The Best Place To Gather Is Home
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Pavilion at the Lake Highlands North Recreation Center. Photography by Lauren Allen.
Merry Medallion!
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Applebee’s
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Unrefined Bakery
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Northwest
DECK THE HALLS
represent a variety of themes and passions.
Most of Terrell’s Terrell’s trees
MTerrell is an avid mahjong player and recently added two tilefilled trees to her lineup.
Cindy Terrell has trouble finding a holiday she doesn’t enjoy decorating for
Story by AUSTIN WOOD | Photography
oss Haven neighbor Cindy Terrell gets a little busier from October to May.
The former Merriman Park Elementary librarian is hardpressed to find a holiday she doesn’t enjoy decorating her home front to back for. Between Halloween, Easter and even Valentine’s Day, it’s difficult to imagine the storage space required to hold all of the plastic witches, pastel-colored rabbit sculptures and pink heart wreaths.
Growing up, she says she doesn’t remember many decorations around her house past a tree. She can’t exactly pinpoint when her love of decorating started, but certainly took to it in her teaching days.
“I always did my classroom cute and painted the walls because they let us back then. I don’t know if they do anymore. And then I became the librarian at my school,” Terrell says. “I made the whole library a jungle.”
Her home became a seasonal highlight of the Moss Haven neighborhood after moving in 20 years ago. Around Halloween time each year, she flung all sorts of eerie creatures across the property.
These days, however, things have gotten a little more subdued.
“I have two big skeletons that were out(side), but one of the grandkids didn’t like those skeletons last year, so they’re just in storage for now,” she laughs.
Christmas is her favorite holiday and she isn’t shy about showing it. Santa statuettes, reindeer prints and mini villages adorn almost every corner of the home. Glass decorations have been phased out also to accommodate the grandsons. Trees, however, aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
A blue spruce goes on top of the stairs. There’s a travel tree sporting ornaments from Terrell’s travels. A pink one for a guest bedroom. A purple one for the office. And that’s not even including smaller decorative trees.
“It is hard to manage,” she concedes.
by TANNER GARZA
The two most notable trees, perhaps, symbolize the fractured collegiate alliances of her family. While Terrell attended Baylor and her husband graduated in Lubbock, her two sons went to Texas and Oklahoma — a sore spot for the family each October. She began decorating a UT-themed tree in her older son’s bedroom after he left for college, so it was only right to erect a Sooner tree when her youngest headed to Norman.
Last year, she replaced the contentious pair of plastic green trees with a pink one. Her sons? Not fans, apparently.
“The boys really missed that,” she says. “And even though they don’t live here, they have their own families. So I’m bringing back the Texas and the OU trees this year.”
When talking about her decorations, Terrell doesn’t focus much on the items themselves. Her appreciation, it seems, comes from the people around the decorations. Whether it’s Halloween-themed Bible groups for her sons, showing her grandchildren filled Christmas stockings or hosting friends for a pink-and-red-filled Galentine’s happy hour, they gain their meaning through togetherness.
“It just brings you joy to do all that. And it’s just memories that you hope your kids will remember, and your grandkids remember that it was fun to go over and see the decorations.”
You’re not just picking a school you’re building a LEGACY!
From STEM/STEAM and dual language classes to college credit, Dallas ISD offers more than a traditional classroom education. Find the right school for your child with more than 100 specialty schools to choose from. Don’t miss your chance to apply.
VIRTUAL
DEC. 6, 2025
Elementary9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Middle/High School11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
JAN. 17, 2026
All grades10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
THE PERFECT GIFT THIS SEASON?
THE MAGIC OF MAHJONG
SHOP THIS SET:
OG Totally Teal Tiles $240
Light Aqua with Yellow & Pink Mat $50
Mahjong 20” Racks & Pushers in Pink (Set of 4) $75
All You Need is Mahj
Striped Shufflers (Set of 2) $12.50
Dice (set of 2) $4
Whether you're new to mahjong or have been playing for years, Peace Love Mahjong offers a welcoming place to learn, shop, and play. Founded by two Lake Highland moms, the brand brings a fun and modern feel to the classic game with colorful tiles, mats, racks, bags and more. Stop by their store in Lake Plaza Shopping Center or shop online and choose store pick-up. However you shop, make sure you don’t miss their event space, Where Dragons Play. Located just beyond the retail shop, it hosts beginner lessons, private events & (our favorite) themed open-play nights with signature cocktails & giveaways! From first-timers to long-time players, Peace Love Mahjong makes the game accessible, social & stylish - right here in the neighborhood.
Peace Love Mahjong
Retail Shop/Local Order Pick-Up
Event Space (Where Dragons Play)
10218 E Northwest Hwy
www.peacelovemahjong.com
www.wheredragonsplay.com
info@peacelovemahjong.com
THE GIFT GUIDE
It’s that time of year again when we compile a few of our favorite things from our neighborhood stores. Find something for every type of somebody in your life.
Compiled by Austin Wood, Katharine Bales & Elizabeth Truelove
WHITE ROCK SOAP GALLERY
Texas Christmas Gift Set $25
ADVOCATE MEDIA
Hand-painted
White Rock Lake ornament
$85 + donation to Advocate Media
NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPLY CO.
Dad Script Rope Cap $28
FOODIE
ASIAN MINT
Thai Food and Travel with Chef Nikky $42
POP POPCORN Holiday Gift Pack $25
LAKE HIGHLANDS
HONEY
Lake Highlands Holiday Honey & Tea Gift Set $20
VECTOR BREWING
Tmavé Pivo 13º $15/4pk of 16oz cans
Bullpen $12/4pk of 16oz cans
Figures of Light $16.50/4pk of 16oz cans
PLANT LOVER
SUNSHINE BONSAI, PLANTS & GIFTS
Rolife - 3D Puzzle - Sakura Bonsait $17.95
PLANT STYLE
Monthly plant subscription (1 plant a month)
Starter sprout - $24
House plant collection - $42
Exotic collection -$64
FAIRWAY FIX
One month single membership $150
ROOSTER
24-inch Swirl Birdbaths, Glossy White And Teal
Ceramic, 4-pk. $131.99
LAKE HIGHLANDS FLOWERS
Poinsettia $39.95
(In store pickup or local Dallas-area delivery only)
*NOT valid for wire orders
PEACE LOVE
MAHJONG
Mahjong Tile Shufflers $12.50
DALLAS PERCUSSION
Unrefined Bakery’s chocolate cake ($48 for 6-inch, double layer) is coated with “Unbuttercream” and is free of gluten, dairy, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, corn and eggs.
UNREFINED INGREDIENTS, REFINED FLAVOR
Unrefined
Bakery shows that you’re wrong about gluten-free food being bad
Story by MADELYN EDWARDS | Photography by JUSTIN SCHWARTZ
EARLIER THIS YEAR, USA TODAY’s 10 Best 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards confirmed something neighbors likely already know — Unrefined Bakery, founded by Anne Hoyt and her daughter Taylor Nicholson, has top-notch gluten-free treats.
Unrefined, which has a location in Medallion Center, was nominated by an expert panel for best gluten-free bakery along with 17 others from across the country. It had never been nominated in this contest before and was the only nominee from Texas.
And yet, it still claimed the No. 1 spot.
Unrefined Bakery, formerly named Wholesome Foods Bakery in its early days, started up in Lake Highlands back in 2010, but Hoyt and Nicholson aren’t native Texans. They hail from northern Oklahoma, and Nicholson came to Dallas for work after finishing school at the University of Oklahoma. Her sister then came to our state to study at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and their mother eventually followed. Now, Nicholson lives in Lakewood while her mother is in Old Lake Highlands.
As a child, Nicholson recalled that her mother had always been a champion of healthy foods. When she and her mother discovered they couldn’t have gluten anymore because of celiac disease — an ailment in which consumption negatively affects a person’s small intestine — recipes had to change. Unrefined Bakery was born out of this necessity.
“In 2010, the marketplace was so different than it is today,” Nicholson says. “I mean, people hadn’t even heard of gluten in 2010, a lot of people. If you said ‘gluten-free’ at a restaurant, they’d be like, ‘What?’ They had no idea. It’s so, so, so different, and now, you have all the snack bars and things that are available.”
Case in point, Nicholson remembers one of the options at the time being packaged bread with a one-year shelf life.
“We were just sick and tired of not finding what we needed and wanted, and we weren’t going to eat the very few things you could find,” she says. “So we created our own food that we knew we needed, and so certainly other people did, too.”
Unrefined has always been gluten-free, but the bakery evolved to eliminate soy as well after listening to what their customers needed. Products also don’t include genetically modified organisms or food dyes, and there are vegan, keto and paleo options available. Unrefined Bakery’s food is for all — adults and children who may have allergies but still want to eat birthday cake as well as people without allergies who think that gluten-free food is gross and get proven wrong.
“We’re trying to change people’s minds,” Nicholson says.
The journey to finding successful recipes wasn’t easy, though, especially since gluten helps bind ingredients in the baking process.
“I had loved to bake, and when I realized I could no longer have gluten, I sort of went into
mourning,” Hoyt said in a previous Advocate article. Meanwhile, Nicholson was less upset and doesn’t truly consider herself a baker, so she didn’t mourn like her mother did. Still, she says gluten-free baking is such a big challenge because it’s antithetical to typical methods.
“You kind of have to forget what you know about traditional baking,” Nicholson says. “A lot of the principles don’t really carry over. It performs so very differently that you kind of have to start from scratch.”
Nicholson was 25 years old, and Hoyt was 52 when they started their bakery, first as a pop-up shop that was open about six days a month at Walnut Hill Lane and Audelia Road in Lake Highlands. After a few months there, they moved into their first permanent space at North Buckner Boulevard and Northcliff Drive in Old Lake Highlands.
Since then, Hoyt and Nicholson stopped operating in Old Lake Highlands years ago and have grown to five locations, including Medallion Center on Northwest Highway in 2017, Frisco in 2012, Preston Center in 2015, Fort Worth in 2016 and
Richardson in 2022. In addition, Unrefined Bakery provides goods (buns, pizza crusts, bakery items, etc.) to restaurants, cafes and farmers markets for wholesale or retail.
“We just don’t have any quit in us,” she says. “We have had many, many, many very hard years, and our growth has been hard. And I think people think, ‘Oh, you have all these locations. You’re so successful.’ And, yes, but at a cost. It’s incredibly challenging to grow, especially as a small business, when we don’t have any outside investment. It’s just my mom and I. And that’s really unique in the area we’re in.”
Not everyone could work with their family members, but Nicholson says she and Hoyt complement each other well. Hoyt oversees production and operations, plus she develops recipes. Nicholson runs the business side of Unrefined while also coming up with experimental flavor profiles, cake of the month and cupcake of the week, the latter of which she is especially proud of.
“I think it was like three, three and a half years in, I said to my mom, ‘I want to do something called a cup -
cake of the week, and I want to make sure that every week we do a new cupcake flavor,’” she says. “And she looked at me, and she’s like, ‘You’re literally crazy. How would we ever do that?’ And I was like, ‘Well, I think it’s going to be really good and exciting for business. Customers want something new, and I will have fun with that.’ And she’s like, ‘This would never work.’”
Now, cupcake of the week (which tends to include seasonal flavors) is a mainstay of Unrefined’s business and attracts the attention of customers on social media when the new ones are announced, Nicholson says.
“Bakeries are fun,” she says. “It is a joyful experience to be in my stores and help customers and see them be excited about having to pick up cookies or a cupcake or sandwich bread so their kids can have a typical, normal sandwich. It’s truly a privilege to be able to help our customers enjoy food again, especially when you’ve been in a situation where you’ve had to go without.”
Unrefined Bakery, 6464 E. Northwest Highway, 214.414.2414, unrefinedbakery.com
Unrefined’s other gluten-free baked goods include cupcakes, pies and bread. The bakery also has vegan, paleo and keto options.
togs for tots
Toddler and infant parents in Lake Highlands have a new stop for holiday gifts
Story by AUSTIN WOOD | Photography by YUVIE STYLES
There is a children’s store again in the heart of Lake Highlands.
It hardly takes a drive down the street to realize Lake Highlands is a place for families. Moms’ groups, social schedules, home values and even neighborhoods themselves revolve around the Richardson ISD schools which make it so attractive in the first place. But after Missfits closed in Lakeridge Village in October 2024, parents and grandparents were left traveling to big box stores and other parts of town.
Luckily for longtime fans, its replacement shouldn’t be too hard to find. After all, the former 1,100-square-foot Missfits space is exactly where Abbie Lynch opened JuneBugs Children’s Boutique in June.
Lynch’s parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents have lived in Lake Highlands, which made it only natural when she moved back from her childhood home of California five years ago along with her two daughters. There, she had launched an organic children’s store, EcoBambino, which focused on all-natural materials and sustainable products.
“When my oldest was born, I was really into all of the clothing, obviously, and all the cute stuff,” Lynch says. “After I had Ella, who is my 11-year-old, she had severe eczema, so she had very sensitive skin, so I was looking for something that was going to be non toxic and healthy on her skin. Very breathable, organic products. So that’s where that came to light, and it served the community well.”
She sold the business shortly before moving to Dallas and taking a job as a children’s merchandise buyer. But after a few months living in the L Streets, Lynch felt the need to fill the void left in the neighborhood with the closure of Missfits.
Like EcoBambino, most of her products are non-synthetic and designed for comfort, with Lynch having retained the majority of her suppliers. The store sells blankets, stuffed animals, educational games, toys and clothes.
“As a mom, I really encourage people to come in and allow this to be a safe space. Allow it to be a place where they can shop freely without judgment, like if their child is crying or they’re fussy, and I’m engaging with them, I’m playing with them, and not because it’s for business.”
In addition to gift-y items, Lynch also wants JuneBugs to be a place where moms can go in a pinch for things like bibs ($12) and belly oil ($22.99).
“What I wanted was a store that wasn’t just a gift boutique,” Lynch says. “I wanted it where, if a mama was at home, and
In the future, Lynch wants to move into a larger space and add strollers to her offering.
she’s like, ‘Oh my goodness, I ran out of something, or I need a bottle ($10 for a 5-ounce) real quick.’ She can run down and grab it.”
The store offers pickup and delivery through its website. Her father, a retired pastor, works as the delivery driver.
For Christmas, Lynch is planning to give the store a complete makeover and cycle in larger products as Santa season draws nearer.
“We’re going to be building a big Christmas tree and putting presents and puzzles and books and making it very big. So you’ll see the toy boxes, toolboxes, dollhouses, kitchens and the bigger toys and holiday wear.”
JuneBugs is named after her 4-yearold daughter, June. While June isn’t quite able to play a more active role just yet, both of her older sisters stop by to lend a helping hand and Abbie’s mom works part time behind the counter while her husband drops orders off. Behind the counter sits a picture of Joanie Williams, Lynch’s grandmother.
The store has become a place for her family. Now, she wants it to be a place for the families of Lake Highlands.
“I wanted to create a place that the community can come to and play,” she says. “I want to have this be a safe place for families to come in and celebrate childhood.”
LOCAL TRIBUTE
September 3, 1946 – November 7, 2025
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Cheryl Boudreau, who died peacefully on November 7, 2025, at her home in Austin, Texas.
Cheryl was born in Keokuk, Iowa, to Herbert and Barbara Webster. Cheryl was a “military brat” and, with her six siblings, grew up primarily in Eglin AFB, Florida and Chateauroux, France where she graduated high school. Cheryl attended the University of Illinois and, as an adult, earned a BA in Art History (cum laude) from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1999.
In 1968, Cheryl married Ed Boudreau in Bangor, Maine. Together they raised six children and built a home filled with love, laughter, and tradition. It brought Cheryl immense joy and pride being ‘Grammy’ to her 7 grandchildren.
She was active for over 30 years at Bethany Lutheran church, volunteering with the choir, Meals on Wheels, Mt. Olive and as Director of the Child Development Center. Cheryl was famous for her warmth and generosity, leaving a lasting impact on many through her bright smile and friendly nature. After Ed retired, they traveled the world, visiting all seven continents. Cheryl enjoyed life and everyone around her.
Cheryl is survived by her children Barbara Burgett, Teresa Shaw (Michael), Stephanie Koller (Paul), Brian Boudreau, Bonnie Boudreau (David Conger) and Bethany Boudreau (Michael Plefka) along with seven spectacular grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her brother Robert Webster, sister Connie Webster and her parents.
A private family interment will be on Wednesday, November 19th at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. A memorial service is scheduled for 2pm, December 11th at Covenant Presbyterian Church, reception immediately following.
“Cheryl’s legacy of love and kindness lives on in the hearts of all who knew her.”
Please see Dignity Memorial for additional information dignitymemorial.com
CHERYL LYNNE BOUDREAU
Lake Highlands Neighbor
designed several pieces in the house, including the fireplace centerpiece.
Local artist Carlyn Ray
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
AFTER LOSING HIS ARCHITECT, MARK KOGUT REALIZED HIS VISION AND COMPLETED A LEGACY
Story by AUSTIN WOOD
Photography by LAUREN ALLEN
“
Even in dentistry, when you’re working with a child that has an issue, it always felt good to finish the project,” Mark Kogut says sitting in his book-filled study.
Kogut worked in pediatrics for 42 years. He’s also somewhat of an enthusiast for design, art and literature — something that becomes evident as you walk through his contemporary Urban Reserve home, a decided crucible for his interests. From its DMA-esque walls tastefully adorned with glassblown pieces to a two-story window wall blurring the lines between dining room and exterior, he’s built a dream home designed for aging in comfort.
He needed some help getting here. While the 73-year-old has designed dental offices and won awards for his work, a more specialized mind was needed.
That’s where Billy Ware came in.
Kogut, a fan of Contemporary styles, is also a cyclist who found the property after scouting out The Reserve while riding on White Rock Trail. A few years prior, he’d missed out on a home designed by Ware. The biggest draw? A two-story t all window wall.
“The house had a feature in it that I thought was pretty special, and when I was told that it had gone under contract, I found out who designed the house,” Kogut says. “Billy had won some awards for that house, and I said, ‘There was a feature that you had in that house that I want to copy.’”
For the next six months, Ware “coached” Kogut through the design process alongside builder Ross Williams, he says.
“Billy was really easy to work with,” Kogut says. “We could talk freely with one another, and pass ideas back and forth. And I think another thing that was good, and this is something that’s important for coaches as well, he asked good questions. Like, ‘OK, Mark, what are you trying to do here? Why are you doing this?’ And helped me to clarify things.”
In a green community like Urban Reserve, there is an emphasis on sustainability and
A Roomba can emerge from a second story attic closet to dust the drop ceiling via a speciallydesigned door.
energy efficiency in structure, an approach Ware had extensive familiarity with in his career. The home utilizes geothermal heating and cooling systems and solar panels. In the fall, sun shines through the centerpiece window wall to warm the home, while in the summer, blinds and a specially-designed canopy block warming rays.
Ware and Kogut, as it turned out, would only have half a year together. With small aspects of the design incomplete and builders waiting for a start date, Ware died in 2018 at the age of 45, leaving a wife and three young children behind.
“I felt like we were becoming friends. We were certainly partners in the design of this. And he was young. I think he was only 45, that’s young. And so I get emotional thinking about that,” he says, even though it’s apparent in his voice.
The project was one of several builds Ware was unable to complete due to illness. Sarah Harper had worked with Ware in the past and stepped in to help Kogut and his team finish what her late colleague had started.
Harper finalized several details of the project, the window wall being the most prominent of which, and helped move it from design to documentation and, eventually, building.
“It was more like a labor of love to get that done for them, and to kind of honor the work that (Billy) had done, because otherwise they would have had to take it to an architect and potentially start over,” Harper says.
By 2023, despite a near-total reset after most of the frame was blown away by the 2019 tornado, Kogut finally moved into the home.
The facade is made up of three different materials: steel, stucco and brick. At just over 7,000 square feet, the interior is drenched with natural light and pops with Kogut’s collection of colorful contemporary art.
Past a 14-foot sculptural chandelier in the entryway, the home opens into an expansive public area. A large island kitchen sits in the middle. Above it sits a
partial floating ceiling which Kogut added to offset the open coldness of strict contemporary design and introduce an element of intimacy within the space. A large, ceiling-to-floor fireplace may anchor the room, but the focus is decidedly found while facing outside from the kitchen.
The wall of windows.
“I said I wanted to build a house around it, and I want us to design this house as a place where we can put art. This was what it was,” Kogut says. “So obviously we built everything around this, and we have all these spaces where art can go.”
The relation between decorative and functional glass becomes apparent in the home’s entryway, where a disc-shaped glass sculpture sits complemented by yet another wall of smaller windows. Some of his collection came from his old dental office, but a fair amount of the work found in the house was specifically commissioned, such as the glass sculpture straddling the staircase designed by Carlyn Ray, who also created the piece above the mantle.
Kogut designed the home to be a gallery. Some pieces were commissioned to fit the space, while others had space built specifically for their display. One such example is found in his favorite room, the study, where a muted gray sliding door covering a TV on one of his many bookshelves was built with the specifications of the now-hung verdant print in mind. The office opens to the backyard, where a shallow standing pool and umbrella-shaded leisure area sit underneath a second floor balcony.
“Going in and out of the house,” Kogut says, “there’s lots of access to the backyard and places for people to sit out there.”
While art, sustainability and the all-important window wall drove large parts of the design, aging in place was also a point of emphasis for Kogut. Everything he needs on a daily basis (bedroom, kitchen, bath and garage) can all be found on a single level without steps. Upstairs, three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms can host the retired dentist’s children and grandchildren.
Kogut says he plans to stay in the home for the long haul. He may have designed much more than the average homebuilder’s client, but still gives credit where credit is due.
“He was very kind. I like to work with kind people,” he says. “He was very tolerant of my ideas, and some of the ideas that I would bring up, he’d say, ‘Mark, we can do this, but this is going to cost a fortune.’ I said, ‘You may want to think of another way to do certain things.’ So, in a sense, the way I looked at it is that Billy and Ross were two of my coaches in designing this house.”
At the center of Kogut’s dining area sits a table passed down from his grandmother, while natural light beams into the entryway through a collection of windows dotting the home’s facade.
The family trees
Sandone Christmas Trees has been family-owned since 1978
Story by AUSTIN WOOD
Photography by LAUREN ALLEN
AS TONY SANDONE
PICKS UP dried out Fraser and noble firs on chilly January mornings, he’s not just bringing the Christmas season to a close. He’s getting ready for next year.
While catching up with longtime customers and deciphering the best way out of their homes with an 8-foot-tall tree, Sandone makes mental (and sometimes, physical) notes.
This family places their tree facing a wall, this family leaves one side of branches bare.
What is he looking for?
The perfect tree for next year.
Tony has owned Sandone Christmas Trees since 1978. He first bought the lot from its previous owner after working as a seasonal employee while in college. Since then, the business has moved from its original Medallion Center lot to Greenville Avenue and eventually its current location behind Keller’s Burgers and Beer.
The operation has become wellknown for “white glove” service and attention to detail. Over 70% of the customer base returns each year, often with special requests and custom orders for Sandone as
he heads up to meet his Michigan growers months in advance.
“We’ve got a lot of customers that just want the same tree as last year,” Sandone says. “So we got notes. One guy wants it so many inches wide here, then go up so far. And he spells it out — inches really.”
Sandone only needs a few seconds to explain the difference between a soft needle and a hard needle. Or the variation in trees sourced from Michigan, Oregon and North Carolina. Or how to stand an 82-foot-tall tree. But then, as one of the few North Texans working in the Christmas tree business year-round, his expertise has to be all-encompassing.
That expertise starts to come in handy in late spring as Sandone makes his way back up to the family property in Michigan. For the next six to eight months, Sandone meets growers and stakes out prime fir and spruce trees for his clients. Some (Noble firs, specifically) are also occasionally sourced from Oregon, although Sandone rarely visits the Pacific Northwest on business.
“A lot of these trees are picked
Sandone’s brother owns a tent business, something which comes in handy around the holidays.
out especially for these people,” he says. “They’re not just randomly appearing.”
Sandone’s daughter, Veronica, says the timing of the harvest for some of his most popular species (concolor fir, blue spruce and Fraser fir) is intentionally timed to ensure his trees are felled up to a month after the ones found in big box stores.
“The timing is something we take pride in, even though he’s gone at one of the busiest points of setup, the tree was cut and driven down here within three days,” Veronica says. “And that is not what’s happening at The Home Depot or other stores.”
Special requests extend to decor as well. His business offers lighting services and can deliver trees already on stands. In addition, Sandone offers tree flocking (i.e., making the branches look frosty, blue, red or another color with a thin coating). One year, he was asked to flock a 7-foot tall blue spruce mustard for a yellow cab-crazed client in New York.
Most of the business lies in repeat and walk-in residential business. A significant remainder of Sandone’s seasonal sales come from commercial clients, who rely on his northern connections to root out the best trees for their lobbies, lawns and town squares. He’s one of a few suppliers of that scale in the region and has provided the City of Weatherford and Southern Methodist University with holiday attractions worth lighting ceremonies.
“A special frame has gotta be built. An 82-foot
tree weighs about maybe 25,000 pounds. So it’s got to be secure,” he says. “You don’t want to go out there and restand.”
While Sandone finishes up harvest in early November, the rest of the operation ramps up behind classic car meets and bright neon lights on Northwest Highway. Hard at work are his employees, but also his children, cousins, nephews and sons-in-law — a family operation through and through.
Business accelerates even more as trees arrive in Dallas later on in the month. Between sending out the first orders, setting up the lot tent and preparing for the December rush, the family doesn’t have much time for leisure. Thanksgiving for many families means a restful day of eating and watching football. For the Sandones, however, it looks like an impromptu meal off Northwest Highway in the middle of their busiest season.
Sandone’s favorite part of Christmas?
“Christmas Eve,” he wryly chuckles, admitting that the end of deliveries comes as a more of a relief the older he gets.
Veronica says she would like her father to focus on tree hunting in Michigan and enjoying some well-deserved rest. Tony still just wants people walking away from his tree lot with a smile on their face.
“I just want them to remember the quality of our tree, the quality of our service, and just our eye for the quality and just service of the customer,” he says. “Because they’re there for a happy occasion.”
SHOPPING
BEST CHILDREN’S STORE
WINNER - THE STORE IN LAKE HIGHLANDS
2ND - JUNEBUGS
3RD - DALLAS VINTAGE TOYS
BEST FURNITURE STORE
WINNER - DECOHUB HOME STORE
2ND - FURNITURE ONE
3RD - FURNITURE SOURCE
BEST GARDEN STORE
WINNER - BRUMELY GARDENS
2ND - LAKE HIGHLANDS FLOWERS
3RD - PLANT STYLE
BEST GIFT SHOP
WINNER - THE STORE IN LAKE HIGHLANDS
2ND - NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPLY CO.
3RD - SAMPLE HOUSE
BEST HOME GOODS
WINNER - ROOSTER HOME & HARDWARE
BEST SPECIALTY SHOP
WINNER - TREE LOVE DISC
GOLF (TIE)
WINNER - JC TIRE SHOP (TIE)
BEST THRIFT/ CONSIGNMENT
WINNER - ANONYMOUSLY YOURS
2ND - THRIFT GIANT
3RD - PLATO’S CLOSET
Be on the lookout for a new nomination page on our site to nominate your favorites for Best Of 2026, coming January 2026.
Final-DAG-Advocate-QuarterPage-Ad.pdf 1 11/20/25 12:11 PM
WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?
AC & HEAT
ALEXANDER HOME REPAIR. AC/HEAT Repair & Install. LIC#28052 469-226-9642
CONCRETE, MASONRY & PAVING
JOHNSON PAVING Concrete, Asphalt, Driveways. New or Repair. 214-827-1530
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hardwood, carpets, tile laminate, & vinyl click. 214-440-6244 . aaa-texas-floors.com
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HECTOR PEREZ PAINTING Commercial/residential. Intrior/ Exterior. Fair Rates. 214-489-0635
R&M Concrete
THE HEATING & AC EXPERTS
Installations & Repairs
Emergency Services
24/7 On-Call 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
AIR SHIELD LLC AC/Heat Repairs, Installs Airshieldpros.com. 214-394-1788 TA CLA67136C 214-710-2515 dallasheatingac.com
ASK ABOUT DISCOUNTS!
APPLIANCE REPAIR
JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE
TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898
BUY SELL TRADE
I BUY USED CARS
Sam. Dallas. 469-609-0978.
!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! Gibson, Fender, Martin, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. Top Dollar Paid. 1-866 -433-8277
CABINETRY & FURNITURE
JD’S TREE SERVICE Mantels, Headboards, Kitchen Islands, Dining tables. Made from Local Trees. www.jdtreeservice.com 214-946-7138
SQUARE NAIL WOODWORKING
Cabinet Refacing, Built-ins, Entertainment/ Computer Centers. Jim. 469-585-1588 jhholbert2@att.net
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ALTOGETHER CLEAN
Relax ...We’ll Clean Your House, It Will Be Your Favorite Day! Bonded & Insurance. Free Estimates. 214-929-8413. www. altogetherclean.net
WANTED HOUSES TO CLEAN. Organize, De-clutter, pack +more. Dependable, Thorough,Honest, Great Refs,15yrs.Exp. Sunny 972-487-6599 / 214-724-2555
WINDOW CLEANING POWER WASHING
No Job To Small. 30 Yrs exp. Lwood resd. 214-360-0120
COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS
CONFUSED? FRUSTRATED? Let a seasoned pro be the interface between you & that pesky Windows computer. Hardware/Software Installation, Troubleshooting, Training. $100/hr. 1 hr min. Dan 972-639-6413 / stykidan@sbcglobal.net
NEED HELP WITH YOUR COMPUTER, Smartphone or Smart Home? My Tech Guy Harvey. 214-770-2598. hmccall@mtgharvey.com.
CONCRETE, MASONRY & PAVING
ADVANCE STONE ART CREATIONS
Decorative Concrete Overlays. 214-705-5954
CONCRETE, RETAINING WALLS 25 yrs exp. T&M Construction, Inc. 214-328-6401
EDMONDSPAVING.COM Asphalt & Concrete Driveway-Sidewalk-Patio-Repair 214-957-3216
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FLAGSTONE PATIOS, Retaining Walls,BBQ’s Veneer, Flower Bed Edging. All Stone Work. Been in Advocate Magazine for 22 years Chris Roberts, 214-770-5001
FOUNDATION REPAIR
Concrete • Driveways Retaining Walls Stamped Concrete
ELECTRICAL SERVICES
#1ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician Family owned and insured. TECL 24948 Anthonyselectricofdallas.com. 214-328-1333
BRIGHT LIGHT ELECTRIC • 214-553-5333
TECL 31347 Brightening Homes and Businesses
LAKEWOOD ELECTRICAL Local. Insured. Lic. #227509 Call Rylan 214-434-8735
TH ELECTRIC Reasonable Rates. Licensed & Insured. Ted. E257 214-808-3658
WHITE ROCK ELECTRIC All Electrical Services. Lic/Insd.TECL-34002 214-850-4891
EMPLOYMENT
BENJAMINS PAINTING Hiring:18-26Yr.olds, Top Pay- Will Train. In Advocate since 2007. 214-725-6768
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FENCING & DECKS
4 QUALITY FENCING • 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood. YourWoodmaster.com
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HANNA WOODWORKS • Decks • Pergolas • Patio Covers Hannawoodworks.com 214-435-9574
GARAGE SERVICES
UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned. 214-251-5428
GENERAL CONTACTING
A2H GENERAL CONTRACTING,LLC Remodel, Paint, Drywall/Texture, Plumbing. Electrical, Siding, Bathroom/Kitchen Remodels Tilling, Flooring, Fencing. 469-658-9163. Free Est. A2HGeneralContactingLLC@gmail.com
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LAKE HIGHLANDS GLASS & MIRROR frameless shower enclosures • store fronts replacement windows • mirrors 214-349-8160
ROCK GLASS CO Replace, Repair. Single, Double Panes. Showers, Mirrors. 214-837-7829
WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134
HANDYMAN SERVICES
BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730
DANHANDY.NET Repairs Done Right For A Fair Price. References 214-991-5692
HANDY DAN The Handyman. ToDo’s Done Right. handy-dan.com 214-252-1628
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HANDYMAN WANTS your Painting,Repairs, To Do Lists. Bob. 214-288-4232. Free Est. 25+yrs exp.
HK CONSTRUCTION
We Do It All. All trades. 214-717-8317
HOME REPAIR Doors, Trim, Glass. Int/Ext. Sheetrock, Windows, Kitchen, Bathroom 35 yrs exp. 214-875-1127
HOMETOWN HANDYMAN All phases of construction. No job too small 214-327-4606
ONE CALL WEEKEND SERVICES
Contractor & Handyman. Remodels, Renovations. Paint, Plumbing, Drywall, Electrical. 469-658-9163
Let Us Tackle Your To-Do List!
RAMON’S INT/EXT PAINT Sheetrock, Repairs.
WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL
LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES
#1 WHITE ROCK TREE WIZARDS Professionals, Experts, Artists serving Dallas 15 years.Trim, Removals. Tree Health Care services. Insured. Arborwizard.com. Free Est. (972) 803-6313.
A BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd. 18 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925 Lawns, Gardens & Trees
DAVIS LAWN CARE, LLC
580-222-4909 or davislawncare214@yahoo.com Serving Lake Highlands & Lakewood.
ELEVATED GARDENS - 469.682.5039
Raising the Standard of Outdoor Beauty
HOLMAN IRRIGATION
Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061
MAYA TREE SERVICE Tree Trim/Remove. Lawn Maintenance. Resd/ Commcl.Insd. CC’s Accptd. mayatreeservice.com 214-924-7058 214-770-2435
NEW LEAF TREE, LLC
Honest, Modern, Safety Minded. 214-850-1528
OLD TREE LIGHT SYSTEMS
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PAT TORRES 214-388-1850 Lawn Service & Tree Care. 28 Yrs. Complete Landscape Renovation. New Fence Install & Brick Repair. Concrete Removal and Gutter Cleaning.
RED SUN LANDSCAPES • 214-935-9779 RedSunLandscapes.com
RGC - STORM WATER MANAGEMENT drainage solutions 214-477-8977
TAYLOR MADE IRRIGATION Repairs, service, drains. 30+ years exp. Ll 6295 469-853-2326. John
WALTON’S GARDEN CENTER
Stop in for home decor, candles, house plants, succulents and more. It’s time to plan for spring. Call us for design, prep and plantings! 8652 Garland Road 214.321.2387
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A CHARMING HOME
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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
C.A.S. BOOKKEEPING SERVICES
Personal/Small Business. Payroll, Accounting, Organizing, Consult. Cindy 214-577-7450
WHERE DID YOUR MONEY GO? Bookkeeping Services for small businesses & Personal. Financial organizing. Quicken & other programs. Sharon 214-679-9688
REAL ESTATE
ESTATE HOME NEEDS TO BE SOLD? FACING FORCLOSURE? IG HERON HOMES Call Ricardo Garza @ 469-426-7839
FOR RENT Little Forest Hills 2/1 Single Family Home w/fence. $1,600mo. $1,600 deposit. Cheryl. 214-235-1399
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REMODELING
BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730
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HK CONSTRUCTION
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S&L CONSTRUCTION All Home Services & Repairs. 214-918-8427
SERVICES FOR YOU
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Kitchens, Bathrooms, Windows, Doors, Siding, Decks, Fences, Retaining Walls, New Construction
New Construction & Remodels FiferCustomHomes.com• 214-727-7075
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WATER DAMAGE
cleanup & restoration: A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809
TUTOR/LESSONS
WANTED: OBOE TEACHER needed for 14 year old student. Call 214–235-7429
PIANO LESSONS 30 years exp. Also voice & composition. Text (469) 708-6151
A Next-Level Real Estate Experience
