FAQ + Policies

So, are you originally from the Bay Area?

Nah. I grew up in Austin, Texas, and lived there for 18 years until moving to Los Angeles for college (USC, not UCLA). From there, I came to San Francisco, to attend culinary school. I’ve been here ever since. For the record because it often comes up: lost Texas accent, sometimes still say “y’all,” totally miss Tex-Mex.

Why is this blog named vmac+cheese?

Vmac has been a long standing nickname of mine, a combination of pieces from my first and last name. When I first started writing this blog, I wrote mostly about food, since I had recently finished culinary school. The name just kind of stuck, despite broadening the topics I like to write about.

Why/How did you get interested in design?

Same as with food, if I think back, I’ve always loved beautiful interiors. As a kid, I used to move the furniture in my room around all the time; once my mom came home and I had switched my bed out for the one in our guest bedroom, and completely reconfigured my room (luckily, she was okay with it!). I think all of the things I like to talk about on the site — food, wine, design, pretty things — fall in to the same category of a love for the good stuff in life. We’re only on this planet for so long. Why not surround yourself with beautiful things, swoon-worthy food and lovely people?

So you used to work in food media, eh? Do you have any samples of your work?

Sure. You can find some published articles and recipe styling work here. Please note that it might take a few seconds for the link to load in your browser.

Do you write all of your own recipes?

All recipes on this site, unless stated otherwise, were conceived and written entirely by me. There’s no such thing as copyrighting a recipe (or at least an ingredient list), but if you do post these recipes elsewhere, just show some link love.

What do you use to create graphics on your blog?

I use Adobe Photoshop Elements. It’s an infinitely helpful tool if you’re interested in creating photo and text graphics for your website, and also want to perform photo correction. I downloaded the program online, then taught myself from there. If you’re a new blogger trying to decide between Photoshop versus Photoshop Elements, know that for most everything you will ever need to do, you can do it in Elements. Save yourself the cash! For free resources to create images and graphics, check out Big Huge Labs and Polyvore. I’ve also heard of bloggers who use Microsoft PowerPoint to create images, then save slides as screenshots that they edit into single images. For fonts, I like finding mine on Da Font. 

I’m currently teaching myself Adobe Illustrator, and once I know more about it, will be happy to pass on tips!

Do you currently host giveaways/sponsored posts/advertisers?

Short answer: yes! Please contact me with the details of what you’re interested in doing on vmac+cheese. If I like what you do, and feel that it’s an appropriate fit given the content of this blog, we maybe able to work together to find a way to feature you on the site. If you are interested in getting more information about my site statistics, please email me. You can also get more information about my site policies at the bottom of this page.

Can I use some photos from your site?

Sure thing. But same story as sharing the recipes: just link it back.

If you see any of your photos on this site, and they’re not attributed to you, I’m really sorry about that! When I use photos from around the Internet for this site, I always do my absolute best to link back to the source. If your photo fell through the cracks, please email me. I’m happy to link it back and share the love. If you want your photo removed completely, that’s fine too — just let me know.

What kind of camera do you use?

For much of this blog’s history, I was shooting with a very old Canon PowerShot. In late 2009, I started shooting with a Canon EOS Rebel XS, with the standard lens. In January 2011, I was gifted with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens, which I now shoot with almost exclusively. If you’ve recently gotten a DSLR and are looking to purchase a second lens, I can’t recommend the 50mm enough. As far as taking good photos goes, I’d say avoid using the flash when you can and try and take photos with only natural light.

Any other blogging tips for me?

If you’re new to blogging and want to learn more about expanding your site, I wrote a post about it here, and with the help of 20 or so bloggers, put together a week about blogging here. But I’d say blogging’s like anything else — keep at it, practice, experiment, and eventually you’ll find your groove, figure out what works for you, and before you know it, presto! Rockstar blogger. I’m all about helping people where and if I can, so if you have specific questions about blogging, you can always email me.

I do not share your personal information with third-parties nor do I store information I collect about your visit to this blog for use other than to analyze site performance through the use of cookies, which give me information on site pageviews, and which you can turn off at anytime by modifying your Internet browser’s settings. Comments on this blog are welcome and encouraged (I’m all about community!) but those which are negative, inflammatory, or which I deem inappropriate will be deleted. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved. Original content such as photographs, layouts, and header notes and instructions associated with recipes are all copyright vmac+cheese, 2012.

AFFILIATES
vmac+cheese is part of the affiliate marketing networks RewardStyle and BeachMint. By clicking and purchasing items via certain links on this site and across related social media platforms, I may receive a small commission. However, all links connected to these affiliates are things I genuinely like and would promote whether I was earning a commission on them or not.

PRODUCT REVIEWS & GIFTED ITEMS
To brands: I am happy to consider your product for a review. Please contact me for additional details. Note that sending me your product may not result in a review on this site or across any affiliated social media platforms. I also reserve the right to discuss your product honestly. I will not accept any products from brands that I would not otherwise post about. Opinions will always be my own. All gifted products will be disclosed within the review post.

To readers: Know that any opinions you read about products I’ve been gifted to review are entirely genuine. As with all of my content, product reviews are things I like and support, and are not influenced by the brand or any marketing companies they may work with.

GIVEAWAYS
If you are interested in hosting a giveaway on vmac+cheese, please contact me. All giveaways are subject to state and federal sweepstakes laws, and I may ask that your brand sign a contract outlining the terms of the giveaway. 

ADVERTISING
vmac+cheese is working to establish an advertising program in 2012. Check back for additional details, or email me.

Anything else? You know what to do. vmacandcheese{at} gmail {dot} com.

(Updated 1/22/12 — sections on affiliates, product reviews + gifted items, giveaways, and advertising)
(Updated 2/2/12 — Additional clarification on affiliate links)