Mac Book/iMac

So I have decided that it is time for me to switch all of my computers to Macs. I am super excited because I think it is going to make my life SO much easier, but I am a little nervous about the conversion process. For those who have switched from PC's to Mac's---what was the most difficult part of the process for you? Are there any options/accessories that you can't live without now?

If there are any hardcore Mac users out there---shoot me a message...I would LOOOVE to be able to pick your brain!

xoxo
Dana

{Cake Wrecks}

A few months ago I featured a website called Cake Wrecks on my blog because I just LOVE checking out all the terrible cake they showcase. The site is constantly being updated with new submissions by readers and their terrible cakes. The only guideline is that you can only submit a cake that you have paid for, not something you made yourself.

My personal favorites are the submissions that have a picture of the cake the client asked for and what they received in return. They are so funny!!! Often times the decorator will write words on the cake that were just instructions, not meant to be written {like above, or below, or finally}

This site has now become one of my daily must reads and I think you should definitely check it out for a good laugh! I have posted a few of my favorites here for you guys to take a look, I hope you enjoy them!

This cake was later dubbed the 'poop' cake. Ahhh!

This whole cake is just a mess!

Poor Vernon :(

Just being honest....

What is the world coming to!?!?! Dont' get me wrong, I love the Girls Next Door---but 12 years old?!?!?!?

Just covering all of our bases....

.

This reminds me of Dog the Bounty Hunter...

I hope these pictures provided you with a few laughs....Check out Cake Wrecks for daily updates!

Have a great weekend!

Dana :)

{Product Spotlight}

I am going to start a new section of my blog that features all of the fantastic products that our studio offers. This week we are featuring our beautiful canvas wraps.

Canvas wraps are one of the most popular new additions to the photography world...and I LOOOVE them! I have started recreating all of my framed pictures in my house and it is just amazing to see how much of a difference they make. One of the biggest benefits I have started to notice that pictures really POP when they are on the canvas---and the bigger, the better.

With the canvas wraps your portrait will be printed on to museum quality canvas and had stretched onto a custom built, 1.5" thick wood frame. The image will be gallery-wrapped, continuing around the sides of the frame for a beautiful print, ready to hang on your wall. No additional framing is needed. Your print is made with the highest quality archival inks that will never fade or discolor. Each print is sprayed with a UV coating for added protection and glossy finish.

One of the other great things about the print lab that I work with is that they can create any size you desire from 6"x6" to 60"x100"! Isn't that amazing? I mean, if you have a really unique wall that won't fit a 'normal' sized print---then you could order an 18"x39"...or a 12"x90"!

Below are two canvases that I created this summer :) If you look closely you can see how the canvas is wrapped around the frame--- isn't it great that the image continues around the side? Just for reference...the canvas on the left is a 16x20 and the one on the right is an 11x14.




Canvases can be purchased with any portrait session and will be 15% off through March 6th. Email danaduncanphotography@gmail.com if you are interested!

Dana :)

{Jason & Makenzie} 1 more from the Sneak Peek :)

How in the world did this picture miss the {Sneak Peek?}

{Jason + Jannah + Makenzie}

They're back :)

Last week I met up with Jason, Jannah and Makenzie for a family photo shoot at our favorite garden in Norfolk! I absolutely loooovee taking pictures for this
family....they are some of the nicest people I have ever met and I truly enjoy capturing moments for their family.

I hope you guys enjoy the pictures!

Dana :)

1 Spot Left for the Get Glam-a-thon!

Happy Wednesday! We have 1 spot left for the Get Glam-a-thon coming up in March. The session will begin at 10 on Sunday March 15th and will last about 90 minutes. Please email me at danaduncanphotography@gmail.com if you are interested!

{A few of my favorite things}

With wedding season quickly approaching I thought it would be fun to blog a little about the art of registering and some of my favorite wedding gifts. When it came time to register I thought it would be one of my favorite parts of wedding planning----BOY, was I wrong! I found the entire process to be extremely overwhelming and stressful. I mean, I thought I would just add anything I wanted and wha-laaa! Wrong.

The first stop we made was to Williams Sonoma. I remember the employee helping us handing Scott and registry 'gun' and the rest was history. I spent the next few days removing a ton of random stuff... First rule---don't let your fiancée hold the registry gun!

As engagement parties and wedding showers approached I realized that I needed to reevaluate our registry. My husband and I got married right out of college---so, we needed to decide if we were trying to stock our house----or begin a collection of nice items that we could add to over time. We decided that instead of trying to fill our apartment with everything----we wanted to register for the good stuff :) ...at the same time, we wanted to be practical....I mean, nobody is going to buy you a $799 set of pans....

After it was all said and done...I was really happy with how things turned out :) We received all of the items from our three registries and I still use most of the items to this day. Below is a list of my 'must register' items. I LLLOVE these items and I use them at least on a weekly basis {some of them I use daily!}.

Did I mention I loved Williams Sonoma?

My 1st favorite item is the infamous KitchenAid mixer :) As a master baker {hahah} I would not know what to do without this thing! When I was still eating sweets I would whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies in 22 minutes flat---that includes preparation, clean up, and having the first pan of them served :) It is such a time saver and I swear everything tastes better when you use the mixer :) The standard mixer also comes with a dough hook so it is really easy to mix up some cinnamon buns or fresh bread...

This is a registry MUST HAVE :)

Next up is the Williams Sonoma 10 piece glass bowl set. I use at least one of these bowls a day. They are so convenient and it seems like I never run out of them :) The other great thing about the set is that there is a bowl FOR EVERYTHING! When I am making a new dish I can literally measure out every ingredient and put them in a different bowl---then I can mix them like I'm on the Food Network. I almost always give this gift as an engagement present--they are my favorite :)

Williams Sonoma wineglasses--need I say more?

Next up, the Williams Sonoma 4 piece bowl set. These bowls are great for pancakes/waffles/anything Scott will whip up for breakfast and I love having them in my kitchen. They have a awesome grip on the bottom of each bowl and they are super easy to pour---even when they are super heavy and you only have one hand.

Plus, what would I do if I ran out of the other 10?

These are my FAVORITE cake stands. There are three sizes and they stack perfectly on top of each other for so many options! In the summer I will use the large stand alone for a nice cake---and then during baby/bridal/engagement showers I'll place all three together and fill it with ham biscuits/cupcakes.
These can also be found at the fabulous Williams Sonoma.

Next up is our wine fridge. I think it is really important to always have a few bottles of wine ready---especially with our group of friends! We also have a really great winery in Williamsburg and we just love the Governors White so we always have a few extra bottles in the house!

This item is one we did not register for because we completely forgot about knives---but my in-laws were so thoughtful to think of them for us. I am so glad they did because I LLLOVE them! My favorite thing to do is to use the biggest knife in the block to cut something simple like carrots J I don’t think you have to have a particular brand----I would just make sure to register for a nice set of knives.

Most people already have a good set of bake ware before they get married, but since Scott & I were starting from scratch we really needed almost everything. We registered for a full set of regular bake ware and then we also registered for AirBake pans---and I would say I use my AirBake 3:1 EASY. There is something about these things, I think it is almost impossible to burn things and everything seems to come out of the oven pppperfect!

Here are my everyday glasses. Although only four are pictured, the glasses come in five convenient sizes and they are practically indestructible! When Scott & I first were married {and we would make a fun breakfast every morning} we would try to see how many glasses we could use in one meal. For instance, we would make waffles and have a different size cup for milk, juice and water…hhahah

This set of bake ware by Emile Henry is one of my most used items in my kitchen. These pans can be used for almost anything and are safe in the oven, microwave, freezer & dishwasher....indestructible items are good in the Duncan house :) They also come in a variety of really fun colors so it is easy to add a pop of color to the table.

My last favorite item is my trusty Dyson. I don’t know what I did before it----

but it makes me sad to think my floors have not always been this clean. It amazes me how much stuff will end up in the canister---even if I have vacuumed just a day or two before. We will seriously empty the canister and vacuum just to see how much stuff it finds----we have such exciting lives!

Also, Scott and I don’t have any pets, but I think this is a no brainer if you have a pet that sheds a lot---and dyson makes a series of vacuums created especially for pet lovers. Dyson also has a pink vacuum that promotes breast cancer awareness and donates a portion of the proceeds to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation---yay!

Sidenote: I heard Dyson was coming out with a washer/dryer....About time!

After writing this post I really want to go into my kitchen and use all of these great products.....Maybe I'll grab a glass of wine, mix something up--spill it on the floor, and then vacuum it up. Or maybe I'll just go to bed :)

Please feel free to add any items that you think are registry worth to the comment section and maybe I'll create a volume 2 of 'must register' items :)

Dana :)