Golden Designs is where I bring my visions of our ranching lifestyle to life.
My husband and I ranch north of Blaisdell, North Dakota. We raise both Black and Red Angus cattle. I design apparel with realistic designs that showcase our life on the ranch. I often get asked, “Where did you come from and most importantly, where can I get a shirt?!
I am just a small-town North Dakota girl making shirts, and that is how “Golden Designs” began. I was originally born in Pocatello, Idaho where my parents met. They were ski bums and college students, until they moved home to farm. I have lived in the Peace Garden State since I was 5 or 6 years old, raised as a daughter of a farmers. Naturally, I married a farmer/rancher, who rarely leaves our land or livestock. We have four children, two boys and two girls. I have a 25-year-old son Jake, 23-year-old twin girls Courtney and Taylor and a 21-year-old son Justin.
Jake attended North Dakota State College of Science to become a diesel mechanic and loves working on farm machinery. Courtney spent one year at the Colorado training center for the blind, followed by two years at the College of Bottineau, and is currently at Minot State University. Her dream is to help other blind students learn to read Braille. You can follow her adventures of her Facebook page adayinthelifeofcourtney. Taylor attended college in Montana to become a licensed veterinary technician. She is currently working in the oilfield in Sidney, MT, along with helping her boyfriend on his family ranch. Justin enrolled in Electrician School and is completing his apprenticeship to become an electrician. He loves hunting and spending time outdoors. They all understand the hard work and sacrifices that go into our operation and lend a hand when it’s needed.
I also have five nephews and three nieces and often times you can find me following them in their activities and watching them grow up. My husband’s family lives just down the road, which has been a blessing for extra hands when we need them.
I love my home state of North Dakota, and everything that comes with it. I enjoy designing new t shirts and creating them for my customers. I have found that it is invaluable to keep business local out of my own home, using my friends, family, and social media community as my promoters.
My intention is to share my passions in life through my designs. These include but are not limited to lattes, Golden Retrievers, horses, cattle, reindeer (which I plan to get a few as soon as possible), and spending time in the mountains of Montana. My first and foremost passion in life other than my designs, is my family. The highlights of my life are spending time with my family and closest friends. My vision is to continue designing shirts for those in my life and all those who enjoy my designs.
Ranch life is not easy work, but it is rewarding work. Nothing can compare to watching a newborn calf make its debut on its wobbly legs or saving a sick cow even when the odds are against her. We don’t get sick days, holidays, or vacations in this line of work. Our livestock need us no matter the conditions or how sleep deprived we are. The seasons of work that needs to be done changes like those with the weather. However, when people ask, I like to tell them calving season is my favorite season. You see all your hard work come to fruition as the calves are born and learn to run and play. They require the best out of you as walk out in the morning at 2am to find a young heifer in need of assistance or a sick calf who needs your help to eat. It’s 24 hours a day of needing you, until all the calves are born and out on grass. That need and your devotion, are what makes it so special. The inherent bond of a rancher and their livelihood, their livestock. And that’s precisely why we do what we do.
GOLDEN