Christmas – Doodlebug Designz

Let it be Christmas

Published on December 21, 2018December 20, 2018 by Doodlebug Designz8 Comments

“Peace on Earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day.” ~ Helen Steiner Rice

The days have gotten shorter, it’s dark earlier as the Winter Solstice approaches, but this time of year, the Christmas lights brighten the darkness. Lighting the way for all to experience joy and love. Even if you aren’t Christian, you cannot help but love Christmas lights. As children my parents would pile us in the car and drive around to look at the light displays. I followed this tradition with my daughter and I know she will do the same with her son. Why do lights amaze us and enlighten us so? What is the meaning behind the lights, and why do we feel the desire to celebrate in this way?

According to Robert Lobitz:

Symbol of the starry night on which Christ was born:
Some people like to think of the lights representing the Star of Bethlehem, the sign that marked that Christ was born.

Symbol of the light of Christ:
In Christian tradition, candles are a symbol for Jesus and the light he brings to earth even in the darkest times. Some believe that the light is symbolic of the eternal light of Jesus’ spirit that is particularly kept in mind over Christmas. Different colored candles also represented different qualities, for example a white candle represents the purity of Christ whilst a pink candle represents joy.

Symbol of the light, hope and good in the world:
The Christmas lights also served to remind good Christians to provide light to others.

Symbol of following the enlightened path:
Some suggest that the Christmas lights are a reminder to follow the way of Christ. The path of lights that wind around the tree leading to the star at the top may be symbolic of the enlighted path to salvation.

I recently heard a song by Alan Jackson which seemed to resonate with me. The lyrics seemed to bring home what Christmas is truly about. Sometimes I need to remind myself that I need to be kind to others, even when I may not feel kind. None of know what sadness or possible situation may be happening in others lives, so we should try and be kind in spite of ourselves.

Christmas lights represent hope, lighting up the night sky, bringing joy to all this time of year. If we could keep that hopeful feeling in our hearts and in our daily lives throughout the year, what a better world we would all live in. I am not a deeply religious person, however, I do feel that being a good person and being kind to others, makes me a happier person inside. That inner happiness shows on the outside, which in turn brings happiness to others.

During this Christmas season, may the joy and love fill your hearts and the hearts of your family and friends.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Thank you for following along . . .

X’s & O’s

Published on December 9, 2018December 9, 2018 by Doodlebug Designz8 Comments

no matter how much I say I love you ~ I always LOVE you more than that . . .

Love comes in many forms, but the love for your child cannot be compared to any other. It’s a love you cannot truly understand until you have a child. I know that love because I felt it when my daughter was born twenty seven years ago and I felt it again when I recently became a Grandma. Somehow this was different, not that I loved her any less, but with this baby, I had all of the joy, without the responsibility of having to raise him.

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Christmas time is here . . .

Published on December 18, 2017December 17, 2017 by Doodlebug Designz4 Comments

May you have the gift of Faith, the blessing of Hope and the peace of His Love at Christmas and always.

With Christmas one week away, I was inspired to photograph some Christmas still life scenes on Sunday. Time goes by so quickly and it seems to pass exceptionally fast when there is a holiday soon approaching. As we all busy ourselves with shopping, baking, trimming the tree and well, just getting ready for the big day, those days leading up to Christmas go by extra quick!

I came across a book I read to my daughter every Christmas Eve, just reading the inscription I wrote to her so many years ago, brought back such loving and good memories, it’s difficult to believe she is all grown and married herself.

Memories are what holidays and special occasions are all about. The actual day goes by fast, years later, we are left with fond memories of the people we shared the day with, and the laughter we all shared together.

As you prepare for your family gatherings, enjoy the festivities, food and good times shared with your loved ones. From my family to yours, I wish you the Merriest Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

I will be taking a short break for the holiday but will be back in the new year with more stories and photographs. In the meantime, please continue to follow me on Instagram.

Thank you for continued support I truly appreciate it, until we meet again . . .

The Canvas in my Mind . . .

Published on November 28, 2017November 28, 2017 by Doodlebug Designz5 Comments

“The things that make me different are the things that make me.” – Winnie the Pooh

Thoughts wonder in my head, they are endless. Sometimes I wish they would just take a holiday and enjoy some down time. That never seems to happen, those thoughts and ideas keep swirling around.

I believe people who have a creative side may have similar experiences. I am always thinking about what prop would work with a particular flower. What color scheme might be nice, given the time of year or my mood.

This past week, the holiday season began and my thoughts turned toward Christmas colors and festive scenes. I follow so many creative people on Instagram, their work inspires me, sparking more creativity and ideas. This week, I decided to play around with some dark and moody images. Many I follow create beautiful dark and moody images, so I decided to have a go at it.

I have a particular fondness for white flowers, but with Christmas soon upon us, I thought some red flowers would be a nice contrast, giving the white flowers a festive pop of color. The Christmas balls are classic and timeless. My mom decorated our Christmas tree with red glass balls in various sizes, nothing more. Maybe that’s where my love for this simple ornament originated.

Who can resist a mason jar, especially one painted red adorned with a pine cone and twine?

The real magic takes place after I upload the images and choose which I feel will become the image I had in mind as I shot the scene. Sometimes, an image can be crisp and bright and other times it could be softer and a bit smokey creating a moodier feel.

Of course, I had to play around with some light and airy designs too, I already had quite a mess going, flower stems and pieces of ribbon everywhere. So, a light and airy design was a must. I try and utilize the flowers whole before taking them apart for the flat lay design, pictured below.

As you can see, white is the prominent color with that pop of red and green. I get a sense of calmness from this image, maybe it’s the flow of the flowers or the lack of color, whichever it is, it has a soothing feel to it, which is a nice way to end today’s story.

I hope you are feeling in the holiday mood this year, I am and will bring more fun and festive images next week.

Until we meet again, thank you for stopping in and catching up with me . . .