THE BREAKDOWN:

The books are from a thrift store. They were $1.99 but if you go to an estate sale you can get them cheaper!

The flowers and vases are from Michael’s Crafts (totaled around $8 for all of that).

The pieces at the bottom and right are custom bookmarks- a collaborative graphic design between my intern (a.k.a. brother) and myself. The bookmarks were designed with inspiration from the fabric and a little button (purchased at Joanne Fabrics) to add a little touch of vintage charm.

The fabric squares are from Joanne Fabrics. For a wedding you may want to finish the edges by sewing them OR attaching the same ribbon around the trim of each fabric square to tie it all together. The fabric can be re-purposed for many things. One thought I had was to place them in a 10×10 matted frame for home decor.

This entire table decor, centerpiece, and favor was done for under $30.

Be sure to check out Sabika’s website and if you are looking for a consultant to purchase any of their beautiful products, drop me a line or contact Sabika.

Keith, Sarah, and I kept in touch throughout 2009-2010 via Fracebook and email. One day in early 2010 I was shooting a High School Senior portrait session in a random alley when Sarah jogs by.  Then she stopped, went back and said, “Dana?”  I was excited to run into her like that BUT what was even more exciting is that I found out she lived near there AAAANNNDDD it just so happens that where I was shooting is right down the road from where I will be moving soon. SO I’m very very excited to say the Keith, Sarah, and I will practically be neighbors here in a few weeks! Just goes to show how small our world is and that you never know how life will play out!

Congratulations Neighbors!!!!

Special thanks to Robin for being an AWESOME second shooter (and friend). Some of the images in this gallery are hers!

Keith, Sarah, and I set out for a fun Friday evening in Ohiopyle State Park for their Trash the Dress session. Keith was kind enough to drive us up there and we had a great time traveling up there and back. I love Ohiopyle and have been there many times this summer. So, when Sarah and Keith asked to go up for their session, I was completely on board. If you have never been there, it’s an amazing little getaway in our own Pittsburgh backyard.

I hope you enjoy the images just as much as we had making them!

This venue was incredible. Extremely great service and kind staff.

LOVED the porch!

Congratulations Bill and Liz. Love you guys!!! Can’t wait to see you when you get back!

Lots of Love,

Dana

The most amazing baked beans I’ve ever tasted were made by Pittsburgh Caterer, Bart Duva, of Bart’s Catering & Fine Foods. But let me also interject that Bart is not your average caterer. Bart is a very skilled, personable, and artistic chef who cooks MUCH more than a mean baked bean.  I learned this after experiencing a food tasting at his facility.

My oldest brother, Jeremy, is getting married at the end of this month (May 29th!:). His fiancé, Lyndsey, loved the idea of having a pig roast for the rehearsal dinner. Lyndsey’s aunt recommended a caterer (Bart Duva) she has used for various events. So, my parent’s and I had the pleasure of attending a tasting hosted by Bart and his friendly staff.   (**SIDE NOTE: Ironically, last summer, I stumbled upon Bart’s website and was totally sold even before I tasted any of his food. His website was resourceful, filled with pictures, and his menus had a creativity unlike any other caterer I’ve seen in the Pittsburgh area- I’ll touch more on that later…) As you can imagine, I was pretty excited when I found out that BART was the caterer Lyndsey’s aunt recommended.

We tasted so many amazing types of food like delicious spreads, awesome homemade salad dressing, pulled pork and roasted pork, incredible! potato and macaroni salad (seriously, I’m very picky about those two things and Bart’s recipe was out of this world!). We also tried his seafood boil-which gave me the opportunity to try some new things I’ve never had before. These were just the main dishes. Bart had a variety of sauces and sides to accompany his already delectable creations. The food had so much depth and flavor (this review is killing me! I’m so glad I get to have this food again in a couple weeks!). I could go on and on.

I’m no food connoisseur but let’s face it, I love food. The things, I believe, that set Bart apart from any other catered food (as well as restaurant cuisine) I’ve had are several things:
-Flavor
-Creativity of presentation and creative use of flavor
-Bart’s down-to-earth and genuine personality
-Bart’s ability to understand the type of event, the mood of the event, and how client’s want their guests to feel
-Themed menus
-Variety in his menu
-Ability to customize a menu to fit his client’s needs

So, when you plan your next event, do not hire just any caterer. Hire someone who becomes a friend, has the skills of a talented chef, and has the name, Bart Duva.  You won’t be disappointed.

Next Month I’ll post pictures of Jeremy and Lyndsey’s Pig Roast Rehearsal Dinner because once you see the food, you’ll want to taste it.

Find Bart’s Catering and Fine Foods online at:  http://www.bartscatering.com
You can also find him on Facebook.

ALL IMAGES ARE COURTESY OF BART’S WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE. IMAGES IN THIS BLOG POST WERE NOT TAKEN BY SCHELLER IMAGE AND DESIGN.

AND CHECK OUT MY INVITATION DESIGN FOR THE REHEARSAL DINNER:

If you are looking to have a senior portrait session like no one else, call me and we will plan your one-of-a-kind session. This is YOUR time to be in the spotlight and really make a statement about who YOU are. Don’t settle for the same pose by the same prop as your friend.

I love that my clients call me to do such awesome sessions and that they are so willing to try all my crazy ideas.

I’m totally pumped to share this senior session of Cody. Cody is currently a Senior. He’s pretty easy going, seems to be up for trying new things, and totally knows how to ride. This guy was doing jumps and poppin’ wheelies (spelling?) for me to catch on camera. I had him jumping the bike about 15 times, and he still had the energy for more…I could tell how much he loves to ride.  I think you will too once you see these images. Enjoy!

Ready to Ride….

I liked this shot in BW because it’s more like a painting with all the awesome motion blur.

Thought this was a freakin’ sweet pose