One of the more common crimes each week in the Preston Hollow police blotter is shoplifting at NorthPark Center. Usually, the stolen shirts and pants are sprinkled about the mall.

But this week, all but one reported instance of shoplifting occurred at Macy’s. In most of the reports, the culprit was seen on video surveillance and apprehended as he exited the store. Looks like Big Brother has a new gig.

To check out all the week’s crimes, pick up a copy of Preston Hollow People at any of these fine locations.

The only explanation Dan and I could come up with for the double-thievery of  $50 worth of flash drives, is that the culprit placed the items in his Mercedes after pilfering them from a Mazda.

Then, the universe fought back.

Between 5 and 6 p.m. Oct. 20, a burglar broke into a gray 2010 Mazda at NorthPark Center and stole a $3,000 laptop, a $500 Tory Burch bag, two iPods valued at $400, a $200 black IBM laptop, a $100 Sony phone, an $80 black backpack, a $60 Packard Bell hard drive, five flash drives valued at $50, and a $25 Spanish passport.

And the very next day…

Between 1 and 1:40 p.m., a burglar broke into a black 2011 Mercedes at NorthPark Center and stole a $3,000 laptop, a $500 Tory Burch bag, two iPods valued at $400, and five flash drives valued at $50.

For more zany crimes, pick up a copy of the Oct. 28 edition of Preston Hollow People

It may be a week until Halloween, but some families did not get the memo. NorthPark Center kicked off the Halloween festivities at Saturday’s fundraiser, Sam’s Day. In the mall’s Center Park Garden, there were spooky activities such as an obstacle course, tattoos, balloon, magicians, cotton candy, snow cones, and popcorn. While this family fun day was free, donations were encouraged and benefited Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. The event, formerly held at White Rock Lake, began six years ago in honor of Sam Killian, a 9-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Find out how you can support the cause here.

What do motorcycle jackets, bright bags, furry heels, and pencil skirts have in common? They are the fashion must-haves for this season. So maybe you are like me and not so caught up on the fall trends. Luckily for us, tonight is Fashion’s Night Out. The annual fashion event is held in cities around the world, including New York, Paris, Milan, and Dallas. The goal? To raise everyone’s excitement about the fashion season and to save on special after-hours shopping. There are countless invite-only parties throughout the area, but I am keeping my eye out for the affordable events close to the Hollow.

Stores throughout Dallas will be staying open late, offering one-time deals on their latest designs. At NorthPark Center there is live music from the Bart Marantz Jazz Ensemble, the Dallas String Quartet, and Brad Hanson. The night does not stop at fashion; samples will be available from La Duni and Bistro | N.

The Galleria Dallas, which often plays second fiddle to NorthPark extravaganzas, is pulling out all the stops tonight. A quarter-mile runway, the longest runway in America, will spread through the mall. The Fashion Show will run from 6 to 7 p.m, but the stores will stay open later. Not in the mood to take on mall crowds? Make the short trip to luxury fashion complex Highland Park Village. As you walk through the 20 boutiques, the village will keep you entertained with music, art showings, food, and cocktails.

To plan your night of saving and shopping, click here.

Only 266 more days until we can unpack our white pants, sunscreen, and popsicles. Labor Day weekend lets us squeeze out those last few summer moments. How did you celebrate? Some skipped the BBQ at home and opted for the annual Classical Picnic in the Park at NorthPark Center on Sunday. Families reclined in lawn chairs and blankets for a relaxing end-of-summer concert. Those that brought turkey sandwiches from home missed out on a selection of treats from NorthPark restaurants such as La Duni and Snappy Salads. The classical music set the carefree tone. All ages enjoyed the sounds of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble and the Dallas Wind Symphony. Goodbye, summer; now bring on the breezy mornings, golden leaves, and football weekends.

Buying a seat to a Broadway show can set you back hundreds of dollars. Going to a concert can be even more pricey. Movies are a great way to be entertained on the cheap. With little effort or time, you can laugh or cry along with your favorite stars. However, on a recent trip to AMC NorthPark 15, I noticed that movie tickets and concession prices have skyrocketed. What used to be a value is turning into a wallet-pinching process. The normal ticket is $11 for adults, but an additional $4 to $6 is added for Imax and 3D showings. Not to mention the unreasonable costs for concessions. A small soda is $4.25; a water bottle is $4. A pizza is $7.75, but if you want extra cheese it adds up to almost $10. Even a medium popcorn is $6.75! While I do not want to resort to sneaking in food from the food court, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures.

Walking through Northpark Center, you expect to find a large variety of shops, restaurants, and activities. Shoppers may however be surprised to see 20 custom-built playhouses lining the path from Dillard’s to North Court. The fifteenth annual ORIX Parade of Playhouses is on display through Aug. 21 benefiting Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), to raise public awareness for child abuse and promote community involvement.  Dallas CASA is a nonprofit organization that protects abused and neglected children in protective care.

Nineteen of the houses on display are available to win in a raffle. The raffle tickets can be purchased individually for $5 or in groups of five for $20. There are a large variety of houses including a Planter Playhouse, Modern Japanese Studio, Robotic Explorer Playhouse, Zoo Playhouse, and even a Hillside Bed and Breakfast. For a complete viewing of the playhouses, click here. The raffle entry closes at 2 p.m. Aug. 21, and the tickets will be drawn at 4 p.m. The winner does not need to be present at the ceremony to receive their prize.

One specially designed playhouse will be auctioned online. The starting bid is $2500, and the bidding ends Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. This playhouse is nautical themed, and is specially created by LRO Residential.

Whether you are in the market for a new playhouse, or just want to support Dallas CASA, be on the lookout for these fun houses as you make your way through Northpark Center.

As the end of the Harry Potter franchise comes to a halt with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, I can only describe this as a decade of waiting, waiting and more obsessive waiting. However, since the end has come, I find myself desperate for the anticipation of another movie or book. But sadly, the waiting for Harry Potter is over … forever.

The bittersweet sentiment felt as loyal fans anticipated the long-awaited arrival of the final movie was prominent in Dallas on Thursday night. Fans swept, in mass numbers, to the Inwood and NorthPark theaters to be the first to see the midnight showings. Clad in their wizarding attire, the most loyal supporters waited out the long and torturous lines to get a good seat. The lines turned out to be worth it in the end as they, finally, got to experience Harry’s quest to save the wizarding world on the big screen.

Being an extremely loyal Harry Potter fan myself, I was one of the “lucky” hundreds who waited in the seemingly endless line at NorthPark. I thought the movie was the best one yet. As expected, I was disappointed by some fairly minor left out details. But as a whole, I think Warner Bros. did an excellent job (and that is saying a lot, as I am usually highly critical of the skewing of plot lines in the previous movies). And although I foresaw months of extensive therapy to rid myself of the emptiness, I am fortunate to say I took the end of Harry Potter fairly well and cried only a couple times.

As Harry would say, mischief managed. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to re-read the books another 10 times to occupy the longing I’ll surely have for the rest of my life. Plus, rumor has it that J.K Rowling is hard at work on another book. Can she top the obsessive and often times hysterical fan base that follows Harry Potter? And the waiting begins once more …