Shopping in Milford Mill

Like friendly, escapable black holes, the ineluctable pull of hardware stores attracts everyone who lives in a modern structure or appreciates a well-crafted daiquiri. You don’t have to drive to the suburbs for your hardware fix with today’s Groupon to Ace Hardware Stores: you get $20 worth of blenders, key copies, cable splitters, watch batteries, house paint, and more for $10. Your Groupon is good at the Federal Hill and Waverly stores for any product and service. Whether your potted plants need special food to survive in your cold basement apartment, or your outdated faucet needs a 21st-century fix, the friendly folks at your local Ace Hardware can lead you to the perfect solution.

Leave embarrassing fashion dopplegängers in the dust with today's Groupon for one-of-a-kind clothing finds at Blu Vintage Boutique. Today's deal gets you $60 worth of expertly cultivated tops, skirts, purses, and more for $25. Boutique and vintage options ensure that you won't end up at a cocktail party wearing the same dress as your boyfriend's ex, the catty one who refuses to return Doug’s Harry Potter Monopoly board.Follow @Groupon_Says on Twitter.

Today’s Groupon gets you $50 worth of apparel and accessories for $25 from Babe (a Boutique). Babe is a Federal Hill shop that stocks stylish frocks from trendy brands, such as Rich & Skinny Jeans, Nick & Mo, and Laquette. It was named second best Baltimore boutique in Baltimore Magazine's 2009 Best of Baltimore Readers' Poll.Follow @Groupon_Says on Twitter.

From green gifts to handcrafted treasures, Nest houses original and environmentally friendly wares. Selected inventory includes sustainably sourced fabrics by Earth Creations, recycled glassware by Fire and Light, and charming pottery from Mudworks. Read the gripping origin stories of some of Nest's vendors here. With this Groupon, naturally scent the home with a large soywax candle ($20), pull on an organic cotton T-shirt ($26–$30), or sip from a tumbler crafted from recycled wine bottles ($10.99). Nest supports fair-trade, organic cotton, recycled, handmade, and environmentally friendly goods.

Fell's Point Frame and Design (FPFD) provides every imaginable form of artistic box, from frames and shadowboxes to wood box-mounting, mirror framing, and making lithographs appear undeniably guilty. Framing for a black-wood frame, professional dry-mounting, glass, and basic hanging hardware starts at $30; 16" x 20" frames start at $77; 24" x 36" start at $106; and 40 x 60" start at $254 (prices will change depending on your project and the frame’s materials.) The friendly framesmen also produce high-quality prints, starting at $7.20 for an 8" x 10" photo printed on a basic satin-paper option. Fancier paper options, such as textured fine-art paper and canvas, are available for a higher price.

Since 2005, friendly book monarchs John and Kathy Byer have built a browser's kingdom of more than 15,000 books, recently adding legions of DVDs, CDs, and vinyl to their burgeoning empire. Each hardcover and paperback comes neatly arranged by type, from romance to children's books to science fiction, and they range from 50%–80% off the suggested retail price. Nostalgic VJs and cash-strapped Frisbee dogs will happily sniff through the DVD selection ($4 per disc), the sisterly compact discs ($4.95), and their great-uncle vinyl ($3.99). New trades occur weekly, rendering Second Edition a valuable hub for anyone looking to pan for gently used gold, dog-eared Newbery Medals, or gently-eared dog gold.