like frozen drops of rain. They are bookended in two tiny silver pieces that are carved into the shape of five-petal flowers and remind me of starfish. The clear beads give off a sort of iridescent glow, reflecting pastels as it catches the light. The pair hint at vintage, but are more likely to be sold at a place like Girl Props than Ye Olde Antique Shoppe.

Designer Jerry Hall is the mother of two military daughters, has a therapy dog named Bella, and works as a nurse in a dementia unit. One of the favorite sayings of this optimistic design veteran is "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain!"

The sky is completely black now, and thickly clogged with clouds. I can smell the dampness in the air, feel the sharp drop in temperature cooling the sweat on my skin. It’s only a matter of time before I will have to run to the windows and pull shut the panes of glass to keep out the wind-whipped sheets of rain. The many colors of this country will be muted to grey, if only momentarily. I breathe in the daily ritual, and exhale a sigh of relief.

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