Even though Oops! uses an all-natural pretreatment solution "made of citric acid or orange peels, so safe you can drink it," we recommend just enjoying an ice-cold lemonade while you watch the Oops! team bring your carpet back to life. One of the many things we like about Oops! is how the Web site explains the various ways unscrupulous cleaners rip off customers. It's like they're saying, "Here's how a bunch of jerks operate, and here's how we do it." Plus, they back up their work with a 30-day guarantee. And it's not just carpet, either — they'll clean your upholstery, tiles, rugs and air ducts. We like these guys so much that we sometimes deliberately pour gallons of grape juice on our living room carpet just to watch them perform their magic. Totally worth it.

Old books are like old friends — they should be cared for and revisited often. With more than 65,000 titles in stock, Long Lost Friends is a treasure trove of used and rare books. New titles are added almost daily, and the shop often makes large bulk purchases, such as a recent 10,000-title science fiction buy, so just because they don't have the book you're looking for today doesn't mean they won't have it tomorrow. You can go online to check offerings, but everything isn't listed on the Web site, so it's best (and more fun) to go into the store and check the shelves. Don't have time for a visit? Fill out a form online and the staff will search their stock and resources for you.

While record stores have made a comeback, the opposite can be said about their analog brethren known as camera shops. That's why we hold onto the old Durham Drive standby a little tighter, especially since the longtime photography spot employs an eager-to-help staff that's hip to analog and digital hardware and accessories. If you're not buying a new digital rig or selling off old equipment, you can make your way through the back room that's dedicated solely to darkroom needs, ranging from silver gelatin chemicals to enlargers and safelights.

If you're looking for tasty candy to fill a piñata, your first and only stop should be Las Delicias Mexicanas. But even if a piñata isn't involved, Las Delicias should be a regular stop for dulce lovers. The shop regularly imports candy directly from Mexico under the Las Delicias label. While the shop offers plenty of chocolate, nut-based candy and spicy treats, it specializes in pumpkin and sweet-potato creations, including caramelized and white pumpkin. The treats, sitting heaped up in large baskets, look like rough-cut gemstones. Among the novelty items Las Delicias carries are paletotas (oversize lollipops) and a few adults-only products, including tequila and Kahlúa-based candy.

Say you're digging through Grandma's attic and find a charming old lamp adorned with a chap holding a lantern, but the cord and plug are so old you'd scarcely risk plugging it in? Take the little guy to A & O Lamp Company, where they'll rig up new works for you, fearlessly. It's scandalously hard to find lamp stores that will also do interior repair work. Owner Steve Schwartz is honest, and he and the folks who work for him all know their way around a lamp harp. It seems everyone sells lamps and shades nowadays, but remember, you get what you pay for. The lighting fixtures may seem pricey, but they're high-quality — we were able to find a hot pink chandelier here, the perfect touch for an overly formal foyer.

Lest you think, due to the name, that this is one of those cheap chain places, you'd be wrong. It is cheap — ahem, inexpensive — but the shop is owned by a talented stylist named Celina Arzola, who gives a good-quality haircut, and for men, will do a superb job on cleaning up beards, sideburns and facial hair. Walk-ins and last-minute appointments are easy to make. The salon's been open just east of the Montrose/Westheimer intersection for a decade now, and it definitely feels like part of the neighborhood.

Look, the fact of the matter is that Barely Legal #91 loses its luster on the small screen. Some porn deserves true silver-screen presentation, and that's where Executive comes in (so to speak). The theater is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 a.m., and students, members of our proud armed forces, and seniors get a discount. Okay, so the metal chairs might not be as comfortable as the cushy stadium seating of your average theater, but they're easy to clean, which is especially important for female patrons — after all, couples are welcome at the Executive. But even if you're not looking for the in-store experience, Executive also has an extensive collection of DVDs, toys, magazines, lingerie, costumes and other accessories to enhance your erotic endeavors. And with special "midnight madness" sales, you won't have to worry about your wallet. You need to check this place out — in fact, it's an "executive" order.

Always wanted to get your hands on a Superman #1, and just happen to have an extra $44,000 lying around? Visit Bedrock City Comic Company, and you're all set. Of course, if your budget isn't in that league, you can always pick up a set of Spider-Man playing cards for just under ten bucks. Founded by Houstonian Richard Evans in 1990, Bedrock City has taken this award home several times before, not only because the store can get such treasured items as that prized Superman #1 for you at a fair market price, but because it offers action figures, clothing, limited-edition artwork, movie posters and lots more. Bedrock City frequently hosts signings by famous artists and writers such as Bernie Wrightson and Jim Lee.

Let's face it: Gas is gas, and who really cares if it's $3.25 a gallon at one place and $3.40 at another? Even if you have a mammoth tank to fill, you're saving what, $4 each time you fill up? Nope, what really sets the best gas stations apart is the food and amenities on offer, and none in Houston offer more and better of those than this once Greek-American, now Arabic-British-American deli offering Mediterranean fare and immense, wickedly delicious breakfast tacos. Also on the menu: full breakfasts, Greek salads, souvlaki, specialty dogs and burgers, hummus and other Middle Eastern dips, sandwiches (on your choice of five types of bread) and gyros, juicy kebabs, succulent keftedes and magnificent moussaka. And baklava to boot. The gas may top out at 91 octane, but the food goes all the way to 100.

The inside of Lisle Violin Shop's Bissonnet location is a small space cluttered with instrument cases, a couple of bookshelves with beginning theory books, accessories from cakes of resin to shoulder rests, and a couple of racks of violins and violas. Another room has the cellos and double basses and one violin made to look like a flying V guitar; all are available for sale or rental. But the real action happens in the workshop out back, where five on-staff luthiers make and repair a good many of the stringed instruments for 25 Texas school districts — as far away as College Station, Waco and Tyler — using only hand tools. In fact, the afternoon we visited, Lisle's newest violin-maker had just finished his very first fiddle. In business since 1984, Lisle also offers payment plans, instrument insurance and even delivery services.