Cactus to Pine Goods

In case you missed the video (scroll back for the whole story) I’m taking a break from Cactus to Pine for the foreseeable future while I go through chemo of NH Follicular Lymphoma.
I’ll be trying to make/ship wholesale orders through the summer if I can keep up since this is a big chunk of my income but to remove the temptation I’m making the break “social media official.”
Anyone who has a small business knows how terrifying it can be to lose momentum. For seven years I’ve poured blood,sweat and tears into my work and this business grew beyond my wildest dreams. Watching Etsy orders dry up, turning down requests for custom orders or offers for rope trades feels so damn scary. But not as scary as the consequences of not taking this healing period seriously.

So I’m hitting the pause button for now. And I’ll see you on the other side.

💚🌵🌲

If you want to follow me as a human - you can find me

Here’s an ironic announcement to post on your small business account - I got a job!!

i’ve officially been hired as the workshop and events manager for the Asheville Tool Library, a position I began volunteering in at the beginning of 2025.

Over the past year the program has grown to the level where it needs some dedicated admin and I feel beyond privileged to get to continue this work and receive financial compensation. Not everyone gets the privilege of being able to prioritize volunteer work over income, and it was a choice I struggled with a lot last year. Starting 2026 knowing that’s one less thing I have to balance a little less feels amazing.

So what does this mean for my business? When it comes to time… Not really much. I was already volunteering 12+ hours a week for a while now and this is only a 10 hour a week position. So I’ll be able to dedicate the same amount of time I did last year to my business.

But I’d be lying to say if my intentions and priorities haven’t shifted over the past of year. Hurricane Helene and losing my mom were traumatic and unmooring. The community I’ve found myself anchored in is so beautiful and it feels really natural to dedicate time and energy to it instead of my own personal ambitions and pursuits.

With that in mind, you’re gonna be seeing some changes around here over the next couple months. I know I’ll never stop creating. And upcycing is now tied into every fiber of my being. But i’m excited to shape my work to reflect that even more.