Madison & Phil Hedlund, Bindlund Leather Co. | Giveaway

Photo by : The Ziegler's 

            Lately, I have really taken a notice to Springfield being nothing shy of young, inspiring entrepreneurs. I definitely think that is something that this generation finds a happy home in. Our generation of youthful dreamers has brought back many “dying arts” and has sought out occupations in areas of craftsmanship and artistry. From jewelry to a hand-sewn piece of clothing, I’m likely to hold more value in something that was made with intent and care.

            My friends, Madison & Phil Hedlund have been pursuing leather binding together over this past year and have absolutely soared. Their work is increasingly impressive and beautiful; knowing the hearts and good spirits behind a business may make me a bit biased, but I want to share with you what and why they’re creating. I think you may want to get behind this too.

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Define Bindlund.

 “Protecting Whats True” That statement came into my mind one day as I was thinking about what I would like to say our small business stood for. “Protecting whats true” first started as protecting Gods word, the Bible. We first started binding Bibles that were falling apart, some that people would no longer use, but when they came into our hands, we gave them life again. “Protecting Whats True” not only applies to Gods word, the Bibles that we bind, but also to journals. Peoples writings, their thought, their feelings, or everyday life errands, none too small are all things that are true to that person. Protecting personal belongings, laptops, phones, etc are all things in the future we will expand into. Each piece to “Protect Whats True” to each person. Our hope is that these items would be more than run of the mill junk, but be items people cherish, and feel the need to cherish.  At the core we are about the raw work of human hands, creating for another person to hold. That idea, that one day what we touch is the next across the country, in a coffee shop, being used to record the daily happenings and heart song of someone we would otherwise never have contact with, just blows my mind.

Tell me a little bit about what led you to creating Bindlund (and why)?  How has it transformed?

I was inspired by my older brother, Andy, who taught us how to bind Bibles. It made the Bible he gave me more personal to me, since it was re-wrapped in a beautiful leather with personal engraving. I knew the feeling of having my Bible re-done, and I wanted to give that feeling to other people, so here we are. We now have Bindlund. Bindlund has transformed in creating new projects, like journals, laptop cases, and clutch wallets. When we get a sewing machine we will be unstoppable in the ideas we have.

Photo by : The Ziegler's

What’s been your favorite project(s) thus far?

My favorite project thus far was a gift project that was a case for a notebook for one of our clients. He was gifting the case for his son, who loved to write poetry. The father mentioned how he saw his son being a writer one day, and wanted to cultivate that in him by hiring me to create a case for his son, where he could replace each notebook after he filled them with his writing. To think of how many notebooks will sit in the case I made, the hours spent writing in each notebook, that’s protected by the leather case, is an honor to have been a part of that process.

Where do you see Bindlund heading in the future?

Phil- Binding Bibles will always be a part of what we do, but I’d like to make briefcases, wallets, satchels, backpacks, handbags, saddles, boots one day. I would like to get to a place where we could give leather bound Bibles away for free to kids, or missionaries or whoever needs one. I think we are headed to a really unique artisan experience.

Madison- Our goal for 2015 is to have it replace an income and have one of us able to do it full time. With the way things have looked, it is a real opportunity and will just take dedication and discipline. We want to join with other local artisans and do pop-up shops, sell in local businesses, and support others along the way. Our community has given so much to us that we really want to keep our focus tangible, even though internet sales are what keeps growing.

Photo by: The Ziegler's

What about the craft romances, you (or draws you to it)?

Phil- Working with my hands will always be a passion of mine, and this allows me to work with my hands. Working with leather is amazing. Each piece has a different texture and personality per say. I love the smell of leather and the feel of it. The different qualities leather has and the uses of leather is endless. The toughness of leather is a factor that I love about it, I wouldn’t be surprised if some items were passed down multiple generations, all the while staying in good condition. Leather is a material that only gets more beautiful as time goes on.

Madison- There is something so sweet about a sketch coming to life in your hands. That paired with the thought that something I make might be used as a gift and bring joy just thrills me. 

What are your passions other than Leather Binding? 

Phil- I like to work with wood and create. I like to read. I enjoy classical music and would like to one day learn how to play the piano. I enjoy learning about how things are made, and how they work. I like people, and often am the one listening and asking questions. I enjoy the beauty of nature, I enjoy dreaming with Madison about our future. I enjoy being with men, doing man things. Smoking a cigar/pipe, drinking a fine scotch or a craft beer, building things, taking a hike, camping or rock climbing. Enjoying each others company with good conversation to name a few of things I am passionate about or enjoy

Madison- It is my passion to see women healthy physically, spiritually, and emotionally.  Thriving in who they are. I have an entrepreneurial mind and love dreaming up ideas for Bindlund as well as my life coaching businesses I will be launching this year. I have a notebook full of plans!  I also enjoy barre workouts, painting, reading books about personal growth, spending time laughing with friends, and eating (hopefully a delicious organic meal) with Phil. I also like to go on long walks. Not romantically, although I wouldn’t be opposed to that!

Photo by: The Ziegler's

What do you do when your not Leather Binding ? 

Phil-Reading, listening to music, cleaning (yes I probably clean too much) creating some kind of wooden project. I like to create. When its not leather, its wood. When its not wood, im working with leather. I am in school pursuing Elm. Psychology and work as a server as well.

Madison- If I am not working on Bindlund you might find me working for tips at a local Mexican joint, reading and dreaming up ideas for my life coaching business, cooking with Phil, working out and hanging out with friends, and rearranging the house.

If you can’t tell I am the creative visionary and Phil is the practical maker.

What special services does Bindlund provide?

Bindlund offers personalized leather bound bibles, journals, laptop cases, clutches, and field notes cases. We also take custom orders and work closely with people to create something they dreamed up themselves. We offer personalizing though complimentary name engraving on any book orders and have engraved logos, quotes, and art onto people’s journals and bibles. We try our hardest to create unique items for our customers, something they would be proud to carry with them daily.

With an entrepreneur spirit, we are using Bindlund as a creative way to achieve our dreams. Phil is in school and Madison is finishing up a certification and will soon start her own life coaching business. Bindlund allows us to have a creative outlet together that launches us forward creatively, financially, and gives us the ability to make our dreams of being a child counselor and a holistic life coach.  We are so thankful for our creative and supportive community who encouraged us to do this. Friends like Courtney and Jess really make it a tangible option for us, and we have really followed their lead.

Head over to Bindlund's etsy page to look at their beautiful work! Also, I will be hosting a giveaway to win this lovely leather clutch before Valentine's Day on my instagram (@floralmountains). Enter to win by tagging two friends in a comment on the photo, you must follow @floralmountains & @bindlundleatherco to be considered.

-Sarah 

The Forge | A Story Told

As I entered “The Forge” I felt I was stumbling upon someone’s secret place. A place full of their favorite things, a place where they had hidden found treasures.  The walls were adorned with animal skins, aging metal, and ratty cloth; it was a salvage heaven.

This place was a man’s fortress, where he knew he could go and be vulnerable, where he would be comfortable to make mistakes and learn, where he would be courageous in experimenting, and where he could celebrate the creation of something he was proud of.

“The Forge” is where we found Mike in his niche. “The Forge” is where Mike has developed his craft.

Mike is an old friend, a loved father, and a successful businessman, but in the light of the fire burning inside the gas forger, he is an artist. Mike is a metal craftsman; He forms his art from steel rods and old rusting silver.

As he hammers and shapes metal, he let’s the pieces of material guide the vision for what he’s creating.

Mike says that he doesn’t always have a distinct idea for a piece,

He says,  “I pour a glass of scotch and I go down to ‘The Forge’ and look around.”

He likes to let his materials tell him what to do.
His shop is patina paradise, full of metal odds and ends that us by standards would have no idea what kind of use to put it to.

Mike is in love with aging steel, his eyes sparkle when he explains the texture and color of his ideal piece of ancient material– pitted and rough. He recycles metals into sculptures, furniture, and hardware; objects of depth and use, objects with a story and a history.

The majority of Mike’s tools are hand crafted; as I watched him work there was something so romantic about using a creation to create.

“The Forge” had aged nicely, the walls and dirt floor looked worn, but loved. As I stood analyzing Mike’s process, I got caught up in the mood of it all. The sounds of raging fire in the gas forger was organic and attractive in combination with the clings of steel on steel, being repeatedly hammered and formed into something new and original.

As Nathan adjusted his hasselblad camera according to light and composition, it was like jumping back and forth from past to present… Nathan’s craft complementing Mike’s craft. I felt oddly nostalgic, aching for the age when film cameras and innovative black smith work wasn’t as minoritized.

Mike pulled a red-hot steel rod out of the gas forger and quickly went to work on it. Racing against the time it took for the rod to cool…Heating, and shaping, reheating, and reshaping; creating. As he formed and twisted the rod, he held it up in front of him and said, “ I don’t know what it’s going to be yet.” He squinted into the tank of fire waiting for his utensil to be ready to rework. After texturizing the piece of steel with a meat tenderizer, he realized he created an object that was beautiful, he said, “This will become a piece of a something, of which I’m not sure yet.”

The excitement he received from creating a new object empowered and fomented him, inspiring him to continue.

There’s a unique sense of appreciation and fulfillment for such a bodily method of handiwork. Creation through a physical process provides an irreplaceable feeling.

Mike had a poster up on the wall that he had tailored to his liking; there he had written a handful of words on the surface of the paper that defined his motivation and sincerity. I read, “IDEAS + ENERGY = REAL WEALTH”

Mike works as a designer in an advertisement agency; Mike is a huntsman, a carpenter, a fisherman, and a blacksmith; through all of these things, Mike is an artist.

Photos by: Nathan Stracke, taken with a Hasselblad 500 c/m. 

Loving Local | Eleanor Taylor

Upon walking into Eleanor’s home there is a definite sense of welcome and warmth. Her house that’s shared with two other girls is full of greens that reflect the sun’s bright rays. The wind is blowing through the open windows and doors as Eleanor ushers me into the kitchen where she is finishing the final preparations of composing the icing for the most delicious-looking carrot cake.

Eleanor is a nineteen-year-old Baker at local, Tea Bar & Bites in Springfield, Missouri. The café is stationed on one of the most charming streets in our hometown. The street is decorated with early twentieth-century homes and old-time charisma, with a neighborhood grocery store filled with local produce and organic goods. Not far from Tea Bar & Bites, houses a tiny patisserie with the most delectable treats. All of these things create a certain irreplaceable experience to be had on Pickwick Street. You can find Eleanor waiting on diners outside in the tabled courtyard at Tea Bar & Bites. Her smile radiates a love for what she does; you can tell Eleanor feels at home.

Eleanor has been working and baking in Tea Bar & Bite’s kitchen for the past four years. When Eleanor was fifteen she brought her well-known sugar cookies into the bakery and café to meet the owner and present and prove her worth as a potential staff member at the local eatery. Of course, she was hired on, with only little experience, but a fire burning in her heart to learn and grow. She worked under another baker at the café for some time, while learning much from her grandmother, and experimenting on her friends, she developed quickly. Sugar cookies upon sugar cookies were baked and now Eleanor finds herself inventing creative and original treats and filling wedding and party orders with breeze.

I find myself drooling over Eleanor’s impeccable talent, quite literally! I’ve enjoyed following her work on Instagram and visiting Tea Bar & Bites to sample her tasty treats as often as I can. I must say this Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting and caramel drizzle was by far the best Carrot Cake I’ve experienced, and even quite possibly the best cake I’ve ever tasted. If you’re local or ever in the humble town of Springfield, Missouri drop by Tea Bar & Bites Bakery & Café to familiarize your taste buds with Eleanor’s handiwork. You won’t be disappointed, this girl’s worth following.

Eleanor's Instagram | Tea Bar & Bites Bakery & Cafe

Introducing Alexa Brooke Smothers

Friends, I am so excited to present to you the first collaboration and feature here on Floral Mountains. I want to introduce to you my dear and beautiful friend, Alexa Brooke Smothers of Horizon and Form. Alexa will be visiting my blog once every couple of months to show you how to highlight your natural aesthetic through the beauty industry.

I met Alexa via internet about a year ago. I was immediately drawn to her sense of creativity that she portrayed through her style and appearance. I then set up an appointment with her at the salon she worked at in Springfield for a small cut and conversation. To say the least, we hit it off. We chatted about blogging, style, personal creative goals, photography, and music. This lady was definitely my type. From there on out we kept in touch through social networking… I started blogging and not long after Alexa began her personal blog, Horizon and Form.

Thereafter, we decided to work together. I can’t wait for you all to discover her talents while revealing a little something about yourself along the way. I want you all to get to know Alexa, so here are a few Questions I thought would help us identify and relate with her.

Q : What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

A: For as long as I can remember it has been filled with lipstick and hairspray. Among the cosmetology side of life, I love capturing the world around me behind a camera; sometimes I like to be in front of it. I love creating things that make the every day prettier, whether it’s planting a cactus to put on a shelf, or putting an outfit or shoot together.

When I'm not creating, you can find me with an xbox controller in my hand and snuggled by my husband to be, or out nurturing my shopping addiction with thrifting.

Q: Explain what you do professionally.

A: I've been a professional cosmetologist since the beginning of 2012 and an aspiring photographer for years before.  Loving everything about the industry, it’s hard to pick just one outlet. I tend to lean toward makeup artistry, however, I would love to eventually be able to have a business, where hair makeup and photography are a one stop shop.

Q: How long have you been practicing hair and makeup?

A: Practicing hair and makeup was never foreign to me. Home-schooled until high school and having an aunt and grandmother with a salon, I basically grew up in it, which definitely spawned and inspired my love for all things fashion. Even as a slight tom boy, growing up in the middle of nowhere, I would braid my hair to go climb a tree, because that was the "look" for tree climbing. Yeah, I did that.

I got my first camera as a gift at the age of 14, and shortly after that I began doing my friends hair and makeup for prom, senior pictures or we would create a shoot just for fun. Because of my love for it, the career kind of found me.

Q: What makes you passionate about hair and makeup?

A: I am so passionate about what I do because I love the look on someone’s face, when you can tell you have brightened their day. In a world that pushes products upon products and edited beyond belief photos on our society, I love being able to show someone that they are beautiful with what they were given.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: I would describe my style as eclectic minimalist. I love unique pieces, but don't like to over do it. This is the same with my hair and make-up. A bold lip or an overly curly mop is right up my alley, but its all about balance.

My comfort outfit is a high waist pant with a crop top and bold shoe, or a funky dress and hat and always, always a cat eye. 

Q: Tell us about your career currently and your dreams for the future.

A: Currently, I am trying to find a salon job as I just moved to Nashville a few weeks ago! I plan on being behind the chair, along with freelance makeup and photography until I eventually can do it all self-employed.

Readers, look forward to hearing more from Miss Alexa. In the mean time, visit her blog, Horizon and Form to be inspired.

Truly // Sarah