Mo Co. Creative Services Blog

Thanks to our newest clients.

2009-02-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

We're always welcoming new clients here at Mo Co. and just wanted to say "thank you" to those who have joined us in 2009. We'd also like to show off what we've been working on for many of them. If you're in need of creative services please contact Mo Co. Creative Services today!

An "Elegant" Website with some "GLAM"!

2009-02-28T18:52:00.000-08:00

We're proud to announce that our newest Mo Co. website design is up...and just in time for Prom Season. That's right, An Elegant Affair by Amy and GLAM have a new look on the web courtesty of Mo Co. Amy and her excited staff can now update and maintain their site themselves and it still has a one-of-a-kind look. If you're in the Cedar Falls or Des Moines area and are in need of the latest Prom or Wedding trends be sure to visit An Elegant Affair By Amy and GLAM today!

Sale Season has begun!

2009-02-28T18:40:00.000-08:00

When some of you think of Spring you probably think of the birds singing and flowers blooming. But, if you're a Texas Longhorn Breeder or an advertising agency serving them you think one thing: SALE SEASON! We've been hard at work here at Mo Co. designing sale catalogs and websites for 2009 Spring Sales including the well known, Texas Longhorn Legacy V Sale. If you're a Longhorn or cattle breeder in need of a sale catalog give us a call. We'd love to help you out. We pride ourselves on making this portion the stressful sale experience as pleasant and organized as possible. Check our website for testimonials from recent clients today! Best of luck to all of our clients holding Spring Sales.

A different look for a unique hotel

2009-02-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

We have been working with Designer Inn & Suites in Toledo for a number of years. It's a wonderful, family owned hotel with THE coolest fantasy suites that you have ever seen! The owner takes months to hand craft each Suite. If you are ever in the Tama/Toledo area be sure to stop by and see them or better yet book a trip to Iowa and spend the night with Designer Inn and Suites - I'm sure you won't regret it (just check out their testimonials page)! To date they offer Northern Nights, an igloo themed suite; Crystal Cave, complete with a waterfall shower; Rainforest - this one will really make you think you're in the tropics! Arabian Nights, complete with a floating carpet seating area and sand on the walls; Roman Retreat, Aces Wild and Hearts Delight.

Thank you to Designer Inn and Suites for letting us design their new website and we look forward to setting up their on-line reservation system soon! Check it out at www.designerinnandsuites.com.

Proudly Announcing Hired Hand...

2008-10-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Mo Co. Creative Services is proud to tell you about Hired Hand Animal and Content Management System. If you're a Longhorn Breeder or raise other animals, and understand the importance of having an up-to-date website you'll want to read on...

I have been helping breeders in the Longhorn Industry build strong brands, professional websites, and award-winning marketing campaigns for over 10 years.

Over those 10 years, I realized that there needed to be an easier way for today’s busy cattle breeder to update information on their professionally-designed websites. Many of the breeders used software to track vaccinations, birthing records, and more and then sent those files to me, at which time I entered that data into their website files. In the hopes that I could save my clients time and money, I decided to develop a plan…Hired Hand Software was officially born and breeders across the nation couldn’t be happier. Longhorn breeders now have a centralized system to track information on their herd and, at the click of a mouse, they can publicize it across the Internet through their website.

Hired Hand Software is a complete website package that gives you the ability to showcase your herd AND to easily manage your site's content yourself. Designed from the ground up for Longhorn breeders, our web-based animal and content management system comes with default options and categories geared specifically to the animals you breed. This system is custom-made for you!

LEFT: Mike Casey, Fairlea Longhorn Ranches visits with us about Hired Hand at the recent LWC in Guthrie, OK (photo courtesy of Laura Patterson, TLMA/TLJ).

To further simplify the job of managing while promoting your cattle, Hired Hand significantly reduces the need for duplicate data entry by giving each system user access to any animal in the system. No need to reenter pedigree information for the same animal twice (or more!). Once an animal is in the system, all users may access its data. How's that for a time saver?!

It gets even better for users of the leading cattle management system. Hired Hand lets you import reports directly into your website. Once again, no need to key in data twice!

Still not convinced that Hired Hand will make your life easier by giving you a hand with your cattle on the internet? Visit www.HiredHandSoftware.com today to learn more - we'll sure you'll love what you see!

ABOVE: Juanita Rodgers, TLMA and Molly at the Ranch Social BELOW: Danny Phillips, Diamond P Ranch, visits with us at the recent LWC event (photos courtesy of Laura Patterson, TLMA/TLJ).

Brody's Birthday

2008-09-18T11:20:00.004-07:00

Yes, I am so far behind that I neglected to post pictures from my son's 2nd Birthday session. To the Grandma's and Grandpa's - I'm sorry!!! As you can tell my daughter is the one that loves the camera - Brody didn't smile once and just wanted to play. Boys!!

Grand Opening

2008-09-18T11:20:00.003-07:00

Those of you that know me or have worked with me in the past know that I do everything I can to help out my clients...So here's one big push for all of you shoppers out there who love to decorate your homes to visit the Basket of Daisies GRAND RE-OPENING. Lori Larsen has purchased Basket of Daisies and moved it to Main Street in Cedar Falls. The store itself is beautiful and the products are amazing. Be sure to check out their new website coming soon as well...www.BasketofDaisies.com. Good luck with everything Lori and thanks for letting me be a part of your new business!

Senior Photos

2008-09-18T11:20:00.002-07:00

"K" was here for her senior photos recently and this girl cannot take a bad picture! K. is a senior at North Tama in Traer and aspires to be a TV Anchorwoman or reporter which will be just perfect for her because she's a natural in front of the camera. K. is also a setter for the NT Volleyball Team - Go Redhawks! Check out more '09 Senior Photos in our updated portfolio...

Getting Ready for the LWC

2008-09-18T11:20:00.001-07:00

So, yes, it's been a while since my last post. Things have been just crazy, I have to admit. I wouldn't have it any other way though! Thank you to all of my clients, old and new, who have been having me work on materials for the upcoming LWC in Guthrie. Over the past few weeks we have produced a lot of signs, vehicle magnets, business cards and more. I can't wait to see them all on display at the big event. Here are a few photos of the final product before they shipped out...

Do U Want to Work for Mo Co.?

2008-08-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

That's right - Mo Co. is hiring! Are you or do you know someone who thrives in a fun, creative atmosphere? Are you looking for more flexibility and an employer that lets you be your creative self? Contact Molly today for more information! We're looking for sales reps and graphic and web designers. Here's just one example of some of the advertising that you could be working on:

Is it really August?

2008-08-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

To say that things are crazy here at Mo Co. would be an understatement. We're wondering where the summer has gone and barely have time to peek outside and see it's sunny! We're so happy to be busy and especially want to thank all of our new client's that we've met over the past few months. Here are some of the new websites we've been developing - make sure you visit them often as they all have some outstanding Texas Longhorns for sale at all times. Enjoy!

Buz Card Buzz

2008-07-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...It's been a while since my last post. Things are beyond crazy busy at Mo Co. these days (and that's a good when you're a business owner like myself). I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of my clients, both new and old, for all of their continued business. I've received so many nice notes and emails from you over these past few weeks and am so appreciative of the referrals and work that you give that has allowed us to grow. I truly love what I do and having great clients makes my job even better! So THANK YOU!
And, a few designs to hold you over until I get caught up and can show some more of our recent work...Here are some business card designs which also feature new brands and logos that we also developed. Be sure to give these companies a call if you're in need of their products or services - they're all great! Check back soon for more updates!

Puddle Jumping

2008-06-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you have heard by now that most of Iowa has been ravaged with floods. In Tama County it's not as bad as some but we still have creeks that have turned into raging rivers, a local golf course and other low-lying areas that seem unrepairable, farmers who are hurting and we have lots, and lots of big, messy PUDDLES! Without making light of a horrible situation we thought we'd let the kids have a little fun in the mud and water. I just wanted to share a few of the photos that resulted...

Now Playing...

2008-06-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Another one of our great creative services include the ads that you often see before movies. Mo Co. Creative Services is proud to offer a wide range of create services - not just print or web design like some advertising agencies or freelancers. Contact us today to fulfill all of your creative needs including video production, database development, media buying, copy writing, public relations and more!

Get Shakin'

2008-06-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

Soon the City of Traer will have a tourist attraction in the form of 1300+ antique salt & pepper shakers. Here are some design options presented to the "Traer Shakers", the committee in charge of development of the Museum. Watch for the final logo coming soon!

Wedding Photography

2008-06-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not know that I take on a few weddings a year for friends, family or people who have been referred by friends and family. Mike & Kim were one of those couples. Brandon and I coached Kim in AAU Volleyball and Brandon works with Mike through North Tama Community Schools. They were such a great couple to photograph and the weather was perfect! I had to include a photo of the beautiful bridesmaids as well - we went to school with or coached almost all of them! We have another wedding this weekend so check back again soon for more wedding photos.

Hot off the Press

2008-05-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

When you work in advertising it seems that you're always months ahead with work and weeks behind with your personal life (cleaning, mowing the yard, sending cards for special occasions, etc.) and such is the case this month.

June ads have been done for weeks and July/August projects are in the works and I haven't even gotten all of the cards out to the '08 graduates that my husband and I coached or taught! Maybe I should be writing out those cards instead of posting these?!?

Till next time...

A bit to hold you over...

2008-04-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick post to hold you over until I can ad more of all of the fun projects we've been working on! We have a wonderful client who has a great series of postcards which she markets to realtors, auto dealerships, doctors, etc. I thought I'd help her with some extra pub on the old blog and see what comes of it. If any of you are interested just send an e-mail! As you can see they are 100% customizable. Till next time - m

A new look for a small town

2008-04-17T08:57:00.001-07:00

I have to give some pub to my town of Traer. I've been working with the Chamber, Economic Development Committee and other town leaders for a few months to develop a new website and it's finally about done! Click here to visit Traer.com and click here to read about the new site in our local paper, the Traer Star Clipper. We happen to think the new site is pretty top-notch for a small town like ours!

'Tis the Season!

2008-04-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Like I said, it's sale season...for cattle that is. And that means we're busy designing sale catalogs! We've officially broken our own record by designing a 230+ lot catalog in less than a week and yes, we're exhausted. We wish the TLMA Festival Sale all of the best including a working air conditioning system in Oklahoma in June! We'd also like to show you one of our favorite covers we've designed - Our clients let us have some fun with this one for the Celebration-Invitation Sale to be held in Glen Rose, TX in May.

Ads, ads, ads...

2008-04-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

With spring and summer being the season for cattle sales it's a busy time of year for Thank You ads. Here are a few of the most recent ads from the Longhorn Industry featuring a few from buyers and sellers of the most prestigious sale, the Legacy IV Sale, held in March at the Doral Hotel and Resort in Texas. Enjoy!

New for '09 Seniors

2008-04-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

The Senior Sports Session is something new that we'll be offering to '09 Seniors and Wyatt was the first one in the door to try it out. Knowing he'll be busy this summer attending football camp at Stanford (WOW!) and playing basketball across the state with various leagues we got these out of the way early. To view all of his sports photos click here. To make your appt. call or email us today!

All Smiles!

2008-04-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

This little blue eyed angel has been here a few times but never with so many giggles and smiles! Take a look at a few of my favorites from her 1 year session. Maybe it's because she's going to be a big sister?!?

April Already?!?

2008-04-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been a busy few weeks (and weekends) here at Mo Co. From the largest cattle sale catalog we've ever put together to our '09 Senior Spokes Models starting to come in; from cute 1-year-old sessions to designing a ton of graduation announcements, I finally have a few free moments to post a new blog. Here are some of the favorite Senior Announcements that we've done this year. Hard to believe it's graduation time again!

Almost 4...

2008-03-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

This past weekend while, I had some free time (which is odd), my daughter and I had some fun taking her photos. She will be turning 4 in a few weeks which is hard to believe. She's decided on a Princess themed party which as you can tell from the photos, doesn't suite her well at all - ha ha. She's also quite a poser but for her father's sake, I decided not to post those!

In Stitches

2008-03-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Suzanne with Salt Creek Quilt Company came in for some formal headshots as well as some super fun and colorful photos with her amazing quilts. They were beautiful so naturally the photos were easy! Some of them will appear in an upcoming magazine that she's going to be featured in for her quilting skills and others are for her books that she writes about quilting. The one of her laughing was the last shot we did and it's my favorite!

Invest in Your Hometown!

2008-03-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

The Traer Community Foundation came to us to develop a website for them and we did! It will officially be unveiled next week to kick off of the grant cycle for the 2008FY. Be sure to check it out at www.Traer.com/CommunityFoundation. Special thanks to everyone at Farmers Savings Bank-Traer for being so great to work with and to the Board of the Traer Community Foundation as well. Without our local Community Foundations, Traer and other communities would not be as wonderful of places to live, work and play so be sure to show your support!

Wipe off that drool!

2008-03-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Check out Miss Lisa Jo. She came to visit us as part of a Father's Day gift for one of her owners. She was a good girl.

This one's for Grandma!

2008-03-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

In my first post as an official blogger I mentioned that I'd be updating photos of my two little kiddo's and was recently reminded by a relative whom I won't name (rhymes with the musical award the Grammy) that I had not yet done so. Here they are! I took these photos within the past few weeks and have them as floating canvas prints in our living room. You have to love how Brody smiles these days!

A New Website for a New Phase in Life...

2008-03-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Blake Development Corporation hired us to design a website for them 3 years ago when Don, President of the company, was still working full time and getting BDC off the ground. Today we've put the old site to shame with this flashy new design and are celebrating Don's retirement and leap into his two business ventures full time - Congrats Don! Watch for a newly designed site for Don's second business, American Brokerage Realty, coming soon. Best of luck Don!

What a cutie!

2008-03-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Becker's came to visit the studio with little Grif and he's so cute! He is the first 5 month old to set a record of lasting through 3 outfits!! This little guys is a trooper! Take a look at him with Mommy and Daddy. We hope he comes back to visit us soon!

'Tis the Season for Sales...

2008-03-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

Well, with warmer weather comes SALES! Here are two sale catalog designs that just went to press. The Cherry Blossom Sale is out in West Virgina - thanks to Ben, Ann, Tom and Val for allowing me to design their catalog; the 9th Annual Millennium Futurity is down in Texas and promises to be an outstanding event. Thanks also to Bill and Jim for helping to get that one done in record time! Stay tuned for more great catalog designs from Mo Co.

A Busy Few Weeks!

2008-03-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a few weeks since my last post and it's been busy! From cattle sale catalogs to magazine ads to direct mail and more photos I have lots to share! These ads are a few of my favorites for the upcoming issue of the Texas Longhorn Journal, a publication of the Texas Longhorn Marketing Alliance. It's been so great working with the staff and being involved with Longhorns again...I'm a country girl at heart you know! Mo Co. Creative Services, Inc. has designed over 85 ads for the first 4 issues of the TLJ as well as their first catalog for their Inagural Heifer Sale & Gala where Mark Chesnutt performed!!

Brother & Sister

2008-02-26T17:49:00.000-08:00

The Thoren kids came for a visit recently. Lainy was here for her 4 year photos and Ryker for his 1 year. Although the session of them together didn't produce the best results (a difficult task as any mom will tell you) they were all smiles for their individual sessions. Here are a few of my favorites.

2008-02-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

Well, ready or not, here we go!
I'm not really into the whole "blogging" scene, but it is good marketing and easy promotion. Maybe I can even start some new design trends and keep up with posting trendy photos that you will all enjoy.

For fans of my two little ones check back often for updates on them as well.
Thanks to everyone who got Mo Co. Creative to this point - we can't wait to serve more of your creative needs in the future!