Starting today, you can catch “Grease” in the theaters again. Unfortunately, it’s not coming to my city (yet) so until Paramount answers my cry, here’s some Grease-inspired shelter love. For starters, a 1950s Vera scarf. I’m not much for wearing them or waving them at starting lines, but I love the idea of turning them into art or pillows. To take the “Grease” spirit with you, a Brylcreem keychain. Because school pride is always cool, a vintage pennant on eBay. To brighten up the bedroom, a very Sandra Dee-ish milk glass dresser lamp in need of some love and a shade. For fresh cut flowers or cooling off, vintage sundae dishes from Etsy. And because “Grease” and black leather go together like, well, rama lama lama ke ding a de ding a dong, this vintage black leather Thonet chair. — Sarah L.

Okay, I love this toy — and so do my dogs! Pentapulls by Doggles are toys designed for strong dogs who love tug-of-war, like mine. Each toy is made from four layers of recycled 1680D ballistic nylon under plush. My dogs have been tossing, tugging, and chewing on them for a month, and they’re barely worse for wear — truly a miracle in our house. It’s a pure bonus that the toys (I got the MonsterPulls variety) are so darn cute to look at. (It’s especially funny when our dogs run around with all the legs falling out of their mouths like a bunch of red tongues.) Find them at Doggles for around $19. They’re worth the money! — Mary T.

I don’t know about you, but in the summertime, I hate cooking. Or should I say, I hate using HEAT to cook things. I’m always looking for easy summer salad recipes that I can make in bulk and then dip into for several days. When I got a sneak peek at upcoming cookbook The Family Dinner by Laurie David, I had to give this Wheat Berry Salad recipe a try. Even though I am quite certain that I have never eaten nor cooked a wheat berry, thinking about a salad made of cranberries, edamame, walnuts, and a citrus dressing sounded too good to pass up. Wheat berries, it turns out, are not the easiest thing to cook. The directions said to cook two cups in two inches of water, but I found that the water got soaked up very quickly and we had to add more. After about an hour of cooking, they reached a nice, chewy texture. After they cooled down (which took a while, so plan ahead for that), I added in one cup of dried cranberries, 1/3 a cup of canola oil, the zest and juice of two oranges, the zest and juice of one lemon, one cup of edamame beans, one cup of toasted walnuts, a handful of scallions, dried apricots, and of course, salt and pepper. The end result was really very yummy, and made me feel amazingly healthy and thrifty. Co-workers looked at my lunchtime salad with envy. I will most definitely repeat the recipe, though I think I may try to cook the wheat berries in a rice cooker. And I may give this Barefoot Contessa recipe a try.

Have you ever cooked with wheat berries? Let me know what you did with them! — Angela M.

Looking for more summer salad recipes? Don’t forget about these!
Curried Pasta Salad
Chicken Bowtie Pasta Salad
Chinese Chicken Salad
Vegetable Grain Salad with Chive Yogurt Dressing

I may be alone with this one, but I’m oddly drawn to Catherine McEver’s Wonder Bread art. Using colored floss and slices of white bread, Catherine very carefully creates sweet miniature nature scenes. She’s re-imagined ducks, floral patterns, aquatic scenes, and a minimalist tribute to Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” on the fluffy canvas. The bizarre art can be enjoyed longer than you think. According to the artist, “I have a couple of slices that are over four years old that look just like new.” — Katie D.

A chair so cool it has its own Facebook page? That would be the Solair chair. I first laid eyes on these beauties at Click! Design That Fits, one of my favorite stores, and I think I literally ran into the place to try a sit-down. Not only is the Solair chair, a re-issue of a 1970s hotel staple, crazy bright and happy to look at, it’s comfy to sit in — we had a hard time prying ourselves away! I am dreaming about four of them for our patio (they retail for $130 each); my husband thinks they would be great in a basement rec room. Either way, these are definitely on our shopping list. Find them in person at Click! in Seattle, in Vancouver, BC at Vancouver Special, or check the Solair page for more shopping sources. (As recently as June 25, Solair said they could be found online at Shelter Home, but I was unable to find them there — perhaps they sold out.) — Mary T.

I bought this frame years ago at a flea market, intending to remove “Fred” and have a mirror cut for it. At 25” high and 18” wide, it’s the perfect size for our small half bath. Back then, I liked that the frame wasn’t in great shape. Now I’m not so sure. While “Fred” has been quietly hanging around in the laundry room, I stumbled across Mrs. Blandings and her post on Irish Georgian Mirrors. A real antique mirror will have to go on my lottery list, but I’m wondering if I could makeover my frame to get a similar effect. Black paint, silver leaf and facets dulled a little by glue might do the trick. Suggestions? I’m open to any ideas that don’t involve making “Fred” a permanent part of the family or ditching the whole project altogether.

Instant ancestor: If you think “Fred” is the real treasure and would not get the willies just from having him in the basement, leave me a comment and he’s yours. I’ll find a tube and mail him for free. — Sarah L.

Back in April Erica P. asked what types of gifts she should (or shouldn’t) register for for her upcoming wedding. In addition to great advice, a few of you suggested making use of Amazon.com’s universal wish list button and Tula of Whorange linked to her incredible roundup of unique stores that offer wedding registries. Here’s one more to add to that list: according to this tidbit on Glamour’s wedding blog, the MoMA Store will begin offering a gift registry option on July 13th! Great news, considering our love of everything they make. Have you ever given something from the MoMA Store to rave reviews? Tell us about it in comments! –Sarah C.

1) When it comes to picnics, you’ve got fun on the menu. Regarding must-have munchies, Kimberj says, “Lots of guacamole and chips with diet coke and fried chicken! Fresh melon and pineapple cupcakes with coconut frosting mmmmmmmmm”. Reader Greta of Picnics in the Park also shares some picnic perfect recipes in comments. So tell us: What’s in your picnic basket?

2) Reusable snack bags beat plastic, but handle with care! Calloddie says, “I was just wondering if there were alternatives to plastic baggies this week! Great timing… I’m thinking if I put them in the stiff-sided lunch cooler my guy carries, he won’t find a way to smoosh everything (maybe).” For more on our picks, and some DIY options, click here.

3) You want to hear more about sustainable sushi. Charlotte says, “oh my gosh, i didn’t know that unagi was endangered! that’s so sad and I will for sure stop eating it and spread the word–please do a post on what sushi is more likely to be sustainable to order!” Consider that wish granted. Stay tuned for more on the trend and read about Megan B’s eye-opening experience here.

4) Going to culinary school? This quirky set of chef’s pencils may be just the thing. Ansley says, “Thanks for sharing! My younger sister is about to start culinary school, and she’s the most difficult person to shop for. She’ll love these. How cute!”

5) You’ve considered using e-decorating services. DJ says, “I’ve been tempted by the room design service offered over on Young House Love. http://www.younghouselove.com/…I haven’t checked it out lately, but the last time it was a flat fee and they seem to provide a mood board and lots of very specific suggestions, which is just what I would want.” Get a glimpse into the process with Michelle’s experience with Decorati.

photo by Flickr member organic.matter

Childhood reinvented as decor over at Whorange — The view master rug. Fantastic!

Ohh the possibilities… DIY custom cake pans perhaps? Sugru moldable silicone clay, at Lifehacker.

The iPlunge phone stand. It’s a plunger kickstand for your iphone. Our kind of toilet humor. From Badder Homes and Gardens, of course.

Craft’s got a great quick fix for rehabbing your rusty old barbecue, just in time for holiday grillin’!

CasaSugar gives us a sneak peek inside the Fall 2010 Pottery Barn catalog.

Green kettle corn? Yes, really. At Not Martha. We’re thinking red, blue, and plain ol’ white for the fourth.

Speaking of red, white, and blue, ShelterPop’s got a fabulous flag-toned roundup to imbue your home with patriotism.

If you weren’t able to make it out to LA for the Dwell on Design tradeshow, Charles and Hudson will hip you to what’s contemporary and sustainable from this year’s show. Presently yearning for a tasty nap on the Private Cloud!

We’re taking Monday off to observe the July 4th holiday. Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you back here on Tuesday!

Stop by Velocity Art And Design for 20% off all Kartell items. Sale ends July 18.

Chronicle Books, publisher of some of our very favorite reads, is offering 25% off all online purchases in honor of their new and improved website. Enter code NEWSITE at checkout, now through July 9.

Save up to 60% and enjoy special weekend offers at the Ikea sale, going on now through July 5.

Revamp that linen closet with 20% off all spa-inspired towels at Garnet Hill through July 6th.

Gracious Home presents their summer sale and clearance now through July 12th. Save on hundreds of items for the home with free shipping on online orders of $50 or more.

Now through July 5 shop the “biggest sale ever” at Urban Outfitters and enjoy free shipping on orders over $150 and free returns and exchanges.

Enjoy additional markdowns at The Land of Nod’s Super Duper Summer Sale, and save up to 60% for a limited time only.

Save up to 90% at Kate’s Paperie’s Super Sale while supplies last.

Celebrate July 4th with up to 65% off in Sur La Table’s Super Summer Clearance event, in stores and online.

Newsletter subscribers enjoy an extra 10% off and free shipping on Delight.com’s biggest sale ever. Enter code JULYSALE at checkout.