Spotlight On: Mukluk Hippie Mocassin Slippers

Our Mexicali Blues mukluk slippers are the ultimate hippie shoes to make you feel like dancing! Wonderful for apres-ski warmth in the Winter or festival-hopping in the Summer, our exclusive mukluks are sure to keep you cozy all the time! Hand-knit and responsibly imported, our mukluks come in a nearly infinite variety of colors and styles, available at our four Mexicali Blues stores.

Some colors are available at http://www.mexicaliblues.com with more to come soon!

Peaceful Home Hippie Style Guide

Your home is your haven, and you probably spend most of your days at work; creating serene and positive environments in these spaces has the potential to influence your whole outlook on life! Clutter can be overwhelming, so the first step in creating a peaceful home or office is reducing it. Get organized by getting rid of what you don't use or need, and use shelves or wall hooks to put your stuff in its proper place.

Use colors that you love to decorate your room. The color of light coming through a paper globe lantern or block print curtain panels can change the overarching hue, and thus the mood, of the whole space! There is an interesting psychology behind the way colors can influence our moods: Blue represents peace, tranquility, calm, and harmony. Find it at Mexicali in our blue vine indian tapestry or batik yoga flags.

Green represents nature, good luck, and renewal. Add a little green to your space with a jade buddha or unique hanging mobile

Red is associated with love, desire, speed, and strength. It is energetic rather than relaxing, but red accents in a room can be quite pleasing. Try a cheerful tie dye tapestry or rasta flag on your wall.

Purple represents spirituality, mystery, transformation, and enlightenment. It is wonderful color to incorporate into your space; try a lavender batik tapestry with a purple paper star lantern.

Yellow represents joy, happiness, and imagination. Add a pop of yellow to your home or office with the yellow batik mandala tapestry or a yellow submarine Beatles poster.

Decorate with items that make you feel peaceful, like tibetan prayer flags or a zen wall hanging that reminds you of a quality that is important to you, like peace, courage, love, or happiness.

Add natural elements like a wooden buddha, a fountain, or a plant to keep you grounded. Perhaps hang a soothing bamboo wind chime in a window for peaceful sounds.

Candles and incense are a great way to add ambiance to any room. Put a lavender-scented candle in a buddha candle holder, or burn some nag champa incense in a handpainted incense burner for a calming olfactory experience.

If you want to create a peaceful vibe in your bedroom, be sure to keep it cozy with a unique and soft hippie duvet or bohemian bedspread for your bed. Hang a buddha tapestry on the wall or a wooden namaste sign over the door, and you will be saying ohm as you drift off to sleep!

The Ultimate Guide to Boho Style

Wear at least one bold bohemian accessory. Bohemian style is artistic and interesting; it may be relaxed and casual but it is still creative. Maybe you will carry a boho bag, or wear a sun hat or tie dye dress; just make sure not to overdo it with too much crazy color. Pair it with something natural, like an embroidered leather belt or wooden earrings to keep your look down-to-earth.

Bohemian style clothing should be loose and flowing, or at least have some flowy element to the outfit. A ruffled skirt or a long dress adds a sense of movement to your outfit that keeps with your nomadic gypsy attitude. Layers are an integral part of the boho style that is particularly welcome in cooler weather; don't be afraid to wear leggings under your dress, and scarves are a must! Wear one or put several together to mix up your look.

Accessorize! Jewelry is a must for creating a boho outfit: layered chunky bangle bracelets and gemstone earrings add to your unconventional earthy appeal. Hammered metal bracelets are another great look, as well as bold wooden chokers or leather necklaces.

Most important to the rules of boho style is that there are no set rules! The whole point of bohemian dressing is to show off your own unconventional and free-spirited ways, so get out there and do it!

Tie Dye Methods and Techniques

blue spiral tie dye tee

Tie Dye is super cool because there are no rules; the creative options are pretty much limitless, provided you can get your hands on all the crazy colors you're imagining. For the uninitiated, tie dye is a way of creating patterns by folding, stitching, crumpling, or otherwise preparing the fabric to inhibit the flowing of dye into the folds of the fabric. One can plan their colors and the end result to some extent, but part of the fun of tie dyeing is the surprise of unfolding/twisting/stitching your garment to see what you've got! While there are always small surprises along the tie dye journey, you can have some idea of what you're creating depending on the method that you use. So, let's explore a few of those, shall we? Onward!

Bandhni

photo by Saritha Rao Rayachoti

Bandhni, also called bandhani or bandhej, is an Indian method of tie dye that has been around for centuries. From the Hindu word bandhan which means "to tie up", this method involves tying many small points with thread before dip-dyeing. This creates a unique and detailed dotted pattern that is often used to create ethnic or nature-inspired designs. Frequently, bandhni pieces in India are sold with the knots intact to prove that it is an authentic bandhni piece and not a screen print.

Shibori

Shibori is the name of a whole family of traditional Japanese resist techniques. It can involve binding parts of cloth with stitching, pleating, wrapping around a pole, or using shapes (often of wood, acrylic, or plexiglass) to keep the dye from permeating a certain part of the fabric. Shibori has and continues to be used to create intricate patterns for kimonos that are as unique as snowflakes.

Mudmee

mudmee dye bell yoga pants

Mudmee is a method of tie dyeing from Thailand. It has a particular set of shapes and colors that are traditionally used, and there are usually multiple small motifs across one piece with very fine details in each. One thing that makes mudmee tie dye particularly unique is that it is never done on white fabric; the background is always colored, usually black. This makes for a look that is similar enough to modern multi-colored tie dye to still be groovy, but it is definitely special.

Modern Multi-Colored Tie Dye

rainbow spiral long sleeve tie dye

The modern technique of tie dye involves applying different colors of dye directly to cotton. The fabric is often twisted or wrapped with string or rubber bands to create patterns and parts of the fabric that resist the dye. The bright, colorful patterns create an iconic look that lets other hippies know where you are!

Check out our awesome selection of tie dye shirts, mudmee pants, tie dye tapestries, and tie dye dresses at MexicaliBlues.com!

A Brief History of Scarves

Buffalo plaid checkered hipster scarf (only $7)

Gather round for the history lesson of the day! Did you know that scarves date at least back to ancient Rome? They weren't worn for fashion or comfort but basically as a portable towel used by Roman men to wipe their faces after exercise. Eventually these extra pieces of cloth people carried around started to change from being purely utilitarian to more of a decoration when the Chinese Emperor Cheng (Shih Huang Ti) had his warriors accessorize with scarves as a mark of rank.

As history marched onward, the scarf continued its evolution as not just a useful piece of cloth but a sort of personal flag used to make a statement for the wearer. Around the 17th century, Croation soldiers wore scarves of cotton while their officers wore silk; a person could tell the rank of a scarf-clad individual without a word spoken. The French were so enamored of these unusual decorations that they adopted the style for themselves, calling them cravats, from the Croation word kravata. It became popular for men to show their political affiliation through the color of their scarves. By the 18th century, men and women alike wore scarves, no matter of the social class they belonged to. Practical when needed, and always attractive, scarves rocked even way back in the day!

These days, scarves are popular for their warmth in winter as well as being one of the boldest, easiest, fashion accessories to style and wear. Take a sneak peak below at some of what we have in stock!

This boho maroon sparkle scarf will keep you toasty warm and looking cool!

The shimmering hippie paisley India scarf is the perfect versatile fashion accent!

Check out more of our awesome selection of affordable fashion scarves at the Mexicali Blues website or in our stores throughout Maine.

Gemstone Meanings Encyclopedia: Picking the Perfect Pendant for Positive Vibes

A gemstone pendant makes a thoughtful gift that is sure to wow on any occasion!

Some gemstones are thought to be particularly "romantic", like garnet, moonstone, and tourmaline. Smokey quartz is said to promote communication, and lapis lazuli is often considered the special stone of friendship. To learn more, read on!


GARNET

Garnet is known as the stone of love and devotion, curing melancholy and warming the heart. It is said to stimulate passion and creativity while negating stubbornness. Noted also for its powerful protective energy, ancient soldiers would carry shields set with garnet when they went into battle.

Check out the garnet pendant , garnet earrings, garnet January birthstone studs, garnet gemstone flower earrings, and garnet flower gemstone ring at Mexicali Blues.

TIGER EYE

Tiger eye is said to promote balance, calm, and inner strength. It is a perfect stone for people who are flighty or easily distracted, as it is known to provide a sense of grounding and focus.

Check out the tiger eye pendant, tiger eye cab bracelet in sterling silver, tiger eye Celtic knot earrings, and round tiger eye pendant at Mexicali Blues.

CHINESE FIRE AGATE

Fire agate helps the wearer achieve better self realization and attunement to higher realms, providing clarity and stimulating awareness. Agate has long been revered as an absorber of negativity, opening the chakras, clearing out bad energy, and helping to develop natural powers and creativity.

Check out this exotic Chinese fire agate pendant at Mexicali Blues.

TOURMALINE

According to Egyptian legend, tourmaline assumed all its colors by passing over a rainbow on its long journey up from the center of the earth. It is said to break up energy blockages (experienced as anxiety, stress, or confusion) and help the wearer consider past, future, and present experiences in new ways. Tourmaline symbolizes love and friendship, and is said to make both long lasting.

Take a peek at the stunning tourmaline pendant at Mexicali Blues.

SMOKEY QUARTZ

Smokey quartz is known as the stone of cooperation. A gentle grounding stone, it has the ability to transform negative energy, particularly anger and resentments. It clears up communication difficulties and stimulates the cooperation of multiple energies towards a common goal.

Check out the smoky quartz pendant at Mexicali Blues.

AMBER

Amber is not a gemstone, but fossilized sap from prehistoric trees that has aged over the course of millions of years. In ancient times, amber was carried by travelers for protection. Today, it is still known for its protective qualities, and also for promoting good luck and a sunny disposition.

At Mexicali Blues, we have gorgeous golden amber as well as unique green amber pendants!

MALACHITE

Malachite, unlike stones of the quartz family, absorbs energy instead of projecting it. Because of this, it's very useful for releasing negative thoughts or emotions. It also helps to foster creativity and encourage self-expression.

Take a look at the opulant malachite pendant & malachite bracelet at Mexicali Blues.

TURQUOISE

Turquoise is the stone of wisdom and spiritual journeying. It is grounding and at the same time allows the flow of energy to continue. Some Native cultures believed that by wearing turquoise, the human mind becomes one with the universe. Also helpful with communication, turquoise helps the wearer be honest with the self and others.

At Mexicali Blues, we have a huge selection of turquoise jewelry. On our website, check out our chandelier drop turquoise earrings & matching chandelier drop turquoise pendant, unique turquoise cab bracelet in sterling silver, blue turquoise pendant in sterling silver, exotic turquoise pendant in sterling silver, & turquoise pendant in a unique sterling silver setting.

AMAZONITE

Amazonite is a calming stone that improves confidence and restores stamina, faith, and compassion. It dispels negative energy and gives strength in making difficult decisions. It is also said to improve self-expression and enhance communication concerning love.

Find an amazing amazonite pendant in sterling silver at Mexicali Blues.

AQUAMARINE

According to legend, aquamarine originated in the treasure chest of the mermaids. Roman sailors carried it with them, believing that it would protect them from drowning and ensure a good catch of fish. Aquamarine is believed to open consciousness, releasing wisdom and creativity. It has a calming effect, and thus is noted for increasing courage and fortitude.

Check out our aquamarine pendant & aquamarine March birthstone studs at Mexicali Blues.

LARIMAR

Larimar represents peace and clarity, healing and love. It is often known as the "Atlantis Stone". A psychic named Edgar Cayce (1877 - 1945) said that part of Atlantis was in the Carribbean, and also that a blue stone with extraordinary healing powers would be found there. About 30 years after he passed away, Larimar was discovered in the Dominican Republic, which is to this day the only place it can be found.

Take a look at our enchanting sterling silver larimar pendant at Mexicali Blues.

MOONSTONE

Moonstone is the stone of romance and emotional balance. It is said to have power to arouse passion and allow lovers to peek into their future fortunes. It is also considered a very strong healing stone, particularly for women. A stone of wishes, intuition, and balance, many believe that moonstone is made from actual moonbeams.

At Mexicali Blues, we have many pieces of moonstone jewelry to suite any style! Check out our chandelier drop moonstone earrings and matching chandelier drop moonstone necklace, gorgeous rainbow moonstone bracelet, rainbow moonstone pendant in sterling silver, rainbow moonstone stud earrings, and drop moonstone earrings.

OPAL

Throughout history, opal has been revered for its beauty and regarded as a stone of good fortune. The early Greeks thought that opals gave their owners the powers of foresight and prophecy, and the Romans often carried opals as talismans or good luck charms. It was said that these beautiful stones possessed the same sort of energy as a rainbow in the sky, and some believed that opal had magical powers. Legend has it that the Roman Senator Nonius chose to be exiled rather than sell his valuable opal to Marc Antony, who wanted to give it to his famous lover Cleopatra.

At Mexicali Blues, we have a wide selection of opal jewelry, like this charming opal pendant.

LAPIS LAZULI

Lapis lazuli is considered to be the stone of universal truth and friendship. It is reputed to bring harmony to relationships and help the wearer express the self in an authentic manner. Lapis is also considered a strengthening stone, bringing mental clarity and emotional healing.

Check out the lapis bracelet in sterling silver, round lapis pendant in sterling silver, and lapis earrings at Mexicali Blues.

AMETHYST

Amethyst helps to bring calmness and clarity, while fostering healing and selflessness. It is an excellent stone for meditation and is known as the "stone of transformation". Amethyst is said to bring wisdom by keeping the wearer connected to and aware of their more spiritual nature.

Give your hands some sparkle with an adjustable amethyst ring in sterling silver, amethyst flower ring, or faceted amethyst bracelet in sterling silver. If you're a necklace lover, our sterling silver oval amethyst pendant, sterling silver faceted amethyst pendant, or chandelier drop amethyst pendant might just be your dream accessory. Go amethyst all the way with a matching set of chandelier drop amethyst earrings, square cut amethyst earrings in sterling silver, sterling silver stud amethyst earrings, or light amethyst March birthstone earrings.

Whichever stone speaks to you, Mexicali Blues has got you covered! We have so many more pieces of gemstone jewelry in our stores, plus a knowledgable staff who can tell you even more about each stone, so stop by and see us sometime!

What's your favorite gemstone or stone story?