Argyle Party and Gifts’ owner Emily Holt curates a selection of gifts and apparel from local businesses with the intention of stocking her shop with unique items shoppers won’t find anywhere else, she said.

The overview: Holt started a cookie business in October 2016, where she sold custom-made sugar cookies using a long-time family recipe. She opened her retail shop in September 2022 and continues to sell her cookies along with custom cupcakes and cookie cakes.

She uses her background in corporate retail buying to select items people want to purchase every season, including floral arrangements, Argyle ISD spirit wear and apparel.

“It’s the way all my businesses ebb and flow together that make [this shop] successful,” Holt said.

What’s special about it? Holt seeks to bring the community together through a monthly farmers market where people can buy locally grown produce in a 100-mile radius around Argyle.

Silver Sea Sushi now offers a variety of Japanese dishes in Flower Mound.

What they offer: The restaurant has several nigiri options, sashimi and hand-rolled sushi, according to a restaurant representative.

They also have bowls like the seared salmon ikura, which includes salmon, fish eggs and oshinko, or pickled vegetables, over sushi rice. Other options include its wagyu gyoza and miso black cod.

Also of note: Silver Sea Sushi is owned by Pang Bamrungsin, a former chef for the Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant in Chicago, Nobu. It is the sister concept to Bleu Bear Sushi in Bedford, per previous reporting.

Stay informed on five road projects happening around Dallas-Fort Worth. 

1. Traffic signals along Bloomdale Road 
Project: Two traffic lights will be constructed on Bloomsdale Road at the intersections of Hardin Boulevard and Community Avenue.
Update: The city of McKinney approved a contract with traffic engineering firm Lee Engineering during a March 17 meeting for preliminary engineering and final design services for the traffic signals. 

• Timeline: TBD
• Cost: $122,337
• Funding source: city of McKinney

• Timeline: Work will take 10 months to complete.
• Cost: $1.8 million
• Funding sources: federal sources, city of Plano

On March 31, Texas’ roughly 9,000 licensed consumable hemp retailers will face sweeping regulations, including a more than 3,000% increase in annual licensing fees and a ban on most smokable cannabis products.

The overview: The new rules, which also include age verification requirements, stricter packaging guidelines and more rounds of product testing, were originally proposed in December. The Texas Department of State Health Services, which regulates the state’s hemp industry, adopted the rules March 2.

The debate: Supporters of the increased regulations previously said they hoped the changes would result in more comprehensive oversight of Texas’ hemp industry and improve consumer safety. 

Some experts said they were concerned the new rules were taking effect too quickly and could lead some hemp businesses to close their doors.

"It is really tragic that these entrepreneurs are being faced with this, especially in a state like Texas that touts being pro-business ... and here we are shutting down businesses and relegating consumers to an illicit market," said Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center.