oh, lily love

Over the past few days, I and four of my associates have been working hard to finish a project that was first started way back at the end of last year.

With the pressure on to meet our final deadlines, it's all been a bit intense, to say the least. Wednesday was a particularly difficult day, and it's fair to say that we were all feeling a little frayed around the edges by the end of it.

So you can imagine my surprise - and utter delight - when on Thursday I opened the front door to be greeted by a huge bunch of lilies.


One of our number had very thoughtfully sent me these beauties in recognition of all the effort put into the project thus far, and as encouragement to keep going to the finish line.

Needless to say, subsequent days have passed rather more easily. I am soothed at night by the wonderful heady fragrance of these fantastic flowers...

...and during the day, I have them to look at. How could I not be inspired?

I love the shape and structure of lilies. I'm always particularly drawn to their stamens - so prominent and 'out there', but yet so fragile at the same time.

A triumph of botanic engineering!