Featured on Wedding Chicks.Real Weddings

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

Bella Donna

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.

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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...

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?