It’s been almost a year since our shindig with the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce, clients, and friends — celebrating 21 years of working with small businesses in our community. Today we celebrate our 22nd trip around the sun in this amazing neighborhood, and it’s high time we share all those great memories of the blow-out party that was.

Here are a few highlights — but there are so many more! Check out our photo album to view the rest of the festivities.

Many thanks to Gracie Hammond Photography for capturing so much joy in her photos that day. We treasure these memories. Again, catch the whole reel here (and if you’re a client, you have permission to download and use them for your socials).

Gratitude also goes out to cherished long-time client Vinejoy for the prosecco, Revolution Brewing for the beer, SipJeng for the CBD mocktails, Dill Pickle Food Co-op for the soft drinks, and the amazing Nick Connell for the balloon twisting and general merriment. We couldn’t have done any of this without the dedicated help of Sage Ferguson and her family, as well as the enthusiastic Candy Minx.

Most importantly, we have to thank our entertainers for the event: the best honky-tonk band in Chicago, if not the world — Wild Earp & The Free-For-Alls, with special guest Michelle Billingsley. We are indebted to them for their spirit, talent, charm, camaraderie, generosity — and patience, as the Chamber dealt with power and light challenges at the newly-activated Solidarity Triangle.

Speaking of the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce — this whole crazy event was dreamed up by their energetic Executive Director, who also invited our wonderful drink and food pop-ups, and we were touched that the two previous directors of the Chamber also attended (wish I’d thought to get a photo of all three of them together)! What an honor. Our neighborhood owes so much to LSCC, as well as their incredible Farmers Market.

A recap of the awards ceremony:

• client that sells the most products by other clients of mine = LSCC Farmers Market – honorable mentions: Steel Petal Press, Wolfbait, Cafe Mustache
• client where we shop the most = Dill Pickle Food Co-op
• most appreciative client = Teresa Kirschbraun of City Lit Books
• client with the most fun business = TIE: Penguin Foot Pottery and Wild Earp & The Free-For-Alls
• client who sells the most things with profanity on it (self-nominated) = Steel Petal Press
• most charitable client = Active Dog Daycare & Boarding
• client who waited the longest before I said yes (+named a dish after me) = Same Day Cafe
• most thoughtful client = Jo Snow Syrups
• longest-running tax client – Tim & Jennifer Leimberer (2002 – more than 20 years!)
• longest-running small business client – Wolfbait & B-Girls (4/2007)
  – honorable mentions: Logan Square Chamber of Commerce (7/2007) & Fernandez Insurance (10/2007)
• staff vote for “best overall client” = Cafe Mustache + Spinning J tie
  (also – client where we hang out the most = Cafe Mustache);
  (also – fastest email responses = Spinning J)

Many thanks to all our clients for contributing to the goodie bags, and especially to Jo Snow Syrups, Dill Pickle Food Co-op, and Soap Distillery for providing special prizes to the award-winners!

I could go on and on about what an incredible celebration it was — pretty sure I floated on Cloud Nine for weeks afterwards. Suffice it to say that having hundreds of clients, community members, friends and neighbors come together to commemorate the difference we’ve made together… feels really great. Thank you for letting us be a part of your neighborhood.

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