Stock Show University

This spring we had the big honor of working on a very exciting collaboration with some of our favorite people in the livestock business on the exciting new "Stock Show University" created by Sullivan Supply. Our friends in the midwest are probably familiar with this by now, since the Sullivan's have been doing lots of promotional give-a-ways at the midwest beef expos, but in case you haven't heard about this, we wanted to write about it and how RHD got involved in this great new project.

Earlier this spring, John Sullivan called us with a totally exciting new program he and his wife Dede came up with. It was sort of along the lines of their new scholarship program they made last year, in terms of being another opportunity that Sullivan Supply wanted to do something to give back to the livestock business.

So John said that he wanted to schedule a conference call with Rachel, Arin Strasburg, and himself to go over the idea. Of course I was super excited...but also very curious. As John started explaining the concept, I was immediately on board to help! The idea was "Stock Show University." As John explained it, Stock Show University is a FREE educational clinic that is going to be sponsored by Sullivan Supply. Anyone can attend free of charge - both adults and youth. Sullivan Supply will be hosting clinics at beef expos, major shows, and junior nationals as well as local shows and at home events throughout the United States.  The clinics vary in size and scope - anywhere from 1/2 day programs during the afternoons at shows to very comprehensive, 3-day clinics. These are all FREE to attend as a way that the Sullivan's can show that they are committed to education. And the "professors" at Stock Show U are the leading experts in fitting, showmanship, daily care, etc.

So where does Ranch House Designs come into play? Well, we'll be leading the demonstration on how to properly fit and clip hind legs. SIKE! We got to be part of the collaborative design and marketing team to create the brand image, apparel line, and media pieces.

This part was ESPECIALLY fun because it was a team effort between Ranch House Designs and Designs by Arin. Rachel and Arin have been friends and colleagues for over 10 years and for this project, John said he chose us because he wanted to work with the two people he felt were the best in the business. It was a great project to work on!! We had a lot of fun working with Arin and the Sullivans. Some of the results of this team effort can be seen in the multi-page ad/catalog that Sullivan's recently put out called "Profiles of a Champion." This is a great piece that was designed by Arin with our creative writing input.

RHD also created the logo for Stock Show University and coordinated the design and production of the awesome line of caps that the Sullivan's have been giving away at the shows. Here are a few examples of the logo and caps.

If you want to know more about Stock Show University, you can visit their home page at http://sullivansupply.com/ssu_home_page.html. Here are also a few links...

• Clinic Schedule - There are already a ton of clinics scheduled coast to coast! Check it out!
• Professors - Meet the professors of Stock Show U!

So, our hats off to the Sullivans for once again creating a great new program to help the young people in the livestock business! We are so honored and proud to be a small part of the promotional efforts of Stock Show U!

A great Christmas present!

Every year it seems that we get involved in some really cool Christmas present projects, and this year was no different. We have done things in the past ranging from new web site gift certificates, photo collages, banners, signs, and all kinds of creative things.

This year, we had a new one....and it involves one of our favorite fellow blogging friends Crystal Young. Her boyfriend Jon Blin contacted us a few weeks before Christmas and wanted to enlist our help in a special Christmas present for Crystal. The present involved a couple of things. First, the easy part was that he wanted to register the domain name http://www.crystalcattle.com/ for her and have that go to her blog, which is hosted on Blogger just like ours.

The second part was that he wanted to give her a gift certificate for a new look on her blog, which is cool because he was going to give her the gift certificate then that way she could work directly with us to get the exact look she wanted.

The funny thing about this special present is, just a few weeks after Jon had emailed us, Crystals' mom ALSO emailed us with the same idea. So obviously the people close to Crystal knew that this is something she wanted! We didn't know whether to let the cat out of the bag or not, but we did disclose the secret present to Crystal's mom so she knew about the exciting gift.

A few weeks ago we completed the blog re-design with Crystal, and her new blog can be seen at http://www.crystalcattle.com/. This is a great blog that talks about lots of different things in the cattle business. Check it out and I'm sure you'll want to become a follower!

Upcoming Showbox deadlines

More upcoming deadlines RHD clients should put on their calendars! If you wish to advertise in the April and May issues of The Showbox and would like for RHD to design your ad, we will need your materials by Friday, March 11th if you want to be in the April issue, and by Friday, April 8th if you want the May issue.

Once again, due to the busy schedule here at RHD with the Houston Livestock Show in March and baby Cutrer due to arrive in April, we will be firmly sticking to these deadlines. Ad materials that come in after these deadlines are subject to rush fees and will only be taken if time allows.

If we can help you in any way, please email tricia@ranchhousedesigns.com.

Howe Insurance Agency

If you need personal or business insurance coverage, give our newest web client Howe Insurance Agency a call. A full service independent insurance agency in business since 1954, they work to give their clients the right coverage for the best rates.

As independent agents, they are able to supply all your insurance needs under one roof. They represent numerous companies so they are able to do the leg work for you, shopping for the lowest premium and the highest coverage.


Howe Insurance Agency represents many highly rated companies that offer great protection at competitive rates and cover many personal risks, such as auto, home, livestock, farms/ranches, watercraft and more.

They also offer business insurance packages specifically designed for your business. So whether you’re a contractor or a veterinarian, they can put together an insurance program that fits your needs.

In addition, they also offer Life Insurance, Health Insurance and Disability Insurance. Nothing gives you more peace of mind than knowing you are properly insured in a time of need.

Give Howe Insurance Agency a call and let them help you get on track!

Deadlines for upcoming Show Circuits

Here's a reminder for upcoming deadlines for those clients wishing to advertise in the April and May issues of The Show Circuit. In order for RHD to design your ad, we will need your materials by March 1st if you want to be in the April issue, and by April 5th if you want the May issue.

Due to the busy schedule here at RHD with the Houston Livestock Show in the month of March plus Rachel expecting a baby in April, we will be firmly sticking to these deadlines. Ad materials that come in after these deadlines are subject to rush fees and will only be taken if time allows.

If we can help you in any way, please email tricia@ranchhousedesigns.com.

RHD Closed Friday Morning

We will be closed Friday morning, Feb 4 from 9 to noon because of the weather. For all our northern friends I'm sure you are either laughing or rolling your eyes right now, because yes, our temperature is currently 29 degrees. Small potatoes for many of our blog readers. Give us a break, us southern Texas people are not used to this weather. Houston is a giant mess right now. Our city sewer water system has been froze for 2 days at our office. So, we're in a big crisis mode lol.

Pedigree and Stall Signs

This month we've been working on tons of stall signs and pedigree signs for lots of friends throughout the livestock business. This is a relatively new service we started offering at RHD, and I thought I'd share with you a little on how we got started on this.

For years, lots of people asked us if we could do pedigree signs, and we always referred them to our dear friend Paula Fuchs of KF Graphics. Paula's husband, Dean Fuchs, is my ag teacher from high school and just one of the people who made such a huge positive impact on my life, words could never explain. This fall I was visiting with Mrs. Fuchs at the La Muneca Field Day and she mentioned they were cutting back on doing stall signs because of both of her daughters graduating, the commitment, etc.

So after a little bit of investigating we began offering stall signs as a new service through RHD in December. So far in the past month we have done quite a bit of signs, for ranches, farms, FFA chapters, 4-H clubs, and individuals. Our pricing ranges from $20 to $50, depending on how many you order. We also offer dry-erase signs that can be re-used over and over again for different animals in your showstring.

If you'd like more info about these, email staceyf@ranchhousedesigns.com. If you need signs for Houston, please let us know by February 10th.

Join our Mailing List and Win $300

From now through January 31st we are running our "Subscribe-A-Thon" where we are inviting new friends to sign up for our e-mail blast subscription service. It's easy to join, just go to http://www.ranchhousedesigns.com/ and then at the very bottom of the page, enter your email address in the "Join Our Mailing List" box. You can also sign up on our facebook page by clicking on the "Join My List" tab at the top of our page.

On February 1st, we will take all of the people who have subscribed in January 2011 and randomly draw one name out of the hat for a $300 gift certificate with RHD! And since our pricing is so affordable....that $300 can go a LONG way! That can get you any combination of services like 2 free print ads, a free print ad and a set of business cards, a 1 page web site design, a 4x8 banner, or lots more!

So sign up today! Watch for our winner to be announced Feb 1st.

Baby Shower Invitations

Looking at these really gets me in the mood for having a baby shower!!! Or, that I lived a double life as an event planner and got to pick out cute invitations for all kinds of parties as my day job. Since me and Brandon's baby shower is coming up later in the spring, I have been stalking our Tiny Prints catalog for Unique Baby Shower Invitations and I'll admit you can spend hours on there!

Here are a few of my favorites....

Vintage Woodcut

Dark Gray Baby Girl

And, I can't help but saying this. I'm pregnant now, and I certainly don't look like the lady on this card. How does she keep her legs so skinny!!! And really, who has a name like Charlotte Buckingham.

"Fashion Forward"

Horsley Brothers

In our continuing efforts to give back to an industry and community that has been so supportive of Ranch House Designs, we recently donated a web site to Black Hawk College for a fund raising endeavor.


Horsley Brothers purchased the donated web site and we are excited to share this new site.

A family run operation located in northwest Illinois, Bob and Jim Horsley started showing, breeding and selling cattle in the late 1970’s.

Today Horsley Brothers consist of 180 Angus and Chiangus cows. For the past 40 years they have bred cattle to be the “cowman’s kind“ - sound functional cattle that have power, body and a superior look. There have been changes over the years and Horsley Brothers focuses on what the customer wants and needs. Their efforts offer proven results with continual success at the local, state and national show levels. Horsley Brothers has built a solid foundation in their herd and are confident in the quality of cattle they offer for sale.

Join them for their annual Eastern Exposure sale Saturday, February 5, in Ohio. Included in the sale will be bulls, bred heifers, and cows. They also sell heifer calves private treaty off the farm.

Visit their web site today or give them a call to learn more about their operation.