Luckythirteen Design

13/10/2026

The Dubuque area is my home, and I feel like it's where I’m meant to be. ✨

I believe in the power of local, and the Dubuque-area is where I choose to focus my business services. Almost all of my clients are right here, located a short drive from me. I love that we are accessible to each other and can meet-up in-person for a chat or even a cup of coffee! But I also truly love supporting small businesses, a movement that really strengthen the bones of our local community.

Design is often the very first experience an individual has with a brand, and brand design that feels cared for speaks volumes. I've seen firsthand how thoughtful design brings a brand or business to life in the eyes of its audience, brings confidence and pride in its staff, and ultimately contributes to the vibrancy of our community, right here. And I love being part of that movement! 💛⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Proudly hailing from

07/10/2026

Thank you to the team at University of Dubuque for partnering with me to design for another Homecoming! These graphics were used on save-the-dates, invitations, programs, signage, tshirts and much more to promote the fun and spirit of this week's events. What a perfect fall weekend ahead to enjoy the beautiful UD campus, catch a show at Heritage Center, visit the art gallery, tailgate, and catch a Spartan game at the Field of Dreams Movie Site! 🍁

14/07/2026

It's always fun when you can help make a client's big dreams come true ✨ After walking through a difficult season of her own, Melissa (owner of House of Travel) was inspired to create Miles to Kindness — a program rooted in generosity, gratitude, and giving back. Community members were invited to nominate someone who quietly makes a difference, has overcome hardship, or simply deserves to be reminded that they're seen, valued, and cared for with the gift of an unforgettable trip.

I had the privilege of designing the logo for the program, building on the House of Travel brand we've been growing together over the past few years. It's always rewarding to see thoughtful branding become part of something that brings people together and makes a lasting impact in our community. 💙

30/06/2026

Custom illustrations and art direction for Wild Bull Flower Farm in Dubuque, Iowa, come to life on apparel 🤩

23/06/2026

Another issue of University of Dubuque's "Lanterns" appeared in the hands of students, staff, alumni and friends this spring! This is my fifth year working on this magazine – always a lot of planning and organization on top of the layout and design work, and I'm so proud of our teamwork and how it comes together each year!
Cover illustration by recent UD alumna

16/06/2026

Congratulations to my branding client Nurtiva Pelvic Therapy on your One Year Anniversary! Its been so fun seeing you grow this past year 👏👏👏

🎉 We're hosting a FREE Community Open House in honor of our ONE Year Anniversary!

📅 Friday, June 19th
⏰ 3:00–5:00 PM
📍 1082 Cedar Cross Rd., Dubuque, IA

✨ Meet local providers
🍦 Enjoy Delaney's Ice Cream Shoppe & a Mocktail Bar
🎁 Goodie bags for the first 50 guests
👕 Enter to win Nurtiva apparel
🛍️ Shop our new tanks & tees
💊 Receive 20% off supplements

🧡 Event-Only Special:
Book a FREE phone consultation at the event and receive your first visit for just $63!

This celebration is our way of saying THANK YOU for an amazing first year of supporting women, families, and our community! We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Bring a friend, bring the family, and join us for an afternoon of fun, connection, and giveaways!🧡

12/05/2026

In the last couple of years, I've slowly been helping Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dubuque extend their visual brand to all things throughout the club! This year-end letter to donors was especially fun, incorporating a special letter from Journey (one of their 10-year-old kiddos), along with her own artwork. I loved the fun artwork we used in the letter and wanted to incorporate even more onto the mailing envelope, so I hatched a plan....

I hired the help of one of the most creative 10-year-olds I know, my own! He was already very familiar with the club from volunteering there with me, and from seeing mom design for the club over the years. I let him read Journey's note, and gave him the art direction to draw doodles that inspired him from her letter and this is what he came up with! This envelope stood out beautifully in the mail, and fundraising goals were surpassed for the club! Just a great example of successful art direction, and sparking real emotion by letting kiddos shine at doing their thing! Hire the best! 💛

07/05/2026

When you want to visually show your mission, but also tie it into your brand!

I’ve been helping Steeple Square with their design/marketing needs for about 12 years, and lately we’ve really been wanting to visually show the community all of the ways that Steeple Square is impacting lives in our hometown area of Dubuque. So I took on this illustration project! While brainstorming, I considered a way to incorporate all facets of Steeple Square’s mission in to a single illustration, and what better way than to display them in a stained glass window style – one of the features that makes the Steeple Square location so unique and memorable!

- Education, Training & Job Readiness
- Tourism, Arts & Culture
- High-Quality Downtown Childcare
- Campus Sustainability & Historic Preservation

05/05/2026

Last week, the LTD studio said goodbye to a dear friend who’s been a sweet and subtle part of our daily life.

If you’ve ever visited the studio, or had a phone/virtual call with me, you’ve likely spotted Rio or heard his sweet tweets in the background. I’d always joke with clients that Rio was like my spirit animal – really chirpy/happy on sunny days or when he heard others having a conversation, and a bit more quiet and mellow on those cold and overcast days. And as goes with budgies, he was chirpy/happy until very suddenly he wasn’t (Sidenote: Did you know pet budgies instinctively mask signs of illness to avoid appearing vulnerable to predators, just like they would do if they were in the wild? I find this fascinating, also because I think we humans do this a bit too, but I digress.) Today we would have celebrated his birthday (always Cinco de Mayo), and my boys would have continued their tradition of decorating his cage with papel picado.

But I’m glad I was right there with him in the studio. Our family will miss our conversations and his sweet tweets, and it will be just a little quieter around here for awhile. 🫶

31/03/2026

Why did I start my business? I suppose it all ties back to my personal why:

✨ To empower passionate humans so that they can more authentically and confidently fuel their own passions and serve the greater good ✨

For a decade after college, I worked in small design shops and agencies around the state. I started as an entry-level designer, and worked my way up to creative director of marketing & communications office.

One day it hit me like a ton of bricks that I needed a change. It turned out that all that "moving up the ladder" stuff wasn't filling my purpose.

But what if I started my own design studio, incorporating the things I love: Design, working one-on-one with clients, helping invigorate small businesses and my local community?

That's where the passion is, and that's how Luckythirteen Design was born. I started this business full-time in 2014.

20+ years into this career, and I'm still learning every day. But so much clarity for daily decisions has come from leaning into my "why". When a decision is aligned it feels life-giving. Energy-injecting. Like a breath of fresh air. Like I’m doing what I was put on this planet to do.

I also think about my "why" in other parts of my life. My role as mom of two young boys. As a wife. As a friend. As a volunteer. As a mentor to students. I know I was inspired by incredible humans down this path, and I hope to make them proud.

Can you relate? Have you discovered your "why"? How has it served you?