Welcome to The Scoop Link Party!!!

Welcome Back to The Scoop! 

The weekly link party, that features the scoop on the best posts from around the web. 

Stop by every Tuesday, link up and browse through the posts. 

You'll always find great inspiration for projects and discover some new blog friends too. 

As always, add your link right here to my blog and
 it automatically shows up on 5 amazing blogs!
More exposure, less time.

Anita Cedar Hill Ranch

Samantha Crafty Texas Girls

Linsey Farmhouse Porch

Kelli and Kristi LollyJane

Each week we highlight one of our favorite bloggers as a special Guest Host.

Our Guest Host this week is Kristen Duke from "Capturing Joy"

I am so happy to be here today! I know half of these cute girls in real life, and I love the joint party they throw each week! They told me to introduce myself and my blog with some pictures, so that I did! My name is Kristen Duke, and I blog over at Capturing Joy. I started my blog quite a while ago as a portrait photographer just sharing sneak peeks to my clients of their photo sessions. About 3 years ago I was introduced to the DIY world when I began sharing photo tips on another blog weekly, then I became hooked!

One of my first DIY blog posts in June 2010 that really got attention was Decorating with Portraits~My first mod podge project.

 

 It still gets lots of traffic thanks to pinterest! In that post I shared tips on creating a square picture image in photoshop, as well as how I painted and mod podged on wood. A few months after that, I started a Decorating with Pictures series where I invited a bunch of my favorite bloggers to share how they decorate their home with pictures. It is a passion of mine to encourage others to get images OFF of their computer and onto the walls of their homes. I feel strongly that our children a)build their self esteem seeing pictures of themselves around and b)builds family unity that we are a TEAM and work together. 

Here are two of my favorite DIY picture spots in my home: 

The first, I Repurposed this giant frame and the second, I used Vintage Windows as a Picture Frame. I've now held the Decorating with Pictures series 3 times and have over 100 posts with creative bloggers sharing how they decorate their homes with pictures. So if you need ideas, come on over! I am also very passionate about moms getting out from behind the camera and getting in pictures with their kids. Don't have them reach adulthood and wonder if you were ever present because they don't actually SEE you in activities with them. Take a picture with them at least once a week, and I call it Capture the Joy. If you do, hashtag #capturethejoy on Instagram or Twitter to play along with my readers! 

 On my site you'll also find only my most favorite recipes from main dishes to desserts.

  

My most popular being the Honey Curry Chicken Dinner and the Strawberry Cream Cake.

 I also like to share home projects, and let me tell you a little secret. I've got a personal goal of completing and sharing one room a month on my blog this year. So far, so good. My most recent (and probably favorite) is my Girls Fancy bedroom Makeover, second favorite being my Boys Room Reveal.

 

I also like to plan fun parties for my kids and friends, among them is the Soccer Party for the boys and Lalaloopsey Party for the girls:

 

I also like to share a little of my fashion style in an occasional What I Wore Wednesday post: 

My travel tips, a few favorites are Walt Disney World and Alaska:

Did I mention my DIY home projects? Well, I like to dream and my husband likes to build, so together we've created a few fun projects for our home! Among them are a tin foil table and our Sliding Barn Door TV cover.

 

 I also journal my life with stories in a section I call, Life As I know it, where I am sharing my crazy LOVE STORY one chapter at a time, I chronicle my weight loss, address triumphing after gossip and hurt, and share my thoughts on life in a section called Kristen's rambings with printables sprinkled in. I have to remind myself to go back to my roots in sharing photography tips. I LOVE sharing photography, but I love so much more, too! A few favorites are How to shoot a silhouette and What to wear in Family Portraits.

In addition to photo tips, I have a little e-book (that can also be purchased as a printed copy) called Say NO to Auto for beginners wanting to learn how to use their fancy cameras. It is a short and simple book teaching the 3 basic steps, so as not to overwhelm the reader with too much! After the first book is mastered, I encourage my Intermediate level book called Get Focused with 12 tips and techniques on taking sharper images.

 

I sized the books to fit perfectly into camera bags for easy reference when out photographing! If you want to see what my readers love from my site, you can see some of what they have pinned from my site as well. Whew! I have a slight problem with over sharing. My husband shakes his head at me all the time. Now you know ALL about me, come on over to my site and tell me about you! I love to hear from my readers, it's part of what makes this blog sharing so fun! 

 ~Kristen 
 If you're on other social media, you can also find me here:

Pinterest//Facebook//Instagram//Twitter//Google+
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Thanks so much for joining us today Kristen! 
Now, let's take a look at your creative projects, 
chosen from last week's party!

"The Scoop" party features were by
Samantha from Crafty Texas Girls

Yarn Bow Garland via "Sew Craft Create"

Cafe du Monde Beignets via "Your Home Based Mom"

Getting an Early Start on Spring Planting from
"Town and Country Living" 

Spring Front Porch Arrows via "The Happy Scraps"

Master Bedroom Window Treatments via "Rain on a Tin Roof" 

Front Yard Transformation by "Confessions for Serial DIYer"

Trash to Treasure via 
"The Olde Farmhouse on Windmill Hill" 

Little Burlap Stool via "Number Fifty-Three"

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins via "The First Year Blog"

Now it's your turn. 
Link up on my blog, and your post shows up on 5 blogs!

(Please read the guidelines before participating)

* Please follow (GFC) and/or subscribe to your host blog.

* You may link up any type post.  (We reserve the right to remove links we find offensive or spammy.) 

* You may link as many links as you want.

* By linking up you are agreeing that the photos are yours or that you have permission to use them,  that we may use those photos to feature your project in a blog post, on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter with a link back to your blog of course. 
* Be sure to include THE SCOOP Button or text link to in your linked post. Mandatory to be featured!!