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I want to put beads on a badge reel and the badge reel on a lanyard. Where can I find the blank that I need? [more inside]
posted by jacquilynne at 9:53 AM - 4 answers

My daughter has announced she's engaged, getting married next year. Instead of a shower, she's asked that I go with her to try on wedding dresses. We live in different states and I have lots of left over frequent flyer miles. But where can we find lots of in-person dresses to try on that isn't the $10K type stuff in NYC? She's looking for old-fashioned lacy, not fashion designer and mostly wants the mother/daughter bonding experience. [more inside]
posted by Gucky at 6:24 AM - 14 answers

My kid is graduating at the end of the month, and will be studying statistics at university. It has been suggested to me that a really high end calculator would be a good graduation gift and useful in their secondary education. 1) is this true? (they did not need one in HS) 2) If so, what would be the Cadillac of handheld calculators for a stats kid?
posted by anastasiav at 11:00 AM - 18 answers

I am looking for a modular system with big drawers that will mostly be a bookshelf. In the UK. Ideas? [more inside]
posted by caoimhe at 1:52 AM - 4 answers

I run a shop that lets you browse online but you must pick up in person (I do not ship and have no in-store browsing). There used to be a Toronto restaurant called The Atlantic that allowed you to pay what you wanted. In addition to selling bags, Freitag has a Shop Without Any Payment website for their customers to trade their bags. What are some other companies / people that have unusual / unique / unorthodox ways of doing business?
posted by dobbs at 9:42 AM - 14 answers

Can you please suggest a cheap and cheerful watch that has a stopwatch function that measures in hours? [more inside]
posted by Rhomboid at 5:20 AM - 9 answers

An old friend is laid up in a hospital in Dunedin, NZ. He offhandedly mentioned that he'd love to have a simple bamboo backscratcher, and I'd like to have one delivered to him. What's the most sensible way to do this, given that I'm in California? [more inside]
posted by Dr. Wu at 9:14 AM - 5 answers

I'm a woman who's fed up with using disposable razors designed for women. I often don't bother with shaving for a while and then when I do it's an absolute nightmare - it takes forever and I get bad razor burn. So I'm looking for alternatives! [more inside]
posted by an opinicus at 7:53 AM - 5 answers

People who give flowers as gifts: Do you reliably source nice, long-lasting arrangements for a reasonable price, whether via online, in person or DIY methods? If so, what's your secret? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph at 7:43 AM - 10 answers

A long, long time ago in a country far, far away, I bought a wallet. It needs replacing. I want it's twin, and can't find it. [more inside]
posted by concinnity at 8:46 PM - 7 answers

For a birthday party, we're trying to come up with "pass the parcel" gifts (basically party favors distributed randomly such that each kid gets a random unique gift) for a group of 4-5 year olds and a few older siblings. [more inside]
posted by Spokane at 8:46 AM - 13 answers

I went to a tailor who I've gone to not often but before. I brought in cuffed pants that I needed shortened. I tried the pants on, he measured and charged me $28 which felt like alot and were almost half the price of the pants. [more inside]
posted by ColdIcedT at 8:14 AM - 20 answers

Ok, this will probably sound weird but I hate soft and fluffy bath towels. They shed and never absorb moisture which defeats the whole purpose of having a towel. The only place I've ever been that has the perfect towels is my nearby spa and they don't know where theirs come from. Where can I get some that are thin, kind of rough, and also super good at drying? I need both body and hair towels. Microfiber is not a good fit.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 6:03 PM - 22 answers

I tend to go out quite often, and bring necessities such as 1-2 water bottles, small snacks, meds, and eyeglasses cleaning cloths with me. I also want room for my iPad (9th gen, 10.2 inches, thicker with a protective case). What's a good messenger bag for me that's reasonably priced ($20-40) and good-sized while not being awkward or too large to comfortably carry around? [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 1:36 PM - 6 answers

I am looking for Stanley Whitney prints available online (or in the Toronto area). [more inside]
posted by hepta at 6:10 AM - 2 answers

My niece will be turning 10 shortly and I'd love to start a tradition of gifting her something she might appreciate in her future life for this and, say, eight subsequent birthdays. Any ideas of "timeless" presents that a younger might actually enjoy receiving? [more inside]
posted by travertina at 12:25 PM - 29 answers

I’d like to buy some 3/4” loc-line, up to 25’ or so, for various purposes around the house, mainly for adjustable arms for things. Are there any sources for discount loc-line around? [more inside]
posted by unus sum at 3:14 PM - 5 answers

The first unannounced park concert (recorded, not live music) is happening in my neighborhood, and I want to find a way to mitigate the noise experienced in my house as the season unfolds. I hoping noise machines could work. I figure I need several of these, for multiple rooms. But which ones to buy? [more inside]
posted by walkinginsunshine at 9:44 AM - 16 answers

My "baby" (mid-30s) sister is graduating nursing school soon! I want to get her a gift to mark the occasion but I am stumped. She already has a job lined up in Pediatrics, and in general is passionate about pediatrics as well as labor & delivery. She already has The Fancy Stethoscope, and I've already given her a set of personalized Leatherman Raptor medical shears. I will also be giving money, but want to give her something tangible, too. All ideas welcome!
posted by rhiannonstone at 11:45 AM - 15 answers

Where do I buy a basic bra. Like the kind you used to get at the Bay or Sears. A Warners or a WonderBra type thing. The Bay has gone super-high-end (I know this varies, but the ones in downtown Toronto are all very shi-shi now) and Sears is gone. My bras are down to threads. I'm willing to order online but I want something decent and I'd like to pay $30-50 ish and what I get offered on facebook costs quite a bit more than I want to spend, however miraculous they might be. Also, I don't even know what size I am these days, so trying on might not be bad.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:11 AM - 13 answers