Last night I went to the Chamber of Commerce Dinner.  There they awarded Charlie Weaver the Schricker Award.  Here is Charlie and his wife Jennifer Davis.

They also auctioned off the Eagle Plaque.  Here is the group involved with that.

And at the start of the evening Mrs. Lucas and her husband sang and played their guitars.  They were fantastic!

I had an awesome time last night.  My mom went representing 1st Source Bank and it was nice to have mom and daughter evening.  We had a great group sitting at our table.  David and Linda from Starke Hospital and John from Ivy Tech College.  It was nice talking to them about our community.  I have lived here all my life and both John and David shared some things that even I didn’t know and both aren’t originally from the area.

If you are on my facebook you have already read this but I have to share with everyone else… I want to thank Charlie and everyone else that was at the event last night you guys have inspired me to do more for my community.  Now that my kids are older I need to do more with the 4-H program that I love and that has done so much for me and my family.

The influence of a beautiful, helpful character is contagious, and may revolutionize a whole town.”-Collier Graham

Not sure how much I can post since it was a corporate event, so I am just gonna post one safe photo.  Here is a shot from the balcony in the Palis Royale.

The place was beautiful and the staff was super.  Before going there I also did head shots at the LaSalle Grill.  They were so accommodating and even helped me carry my studio equipment up the stairs to the room I set up in.  I would highly recommend both the Palis Royale and the LaSalle Grill for events.  Both were top notch in every way.

Also huge thanks to my mom who went along for the ride and helped me carry my stuff.  I tricked her into getting a head shot by telling her to pose for me so I could test my lighting.  LOL  So here is my super duper sweet mom that is always helping me out. So lucky to have her!!!  Thanks MOM! (you still looked good after all that running around we did)

This afternoon I attended the Starke County Economic Developement Foundation’s Open House.  They announced their new name, logo and released their new website. I didn’t take many pictures, I was too busy eating and talking to everyone. (I do both too much)  But here are a few images from todays luncheon.

Charlie was working right up to the start of the open house…

Lisa, Tammy and Ron greeted people at the door…

They unveiled a banner that had their new logo on it.

It was nice to see everyone.  Thanks for the invite Charlie and Lisa, I always have a wonderful time with you folks. We are very lucky to have a wonderful team working to get business to our area.  I love the new website, I hope we have more groundbreakings in 2010!!

American Oak in North Judson, Indiana had a celebration for their expansion of their company.  They recently built a new building that holds the offices and the showroom.  Here are a few photos for the event.

First here is the American Oak team…

The owner Charlie Vorm, and his daughter’s (which by the way are super duper sweet gals)

We got a tour of the new building and the factory….

After the tour we headed to Grand Central Station for a lunch…

Congrats on your expansion American Oak.  Also, had to tell you guys this.  Bob (my hubby) came home with some of your scented pine cones when we was shopping the other day, I asked if he bought them because they were American Oak ones, but he didn’t even realize they were from your factory, all he knew was they smelled good.  I had given my bag that I got from you guys to my mother-in-law as a thank you for watching my son, but now I have my kitchen filled with the cinnamon smell also.

Don’t miss out on seeing Santa!  We always have a good time at Elizabeth’s Garden in Culver when Santa is there.   Call if you have any questions, no appointments, just walk-in.  Jayme @ 574-867-6776  Elizabeth’s Garden is located near the Culver Cove.  It is a super cute shop.  They always have it decorated so nice for the holidays.  You can also do alittle Christmas shopping while there.  They have Vera Bradley purses!!!  <— which I love

Kids can even bring their letter to Santa if they want to.  I will be giving Santa my Christmas list.

Hope to see you all there!!!

Tonight is the first regular season game for the Oregon-Davis Lady Bobcat Basketball Team. (Tues at OD 5:15 pm central time)  OD Fans also know that is when the posters are available.  You wouldn’t believe all the e-mails and all family family that has been bugging me to see the posters.  Thought I would let everyone finally see it.  (PS  Harold Welter asked what we were doing for the poster awhile back and I didn’t even tell him, kinda mean considering everything Harold does for all of us, but am I good at keeping a secret or what)

Gotta say huge thanks to my buddy Nichole Frank for helping me out setting up the lights and the shot.  She really helped Kelsey with her mean look.  LOL  FYI Nichole is pregnant but she can still pack a mean punch…

Me, I am not pregnant, just been eating too many chocolate donuts, and I am a wimp, but I can look mean crazy…

We had a fun time at the shoot.  I about took out a ceiling fan when I moved one of my lights.  Wasn’t funny at the time, but hilarious now since the fan didn’t break and the ceiling didn’t come down on us, only damage done was to one of my umbrellas, but every time I look at it I think of the Lady Cats!

Good luck girls, I am excited about the upcoming season.  Play your game, stay healthy and I know you guys will be fine.  Special lovin’ to the senior girls that I have watched play since they were little.

Charlie Weaver, Executive Director with Starke County Dev. Foundation getting interviewed by WNDU CH 16.

Ted Hayes from WKVI Radio Station interviewing Dave VanVactor from VanVactor Construction.

What a beautiful day Knox had today for the groundbreaking celebration.  Reagent Chemical and Research, North America’s largest private owner of rubber lined rail cars has started constuction at the location in Knox for its newest rail car facility.

Thanks to Charlie Weaver and staff for putting on such a great celebration.  I enjoyed meeting new people and visiting with some old friends.

Ladies Night Out is an annual event that my mom is a part of.  They raise money for a number of things including scholarships for girls in our community.  My mom talked me into setting up a booth and since I can’t do anything “normal” I came up with the idea to have a Photo Booth.  This years theme of the event was Friendship and since many times the people come to the event with their friends I thought it would be fun to take pictures of them together.  Oh and to make it even more fun, I bought some crazy props.  Here are a few of my favorite images from the evening….

My great aunt Bev, my grandma tootie and my mom…

Diane (a second mom to me) and her cousin and lifelong friend Jody (they will both kill me for putting them on my blog)  I had to though, Diane and her husband Don bought me my first digital camera.

This kid was part of the Jazz band that performed (which by the way they were amazing espicially considering they haven’t played for very long together).

Elizabeth from Elizabeth’s Gardens was selling purses which were a big hit at the event.  Mom- if you are clueless what to get me for Christmas go see Liz.

Here are all the ladies that were on the committee for the event.  Don’t ya love Marsha and Jennifer’s mustaches.

Jennifer Davis and her friend State Representative Nancy Dembowski were the MCs.  (Jennifer, I took a picture of the Harry Potter basket for you so Charlie can see what he missed out on!  LOL inside joke for all who attended)

One of the best speakers ever… Nancy Schmelter’s  ”The Dance of Friendship” talk was awesome.  I cried!  (for those that know me, yes I am a cry baby, but really it was a tear jerker, there were others crying too, not just me).  Oh and there was some funny parts too. 

Here she was showing us all her “autograph book” where her friends signed it when she was nine year old. 

One last photo (that my friend Mandy took for me)… Me and my mom (aka MY BEST FRIEND).  We are super duper close.  She lives walking distance from me, always has, always will.  We do our grocery shopping together, pick on Bob together, go to the Blueberry Fest every year together, yeah the list goes on and on.    She invites us over for dinner when she knows my life is crazy, watches the kids for me when I need a break.  I am lucky to have her as a mom and best friend.(now you know where I get my craziness)

If you got your picture in the photo booth it is now online for you to download.   Go to the storefront on my website or click HERE  and find ladies night out.  To download  just click on the little arrow on the image you want and save it to your desk top.  If anyone has a problem just call me I will walk you thru it, but it  is pretty easy.  Thanks girls for the fun night, see ya next year.  -Jayme 574-867-6776

The Water Tower at Hamlet, IN is almost up.  They still need to put the top part on.  They would have had it done however a small motor (pictured below at the end) wasn’t working so they had to have another one shipped to them so hopefully tomorrow the top will go on.  Here are some shots I grabbed today…  (Once I get the rest of the shots I will put them all in the storefront with no password so everyone can see them all, it was a pretty cool process)

They are waiting on a motor that looks like this before the crane can run again.  I hope it gets here in the morning as expected.

The Photo Booths ROCKS!  It is something new at Photography by Jayme.  We will set up at your event and take fun photos.  This can be added on to a wedding package or it can be something that you book seperate.

The Photo Booth will be at the Ladies Night Out Sept. 20th at the Knox Middle School.  I will be doing FREE photos to all in who attend.  You will get a free download of the images that are taken with your friends. 

Also for a limited time I will do Photo Booth Sessions in the studio.  You get 20 mins to have fun friend photos, and if you want you can wear some some crazy props.  $50  (that is only $10 a person if you have 5 people)  This is for the month of September only.  All photos will be available for FACEBOOK!  This isn’t just for teens.  Someone turning 40??  Book them a photobooth session for them and their girlfriends.

Photobooth sessions are the most fun you will ever have in front of the camera!!!!  Call up your friends and then schedule a session. 

More info about the Ladies Night Out still to come.

Ladies mark Sunday, September 20th on your calendar.   The 3rd annual Ladies Night Out event will be held in the Knox Middle School.  The doors will open at 4pm for food, fellowship, vendors and basket auctions.   There is a small fee to get in the door.  The theme for the event is FRIENDSHIP. 

I will be there and have something exciting going on for all my girlfriends!  I have been blessed with lots of amazing friends and can’t wait to have an awesome evening with them and also make some new friends.

Stay Tuned, more info to come in the next couple weeks.

PS… I wasn’t able to make it to lat years event (I am pretty sure I had a shoot that evening), I went to the first one though and posted on my blog about it.  Check it out HERE.

My little cousin Nathan is 4-H Royalty, along with his friend Ashley Whitcraft. 

Here is one of my favorite pictures of my kids, they were walking holding hands.  (I know, techinally only have two kids, but the kiddo in the middle is at my house enough, so I just call her my kid) 

I had alot of images I wanted to share and not alot of time since I have three sessions I need to edit today so I made some quick collages. 

There are 500 or so images in my storefront.  Obviously there is alot of horse stuff.  I am in charge of taking horse stuff for the scrapbook.  Oh and there are lots of my kids, my cousins, oh and Kimberly Bolze (that’s because she is sweet and her mom and dad are always so good to Samantha).  Make sure you spread the word that they are on there, espicially if you know someone with a kid in the pig scramble, I have lots of those and that is a pretty special event in a kids life. 

Anyways, the fair is over.  How sad.  I love the 4-H program.  I was a 10 year member.  I showed pigs and horses.   This was Samantha’s first year in Mini 4-H.  I entered a few pictures in the open class and won the professional divisions with the photo of the triplets, Maria in the field (blue dress), Zach with his truck, and a bw of Haleigh on a chair in a field of flowers.  There were alot of really nice photos in the open class building.

The Stick Horse Fun Show was huge success!!!  Lots of kids, lots of people watching because well, they were all so cute.  Big thanks to the Specialty Shop in Knox (Robyn and Suzie) for donating the ribbons.

I hope to have a photography clinic for the 4-H’ers next year some time.  When things slow down I want to check out when a good time would be for it.  Hold me to this.  I am assuming some time after the first of the year would be best.  It is going to get easier for me to do stuff like that now that the kids are getting older. 

And one big thanks to all the volunteers that make the fair happen.  My dad is a fairboard member so I know how much work is involved with getting the grounds ready even weeks before the fair week.  Also all the council members, and leaders do so much thru the year.  We are lucky to have such an awesome fairgrounds and so many special people in our community to make the Starke County Fair what it is every year. 

Already looking forward to next year’s fair!!!!