My office is where I spend the majority of my day – answering phone calls and emails, yelling at my employees {well, yelling TO them, not really AT them…} and just doing the daily grind.  When someone called me this afternoon at 5pm (oh, how I wanted to just leave!!), I put on my smile, answered the phone and looked up…and this is what I saw

This is a watercolor painting of my wedding bouquet and it is one of the lovelier things in my office.  A few years ago, not long after Andrew and I got married, we went to a silent auction, fundraiser our Church was having.  I ended up smitten with a watercolor painting of a boat…and it came home with us 🙂

I found out that the lady who painted it was the mother of a church friend, and a beginner painter.  A beginner!

I’d become a huge fan of watercolor paintings and was trying to think of something else I could ask her to paint for me.  When it hit me one day that I’d also been trying to figure out a way to preserve or bring to life my wedding bouquet.   So I asked my friend if she thought her mom could paint my bouquet and after some conversation, she said she would.  I sent her this picture of my actual bouquet

And told her to do with it whatever she wanted – creative license.   Well, somewhat I guess…I still wanted it to look like my bouquet…and for the flowers to look like actual flowers…

I was shocked the day I got the painting back.  I couldn’t believe how realistic and gorgeous it was.  The colors and appearance were perfect!  It was exactly as I had wanted it to be.

So in the midst of chaos at times, and crazy people who want what they want {yesterday!!}, I look up at this painting and it all just sort of goes away.  Even for just a moment.

I hope you have something delightful to look at when things get crazy.  Is it a vacation photo?  A snapshot of friends or family making goofy faces?  Or the sunset over the lake from last July4th?

If not, it might be time to make a change {or addition} to your view.  Pick something that makes you smile…mine sure does.