cristycrossphotography

NEW BLOG NEW BLOG!

2009-06-22T22:07:00.003-06:00

I have a NEW BLOG!! This has been a goal of mine for more than a year now. A few obstacles were thrown my way, but now it is here. The Lord provides and he is good :)
So, change your bookmarks, and your rss feed, google reader, or what ever else you have and switch it to http://cristycross.com/journal
There are new posts that you haven't seen yet, so scroll through. And watch the header at the top. It rotates pictures and cool stuff like that :D
Again, this is my OLD BLOG and I will no longer be posting here. From now on, all of my journaling will take place at http://cristycross.com/journal

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T10:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Father's Day to my dad and Ben! The best dads we could have ever asked for :)

Ben and Benson this year 2009
Ben and Benson June 08
Benson says thanks daddy for everything. For all the wrestling and for making me laugh and for holding me when I'm hurt and for hugging me just because. You are the best.---Benson

Craft Time

2009-06-20T13:32:00.002-06:00

I'm always looking for some cool craft project to do in my spare time (which isn't often).
I came across this cool little post on Design Sponge and wanted to share with all you crafty photographers out there. I actually have one that Ginger Ivey made me for Christmas. Enjoy this lovely Saturday.

Off to working on albums. It's a crazy job, but someone has to do it :)

True photographers

2009-06-19T23:49:00.003-06:00

Today I had the honor of shooting family pictures for the talented Brianna Saban. More to show tomorrow. It's sleepy time for Critty.

Haleigh Howe. Bridals More!

2009-06-19T22:57:00.002-06:00

Umm hello gorgeous!
Strikingly gorgeous
phenomenally gorgeous
hello hot mama
True Haleigh right here. This is what Caleb does for her all the time-Keeps her laughing and full of joy.

Haleigh HOWE. bridal Sneaky (snake) Peak

2009-06-19T15:37:00.002-06:00

I wanted to post at least one for now of Haleigh from her bridal session. Off to work on albums and then a fun photo shoot for a sweet photographer from Albuquerque, Nm-Mrs. Brianna Saban and her family.

Haleigh you look stunning!!

Linsdie and Garrett. Part Two

2009-06-16T23:05:00.004-06:00

Gorgeous dress taken in the Methodist church parlor
RED shoes on a real zebra rug...it had the mane and all.
Stunning couple
Garrett chatting on the phone before their first look.And this is HER first look at herself. I think she's satisfied! Go get 'em tiger :)
I LOVE this shot. Everything about it. The symmetry, the ledge, the colors...
I think Lindsie is so so gorgeous! I mean just look at her already.
Again...beautiful. I think Garrett's groomsmen (his cousin) is giving a wink at you Lindsie...hahahha
And a stunning groom

Peace O Cake

2009-06-16T14:06:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday my mom and I headed over to Peace O Cake to check it out for the first time. It is a cute shop tucked in next to Balloons by the Bunch on 34th St. They have five different cupcakes daily and each week they are different.
We enjoyed the black and white, Italian Creme, and Confetti cupcakes. I can't wait to go back and try some more flavors.
If you are in Lubbock go and check them out if you haven't yet. They even have cute t-shirts!
Visit there website here.

Dodge Ball Anyone?

2009-06-14T13:35:00.002-06:00

Haleigh and Caleb's team picture from this weekends wedding...

Lindsie and Garrett. Married!

2009-06-12T15:01:00.006-06:00

Lindsie said she always wanted a fun love story, but didn't think she'd actually get it.
Neither Garrett nor Lindsie were looking for anyone at the time. They were both doing their own thing, in their own life. Until her mom wanted to set her up on a blind date with a friend her co-worker knew. The blind date however consisted of Lindsie, her mom and dad, Garrett, and the co-worker and her husband. Who knew being set up on a blind date with your parents could lead to your future spouse?
After hitting it off quite well at lunch, the remainder part of her Thanksgiving holiday she was spending with family, now became time spend with Garrett.
She says, "I fell quickly and hard, head-over-heels for this amazing man who superseded my expectations and most importantly loves God with all his mind, heart, soul and strength. "
[Insert tears here]
Is that not the sweetest thing! Oh but wait, because when I read what Garrett had to say about her after the few days they spent together, it again tugged at my heart.
"When she left me standing in the driveway that Saturday, the feeling in my heart confirmed what I already knew…my life would never be the same. I had all but given up on finding the girl of my dreams, and then God places her in my life and exceeds all my wildest dreams and expectations.
Yes, yes they are truly THIS in love. If not even more so each day they spend with each other I am certain.

The best part about this day...was when Garrett kept looking at her and finally said, "every time I look at you, you take my breath away". He was like a little kid in a candy shop when he saw her for the first time. So giddy he could hardly contain himself.

As he prays for the two of them, she listens intensely to her soon-to-be husband talking to God.
As we were taking the guys pictures, Garrett hears the ice cream man and wanted to do some pictures with him and the truck. One of his groomsmen sipped up on some superman juice and sprinted over to the ice cream truck to wave him down.
I when the wedding party has no fear!
And the girls...oh so beautiful. Who do ya think caught it?
Beautiful rings, but nasty smelling dill plant. I had to wash my hands after this.

Disclaimer: Cristy Cross Photography cannot be responsible for all the lovey dovey pictures that were captured on the day of Lindsie and Garrett's wedding. They did this all on their own without any instructions. I LOVED LOVED LOVED it!

Thank you Lindsie and Garrett for a wonderful wedding that was so sweet and centered around God's love. You two rock!

Lindsie.Bridal

2009-06-11T16:13:00.004-06:00

Lindsie and Garrett got married last weekend and while I'm working on showing you images from their wedding, here are some from her bridal session back in the Spring.

Lindsie is one of those clients that start out as a client and instantly become a friend. I'm so blessed with my the clients God has given me.
Thanks Lindsie for your friendship and to both you and Garrett for making us feel like we were apart of your family on Saturday.
Blessings,
Cristy

Taken at Little Red Nursery

Power of Prayer

2009-06-10T14:17:00.002-06:00

I was reading through my daily blog roll the other day and found Amy Wenzel, a photographer in great need of prayer.
Here is a short part of what she writes on her blog. To read more, please visit her blog.

Yesterday morning I received a phone call from paramedics that David suffered a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors have found a mass in his brain. We are still waiting for more information and biopsy. They believe it to be cancer at this point. In all of this we believe and trust in our savior Jesus Christ who is not only our source of salvation, but our hope, joy and healer. We are asking that you pray for us. I have specifically asked God to raise a multitude of people to pray for us during this trial. We need strength, clarity of mind for making important decisions regarding his treatment, and we need more faith than we have ever had before. Please pray for David’s complete healing.
You can also read the an update here.
The cool thing is she has had 421 comments on her blog in response to this news about her husband. All I have to say is God is good-ALL the time even in tough times. So many people have come together praying for her and David and that touches my heart.

Splish Splash

2009-06-08T22:53:00.004-06:00

After I posted about the watermelon lemonade, I received a comment from a friend saying they made it and were freezing popsicles from the juice. I thought that was a great idea so I did one for BB.

I figured what better place to have one than in the pool with daddy.

He was so cute with Bailey (one of our dogs). He would let her have a few licks, then he would take a turn, then her, then him. Honestly, it was too cute I didn't stop him and stopped thinking about how unsanitary it was. Kids will be kids.
Love my boys
He loves water. When it is bath time, Ben will say to Benson, "Are you ready for a bath?" and he heads straight for the bathroom. It is so cute and he does it EVERY time.

Fun summer memories

Cake and summer projects

2009-06-08T14:18:00.004-06:00

So back in May I celebrated my 28th birthday. To help celebrate, Ben got me a poppy cake made by my favorite cake lady here in Clovis Diana Rutherford. She also made some fabulous poppy cookies too! Not only are the cakes beautiful, but they are so so delicious and worth every bite.
She does wedding cakes too if anyone is looking for a great cake maker.

This summer has started off with a bunch of hard work. We cleaned out our backyard and fixed up our porch.
This bench is special to me. It used to be the bed frame to my parents water bed they had for YEARS. Then my dad made it into a bench.
outside table decorations
And this is our porch! We have enjoyed it so much this summer. I love summer projects.
Next I'll show you the super fun sand box we built Benson.

Watermelon-Lemonade

2009-06-08T13:34:00.002-06:00

Today has been a wonderful day already. Benson woke up in a great mood and so did his mommy :) I've been so excited because he has been eating his food lately. I've tried some new kid friendly recipes that he loves and eats every bit. Praise God!

One of the things I made him today was watermelon apple juice and then I made watermelon lemonade for me.

Watermelon lemonade:
one Mini-seedless watermelon-scoop out the watermelon and puree
two lemons freshly squeezed
splenda to sweeten
1/2 to a cup of cold water
ice

Watermelon Apple Juice:
1/2 seedless mini watermelon pureed
one juice box of apple juice

Drink Up!

Lindsie and Garrett. Plainview, Tx Wedding Sneak Peek

2009-06-07T15:33:00.002-06:00

From the moment I visited with this couple, you could tell that they were put on earth for each other.
Garrett didn't think he could jump very high, but I think he proved himself wrong...
This was the only shot we took of him jumping, because it was so sweet nothing could've topped this.
Garrett and Lindsie, thank you thank you thank you for an awesome weekend. I will be posting more this week so be looking out all you Lindsie and Garrett fans.

Fun in the Sun at the Park

2009-06-04T22:09:00.002-06:00

Our original session date was planned on June 2nd, however the weather had other ideas. We were able to reschedule for the next day and God brought us beautiful weather. We met up at our local park, Ned Hauk and went to my favorite place. My secret hideout, which I know really isn't a secret but it's fun to think so.
I also want to add, even though we didn't take pictures on June 2nd we still met up so I could meet mom and the kids. It is always so nice to meet you before hand so your kids will feel comfortable with me as a person and not as the photographer. Just wanted to through that out there.
So if you schedule a family session with me, or any session for that matter, I'd love to meet with you on a totally different day before the shoot so we get to know each other better.

I came bringing gifts of balloons for the little wee ones. Ya know something to keep them occupied, but also a little extra special color to the pictures.

Then I built a tent in the secret forest and we played with imaginary flowers and tried on hats.
I love this one of big sister loving on her little sister.
I think i got bit by an ant while doing this one, because I have a bump on my foot that itches.
Thank you sweet lovable family for a nice evening yesterday.

What to feed the baby?

2009-06-04T17:25:00.003-06:00

So I'm always trying to think of something new to feed Benson for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Somedays he's picky, and somedays he's not. Some meals he's hungry and some not. I feel like I'm in a rut on what to feed the little guy. He likes ham, scrabbled eggs and bread, and he still will eat his baby cereal and baby food. He likes other things too, but these main things he will eat every time.
I need some creative recipes to feed him. If you have anything that works for your little ones will you please please share.

Thanks in advance. Tonight we are having a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of refried beans and grapes. Lets keep our figures crossed he'll eat it.

Balloons are magic to a shy little girl

2009-06-04T08:27:00.002-06:00

Sneak peek of yesterdays session. More to come later this afternoon.

Thank Heaven...

2009-06-04T00:31:00.002-06:00

Nap times are changing and honestly this week has been very challenging, but nothing says it sweeter than this. I love our little boy so much. When Ben and I checked on him tonight, this is how we found him. Snuggling with his Polar Bear. Such sweetness.

New News

2009-06-03T14:52:00.004-06:00

I finally have a legit customized Cristy Cross Photography Logo. No more Floralia letter G for me. (a font I used for my old logo) It has been in the works for several months, but today is the day I'm finally sharing it with you. A friend of mine located in Los Angeles, Paige Anderson of Bash Eco Events designed it for me. I wanted something that was my own, but also reminded me of the Anthropologie design on the invoice bag. She did a perfect job in creating exactly what I wanted. Thanks Paige.

On to personal news...
Ben and I are going to New York in June, which is this month-OMG! And we have plans to eat at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, see a broadway show (deciding on Wicked or In the Heights) and also visit China Town. We are staying at the aka right in Time Square and we are going to try and see Rob Thomas perform on the Today show.
The last time I went was in high school with my church youth group in 1999, and the last time for Ben was when he was a freshman in college with Campus Crusade for Christ also in 1999. So I guess in away we are taking a ten year reunion trip to NY.

Please share any suggestions you have. Where are some authentic places to eat? Shop?
We are so excited. While we are in NY, Benson will be staying with my parents. The whole reason the trip even came up was because they offered to watch him if we wanted to go on vacation, just the two of us. And we were like OKAY!

Erin and Jason. Part Three

2009-06-03T08:36:00.003-06:00

Okay you guys, click here to view the slideshow from Jason and Erin's wedding.
Slideshows are $89 for the first one and $55 for each one after that. If you are interested in buying a slideshow of Erin and Jason's wedding click here and find purchase show on DVD.
Enjoy!

Erin and Jason. Olton, Tx. Wedding Part Two

2009-06-02T15:31:00.005-06:00

One of the coolest parts about this wedding was the prayer circle. I got choked up while taking pictures...scroll down to see.

Waiting in the bridal room for the guests to be seated...
He's about to walk down the aisle :) Beautiful bride with her proud dad.
Uggh this just tugs at my heart when I see this. The minister announced the bride and groom wanted to have a prayer circle and anyone who wanted to come up and pray could join them on stage. I'm telling you, it was so incredibly moving because almost the ENTIRE congregation stood up to join them on stage. Wow! It was awesome. God is awesome!
Erin and her beautiful work by her and the ladies at Town South Floral
Sweet Temptations did the cakes. We snagged a bite of the brides cake and oh boy oh boy it was good.
I'm not quite sure, but I think those are Erin's shoes tide up with the cans.

We left that wedding feeling blessed and honored to be apart of your day Jason and Erin. Oh and thanks to Pam, Erin's mom for the bag of fruit!

Erin and Jason. Olton, Tx. Part One

2009-06-01T23:55:00.008-06:00

Ben and I pulled up to the Olton, Tx First Baptist Church around 12:30 pm Saturday and we were ready for wedding number two of the season. We were greeted with warm hugs and sweet smiles from Erin and her family. There were parts of the ceremony that made my heart stop and skip a beat...I'll share more on that later this week.
Even though the rain stopped by for a visit, it didn't stop them from celebrating. I couldn't have asked for a better bridal party too.
So here we go on Erin and Jason's wedding part one...

Erin owns Townsouth Floral in Lubbock, Tx and even though she had help on her flowers they were all her ideas.Erin surprised her bridesmaids with their favorite flowers in their bouquet.

Little history for ya...
I kinda think in her profile image to the right that she looks like Angelina Jolie
Now this I love. If you are a Texan you know how hard it can be to put on boots or even take them off. She had some help from her momma. I remember helping my dad take his boots off and you gotta use all your muscle. It's a hefty job putting on and taking off boots ya know!
Ummm, gorgeous!
First looksy...I love the excitement in their faces.
kissy kissy
A little peep hole action for ya...
bride with sisters and best friend
hello lucky Jason! You have a stunning bride there.
Ya, loving the peep hole
Jason with his brother and best buds.
I love Erin's face...look closely. Also in the making of this photo the groom was slapped on the butt by one of the girls. The guys told them that was the plan, but only Lindi did it. Nothing like welcoming Jason to the family with a love pat from his new sister-in-law.
More to come this week. I was absent all last week from blogging, because we were busy getting our house in order and building a sandbox for little B. I have pictures to share of that too, but later.
Also, Ben and I are taking a trip and we are so excited. My parents offered to keep B if we wanted to go on vacation so we took them up on it. We are going to New York! The last time we were their was in 1999. Wow, I just realized that was 10 years ago! We have plans, big plans.

Erin and Jason. Wedding sneak peek

2009-05-26T11:35:00.003-06:00

Erin and Jason became Mr. and Mrs. Swann this weekend in Olton, Tx. Ben and I absolutely loved everything about it. In a way, it reminded us of our wedding. Here is a favorite image I found and wanted to share.
It makes me want to do the Hot Dog Dance (imagine me dancing like Goofy)

Jennifer and Tim's Slideshow...

2009-05-22T16:48:00.004-06:00

To view more pictures from Jennifer and Tim's wedding from last weekend, please click here.

Featured on Wedding Chicks

2009-05-20T18:12:00.002-06:00

I just recently shared Jen and Tim's wedding on Wedding Chicks. This is a blog for brides-to-be and is looked at by tons of photographers and wedding go-getters.
Go see go see! Click on the image to go to the Wedding Chicks site.
And if you are a bride looking for ideas, this is the place to go.

More of Jennifer and Tim are married!

2009-05-20T13:11:00.008-06:00

Jennifer is a hair stylist. So when we were at the salon, I knew exactly what I was going to do when I spotted the perm rollers.

Be Prepared

2009-05-18T10:39:00.004-06:00

Thanks to the maid of honor, Renee for taking these pictures for us.

This weekend Christy Penn came out to help me with my Roswell, NM wedding. It was raining a good bit before the wedding, so we stopped off at a trendy store to buy some rain boots (only $8) and jackets. We wanted to make sure we were super prepared.

Jennifer and Tim. Wedding Sneaky Sneak Peek

2009-05-17T11:04:00.002-06:00

Jennifer and Tim's wedding day finally was here and we had a great, and wonderful time despite the rain. Here are two of my favorites shots I got of the lovely bride and groom. Thanks for letting me do my thing...
Also big thanks to my sweet and lovely friend Christy Penn for assisting me and getting some awesome images of yesterdays wedding too. I can't wait to show you some of her work from this wedding!

Have a great Sunday!

Happy Birthday to ME!

2009-05-15T11:43:00.004-06:00

This morning I woke up to a yummy breakfast burrito from FOXY'S and a whole lot of chocolate for my sweet tooth from Ben and Benson. It was 7:15 am when Ben came home with breakfast and normally I want to jut lay in bed, for I was too excited and wanted to get up, because simply, it's my birthday and I want to celebrate :)

This is another birthday/mother's day present Ben picked out ALL by himself just for me. He is the sweetest, most wonderful husband to me. He knows me so well.

Do you see that awesome bike seat?!

And the yummy chocolate...
And the birthday card-which has a story. When Ben and I were dating one of the first things we did before we were even dating was country western dance with each other. So when we officially started dating he bought me a painting of this lady dancing like a crazy woman on the dance floor. And well the crazy lady dancing was me :) The birthday card below reminds me of that, and that is why he bought it.

That's me lifting my leg up elegantly while Ben is the one in the top hat dancing. Hahhaha

Oh and well, I found this one in storage and thought I'd share it too. It's a little random. I did this collage of Ben when I was in college for an art class. If you remember Ben back when he had long hair, you would remember this face. We call it "Ben the Hulk". I did green and blue because those are our favorite colors. I need to do one of me and Benson so we could all match, but in different colors.

Enjoy this beautiful Friday, and have a great weekend. Also, celebrate my birthday with me by having something sweet today :)

Christina and Jeff. Engagement

2009-05-14T23:39:00.008-06:00

Clovis has a beautiful secret garden with the greenest grass this town has ever seen. I walked into the garden to find Christina sitting comfortably on Jeff's lap as they waited for me to arrive. Immediately meeting these two, you could tell they were ment for each other. They were flirty and sweet to one another as I asked them questions of how they "found" each other. And ya know how they met? On myspace. They said when people would ask in the past of how they met, they would say at Applebees (b/c that is where they first met face to face), but wouldn't say anything about myspace. Who needs Eharmony when you have myspace, right? No need to be shy of how they met when the connection is THIS good...

This image makes me melt. Look at how gorgeous she is!

And these were at the Underground Embassy in Clovis. All the art work you see in the back is from Drew Merritt.
And they wondered if they were doing the whole posing thing right. This was natural for them, and I LOVED it.
I love this picture b/c he looks like her protector
He loves her, he loves her, he loooooves her
Hair,makeup and stylist props go to her sister: Shannon Cook at Solutions Clovis, NM

Ansley.Bridal

2009-05-14T21:58:00.003-06:00

A couple weeks back I had the special privilege to photograph a friend of mine. We have known each other since I was in high school and she was in jr. high. Ansley has been dating her fiance, Zo since high school and they are now getting married. He is a sweet young man and loves Ansley like crazy. I can't wait for him to see her in her wedding dress. When I walked in the house for our session, I was blown away by her beauty as she stood there to greet me. Zo, just get ready, because I guarantee you will lose your breath and I won't be surprised if your buddies have to pick you up off the floor after you fainted because she will look so AMAZING she will literally knock you off your feet :)
I am looking forward to photographing their wedding in July!

Have a wonderful evening :)

Marshmallow Trio Is HERE!!

2009-05-13T12:45:00.002-06:00

Today was the big day...the big day of receiving the Marshmallow Trio from Dean and Deluca. The UPS guy drove up and I met him immediately at the door with a huge smile. (Yes, I ordered me some too. I couldn't resist.) I wanted to rip the box out of his hands and tear it open so I could indulge in the sweet, soft, and fluffy goodness. And let me say, they were sweet, soft, and fluffy and O SO GOOD. I made sure to chew slowly so ALL of my taste buds could have a taste. I didn't want to leave any of them out!!
I hope the lovely moms who also received them today enjoy them as much as I did and will in the next couple of weeks. I definitely plan on sharing too. So if you want one or two or three, let me know. Haley and Lenie, sweet friends of mine, will definitely be getting some. Everytime I bake a sweet dessert, those two girls ALWAYS get to try them out.

I am about to deliver one of the orders to a sweet lady here in Clovis and I can't wait for her to open the package.
Have a great Wednesday!

These are the peonies from my backyard! Gorgeous!

Terryn. Lubbock, Tx Senior

2009-05-11T11:58:00.003-06:00

I was in Lubbock over the weekend for Mother's Day as well as Terryn's senior session.
Such a lovely girl and her mom is a sweet lovely lady too. We had so many ideas and locations we wanted to do and go to and only got a couple of them done, but what we do have is gorgeous, because SHE is gorgeous.

Here are the favorites for you Terryn :)

I couldn't have asked for a better session with these Terryn and her mom. Thanks for looking blog readers. Leave us a comment and tell us what ya think :) Don't be shy now...

Griffin. 4 days old

2009-05-07T21:55:00.003-06:00

There are no words...

Simply adorable

This sweet 4 day old baby belongs to Haley and Tyler-very sweet dear friends of ours. I went over to their house yesterday to take pictures of their little guy and I brought Benson along with me. I am so thankful to Haley's mom, because she kept him occupied while I took pictures of her grandson. She loved on him like he was her own and he had so much fun :)

The Winner Is...

2009-05-07T20:03:00.003-06:00

I have to say to everyone who entered, ALL of your moms are absolutely wonderful. I was teary eyed when I read each one. I started thinking maybe I should let everyone win, but realized I HAVE to pick someone. So through lots of thought I decided to pick three winners. Again, ALL entries were wonderful (including my husbands sweet words and those voting with him). Thanks for making me feel special :)

The three winners are:
Amanda
Stephanie Blumer
Ginger Ivey

The things I noticed as an awesome quality about all of your moms is how they sacrifice and will do anything for you all and the ones they love. My mom is the same way to all of us in our family and we are very grateful for that. Now that I'm a mom, I know I too would do anything for that sweet little baby boy :)

I will be contacting you soon to get your mailing address for the fluffy marshmallows to be delivered to your casa.

Benson.15 months

2009-05-07T16:22:00.005-06:00

This morning we went on a little adventure to the hair salon for Benson to get his first haircut. The lady that cuts Ben's hair lives around the corner, so we loaded our little boy up in his wagon and headed that way. He was such a good little boy. He sat very patiently in daddy's lap as she cut away his little baby hairs. (which we saved in an envelope for his baby book).

The paci and daddy kept him secure :)
Oh and you see how the flap on the paci is up? He like it like that. If you flip it down, he'll flip it right back up.
wook at that widdle baby hair
After the hair cut, we headed back to the house in his big boy wagon.
A little photo shoot of his new hair do.
We love everything about this boy--including those lovable lips :)
He will be 15 months old on Tuesday.
Our little baby is growing up into a sweet little boy.

Mother's Day Contest

2009-05-04T16:49:00.004-06:00

I received a Dean and Deluca mailer last week and this lovely squishy, fluffy picture was gazing at me. My mouth was watering as the marshmallows were calling my name.
I don't know if anyone else shares a love for fluffy marshmallows, but if you do I'm sure you are wishing you snatch one right off the plate.

So earlier today I was thinking that I'd like to give someone a chance to indulge in these yummy marshmallows from Dean and Deluca.

The only thing is, they would be going to your mom or someone who you think is a wonderful mom and deserves a fun fluffy gift.

Leave a comment giving reasons why your mom/friend/someone special deserves these temptatious marshmallows.
Also, leave me your email address so I can contact you to get your information if you are the winner.

I will announce the winner on Thursday, May 7th at 8 pm Mt. time. So be sure to enter before then.

Clayton.Lubbock, Tx Senior

2009-05-02T23:07:00.003-06:00

I came to Lubbock, Tx on Thursday to do senior pictures for Clayton. Our families are close friends and I've known him since he was in elementary school. Now, he's a high school senior!
Here are some favorites...

Hannah.Tween

2009-04-28T21:01:00.002-06:00

Say hello to a beautiful 12 yr old face. Absolutely flawless skin!
I walked into the Java Loft to meet Hannah and her mom and that girl Hannah was so spunky and fun RIGHT from the start. I wish I had a little 12 yr old personality in me like this girl. Being with her today made me miss being 12. Seriously! I love her honesty. She says it like it is and that is just her. She is super dooper fun and I would love to have another session with her soon. Next session we do Hannah will be on a roof. I'll be searching...until then her are some favorites of you sweet Hannah.

Jennifer.Senior

2009-04-27T21:05:00.002-06:00

Thanks Jennifer, Amanda, and Renee for being so fun and full of life. Here is a sneak peek image from your session today Jennifer :)

The Cross Family lately

2009-04-27T11:53:00.002-06:00

The past two weekends have been so enjoyable hanging out with Ben and Benson. We've groomed our yard, planted Zenia plants, and taken walks. Lots of home cooked meals, and good family time. Benson is a full time walker now and is 14 months old. Look out world, her comes lil' B!

Praise God for our sweet little boy and for our sweet little family.

Cruz.6 month old baby

2009-04-23T21:33:00.003-06:00

Cruzie (the baby) is a sweet friend of mine, and so is his mom. She is the lovely Julia that has modeled for me and also does my hair. (look for the dark brown hair model) And she is also the one that introduced me to baby cakes. She took care of my white/gray roots on Monday praise the Lord!!

Cruz was due for his 6 month pictures, so Benson and I went over to their house for a little photo shoot. This was the first time I'd ever taken Benson with me to a session. I brought along his car to keep him company and Julia would blow bubbles for him too. I think he did a pretty good job. He was a little jealous Cruz was getting the attention, but I think he knows he holds a special place in my heart :)

Look at this cuteness. This was one of the first shots of the session.
Hello model baby
Sweet, sweet moment
He is still learning to sit up by himself, but he did this for us for about 5 seconds or so. Way to go Cruzie!
He is looking at his momma on this one. He LOVES his momma :)
Thanks Cruz and Julia for a fun afternoon!

Contest Anyone?

2009-04-23T20:31:00.001-06:00

I thought he would like the clown wig, and well obviously I was wrong. But ya know I had to take it because he looks so cute.

CONTEST IDEAS:
I have had such an awesome week hanging out with Ben and Benson and it has put me in a wonderful mood :)
So I feel like doing a contest and having a prize for one lucky winner. The only thing is, what should I do?
Leave a comment with some ideas. It can be photography related, or something random.

Savanna.Senior

2009-04-22T22:27:00.004-06:00

Savanna, fabulous Savanna. I enjoyed my session with her and her mom yesterday. Here are some favorites from my new favorite location :)

Tyler and Haley.Maternity

2009-04-18T01:19:00.017-06:00

Tyler and Haley are some of our dear friends and they are having a baby in two weeks. We went out this evening for a maternity shoot so I could get some sweet pictures of her cute belly. I also think Haley and Tyler make a smashingly striking couple. So, thanks Haley and Tyler for being so darn good looking and for making my pictures look so pretty :)

I got this idea from "from the HIP" catalog from Anthro
I love :)
yep yep. Love this one too.
ooo baby baby, b-b-b-baby...Haley you so pritty
I LOVE LOVE this one

Seriously dude!! I can't believe he can jump this high. This is something I didn't know about Tyler. Secretly in his spare time he practices with cheerleaders. Just kidding. He actually practices ultimate fighting. He says that's why he's so limber. I still say it's a secret love for wanting to be a male cheerleader :)
Haley was really nervous...Thankfully no babies or mommies were squished by daddy's toe-touch.

Marsalis.Family

2009-04-17T22:44:00.003-06:00

I saw this family on Wednesday night at church and told the little boy I was coming to his house on Thursday to take pictures and play. He didn't seem too excited. He's never met me before and I'm sure he was like, "what ever strange lady." That was until he started talking about his toy crane and telling me ALL about it.
Then, I showed up at their house the next day, and he STILL remembered the crane and wanted to play.
His sister also has never met me, and came and sat in my lap before we really had a chance to shake hands and say hello. This is a sweet family and I loved being apart of their day for those two hours. Thanks Marsalis family :) Your kids are SO SO adorable! What a blessed family.

I feel like they are models for Children's Place in this one (since that is where they got their clothes)
wook at that wittle baby. (say this with lips fully puckered)
dad getting tackled
she's only 3 months old, but she knows about those cool suckers.
Lollipop lickin' time
mom and dad also got a little lovey time in :)

BLENDED group of Friends

2009-04-16T10:58:00.006-06:00

I still haven't posted some of my stuff from BLEND! I do want to share with you some of the friends I made while I was at the workshop. Everyone was super awesome and wonderful and incredibly friendly. Click on their names and check out their work too. They are talented photogs from all over North America: Minnesota, West Virginia, California, Canada, New York, Seattle, North Carolina and Indiana to name a few.

Emily Griffith
Michelle Waters - these girls were so loving and we clicked right away. I love those kinds of friendships :) Kelsy Nielson - sweet friend from Canada.

Jesh De Rox - you must go to one of his workshops.

Becker

Tamara Lackey -she is a fun girl. I loved meeting her.

Bobbi - they stole my camera and I found this.

Dale Benfield
Becker - loving on the sucker I passed out to my classmates from William Sonoma.

Intense times with the Kaisers
the image is found - oh yeah. light action.

Cheyenne doing the crouching tiger method to get her shot

Desiree - very crafty

Jose Villa - such a sweetheart

Fashionista.Jourdyn.Senior

2009-04-15T21:45:00.004-06:00

Warning: Operating a vehicle while looking at these images may be dangerous. They will NOT be dangerous to your health and you MAY leave the blog feeling happy saying ooo and ahhhh over the gorgeous-ness you will be facing. Please advice anyone you know to come and take a look at this knock-out girl as soon as possible :)

Check it:

Jennifer and Tim. Engagement

2009-04-15T17:34:00.004-06:00

Jennifer and Tim are getting married May 16th in Roswell, NM and I can't wait for their wedding. Here are some favorites I'd like to share with you of this fun loving couple...

Jennifer you are stunning!!

Sessions from this week

2009-04-10T16:16:00.006-06:00

Kevin.Senior

Cool dude. This guy was laid back and just took the photography beating of me making him "pose." He really liked it when his friend drove by and honked at him :)

Jessica and Coby.Engagement Session
We had fun on the tandem bike and with Coby's blue '69 (I think) Camero.

Jourdyn.Senior

Fashionista from Allen, Tx drove in to get senior pictures with me today. We had a BLAST.

I got to try out the tandem bike too! It is a little trickier than you would think. The front person has to steer, and well I haven't been on a bike in FOREVER, not to mention I've NEVER been on a tandem bike. It was fun. My advice is to take wide turns.

Thanks everyone for a fantastic smack you in the face wonderful week!

Happy Easter

2009-04-10T11:35:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone has a great time with family this weekend. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice! You are one in a billion cadrillion patillion million...oxoxoxox

I love pretty things: Peacock feathers

2009-04-09T15:33:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite images from a bridal session I had two weeks back was this snazy little guy below. Do you likey?

Wholey Cow!

2009-04-07T20:44:00.004-06:00

The Wholey Cow Deli is under new ownership, the Hughes and they are friends/clients of mine. I did their daughters wedding in July 2007. I'm so excited for them and Ben and I plan on supporting them by buying many yummy sandwiches. We ordered from there today and Ben got an Egg Salad sandwich and I got a Cosmo Panini. They were both so awesome!

*Thursday, April 9th at 10 am they are having a ribbon cutting ceremony and I think you should go and get one of their many delicious sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and soup. They are some of the sweetest people too, so you should go just based on that :)

H.S Senior of the Month

2009-04-06T11:35:00.003-06:00

Kesha is super awesome! She says she doesn't have a random talent, but I bet you she does. I'll have to ask around a little I guess :)

Graduation Announcements

2009-04-05T22:37:00.004-06:00

To the high school seniors who have had a session with me I just want to remind you to get your graduation announcements if you haven't already. They are $60/25 pkg.

If you are interested in placing an order call me soon at 575.219.9312 or email me at cristy@cristycross.com

**All orders must be ordered no later than April 15th so you can get them out to family and friends on time.

Lindsie.Lubbock Bride

2009-04-04T16:40:00.003-06:00

Lindsie is SO fun. She ended her session yesterday evening in Lubbock jumping off a log in her wedding dress. Lindsie and Garrett are getting married in June and the good times will be a rollin' in at that wedding. Yippee!! I hear we are having steak and taters at the rehearsal din-din. Oh boy!

Vanessa and Jeremy. Clovis, NM Engagement

2009-04-02T21:17:00.005-06:00

I loved everything about this session. Vanessa and Jeremy are some of the funnest people and they love to pick on each other in good fun, which made it entertaining on my end. I learned some great tips at BLEND and I used some of them on this session. I can't say enough how great this session was for me as a person and as a photographer. Thanks you two love birds for a very very fun evening :)

Kalah.Lubbock, Tx Bridal

2009-04-01T21:45:00.004-06:00

My cousin, Kalah is getting married next month and we did her bridals last weekend while I was in Lubbock. The wind was super crazy so we did them at her parents house. It was gorgeous and the perfect place for her session.
The only thing I don't like about bridals is that I can't show you all of the favorites and the full dress. Her dress is beautiful and as soon as her wedding is over in May, I'll post more :)

Blessed

2009-04-01T11:38:00.004-06:00

Life is definitely something to celebrate ya know. Last Friday, I woke up to have an early wedding consultation at 7:15 am before we headed out to Lubbock to pick Benson up. He stayed with my parents for the week while I was at my BLEND conference in Santa Fe. Before we left, Ben and I went to our local bakery to pick up thumb print cookies for my dad (4 dozen and they were eaten in three days).

We knew the weather was no bueno, but we were so excited to see our little BB we didn't listen to the lady at the bakery telling us not to go. We of course went anyways. The roads were barely viewable with the blizzard winds coming in and blowing the snow all around us. We traveled with our hazard lights on at 45 mph just to be safe. Even if it took us 5 hrs to get to Lubbock we were determined, right?

Well, so much for being determined, because we were just outside of Farwell, Tx and were hit from the side from another car. We were now not traveling east and west, but north and south. Let me say too that I've never been in a car wreck. And my thoughts as we were turning sideways right side up, was "please don't flip, please don't flip" And Ben was thinking, "please don't push us into oncoming traffic."

Once our car stood still, we realized we were still upright in our car, but not knowing exactly what just happened and being in shock left us a little speechless. Ben got outside and we had a flat tire from the other car running into us. And let me remind you again, it was a BLIZZARD and visibility was very minimal.

Ben then went over to the other car to make sure they were okay, and in doing so we found out they too were headed to Lubbock because his wife is needing a kidney transplant and they were going to talk with the doctors in Lubbock about it.

So we all had a really good reason for traveling that day. Well, so we thought. Ben and I didn't need to see Benson for any other reason but simply missing him. He was fine at my parents house, taking a nap. The funny thing is , after waiting for the police and tow truck to arrive, taking about 2 hours, the skies started clearing up. Ya, I know good timing huh?

If we would have just waited until the afternoon, we would have been good ta go. Honestly, there are a lot of what ifs: If we would have listened to the lady at the bakery, if we didn't turn back to get my purse, if we would have left sooner...

I do think this all happened for a reason. As scary as it was at the time, I know God looks out for us. Yes, we got in a wreck, but no one was hurt. And as we were on the side of the road and semi-trucks passed by at full speed, no one else ran into us. God had his angels protecting us. Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. And I know for a fact that lots of family and friends were praying for us at those very moments.

If we weren't in THAT wreck, we could have been in a much worse one down the road.

I know that from this experience, Ben and I already appreciate our lives much more. I know there are more learning experiences from this and I'm excited to see what God has prepared.

So I know this is going to sound weird, but thank you God for putting us in that wreck. I trust and know God is in control and has a perfect plan for our lives.

Psalm 145:1-3 I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

Find the blessings in your day today :)

Wedding Photographer Outfit

2009-03-31T08:16:00.003-06:00

Check out this wedding photographer outfit. Cheap and sophisticated!
Click on image to read up on wear to find these pieces.
To other wedding photographers, what do you wear to your weddings?

Dress Up with Holly

2009-03-30T23:00:00.003-06:00

I am going to keep sharing more and more pictures of Holly as the week goes by. If you'd like to see more from the Dress Up Project, click on "project" at the end of this post. More to come, so keep checking back.

Priscilla and Haleigh.Lubbock, Tx Bridals

2009-03-28T22:07:00.003-06:00

Both of these girls are extremely beautiful. I am so overwhelmed with how these two sessions went today. There are numerous images that I gasped at all because of the gorgeous face God gave these lovely ladies. I will share more images after their weddings in June.

BLEND Group

2009-03-28T21:41:00.004-06:00

These were the awesome people that were in the group with me this week at BLEND in Santa Fe, NM. I took this picture from Beckers [b] school.
In my group there were people from Australia, Kansas city, New York, Arkansas, California, Seattle, Boston, North Carolina, Indianapolis, and Wyoming.

Lacie.BLEND

2009-03-27T22:42:00.003-06:00

I have lots I want to share with you about my week at BLEND, but today was a bit crazy and you know what I'm talking about if you are a FACEBOOK friend. I'll give details later on that too. Anyways, I'm so tired and going to bed so I will be ready to go for my three bridal sessions this weekend. Here is one from this week of Lacie, Jose Villas assistant as well as a photographer in California. She is so gorgeous inside and out.

More of Jeremy and Ashley

2009-03-25T18:02:00.003-06:00

Another fun shot of Ashley and Jeremy from our session taught by Jose Villa yesterday. Today:

I'm tired and hungry, but can't seem to stop doing photo stuff. Today was super duper awesome. I was on the team of "Awesomeness". Today we were with the Kaisers and let me tell ya they are a team full of fantastic loveliness. I have SO enjoyed this week and wish I could take each photo instructor home with me, as well as a few new photo friends. Now I'm off to din-din.

Ashley and Jeremy.BLEND WORKSHOP

2009-03-24T17:35:00.003-06:00

At the BLEND workshop we are split up into three groups, with different instructors each day. Today I was with the super talented Jose Villa. What a genuine, real and honest person. I could only say positive things about this guy. He talked about passion, and how he functions as a photographer and then some helpful tips on getting published in a magazine. I WANT to be published. And I want you as my blog readers consisting of family and friends to hold me to that goal.
In Jose's group we did a fun photo shoot with a sweet couple, Ashley and Jeremy Parsons. Two fabulous photographers from Kansas City with real love.
Here's a shot I took of them. My idea for composition on the image was; 1. I love to shoot through objects, 2. I wanted her to be a fashionista and him Mr. GQ, and 3. The way I layed it out in photoshop was a tribute to my college days. I used to develop my own film (35mm bw, 4x5 film, and 120/220 film for the Holga) and Jose is a film shooter. And he does matted art pieces for his clients and it brought back great memories from back in the day when I used to do all of that stuff. So below is a little square cropping on my digital matte board.

Out of town...Again

2009-03-23T00:37:00.004-06:00

Travel Schedule for the rest of March:

*March 23-25th I will be attending the BLEND Workshop put on by Jesh De Rox, Jose Villa and the Image is Found in Santa Fe, NM at the Encantado Resort.

*March 26-28th I will be in Lubbock for three bridal sessions.

I will be gettin' my learn on and won't be answering my phone. Please do leave a message, and I can try and get back to you later in the week. Or send me an email, and I'll respond when possible. cristy@cristycross.com

The Morrow's.Family. Clovis, NM Family

2009-03-21T23:41:00.006-06:00

Oh I can't tell you how precious this little one is, so let me just show you...These two parents couldn't be MORE in love than they are with their sweet little boy. They are friends of ours, and Ben went to school with them. It is so sweet to see them with their new little baby, and to see them laugh and smile at the many wonderful things their baby does, such as poop and pee and spit up. And of course he gives smiles, and funny little faces, too :)
Then, we took some of the cousins together. They are just about five months apart.
And this one was FULL of smiles

Well, we couldn't forget this beautiful girl. She is one of the aunts to the two cute babies up above. And well she was super sassy and classy with her outfit, we had to snap a few...what a gorgeous young lady!!

This day was a wonderful day! I love newborns and wish I did more. If you want newborn pictures, call me. And don't wait! The very very BEST time for a newborn session is when they are just days old-no later than 14 days old. They are easier to move around, scrunch up in a tight ball, and they stay asleep through it all.

The Bishops.Family.Albuquerque, NM

2009-03-21T22:38:00.005-06:00

When I talked to the momma of this 14 month old baby on the phone, she told me he was a mover and a groover, but I didn't realize I just might be getting a workout. This little guy kept me on my toes and we made sure dad was around to give him grapes when ever he demanded. You have to be able to do almost anything for your baby/child when they are getting pictures :) A little bribe never hurt anyone ,right? I loved this session, because this little boy is only one month older than my Benson. He was basically Benson in another little boys body. Full of smiles, fun personality, and energy.
Just look at that sweet little face. He's saying, "catch me if you can!"

This is one of the few we got of him being held. He was not a fan of mom or dad holding him, so we had to make it fun by hanging upside down like a monkey.

Thanks Bishop family for a fun morning in Albuquerque, NM. I enjoyed EVERY minute with you and your little one.

Beautiful Day with friends and donkeys

2009-03-15T22:13:00.002-06:00

What do you get when you have mini-donkeys, confetti, balloons, carrots and five minks sewn together?
DRESS UP #2!! That's what :)

Today was so so beautiful. I even think I got some sun on my face! First, I picked up my sweet friend Jennifer and then we went out to the field of mini-donkeys and met up with Julia and Holly for DRESS UP #2. If some of you haven't seen the first shoot check it out here.

Holly was a wonderful model with a contagious smile. As I was looking through the images to pick favorites I caught myself smiling with her. She is a fun, bubbly young wife and mom and I was so pleased to work with her today.
And here is a little teaser for you... I will be in Albuquerque, Nm this week. I don't know how much internet access I'll have, so I will check in when possible. Have a great week :)

Baby Cakes

2009-03-14T01:39:00.005-06:00

My friend Julia got all Betty Crocker today and made these awesome and delicous, melt in your mouth Baby Cakes or for those who speak Spanish, Bolas de la Torta (cake balls). They were so cute I HAD to take pictures...

Albuquerque, NM Sessions March 16-20

2009-03-13T16:41:00.003-06:00

I will be in Albuquerque, NM March 16-20 and I am still taking sessions. I have a couple spots left if you are interested. Please send me an email to cristy@cristycross.com
This offer is available for families, babies, kids, high school seniors, bridals, and engagements.
You will be saving $200, because there will be NO travel fee. The session fee is $225-$300 plus tax.

Senior of the Month.March

2009-03-10T16:26:00.002-06:00

The thing I love most about my job is it gives me the opportunity to meet wonderful people. Meet Lauren D. She is one of my seniors of 2009 and did a session with me back in February. A few things I know about her is she is stylish, athletic and very sweet, but I wanted to know more. So I prepared ten questions so that we could get to know her a little better.

Each month until graduation I will feature a senior that stands out in my mind with loads of pictures from their session and a fun questionnaire for us all to get to know them better and Lauren will be starting us off. Thanks Lauren for being the senior of the month for March!

P.S I got this idea from Michelle Moore

SENIORS.SENIORS.SENIORS

2009-03-08T15:30:00.004-06:00

Specifically for senior graduates of 2009..
Ya know you want some cool, fresh, and funky senior pictures right? Well then let me take your pictures, because that is just what you will get. I am young and cool (at least my friends tell me I am)! I get my ideas from high fashion magazines, such as Vogue, Teen Vogue, InStyle, Elle and MensVogue (for the fellas). I also research editorial photographers that shoot for these specific magazines as well as photographers that shoot for Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.
And if you'll let me, I'll help pick your outfits out. I love playing stylist as well as being your photographer.
Call me, email me, come over and knock on my door and say, "hey hey! I want you to take my pictures please!" And then I'll be like, "yo yo okay! Lets do this then!" And that will be that :)

575.219.9312 cristy@cristycross.com
Check out my website for portrait prices www.cristycross.com

Sydney and Kristen. Seniors

2009-03-07T17:32:00.005-07:00

Today was a windy, no gusty and crazy wind blowing day. However, God provided perfect places just for my two sessions today. Not to say we didn't get a little wind blown, because we most definitely did. But we were still able to get awesome, beautiful shots of these two lovely girls. I also found new fun locations too. I can't wait to go back and see what other angles I can work from.
First meet Sydney...

Then Kristen...

Both of these girls are sweet and down to earth. I loved every bit of taking pictures with them today. I also enjoyed getting to know them better as a person.
I hope you like your sneak peek girls. Leave a comment and tell me what ya think!

Chocolate Ganashe

2009-03-06T23:05:00.004-07:00

Today I made chocolate cupcakes and chocolate ganashe glaze. Put the two together and you have the closest thing to heaven. I ain't kidd'n either! Look at those lovelies...

All ya need to do to make the glaze is take one part heavy whipping cream and three parts chocolate. I made enough ganashe for 20 cupcakes using 2 oz of cream and 6 oz of chocolate cooking squares. Heat the cream and butter (I used 1 tbsp) and then mix with chopped chocolate. I put my chocolate in a separate bowl on top of a saucepan containing water and continued to heat the mixture this way. It worked great and I kept it on low heat and dipped the top of the cupcakes in it.
After they cooled, I packaged some up and gave them out to friends so I wouldn't be tempted to eat the all.

Kara.Just Because

2009-03-05T10:42:00.004-07:00

More of the beautiful Kara...

More of Maggie.Baby

2009-03-03T21:22:00.003-07:00

I spent my Saturday morning with the lovely Norris family. It has been so great seeing them as a family, because I knew Tiffany back in junior high, then they were one of my first weddings almost two years ago. And now, celebrating with them and their sweet baby Maggie at her six month pictures.
I also had an awesome and relaxing facial from Tiffany on Friday evening. Wow! It was so so nice. I loved every bit of it and I can't wait to get back in there for another one. She works at Radiant Lily in Lubbock. You should go check her out. (In the shopping center with Zookini's)

Here are more favorites...

From baby to a grown gal

2009-03-02T21:16:00.004-07:00

This weekend I got to visit Maggie again. She is six months old already... And then I had the pleasure of photographing Kara later that afternoon...

Just these two for now and more to come...

Also, thanks to Danica for helping me out at Kara's session!

Featured on Wedding Chicks.Real Weddings

2009-02-26T17:03:00.004-07:00

Hey there go look at my REAL WEDDING on The Wedding Chicks. And if you are getting married this summer you should go check them out to see daily inspiration.

More of Dominic

2009-02-26T16:39:00.005-07:00

Here are more images of Dominic...the actor There was a guy trying to pay for a car wash, but the machine wasn't working so I told Dominic to hop in real quick. We were just waiting for the car wash to start up while he was in there! hehe

Your friendly neighbor

I will be in Lubbock this weekend for shoots and a wedding consultation. Oh and a facial given by Tiffany Norris. Yippee!! You should go see her at Radiant Lily if you are a Lubbock-ite and get some make up from Bare Escentials and a facial too! Umm good.

New Comment Box

2009-02-25T10:28:00.003-07:00

Hey fellow photogs, clients and blog readers. I have upgraded my comment box! It may not seem like a big deal, but I wanted to find something that would be a little more streamline looking.
I think this will be more simple than the old comment box.
There are five easy steps. Follow them, and you will be good to go. On the "comment as: Select Profile" area, you can select anonymous and then type your name if you don't have any of the profiles listed. Okay, go try it out and tell me what you think. Feedback is good on this, because if you like it and its easier, then awesome. But if it's not, then I will change it back.

To start you off, first click on "COMMENTS" below. Then follow the directions:

Senior Announcements...Inspired

2009-02-24T21:42:00.002-07:00

I've been working on a new fun idea for senior announcement cards. This is another example of what you can do: These were inspired by the talented Kate Powers

Lauren and Kesha.Seniors

2009-02-21T22:59:00.005-07:00

I had two wonderful senior sessions today. It started out a little cold at 9 am this morning, but thankfully it warmed up and ended up being an awesome day :) Here are some favorites from these lovely girls.
Lauren...
Notice the Bella Donna hair clip Lauren is wearing in this one below. I got mine in yesterday and she was willing to try it out for me. I'm so glad she did, because this was one of my favorites from her session.
Her mom did awesome with the reflector :)

Kesha... at the Der! I love this one.

More awesome reflector lighting by Kesha's friend Carol :)

Thanks girls for a fun Saturday. You both are stunningly beautiful!

Leave a comment and tell me whatcha think.

More than flowers...

2009-02-20T22:23:00.004-07:00

Last Thursday morning (Benson's first birthday) I woke up to beautiful pink roses sitting on the kitchen counter. Ben and Benson gave me them as a way of saying thank you for being Benson's mommy. It was so so sweet and one of the best presents ever. Each of them also wrote out a sweet note of thanks too. (Daddy helped Benson out a little bit)
Thanks Ben and Benson-MUAH!!

The Cure

2009-02-20T22:12:00.003-07:00

We are a little under the weather with runny noses and coughing and a nice glass of cold orange juice seems to hit the spot....aaaahhhhh.

Benson.One

2009-02-20T12:22:00.003-07:00

My heart overflows with love for this little baby boy...

Bella Donna

2009-02-18T11:39:00.002-07:00

If you are a bride and want to add some cool funky feathers to your stylish hair-do, then you MUST check these out. There are a couple different colors and you can see them here.
"What started as a Bridal accessory has turned into so much more. I found them to be a beautiful compliment - adorning the head, jewelry, even a belted sash. My hope is that you will find your own style."-Katie May

Dominic.

2009-02-17T17:27:00.006-07:00

Yesterday my friend Jennifer Strebeck came with me to Dominics session. She was awesome help and we had lots of fun :)
Dominic is an actor and needed to get recent headshots. Here is one we took inside a car wash. I love the light on this one, thanks to Jennifer.
Good luck too to Dominic. I hope my shots will get you some really cool acting jobs :)

Giving Away T-Shirts

2009-02-17T16:31:00.006-07:00

I've had these shirts since August, and I need to give them out already!! Image courtesy of Christy Penn-client and photographer

I am giving away T-shirts to anyone that has ever had their picture taken by me. This means, anyone who has EVER EVER EVER had pictures by me. If it has been three years ago, a month ago, or yesterday. Send me an email to cristy@cristycross.com with your name, mailing address and size (s, m, l, xl) and I'll send ya a shirt. I'm sending out my first one to Mrs. Brooke Schuelke a.k.a Brooke Johnson tomorrow. So Brooke, be looking for it in the mail!

Don't be shy. Everyone wants a free shirt. Ben and I are always up for free shirts. It's easy too, because (one) it's free, (two) you just have to send me an email that you want one and (three) IT'S FREE!!

Oh, and I almost forgot-they are Cristy Cross Photography tees. I don't have a picture just yet, but I'll just say that they are simple and really cool and you will really want one.

Have a great day :)

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-14T21:56:00.003-07:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone. This morning we started off waking up late. I'm talking two hours late! Benson didn't wake up, we didn't wake, and there were no dogs needing to go tinkle at 7 am. So we just kept snoozin' away. It was great!
Then we made heart shaped pancakes for breakfast for Benson and played all morning long. It was an awesome morning with little B and big B.
Then for lunch, we had Bills Jumbo Burgers with the best breaded onion rings ever and the best dr. peppers with the best ice ever. Then more play time with the family in our living room, aka Benson's play pin.
Then for dinner we had a little Miky Ds chicken nuggets. I know it wasn't the healthiest day of eating but it was fun fun quality time with the family :)
I also had to work a little bit today, but it was so much fun. Mrs. Clovis has asked me to take her pictures for the Mrs. New Mexico Pageant. Here is a fun one we did from today...

Happy Birthday Benson...and Abe Lincoln

2009-02-12T23:44:00.003-07:00

So today was Benson's first birthday. I woke up at 7 am this morning and remembered that last year at this time I was sitting in the hospital waiting to be induced and for Benson to enter into this world. Around 12 noon, I then remembered they were getting ready to give me an epidural and start petocin. I was a little nervous and very excited for what the day had in store for me. As I keep having flashbacks to a year ago on this very day, I enjoyed every waking minute I had with Benson today. Watching him play with the dogs and Chevy licking his face for the millionth time and playing with his blocks and shapes launching them across the room. He received a few more bumps and bruises today as he explored more and more and continuously discovers new things. I loved watching him today and just realizing all the things he has accomplished in one year. He has been walking with the assistance of holding on to his radio flyer wagon, and holding on to the couch walking sideways. He loves to find small tight places to fit in and play peek-a-boo with me. He laughs so hard when I tickle his chubby legs and you can barely see his eyes when he smiles. A special moment I really loved today was him climbing on me and laying his head down next to mine and smiling so big and laughing like we were playing a game. I love the innocence of my sweet boy and I selfishly don't want him to grow up. These past two days he has been adament on not wanting to lay down while getting his diaper changed, and well today he stuck his foot in his poopy diaper while I was trying to change him. I eventually had to side hold him in one arm while cleaning him off hoping I wasn't making more of a mess. I little bit of me was frusturated, and then I just starting laughing. I mean I've never wiped his booty that way before. I'm learning you have to be creative to get something done with a squirmy child. The day goes on and finally 5:58 pm comes around, the exact time he was born and I had a little emotional cry. We are so blessed with Benson. Words can't describe how blessed we are . If he would let me, I would kiss him all day long on his sweet fluffy lips and chubby cheeks. Benson is a gift from God and every night we thank God for him.

Today is a special day...

2009-02-12T17:17:00.002-07:00

Benson turned one today, well technically at 5:58 pm he will turn one. Thank you Jesus for our sweet baby boy. I will post pics later. I am off to wake up my prince charming boy so we can eat and play.

Dress Up One:Julia

2009-02-11T00:13:00.005-07:00

My project DRESS UP: Location-well all I can say is that it is in Clovis and it is my favorite spot. I like to call my club house. Everything Julia is wearing we picked out from her closet. Then I went to Hobby Lobby and picked out a few decorations.

It feels so nice to do a project for myself, and let my creativity flow-no restrictions. I would like to call this my #2 work. Their is a local artist that puts a 2 on all of his paintings he creates for himself. This is the art that he does whatever HE wants. He can go outside the box all he wants. And that is how I feel about this project. No one telling you what they want, just you and your creative brain working up a little fun :)

Feedback welcome...
I bought these lantern balls at Hobby Lobby ...under $3 each

check out Julia's headband she made...super cool

We used the video camera as a prop...got this as a Christmas gift

shootin' thru action

Project:Dress Up #1

2009-02-10T16:55:00.002-07:00

Finally!! I went out today with Julia to work on my project. She is fabulous and so gorgeous. Julia is actually going to be helping me with the project with hair and makeup and outfits, but I thought I would use her as a model too. She is stunning and totally rocked it today even with the crazy wind blowing around us.
The idea for this project of mine is called, DRESS UP. I ALWAYS loved playing dress up with my moms old clothes when I was younger. As I was thinking of what I wanted to do for this project, I went from idea to idea trying to pin point a title. I am a child at heart and feel so free and alive when I can just do or wear anything that is funky and mismatched. I love to be different. And in these images I am portraying a little bit of myself.
Also, with this specific shoot Julia and I made headbands for her to wear. She is wearing the one I made in the image below, but you have to see hers too! Such a creative girl, which is why I've asked for her help with the DRESS UP project. I have tons more from her shoot, but I HAD to post at least one for now.

I hope that this project of mine will also encourage you too, to DRESS UP every now and then and be a child at heart.

Benson's First Birthday Party

2009-02-09T00:00:00.003-07:00

We had Benson's first birthday party this weekend in Lubbock. He had a monkey theme party, because he's our little monkey :)
Diana Rutherford made our birthday cake and she is super awesome. The monkey looks exactly like the "theme monkey." He LOVED his birthday cake. He's never had anything sweeter than fruit and he dug right in. It was quite entertaining to us all.

Little bit of decoration. I made a mobile with Benson in his monkey costume.

Candy Bar/Party favors for guests

more decorations

Really really yummy monkey sugar cookies with candy bananas.

Again, he loved his cake. It was so cute to see him first take off the icing and lick his hands all over. Then, he dug his hand into the cake and took big handfuls of cake right to his mouth.

We can't believe a year is already here. I feel like we just brought him home! It has been a wonderful first year with Benson and we are so blessed. Praise God for a healthy little boy :)

Winner of the $300 print credit is...

2009-02-02T10:38:00.002-07:00

Miss Kesha Ross won the $300 print giveaway! All high school seniors who booked a session with me before Jan 31st were put in a drawing and the lovely and very sweet Kesah won! Way to go girl!!
Nothin' better than winnin' a little cash right?

I'm in Lubbock

2009-01-30T22:31:00.006-07:00

*I am editing this picture on my laptop, so I hope it looks good.
I am in Lubbock this weekend for a baby shower and hanging out with family. I also did a mini-session for a sweet family (the Gwinn's) that goes to my parents church, Experience life. He is the worship leader and is awesome at it. These pictures are going in a book my mom is working on to sell and raise money for homelss children in the world. When it is ready to be published I will make sure and post about it here.
Below is mom Gwinn and baby Gwinn from our session today. I had to post at least one from today, and I loved the little boys mischevious look in this one. Isn't he adorable?!