diff --git a/frameworks/blueprint/stylesheets/blueprint/_colors.scss b/frameworks/blueprint/stylesheets/blueprint/_colors.scss
index 78834abd..6817a2d4 100644
--- a/frameworks/blueprint/stylesheets/blueprint/_colors.scss
+++ b/frameworks/blueprint/stylesheets/blueprint/_colors.scss
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ $quiet_color:    $font_color + #333333 !default;
 $loud_color:     $font_color - #222222 !default;
 $header_color:   $font_color - #111111 !default;
 $alt_text_color: #666666 !default;
+$blueprint_background_color: #eeeeee !default;
 
 $link_color:         #000099               !default;
 $link_hover_color:   black                 !default;
diff --git a/frameworks/blueprint/stylesheets/blueprint/_typography.scss b/frameworks/blueprint/stylesheets/blueprint/_typography.scss
index c4264a97..ec095fc8 100644
--- a/frameworks/blueprint/stylesheets/blueprint/_typography.scss
+++ b/frameworks/blueprint/stylesheets/blueprint/_typography.scss
@@ -75,14 +75,14 @@ $blueprint-font-size: 12px !default;
     img.right       { @include float-right; margin: 1.5em 0 1.5em 1.5em; padding: 0; }
                   }
   a               { text-decoration: underline; @include link-colors($link-color, $link-hover-color, $link-active-color, $link-visited-color, $link-focus-color); }
-  blockquote      { margin: 1.5em; color: #666666; font-style: italic; }
+  blockquote      { margin: 1.5em; color: $alt_text_color; font-style: italic; }
   strong          { font-weight: bold; }
   em              { font-style: italic; }
   dfn             { font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; }
   sup, sub        { line-height: 0; }
   abbr, acronym   { border-bottom: 1px dotted #666666; }
   address         { margin: 0 0 1.5em; font-style: italic; }
-  del             { color: #666666; }
+  del             { color: $alt_text_color; }
   pre             { margin: 1.5em 0; white-space: pre; }
   pre, code, tt   { @include fixed-width-text; }
   li ul, li ol    { margin: 0; }
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ $blueprint-font-size: 12px !default;
   th, td, caption { padding: 4px 10px 4px 5px; }
   tr.even td      { background: $blueprint-table-stripe-color; }
   tfoot           { font-style: italic; }
-  caption         { background: #eeeeee; }
+  caption         { background: $blueprint_background_color; }
   .quiet          { @include quiet; }
   .loud           { @include loud; }
 }