For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to stories — especially the kind that unfold in small towns.
The kind you overhear in a café line, or catch at the end of a conversation outside the post office. Stories about hard work, hope, and hometown pride. The kind of stories that don’t always make headlines, but always make a difference.
After several years of helping others tell their stories through April Pire Marketing, I realized something was missing. There wasn’t one place where all of those amazing stories — about Hunt County small businesses, makers, and neighbors — could live together.
That thought stuck with me.
From an Idea to a Community
It wasn’t born in a marketing meeting or brainstorm session. The idea for The Local Letter came to me in a moment of quiet — the kind that makes you notice how much you love where you live.
My husband, Troy, and I were tossing around the idea of moving out of state at the time. I started scrolling through listings in different towns, and something struck me: those listings showed homes, but not life. There was no sense of community, no glimpse of the people who made those towns feel like home.
That’s when I knew — I didn’t just want to help people find a place to live. I wanted to help them see why life here matters.
So, I decided to start The Local Letter — a blog dedicated to real stories about the people, businesses, and places that make North Texas special.
From Craft Room to Community
Around the same time, my creative side was finding its own home through The SheShed Gift Shop, where I sell handmade home décor, earrings, and coasters.
What started as a creative outlet grew into a small business, now featured at Hidden Treasure Barn in Royse City and The Water Table in Caddo Mills.
Every handmade piece — whether it’s a pair of earrings or a coaster — carries a little reminder of what the SheShed taught me: joy in the process, meaning in the details, and pride in small beginnings.
That same philosophy runs through The Local Letter.
Why Supporting Local Became a Way of Life
When 2020 hit, everything changed. Like so many others, I watched as small-town businesses — our favorite restaurants, boutiques, and service providers — fought to stay open.
That year lit a fire in me. My husband and I made a personal commitment to support local as often as possible.
We ate at Baker’s Ribs and Si Señor several times a month, ordered our Thanksgiving dinner from Baker’s Ribs, and made only the special family-requested sides that have become our tradition. For Christmas, we ordered tamales — or as Ruth, the owner of Si Señor, lovingly calls them, “Texas Energy Bars.”
Those small habits turned into a lifestyle — and eventually, into the mission behind The Local Letter: to help local businesses be seen, supported, and celebrated.
The Heart of The Local Letter
This isn’t just another blog. It’s a storytelling space that captures what it feels like to live here — the way local owners greet you by name, or how Friday night lights pull the whole town together.
While most stories begin in Hunt County, The Local Letter also celebrates the surrounding communities — from Royse City and Caddo Mills to Farmersville and beyond. Because connection doesn’t stop at county lines.
The Local Connection — Where Stories Come to Life
As the blog began to grow, so did the conversations around it. That’s when The Local Connection Facebook group came to life — a private space where readers, locals, and business owners can gather, share ideas, and connect.
If The Local Letter is the front porch — open, welcoming, and shareable — then The Local Connection is the living room. Cozy, conversational, and filled with community.
Together, they form a space that celebrates life here — through stories, support, and shared pride in our small towns.
A Community Built on Heart
At its core, The Local Letter is about connection. It’s about seeing the people behind the business and remembering that small-town stories matter.
Because when we lift up local, we lift up each other. 💌
