Retail updates for Leawood’s Park Place

The locally owned Hand + Land — handmade, natural and organic products for the body, home and health — plans to open in Leawood’s Park Place by early summer.

Partner Jessica Moler was moving back to the area after six years in Germany and Australia, and was discussing career options with her cousin Nicole Lobdell. Both women wanted to work for themselves and considered opening a restaurant or cafe.

But the cousins were passionate about natural products, even making their own deodorant and salve, and saw a need for a metro store offering similar products.

Hand + Land will offer goods from small-batch vendors across the country, products that “promote holistic health, support our environment, heal our bodies all while using minimal ingredients without synthetic fragrances or harmful additives,” they said.

Vendors will include Marble & Milkweed (botanical skin and body care), LuckyPalmTree (organic baby clothes and accessories), Arbor cutting boards, and Juniper Ridge (men's crafted fragrances and soaps). It also will carry wallets, leather clutches, and handbags by locally owned EB Leatherworks.

“I think a lot of people are on the organic food movement but need to also be on the organic skin care and organic home products movement,” Moler said.

Hand + Land also will avoid unnecessary packaging by focusing on items that are recyclable, compostable or reusable. It is taking a 400-square-foot space at 11527 Ash St., current home of Flowers by Emily.

▪ Flowers by Emily is relocating in Park Place and expanding its offerings.

Its new 800-square-foot location, at 5230 W. 116^th Place, will offer customized floral arrangements, as well as gift merchandise including vases, Voluspa candles, Lafco New York candles and soaps, Aden + Anais baby gifts, Hammond's Candies, greeting cards, and garden seeds. It plans to remain open at its current location at 11527 Ash St. until opening in the new location in mid-May.

Emily Fyten started doing floral arrangements for weddings out of her Overland Park home in 2005 and opened her first floral shop in Leawood 2007. She relocated to Park Place in 2010. She owns Flowers by Emily with her father, Stephen Glasscock.

This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Retail updates for Leawood’s Park Place."