With origins in Spain, sangria is a wine punch of red wine, sliced fruit, honey or orange juice, and a little bit of brandy or other spirits. It’s a wonderful summer drink to serve at parties and is easy to make. The Internet is full of different recipes, such as this classic version; one with Grand Marnier, lemons and oranges; or this Portuguese sangria, which calls for apples, cinnamon and 7-Up. An easy way to start is with La Tienda’s Real Sangria Red Wine with Fruit Flavors, an excellent base. For an authentic Spanish touch, serve your sangria from La Tienda’s brightly painted ceramic pitcher ($45). Show off your sangria’s brilliant colors with this clear, elegant pitcher from Sur La Table ($18). If you expect your guests to get a little wild, you might want to buy the Container Store’s “unbreakable” clear polycarbonate pitcher ($35). Your guests will love sipping from these handcrafted Spanish sangria glasses made of recycled glass ($30 for set of six). If sangria is Spain’s most famous drink, then paella is probably its most famous dish, and the two pair up well. Spain Recipes has a selection of good paella recipes, as well as sangria recipes. Penelope Casas’ cookbook, Paella! Spectacular Rice Dishes from Spain ($23) will keep you experimenting in the kitchen all summer. Or you could team up your sangria with a Spanish tapas sampler box, which includes ham, cured chorizo, peppers and stuffed olives, along with a mini paella pan ($75).

Want your best friend to “hang out” with you while you shop or grab a bite to eat al fresco? A big boxy carrier just won’t do, especially if your four-legged wonder is a toy-sized dog that loves to snuggle and be near you. The PuppyPurse is functional and fashionable. It has easily adjustable straps and can be worn like a shoulder bag or a fanny pack, across the chest or carried like a purse. That kind of versatility means you and your little Prince can move about ready for just about any adventure, your hands free to pet your pet, something you can’t do when he in a traditional carrier. The purse’s insides wrap your dog in soft, luxurious faux fur with all sorts of finishing touches and fits most dogs under six pounds. The Coco Chienelle has a khaki-colored cotton bodice and light brown poly border trim ($70). The PuppyLove has a white bodice with colorful flowers ($65). When you buy the Bark-for-the-Cure puppy purse , which sports a pink ribbon pattern, 10 percent is donated to breast cancer research ($85). The Disco Dog! (pictured) comes in pink or black, airy organza with mirrored sequins ($75) . If your pup is in the mood for something more casual, the BabyBlue Jeans purse made of denim will do ($69), or consider always appropriate Basic Black ($69). To ensure His Wagness is comfortable, follow PuppyPurse’s size guidelines (scroll down). Another trendy and hands-free way to carry your puppy around is in a sling. This designer sling comes in a pinstripes with a skull and rose design or a koi fish print and can carry dogs of up to 18 pound ($69). The Pooch in Bloom sling has a floral and polka dot pattern, two exterior pockets for personal belongings or treats, and adjustable safety hook that attaches to the dog’s collar or harness, and holds dogs up to nine pounds ($65) . This simply structured sling in solid black or brown fits dogs up to 19 pounds and has a large zippered pocket for treats and one for your cell phone ($80).

Swimming-pool owners who have tired of their old pool diversions — pool volleyball, water aerobics, and games of Marco Polo — may well drool over the Aquatic Climbing Wall being hawked by catalog giant Hammacher Schlemmer. The heavy-duty structure is like the fake rock walls aspiring mountaineers train on, but with one obvious benefit: Since climbers who fall off hit water instead of concrete, there’s no need for ropes, helmets and safety harnesses. The wall’s surface is contoured fiberglass, with an array of sculpted hand-grips that can be changed out and rotated to shake things up or to adjust the climb’s difficulty; at the top is a clear-panel overhang — put there, evidently, in case you got a sudden, irresistible urge to continue your climb over the edge and go splat on the pool’s edge. The ten-and-a-half foot, 200-pound item comes with a lifetime guarantee and includes “white glove delivery,” according to the catalog — and for $8,000, it certainly should.

There’s something feminine about a parasol. They can shade you from the sun, make you look mysterious, and add another dimension of elegance to your dress. That’s why many brides opt for parasols and umbrellas on their wedding day. Bella Umbrella is full of lovely vintage umbrellas and parasols that can be rented for special occasions; fees range from $10 to $30. Whether your gown is a formal ivory gown with a huge train or a demure pink suit, you’ll find a bridal parasol to match. The ruffled parasol and umbrella category contains a variety of feathery, frilly looks, great for a bridal shower or for a formal Southern wedding. Vintage French double-layered umbrellas (where the inside of the umbrella is painted or decorated) are perfect if the bride is wearing a vintage dress or if the wedding is held at a historic site (pictured is a dusty pink umbrella). For women who prefer to purchase their umbrella or parasol, instead of renting them, Bella Umbrella has a stunning selection, including these pretty Asian parasols ($35 and up). At Moonlight Weddings, this umbrella is decorated with white lace and satin flowers ($55). For outdoor weddings, ushers might hand out these cheerful paper parasols for guests; they are also fun accents for the bridesmaids to carry, especially at a beach wedding ($19 or $17.50 each when you order 12 or more).

It’s funny the way everyday objects of the past morph into “vintage” models of good design. We marvel at what used to be because it reminds us how quickly things change. When I see a “classic” telephone like this ITT rotary dial model in someone’s home or a collectibles shop and hear the ring of its bell, I think, “How cool is that?” It has heft, maybe a pleasing color, and none of the features we’ve become accustomed to, such as Caller I.D. and speed dial. The market for retro phones appears to be quite healthy. Plenty of models have been cleaned up and retrofitted with a modern cord, and there are loads of replicas, too. Rotary Dial Phones has mint condition, never-used phones made decades ago — in fabulous colors such as lime green (extremely rare, $150) and bright orange ($130). The only problem is nabbing one before someone else gets it. But at Everything Furniture, there are loads of reproductions to choose from. For $49 you can get a Princess phone, circa 1959, in blue, pink (pictured), or yellow and a late-1930s Dreyfuss-designed desk phone (think of Humphrey Bogart). For $69, you can own an early 20th century candlestick phone in brushed chrome, no less. Ebay might just be the best place to pick up an authentic phone of bygone years. When we visited, the bidding was on for an Ericsson Ericofon “Cobra” telephone (bid was at $50 when we checked) and a vintage Western Electric phone ($85 bid). And for those who cannot part with their cell phones, check out the retro phone handset at Think Geek ($5 to $30). It’s a replica of a classic Western Electric handset that works when plugged into the headset jack of your cell phone or Blackberry.

A fresh, colorful salad, laden with bright vegetables and creative dressings and toppings, is a must for any summer get-together. With summer approaching, it’s a perfect time to refresh your salad ingredients and serving dishes. Selecting an unusual salad bowl will help make your contribution to the potluck stand out, especially if you use a ceramic dish. The Artful Home is a site where many artisans sell their work. Artist Peggy Crago hand-painted this lovely salad bowl with pears, leaves and berries and finished it with a majolica glaze. It’s so beautiful it could be a stand-alone piece of display art in your home, in addition to gracing your table ($275) . This French Home Gourmet ceramic salad bowl is green and eye-catching, because it is shaped like a sunflower ($62); it can also be used as a baking dish. Firenze Gifts, which sells Italian-made products, carries a wide selection of unique bowls, including this green Orvieto Italian ceramic scalloped salad bowl, with a fanciful painted design of a rooster ($120). Some people prefer wooden bowls, because they are lighter and more durable, like this classic tea-stained wooden salad bowls and servers ($3 to $15; pictured). For the perfect salad, try the red KitchenAid salad spinner to whirl excess water off of the salad greens (on sale for $30). The MoMA Store’s stainless steel salad spinner is a design statement in itself, with a patented pump, brake button and a clear lid ($55). You don’t always have to serve salad in little bowls. The Food Network Store sells these clever white square salad plates by BIA Cordon Bleu ($30 for a set of four). A good salad cookbook like Jennifer Chandler’s Simply Salads contains more than 100 recipes for gourmet salads and dressings ($16.50). Another way to make your salad exceptional is by using a unique dressing, such as Vivienne’s Romano Cheese Dressing, a zesty, rich dressing for salad that won an award from the Fancy Food Show ($34 for a six-pack). Prosperi Dressings’ selections include tomato ginger, balsamic vinaigrette and Caesar ($12 for a three-pack). At Igourmet, you can peruse a huge selection of gourmet salad recipes, as well as order high-quality olive oil and vinegar, key ingredients in homemade dressings. L’Olivier’s extra virgin olive oil comes from France and has a fruity, mild olive flavor ($30). L’Olivier’s fruit vinegars come in variety of flavors ($15), and its acetified honey dressing is a sweet-and-sour accompaniment for salads and vegetable dishes ($25).

In the early 1980s, Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez, two brothers from Oxnard, Calif. (with varying assistance from other siblings), started a little black-and-white comic book series that helped change the face of comics. Not only did Love and Rockets use the format for grown-up, non-superhero stories and tell its tales with unusually strong writing (other artists were starting to do that as well), but it populated the stories with kinds of people — working-class Latinos — almost never seen in comics. It almost exclusively gave its attention to vibrant, surprisingly well-imagined female characters, albeit ones whose chest-heavy proportions sometimes testified to the artists’ amorous obsessions. The first Love and Rockets series ended in 1996, with the idea being that Los Bros would work individually on stand-alone graphic novels and short series. The name was later revived for further efforts years later, but the initial 50-issue run continues to be a touchstone for newcomers wanting to get an idea of how literate, funny and culturally hip a comic can be. Two massive hardbacks have given the library-worthy treatment to the major storylines penned by Jaime (Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories) and Gilbert (Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories) for the series, but a recent effort by publisher Fantagraphics has aimed to make their work more accessible (less expensive, more bite-sized) to new readers: They’ve just completed the Love and Rockets Library, a line of paperbacks that reprint every story from the original magazine, organized by author and rearranging sometimes confusing soap-opera-worthy plotlines into easy chronological order (around $15 each). Assuming this publishing effort has the desired effect and wins the brothers a new generation of fans, those readers won’t suffer for lack of material: Each brother is currently cranking out new stories at breakneck pace, whether it’s Gilbert breaking new ground with occasional novellas like Sloth for other publishers or Jaime revisiting old friends in The Education of Hopey Glass.

The sun gives a “healthy glow” and a daily dose of vitamin D. It also burns and irradiates our skin if we don’t protect ourselves. Those who have already dealt with skin cancer or “precancerous” carcinomas, not to mention premature aging, know the importance of covering up with a good hat. The rest of us need to take preventive action now. In other words, don’t leave the house without a sun hat tucked into your bag or your car or tied around your neck. The everyday cotton hat from Coolibar — the online store claims to be the only site recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation — offers excellent shelter from ultraviolet light. With a four-inch brim and hidden drawstring for a custom fit, it boasts a 50+ percent UPF rating, meaning it will block 98 percent of the sun’s harmful rays ($30; available in eight colors). Outdoor Research’s Seattle Sombrero from REI won an award from Backpacker magazine. Made of waterproof Gore-Tex, its brim can be turned up and secured on both sides to VELCRO tabs ($50). For those who need extra protection for their necks and ears, there’s the Bimini cap from Patagonia ($30). You probably won’t win any fashion awards, but your sweating, roasting companions will envy your cool composure, and the rear flap is removable. Tea in the Sahara, anyone? Or let your head go uncovered while protecting your face in a Naples women’s hat by Physician Endorsed Hats ($33). This one works as a visor when you unzip the removable crown. “But I want to look pretty,” you say? Anthropologie’s wide brimmed monochrome sun hat ($38) and Yucca hat ($88) will do the trick and make you look like a fashion sophisticate. There are lots more face-saving wide brimmed sun protection hats for women at Sun Grubbies, such as the extra-wide brimmed canvas Bella ($48; pictured). And parents: Don’t forget a hat for your kid.