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Best Vintage Record Store

Black Dog Records

Well organized, easy to browse and stocked with foundational albums in the rock, soul and jazz genres, Black Dog Records is the spot to visit whether you are just starting a record collection, want some classic jams or are in need of replacing weathered first-edition pressings. For the wayfaring "music sounds so much better on vinyl" hipsters who happen to wander into the shop, Black Dog conveniently displays and sells LPs by indie rock faves Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket. The staff also boasts a vintage attitude — no noses in the air or poopy lips — that's refreshing in this age of music snobbery.

Best Barber

Bart Maloney

Bart Maloney has good hands. If he's not snipping away at the brand-new Big Kat's Barber Shop — he specializes in shear cuts and razor shaves — Maloney may very well be across the street at the Continental Club or Big Top, caressing his steel guitar in Nick Gaitan & the Umbrella Man, the Octanes, or all-caps '40s swing revivalists BANGBANGBOOM. As trusty with the clippers as he is with the strings, Maloney is also a good-humored, funny fellow who never lacks for an amusing anecdote about the goings-on around "The Island" at 3700 Main. Follow him on Twitter and you'll understand: "I wanna make a hood version of Hungry Hungry Hippos and call it Hungry Hungry Hookers."

Best Vegan Bakery

Sinfull Bakery

Sinfull Bakery doesn't have its own store, but you can pick up its vegan delectables at Central Market, Whole Foods, Onion Creek Café and others — check the Web site for the full list. According to the bakery's Web site, the whole thing didn't "just start as a hobby" for owner and baker Brittany Dylan-Carnes. A vegetarian who's allergic to dairy products, Dylan-Carnes had to come up with special ways to satisfy her "ever-growing sweet tooth." And it paid off: She's come up with tasty vegan recipes for cupcakes, cookies, muffins, pies, kolaches, scones, sweet breads and other goodies. She can even make some items gluten-free or agave-sweetened, if such things float your boat. What's that, you say? You're skeptical that anything vegan can be tasty? Well go ahead and give Sinfull Bakery a shot. We're pretty sure you'll turn into a believer.

Best Washateria

Graustark Laundry

They say you should never trust your lacy underbits to an untested laundromat. After learning the hard way too many times, thank goodness we found Graustark Laundry. Whimsical bubbles painted on the outside greet laundry-doers at this comfortable and friendly Museum District spot. If you're lucky, you'll even be greeted by Newt, the sweet rescue bulldog that plays behind the counter. It's never crowded, the machines are always clean, and clothes actually wash fresh and come out dry. (Plus, Graustark Laundry is right next door to newly opened Black Hole Coffee House, a perfect time-filler.) If you're too lazy to spend the time, leave your wearables in the capable hands of Graustark's lauded wash-and-fold service. One last perk for those who stick around through the spin cycle: free hangers.

Best Place to Pamper Your Pet

Urban Tails Pet Resort

It doesn't matter if your dog is a mutt or a pedigreed champion, Urban Tails Pet Resort is the perfect place for your canine friend. Your pooch will have a choice of luxury loft lodging (with lots of perks) or cage-free sleepovers, so Fido can snuggle up with his friends on a large bed. There's also day care, a low-chlorine indoor swimming pool, gentle, low-stress bathing, grooming, nail clipping and dental hygiene services, all with your dog's complete comfort in mind.

Best Resale Shop

Family Thrift

One thing that sets Family Thrift's 12 area locations apart from the competition are the hours. Unlike so many local thrift stores, they are open late — until nine p.m. on weeknights. That gives the working stiffs who need the cheap clothes a chance to get there. We also love their rewards program, whereby every dollar you spend is a point toward a discount if you come back in on the Sunday of the same week. (In other words, if you spend 50 bucks on Wednesday, Sunday's purchase will be half-price.) And we also love their outlet stores — one on Little York and the other on Red Bluff in Pasadena — where unwanted clothing from the other locations winds up eventually. Those stores get new merchandise every Thursday; every item is on sale for $1.75 for the rest of the day, and it gets cheaper each day until it reaches a quarter on the following Wednesday. That's right — a quarter. Cheap at twice the price, even if it is ugly as sin.

Best Sexpert

Nike Lukan

If it can be transmitted during sex, Nike Lukan is on it to end it. As the Director of Prevention Services at AIDS Foundation Houston, she raises awareness about the problem of HIV and AIDS in Houston. Lukan helps organize Hip Hop for HIV, a project that provides a free hip-hop concert with just one catch: You have to get tested for and educated about HIV and STIs. This year, Lukan was instrumental in bringing the female condom — the only female-initiated way to prevent HIV and other STIs, as well as pregnancy — to Houston. Lukan's sexpertise helps Houston youth live longer, smarter and healthier.

Best Pet Psychic

Sonya Fitzpatrick

Wondering why your dog is incessantly barking when you're away from home? Curious to know what your departed cat is up to in the afterlife? Sonya Fitzpatrick, the world-famous pet psychic, can tell you. For $300 for a half-hour phone session, the English-born animal communicator will tune in to the magnetic fields in which nonhumans project their thoughts and feelings and telepathically uncover why your pet may be peeing on the bed or scratching the furniture. While there are other self-taught pet psychics in the Houston area, including Myra Logan and Griffin Kanter, none can boast Fitzpatrick's star-studded clientele that includes Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres.

Best Nursery

Enchanted Forest

Squint your eyes at Enchanted Forest's lush landscape and pretend it's the backyard of your dreams as you put your feet up and lounge on the patio furniture with the resident animals. Newbie or seasoned gardener, you're in excellent hands here, whether you're seeking out a desert willow tree, drift roses or mallow hibiscus with bright, sturdy blossoms as big as dinner plates. Want to go organic? Enchanted Forests's veggie and herb specialist will mentor you through the process. Want a custom greenery design, with not only unique foliage but also a funky container? They'll whip one up for you, or you can design and plant one yourself in their potting shed. Got a yen for classes on fairy gardens, landscape design, planting to attract hummingbirds and/or the care and feeding of bulbs? Check out their Saturday-morning offerings, year-round. They offer irrigation systems, too.

Best Small Business Helper

Kitchen Incubator

You might make the world's best apple marshmallow salad, but if you sell it out of your kitchen, you'll be shut down before you can even start up your start-up. Luckily for you, there's Kitchen Incubator. It's the first licensed commercial kitchen for rent in Houston, meaning you can reserve a kitchen, cook up a storm and (legally) sell your food. Kitchen Inc. is the perfect place to launch a local business; clients include chefs of small companies that specialize in everything from fudge to kombucha. The folks at Kitchen Inc. will even help you get certified. With three kitchens and every kind of oven imaginable, they'll rent you a space for as little as $10 an hour. To reward yourself after a long day (or hour) cooking, check out the cafe, where soon you'll be able to sell your own delicious wares.

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