thanks so much

Look like Japanese hollies except the nearby fingers make the leaves look bigger than would be usual with these.

i think you are absolutely correct in that it is a japanese holly. in the pic...my finger actually makes the leaves look much larger. in reality, they are rather small. i pulled up other pics on the internet...and they look exactly the same. thank you so much.

holly or crepe myrtle

A shot of the whole shrub would help. First one does look like Ilex crenata. But there are many cultivars. Where are you located?

Leaves wrong shape etc. for Crape myrtle.