In 2022, while shopping for a wedding gown in the Dallas metroplex, Dayana Mikhaylova and her mother Liana Mikhaylova—both Bulgaria natives—found themselves frustrated with the selection at local boutiques. Because of their European roots, they were searching for dresses made by European designers but weren’t willing to spend $10K for a wedding gown. Dayana Mikhaylova ended up ordering her custom-made dress from Europe and paid a price she was comfortable with.

In January 2025, the mother-daughter entrepreneurs opened Only You Bridal in Colleyville, not only to fill the void of European-designed wedding gowns featuring prices starting at $1,000, but to fuel what they describe as their “passion for fashion.”

The details: Dayana Mikhaylova and Liana Mikhaylova both make inventory decisions based on three criteria:

• The dresses are made in Europe

• The designer and designer team offer custom sizing

• The designer is willing to do customizations

“We want to be able to continue offering the full experience for everybody and help her find that dream dress or help her create it if it doesn't yet exist,” Dayana Mikhaylova said.

What’s changed: Grapevine bookstore, Talking Animals Books, has renovated the upstairs at its original location into an enchanted forest themed lounge for kids and parents.

The new upstairs features a large painted forest mural along with fake trees and grass. The area is also decorated with vines and fairy lights, and includes a playhouse, seating areas and toys and games.

The setup: Katy Lemieux and Valerie Walizadeh first opened their independent bookstore in 2023, with the upstairs always meant to be a place for families. This dream wasn’t able to be fully realized until they opened a second location and converted the original store to be fully for kids in late June.

Now the original 103 W. Worth St. location is a dedicated children’s bookstore with one shelf for adults and the newer 909 S. Main St. location offers a wider selection of books and a coffee bar.

• 103 W. Worth St., Grapevine

The 40th Annual GrapeFest was held along Main Street in downtown Grapevine Sept. 17-20.

The event included several live music performances, carnival games, wine experiences and goods from local vendors.

The details: For GrapeFest, the city closed off Main Street between Northwest Highway and Dallas Road. The four-day event included activities such as the GrapeStomp, where two-person teams compete to create the most juice from stomping around 18 pounds of grapes in two minutes.

Annually, GrapeFest hosts the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic, with 10 winners announced Sept. 21.

Looking ahead: The 41st Annual GrapeFest will be held Sept. 16-19, 2027, according to the city’s website.

A senior housing development will be constructed along US 380 and Plano East High School is under renovation. Check out some of the latest construction filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

1. Lake Forest Senior Living in McKinney

A 222-unit senior living development will be constructed in McKinney, per a TDLR filing. The project will include three apartment buildings, with one building to have a clubhouse. The site is also planned to have four garage buildings. McKinney City Council approved a zoning request for the project at a meeting May 19, per previous reporting.

• Location: 4656 W. University Drive, McKinney

• Estimated timeline: March 1, 2027-Nov. 1, 2028

• Estimated cost: $63 million

2. Plano East Senior High School renovations

Two new 15,000 square-foot corridors will be under construction for Plano East Senior High School to connect renovated areas with the rest of the school, per a TDLR filing. The school received renovations funded by Plano ISD’s 2022 bond, according to previous reporting, which included two new gyms and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and restroom repairs.

• Location: 3000 Los Rios Blvd., Plano

• Estimated timeline: March 1, 2027-Jan. 1, 2028

• Estimated cost: $14.5 million

To cast votes for a U.S. senator, governor, state attorney general and dozens of other races during the Nov. 3 midterm election, Texans must ensure they are registered to vote or have submitted an application by Oct. 5.

How it works: To be eligible to register to vote, an individual must:

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Reside in the county they apply to vote in

• Be at least 18 years old by Election Day

• Not have been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court

Getting registered: Eligible Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Oct. 5. The online form must be printed, signed and mailed to the applicant's local elections office.

One more thing: Voters who are already registered have through Oct. 5 to update their name or address, if needed.

Some voters may appear on the state "suspense" list if local officials cannot confirm their address, although they will still be able to vote in the election.

More information: Learn more about federal, state and local races at communityimpact.com/election.