Indie Beauty Blog Tag Party

Hey Y'all!!

I hope this post finds you doing well. I am presently burning the midnight oil as I write this post. Donna Maria with Indie Beauty presented me with a challenge and now I am stepping up to the plate.

This post is part of Indie Beauty Blog Tag Party. dM tagged me and 4 other indies who must write a post on the topic "Ten Things I Love About Being Indie". Once we've written ours, we then tag 5 other indies. So, let's begin.

1. Freedom
Owning my business has given me the freedom to spend time with my family and friends. I make the decision as to when I take off from work. My schedule can be rearranged if a family member or friend needs my help. It's very liberating!

2. Creativity Is Not Harnessed
My creative juices are free to flow without the fear of being harnessed by an over bearing boss or co-worker. I don't have to worry about someone cutting my idea down. In the end, it is the consumer I am here to please!

3. Woman of Mystery
There are still many people in my town that don't have a clue what I do. They assume I am a kept woman. Hahahaaa! Oh sorry, I couldn't help myself. It's not because I haven't donated products for just about every function in town when asked, or the word of mouth not getting around, I just think some people don't think you can make money making soap so they don't take me seriously. That's ok. I like being mysterious.

4. Introduced to Fabulous Women
Wow!! The world is filled with vibrant, fascinating, exhilarating, intriguing, talented and wild women! Whether introduced online, on the street or a Cactus & Ivy customer, I am a better woman for meeting them! Now guys, I have met some awesome gentlemen too, but this part is reserved for the ladies!

5. Work On My Time
I am often accused of not having a real job because I don't go to a 9 to 5. Nope, my shop is about 100ft from my house. And, my hours could be 7 to 12, depending on what I have going on. That's 7 am to 12 midnight! Yep!

6. No Glass Ceiling
There is absolutely no glass ceiling when you own your business. The rise of my business is determined by hard work and discipline. I've been an Indie for 9 years now and there's no turning back!

7. Giving Creations
I'm a giver. Always have been and always will be. I love to create products that I think will not only appeal to the consumer, but also to my family and friends. There is nothing more rewarding than to have someone tell you how much they love something that you created with your own hands. Also, bath and body products are awesome gifts and I know someone who makes them!

8. Change The World
Being an Indie gives me an opportunity to change the world. After leaving a micro-managed sales job 9 years ago, I vowed that if I ever had my own company, I would never allow my employees to feel what I felt. If I have learned one thing all my years on this earth, it's all in how you treat people. My parents also raised me well! Thanks Mom & Dad!

9. I Decide My Worth
It isn't up to someone else to tell me what I am worth because I set that standard for myself! My parents raised me to be a caring individual with drive and determination. Only I can hold myself back!

10. Life Is Good!
I think that pretty much sums it up!

Now, tag....you're it!

Heather Tallman
Marla Bosworth
Kristin Cotte
Jill Jones
Regina Mowrer

Thanks for stopping by y'all!! Have a great day!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Your Voice, Your Choice - Bath, Body & Beauty

Hey Y'all!

Brrrr.......it is a crisp 30 degrees in my neck of the woods. I am beginning to wonder if fall just dropped by for a small visit and winter is now here to stay!

Something I haven't talked much about in my personal life is the ordeal my husband, Prevo, has been going through. Since December, 2007, he's had vocal cord paralysis. After using our voice to request a second opinion, he is now being treated by a top notch physician that specializes in vocal cords. After having permanent implants injected into his vocal cords in July, Prevo is now on the path to healing. Prevo had his third appointment with a speech pathologist yesterday and he is making strides in getting his voice back. The road Prevo is traveling brings me to this post.


Small businesses like mine are at risk if the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 draft discussion is voted into law. Among the provisions in the draft legislation that adversely impact small cosmetics manufacturers:

- up to $12,000 in annual FDA registration fees

- stringent and burdensome paperwork and reporting requirements that would make it impossible to run a small business

- requirements for compliance with "one-size-fits-all" manufacturing guidelines that small businesses could not possibly comply with

Lend your voice to the many small businesses that so desperately need your support. Please take a moment to visit the Indie Business Blog, watch the video and sign the petition.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! Stay warm!!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Sharing the Love - All Things Indie

Hey Y'all!

Here's hoping this post finds you doing well and embracing the cooler weather.

Variety is the spice of life! I believe in supporting your fellow woman owned business. Today, I am supplying you with the links to my fellow "indies" and some happen to manufacture bath and body products. Yes, I said bath and body products. This group of women show so much support, love and comradorie.

Through social networking on Twitter, I have been introduced to and connected with the following group of amazing and talented women. I am a realist. I know that Cactus & Ivy products will not appeal to everyone. Don't get me wrong, I would be stoked if Cactus & Ivy were in every bathroom, purse, suitcase, pocket, spa, boutique, hotel, resort, and the list goes on. That's not to say I'm not working hard every day to make that a reality!

Below, you will find a vast array of women owned companies that make everything from handmade scarfs, jewelry, desserts, and of course, bath and body products. So, without further ado, here is my list, alphabetically.

A Dorana Design
Adore By Nat
BL Soaps
BabyCakes
Baby Fish Mouth
Back Porch Soap Co
Bath Desserts
Bella Lucce
Blue Moon Candles
Body Systems
Cobweb Corner
Criket's Creations
Cutie Booty Cakes
Dhara Holistics
Dr Flower's Essentials Inc
Faerie Made
Flower Peddler
GCDSpa
Goode Scents
Hello Bath & Body
Hello Crafty
Hemp Essentials
Honey Bee Soaps
I Sew Cute
Klean Bath & Body
La Dolce Diva
Lily Gulch Soaps
Lisa Ann Skin Care
Mineral Silk
miSpa
MollyCoddle Soap
Nahia Creations
Nidasii
Palm Beach Soaps
Patisserie Jolie
PRIIA
Sarva Soap
Sevi Organics
Shea & Company
Simply Shells Designs
Soapy Love
System Bath
The 27th Element
The Bath Project
The Grapeseed Company
Three Ravens
Twin Birch Bath & Body
Villainess
Wild Woozle Soap Company


So, what do you think? Please take the time to provide me your thoughts. Feedback is greatly appreciated - good, bad or indifferent! In the end, it is always about the consumer.

Before I leave, I want to mention one last site that is responsible for shaping me into the type of business woman I have become. Donna Maria is the CEO of the Indie Beauty Network and is a true champion of the Indie Business Owner!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Guinea Chick With A Southern Accent

Hey Y'all!

I sure hope this post finds you doing well. It's 69 degrees out and there is a 70% chance of rain today. With the gloomy setting outside, this feels like a fun, getting to know me kind of day! Hang on y'all......

By now, you all know that I am the CEO of Cactus & Ivy, a cruelty free, vegan and natural spa and body products manufacturer. Cactus & Ivy is my baby and I take great pride in the products I create for all the present and future "Guinea Chicks" out there! And, you may be surprised to know that guys are "Guinea Chicks" too. There is such an animal as a male chick!

Now to learn a little more about how I pass the time when I'm not creating fabulous bath and body products. As I have mentioned before, I am the Army wife of Prevo and we get along like peas and carrots. Prevo is definitely the man I am destined to spend the rest of my life with.



Prevo has the higher percentage of talent between the two of us. Prevo is a singer/songwriter and I can't sing a lick. Not even in the shower or to the radio. However, I make a mean body scrub and Prevo's talent in that department is that he knows how to use it. Yes.....Prevo is a "Guinea Chick", the first to be exact! I am eternally grateful that he is willing to be my very first test subject for all products! Woo-hoo Prevo.....way to support your wife! I love you more than my luggage babe! You definitely ROCK!



For fun around here, we are usually gathering with friends and playing corn hole. Prevo and I make corn hole boards as well. There isn't a whole lot out there that we can't do. Oops, I forgot.....we can't shag and we live in South Carolina. Gasp!!

Before Prevo left for Iraq in August, 2005, we wanted to give him a send off that he would remember. We got together with a large group of friends and had the 1st Annual Hog Wrestlin' Event. We even had spectators! This had to be the best day, I do believe, that I have spent in all my adult life. Prevo and I were surrounded by people who know how to have fun and absolutely no animals were harmed during the event. The bruised egos, legs, arms and tail bones were all on the intelligent species and I don't mean the pigs! Many of us, (not me), ended up with poison ivy due to our neighbor making the mud hole in a poison ivy bed! Way to go...genius! And, just so you don't think I am "dissing" my neighbor, the "genius" line came from a radio disc jockey. He called my neighbor that after reading my letter on the air. That's another post I'll save for later.



Any who, back to the fun. Here we are in all our glory. It was a fabulous day and this photo remained on Prevo's desk inside his hooch in Iraq. It reminded him of who and what he had back home. It gave him more determination to serve his country and come home alive! Here's to great friends and good times! Life is too short to take it seriously ALL the time! Oh, and by the way, I am one half of the winning team! Oh yeah! Roy and I won the 1st Annual Hog Wrestlin' Event. Woo-hoo!

So, that's a little look into my private life. To some, it may look a little wild and not for them and that's OK. Prevo and I love life and we definitely live it to the fullest. I am leaving you with this. I will never compromise the integrity of myself, family, friends or Cactus & Ivy to get ahead in life. What you see is what you get! I am a loyal wife, daughter, friend and Small Business Owner. That you can take to the bank, even in today's' economy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fabulous day!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

New Fall Line - Indian Summer Is Here

Hey Y'all!

They're here....they're here!! I am talking about the much awaited Cactus & Ivy Indian Summer Fall line and the first day of FALL!! Woo-hoo!

Indian Summer Fall line that consists of:
- Pumpkin & Shea Body Souffle'
- Walnut Body Glaze
- Spiced Sugar Body Polish

Indian summer is a name given to a period of sunny, warm weather in autumn, not long before winter. This line consists of ingredients chosen for their moisturizing, emollient and regenerating properties. Rounding the line are sweet and spicy essential oils that promotes tranquility, relieve stress and anxiety and gives the sense of warmth, which is sure to remind you of Fall. Indian Summer is sure to be an excellent treat for your skin.

Ahhh....and the much anticipated arrival of Fall. The summer was brutal here in the South and we have all been waiting for 70-80 degree days and cool nights. Thank you Mother Nature for letting Fall grace us with its presence!

I hope you all have a fantastic day. Don't forget to use promo code IS2008 at checkout for your 20% discount on the Indian Summer line!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Hey, I'm an Indie

Hey Y'all!

First things first. The Indie Business Owner is on the verge of extinction if a particular draft is turned into law. I am talking about the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. Donna Maria Coles Johson, CEO of Indie Beauty Network has been working feverously to make our voices heard. Just yesterday, WUSA9 in Washington, DC aired a story about a fellow Indie Business Owner, Jamila White, CEO of J.Blossom. Read the story here and then, ask yourself this question. "Do I want the government to take away my fundamental right to choose"?

Please help the survival of the Indie Busieness Owner and your right to choose your personal care products. Go to Indie Business Blog. Read the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 petition, watch the video, read what other consumers are saying and sign the petition. The life expectancy of the Indie Business Owner depends on it.

Ok...now to "hey".

I was listening to the morning news and there was a report on how people use the word "hey".

According to www.dictionary.com the word "hey" is defined as:

1. Used as an exclamation to call attention or to express pleasure, surprise, bewilderment, etc.
2. Southern U.S. Informal. hello: used as a greeting.

"Traditionally, hey was just an exclamation. Sometimes it expressed delight, sometimes a warning. Nowadays we find it used for emphasis as well, especially in the expression but hey. It is also a greeting. It is a short, colloquial version of How are you? and thus close kin to the informal salutation hi, which it seems to be replacing in many situations. Until recently, this greeting had a distinctly Southern flavor. The national survey conducted in the 1960s by the Dictionary of American Regional English found hey as a greeting restricted chiefly to Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. The friendly hey has since spread throughout the United States."

I have Southern roots and have used "hey" all my life. My mother was born and raised in South Carolina and she is responsible for my Southern Accent. To me, it reflects my whimsical, friendly, laid back attitude, which in turn, overflows into my everyday life of running a business. My company, Cactus & Ivy, is small, yet determined. There are many ingredients that shape who I am and being a small business owner is one of them. To create a product that produces feedback of joy, excitement and exhilaration, all while benefiting the skin, is what I'm after. I want to earn your business and will do everything to keep it! Hey, I may not be big business, but my business is big to me!

Knowing the person that manufactures your skin care products is rare in this day. Unless of course, you are a customer of an Indie Business Owner in the Cosmetic Industry. We have been around for decades and are creating products better than the "big box" manufacturers. We will go out of our way to provide the best customer service, unique and original products and descriptions of our ingredients, so you can make an informed decision on what you are putting on your skin. What makes us different, you ask? Our business is our baby! We care about sourcing the best ingredients at the fairest price. We care about contributing to our community and giving back. We absolutely, without a doubt, appreciate and care about our customers!

I thank you all for your unwaivering support and greatly appreciate you as a consumer. Have a fabulous weekend!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy