Matt Lautner / Cattle.com Videos

Last week we helped our good friends Matt Lautner and Jeff Schroeder at Cattle.com design some opening graphics for some really cool viral videos these two guys worked on a couple of weeks ago. Jeff and Matt has a series of videos that will be broadcast on cattle.com and on the Cattle.Com YouTube Channel.

Here is an example of one of the videos:


I think these are so cool! If you liked this one, visit http://www.cattle.com/ for more!

Club Calf Special...It's BACK!

In the early days of RHD, we offered a service called the "Club Calf Special" which was basically a package deal that included everything a club calf breeder would need to start a successful marketing campaign. Breeders like Graves Cattle in Missouri, Abney Family Cattle in Wisconsin, Riley Farms in Missour, and many many more used the club calf special to take advantage of this to step up their marketing program efforts.

With the club calf sale season and State Fairs just around the corner, we're bringing back the "CLUB CALF SPECIAL" option for our cattle clients. And well, actually, this would work for any livestock client, not just cattle.

The Club Calf Special is priced at $1,000. Here is what you get:

• Logo design for your operation
• 1 page web site for one full year, including your own domain name, hosting, unlimited photos and unlimited text and photo updates.
• 1 page ad design that can be used anytime within the year...most people will use it in August for their sale.
• 250 business cards designed, printed and shipped to you. Use these to hand out at your sale and throughout the rest of the year.

That is the basic package. For those who might need a 2 page ad design, or maybe a web site with 3 pages (home, cattle for sale, winners), you can still take advantage of the basic pricing and just upgrade on these options at the normal price.

So maybe you've been a fan of RHD for years, but never thought you could afford to hire us. Here is the package deal for you! If this sounds good to you, book our Club Calf Special now! Call us at 979-532-9141 or e-mail tricia@ranchhousedesigns.com and let's get started on it!

RB2 Showpigs

Many people experience an empty nest syndrome once they have their children out of the house. For Bobby Balser, owner of RB2 Showpigs, his syndrome was of the swine variety.


“In 2000, both of my children had graduated from high school and gone off to college,” he said. “The hog barn was empty, leaving me with an empty barn syndrome.”

So he decided to start raising a few show pigs. Now 10 years later, they have enjoyed great success and their hog breeding operation has grown. Bobby and wife Debbie handle the daily operations on the farm, and rely on their children for boar research and selection, as well as the health and nutrition aspects.

Check out their web site, RB2 Showpigs, to see the breeding stock they have available and their recent winners. They have sales scheduled throughout the fall, so be sure and check their site for dates and locations.

Bobby is always happy to meet with customers at the barn, but he recommends you call ahead. In addition to his swine operation, he also owns an automotive business in Kerrville.

International Guild of Bit and Spur Makers

The art of bit and spur making is a unique talent and reflects the style of each individual’s artistic expertise. Our newest website, The International Guild of Bit and Spur Makers (IGBSPM), is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 that strives to provide a forum for these specialized artists and showcase their craft.


The organization’s purpose is to provide a network for international bit and spur makers to educate fellow artists, collectors, and the public, while expanding awareness and raising the quality of the art. The Guild offers opportunities to share ideas, methods, and techniques with fellow artists, while promoting and enhancing the art of bit of spur making.

This educational and informative site has a Tutorial Page, where visitors can view videos to learn the trade from some of the best bit and spur makers in the business. It also features a Forums page, where members of the Guild can exchange ideas and techniques.

Soon the site will showcase items for sale by some of the Guild’s members and highlight a different Feature Artist occasionally.

The IGBSPM offers different levels of membership for those artists who are interested in becoming associated with the Guild. Visit the IGBSPM to learn about membership in this group.

Milano Livestock Exchange

Because everyone knows prices does matter, Milano Livestock Exchange offers competitive pricing, years of experience and service you can depend on when selling your cattle. Serving the central Texas area for almost 25 years, Milano Livestock Exchange is a full service livestock auction market.

They are located on Highway 79 in Milano, Texas, and for added convenience also offer receiving stations in Temple and Taylor. Visit their web site at http://www.milanolivestockexchange.com/ for sale dates, hours of operation and complete contact information. You can also find links to view daily industry market reports.

Selling over 1.2 million head of cattle, this USDA federal-state reported market sets the pace for other markets in the area to follow. Ship your next load of cattle to Milano Livestock Exchange and put their experience to work for you.

Milano Livestock Exchange sells competition. “True price” discovery can only be achieved through the competitive bidding process. And at the end of the day, price does matter!

Glover Cattle Company

Located in southwest Oklahoma, Glover Cattle pride themselves on producing genetically proven cattle that performs. The Glover family has been buying, selling and breeding commercial cattle since 1920.


They focus on the Registered Angus breed to be more profitable with raising and selling replacement females and ranch- ready bulls, but also breed some Simmental Angus on their commercial Angus cows.

Glover Cattle Company believes that honesty and trustworthiness are essential tools for successful relationships with cow/calf producers. They raise high quality performance cattle that offer a strong balance of production, carcass and maternal traits. Their bulls and females are moderate framed, easy fleshing and structurally sound.

You’re invited to stop by Glover Cattle Company at any time or visit their web site to see all the cattle they have to offer.

Or better yet, attend their Annual Production sale Saturday, June 19th at the ranch.

J5 Tractors

Just in time for spring planting, J5 Tractors in Normangee, Texas, has launched a newly redesigned web site.

They carry a complete line of farming and ranching equipment from manufacturers you know and trust like Mahindra, Massey Ferguson, Cub Cadet, Zetor and many others. They also carry an extensive inventory of quality used equipment you can rely on.

Since opening his doors in 1991, Richard Johnson, owner of J5 Tractors, has been committed to the ideal of providing quality products and good service to the agricultural market at an affordable price. The staff at J5 Tractors works to help customers choose the right equipment for their needs.

They also offer an in-house repair facility staffed with qualified technicians. They’ll provide you with efficient service and timely repairs to help you maintain your investment and get back to work in the field or on the ranch.

Next time you’re in the market for a dependable piece of equipment, give J5 Tractors a call, where customer service is their first priority.

Graduation Parties

With graduation just around the corner,  it's time to start thinking about ordering your invitations for graduation parties, graduation ceremonies, or even doing a special graduation announcement. Through our affiliation with Tiny Prints, Ranch House Invitations can offer you a huge selection of graduation announcements and invitations.

One of the ideas I really like is using a graduation announcement that has lots of photos. With our online ordering system through Tiny Prints you can easily upload one, two, three, four of your favorite photos and create a graduation announcement that shows off your personality and style. Here is an example of a typical photo graduation announcement....

As you can see, it is really popular to include both black and white and color photos on your graduation announcements. The online ordering system does all of this for you! You just choose your photos, upload, and then you can play around with making images black and white or sepia to choose the design you like best. Here is another example....

For the guys out there, you might want something a little more simple. Here are a couple of my favorites for young men....

So, if you're counting down the days until high school or college graduation, check out our Tiny Prints store for some really cool graduation invitations, party invites, and thank you notes.

Cowboy Times Magazine

Whether you’re a serious cowboy or just enjoy cowboying around, be sure and visit our newest web site for the Cowboy Times magazine. This magazine is THE official source for all of the latest news in rodeoing, roping and barrel racing across Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado. Their newly redesigned web site is full of information and has a nice western flair to boot.

In addition to information on the web site about rodeo life, you’ll find subscription and advertising rates for the monthly publication. There are also many useful links for rodeo enthusiasts, as well as a calendar of events so you won’t miss any of the upcoming action.

The magazine was recently purchased by the Cramblets, so watch for exciting things from this rodeo magazine.

Stop by their web site and sign up for your own issue of the Cowboy Times magazine, where they cover rodeo from one end of the arena to the other.

Brenda's Catering

The next time you have a simple back yard party or a formal sit down dinner to plan, let Brenda’s Catering handle the menu and set up. Brenda Smock has been in the catering business since 1992 and can handle groups from 20 to 600.


Brenda’s provides catering for all occasions from birthdays and graduations to anniversaries and wedding receptions. She makes all her food from scratch, using only the freshest ingredients.

Visit her web site and see photos from past catering events she’s done. The food and presentation both look amazing. Don’t be surprised if just visiting the site makes you hungry!

When planning for your special day, let Brenda's Catering and her staff handle the food preparation, set up, serving and clean up. Brenda has a dedicated and professional staff who help out her out when catering jobs, including her daughter Stephanie Renfro of SJ Creations, another RHD client.

Call or email Brenda to book your next event.

Watje Livestock

“Winning Where it Counts” is what drives Watje Livestock’s program. Established in 1972 by Vince and Suzanne Watje, they work to continually breed cattle to improve their customers’ bottom line. In addition to breeding Charolais cattle, the Watje’s own and operate a commercial feed mill, doing their part to feed the world.

Watje Livestock is involved in several aspects of the livestock industry and is committed to helping their customers succeed. They realize their success is dependent on their customers’ success and are willing to put forth the extra effort to help improve their customers’ profitability.

Whether you’re looking for a winner in the sale ring or the show ring, visit Watje Livestock and give them an opportunity to earn your business.

March web site updates

Much like the March winds, our updates division was blowing and going last month, busily updating web sites. More than 400 updates were sent in for the month.


Top Updater for the Month honors go to Top Sires with 39 web site updates.

GKB Cattle came in second with a total of 14 updates, while Tusa Show Cattle followed closely on their heels with 12 updates for March.

Beefmaster Breeders United and Duelm’s Prevailing Genetics rounded out the top five with 11 updates each.

This completes the first quarter for 2010 and the competition has just started. Keep updating those web sites!

Watje Livestock

When it comes to being successful in the Agriculture Industry, Watje Livestock most certainly stands out. Established in 1972 by Vince and Suzanne Watje, Watje Livestock is and continues to grow as a family business in the Ag Industry. From breeding Charolais cattle to operating a feed mill feeding out hogs and cattle, the Watjes truly have a passion for agriculture.

Their goal is to continue to develop their breeding program to improve their customers' bottom line of "Winning Where it counts!" They strive to produce easy calving cattle that can perform so that you can compete in the show ring as well as the sale ring. As their motto states, "We are only as successful as our customers", the Watjes truly want you to be successful and profitable. Take a look at their site and let them take care of your cattle needs!

Young Designs

One of our recently added web sites Young Designs, will make you think “Aww, how sweet” when you see it. Young Designs offers everything you need for baby. Stylish diaper bags, baby furniture and nursery décor are just a few of the items you’ll find on their web site.

Young Designs is an extension of Rambo’s Furniture in Clute, Texas and offers high-quality furniture by top manufacturers. Their Accessories section features the latest styles and the most up-to-date styles by designers such as JJ Cole, OiOi and Westwood Designs.

Offering quality products at affordable prices, along with friendly service, is what sets Young Designs apart from the others.

Even if you’re not in the market for any baby products, visit their site. Their soft pink and green colors are soothing on the eyes and it’s still fun to look at all that baby stuff!