little seed farm...

we are proud to be carrying soap made by eileen and james of little seed farm in tennessee.

these are good people doing good things:

After one too many years of city living, we came to realize that our true dreams lie in our roots. In early 2012 we moved from life in NYC to our farm in rural Tennessee. Our mission is to provide raw milk farmstead cheeses, organic skincare products, and humanely and sustainably raised meats. As we continue down the road we look forward to sharing our journey and reflecting on what we've learned thus far. We hope to inspire others to pursue their dreams.

What we stand for:

• Raising and serving our community healthy, nutrient-dense food
• Providing our animals with a natural and humane environment
• Using nature to guide our animal husbandry practices
• Seeking methods that limit the use of outside inputs
• Adopting practices that utilize the full cycle of nature and minimize waste

in addition to all this good, im a sucker for a cute goat.

xo

found...

someone had my dream estate sale find experience. she found never before seen photos of the rolling stones from a tour in 1965.

so young, having fun. great photos.

xo

mick

keith

bill & charlie

brian

mick & charlie

things to remember...

we love the work of satsuma press (lynn russell) and we are happy to be carrying her 12 pack of
'things to remember' cards.

these cards are great to give to a friend  as a word of encouragement or to be placed in a space for ourselves as a reminder to:

*wonder
*be true
*do your best
*ask and listen
*have courage
*pay attention
*be kind
*have patience
*keep learning
*slow down
*share
*give thanks

sweet, simple and to the point.

thank you lynn!

xo

herbivore botanicals....

in addition to the lovely soaps and bath salts, we are now carrying herbivore botanicals lip butter and skin toning elixir.

the toner comes in two options:

balance (geranium + lavender)
hydrate (ylang ylang + rose)

i love both of them. i have used them both after the shower, before i put the moisturizer on in the morning and before bed after cleaning my face. they both smell and feel wonderful, a real treat.

the lip butter is bigger and better now. we currently have:

lavender
rose
mint

coming soon: blood orange

all of herbivore botanical products are made with love by julia and alex in seattle. great quality, wonderful scents, simple packaging. can't ask for more.

xo

getting cooler....

we are now carrying fog linen scarves.

the scarves are light weight, soft, 100% linen, sweet stripes and soft colors.

the perfect weight scarf for this time of year in austin....

xo

start again...

Each day, each new moment can be an opportunity to clear the air and start again, fresh and free.

i love this.

here is to all of you...

xo

be present...

being present is hard for me. this is something i am working on. i used to spend a lot of time thinking about/regretting the past and trying to predict the future. this did not leave me much time to be in and enjoy the present. in this work of trying to be more present, the things i do to help myself are:

-meditate (even if for 10 minutes)
-having reminders around me (such as this cute print we are now selling)
-release the past
-being patient with myself
-ask myself, am i ok right now? usually the answer is yes
-be okay with the unknown, even if it is uncomfortable

this is a process, one i will keep working through.

xo

16" W x 20" H

tokyo factory is back...

we are happy to be carrying tokyo factory soap again and it is better than ever.
scents such as:

japanese white kimono soap with organic shea butter

lavender shikon soap with organic shea butter

yomogi sake soap with organic shea butter

these soaps are to die for and i love the new packaging as well...

xo

japanese white kimono

lavender shikon

yomogi sake

another day...

another day.
cloudy memory.

we received some new o-check design notebooks. i love the colors and designs.

enjoying the recent rain and clouds...

xo

a little love...

hello!

we are now carrying 2 music CDs by renee & jeremy. music for kids that parents will like, with great cover artwork.

great baby, kid or parent gift...

xo

summer breeze...

i think there was actually a summer breeze when i was out at 7:45 this morning, it was so nice out...
we are now carrying pommes frites soy candles. they are handmade in california and come in a variety of lovely scents.
summer breeze, amber & moss, sweet grapefruit, fig & jasmine...
xo

enjoy the days in between...

i have been going through a box of old photos, of people i dont know. the photos are from connecticut. the life of a family and their dog. im selling some of the photos at the shop. i love seeing the everyday old photos, reminds me some things never change, which is comforting to me in some way.
in the box i found this awesome typed birthday letter...
xo

willa...

for those of you who love willie mae as mush as i do, he are some great shots one of my customers took.

xo

choose happy...

i am working on choosing happiness. i am seeing this is a choice...
happy august 1st to you all!
thanks to one of our favorite card designers, furze chan, for this jumping bear...
xo

taking risks...

i have been really enjoying some of our newer incense lately. i also love the description of scents and literature in the packaging.

the seiunamore incense box reads:

"incense burning is a source of inspiration. it brings inner peace and spiritual freedom. to mind seiunamore is to be metamorphosed into love of mankind beyond the different nationalities. welcome to the wonderful world of japanese incense."

then the inside paperwork reads:

Love is not just the word 'Love'.
Love is not just a feeling, either.
Love is to remember the distant past.
Love is to believe in an invisible future.
Love is to think over and over again.
Love is to live at the risk of your life.

i love the time and thought put into these words, packaging and product.

hope everyone is having a wonderful week...

xo

"Scent of floral woody that gives us a peace of mind . Materials , such as essential oils and Vitamin E ,are selected carefully "

traditional sandalwood

cherry blossom

oil lamps....

one of our favorite potters here in town is ryan mckerley. he is such a talented, sweet and funny person. ryan was kind enough to make us some beautiful and simple and oil lamps.

i love oil lamps and had been wanting to carry a handmade ceramic version and ryan came up with just what i was looking for.

thank you ryan!

settling in...

hello friends...
this past month has been a whirlwind. im happy to be back at the shop and settled into a new house. i had my first vacation since opening take heart and it was a wonderful time visiting family and friends in connecticut.
i want to thank my mom and judi for holding the fort down at the shop, they are both gems.
hope everyone is having a wonderful week.
love this textile...
xo

artist unknown

yes...

summer.

mornings, friends, watermelon, feeling sad, movies, feeling better, swimming, change, vacation, slow down.

yes.

xo

dear self..

xo

happy fathers day....

i have lots of fond memories of my father cracking me up, being silly and rough housing. these were all things that were so good for me and i thank him for that.

things that im thankful my dad taught me - part two:

-summer camp rules
-travel
-listen to rock and roll...loud
-shop second hand if possible
-say i love you
-learn to drive on a stick shift

thank you dad!

xo

@aroma....

when i went to japan a few years back i was introduced to a whole world of aromatherapy. i bought a car aromatherapy diffuser, that i have been using ever since. i love the car smelling good and relaxing.

we are now carrying a line of japanese essential oils and car diffusers. i love the description of the oils -

The Botanical air series presents 100%-pure, simply-blended aroma oils, which concentrate the blessings of nature's abundance and highlight the best of inherent botanical powers and fragrances.

the scents we now have are:

mint eucalyptus
bergamot mandarin
eucalyptus lavender
cedarwood cyprus
pine hinoki
ylang ylang citrus

xo

inspiration...

oh take heart customers, how i love you....

i am endlessly impressed and my heart is warmed by the wonderful customers that come into take heart. i love hearing what creative endeavors you are up to, getting to know you and having my day made brighter meeting new and wonderful people.

one couple that comes into the shop are true gems. the woman sent me some images of items she has bought from take heart and how she has them displayed in her home. they have a gift and i thought i would share some of the photos...

thank you roopsha!

xo

fog linen tray

teak scoops

pebble vase

things i am thankful for card

handmade wood card holder

fog linen toy

jane foster bunny

verticle lines bowls