Shopping & Services

Few things draw smiles out of people like a photo booth. It’s closed off, so you’re not worried about looking like a doofus in front of a whole group of people. The Photo Bus has taken this concept, usually seen in malls and boardwalk carnivals, and put wheels on it. The Photo Bus, a creation of the wedding photography company Coburn Photographer, is exactly what it sounds like: a photo booth built into a small Volkswagen van that customers can hire for parties and outdoor gatherings. You climb into the back of the van with your friends and kooky props and pose while professional photographers snap your photos. They can also print them out right in the van or even upload them to Facebook for you if you’re one of the few people left who still haven’t bought scanners. The Photo Bus recently added a new “GIF Booth” feature to the van that allows photographers to take a series of animated shots and fit them into a custom-designed frame or background that you can upload to your social media and play on an endless loop for your followers’ endless amusement.

Readers’ Pick: Premiere Booth

Hey, no one said being outdoors in Texas was enjoyable. Most of the time it’s unbearably hot, and when it’s not, it’s still not exactly pleasant. But some things are just better outside. Like a Fourth of July party. Or a family reunion cookout. Or a pumpkin-carving contest. And when you gather family and friends outside to take part in these events, you need the perfect outdoor decor. That’s where Jacksons Home and Garden comes in. Whether you need an outdoor sofa for your patio, a barbecue grill or a fire pit to make s’mores in the middle of July, Jacksons has everything you could dream of. Along with furniture and cooking utensils for your outdoor events, the store also has plenty of things to make your garden the envy of the block, including the most beautiful pottery to hold your beloved plants. With the right purchases, you’ll soon have your own garden and outdoor sanctuary — even if it is hotter than hell.

The era of the camera store has ended for the most part. Dallas is lucky to have held onto a few stellar shops that serve specialists and the analog market well. One of those institutions is Competitive Cameras. The family-owned store has kept its inventory relevant to the specialty (lenses and bodies for medium- and large-format film cameras) and popular recent offerings for digital recording such as camera gimbals and GoPro equipment. It carries the best brands in photography from Canon to Tamrac. Competitive Cameras outfits some major corporate clients, including Neiman Marcus and The Dallas Morning News, but also is able to assist the novice photographer in setting up his or her first DSLR. The staff is very knowledgeable, almost to the point of being fervent about a shopper’s purchase decisions. Competitive Cameras has been a Dallas staple for 35 years. Here’s to hoping it lasts another 100.

Tucked in an East Dallas strip mall off Peavy Road next to Goodfriend Package is a magical little storefront full of goods screen-printed by artists. Dylan and Pamela Dowdy founded Dowdy Studio in 2008. They started selling their goods in a trailer outfitted for festivals and markets. Their specialty is screen-printed shirts by hand. They also create prints on messenger bags, pillows, framed art, clocks and coasters. Dylan and Pamela contribute artwork ideas and drawings and experiment with various inks on different color fabrics. Their work features whimsical illustrations like an elephant submarine, a skull-shaped Polaroid camera and an ice cream cone built like a sandwich. If you visit the shop, they may custom print a design for you using your T-shirt and ink of choice. They offer T-shirts in sizes 2T to XXL and baby onesies of all sizes.

Sometimes, the smallest accessories in a home draw the most attention. In this case, it’s coasters — geometric cuts of plywood that sit on our tables and stop house guests in their tracks. Gaston Made, a husband-and-wife duo who operate a little wood shop off Gaston Avenue, combines a modern and sleek design aesthetic with precise woodworking. The results are tabletop accessories like the aforementioned coasters, planters, an improbably stylish knife rack, hexagonal shelving and affordable side tables that are a mid-mod enthusiast’s dream come true. Ogle Gaston Made’s angles, edges and impeccable quality at local pop-up markets or in its Etsy shop. Local shoppers can pick up their loot in studio.

If you’ve long maintained a black-thumb status, you probably just haven’t met the right plant. Succulents are what plant killers come to for redemption: If you can handle putting them in good light and watering them when the soil dries out, you can keep them alive despite your shady houseplant past. And if you think you’re ready to commit, Sol and Succulent can get you started. Designer Katy Murray goes next-level with her arrangements, infusing your interior space with growing, breathing greenery that grabs plenty of attention — without taking too much of yours. Find succulents (and the occasional cactus) that mix texture, color and type in handmade concrete pottery, terra cotta earthenware, wooden containers, glass terrariums and other delightful arrangements at local markets and festivals. Murray also accepts custom orders at her website.

Even as Spark of Change die-hards since day one, we’re still amazed by the energy that local stylist Lisa Slusher’s jewelry designs give us. Solo crystals dangle from elegant chains or nestle among charms. But somehow, they’re transfixing. People stop you on the street to ask about them, and when you wear them, you can’t keep your eyes off them. Slusher intended them as a means for wearers to set intentions and to remind themselves throughout the day to find joy, aspire to serenity, banish negativity and elevate energy levels. We find that we can’t help but feel a little spring in our step when we put on Spark of Change pieces, which now include elegant earrings, attention-grabbing rings and mood-lifting bracelets. Shop the good vibes locally at Gypsy Wagon or online with local pickup available.

By “pet store,” we don’t mean a best place to buy pets. For God’s sake, don’t buy pets. Operation Kindness, Dallas’ animal shelter, and tons of adoption events every weekend around the city and at pet supply stores are where people get their furry companions. Once you get the little critter home, though, it’s going to need plenty of pampering. Things to scratch. Toys to chew. Boxes to poop in. And good food, not that ash-filled stuff from your local grocer. Pet Supplies Plus has every accessory Rover or Miss Kitty could desire (or, in the latter case, ignore) and a huge variety of all-natural, age-appropriate foods. Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, Merrick and a ton of other high-quality brands line the shelves, guaranteeing that your best friend is eating healthy while you’re microwaving yourself a frozen burrito. (Healthy pet foods aren’t cheap, but true love demands sacrifices.) Not sure what you need? Pet Supplies has the friendliest staff of any retail establishment of any kind in the city.

Readers’ Pick: Hollywood Feed

When our arthritic pooch came home from a traditional grooming shop unable to walk from being crammed in a crate after her beauty session, we knew we had to find someone who made house calls. Local vets recommended Haute Dog Haircuts, which dispatches an experienced groomer to your home for a curbside glamour session that minimizes anxiety for nervous pups and their owners. Brandee and Shannah are pros. They’ll work with your schedule, treat your baby like royalty in their souped-up groom-mobile and even post fabulously styled snapshots of your best friend on Facebook when they’re done. These women form long-term relationships with you and your pet, which is important when old age makes baths at home a challenge and hinders your buddy’s ability to stand for long periods of time. They make it work with a gentle touch, accommodations where they are needed and probably a fair amount of treats. Scheduling (limited to pets under 35 pounds) can be done online or by phone.

Established in 1990, Condom Sense claims it is the largest and oldest novelty and sex toys store chain in Texas. Its a selection of more than 35,000 products to help liven up your sex life makes it hard to argue. The store has a large collection of massage oils and party supplies to make your bacheloror bachelorette party unforgettable, as well as the latest sex and fetish toys, from anal toys such as beads and balls, plugs and probes to vibrating clamps, whips, ticklers and paddles. The staff is friendly, professional and knowledgeable.

For 47 years, McBride Music and Pawn has been operating in downtown Denton as a family-owned business. A fixture on the square since the late 1960s, it is one of the oldest and best recognized independently owned pawn shops in North Texas. The inventory consists of typical items found at a pawn shop — electronics, gold and diamond jewelry, and guns and knives — but it’s known for its selection of quality guitars, from sunburst Fenders to Gibsons and Martins. A firearms dealer for as long as it’s been swapping guitars, the pawn shop also boasts more firearm loans under its belt than any competitors.

Good hotels might not be hard to come by, but great ones that exceed all your expectations are. Four Seasons is that hotel. It’s kid-friendly, it’s adult-friendly, it’s wedding-friendly and it’s the kind of place you seek out if you just want a nice spa day alone. Four Seasons has dive-in movie nights during the summer, a 7,166-yard golf course, 431 rooms with walk-out balconies and a spa experience that will make you want to forget about all your worries in the world. Seriously, even if you already live in Dallas, Four Seasons offers up to 10 different massages, 12 different facials, several other body treatments, and more. Four Seasons is there for all your relaxation and getaway needs.

Readers’ Pick: The Joule

DFW has exploded with brightly lit, carefully curated record shops in the last three years. Shake Rag isn’t that. It’s been open for 10 years on Live Oak Street in Old East Dallas, and shopping there is more like attending a music nerd’s estate sale than it is visiting a traditional record shop. There are tons of records to choose from at reasonable prices, yes, but there’s also just about any kind of music equipment or memorabilia you can imagine, from amps to guitars, clothes, record players, old concert posters and more. The place is packed to the gills. The owner posted to Facebook that he’s tired of people asking how long he’s been there and commenting on his insane amount of inventory. When last we visited, he said he’s planning to close the shop down in the next year or so. So visit while you can, and keep your eyes peeled for a liquidation sale.

Readers’ Pick: Good Records

Your best friend is knocked up. Scratch that, you are knocked up. What to do? Go shopping. It alleviates the stress of the larger question: What will happen to my life? Answer: It doesn’t matter because you get to design a cute nursery and pick out adorable baby clothes and toys. Baby Bliss in Snider Plaza near SMU has the market cornered on curated baby goods. From eco-friendly bamboo onesies by KicKee Pants and Milkbarn to colorful wooden toys, an expectant mother can expect to feel excited. Baby Bliss has smaller items like faux ice-cream cone teethers and the more expensive but practical must-haves like UPPAbaby and Bugaboo strollers and stylish nursery furniture and decor. Give your friend the cheeriest nursery pillow to get her through the tired hours of early infancy. The best part of Baby Bliss? Sister store miniMe for toddlers and tweens is connected to give you older-kid options when you get past babydom.

So you finally did it: ditched your car and become a bike commuter. We’re proud of you (but unless your workplace provides showers, we probably wouldn’t want to get a whiff of you). Then the totally expected happens: a derailleur gets out of adjustment, a wheel out of true or, Dallas streets being what they are, you break a spoke or a rim. You can hop a DART bus if it has a carrier and bring your machine to a local repair shop, but you might as well buy a bus pass, cause you’re going to be waiting awhile to get your ride back. Or you can go online and book a visit from VeloFix, a new mobile bike service that brings the repairman to your home or workplace, getting you back in the saddle often in the time it takes you to have lunch. VeloFix Dallas is part of a new national franchise operation. It offers a complete range of services, from replacing chains and tires, to basic tuneups and complete overhauls.

Nothing about moving is pleasant. Sure, if you’ve got bucks, you can hire packers to load your stuff, deliver and unload it, and haul away the empty boxes. If you’re like most people, the process begins with that sad, humiliating hunt for cheap boxes — begging friends on Facebook, furtive dumpster diving for retail stores’ discards. We’re here to tell you there’s a better way. It’s called Bungobox. For less than the price of buying new cardboard boxes and without the hassle of wrestling with packing tape, it’ll rent you a wide selection of sturdy, easy closing, plastic moving crates. And it’ll deliver the boxes to your old home and pick them up at the new one. (Within a limited area, of course. We’re talking local moves here, not Seattle.) Bungobox has various packages; prices vary depending on how much stuff you need to haul. The base rate for a one-bedroom apartment move is $56 for a week. That gets you 23 regular-size crates, two extra large, a wheeled cart to move them and 25 labels. Prices go up for larger packages, but discounts are available for multiweek rentals, and wardrobes and other packing supplies are available. It doesn’t make moving a pleasure, but it certainly beats rummaging through the trash.

As catchy names go, Eye Doctor’s Office & Eye Gallery isn’t going to win any marketing awards. But as some dude once wrote, what’s in a name? What’s inside the plain-looking Preston Center shop is Dr. Bob Consor and his skilled staff, who’ll take the time to give you the most thorough, high-tech, informative eye exam possible. (Did you know that exposure to UV light can cause tiny scars on the whites of your eyes? We didn’t until we got an exam here.) Once you get your prescription — double checked by machine and human — it’s time to go to the front of the shop, where you can choose from a complete range of affordable to high-end designer eyewear. The office will handle the insurance filing for you, it they offers gift cards to cover a big chunk of the cost of a pair of backup glasses or sunglasses. How good is it? Some fool we know very well bought a pair there, asking for something tough because he’s rough on glasses. Exactly one week later, he sat on his titanium-framed beauties and snapped them. A quick stop by the shop, an embarrassing explanation and 30 minutes later, he walked out with an identical pair, gratis. Yeah, so what’s in a name?

Readers’ Pick: Warby Parker

For the longest time, Weir’s has been on the lists of our readers’ nominees for best furniture store, and we just didn’t get it. We went in there a few times years back, and the collection always struck us as — how do we put it? — Southwest McMansionesque. Overstuffed, heavy wood, busy fabric patterns and leather that would look perfect in an upper-middle-class living room in a 4,000-square-foot manse in Grapevine. But times change, and so has the neighborhood around Knox-Henderson. So when one of our staff moved into a townhouse north of Uptown last year, he stopped by Weir’s and found a surprise. Clean, modern designs. Nothing Euro-odd, but more akin to Crate and Barrel than stuff fit for a room with a deer’s head on the wall (at prices way below Crate and Barrel’s and quality far beyond Ikea’s). Like we said, times change, and if you’re contemplating joining the great migration to Uptown, you could do much worse than stop by Weir’s to fill your new digs.

Readers’ Pick: Nebraska Furniture Mart

For something that evidence suggests can help people stop smoking, vaping gets a bad rap. That stems, we think, partly from the Wild West days of unregulated vaping, which pretty much allowed anyone with a garage and an internet connection to order gallons of propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin and toss whatever flavorings and nicotine in it they wanted. Those days are coming to an end, thanks to a new set of FDA regulations that may one day be enforced. Artisan Vapor Co. is already ahead of the curve. With more than 30 locations in DFW, it offers more than 160 flavors of vaping liquids from Artisan and other manufacturers, all made in certified labs that meet FDA standards. The Lemmon Avenue location has a comfy, well-appointed bar with couches and chairs and a full range of quality gear that comes with a 30-day return policy if defective. It even offers a $10 annual membership that gives customers unlimited samples, free basic maintenance on their vaporizers and access to members-only sales. It’ll even coach customers on how to step down on their nicotine doses if they’re trying to kick the habit altogether.

Readers’ Pick: DFW Vapor

For nearly 15 years, Frank Rico has occupied a tiny niche in the Hillside Village Shopping Center. Well, that is, Rico and a rotating roster of pairs of beloved shoes and bags waiting for pickup by their owners. Behind and next to the mirrored front counter, above and below the shelves, sandals, boots, heels and dress shoes sit shined, resoled, their scuffed toes smoothed, their scraped heels mended. A rack of hand-healed bags stands sentry. Steadily throughout each day of Rico’s six-day workweek, customers bring in their favorite shoes to have new life breathed back into them by his skilled hands. The shoe service is a family business, so Rico’s son, daughter and wife are familiar faces to regular customers (something that brings a smile to his face when he mentions it), but that’s a distinct contrast to what he sees every day: “Nothing is ever the same,” he says, describing his work. “Every [shoe] problem and everything I see is special and different.” It’s this excitement for his discoveries and problem solving that undoubtedly helps him turn around many of his clients’ items on the same day. If it’s badly needed, he does his best to get it done.

While the Dallas of tomorrow may be crashing toward an all-digital internet of things, luckily there will remain holdouts to remind us of the power and beauty of old-school analog craftsmanship. Count Sean Starr and his wife, Kayleigh, among them. Their Starr Studios in Denton specializes in hand-painted and gold-leafed signs, each a unique and carefully crafted work that only human minds and hands can create — at least for now. You may have seen the couple’s work on the cover of the Toadies album Heretics, for Shinola Detroit, for Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. or on the bright red and gold old-style storefront at J. Hall & Co. Gentleman Tattooers, 1709 Lamar St. “Sign painters” understates what the Starrs do. They are artists, and as proof of that. they recently opened a gallery to show their work, as well as curated shows by other artists, in the Design District.

Bike sharing first came to Dallas at Fair Park in 2014 under the city’s cunning plan to encourage more cycling by putting its first bike-share racks in a place few people go and allowing them to rent a bike and ride … well, nowhere, basically, before heading back to the fixed racks. “Dallas Unveils World’s Saddest Bike Sharing Program” was the headline on our story announcing the program. Garland-based company VBikes took a slightly different tactic — call it “the not stupid one” — this summer when it opened its bike-sharing system in Dallas. First, it put their bikes where people are — in Klyde Warren Park, for instance. Second, it uses an app-based system that lets users wave their phones over a bike’s smart lock, ride it wherever they want and leave it there. Lastly, VBikes priced it right. While the city charged $5 for the first 30 minutes and $2.50 per hour after for the privilege of riding in circles around Fair Park, VBikes are $1 an hour with a limit of 10 hours per day. The bikes are GPS equipped, and the company’s goal is to eventually have enough bikes in the city so you’re never more than a half-mile from one, meaning you won’t necessarily ride somewhere and get stranded because someone used your bike while you stopped off to shop or drink. Imagine that: a bike sharing system in Dallas that turns bikes into a usable mode of transportation. Wonder if the guys behind the company would be interested in managing other services in Dallas, like City Hall.

Imagine a grocery store that offers name brands at prices cheaper than Walmart while also being fair to its employees. This is not a dream, shoppers; this is an actual place you can visit 24 hours a day. It is Winco, where you can fill a cart to the brim with produce, bulk foods, fresh baked goods, meat, beer and anything else that’s on a typical shopping list, and walk out with a receipt for less than $200 without using any kind of rewards card. (It doesn’t have them.) The employee-owned, Idaho-based grocery chain has opened nine locations in North Texas since 2015. The most convenient one to Dallas is just across LBJ Freeway in Garland. The chain cuts costs by asking you to bag your own groceries (bags provided), and it doesn’t accept credit cards, only debit. But unlike Aldi, there are lots of options, the quality of the merchandise is indistinguishable from more expensive stores, and Winco even carries some organic brands.

After failing to make the playoffs in the 2016-17 season, the Stars reloaded in earnest. Dallas’ hockey club brought back coach Ken Hitchcock, who led the team to its only Stanley Cup championship in 1999, traded for goaltender Ben Bishop and signed him to long-term extension, and signed Russian play-making forward Alexander Radulov to a five-year contract. Mix in the acquisition of defender Marc Methot, who should help shore up the team’s balky back line, and the Stars have the look of a team that could be among the best in the Western Conference, as it was in 2015-16. The future looks bright, too. Because they missed the playoffs, the Stars landed the third pick in the 2017 NHL draft, picking Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Heiskanen is expected to play in Europe for at least one more season, but he is the kind of smooth-skating, puck-handling defenseman teams dream about.

Top Golf and other bars that double as driving ranges are fine. They are places to have fun. But golfers aren’t looking for fun. They are looking for practice, damn it, and to become better at an unforgiving and endlessly challenging sport. That means grass tees, a good putting green and reasonable rates to burn through bucket after bucket of practice balls. The Range at Tenison has 41 practice stations and seven target greens in a tree-adorned setting. And the cafe sells beer if you’re into that kind of thing.

Readers’ Pick Topgolf

Whether the stars of Real Housewives of Dallas are eating and drinking at Lounge 31, picking up a Celine bag or buying a dress at Alice + Olivia, your best shot at spotting one in the wild is at Highland Park Village. Real Housewives and expensive clothes, bags and shoes go together like beans and cornbread. They need the best outfits and accessories before heading to a fancy gala or charity event, and there’s no better place in town to grab something high end and showstopping than the little village in Dallas’ Beverly Hills. Take a tour through Highland Park Village and let us know if you can spot the wealthiest of Housewives.

For many of us, a nail maintenance routine is one of the few times each month that we pause and allow ourselves a little glamour, blissfully alone. What better way to enhance that experience than to combine it with another of the world’s most relaxing, indulgent hobbies: drinking. At most nail salons, you can get a glass of franzia or André Brut, but at DFW Nail Bar, a liquor license means you can order an old fashioned or a vodka tonic at a 15-foot-long bar. Drinks are complimentary, up to two per person, and once you’re good and blitzed, you can warble out a few tunes in the salon’s karaoke room. Owner Jennifer Tran has been in the nail business for 25 years and says she came up with the unusual concept through her world travels. The 5,000-square-foot spa opened in Denton last year. There are more than 500 polishes to choose from, plus six facial and massage rooms where you can be rubbed down with all-organic products. Stop by for happy hour discounts from noon to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

Readers’ Pick: Hollywood Nails & Spa

Follicular euphoria is the main side effect of getting your hair done at Pura Vida Salon. “To me as an artist, a head of hair is a canvass,” owner James DeFrange tells the Observer. DeFrange says many clients used to say to him, “I want this, but I don’t know how to say it in your terms.” That was the birth of the salon’s unique consultation process. Before an appointment, each new client sits down with a stylist, who goes over a host of pre-chop/hair painting questions. Our favorite: “In one word, what do you want to hair to look like?” The stylists are meticulous, and it shows in their work. Despite its opulent surroundings (following a move from Knox-Henderson to new location in Uptown last year), Pura Vida is UINO — Uptown in Name Only. Devoid of any pretense, the prices are reasonable, and DeFrange and his team are prone to bursting into song while clutching scissors, as was the case during a recent visit when Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” came on.

Readers’ Pick: Vertigo 12 Hair Lounge

Don’t try to deny it. We’ve seen you hauling ass down the Tollway, one hand on the wheel, the other holding a mascara brush, attention focused on yourself in the rear-view mirror. Make a stop by The Lash Lounge in Preston Forest Village. There, the friendly, professional staff will carefully glue on natural-looking, long-wearing eyelashes. Lie back on a comfy table, close your eyes and let the trained aestheticians give you the battable eyes you desire, one skillfully placed lash at a time. It’s not cheap — around $300 for your first visit — but there are discounts for regular customers, and you can come back for lower-cost fill-in treatments to keep those lashes thick and full, and the rest of us from dying in a fiery wreck for the sake of beauty.

The word vintage has become synonymous with expensive, but at Vagabond on Riverfront Boulevard, you can still get a great deal on nostalgia. This store carries everything from accessories to dresses, T-shirts and winter coats — and it doesn’t price the merchandise very carefully because the emphasis is on moving a huge quantity of goods. Everything costs $5 to $15, so if you’re willing to spend an hour or two sifting, you’re guaranteed to walk away with some finds that would cost quadruple the price elsewhere. You’ll be left in peace to do it, too, since even on a Saturday morning the store is usually empty, save for a single employee and the occasional college student who goes in looking for a costume for that evening’s party. On a recent trip, we came away with seven ’60s sundresses for less than $100.

Readers’ Pick: Dolly Python

From the moment you step into the wide world of florescent-lit knick-knacks, electronics, clothing, kitchenware and other whatnots, you’ll know Garland Road Thrift is the best place to spend an hour or two on a Saturday afternoon. This East Dallas thrift haven is equal parts dingy and charming with less-than-cheap additions to any movie, Hawaiian T-shirt or tacky holiday glassware collection available. Perhaps the store’s best quality, though, is its selection of former grandma pantsuits that explore every color of the rainbow and can be easily transformed into chic, Instagram-worthy blazers for mere pennies on the dollar compared with retailers. But if neon-coated shoulder pads aren’t your thing, keep looking. That perfect hat, pair of shoes, children’s toy or couch is just around the corner.

Whether you want to expand your creative horizons with multimedia workshops or need a specialty pair of scissors to slice through the outline of your paper art, Oil and Cotton has you covered. This adorable collective offers supplies you didn’t know you needed. From its collection of stationery almost too cute to write on to kaleidoscopic bullet journals to super fancy pens and pencils, this Oak Cliff favorite is sure to exceed your expectations. Get involved in any number of artistic adventures with workshops such as how to take the perfect Polaroid, watercoloring, printmaking and calligraphy. Kids’ classes are available, too, with plenty of caffeine and booze for you only a minute’s walk away.

From apparel to home decor to endless other novelties, Jade and Clover offers local, handmade and eco-friendly products perfect for when you forget about that birthday party in a couple of hours. Jade and Clover is in the heart of Deep Ellum, and its whimsical and eccentric aesthetic matches its shelves of scented candles, succulents, flamingo-shaped neon lights, unicorn-themed anything, jewelry and many other universally loved commodities. Don’t know the gift’s recipient that well? Don’t worry — the shop offers gift cards that are also redeemable for any of its various art workshops.

Lucky Dog Books offers vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs, VHS tapes, DVDs, old Playboy magazines and more. But we think its collection of rare and unique used books, such as zines, comic books, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, cookbooks, biographies, novels and nonfiction long-form stories are what make this place special. Even more special is its running selection of free books and other various media. Get dust on your fingers with the shop’s wall-to-wall shelves of secondhand books and find classics from Jack Kerouac and Robert E. Howard to self-help books to get you through that life crisis. Lucky Dog gets away with prices higher than usual for secondhand because of its tremendous stock of hard-to-find books. Considering the immense collection, it’s adisable to ask the clerk if you can’t find a specific title. Chances are it’s tucked away somewhere.

A good apartment complex in a good neighborhood with an affordable price can be hard to come by. Luckily, Avana West Lemmon, near Uptown and Highland Park, fits all the categories. Not only is it a fairly large apartment complex with a swimming pool and gym, but it offers a community for its residents with regular get-togethers, events, and an online portal for residents to communicate with neighbors, sell items or offer advice on things to do. It sits on top of Highland Park Emergency Room and is a few blocks from the Ivy Tavern, making it a great place to be if you need a quick doctor’s visit or a drink.

Readers’ Pick: The Village

There are few stores that offer a better shopping experience than Nordstrom. Whether you’re in NorthPark, the Galleria, Stonebriar or any other location, you will be treated like royalty at Nordstrom. Not only are the employees quick to offer advice on what clothes or shoes to buy, but returning something couldn’t be easier. It doesn’t matter if you bought it online, in store or months ago, Nordstrom takes back anything. And with its new curbside service, you can order something online during work, stop by your favorite Nordstrom and text the service bar that you would like your order at your car, and then you’re off. You never have to step foot in a store and deal with other shoppers looking at the same shirt as you. Yes, shopping just got lazier — and thus better.

NorthPark feels like two malls in one. One half, the original part, is full of high-end stores like Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus and Tiffany. The other side has a food court with fast-food restaurants and more affordable stores, including Macy’s, H&M, and Zara. NorthPark has always been a staple in Dallas shopping, and with the extension that happened a few years ago, it has become one of the best places to shop in the area. The best part of NorthPark — and something that will always separate it from other malls — is the lack of vendors selling cellphone cases in the middle of the walkways.

This jewelry shop in Snider Plaza has plenty of options for the fashionable person in your life. Whether you are looking for earrings or a customized necklace with your initials, Gemma Collection is the perfect place to buy gold-plated or sterling silver jewelry. Stroll through during the holiday shopping season and you’ll see dozens of Highland Park moms buying earrings for every female in their lives. Go during the school year and you’ll run into SMU sorority sisters buying necklaces with their letters on them. And take a look during the summertime and you’ll be amazed at how many men are looking for a simple bracelet to show their wives they still care.

If you have time to wash away your worries, then King Spa is your spot. This Korean spa is always open, and it’s a culturally unique experience. In addition to the expected saunas and massages, King Spa also offers a theater, Wi-Fi lounge, water park with a bar inside the pool and children’s play room. The food court offers Korean cuisines, fried chicken and smoothies. King Spa is as campy as Pee Wee’s Playhouse. Although it’s a Korean bathhouse, there are sphinxes protecting a gold pyramid sauna, the female and male bathhouses have ceiling art of the birth of Venus, and the lounge furniture looks like something out of the Rococo period. This is what makes King Spa an unforgettable experience. It’s bizarre in appearance yet still delivers everything wanted out of a spa and water park. You could go with the intention of losing weight by bouncing between the fire sudatorium and ice room, or for weekend drinks with friends in the massage pool or to practice yoga in the salt room. The reasons are endless. To find the best deals, King Spa’s website; the experience could cost you as little as $24.

Readers’ Pick: The Spa at the Joule

Trying on a pair of blue jeans is not for the weak. With hundreds of different styles and fits — hell, when did wearing your mom’s pants become cool? — it’s no wonder you need a beer to get through it. Head to Blues Jean Bar in Snider Plaza from 4 to 6 p.m. Fridays and enjoy a refreshing beer while you try on jeans until you find the perfect pair. Tell the nice associate behind the bar what kind of style, fit and look you’re going for, and watch him or her pull out enough pairs until you find one worth buying.

Wanna get outside and still shop? Maybe have a margarita when you get tired of all that outdoor shopping? We thought so. West Village off McKinney Avenue is where you need to be if you are looking to shop and soak up some vitamin D. There’s a Kendra Scott store for your dangly earring needs, a Mi Cocina with outdoor seating for your enchilada and margarita needs, and The Magnolia for your indie movie and air-conditioning needs. Get outdoors. Get healthy. Sweat some.

If you want to look chic while sweating your ass off — and we know you do — then your best option for athletic clothing is Lululemon. We all know working out is a chore, but if you feel great and presentable while doing it, you might have a little bit of extra motivation. There are yoga pants (also great for wearing while not working out), tennis skirts (also great for running errands), tailored jackets (OK, these are also great for when you’re not working out) and plenty more. Now that we say all this, we realize Lululemon has great clothing for women and men, and not just for the gym. Want your ass to look tight and toned while picking up your morning coffee? Exactly.

3201 Knox St., and other locations, 214-443-0438, shop.lululemon.com

It’s the OG department store to end all department stores. If you want to feel like a high-class shopper who buys makeup from gorgeous women with white hair, it’s always Neiman Marcus. If you want to splurge on a nice satin tie for the man in your life, it’s always Neiman Marcus. If you want to look and feel trendy with a nice off-the-shoulder Alice + Olivia top, it’s always Neiman Marcus. If you want to stop mid-shopping for a nice chicken salad sandwich and a slice of carrot cake, it’s always The Mermaid Bar inside Neiman Marcus. There’s no better department store to shop than the 110-year-old Dallas staple. Long live Neiman Marcus.

They say to never grocery shop while hungry, but there is no such rule about grocery shopping while tipsy. Honestly, grocery shopping while drinking is probably the only way to do it. Otherwise, you’ll never be self-indulgent enough to buy that pack of Double Stuf Oreos. This is why Royal Blue Grocery in Highland Park Village is the very best place to sip and shop. In fact, if a glass of rosé isn’t enough, have a doughnut along with it. Or a cinnamon roll. And if you just can’t wait to get home and make yourself a sandwich, go ahead and order a Reuben. You deserve it for getting out of the house and not just Postmating your groceries.

Shopping for a friend or in-law who has everything is why everyone hates the holidays. Or birthdays. Or shopping in general. But Madison 214 makes shopping for gifts easier. What do you get the mother-in-law who hates everything? Might we suggest a pink flamingo candle from Madison 214? And what do you get the bachelor whose bachelor pad couldn’t get any cooler? How about an agate coaster set from Madison 214? And if you want to stand out at the next baby shower you attend, think about heading to Madison 214 for a nice, big stuffed kangaroo rocker. Never give a lame Starbucks gift card again because Madison 214 has every unique gift you could and could not think of. You’ll be everyone’s favorite gift giver from now on.

Readers’ Pick: The Gypsy Wagon

Everything is better with a personalized touch. Koozies look so much better with monogrammed initials on them. We can’t even think about a palm-leaf pillow without initials on it. And why write anything on stationery if it’s not personalized to the sender? There’s really no point. Swoozie’s is the perfect place to buy those things — whether they are gifts for the hostess of a party you are attending, satin robes for your bridesmaids or a planner with your name written across it.

A nice scented candle can change your entire day. Whether it’s next to you while you’re taking a relaxing bath or sitting on the dining room table freshening up the entire home, a candle can do a lot. And easily the best place to buy a candle in Dallas is Sample House. With seven locations in DFW, including Dallas, Plano and Southlake, Sample House carries more than a dozen favorite candle brands with hundreds of scents. Want something cool and refreshing? Or maybe something that reminds you of the holidays? Or maybe you just don’t want to bake anything but still want that smell. Sample House has any scented candle you could possibly imagine and probably more. Don’t just pick one up at a grocery store next time you’re in need of a candle; head to Sample House instead.

Affordable, cute clothing that every woman in town doesn’t already own can be hard to come by. We know this because as soon as we see a woman sporting the newest addition to the TopShop section of Nordstrom’s, we immediately recognize it. That’s why boutiques are everything, and Dear Hannah in Snider Plaza is no exception. The styles of the clothing and jewelry range from preppy to boho to a little bit hipster. No matter what you’re looking for, Dear Hannah has a skirt, top or dress perfect for any occasion.

Readers’ Pick: Nordstrom

Guys, if you’re going to dress up, do it like you mean it. Go old school and keep it classy. Ken’s Man’s Shop has been a North Dallas staple for decades, but don’t take that as a warning. It’s more of a testament to the enduring appeal of traditional, locally owned stores. This is not a stodgy establishment despite the feel of a traditional haberdashery, and the personal attention is welcome in this age of big-box stores and clothing shops that feel like bad Eastern European nightclubs.

Readers’ Pick: Nordstrom

It might not become cold often in Texas, but when it does, we can barely handle it. Snow might not be falling from the sky, but we are still running from our heated cars to the heated indoors anytime we are forced to get outside in the winter. That’s why jackets are imperative, and Saint Bernard has the best of the best outdoor wear in Dallas. Whether it’s a simple North Face jacket, a thick, fur-lined coat or a Patagonia fleece pullover, Saint Bernard has everything you could dream of when it comes to outerwear.