Hi! I’m Kristen, but some people call me Kris, KJ, Kristen Joy, DUKE, or even Kittles. I’m delighted you’ve stopped by my corner of the web!  

Kristen Duke Headshot

 

My mission here on Capturing Joy is two-fold:  

1) To share all about how to create more intentional fun with your family.

2) To teach photo tips to those who CRAVE more beautiful pictures of their children.

I do this by introducing ideas to accomplish what we all yearn for: establishing a tight-knit bond with your family, a foundation to build on for years to come.  The photo tips I aim to teach in understandable, non-photo-jargon english, and are for those who desperately want to learn to capture childhood, and bottle it up forever.  You may also enjoy my book, Say NO to Auto, if you’d like to take better pictures. 

But really, those points above are intertwined in my mind, so I keep this all in once space, as opposed to having two different sites. Believe me, I’ve thought about that.

From the time that I was a little girl, all I ever wanted to do was be a mom. The idea was magical to me, and I still feel grateful for my amazing brewd.  I have four kids, aged 7-16, and my ultimate goal is to rear a close knit family that is not distracted by the fast paced life around us. want to share my ideas with anyone who will listen!  I’m passionate about family bonding through shared experiences. I delight in family dinners, making my children feel special, celebrating holidays with gusto, and working on home projects as a team. All of which I share on my site. Most everything I do is aimed towards strengthening Team Duke.  Hop around the different categories on my site, to get a better feel for what I share.

I have split personalities when it comes to my response to “what do you do.”  Because I’m fulfilled with being just a mom, I love to celebrate Motherhood!  But I do love contributing to this spot on the web, and the people it has connected me to.  Since my kids are all in school, it’s now easier for me to say, “I run a lifestyle website sharing photo tips and family fun.”  I feel like saying that I write a blog is not taken seriously enough, and I guess I want to be taken seriously. Who doesn’t, right? 

It’s turned into a business that I truly love. 

I love writing, I love sharing goodness, and I LOVE hearing from you, so please, never hesitate to drop me an email!! {capturingjoyinfo AT gmail.com}  If I see it, I always email back, so try again if you don’t hear something within a few days.

Here is a recent pic of our family. It makes me happy. They make me happy.

card pic

My hair hasn’t always been so red, I give it a little boost from time to time, so you’ll see some vintage pics of me with a different hue.

Other random tidbits about me:

  • My middle name is Joy
  • slightly addicted to having our family portraits done
  • I was born in Texas, but spent most of my childhood in New Orleans before moving back to TX for high school
  • I was on the drill team for 3 years in high school and STILL love to dance around the house (I also clogged in college)
  • I love to meet new people, and my hubby jokes that I get my 20 ?s in the first 5 minutes
  • I was raised with 3 brothers whom I adore, and have a sister in heaven I can’t wait to meet someday
  • I received my Bachelors Degree in Child Development at Brigham Young University
  • I love gourmet cupcakes (with cream cheese frosting), chewy brownies, and chocolate covered cashews
  • I married a California man and somehow convinced him to come to Texas to raise our family
  • I rode a camel through the pyramids in Egypt in college
  • I like to sing loudly to the radio
  • I LOVE LOVE when my kids come to cuddle with me, everything else disappears
  • My hubby and I went to the Tour de France (he is an avid cyclist and lived there before we married)
  • My girlfriends are my sisters, I can’t have too many (click here to view a session with 2 of my best-ies)
  • I love to listen to my children chat with their friends in a carpool

If this still isn’t enough of an introduction, you may enjoy my previous long & very detailed info page.

If you’re not a part of my bestie club newsletter group, sign up for extra fun stuff!

****I’m semi obsessed with Instagram and post something nearly every day (loving the STORIES for behind the scenes) so come hang out with me there!!! @capturingjoy.kristenduke

Privacy Policy