I know that I’ve mentioned this before – but I really plan to get the ball rolling on a “Shop My Closet” section of the blog here soon! I just thirfted the most adorable skirt a few days ago, but it’s a little bit big on me! I grabbed it anyway because I thought of at least 3 bloggers I’d just flat out send it to if I couldn’t alter it or sell it. I have so many lovely things that I just don’t wear due to length issues or what-not, so be on the look out! <3

Outfit Details
Top/Shorts/Earrings/&Hat: Forever21
Sunglasses: H&M
Necklace: Vintage
Wedges: Target

Kentucky Blue is a post from: take-hart | so take heart, cause you know that you have mine. ♥

After the race we (his posse^) all went to find and meet up with him. Traveling through huge crowds of people with that many kids in our group proved to be interesting. Especially with 3 flights of stairs and 2 strollers! We had so many signs made for him that we didn’t even have enough people to hold them up! He definitely had quite the fan base cheering him on!

Other than the heat, it was a beautiful day overall. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but Nate’s Dad is a runner. He ran this marathon three years ago and another one in Louisville the next year. He hasn’t been able to run for any substantial amount of time since being diagnosed with cancer last year. Nate ran this race for him, and the minutes after they saw each other were the sweetest. I’m so glad I was able to capture that moment.

Nate – I couldn’t be more proud of you and the dedication you’ve shown to yourself, to your Dad, and your family. Running may not seem like that big of a deal to some people, but I can see how this has changed you. I love that you’ve found something to strive toward and that you only want to keep getting better at it. It’s an inspiration to me, and to everyone who knows you! I love you so much.

The Flying Pig Marathon 2012 is a post from: take-hart | so take heart, cause you know that you have mine. ♥

I want to write a bit today on something that I’ve been noticing in the blogosphere a lot lately. It’s nothing new, but I’m noticing a lot of people who I personally consider some of the best of the best feeling the way I feel from time to time about my own blog – and it’s refreshing, but also a little intimidating! I’m referring to the feeling of inadequacy – the need to create a bigger audience, better content, etc. I guess I’ve always felt like if I could just achieve this or that, if I could just be like so & so – I would feel like I’d accomplished what I meant to with this space. Over time I’ve started to realize that it’s healthy to have goals for my blog, but it’s completely destructive to look at other blogs and compare. I’ve always known that, but human nature ignores reason at times. It really puts things in perspective though when you realize that every stage of success comes with it’s own trials. Smaller bloggers want to be “popular”, but at the same time the wildly successful bloggers feel bogged down by the business side overshadowing their passion.

It seems to me that people who blog are just the type of people who naturally feel critical of themselves and their work. We want to create new things and share something different that we can feel proud of and be the best at – but there are only so many things we can do differently from each other while pretending to not look over our shoulder at how everyone else is putting their spin on the same thing. There was a time not too long ago where I hardly wanted anything to do with my blog because of this way of thinking. I can happily say that I haven’t felt like that in a while and I’m having more fun than ever with this space! I’m not saying that I wont ever fall back into that hole again, but right now I feel like I’m in a good place. Not for any real reason, nothing has changed. I’m just learning to enjoy myself a little more and not stress out.

On to something a little more light-hearted! This comfy striped boat-neck dress was sent over by the lovely Rachel of Cute-Vintage. How can you not be having a good day while wearing a cute dress sent to you from a vintage shop in London? I mean, really! I just felt happy all day long, so thank you Rachel! I plan to style this dress more simply on the next go-round. Nate approves of the dress, but found my pairing with everything else a little bit busy. A little quirky, but sometimes I just like to embrace a weirder side of fashion. ;] Unfortunately and as per-usual, it’s quite short on me – so options there are limited! Sometimes being a giant is kind of sad. Oh well!

Outfit Details
Striped Boat-Neck Dress: c/o Cute-Vintage
Glasses: c/o GlassesUSA.com
Floral Vest/Rose Earrings/Belt: Forever21
Leggings: Aerie
Wedges/Necklace: Target

The Busy Bee is a post from: take-hart | so take heart, cause you know that you have mine. ♥

I didn’t plan to take outfit photos when I threw this on for work this morning, but a lot of people gave me outfit props today and I thought maybe that was a sign that I should! Nate and I drove out to the pretty park near our house after dinner to snap a few quick pictures. The wind was insane and I basically had to pose the same in every photo- hand holding onto hat. I still lost the hat a few times. Thankfully not in the water! Not only was it windy, but it was also starting to get a little chilly. Needless to say I took these quickly and we headed for the car! I can’t believe how up and down the weather has been lately. Nate ran his marathon on Sunday, and it was a brutal 85 degrees outside. And tomorrow? A high of 66. I will do a recap of how the marathon went in the next few days- it was hot, but Nate did so well. So proud of him!

Outfit Details
Striped Top: H&M
Jeans: Lucky Jeans
Hat: Forever21
Watch: c/o Francesca’s Collections
Wedges: Target
Necklace: Vintage family heirloom

Down By The Water is a post from: take-hart | so take heart, cause you know that you have mine. ♥

This has been another crazy week! I know, I always say that don’t I? It’s always the truth! On Monday I received the Sienna Ray Makayla bag in the mail. You might remember me telling you all about Sienna Ray’s Wanderlust project that I was asked to be a part of. If you need a refresher, check it out here! Anyway, after the bag made it to a few other ladies around the states it landed on my doorstep here in Kentucky! I’ve had such a lovely week with this pretty purse and I’ll be sad to see her go!

Nate’s marathon is early tomorrow morning. We arrived in the city in the early afternoon, went and picked up his packet, and grabbed lunch. People have traveled from all over to run in The Flying Pig Marathon here in Cincinnati and there are runners everywhere! It’s so fun to be amongst the hustle and bustle, gearing up for a big event. I spent a few hours making two signs (perfectionist) to hold up as he runs by. Two hours for him to see a sign for half a second, but it’s worth it. I just want him to know how proud I am!

Make sure to pop over to the Sienna Ray Wanderlust blog to see where the Makayla bag has traveled, how it’s been styled, and to find out how you can get your hands on your own!

Wanderlust | Sienna Ray is a post from: take-hart | so take heart, cause you know that you have mine. ♥

I’d like to introduce you all to a few apps over the next few weeks that keep me on my toes when it come to blogging! This doesn’t mean that you have to be a blogger to love these apps, of course. But they absolutely help me to stay organized when it comes to keeping up with every thing. I’d love to know about any apps that you use to stay organized in similar ways, so feel free to suggest away in the comments!

The first app I want to introduce you guys to: Stylebook. Now, this particular one wont be useful to all bloggers but I do think that most ladies landing themselves here on this blog will find some interest in it! I’m totally sterotyping you right now for ending up on my blog- deal with it. ;] So Stylebook is slowly finding a very important place in my every day life and definitely in the planning of my outfit posts. The initial task of photographing all of your clothing is daunting and I haven’t even begun to tackle my entire closet yet, but what I’ve made time to put in so far has been super useful. I plan to get everything entered in by the time we take our Memorial Day weekend trip to San Francisco so that I can easily plan outfits and utilize the packing tool. I have major overpacker syndrome and I’m hoping this app will cure me!

Here’s what you’ll be able to do:

1. Photograph items of clothing/accessories in your wardrobe and categorize them.
2. Use the photographed items to create outfits.
3. Plan everyday outfits via the calendar.
4. Plan outfits for trips with the packing tool.
5. View detailed information on everything from how often you wear certain items to how much your wardrobe is worth!
6. Look for specific items via tons of different popular retailers through the shop tool. Need a blue mini skirt under $50? Easy to search for!
7. Save items you find while shopping to your wishlist.
8. Save inspirational styles to the inspiration folder.
9. Send your saved inspirations and outfits to friends via wifi!
10. Keep your sizes and measurements on hand.

I should add that no one paid me to say this and that this is 100% my opinion! I just really love Stylebook. It’s a little on the pricey side for an app. When I say pricey, I mean that I typically wont even spend .99 on an app. Ha! Cheapo over here. It’s only $3.99 though, and well worth it to me!

Have you tried Stylebook? I’d love to hear input from other users! Let me know if you try it out, too!

Stylebook: My App Love List is a post from: take-hart | so take heart, cause you know that you have mine. ♥

There’s a beautiful park in my city that Nate and I used to visit quite a lot, but now that we actually live near it – we rarely go! We’ve spent quite a few Summer days beside the lake there fishing and talking. I have a favorite story of going out there to see him and a friend after they’d been fishing for hours and hadn’t caught anything. I asked if I could try and of course I caught one on the first attempt. I’m one of those people who has very few moments like that, so I will continue to rub it in your face 4 years later. ;] Anyway, Nate recently took me further back in to the park than I had ever been and there it was. A forest. Well, it looks like a forest! The trees are planted in perfect rows and there are so many of them. It’s just gorgeous, and I totally freaked out over such a beautiful location being right by our house, yet again.

Nate has been so aware of my love for style blogging lately. He will text me in the morning before work and let me know that I should wear something cute and that we’ll go grab some outfit photos later. It sounds totally ridiculous, but things like this mean so much to me. I’m sure there are a ton of things he’d rather spend his time doing, like resting his legs! His marathon is THIS coming weekend in Cincinnati. He’s been training for so long and I can’t believe the big day is almost here! I can’t wait to watch him run and to be there when he crosses the finish line. I just can’t imagine how proud I’ll feel of him and for him. I think we’re really just both enjoying building each other up in what we love doing, even though our goals are a little bit different! I have no desire to run 26.2 miles, and I don’t think he has a ton of interest in style blogging. That’s okay though! I think supporting your significant other/spouse is one of the most important things you can do for your relationship. No matter how big or small it may be. I feel so loved when Nate makes something I care about important to him when I know it normally wouldn’t be. I hope my interest in sports makes him feel equally warm and fuzzy inside.

I feel like I may have used way too many pictures in this post, but it was just such a fun shoot! I actually want to squeeze a few more in, but I wont. I have started on a small list of places I want to go around Lexington for photos and I’ve started planning outfits based on locations like the nerd I am! It’s just too fun not to now that the weather is nice and warm. It feels so nice to have bare legs, regardless of how pale they are! Ahh, Spring! So glad you’re here!

Outfit Details
Tank Top: Express
Strawberry Skirt: Dress folded down, Kmart! (What? I know!)
Hat: H&M
Bag: c/o Francesca’s Collections
Bow Belt & Owl Ring: Had them so long, I’m not sure!
Bow Heels: Kensie Girl via Belk
Necklace: Vintage family heirloom

Between The Rows is a post from: take-hart | so take heart, cause you know that you have mine. ♥

I’m happy to introduce my readers to a few lovely ladies who’ve partnered up with Take-Hart for the month of April! I’d love it if you would take a moment to read about them and check out their favorite Spring Trends! I’d also like to mention here that if you’re interested in sponsorship for the month of May, feel free to shoot me an email – just click the contact button above and we’ll chat!

blog | twitter | facebook

My name is Katherine, and my blog is Of Corgis & Cocktails. I began blogging as a way to spread my love of independent fashion, homemade foods, and amazing companion pets. I am a product designer and have a background is trends forecasting which greatly impacts my posts. I am happily married although am currently living 1,000 miles from my husband while he attends school and work designing bags and mobile accessories.

blog | twitter | etsy shop

Hi, my name is Chelle! I am a creative soul stuck in a practical mind. My favorite things to do are blog, paint, study linguistics, and look at my husband’s face. Other minor to major obsessions include photography, Dallas, yoga, beaches, musical memes, and being a ginger.

blog | twitter | chictopia

I’m Jessica, a twenty-something college student based out of Akron, Ohio and majoring in creative writing. I like pizza, live music, pretty photography, bright colors, road trips, and getting extremely coffee drunk. Midwest Muse is where I share my daily fashion, tid bits of my mid western life and showcase my boyfriend’s fancy photography. I dream of the west coast and the ocean.

blog | twitter | facebook

Hi! I’m Stephanie. 26 years old. Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. I am a crime fighter by day (so to speak) and a crafter, blogger, fashionista, doggy mom by night (ok, well I’m always a doggy mom). I’m fairly new to the blogging and fashion world, but I’m definitely enjoying it. And I also like making pretty, delightful things to sell in my Etsy shop. xoxo.

blog | twitter | pinterest

My name is Whitney, and I am: 26 years old. Today is actually my birthday! I blog at “Everything Happens For a Reason,” which is my life motto. My blog is basically a virtual journal of my life. I am a southern girl married to a California boy. We are newlyweds, who got married this past June 11, 2011. Something that you can always find on my blog: pictures. I’m obsessed. It’s the photographer in me. I’m also in the midst of starting up a photography business. I absolute love fashion, makeup, shoes, purses, and shopping. I love the color pink and anything girlie.

blog | twitter

I’m Leanne, a 25 year old blogger located in Canada’s capital, Ottawa. I love to travel, cook, and paint my nails (usually while reading the bbc). I’m currently finishing up a MA degree in international affairs.

Meet My April Sponsors is a post from: take-hart | so take heart, cause you know that you have mine. ♥

Remember how I said in my last post that I had more good news? Well, I’m so excited to finally tell you all that Sienna Ray & Co chose me, along with several other amazing ladies, to participate in the hands on review of their Makayla bag. Two of these beauties are being passed around among the chosen fashion bloggers: one in the US and one Internationally. Pretty fun, right? I’m due to receive the bag in the next few days and I can’t wait! It will be spending a week with me, so expect to see it worn several different ways!

Read more about Wanderlust here, and meet the rest of the ladies here!

The ultimate goal of this collaboration is to, of course, share this pretty bag from the Sienna Ray Spring 2012 collection with as many other fashionable gals as we can – but it’s also a bit of a contest! In the end, everyone will be able to vote for who the fashion front runner of the group will be, and the grand prize? An opportunity to design a handbag with Sienna Ray’s Founder & Creative Director, Natalie Kathleen! Um, yes please!

Wanderlust is a post from: take-hart | so take heart, cause you know that you have mine. ♥

This week, oh this week! The first two days of the week are always rough at my extremely interesting job where I open mail all day and read angry letters. I hope you hear the sarcasm in that sentence, but yes – I’m worn out. I wanted so badly to take outfit photos today and I even went to the trouble of making sure to pick out my outfit last night, which I never do. But by the time I got off work today the weather was starting to look gloomy and I wasn’t feeling very sunny either! Ah, well! I’ve had plenty to cheer me up today though, but first let’s look at a few random Instagram photos!

Over the weekend I finally organized my closet and attempted a very simple form of nail art, but it was nail art nonetheless! I’m not going to lie – I was almost equally proud of both accomplishments! I have been wanting to organize my closet for a very long time. After getting everything in order I’m so annoyed with myself for not getting it done months ago. I’ve put together several outfits that I would have never pieced together without the new setup. It is literally like walking into my own boutique now. Here’s a before photo (don’t judge me).

I had it “organized” by category here – tops, dresses, skirts. Or I did, before it exploded. This was not functional for me at all. I’m a very color oriented person and in the past I have always had my clothes in order by color, but when we bought this house and I actually had space I decided to spread everything out. Not only did this make it harder for me to put together outfits, it was also a HUGE waste of space. Now, all of my clothes are arranged by color to the left when I walk in and all of my accessories are in front of me – tights, scarves, necklaces, bags, belts, headbands, shoes, etc! There’s not a single bit of shelf space left for shoes, so I may need to sell a few pair before I buy any more. ;] Oh and I can’t tell you how amazing it is to be able to see all of my jewelry. I will do an in depth tour of my closet soon, maybe a vlog?

On to some cheery news! I won a pretty awesome ad-space giveaway from Meanz over at Koi-Story. She partnered up with two other gals- Amanda of Dragonflight Dreams and Emily of Painted Eyes to collectively give away ad-space on their blogs. This couldn’t have come at a better time for my blog and I’m just elated to have won! I never win anything. Ha!

I’ll be back tomorrow with more happy news! That’s the kind of news everyone likes to hear, right? =)

Pieces Of The Days: My Closet & Nail Art. is a post from: take-hart | so take heart, cause you know that you have mine. ♥