Fun(ny) Fashion!

People always ask me, "Whitney, what is your perspective on fashion and style?" Ok, so I have never, EVER been asked that. But, because I have daydreamed about being a stand-in for an unavailable female celebrity on talk shows and press junkets, I have an answer. It would simply be: don't take what you wear too seriously.

Don't get me wrong. I seriously love clothes. In fact, I like looking at clothes more than the process of putting an outfit together and actually dressing in them. That being said, I tend to dress for the mood that I'm in. So, if I was allowed, I could be found in a full sweatsuit decorated in Dorito crumbs on a daily basis. But because I do have to be seen in public occasionally, I like to dress in what makes me happy. 

Come! Let's take a quick journey into my closet so I can show you some of my favorite endorphin-producing pieces...

Here's a lovely little number I think that every aspiring 90's female comic should have. It may look a little dated, but I swear that when paired with a cute, floral mini dress, it's *almost* on-trend. But if I do find myself feeling out of place while wearing "old goldie," I know that I can always turn to annoying my friends with attempts at observational stand up. I mean really...what's the deal with all of these Bigfoot shows?!  Wah, wah.

While these shirts aren't inherently funny, the fact that I own upwards of 8 (there's at least 3 in the wash and 2 more hiding somewhere on the floor), is kind of humorous. Simply referred to as "the big shirts" in the Bluetique office, these tops are a girl's best friend and we are all addicted. They're easy to layer and ridiculously soft and comfortable. They are a socially acceptable relative of the Snuggie. They are my fashion drug of choice, and there's no way I'm stopping at 8! (SPOILER ALERT: Bluetique will be stocked with these for Spring! We're talking pastel big shirts; striped big shirt; big shirts for days! So be on the lookout before I hoard them all!)

Lastly, we have this guy. He called to me one day from a rack at the Goodwill; mistakenly placed in the crocheted quilt section. No label. No tag. I think his creator was going for 80's Bill Cosby, and just kept going. He's big, bright, bulky, and loud. And I love him!

So there you have it. Thanks for taking this funny fashion journey with me. Keep it real. And keep it real fun!

Sending Love Your Way!

So, its the end of January.  You have been working hard on your resolutions and....it's cold, snowy, and your bed is the best thing since yoga pants.  This is where you make a choice.  Are you committed to thing you want to change or do you stay where you have always been?  In order to help you decide, I have relentlessly searched Pinterest for thoughts to inspire you:

I love the word victorious! 

And because I have one of these in my head: 

And finally, sometimes, you just have to believe: 

And maybe you are rolling your eyes at this.  But maybe something helps you carry you on as you try to improve your awesome self!  Because I find I am much like Leslie Knope in Parks and Rec and this respect:

Love from the cold coldness that is Harrisonburg,

Jax

New 'Do!

It snowed some more last night. Oh and it was bitterly cold out this morning as I made my way to work. Now, I love the snow and to some extent I love the cold. I love sledding and winter hikes and snuggling. But right now, in my store, we are longing for Spring…

It helps that we just got the first of our Spring lines in. Lots of stripes, lots of pretty pinks and purples, greens and blues and lots of transitional items. Dresses I want to wear now with a cardigan and boots, in hopes that soon I will be shedding the cardigan for the sun on my skin and the boots for some strappy sandals or  better yet, bare feet. Music helps too, so if you visit my store today you will be hearing lots of Billie Holiday. Something about her voice makes me think of sultry, summer nights. Lastly, what better way to prepare for spring, than a new hair-do...so I decided to take this picture of Marion Cotillard: 

 to my hairdresser and chop off my long hair. It feels so light and fresh now and has given me the push I need to make it to Spring. Anyone else planning on a new ‘do for Spring?  

Ashley

Meet Lucy!

Hey y'all, I'm Lucy, the new girl around the Bluetique office! This semester I'll be helping out with all things social media, and a little bit of marketing here and there!

So a little bit about yours truly- I'm a senior here at UK and I hope to work in social media once May arrives and I have to enter that terrifying thing they call the real world. I was born and raised right in here in Kentucky, I'm obsessed with UK's dance marathon for pediatric oncology and hematology, DanceBlue, a slight caffeine addict. I also run my own blog, Bluegrass Blonde!

Today I thought I'd share with y'all some of my favorite nail polishes for this time of year. It's kind of funny, I'm not one to paint my nail unless it's a darker color. The one exception to the rule would be the amazing metallic gold below, it's a great neutral and me and my roommates use it all the time. Therefore, you'll really only find my nails painted in the fall and winter!

As you can see I'm kind of obsessed with Essie colors.  From left to right they are: Cashmere Bathrobe, Lexedo, Skirting the Issue, Shifting Power, and Smoking Hot.

Lucy

Book Worm

Hi lovely people! Lately, 'When it rains, it pours' has taken on a whole new meaning. We live in a non-stop world and sometimes it's hard to find our little escape. As corny as it may sound, I find mine in a good book, curled up on the couch with a cup of tea (or glass of wine depending on the day I've had). Not a book on a Kindle, Ipad, or any other form of technology, an actual book (hard to believe, I know).

It seems that people tend to forget about good books and focus on the T.V shows, movies, or new games on their phone instead. It is my resolution to read 12 new books this year, one a month. I know that may seem like a low number for some of you, or it may seem astronomical to others, but I think I can handle it. So, with that, I urge you to put down your phones, tablets, and laptops and to pick up a book you can forget about the world in! I've done a little research and these are the three that I'm going to start with. Feel free read along with me and let me know what you think! 

1. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

"Set in the early 1800s author Hannah Kent depicts the life of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, an Icelander on death row for the murder of her lover. After being sentenced she's sent to live with District Officer Jón Jónsson and his family where she is to remain until her execution. Although the book is a work of fiction it draws strongly on real characters and places, which have been painstakingly researched. A truly great read. " 

2. The Poets' Daughters: Dora Wordsworth and Sara Coleridge by Katie Waldegrave

"William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge practically defined the Romantic era in English Literature, but this biographical tale examines the lives of their daughters - best friends who found their lives existed only beneath the success of their fathers. Despite privileged childhoods both Dora and Sara must triumph over tremendous obstacles in order to find their own version of success and ensure their own legacies. "

3. A Flash of Lightning by Tony Drury

"A terror plot, £6 million missing and a love story all combine in this thriller. It's Drury's fourth novel and as an ex-corporate financier, his books borrow from his own wealth of knowledge and have readers immersed in the twisting plot lines."

I hope you can find your little piece of heaven:)

Made with love, Chaney

Read more at http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/blogs/545336/9-books-that-will-get-your-2014-off-to-an-amazing-start.html#zvGFYWouhqkY84Tb.99

Pinterest Junkie

I hope you all enjoyed my last post and it inspired little DIY for 2014. One of the many amazing things about my job is the freedom to do little projects . Pinterest is full of ideas on how to display jewelry and boy do we have a lot of it! Basically, I was looking for a cute way to display our rings and bracelets. This is what I found....

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/152066924892153935/

This was a really easy project! You can use any plates you want and you can do this for super cheap! To get the look of the one above, I would recommend going to thrift stores and looking through the antique plates they have. I get a little impatient when I have a cute project to do and didn't want to wait to go later in the week, so I decided to check out what my local dollar tree had to offer. They had the plates and the candle stick holder! Score! Now all I needed was the glue.... I would not recommend hot glue, it doesn't hold the best. Instead, use E6000 glue or Epoxy. This project will only take you 20 min to complete, again, soooo easy! Here's what I did:

Step 1: Clean the plates and candle holder first so the glue will hold. Make sure to grab a few Q-tips so you don't glue yourself to the plates.

Step 2: Glue the bottom of the candle holder to the larger plate. Make sure you have it centered because this glue dries really fast! Let it dry for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Fill in the hole where the candle will usually go with your glue so that you have a flat base to set your next plate on. Make sure you cover the top of the candle holder in glue and center your next plate. I let that dry for 10 min.

TA DA! Super cute jewelry display!

I will be making a few more of these for my boutique and a few for my home. How cute would this be on top of a dresser or on the bathroom sink?! Good luck and happy crafting!

XOXO

Courtney

Follow Me To:

Happy Monday everyone! As always I'm here to help you daydream the day away...I found something pretty ahhhhmazing a few of months ago and I want to share it with all my wanderlust friends!! I don't know about you, but Instagram is my absolute favorite, I find it so inspiring when I come across new photographers, especially...wait for it...adventure seekers (shocking, I know)! I came across Murad Osmann and his beautiful girlfriend, Natalia Zakharova. Osmann is a traveling photographer, who seems to be in a new place every week. He started taking pictures of Zakharova leading him into different cities using the hastag #followmeto , and it has become an instant hit among social media users, with many trying to recreate his vision around the world. So here they are, a collection of some of my favorite shots...there are way too many to pick from, so this will have to do. Please, please do yourself a favor and go follow these amazing people! 

#followmeto Bali rice fields

#followmeto Ravello

#followmeto Singapore

#followmeto the village of Eze, France

#followmeto Monaco

#followmeto the temple

#followmeto another Moscow Kremlin

#followmeto Venice

#followmeto Poklonnayagora 

So there you have it, aren't they so wonderful?! I hope you enjoyed them and they made this Monday morning a little less gray and a little more exciting. Keep on dreamin' y'all!

So tell me, if you created a #followmeto photo...where would we be going?!

xoxo,

Hunter

Sweet Summertime

Longing for Summer...
So every January I start to get the worst cabin fever. Once the holidays are over I'm kinda done with winter. I am ready for warm weather, sun, and the beach! Since it's still only 30 degrees outside I try to bring the feeling of spring and summer into my home. One of my favorite ways to do that is with fragrance. I fill my home with all kinds of wonderful fresh smelling candles but my two favorites are Yankee Candles Sun and Sand and Tahitian Tiare Flower.

http://www.yankeecandle.com/detail/sun-/1106733

http://www.yankeecandle.com/detail/tahitian-tiar-flower/1174284

Once I put these candles out I already start to feel better! My next step is to turn up the heat and bust out the spring clothes! This new green dress that's on the website is perfect to get excited for warmer weather.



All I need at this point is to spritz on some yummy perfume, like Victorias Secrets Fresh and Clean, and I am happily in a warm weather mindset and have (mostly) forgotten how cold it is outside!


http://www.victoriassecret.com/beauty/victorias-secret-pink/fresh-clean-body-lotion-pink?ProductID=99153&CatalogueType=OLS

So that's how I get excited for the changing of the seasons and hopefully this post will bring a smile to anyone suffering from the cold weather blues!

Rach

Meet Blucille!

Meet Blucille! 

This is our friendly neighborhood Bluetique gorilla! She made her first appearance at the UVA/Virginia Tech 

game this past gall. She thinks UVA is a picturesque campus. She thoroughly enjoys the architecture of the 

Rotunda. 

And loves to chill with Icarus. 

And soaking up the gothic at Edgar Allen Poe's dorm room. 

And cheering on the Hoos with the cheerleaders! 

Now why would you, our loyal blog readers, care about a super social blue gorilla that wandered around 

UVA's campus? What does this have to do with your favorite store, Bluetique? Because when you get your 

picture with the fabulous Blucile and tag her and yourself on Instagram, you get entered to win a pile of 

awesome.  Mainly a $250 gift certificate to your local Bluetique! 



Like Kelsey Kilgore did, who won a $250 gift certificate to Bluetique Cville! 

Blucille is a traveler.  She likes visiting the pretty campuses and showing up to big events!  And giving away 

koozies.  And hanging out with YOU!  So keep your eyes peeled.  You never know when Blucille will show

up on YOUR campus.  



JAX

Stay-cation!

This past weekend one of my best friends and I had our seasonal Stay-cation. We began doing these last Winter, so this has been our 4th one so far. Basically, the two of us have combined our desire to have a vacation with our desire to save money and formed a day every season where we pretend like we are on vacation, without going anywhere.

Our stay-cations typically begin with a sunrise hike. Now, I am not an up at dawn sort of riser, but knowing that naps are common on this day, it is much easier to be up at sunrise.  Holly picks me up with coffee packed in a thermos and a snack (1st breakfast, if you will…). We drive out to Hueston Woods, a gorgeous state park only ten minutes from town. There is a trail along a lake that is pretty much perfect for sunrises. When we start it is still dark and we haven’t fully processed the coffee, so we are quiet. As the light begins to filter in and the caffeine begins to kick in, we start to talk. Going on hikes has been a lifelong thing with the two of us. We talk about anything and everything, though usually (and today is no different) it is our current hopes and dreams. Little goals that we can hold each other accountable for and help to make happen. It is crisp and cool morning and an absolute perfect way to start stay-cation.

We get back to my house. I have made an apple-cinnamon steel-cut oatmeal dish (recipe can be found here: http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Apple_Cinnamon_Oatmeal) in the crockpot overnight, knowing that a hot (2nd) breakfast would be nice to come home to after a chilly hike. It is warm and delicious. We make another pot of coffee and change into our stay-cation uniform (aka: pajamas). We have prepared lots more delicious meals (on stay-cation we eat like hobbits, 1st breakfast, 2nd breakfast, brunch, luncheon, afternoon tea, supper, etc…). Today we have decided that we most feel like watching Harry Potter and doing spa things.

We spend the day watching the 6th and both parts of the 7th movie. We have foot baths and we put drops of mint in them and soak til they are wrinkled. We do our nails and put various masks on our faces and hair. We have a delicious lunch of home-made wheat tortillas with sauteed peppers and onion and a mixture of black beans and cheese. We have guacamole and chips. Oh and Holly, who has become a master infuser of alcohol, has brought some strawberry and vanilla infused vodka which we mix with ginger ale to make a lovely little cocktail that goes just perfectly with our vacation atmosphere.

Other friends we have, know about our stay-cation and drop by for visits sporadically. These visits break up our movie marathon quite nicely and keep us from turning into zombies. Towards the end of the day we realize we haven’t packed a dessert (mon dieu!) so we head up to Starbucks, grab a latte and some chocolate and settle back in to finish the movies. At the end of the day, we feel refreshed and energized. The spa has restored our need to pamper ourselves, watching movies all day feels like an indulgence, a throwback to when we were kids, the conversation has us re-energized and ready to take on those goals that we hope to accomplish. The fact that we did it all on no budget and with minor planning feels like a bonus.

What would be on your schedule for the perfect stay-cation?

Ashley

Kiddie Cuts

Heyo!  It's Friday!!  Couldn't be happier about it after all the not so fun things that happened this week!  But guess what? I have a pretty funny "not so great" that I wanted to share, just to give you a giggle before the weekend!

Well, my little princess, Brooklyn, has a love for all things girly!  If its hair, nails, or makeup, she's totally down.  It's not uncommon to see her in front of the mirror primping herself. However, this Tuesday she did the unthinkable!

Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit by saying unthinkable and actually it's quite common among her age(5 years old).  I thought that I had properly explained that scissors were to only be used on paper.  That's it.  Paper.  Only.  However, I guess she took that as if there was no more paper she could cut other things.  She chose her hair....and when I saw I was almost in tears! Luckily after I had calmed down, I realized that it actually could have been much worse!

One day this will be a great picture to show all her future friends and boyfriends!!

Obviously this is something that happens often among little kids when they get curious. So, I got a little curious and found some of my favorite shots other parents had taken! Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy!

Pinterest Junkie

HI, my name is Courtney and I’m a pinterest junkie. I’m not only a pinner, I’m a doer. One of my favorite projects thus far has been our pallet wine rack.

It only took us a couple hours and about $10. (Not including the price of the wine it took to fill it. Side note: only the small bottles ((750ml one)) of wine will fit. ) Thankfully my boyfriend supports my DIY mania and was willing to help with the measuring and sawing. Here’s how we did it…..

What you’ll need

*pallet *wood glue * foam brush

*stain  *measuring tape  *saw *hammer *sandpaper *wine

* wine glasses

Step 1: Prep pallet. Clean it off. Measure a foot from one end and cut through support braces. This will be your wine rack so choose the better end.

Step 2: Pull a “good” board off what is left of the pallet and attach to the bottom with nails. This board will hold your wine bottles in your rack so make sure it is firmly attached.

Step 3: Measure the bottom of your wine glasses. (Side note: if your wine glasses are mouth blown like ours, make sure to measure the one with the largest bottom. They will all be different sizes.)

Step 4: Mark your spacing on the bottom of your wine rack, try to leave an inch between where your wineglasses will hang.

Step 5: Pull two more “good” boards off what is left of the pallet. Cut 9 1inch pieces as your spacers. Glue into the 1inch spaces mentioned above.

Step 6: Cut 7 3inch pieces and 2 2inch pieces. These will be the supports for your glasses to hang on. The 2inch pieces are for the ends of the rack. All the 3inch pieces will go between these. Glue into place on the spacers. Make sure to leave enough room for the stem of your wine glasses to fit.

(notice placement of spacers and supports)

Step 7: Let glue set. Once dry, sand down any overflow of wood glue and any rough edges and dust off.

Step 8: Now you’re ready to stain. You may have to stain it a few times to get your desired color. Also, you may want to wipe it down after staining to soak up any leftover stain.

When hanging you’ll want to make sure that you find the studs in your wall because this thing is HEAVY… not to mention it’s not loaded with your wine bottles yet. Make sure there is enough room above and below it to get your wine bottles in and out and to hang your glasses on the bottom.

Hopefully this project will bring you as much fun as it did for us. Happy building in 2014!